Twin City Avoids IceCats Sweep
Published on February 15, 2026 under Federal Prospects Hockey League (FPHL)
Pee Dee IceCats News Release
FLORENCE, SC - The Pee Dee IceCats rallied late but could not complete the comeback as the Twin City Thunderbirds avoided the weekend sweep with a 3-2 win on Sunday.
At 17:13 of the first period, Nick Gullo deflected a Jordan Popoff shot past Twin City goaltender Chad Purdy, but the goal was called back on a video review.
In the second, the Thunderbirds scored twice to grab the lead. The first was a power play goal off the stick of Gus Ford at 10:12 and then Jan Salak netted a shorthanded marker at 17:45 to make it 2-0 Twin City after 40 minutes.
Pee Dee started to rally in the third period, starting with Matt Gilbert's first professional goal at 8:17, a deflection on Timur Rasulov's shot from the point to make it 2-1.
The IceCats fell behind by two again after Jacob Schnapp's seventh of the season, making it 3-1 with 6:07 left in regulation.
With IceCats goaltender Parker Rutherford out for the extra attacker late in the game, Patriks Marcinkevics scored his team-leading 28th goal of the season from Houston Wilson and Nick Magill-Diaz, making it a 3-2 game with 28 seconds left in regulation.
Pee Dee once again got Rutherford to the bench, but could not find the equalizer and the Thunderbirds escaped with the win.
Notes:
Magill-Diaz now has a three-game point streak, his longest of the season (2-1-3) Gilbert's goal was his first professional goal Salak's shorthanded goal was the first shorthanded goal of the season for the Thunderbirds Chad Purdy made 36 saves for his first pro win
Pee Dee now goes back on the road with a pair of games in Columbus next weekend. The next home games for the IceCats is March 6 and 7 against against the Athens Rock Lobsters. Tickets for all remaining IceCats home games are on sale now at the Florence Center Box Office and online at TicketMaster.com.
Federal Prospects Hockey League Stories from February 15, 2026
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- Twin City Avoids IceCats Sweep - Pee Dee IceCats
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- A Heartbreaker in Monroe: Rock Lobsters Outlast Moccasins 6-5 - Monroe Moccasins
- Thunderbirds Set for Final Game of Weekend - Twin City Thunderbirds
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