COLUMBUS, GA – On Thursday, March 19th, the Pensacola Ice Flyers made their final regular season trip for the 2014-2015 SPHL season to the Columbus Civic Center. It proved to be a very productive trip as the visitors came away with a win. Nick Larson’s goal in the fourth round of a shootout proved to be the difference as the Ice Flyers earned a hard-fought, come-from-behind 5-4 victory.
Things started off very well for the host Cottonmouths as they scored three times against Pensacola starting netminder John McLean in the opening period. Nick Curry got things started for Columbus when he scored a power play goal at the 13:48 mark of the frame off assists from Levi Lind and Shawn Bates. Less than a minute later, Andy Willigar netted an unassisted tally for the home team to increase the margin to 2-0. Then when Curry and Bates set up Lind for a man-advantage score at the 15:44 point, Columbus had a three goal lead and McLean’s night was over.
Pensacola started its comeback early in the second when Brett Lutes beat Columbus goalie Andrew Loewen at the 3:20 mark for an unassisted score. A little over a minute later, Brandon Blair fed the puck to Brett Beebe who scored to bring the Ice Flyers within 3-2.
Columbus’ Bates stemmed the tide with a short-handed score off a setup from Louis Belisle in the final minute of the frame to send the home team to the final period up 4-2.
Adam Pawlick again drew the visitors within one goal with an unassisted tally just 19 seconds into the third. Columbus and Loewen (26 saves) held off the Ice Flyers until the 17:14 mark when Nick Lazorko set up Nick McParland who evened the score, sending the game into overtime.
Following a scoreless five minutes of three-on-three hockey, the teams went to a shootout. McParland scored in the first round but was evened by Columbus’ Bryce Williamson in round two. Lutes and Nick Larson scored in round three and four while the Cottonmouths got a tally from Neilsson Arcibal in round four. It all came down to Ben O’Quinn’s attempt which Pensacola goalie Max Strang stopped to give the Ice Flyers the win.
Strang made 22 saves on 23 shots faced in relief of McLean to pick up the win.
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