PHN Photo Essay: Surge outlast Ice Flyers

PENSACOLA, FLA – When the NHL adopted the shootout as a way to break a tie after an overtime period failed to do so, it was hoped that it would bring an element of excitement to games. When the system filtered down through the various levels of pro hockey in North America, league commissioners and presidents hoped the thrills would follow.
Last Tuesday night at the Pensacola Civic Center, the Mississippi Surge and Pensacola Ice Flyers had the 1,678 fans in attendance on pins and needles as the teams needed the regular five-round SPHL shootout plus six more rounds before the Surge finally came away with a 4-3 victory. Surge defenseman James Isaacs registered the deciding score in what was the eleventh round of penalty shots, beating Ice Flyers netminder Corey Milan. Surge goalie Nick Eno then stoned Pensacola’s Donnie Harris to secure the win.
The opening period did not go well at all for the visitors from Biloxi. Pensacola was flying all over the Surge end of the ice, piling up 15 shots in the first to just two for Mississippi. The Ice Flyers had all three power plays in the stanza as the Surge watched three of its players get sent to the sin bin. Pensacola also had the lone goal of the period when center Jordan Chong put the puck past Eno 4:52 into the game.
Playing its fourth game in five days, Mississippi found its skating legs in the middle stanza. With Ice Flyer Kevin Brojek in the penalty box, the Surge tied the game at the 8:23 mark when the white-hot Nick Guran found the back of the net behind Milan. Four minutes later, Pensacola grabbed its second lead of the game when winger Chris Wilson beat Eno with Guran in the box. Mississippi, which out-shot Pensacola 10-6 in the period, was able to even the score before the frame was over. Matt Kinnunen put a shot on net that got past Milan at the 15:41 mark to send the teams to the final twenty minutes knotted at two.
Thanks to a Surge penalty to Mark Versteeg-Lytwyn late less than a minute in, the Ice Flyers started the third with a man advantage. It helped Pensacola put eight shots on Eno before the Surge could muster its first on Milan. The Ice Flyers pulled into the lead at the 11:19 mark when Andrew Howes solved Eno. The lead lasted just over four minutes before Surge center Adam Stewart tied the score at 3-3 with 4:14 left in regulation. Neither goalie allowed anything past them the rest of the way, sending the teams into overtime. Pensacola out-shot Mississippi 3-1 in the extra period but neither team scored so it was off to the shootout.
Ice Flyers winger Matt Robertson beat Eno on Pensacola’s second attempt during the five-player regulation session. On the Surge’s final chance, Tyler Ruel solved Milan to tie the shootout. When Eno stopped Howes, it was on to extras. Five sets of players failed to light the goal light before Isaacs and Eno spun their final heroics.
For the game, the Ice Flyers out-shot the Surge 35-22. Pensacola also had the better of the power play situations in the contest, going 1-for-7 with the man advantage while Mississippi went 1-for-2. Isaacs was awarded the game’s first star with Pensacola’s Wilson earning the second star and Mississippi’s Eno the third.

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Contact the author at pat.mcarthur@prohockeynews.com
Contact the photographer at vanessa.johnson@prohockeynews.com