Ice Flyers Comeback Again Falls Short Before Near-Capacity Crowd Saturday On Military Appreciation Night
By Bill Vilona
IceFlyers.com Correspondent
The Ice Flyers produced another shooting gallery of chances Saturday but couldn’t hit the target enough to end frustration against the Quad Cities Storm.
Trailing 3-0 into the third period, despite a huge advantage in shots on goal, the Ice Flyers’ comeback fell short in a 3-2 loss, amid the latest massive crowd of 7,019 at the Pensacola Bay Center for Military Appreciation Night.
The Ice Flyers finished with a 43-19 dominating difference in shots but exited the ice without points.
This weekend series closes with a matinee at 4:05 p.m. against Quad City on Friends and Family Day.
The Storm (21-18, 42 points) is now 4-0 this season against the Ice Flyers (17-20, 2 OT losses, 36 points). Pensacola has slipped to just one point ahead of Evansville in seventh place in the Southern Professional Hockey League standings.
A portion of the crowd had exited after two periods with Quad City up 3-0. They missed a riveting ending.
The Ice Flyers produced goals 10 minutes apart in the final period to energize the crowd. They gained an extra attacker with 1:30 remaining when pulling goaltender Steven Mundinger, but Quad City held on.
FIRST PERIOD
Quad Cities took a 2-0 lead with its first three shots in game and led 3-0 at intermission.
Six minutes into the game, Quad City center Patriks Marcinkevics from Latvia got past an Ice Flyers defenseman deep in the zone and lifted a backhander past Mundinger in the top shelf of the net.
The Storm made it 2-0 only 11 seconds after killing off an Ice Flyers power player. Leif Mattson finished a 2-on-1 situation by flipping a shot into the upper corner with 9:42 remaining in the period.
The Storm then got their second power play opportunity late in the period and scored 11 seconds into man advantage. This time, Matt Ustaski scored his 23rd goal this season on a rebound shot with 3:19 left.
SECOND PERIOD
No scoring.
The Ice Flyers outshot Quad City 16-4 in this period but came up empty again. The most telling moment occurred with 3:38 left when Reggie Millette got his stick blade on a loose puck with nothing but open net. But as he let a backhand slider go, Quad City goaltender Kevin Resop threw out his leg and deflected the puck at the last second.
This play typified the Ice Flyers night of frustrations.
THIRD PERIOD
Fortunes changed for the Ice Flyers. Just not enough.
Mitch Atkins scored four minutes into the third period on an assist from Taylor Egan. That goal ended a 10-game, red-lamp drought for Atkins and brought the crowd into the game.
Egan then rifled home a power goal with 5:57 remaining with a laser shot from between the faceoff circles. From that point the Ice Flyers got some other changes, including a couple opportunities with Mundinger pulled for the extra attacker, but Quad City defense held up.
NOTABLES
The Ice Flyers wore attractive red-white-blue jerseys with stars with the Naval Air Station Pensacola logo on the front. These jerseys were auctioned after the game with proceeds benefiting Covenant Care. The jerseys were also sold at the arena merchandise stands.
About 20 minutes prior to the opening faceoff, the U.S. Marine Corps had an enlistment ceremony on the ice inside the blue line area. A group of enlisted service members carried out the ceremony with a red carpet across the ice.
Capt. Terrence Shashaty, Commanding Officer of NAS Pensacola, was honored before the game with the ceremonial puck drop. Shashaty also got the crowd going at the second intermission by using the “Gatlin Gun” to send soft stress balls into the stands.
Also honored was game sponsor, Navy Federal Credit Union, with public relations executive Bill Pearson participating in a ceremonial puck drop.
The McGuire’s Irish Pipe Band entertained at the first intermission with a medley of official songs from the branches of the U.S. Armed Forces.
QUOTABLES
Ice Flyers Coach Gary Graham
“Again, we had plenty of chances to win that game. That is the good news. We don’t bear down on our scoring chances. The amount of chances we had around the goal mouth with pucks laying on the side, wide open (net), that we didn’t bury… we easily could have scored five or six goals (Saturday), very easily.
“But we did not capitalize and (Quad City) don’t need much. They have some really good shooters on that team and a lot of high-end skill. We did a good job most of the night containing, it, but you give them those chances and they make you pay. You are going to have to score goals against that team.
“Our team has been the same all year. We have to get our offense going early, because that is a momentum thing for us. We were down 3-0, but it easily could have been 3-3, so it’s frustrating.
“We went into this weekend wanting to win a playoff series, wanting to win two of three, so we have already been swept and now it’s just a pride thing. We have to go out (on Sunday) and get two points.”
NEXT FACEOFF
WHO: Quad City Storm vs. Ice Flyers.
WHEN: Sunday, 4:05 p.m.
WHERE: Pensacola Bay Center
PROMOTION: Friends And Family Day – Families can secure discounted tickets and coupons for dining benefits through online purchase. One of just two Sunday afternoon games of the season.
TICKETS: Available through www.iceflyers.com/tickets or at Bay Center box office on Saturday.
RADIO: Fox Sports Pensacola (101.1 FM and 1450 AM)
ONLINE STREAMING: www.flohockey.com (subscription required).
