BATTLE CREEK, MI— Despite a spirited effort and inspired performance Saturday night on their home ice at The Rink Battle Creek, the Rumble Bees bowed to West Division rival Danville, 6-3. In the process, the visiting Dashers completed a sweep of the two games in two nights series to inaugurate the Rumble Bees maiden voyage campaign in the FPHL.
After suffering a rather humbling 7-1 setback in their first game ever one night earlier, the Rumble Bees played with more verve and sharpness. On three separate occasions, the hometown team narrowed their deficit to a single goal as Nathan Margets and Carl Mansson each engineered second period power play strikes with each connection reducing the shortfall to 2-1 and 3-2 respectively.
In the third period, for the third time, Battle Creek climbed to within one goal, again, 4-3 when Phoenix McElroy-Scott blazed his first pro goal with Margets earning the primary helper. However, the Dashers responded with a pair of goals :28 apart while both teams were skating a man short to seal the verdict. It marked the second successive night that Danville had stunned the Rumble Bees with a three-goal third period assault.
Danville outshot the Rumble Bees, 50-20 and 20-3 in the fateful final frame of the game as Jake Mullen was forced to make 44-saves in a losing cause in the Rumble Bees goal while Harley White, in his first start of the season, posted the victory with 19-saves for the Dashers.
Battle Creek defenseman Vinnie Susi continued to generate prolific offense from the blue line, assisting on both power play goals. The Pittsburgh prodigy has registered 3-points, all on power plays through 1-goal, 2-assists for his club’s initial two games of the season.
by Terry Ficorelli
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