Ice Flyers Delight Big Crowd With Thrilling Win Against First-Place Havoc
By Bill Vilona
IceFlyers.com Correspondent
PENSACOLA, FLA. – The team’s pregame message was about the loyalty Ice Flyers’ fans have shown through this difficult start to the season.
The players then delivered a sought-after Christmas present, making everyone feel warm and joyful.
After Shane Bull produced a go-ahead goal with 2:15 remaining, the Ice Flyers received clutch stops from goaltender Brody Claeys, then held off a 6-on-4 situation in the final 41 seconds to seal a 3-2 win against the Huntsville Havoc that had a crowd of 5,352 at the Pensacola Bay Center standing and screaming in glee.
Just like old times.
“With how things have been going lately, to finally get a win it feels nice, it feels great,” said Bull, who scored a go-ahead goal earlier in the third period before the Havoc tied the game.
It was the Ice Flyers (5-14-2) first win since November 30 against Birmingham. The arena vibe and celebratory finish was a far different setting than the last Ice Flyers home game in a 2-1 loss against Macon when Graham was unable to coach due to a medical situation.
“I told the guys what I was most disappointed about (Macon) game was how we lost,” Graham said. “There were no fights. There was no passion, no urgency.
“And the fans have been extremely patient with the group. They should be upset with me. I understand that part of it. But they have been extremely supportive of the guys.
“I said (to team), do understand how rare that is in pro sports? To have the season we’re having and the fans continue to show up to support you guys. We have to start giving them payback.
“They are the ones who pay the bills, boys. We have to give give back, we have to give more of ourselves on home ice and to get a win for them was very important.”
The Ice Flyers will now take a brief break before a Christmas Day practice in late afternoon in preparation for the Dec. 26 game against the Macon Mayhem. A trip to Macon follows Dec. 27 and the Ice Flyers will be back at home on Dec. 28 against Peoria.
Based on how they played in consecutive nights against the Havoc – the first-place team in the league – the Ice Flyers have reason to gain confidence.
After six losses to Huntsville, including the 5-4 overtime loss Friday in Huntsville, the Ice Flyers gained three points out of four against the best team.
“It is obviously a step in the right direction,” Bull said. “This week we really battled hard in practice and had a setback and refocused on what we had to do to better and I think we showed all those things in past two games.”
In goal, Claeys earned his first win in a big way. He stopped 24 shots, many of those point-blank looks and provided a performance the Ice Flyers needed.
“Everybody played a role tonight, but I thought Brody really stole the game,” Graham said. “I think he played good (Friday) and we had the better scoring chances and weren’t able to get the point and I think Huntsville had the better scoring chances (Saturday) and (Claeys) was the difference maker.’’
A quick recap.
FIRST PERIOD
No scoring. The Ice Flyers killed off the game’s first power play and were in process of killing off another when Huntsville got its first penalty with 46 seconds left.
Claeys made several big saves to keep it scoreless at intermission.
SECOND PERIOD
A mistake behind the net led to Huntsville getting the game’s first goal with 12:39 remaining.
But two minutes later Cayden Cahill finished a perfect pass near the crease area from Tim Faulkner. On the ensuing faceoff, the Ice Flyers’ Sean Gulka dropped the gloves, then dropped Huntsville’s Benito Posa to the ice after both players traded a flurry of punches.
This was a fight that will be a season highlight and got the crowd going.
THIRD PERIOD
Bull’s first goal, his fourth of the season came on a rebound from a shot by Doug Elgstam. Bull was in perfect position after Huntsville goaltender Brian Wilson made a pad save to then bang home the rebound.
Four minutes later, the Havoc tied the game on Dominick Procopio’s wrist shot through traffic.
The score stayed that way until Bull made a power play pass to Jonathan Bartuccio-Pereira at the blue li ne, who then passed across to Sam Dabrowski. Bull then rushed to a point near the slot, had his stick locked and loaded and immediately rifled Dabowski’s pass to him into the net.
It was a one-timer that Graham has been preaching to Bull to shoot more often.
“I had to yell him in practice.. what are you doing?” he said. “That is a goal if you just shoot the one timer. It’s an ongoing joke. We when he scored that goal all the players were touching me with their sticks on the bench … “Coach you see, a one timer.
“I’m like thank the Lord we shot the one timer. It was funny but it was a great look, the pass was perfect from Dabo.”
The game ended in the flurry of the final minutes. The Ice Flyers were whistled for a delay of game penalty on a clearing attempt by Ivan Bondarenko that somehow lifted over the glass. But in the final 15 seconds the Ice Flyers won a boards battled and got a clearing shot on the 6-on-4 situation to end the game.
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