Ice Flyers Thrill Sellout Crowd With Big Win To Complete Showcase Weekend
By Bill Vilona
Ice Flyers Correspondent
The Ice Flyers got the sellout crowds they wanted with twin games against Peoria in the annual $5 ticket weekend.
And a big win Saturday night to make it complete.
In another sparkling moment of this season, the Ice Flyers took a 2-1 lead into the first intermission Saturday, then held it until team captain Garrett Milan applied the dagger with an empty net goal from beyond center ice, as 90 seconds remained in a 3-1 victory that brought jubilant vibe.
“A grinding type of game,“ said Ice Flyers coach Rod Aldoff. “Both nights were that way, but the guys did a great job and it was a fun two games. The crowd was great both nights, so it was a good overall weekend.”
After a rainy, dreary afternoon, the Pensacola Bay Center was again filled Saturday by Ice Flyers fans with a capacity crowd of 8,049 that matched Friday’s setting in the team’s 3-2 overtime loss that night.
Two games, two nights, more than 16,000 fans, energy galore and a residual economic impact in Pensacola that the Ice Flyers learned years ago surpassed $1 million from a specialized study.
“It gets everyone excited, obviously,” said Milan, who delivered the Ice Flyers first goal Saturday midway through the opening period and registered three goals, one assist on the weekend. “I come back (to play in Pensacola) for the fans and if you don’t have good fans, it’s tough to play continuous years in front of that.
“That’s why a lot of people love playing here. The fan support, especially this season, has been great. When we know the place is rocking, the guys know, the guys want to play well. Peoria is kind of like our non-conference rival with our playoff battles and some of their guys playing here for us in the past.”
A mini break now ensues in the schedule with Pensacola’s Mardi Gras week on the horizon. The Ice Flyers will next play on Sunday (Feb. 19) in a 4:05 p.m. game at the Bay Center against the Birmingham Bulls, who moved into second place Saturday behind Peoria in the Southern Professional Hockey League standings.
After that home game, the Ice Flyers won’t be back at home until March 11-12, following seven consecutive road games.
But the two games against Peoria, the defending SPHL champions, and season-long leader in the standings, reinforced to Aldoff what he already knew about competitive balance. The Ice Flyers have now won seven of their last eight games.
“The parity in our league is tight,” he said. “You have to show up. Anybody can beat anybody. You have to show up and play. The teams down the stretch here that are playing consistent, playing smart, playing disciplined, are the teams that are going to win. It’s as simple as that.
“I thought we played that way. I thought we played a disciplined game (Saturday) and tightened it up defensively and they our guys got rewarded, they got what they deserved.”
Though he wasn’t named the game’s No. 1 star in recognition, Ice Flyers goaltender Brad Arvanitis was again rock-solid between the pipes. He had no chance on a tap-in goal by Peoria’s Cale List with 7:59 left in the first period, but the rest of the way he was a blockade.
The Massachusetts native, who was part of a UMass team that reached the NCAA Division I “Frozen Four” during his collegiate days, had 40 saves. A night earlier, Riley Morris stopped 40 shots in giving the Ice Flyers a terrific tandem of goaltenders to use.
“They are terrific,” Aldoff said. “It has changed the dynamic of our team, so it’s definitely a step-up for sure. They are competitors, they are good people and it’s no surprise the way they are playing. They are getting it done.”
The Ice Flyers have seven players from their season roster currently in the higher-level ECHL. They played both games during the weekend with essentially just five defensemen.
One of those, however, was veteran Jason Price, who spent one season behind the bench with Aldoff as assistant coach during his Ice Flyers tenure. His play and leadership was credited for how the Ice Flyers managed to hold a team with the second-most goals in the league into just three in regulation-play during the two games.
“He’s a presence on the ice and he’s a presence in the locker room,” Aldoff said. “He is a guy who plays a great game, well respected in our league and has played a lot of hockey. He has done a tremendous job for us. I’m happy to have him here.”
The game Saturday began without a penalty until Peoria’s List was whistled for slashing with 11:51 left in the first period. A minute later, the Ice Flyers got a 5-on-3 advantage when Alec Hagaman, who played for the Ice Flyers in the 2021 championship season, also was called for slashing.
Milan took advantage with a one-timer shot that found netting just three seconds before the two-man advantage expired.
After List answered with a goal, the Ice Flyers Ivan Bondarenko rifled a wrist shot through some traffic into the top corner with 2:27 left in the period.
The score stayed that way until Peoria pulled goaltender Jack Berry, following a timeout and faceoff in the Ice Flyers zone with 1:55 remaining. Seconds later, the Ice Flyers Dallas Comeau gained control, found Milan with some space just outside the center-ice red line and Milan made it look easy with a wrister right into the center of the open net as the crowd exploded.
“There was a lot of bouncing around… pinball there with skates and sticks,” Aldoff said. “But we finally got control of it and Dallas made a nice little pass to Garrett and he one-timed it into the net. You like to see those go in.”
The Ice Flyers played to enjoy Super Bowl Sunday, then will return to practice on Monday at the Bay Center for three days, before the Mardi Gras weekend of activities at the arena take over.
It will be an eight-day break between games to make further adjustments.
“We have been playing good hockey,” said Aldoff, whose team has solidified its place among playoff qualifiers. “It’s not rocket science. It is just playing good, smart hockey with a lot of effort.
“The guys did a great job this weekend. There are things we need to improve upon, no doubt about that and we will continue to pick away at it.
“But the effort was great, the attitude, leadership was first class and that’s all I can ask for.”
GAME NOTABLES
— The 50-50 jackpot reached $9,060, the second highest of the season. Rally Foundation Pensacola received half of the prize money.
— The Ice Flyers honored NFL defensive back Jeremy Reaves, a Pensacola Catholic and South Alabama graduate, who was selected to the NFL’s Pro Bowl for the first time in his career. Reaves, a huge supporter of Pensacola’s two pro sports teams, took care of the ceremonial opening faceoff duties to loud applause.
— Jason White, a 19-year U.S. Air Force veteran and Pensacola native, was honored during the first period as the Pen Air Credit Union “Center-Ice Hero.”
— The Ice Flyers gave away two 70-inch, Samsung 4K televisions to lucky fans who participated in downloading the Ice Flyers app at the Fan Services booth in each game.
— Ice Flyers owner Greg Harris presented a $3,000 check to Summer Jimmerson, executive director of the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Northwest Florida, during a second-period break. The non-profit organization is one of the team’s loyal partners.
— Groups in attendance Saturday included the Flomaton (Alabama) HS football team, the Fort Walton-Choctaw HS girls weight lifting team, Legendary Marine of Destin and the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Dept – all continue to show the Ice Flyers growing reach in the region.
WHAT’S NEXT
WHO: Birmingham Bulls vs. Ice Flyers
WHEN: Sunday Feb. 19, 4:05 p.m.
WHERE: Pensacola Bay Center
TICKETS: www.iceflyers.com/tickets.
PROMOTION: Scout Day, Friends & Family Day (All Boys and Girls Scouts will receive a commemorative patch that can be obtained at the Fan Services booth on arena concourse. Other specials will occur as well).
RADIO: Fox Sports Pensacola (101.1 FM and 1450 AM)
TV: YurView (available to Cox Communications subscribers)
ONLINE STREAMING: www.hockeytv.com/league/sphl/upcoming.
