Sich and Miller Pair Up To Trump Cyclones
December 30, 2006 - SPHL (SPHL)
Florida Seals News Release
FLORENCE, S.C. - If Saturday nightâs SPHL game between the Florida Seals and the Pee Dee Cyclones had been played on a poker table, each side would have been holding two pairs
Thankfully for the guys from Central Florida, they were holding the better kicker.
Florida got two goals each from Rob Sich and Craig Miller and rode a three goal second period blitz to a 6-4 win over the host Cyclones at the Florence Civic Center. The Sealsâ victory overshadowed the twin two goal performances of Edan Welch and Geoff Rollins for Pee Dee.
Unlike the night before, the visiting Seals struck first in the opening period. Steve Zoryk set up line mate Tim Vitek who put the puck past Pee Dee goalie Guy St. Vincent for the lead at 5:05. That lead lasted just two minutes as Welch scored off of a setup by Chris Rebernik and Allan Sirois to tie it. Welch then struck again, lighting the red light behind Florida goalie Terry Denike at 9:52 to give the home team what would be their only lead of the night at 2-1. Before the stanza was done, Zoryk and Vitek would combine to set up Sich for his first of the game, sending the teams into the first intermission tied at 2-2.
The Seals came out flying in the second and before the period was nine minutes done were back in front. It started at 3:48 when Zoryk fed Sich for his second goal of the game to make it 3-2. Miller got into the act at 7:58, scoring off of a pass from Kahlil Thomas and the lead was pushed to 4-2. Rookie Chad Haacke capped the run at 8:53 when he beat St. Vincent off of assists by Phil Gianfrancesco and Billy Rochefort, giving the visitors a 5-2 lead.
Down the other end of the ice, Florida's defense and Denike's play in net took the wind out of the Cyclones until the final two minutes when Rollins continued his hot scoring, notching his fourth goal in two games to make it a 5-3 contest going to the third.
Through the first two periods, the Seals' penalty killing, which had been lit up on Friday, was perfect. They had killed off all seven chances that Pee Dee had gotten with the man advantage. That streak came to an end at 12:37 of the final period when Sirois and Welch set up Rollins for his second of the night, closing the Florida lead to 5-4.
The Cyclones continued to press for the equalizing goal but Denike on this night was solid, fending off several shots down the stretch. Miller iced the victory with his second of the game into an empty net with 36 seconds remaining. On the night, Denike stopped 25 shots to record his third win while St. Vincent repelled 26 shots in suffering the loss.
Florida now has a few days off to celebrate the New Year. They next take to the ice on Friday, January 5th when the Fayetteville FireAntz invade the Silver Spurs Arena. Opening face-off is set for 7:35 p.m.
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SPHL Stories from December 30, 2006
- Sich and Miller Pair Up To Trump Cyclones - Florida Seals
- Seals Slide by Cyclones, 6-4 - Twin City Cyclones
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