Game Recap

Ice Prowlers home versus the Athens Bobcats
@ the Chiller at Easton
Sunday, January 8th, 2006

PROWLERS HAND ATHENS THEIR FIRST LOSS OF THE SEASON

In their previous two matches with the Athens Bobcats, the Prowlers lost the lead with 24 seconds left to settle for a 3-3 tie (11/11/2005) then in their second match the Prowlers spotted Athens a first period two goal lead in a tightly played 2-1 loss (12/02/2005). The Bobcats in the meantime were marching through the rest of their schedule with a near perfect 12-0-2 record. They were undefeated in league play and had a seven point cushion over second place. The Prowlers on the other hand had been playing mediocre hockey and had yet to sweep a weekend this season. Things were about to change.

The Prowlers took the play to Athens in their first home game of the series. Both of the previous two matches were played at Bird Arena in Athens, by far the most difficult building to play in throughout the league. The Prowlers got on the board first at 9:56 of the period when senior captain Ben French took a Luke Wilkins pass from behind the net and buried it past goaltender Alex Hubbard (assisted by Wilkins and freshman Brad Noskowiak). The Prowlers dominated on shots 15-4 in the period, but Hubbard made several key saves to keep it a one goal game.

Hubbard continued his solid play to start the second and stopped senior alternate captain Taylor Walcutt from point blank on the door step just minutes into the period to keep his team in this game. Junior defenseman Cody Berkebile finally cracked the game open scoring on an end to end rush (unassisted) with 9:53 left in the period. Athens countered seconds later when Zach Brainard scored, slipping a shot to the 5-hole and catching junior goaltender Justin Lohrman off balance to bring the game back within one. Walcutt pushed the Prowler lead back to two before the period ended, finally beating Hubbard on a breakaway (assisted by junior Nick Hess and freshman Adam McGrath).

The third period started out with more of the same, but this time it was the Prowlers hard working line that got rewarded. Sophomore Taylor Markell drove to the net and took a shot off Hubbard, then scored on his own rebound to give his team a three goal cushion against the Bobcats (assisted by juniors Geoff Killian and Max Matsanoff). Lohrman and the Prowler defense held off the Bobcats until 34.3 seconds remaining when a long range shot got stuck in Lohrman's pads and somehow squirted out into the net bringing the final score to 4-2. The Prowlers played their best team game of the season and handed the league leaders their first loss while tying up the season series at 1-1-1. The forth and series deciding game will be played at 8:00 PM on Friday (2/03/2006) at the Chiller at Easton.

The team now has two weeks off before traveling to Newark to face the Generals at 7:30 PM on Thursday (1/19/2006) at the Newark Municipal Ice Rink. The Prowlers can look to clinch that season series with a win (currently 2-0 Prowlers). They then close out their season series with the Olentangy Braves on Friday (1/21/2006) at 7:00 PM at the Chiller at Easton. That season series is 2-1 in the Prowlers advantage.