FAYETTEVILLE, NC – Last Saturday, the Marksmen returned home to the Crown Coliseum to take on their rivals the Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs. The star of the game was hands down Marksmen rookie goaltender Nathan Perry. In just his third start, Perry recorded his first SPHL shutout. Stopping 22 shots-on-goal and winning all three of his starts, Perry was awarded the SPHL Warrior Player of the Week.
“I think he (Jacob Caffrey) had the heavier load than me tonight.” Perry said. “Our guys played great, when it came down to it our D-core was playing really well in front me clearing out pucks, taking sticks and letting me see the puck. They made my job pretty easy and it was nice to get that one out of the way.”
Perry’s solid performance earned praise from his current Assistant Coach and former NHL player, Peter Worrell.
“He’s came in and competed really hard. He’s a talented kid, has a good mindset and they way he carries himself just makes other players confident in him.” Worrell said about his goaltender. “I think sometimes as a defender or even as a forward, when you look back and your goaltender looks confident within his saves it makes you feel confident a little bit more. You don’t have to be on your toes or fearful of a play, you can make a play because you know he’s going to be back there to save it.”
After Tim Kielich scored another game winning goal to give the Marksmen a  1-0 win against their rivals, Worrell loved what he saw from his team.
“I thought as a group, we just committed to playing good defensive hockey.” Worrell said. “We committed to protecting the house, being strong within the slot. We gave up some first shots but we didn’t give up many second chance opportunities and when you do that consistently, with the commitment of the whole team, you’ll have success.”
The Marksmen have another Home-and-Home series with the Rail Yard Dawgs this weekend. With another very real possibility the Marksmen could extend their win streak, they look seemingly unstoppable.
You can follow the author on Twitter: @JamesDJackson98
Photos: James Jackson
You must be logged in to post a comment.