Trask, Ruby Lead Macon to Road Sweep over Fayetteville
Published on November 3, 2018 under SPHL (SPHL)
Macon Mayhem News Release
FAYETTEVILLE, NC - Despite a tight start on Saturday night, the Mayhem broke things open late and scored three third-period goals to sweep the Fayetteville Marksmen on the road.
An evenly played first period was on hand in the early going during Fayetteville's Military Appreciation Night, with the shots on goal deadlocked in a 13-13 tie after the opening frame. Power plays were the key to success for both sides at the start. Dakota Klecha nearly drew first blood with a chance in tight, but he could not find a way to bury the puck past Dillon Kelley.
At 12:02, Caleb Cameron slipped a pass between the circles for Derek Sutliffe, who backhanded a crisp feed on the tape for Jake Trask. Now the leading goal-scorer in the SPHL, Trask extended his goal-scoring streak to five games and continued to be the only player on the Mayhem to score on the man-advantage this season. Fayetteville's David Mazurek returned the favor four and a half minutes later, redirecting a Travis Jeke point shot past Jordan Ruby to even the score.
Goaltenders Ruby and Kelley went head-to-head in the middle stanza, turning aside shot after shot to keep the game tied. Kelley denied Sutliffe on a 2-on-0 chance, and forced wide shots by Alternate Captains Trask and Stathis Soumelidis. Moments later, Ruby robbed Joe Osaka on a point-blank opportunity.
Finally, the Mayhem opened the floodgates in period three. Brandon Fehd pinched into the right corner at 41:27 and stole the puck before flinging it on net. Kelley could not control the rebound, which saw the puck bounce right out to Trask. The red-hot winger buried his second goal of the game to regain Macon's lead.
The Mayhem fought off a penalty to Kristaps Bazevics for interference, and rose to the occasion in the late stages of the contest to tally an insurance goal. Mike Chemello crashed the net and found a loose puck in front of the crease, and smashed home his second goal of the season. The play came with some controversy as it appeared as though the net had been dislodged when the puck entered, but the goal stood. John Siemer added an empty-net strike at the end of the game for good measure.
Ruby was spectacular in net, playing his best game of the season and stopping 35 of Fayetteville's 36 shots. He improved to 2-0-1 on the year, while Kelley was given the regulation defeat after stopping 23 of 26. The Mayhem will take on the Knoxville Ice Bears in a home-and-home next weekend, travelling to Knoxville on Friday night before returning to Macon on Saturday. Saturday night's game is Faith & Family Night, where fans of all backgrounds and faiths are encouraged to enjoy a night of family-friendly fun at the Coliseum. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:30 pm ET.
SPHL Stories from November 3, 2018
- ThunderBolts Shutout Ice Bears - Evansville Thunderbolts
- Rivermen Ride to 4th Straight Saturday - Peoria Rivermen
- Trask, Ruby Lead Macon to Road Sweep over Fayetteville - Macon Mayhem
- Al Graves Suspended - Quad City Storm
- SPHL Announces Suspension - SPHL
- Ice Bears Defeat Rail Yard Dawgs 4-2 - Knoxville Ice Bears
- Havoc Roll to a 5-2 Comeback Win over Pensacola - Huntsville Havoc
- Rivermen Blow Storm Away Friday - Peoria Rivermen
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