Watertown, NY – The Binghamton Black Bears travelled to Watertown on this Friday evening to face the defending FPHL Commissioner’s Cup Champion Wolves, in game number 1 of the 2023 playoffs.
These teams met 8 times in the regular season with Binghamton dominating the series 7 games to 1. Watertown’s lone win came on December 16th in Binghamton, a 5-2 win for the Wolves.
The home crowd didn’t have to wait long to get on their feet as Everett Thompson was a seconds into able to get loose in front of the Black Bears starting netminder Talor Joseph and send a shot to the back of the goal just :58 seconds into the contest, to give the Wolves a 1-0 lead.
The Bears would even the score at 1 a piece at the 10:06 mark when Chad Lopez lifted a blast past Watertown keeper Ismael Ralston. Assists on the goal would go to Tyler Gjurich and Don Olivieri.
Binghamton would take advantage of their second power play of the period when Tyson Kirkby found a wide open net on a pass fro Gavin Yates. Tyler Gjurich would get his second assist of the night.
Binghamton outshot Watertown 14-13 in the period.
Jesse Anderson would extend the Black Bears lead to 3-1 at the 8:33 mark of period number 2, assisted by Colon Fitzgerald and Jestin Somero.
The Black Bears scoring would continue with Austin Thompson patiently lifting a rebound over a sprawling Ralston making the score 4-1. Chad Lopez and Mac Lewis would get the helpers on the goal.
Binghamton wasn’t done yet as Tyson Kirkby was able to control an offensive zone face off and straight off the draw, drive the puck forward and over the shoulder of Ralston extending Binghamton’s lead to 5-1.
The Black Bears outshot Watertown 17-9 in the second and would take the 5-1Â lead to the locker room.
Binghamton would extend their lead to 6-1 with a short handed goal at 12:14 of the third when Mac Lewis was able to slide the puck past Ralston, assisted by Andrew Logar and Colan Fitzgerald.
The Wolves got back onto the board at the 14:19 mark when Brenan Young tipped home a Don Carter centering pass to close the gap to 6-2. John Amanatidis would also get credited with an assist.
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The Black Bears take game number one of the series with a 6-2 win, outshooting Watertown 50-32 for the game. Game number 2 will be Saturday night at the Visions Veterans Memorial Arena in Binghamton at 7:00
Game number 3 will be Sunday in Binghamton if necessary.
by Jeff Barrett
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