PENSACOLA, FLA – The Pensacola Ice Flyers fully expected a tough, physical battle when the Columbus Cottonmouths made a visit to the Pensacola Civic Center on March 13th. They also expected a win but they ended up with a loss.
Led by the 35-save effort of goalie Ian Vigier, the visiting Cottonmouths came away with a hard-fought 3-1 victory over Pensacola. The Ice Flyers’ loss came despite a solid defensive effort that limited Columbus to 22 shots on net for the game.
The first period was about as defensively played as it could get. Neither team was able to light the goal light thanks to the work of Vigier and Ice Flyers netminder Jesse Kallechy. Pensacola may have had the best chance when it had almost a full minute of five-on-three power play time. In all the Ice Flyers had three shots with the man advantage while the Cottonmouths had one opportunity and the period ended in a scoreless draw.
The home team opened the scoring early in the second period when Ryan Hohl took a pass from teammate Matt Robertson and sent a backhander past Vigier. Pensacola’s lead lasted just under four minutes before Columbus tied it up when Peter MacDougall put the puck behind Kallechy at the 7:57 mark.
The contest remained tied until late in the stanza when Pensacola’s Adam Kuhn was called for slashing. Ten seconds after he went to the box, the Cottonmouths cashed in when Tom Maldonado set up Sam Bowles for a power play goal that put Columbus ahead for good.
The final period was once again a defensive struggle as the Ice Flyers sought the game-tying goal. They put 14 shots on the Columbus net but Vigier stood on his head, making save after save. Pensacola had almost four full minutes of man advantage time in the period but it did not help. The Ice Flyers pulled Kallechy in the final minute in favor of a sixth skater but the Cottonmouths ended the home team’s hopes when Jordan Braid scored into the empty net with eleven seconds to go.
Kallechy made 19 saves in the contest as the tough luck loser, his first loss since joining the Ice Flyers from Knoxville. The three stars of the game were Columbus’ Vigier (first) and Bowles (second) and Pensacola’s Hohl (third).
Pensacola goalie Jesse Kallechy (38%2C white) corrals the loose puck in traffic.
Columbus%27 Jordan Braid (10%2C blue) fights off two Ice Flyer defenders.
Columbus goalie Ian Vigier watches the puck come through a screen set by Pensacola%27s Matt Robertson (7%2C white).
Pensacola%27s Chris Wilson (22%2C white) tries to get around a Columbus opponent.
Cottonmouth netminder swallows up the tuck as Matt Robertson (7%2C white) looks for a rebound.
Pensacola%27s Ryan Hohl (51%2C white) slides the puck past Columbus goalie Ian Vigier for the game%27s first goal.
An intense battle for the puck.
Columbus%27 Will Barlow (42%2C blue) tries to get loose from the check of Pensacola%27s Jeff Sapieha (28%2C white).
Pensacola goalie Jesse Kallechy (38%2C white) looks behind him for the puck.
Columbus%27 Levi Lind (19%2C blue) plays the puck along the end boards with a Pensacola defender on him.
Contact the photographer at vanessa.johnson@prohockeynews.com
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