Ice Flyers Grind Out Win Before Large Crowd To Sweep Week Against Macon
By Bill Vilona
Ice Flyers Correspondent
The customary, post-game, stick salute from Ice Flyers players to the crowd Saturday night came with an extra deep breath.
This one brought relief.
After rolling past the Macon Mayhem for two earlier wins, the Ice Flyers swept the week of three matchups by holding on in the last few minutes for a 4-3 victory against Macon on Military Appreciation Night at the Pensacola Bay Center.
Another massive crowd of 5,238 filled the arena’s lower bowl and provided an emotional boost as the Ice Flyers fended off the Mayhem.
“It was a good finish, it was a grind,” said Ice Flyers coach Rod Aldoff. “Playing that team three times, it’s always a grind the last game. I’m just happy for the win and the six points (for three wins).”
It was the Ice Flyers fourth win overall in the past five games, pushing them over .500 (16-15-0). It was their first win in a while where the opponent spent most of the final three minutes in the Ice Flyers zone, including an extra attacker in the final minute. Neither team scored in the third period of a contentious series wrap-up.
The Ice Flyers had built a 4-1 lead midway through the second period when the game changed. Macon got a pair of goals exactly two minutes apart and it became a different kind of finish from the prior two games when the Ice Flyers won by a combined 12-3.
“We let up a little bit there in the second period and just little things we have to be more consistent at, but I like that we came back in the third (period) and buckled down and really played hard,” Aldoff said.
“It is tough to teach, it’s the urgency,” he said, referring to the final minutes when Macon controlled play in the Ice Flyers zone. “Making the right plays at the right time. They were pressing hard, they had to. You know teams are going to do that.
“But you’ve got to buckle down. You have to raise your level. You have to raise your mental game in those situations. Be strong on pucks and make hard plays. It’s getting pucks out. It’s just bringing your game to that next level of urgency in those situations.”
Goaltender Brad Arvanitis, 25, a former collegiate goalie from Holliston, Massachusetts, earned his second win in three starts by stopping 25 shots. He bounced back after the second period to record eight saves in the final 20 minutes.
“He made some big saves, especially in the third period there late,” Aldoff said. “I know he would like to have a couple (goals allowed) back, but he made some big saves in that hockey game for sure. More than he should have had to make from a defensive perspective.”
Another pleasing element for Aldoff and the Ice Flyers was getting a Saturday night win amid a big crowd. On promotional nights such as Saturday, many of the fans are first-time spectators.
“It’s nice for the fans. We’ve had some great crowds and some good games, but good to win this one,” Aldoff said.
Just like the previous two wins in the week against Macon, the Ice Flyers started fast.
Brendan Sheehan, playing in his seventh game, scored his first pro goal on a breakaway with 7:19 left in the period. He made a quick deke against Macon goaltender Cody Karpinski, who played 20 games last season with the Ice Flyers, then flipped a backhand shot into the net.
Three minutes later, Macon was slow to react to a loose puck near the crease area and Kolten Olynek took advantage by flipping the disc into the net for a 2-0 lead.
And then, a split second before the period ended, Garrett Milan took wristed a shot into an empty side of the net after Karpinski was done on the ice in a collision caused by a Macon defender. After the Mayhem protested and the officials conferred the goal stood and it was 3-0.
“You play to the horn goes. We got an open end and shot it in,” Aldoff said. “Their guy cross checks Mitch (Atkins) into the goaltender and we were getting out of there and it just happened. Garrett was quick on it and put it in.”
The Ice Flyers received a 5-minute power play in the second period when Macon’s Rhett Kingston made an illegal hit, drawing blood and getting tossed from the game with the major penalty.
Sean Gulka continued the Ice Flyers specialty teams success with a power play goal with 8:54 left in the period that turned into the game-winner.
“We weren’t sharp all night on power plays,” Aldoff said. “Couple times they had more shorthanded opportunities than we did (with man advantage).”
The schedule now ramps up with challenges. The Ice Flyers will play the top two teams in the SPHL standings in the next six games. They will host Roanoke in back-to-back games Jan. 27-28, then travel the first weekend of February to Roanoke, then back to Pensacola against the Peoria Rivermen on Feb. 10-11.
“We played Roanoke already (winning 2-0 on Nov. 19),” Aldoff said. “We feel we are a good hockey team, just as good as anybody. Standings and stuff don’t always tell the tale. We have a good team, we have a different team than we did two weeks ago. So we are ready for it and we’re excited.”
GAME NOTABLES
— The Ice Flyers arranged for a special rendition of the National Anthem by the “Haze Gray Quartet,” – four retired, long-time military men consisting of three U.S. Navy veterans and a U.S. Marine Corps member from the Pensacola area. The group’s title is reference to a paint color scheme used by the Navy on its warships to make the ships harder to see. The full expression saying from the Navy is “Haze Gray and Underway.”
The group’s rendition received a well-deserved loud applause.
— There were two ceremonial puck drops before Saturday’s game. The first from Will Scott, vice president of business solutions at Navy Federal Credit Union, the Saturday night sponsor of Military Appreciation Night. The second one from U.S. Navy Capt. Terrence Shashaty, the commanding officer of Naval Air Station-Pensacola. Shashaty just celebrated his one-year anniversary in as base commander on Jan. 13.
— Team owner Greg Harris helped honor Tim Gibson during a first-period timeout as the Pen Air Credit Union Center Ice Hero. Gibson served more than 30 years in the U.S. Air Force with six deployments overseas.
— StepOne Automotive, Engineered Cooling Services and Juana’s Pagodas and Sailors’ Grill restaurant at Navarre Beach were all game sponsors and had groups in attendance Saturday.
— The 50-50 raffle drawing reached $6,990, the second-largest amount this season.
WHAT’S NEXT?
WHO: Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs vs. Ice Flyers
WHEN: Friday and Saturday, both games 7:05 p.m.
WHERE: Pensacola Bay Center
PROMOTIONS: Friday (Jan. 27) — Bobblehead Night – The first 1,000 fans entering the Bay Center will receive a unique bobblehead of team mascot Maverick.
Saturday (Jan. 28) – Mardi Gras Night – The Ice Flyers start Pensacola’s 2023 Mardi Gras season with their annual showcase event featuring on-ice parades, bead throws, candy tosses, costume contest for fans and the players wearing custom-made Mardi Gras theme jerseys sponsored by Levin Papantonio Rafferty that will be auctioned after the game to fans. In addition, replicas of those jerseys will be available at the team’s merchandise stands at the Bay Center and online at www.shop.iceflyers.com.
RADIO: Fox Sports Pensacola (101.1 FM, 1450 AM).
TELEVISION: YurView (Cox Communications subscribers)
