JACKSONVILLE, FLA – The Jacksonville Icemen continued their very successful start to the 2018-19 ECHL season by opening a four game Thanksgiving week homestand by playing two games before turkey day. First up for the Icemen were the South Carolina Stingrays, who were making their third visit to the Veterans Memorial Arena already in this young season.
A Tuesday night crowd of 3,024 saw the Icemen break out to an early lead on Dajon Mingo’s goal at 2:22 followed by Colton Veleso’s first goal as a professional at 9:52. That 2-0 would hold up throughout the rest of the first period and all of the second period. However, the third period would see the Stingrays edge closer on Cameron Bakker’s goal at 4:59. However, any hopes by the Stingrays that they could even the score were dashed by Kris Newbury’s goal at 12:23.
Newbury’s goal would be the last shot on goal by the Icemen in the game. South Carolina would get the game back to one on Kevin McKernan’s goal at 14:30 but the Icemen’s defense would only permit the Stingrays to get three shots on goal the remainder of the game as the Icemen would hold on for that 3-2 win.
The win by the Icemen was the third in three tries against South Carolina this season. Mikhail Berdin notched the win for the Icemen, allowing only two goals on 33 total shots. The two teams combined for fourteen total minutes in the game and Cameron Critchlow and Garret Hunt lead all players in plus/minus with a plus-2.
The following night saw the only regularly scheduled visit by the North Division leading Newfoundland Growlers to the Arena, for the battle of division leaders before a Thanksgiving eve crowd of 4,328. After a scoreless first period, Jacksonville took the lead on Kris Newbury’s second goal in two nights at 4:57. Maxime Fortier then added an insurance goal at 17:01 of the same period.
The Growlers were unable to edge back closer in the third period, even limiting the Icemen to only one shot on goal over the last eighteen minutes of the period. Jacksonville’s Mikhail Berdin recorded his first professional shutout and the Growlers had their eight game winning streak broken. Jacksonville recorded ten minutes in penalties while Newfoundland had six. The Growlers will get a chance at revenge against Jacksonville when the Icemen travel north to play them in a pair of games come January.
The sweep of the two games before Thanksgiving gives the Icemen a record of 12-5 on the season and a five point division lead over Norfolk in the South Division. They will try and extend that division lead this weekend when they host Greenville in a pair of games Friday and Saturday at the Arena.
Contact the author at kenneth.holdren@prohockeynews.com
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