Ice Flyers Seek To Follow Memorable Night With Strong Weekend Finish
By Bill Vilona
Ice Flyers.com Correspondent
The day before his team exploded with a positive fury, Ice Flyers head coach Jeremy Gates sensed tension in practice that needed addressed.
The Ice Flyers had sustained a pair of lopsided losses on the road last week against the Huntsville Havoc. A third straight meeting awaited on Wednesday night at the Pensacola Bay Center.
“(Players) were kinda quiet and (ticked) off,” Gates said. “They were just… reluctant and holding their sticks tight in practice. You could tell they were mad.”
He briefly stopped practice and provided some perspective.
“Guys, just as a reminder. We are in Pensacola, Florida where it’s 70 degrees outside and we live on a beach,” Gates said, addressing the team. “And there are about 3,000 professional hockey players in the world and we are some of them.
“So, this is our job. And let’s have some fun and be happy.”
It instantly resonated. Then it immediately showed on the ice with a resounding, eye-opening, 8-1 victory Wednesday before a near sellout crowd of 8,082 on the second $5 ticket night at the Bay Center.
In terms of scenario – a massive crowd, night before Thanksgiving, facing the top points team (Huntsville) in the SPHL – the Ice Flyers performance was among the most memorable in recent team history.
Eight different players scored. The team defense and goaltending were superb. The energy never waned. And the crowd, many of whom were first-time fans at an Ice Flyers game, witnessed a team on a mission.
“It was huge for us, especially after the two games we had just played against them. We owed them big,” said right winger Tyler German, who scored the Ice Flyers first goal in the first period. “And we said, we just have to stomp on them the whole game. I think we did a great job of that. We had over 8,000 people supporting us, so it means the world to us.
“(Crowd) was unbelievable,” German said. “We feed off their energy, so it’s awesome. We were really clicking as a team.”
That reversal of fortune is something the Ice Flyers (8-3, 1 OT loss, 17 points) know they need to continue with back-to-back games this weekend against the Birmingham Bulls (3-6, 3 OT losses, 9 points). The Ice Flyers face the Bulls on Friday night at the Pelham Civic Complex, then return home on Saturday for the rematch at the Bay Center.
Saturday’s game is Blue Angels Night, honoring the U.S. Navy’s famed flight demonstration team based in Pensacola. The team will wear custom-designed Blue Angels uniforms.
“We’ll actually play (Bulls) three straight times (the third game is Dec. 4 back in Birmingham), so that’s six points up for grabs against the same team, just like it was against Huntsville,” Gates said. “A great opportunity for our guys.”
The Ice Flyers are currently in third place in the SPHL standings, behind Huntsville and defending league champion Evansville, as the prepare to finish the second month of the season.
What Wednesday showed Gates is how his team responded well to a difficult situation. In three previous games against the Havoc, all on the road, the Ice Flyers had been outscored 20-5.
What changed?
“To be honest, nothing had to do with the game or the way we play the game,” Gates said. “It had everything to do with coming from within from our guys.
“They had to believe again. We were licking our wounds leaving Huntsville. You grow through what you go through. Our team responded well. That Huntsville trip was not a fun trip.
“Huntsville is a good hockey team and response we had (Wednesday)…. all facets of our game were good.”
The Ice Flyers won both previous meetings against Birmingham in October with 3-2 and 4-2 victories. Two elements of the Ice Flyers win Wednesday are what Gates seeks for this team moving forward.
Besides the eight different goal-scorers, 10 different players had assists. It’s a production depth that makes for a more potent lineup. At one point in the second period Wednesday, the Ice Flyers scored four goals on five shots. They chased Huntsville’s top goaltender Brian Wilson after he allowed the game’s fifth goal.
His replacement, Billy Girad, allowed a goal on the first shot he saw during the second-period flurry.
“Funny how the hockey gods work… our puck luck was great,” Gates said. “Our guys made some awesome plays to score. I don’t how to explain it… it was the hockey gods I guess.
“It’s nice to see it pop off like that. Because prior to tonight we had nights where guys had multiple goals. It was great to see it spread out like that. We have good hockey players and good forwards, good (defensemen) and we want to be dangerous throughout the lineup and not just rely on top guys.”
Team captain Ethan Price didn’t have a point Wednesday, but had the biggest moment.
After getting shoved off-balance and head-first into the dasher boards behind the net, he immediately went after Huntsville’s Craig McCabe, who had just been whistled for hooking on that play. The two exchanged punches and Price signed to the crowd as he entered the penalty box.
Just three seconds later, Tyrone Bronte scored the game’s second goal for the Ice Flyers. Three more goals followed in the next three minutes.
“It all got started with our captain stepping up for himself,” Gates said. “And the floodgates opened up after that. It was just a great game to watch. Our guys came to play and they had that attitude and it was fun to see.
“We talked about team toughness and sticking up for each other. I don’t think we did a good enough job doing that in Hutnvilel. Message is show up… every tume… hti sis our building, show up. That is team toughness. When the bell rings, let’s ring the bell this ime. We did a great job of that and it’s something we’ll talk about moving forward.
