Ice Flyers Sweep Macon

PENSACOLA, FL –  The Pensacola Ice Flyers entertained a sellout crowd of 8,049 Saturday at the Pensacola Bay Center and skated away with a 3-0 victory.

The team announced a sellout mid-afternoon on Saturday, and those in attendance witnessed a complete game in all facets. There were goals early in the game which got the crowd involved, a shutout performance by Brian Billett, fun and exciting contests and events throughout the game for the fans, and a couple fights to cap off an entertaining evening.

The game was part of a weekend home-and-home series with the Macon (Ga.) Mayhem. Friday in Macon, the teams went into overtime tied 2-2. With 1:45 remaining in overtime, Robert Lepine skated end-to-end and scored to give the Ice Flyers two points for the win.

Saturday saw an electric crowd not wanting to leave. Just before half way through the first period, the Ice Flyers’ TJ Sarcona finished off a tic-tac-toe play set up by Gavin Yates and Lepine to open the scoring which set the sellout crowd on fire. After a couple of great moves to gain the zone, Daniel Perigo of the Ice Flyers got the puck on net and Tim Moore cleaned up the rebound to put the home team up 2-0 with 2:12 left in the first.

(Above: TJ Sarcona scores the first goal of February 9th’s game.)

Moore added his second of the game just over five minutes into the middle frame when a shot from defenseman Jesse Kessler was redirected, leaving a wide-open net to shoot on. The fans in the Bay Center rose to their feet once again in the second but this time is was for a fight between the Ice Flyers’ Ryan Devine and the Mayhem’s Alexander Taulien after Taulien placed a high hit on Lepine.

The third saw even more intensity as the Mayhem battled to get a puck passed Ice Flyers’ netminder, Brian Billett. Devine and Mayhem’s Seth Ronsberg also added to that as they dropped the mitts half way into the final period. A late flurry of shots by the Mayhem didn’t faze Billett when he came up with the save of the game with mere seconds remaining to hold on to get the shutout.

Pensacola peppered Macon’s goaltender, Tanner Creel, with 47 shots on goal. Macon directed 26 shots towards Billett. Both teams did not score on the powerplay. The Mayhem were 0-2 and the Ice Flyers were 0-3.