COLUMBUS, Ga – Coming off a big 2-1 victory the night before, the Columbus Cottonmouths looked to pull off a weekend sweep over the Fayetteville FireAntz at the Columbus Civic Center on Saturday, December 8th. Paced by the twin two-goal performances of Levi Lind and John Sullivan, the Cottonmouths succeeded in their quest by knocking off the FireAntz 5-3 in front of 2,082 fans.
Lind was the star of the show in the first period, giving his team a two goal lead. The first came at the 3:25 mark with assists being credited to Chris Bailer and Bret Tyler. The second came with just under nine minutes left in the stanza. Orrin Hergott and Jason Yuel drew the helpers on the tally. Columbus goalie Ian Vigier was a rock in the frame, stopping all eight shots he faced while FireAntz netminder Marco Emond kept his team in the game by making 14 saves on the 16 shots he saw.
Fayetteville was able to trim the margin to 2-1 just before the midpoint of the middle period. John Clewlow found a way to beat Vigier at the 9:02 mark with assists going to Brian Elser and Ben Contini. In the final minute of the stanza, Kyle Johnson and Tyler drew the assists on Sullivan’s first of the night to restore the Cottonmouths lead to two heading into the second intermission.
Two minutes into the third, Sullivan was at it again, scoring his second of the contest to bump the lead to three. Johnson and Jordan Braid picked up the helpers on the Sullivan score that looked like the final nail in the FireAntz coffin.
Fayetteville refused to roll over and call it a game. Two minutes after the Sullivan tally, Bobby Reed scored a short-handed goal to give his team a boost with Clewlow and Mike Kavanagh getting the assists. It stayed that way until Hergott and Tyler set up Yuel for an empty net goal with just over a minute left. Corey Toy scored a late goal for the FireAntz to produce the final.
Vigier recorded 26 saves to pick up the win while Emond stopped 28 while suffering the loss. Both teams failed to score with the man advantage as Fayetteville went 0-for-5 and Columbus 0-for-4.
Ian Vigier recorded 26 saves for the Cottonmouths. Columbus incurred 10 minutes in penalty time with five minors. The FireAntz’s Marco Emond stopped 28 shots out of the 32 that he faced.
Sticks are flying in front of the Columbus bench.
Fayetteville%27s Brandon Richardson (11%2C black) and Columbus%27 Jason Yuel collide as the puck squirts away.
Cottonmouth Levi Lind (19%2C white) gets a free ride into the post behind FireAnt goalie Marco Emond.
A Fayetteville players tries keep his balance amongst four Cottonmouth defenders.
Fayetteville goalie Marco Emond makes the save in traffic.
Fayetteville%27s Brandon Richardson (11%2C black) battles Columbus goalie Ian Vigier and defenseman Bret Tyler (44)…
…Before a third Cottonmouth%2C Jason Yuel (26%2C white) joins the fray.
Columbus%27 Jason Yuel (26%2C white) and Fayetteville%27s Bobby Reed follow the puck off the face-off.
Fayetteville%27s John Clewlow (7%2C black) gets sandwiched between two Columbus defenders.
The Cottonmouths score on Fayetteville goalie Marco Emond.
Contact the photographer at tonia.hill@prohockeynews.com
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