Ice Flyers Seek To Extend Series After Heartbreaking Game 1 Loss To Peoria
By Bill Vilona
Ice Flyers Correspondent
Defenseman Jason Price had just ignited a crescendo of joy throughout the Pensacola Bay Center.
His poke-in from a rebound tied the game with 4:11 remaining, triggered the celebratory goal dance among Ice Flyers fans and had teammates full of emotion.
Unfortunately for the Ice Flyers, just 11 seconds later, the air went out of the balloon.
Peoria’s retiring star Alec Hagaman, who helped the Ice Flyers to their fourth championship in the shortened 2021 season, followed the ensuing faceoff by rifling a shot from inside the blue line into the top shelf of the goal cage, giving the Rivermen a numbing 3-2 win Thursday in Game 1 of this SPHL quarterfinal playoff round.
“It was a hard one to swallow for sure,” said Ice Flyers coach Rod Aldoff, whose team rallied from a 2-0 deficit after two periods to create the suspense.
“I thought we played hard for 60 minutes,” Aldoff said. “(Ice Flyers) battled hard, and obviously in the third (period), they picked it up even more. We skated well and created a lot of opportunities for ourselves.
“It was a tough one for sure. We have to look at it as it was a positive night. It was the way we wanted to play. If we go up there (to Peoria) and play that same way, I think we’ll be happy.”
Both teams left after Thursday night’s game for the 900 mile journey to Peoria, Illinois, where the Ice Flyers are tasked with needing two wins on Saturday night and Sunday against the Rivermen to continue hopes at a fifth Southern Professional Hockey League President’s Cup title.
The teams just played at Peoria last weekend with the Ice Flyers dropping a pair of 4-1 games. It’s now do-or-die in the best-of-three series. Peoria earned the league’s top seed and home ice throughout the playoffs by winning the regular-season title, including three wins in four meetings against the Ice Flyers, who are the No. 8 seed.
“I just told the guys (in the locker room Thursday) to keep their heads up,” Aldoff said. “As a coach, I can’t ask for anything more with the effort they put in and the blood, sweat and tears of that game. If we do the exact same thing (on Saturday) with that same effort, we’ll take the results.
“But I think we’ll be pretty happy if we go play two games up there and play with that same energy, that same instincts and passion. When you are in the situation we’re in, you look at it as it was a positive game as far as how we played.
“Some nights the hockey gods put the game the other way. Hopefully Saturday night, they will be on our side.”
Thursday’s game at the Bay Center attracted a crowd of 3,305, which was by-far, the largest crowd of the four opening playoff games in the league. Attendance leader Huntsville had to play in their auxiliary arena, the Huntsville Ice Sports Center, with limited seating and had 950 fans.
The Ice Flyers fans had little to cheer when Peoria scored a pair of first period goals – the first with 9:47 left in the period by Joe Widmar and the other with 1:29 left by Alec Baer on a power play. – to lead at the intermission.
The score stayed that way through two periods. Midway into the second period, the Ice Flyers had only eight shots on goal as Peoria’s defensive style throttled Ice Flyers shooters.
“They’re sticky in their end,” Aldoff said. “They box out and they get out to the points and lanes. They are good in getting into the shooting lanes.
“I thought we spread the puck out better in the third and really opened it up for ourselves which creates more space. (Rivermen) are pesky quick. They jump on pucks and they’re in your face and that’s how you should play.
“The games up there (last weekend) were the same way. They were pretty tight and pretty grindy. You got to play that game.”
Midway in the third period, as Hagaman was in the penalty box, Ice Flyers captain Garret Milan got a puck and weaved around into an open area to fire a wrist shot past Peoria goaltender Jack Berry.
That goal provided a spark, some energy in the arena, that carried into Price’s goal five minutes later. In a scramble in the crease area, the puck bounced free of Berry’s leg pad and Price poked it into the net for the tying goal.
But on the ensuing faceoff, Hagaman made amends for his earlier penalty by getting the puck and working into an open lane to fire a shot past Ice Flyers goaltender Brad Arvanitis, who had 31 saves in the game.
“(Hagaman) has been around. He knows how to play the game,” said Aldoff, who coached Hagaman in the 2021 season when he played for the Ice Flyers. That year, Peoria and other teams in the northern half of the SPHL opted not to play the season due to arena and community restrictions ongoing from the coronavirus pandemic.
“(Hagaman) knows where to go,” Aldoff said. “He has a good shot. He knows what areas of the ice to go to and plays hard… We have to match that and shut him down.”
Hagaman’s go-ahead goal caused an arena full of spirit to be silenced. With less than two minutes left, Arvanitis was pulled for the extra attacker. The Ice Flyers had a couple chances with loose pucks but could not get a tying goal.
“A couple bounces… we had people there and the puck was bouncing and it either bounced over our stick or bounced the other way,” Aldoff said. “It is what is there. Some nights it’s there and some nights it goes over your tape.
“But like I told the guys, if we keep that effort like we did, we’ll be happy.”
WANT TO FOLLOW?
WHAT: Game 2 Of SPHL Quarterfinals
WHO: Ice Flyers vs. Peoria Rivermen
WHERE: Carver Arena, Peoria, Illinois
WHEN: Saturday, 7:15 p.m.
AUDIO: www.sphl.com
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