Milan’s Big Shot Lifts Ice Flyers To Crowd-Thrilling OT Win Over Roanoke
By Bill Vilona
Ice Flyers Correspondent
Garrett Milan was the star in demand, as he moved from one side to the other near the team’s tunnel entrance, accommodating everyone who wanted an autograph, a photo, or a high-five.
The pure joy, poignant scene, occurred just moments after Milan blasted his well-aimed, one-timer, into goal cage twine, just 25 seconds into overtime Friday night, lifting the Ice Flyers to a dramatic 3-2 victory against the Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs at the Pensacola Bay Center.
More Milan magic in a game the Ice Flyers had various reasons to savor. The teams rematch again Saturday as the Ice Flyers celebrate their annual Mardi Gras Night.
“It was just a huge win for us,” said Milan, the team’s captain, who earlier tied the game with a second-period goal and now has 18 goals on the season. “We are trending upward at the right time of the year. We let that lead slip (2-1) in the third period, but it shows a lot of grit for us to come back in the overtime.”
Even more grit when considering the Ice Flyers only practice occurred Wednesday in Biloxi, Mississippi. The team traveled to the Mississippi Coast Coliseum, where hockey returned this year with a Federal Prospects Hockey League expansion team.
The team’s scheduled pregame skate Friday morning was cancelled due to conversion delays at the Bay Center from Thursday night’s TobyMac concert, which had tied up the Bay Center the entire week. It resulted in little preparation for the Ice Flyers to face one of the top teams in their league to begin a weekend pair of games.
That was problematic.
“There was a reason to explain our slow start,” said Ice Flyers coach Rod Aldoff, whose team had just four shots on goal the entire first period. “It’s hard to explain to people who have never played hockey, but that many days off on legs is real tough.
“As the game went on, we got a little bit better. Our legs came back, along with our mind and hands and they battled it out and got a big win, so I’m proud of them of how they grounded that one out, because it’s tough.
“I was relying on (Friday morning) to get our legs under us after a week we just had of not skating. That stuff affects our team.”
Fortunately for the Ice Flyers (17-15, 34 points), goaltender Riley Morris shined with several big saves early in the game and stopped 28 shots for his third consecutive win. Morris, 25, a Calgary, Alberta native, is in his first pro season.
Roanoke (20-8-2, 43 points) scored midway through the first period for a 1-0 lead. And then, the game really turned contentious among two teams that only faced each other once before, way back on Nov. 19 when the Ice Flyers won 2-0 at the Bay Center.
What ensued was a combined 82 penalty minutes – 11 infractions apiece – three game misconducts and a Roanoke major penalty that carried into the overtime.
That put the Ice Flyers in a 4-on-3 advantage. Having served his own penalty for being part of a late-game scrum, Milan leaped off the bench to start the overtime.
The Ice Flyers gained control after faceoff, then set up in the Roanoke zone.
Ice Flyers veteran defenseman Jason Price made a perfect move, then pass, inside the blue line to Milan, who was camped in his popular spot on the ice to unload the one-timer, slap shot past Austin Roudebush, the top goaltender (2.27 goals allowed per-game) in the Southern Professional Hockey League.
The skate-off, game-winner instantly followed, sending a crowd of 3,612 into delight.
“That is part of what we want to do (on power play) and Jason pushing (defenders) over to one side like he did, then giving Garrett a nice pass was big,” Aldoff said.
“When you push a goalie over that far and get a good screen that we got from Mitch Atkins… and if the goalie doesn’t pick up that pass instantly, it’s tough for him to get back over there (to protect open side). Mitch did a heck of a job screening.”
Said Milan: “I was ready to go and ‘Pricey’ did a good job sliding over and I was right there, right place, right time. You have tip your hat to (Price) making that happen.”
Milan spent four different stints in the penalty box in the game, as part of the feisty nature of this game. Twice Roanoke players collided with Riley Morris in the crease area, igniting instant brawls.
“They are a hard-nosed team and they have guys who finish their checks and things like that,” Milan said. “We knew it was going to be a big battle and we don’t see them a lot.
“But it’s good, having guys stick up for each other and guys sticking up for teammates. We obviously have to play with a little more discipline, especially myself, but it was good. We got a good win out there.”
The Ice Flyers Kolten Olynek gave his team a 2-1 lead early in the third period. As Roudebush was attempt to poke the puck away, Olynek arrived a split-second early to flick a shot into the net.
The Rail Yard Dawgs Mac James tied the game with 8:38 left in the final period and it led to overtime.
“We found a way,” Aldoff said. “Riley certainly made some big saves. We had a hard skate where a lot of guys (Friday) played a lot of minutes, so they will take care of themselves early in the day (Saturday) and now we should be ready to go for the game (Saturday night).”
GAME NOTABLES
— The first 1,000 fans entering the arena Friday received a specialty crafted bobblehead doll of Ice Flyers mascot Maverick on Bobblehead Giveaway Night.
— Mat Davis, director of operations for Office Pride Commercial Cleaning Services of Pensacola, dropped the ceremonial first puck. Office Pride was the game sponsor for the bobblehead giveaway.
— Don Bowman, a U.S. Coast Guard veteran, was honored in a first-period timeout as the Pen Air Credit Union Center Ice Hero. He joined the Coast Guard in 1982 and retired in 2011. The former boarding officer served in variety of capacities and location during his four decades of service.
— Friday’s game was the Ice Flyers’ fifth consecutive home game and the ninth in the past 12 games. During this stretch, the team has attracted eight crowds of 3,500-plus, including Friday night, and four crowds of more than 5,000. The team is expected to have 5,000 plus fans for Saturday’s home game.
WANT TO GO?
WHO: Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs vs. Ice Flyers
WHEN: Saturday, 7:05 p.m.
WHERE: Pensacola Bay Center
PROMOTION: – Mardi Gras Night – The Ice Flyers start Pensacola’s 2023 Mardi Gras season and good times rolling 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 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)
