Ice Flyers Stop Mayhem To Continue Holiday Spirit And Season’s Best Stretch
Bill Vilona
Ice Flyers Correspondent
While being on home ice for the holidays, the Ice Flyers have produced their best stretch this season.
After a brief second-period lapse, the Ice Flyers responded with a late-second period goal, then finished strong in a 6-4 win Tuesday night against the Macon Mayhem for their fourth win in the last five games.
It was their third consecutive home win heading into Friday’s pre-New Year’s game at the Pensacola Bay Center against Birmingham. The recent success has pushed the Ice Flyers into fifth place in the league standings.
“I thought we controlled the game, which was good,” said Ice Flyers coach Rod Aldoff, whose team outshot Macon 45-20. “Overall, it was a good two points and we’re happy about that.”
In another good sign of support, the Ice Flyers attracted a crowd of 4,002 on a Tuesday that was two days after Christmas. This follows the nearly 5,000 that showed up to see the Ice Flyers win two days before Christmas last Friday.
“It reminds me of my first few years here, where it was always 4,000 or 4,500,” Aldoff said. “The crowd we had Friday… that reminded me of the first game I coached here in 2013 and we had over 5,000. We have been getting great crowds and hopefully we can keep entertaining people and keep the wins going.”
They entertained Tuesday with a pair of back-to-back goals in different sequences.
The Mayhem struck first with a goal that was immediately answered 55 seconds later by Pensacola’s Malik Johnson, who had a big night. With a defender on his back, he tapped home an empty-netter for the Ice Flyers final goal with 19 seconds left, after Macon pulled its goaltender with 1:31 for the extra attacker.
“He was hustling and got after the puck all night,” Aldoff said.
The Ice Flyers took a 3-1 lead into the first-period intermission when Tommy Stang scored right after a faceoff and Weiland Parrish scored less than three minutes later on a power play when teeing up and rifling home a wrist shot.
But the second period started far differently.
The Mayhem scored 17 seconds after the period-opening faceoff, which was then followed by an Ice Flyers penalty. The Mayhem tied the game with five seconds left on that power play with Tommy Munichiello’s second goal in less than three minutes into the period. Both of those goals eluded Ice Flyers goaltender Christian Pavlas, who later atoned with a some big saves in the final period.
“There was some good stuff, obviously in the game,” Aldoff said. “But the second period coming out and first minutes playing soft, that can’t happen. Christian wasn’t sharp on that second one… he jumped at the puck and missed it. We can’t make these mistakes.”
Jay Powell then scored the Ice Flyers’ biggest goal with 4:08 left in the period on a strong wrist shot into the upper center of the goal cage. That goal re-energized the Ice Flyers.
In the first minute of the third period, newcomer Nick Leitner scored his first goal for the Ice Flyers on a backhand shot, after circling around the goal cage with a defender on him. It put the Ice Flyers up 5-3 at the time.
“Nick made a nice play along the wall and took a backhand at the net. It was a big goal for us,” Aldoff said.
The Mayhem were rewarded a penalty shot with 5:31 left after it was ruled two Ice Flyers defenseman impeded C.J. Hayes on a breakaway attempt. Given the open ice and the free shot, Hayes put a move and then rifled a shot past Pavlas to make it a one-goal game.
“That penalty shot… there was a play at the blue line we didn’t need to do,” Aldoff said. “Five minutes left, just finish the game… just finish them off.
“(Ice Flyers players) have to understand that. Just manage the game and end it, “ Aldoff said.
GAME NOTABLES
The game was themed as Canine Companions Night to bring awareness to the national organization which trains service dogs. So, who else to perform the ceremonial puck drop than Ranger, the Ice Flyers service-dog-in training
With some coaxing from Ice Flyers captain Garrett Milan, Ranger put the puck in its mouth and dropped it immediately as the crowd responded. Ranger is now 18 months old and fully grown on its way to becoming a service dog.
Fans entering the arena Tuesday were handed a card on Ranger describing the pup’s background and work ahead as a service dog.
Pen Air Federal Credit Union and the Ice Flyers selected William Owen to be the Ice Flyers’ Center Ice Hero. In addition to his combat duty background, Owen founded a charter fishing business where he takes military members and families for a free boat ride either in the Gulf of Mexico or the Quietwater Sound.
WHAT’S NEXT?
WHO: Birmingham Bulls vs Ice Flyers
WHEN: Friday, 7:05 p.m.
WHERE: Pensacola Bay Center
RADIO: Fox Sports Pensacola (101.1 FM)
TV: Yur-View (available to subscribers of Cox)
PROMOTION: Military Appreciation Night (Active duty and retired military will receive discounted tickets for themselves and family members when purchased at the Bay Center box office.
