FireAntz start anew

FAYETTEVILLE, NC – The Fayetteville FireAntz are confident that a New Year will bring a new beginning. They are a talented group of players, with skill and character. Unfortunately as a team they have played well below their potential, spending the majority of the season at the bottom of the standings.   

Determined to turn this season around the FireAntz started the New Year off with a bang, hammering third-place Richmond 7-2.   Rob Sich and Chris Leveille both scored hat tricks. Goalie Chris Collins stopped 35 of 37 shots giving him the win.
After blowing a quick 2-0 lead against the same team on the same ice and losing in overtime two nights before, the FireAntz made sure there wouldn’t be a repeat.   Fayetteville was on top 2-0 after the first period and within five minutes of the second, Rob Colangelo and Sich both scored making it 4-0 causing Renegades starting goalie, Ryan Scott to take a seat on the bench, replacing him with Ryan Person.
Richmond could get only as close as three, with goals by Beau McLaughlin,then Leveille made sure to send the crowd of 3,025 home from the Crown Coliseum with their money’s worth, delivering a pair of short-handed goals in the third. It was definitely a team effort and one of the best games the FireAntz have played.
Sich was named Southern Professional Hockey Leagues’ player of the week in December, and he made a strong case to try to hang on to it for another go-round. He scored two goals and then added the hat trick and an assist in the game against Richmond, January 2^nd giving him 37 points on the season – fourth best in the SPHL and leading on the FireAntz roster.
The following night the FireAntz took on the Columbus Cottonmouth at the Snake Pit.   The game got off to a rocky start for the home team. Fayetteville’s Dan Buccella scored two goals in a 17-second span in the first 1:31 of the game. On the second goal, all Buccella had to do was hit the empty net. Cottonmouth goaltender Ian Vigier was caught out of position on the ice behind the net.   Leveille gave the ‘Antz a three-goal cushion only 2:49 into the second period.  
Cottonmouth defenseman Kyle Lundale started the offensive attack that would tie the score before the end of the second period, ultimately forcing overtime. The shootout went seven rounds before Cottonmouths’ McCarthy beat Collins for the game winning shot.
 Forward Zech Klann, a 6’1, 190-pound forward from Newport, Rhode

Photo by Lisa Murphy-Wood

Island has signed a contract with the FireAntz. In the 2007-08 season, Klann played with the Austin Ice Bats of the Central Hockey League. In 57 games played, he totaled eight goals and 17 assists for 25 points. He also tallied 50 penalty minutes.  
Contact the author at sue.cunningham@prohockeynews.com
Contact the photographer at lisa.murphywood@prohockeynews.com.