Oh What A Night As Ice Flyers Erupt For Five Second-Period Goals, Season-Opening Win.
By Bill Vilona
Ice Flyers Correspondent
The Ice Flyers began a new era and milestone season in the best way possible.
Rookie newcomer Brett Mecrones, part of a twin-brother tandem, produced a hat trick amid a flurry of goal production as the Ice Flyers erased a 2-0 early deficit with a 7-5 win against the Birmingham Bulls before a huge crowd of 5,084 Saturday at the Pensacola Bay Center.
A lot to unpack on opening night.
Trailing 2-1 at first intermission, the Ice Flyers scored five second-period goals, then added another in the third period behind solid defense in the final period.
“It was a special night for sure,” said Ice Flyers coach Gary Graham, who returned to the home team bench for the first time since leading Pensacola to its first championship season a decade ago. He returned to coach this year in the Ice Flyers 15thseason.
“You always wanted to do your best on home ice,” Graham said. “When I talked to the group, obviously that was a focal point… to try and be better on home ice. And put a better effort in front of the fans.”
The Ice Flyers checked those boxes.
The massive, opening night crowd had not settled in seats when Birmingham scored the game’s first goal. The Bulls kept puck control after the opening faceoff and Ryan Romeo scored just 1:21 into the first period.
Three seconds later, the Ice Flyers’ Malik Johnson, one of the Ice Flyers returning players, got the crowd and his team energized by dropping the gloves against the Bulls’ Kishaun Gervais instantly after the ensuing faceoff.
This was as good of first night fight as it gets. Both players landed haymakers and knocked each other to the ice before separated. Johnson exhorted the crowd as fans stood and cheered.
The Bulls then took a 2-0 lead on Drake Glover’s goal at 6:07 into the period. But that quiet moment didn’t last long.
Brett Mecrones scored the first of his goal trifecta two minutes later on an assist from his twin brother Derek, along with Taylor Egan. It followed an Ice Flyers scoring attempt disallowed when ruled the puck was kicked into the net.
From that point, the game changed in the Ice Flyers favor.
“Being down 2-0, I didn’t think there was any panic in our group,” Graham said. “That was exciting, because you can get down 2-0 with a new group, a new coach and it can really go sideways on you in a hurry. I think once we got a spark, some momentum, I felt we could have good night.”
That’s exactly what happened.
Dallas Comeau tied the game for the Ice Flyers just 53 seconds into the second period. Jordan Henderson gave the Ice Flyers the lead with his goal with 9:49 left in the period.
After Gervais tied the game for Birmingham, the Ice Flyers responded with three goals in a two-minute span. Brett Mecrones got his second goal, then Sean Gulka scored just 29 seconds later and Brett Mecrones completed his hat trick — and hats thrown on the ice – with 3:34 left in the period.
The Mecrones’ twins are 27 and from Medford, Mass. They played at University of New England, an NCAA Division III program and then overseas in Germany the past two years. Saturday was their first North American professional league game.
“It is going to take them a while to learn the North American game, because we play on a smaller sheet of ice over here (in North American leagues),” Graham said. “But with the puck you can see they are pretty dangerous.”
After the Bulls scored the game’s next two goals to cut the deficit to one, Ice Flyers captain Garrett Milan scored a power play goal on a terrific wrist shot to give the Ice Flyers a 7-5 lead just 3:56 into the final period.
From that point, the Ice Flyers tightened on defense and put the game away.
“We saw a very good Birmingham team,” Graham said. “They’re going to be to be difficult team for everybody in the league. They are big, they are heavy, they are very structured and well coached.
“I kinda knew it could be a messy start for us, because we have so many new guys and you can’t practice that. You try to practice with the tempo you like and it is so difficult during the week.
“But you can see how once we started easing into the game, we started finding our mojo and we started breaking puck out better and that’s when you started to see the offense shine.”
Before the opening puck drop, there was an emotional surge when the Ice Flyers honored the family of former Ice Flyers great Dan Buccella, who passed away from a battle with leukemia last year. His parents, his wife and son Lucas were in the ceremonial puck drop before the game.
“With Bucky’s parents in the building it was kind of an emotional moment,” said Graham, who coached Buccella when the Ice Flyers won their first championship in 2013. “We all know what he meant to the organization, and I think bringing (family) down was really classy.”
The Ice Flyers also unveiled new jerseys and their new future service dog in training, a yellow Labrador pup named Bucky.
WHAT’S NEXT?
WHO: Ice Flyers vs. Huntsville Havoc
WHEN: Friday (Oct. 27) at and Saturday (Oct. 28).
WHERE: Friday’s game will be in Huntsville, Ala. The Saturday game is in Pensacola at the Bay Center. Puck drop is 7:00 p.m. for both games.
LIVESTREAM: An audio/video broadcast of both games is available through subscription on FloSports.
RADIO: The Ice Flyers game Oct. 28 will be available on Fox Sports Pensacola at 101.1 FM and 1450 AM with voice of Ice Flyers Paul Chestnutt.
PROMOTION: The Oct. 28 game will feature “Small Dog Fright Night” Fans are encouraged to dress up their pups in costumes for an on-ice race between periods. With this being the pre-Halloween game, costumes are encouraged for all fans in attendance.
TICKETS: www.iceflyers.com/tickets. Or at the Bay Center box office. All tickets are digital purchase only.
