Columbus out battles Twin City 4-3

WINSTON-SALEM, NC — Two teams facing elimination from the Southern Professional Hockey League playoffs with 12 games left for each team in the 2008-09 regular season, traded goals, shoves and fisticuffs in game one of a two game series over this weekend. After the ice chips settled and the officials dealt with a lengthy delay to sort out the penalties from a major melee, Columbus was able to come back from a 2-0 deficit and win 4-3 over host Twin City before 1,248 fans at the Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum.
If the season ended today both the Cyclones and Cottonmouths would miss the final playoff spot by two points losing out to Fayetteville. Standings as of 2-21-09 are as follows:

Since the season hasn’t ended the players of both teams are playing with an intensity that makes every game seem like the final deciding game of a championship series.   No doubt this was part of the cause for the 176 minutes of penalties assessed in the Columbus-Twin City contest.
Period one ended with Twin City ahead by a 1-0 score. The first Cyclones’ strike was an unassisted goal scored by Michael Richard, his team leading 25^th of the season.   While the first period featured one fight and one minor penalty, events boiled over big time in the second stanza.
First, a second Cyclones’ goal came at the 16:14 mark of the second period. The Cyclones extended their lead to 2-0 as Phil Sbrocchi scored on a power play. Richard and Donald Melnyk got the assists. Things were just warming up.
A small skirmish that began around winning goaltender Ian Vigier’s crease escalated into a melee that featured players from both teams leaving their benches and in one case the dressing room to participate. The donnybrook started at the 17:21 mark and resulted in Referee Justin Brown, a former NCAA Division 1 college and pro hockey player, to suspend play and clear the ice of all players. The early intermission allowed Brown and his linesmen to sort out the infractions.
The second period resumed after 139 minutes in penalties had been assessed against eight players in the fracas.   In addition to the various penalties for the altercations, a number of game misconducts were earned for continuing the original altercation, leaving the bench, returning to the ice after being sent off and for an attempt to injure.

Game misconducts went to Twin City players Steve Obelnicki, Jared Siganuk and Phil Sbrocchi.   Columbus lost back-up goalie Chad Rycroft, Craig Stahl and Tim Green.
After a short break period the third period began and a different type of fireworks erupted as the Cottonmouths slammed home three straight power play goals within a two minute span.   First, goaltender Terry Dunbar who took the loss for the Cyclones was victimized by Tyler Johnson at the 0:19 second mark of the final period. Assists on this goal went to Kyle Lundale and Sam Bowles.   This goal came with Columbus enjoying a five on three man advantage.
Next, Bowles tied the game for Columbus at 1:36 with help from Johnson and Michael George. Then,   Orrin Hergott added the third power play and go ahead goal at 2:09. Assists went to Lorne Misita and Ryan Rutz.  
Ryan McCarthy scored what turned out to be the winning goal for Columbus at 18:06 on assists from Misita and Rutz. Twin City responded by pulling the goalie and adding an extra attacker near the game’s end. This paid off at the 19:09 mark when recently signed Bogdan Rudenko scored with assists credited to Taylor Hustead and Melnyk. The Cottonmouths were able to hold on to their 4-3 lead for the final 51 seconds to cement their comeback.  
Meanwhile, both teams still need to catch and pass Fayetteville to make the playoffs. They may have to do so with depleted line-ups. The teams will no doubt hear from SPHL Commissioner Jim Combs regarding subsequent disciplinary action including any suspensions. Just hours before the second game of the weekend series, the league announced indefinite suspensions to Stahl, Rycroft and McCarthy along with a one game ban for Leslie for Columbus while the Cyclones’ Obelnicki, Sbrocchi and Siganuk drew indefinite suspensions.
The bans will cause immediate problems for the Cottonmouths as both Brad Patterson and Ryan Barlow were injured during the contest, further shortening the Columbus bench.     
Contact the author at Phil.Brand@prohockeynews.com