The Pics are rolling into Thursday on a two game winning streak, facing a visiting South Shore Kings team who lost against the Junior Bruins on Wednesday 3 - 2 after three unanswered Bruins goals.
Among some of the players the Pics should watch for from the Kings, is Drew Arpin, who is sporting a 1.2 goals a game. Luke Dow though has played in every single Kings game, and is sporting a half point a game. The Pics though, have played many more games than the Kings, and are sporting five players with more than 10 points, two of them score a little over a point a game, Oliver Cookson and Owen Stacey. Couple other players to watch for are Cam Gaylor, who has 10 assists in 13 games (and leads the Pics' defensive corps in points), and Pics rookie Matthew Tullo. The Premier squad will then face the Bandits on Friday, as well as the Junior Bruins on Saturday.
The Springfield Pics Premier were out for vengeance after their 7 – 2 loss on Friday afternoon, and the they were able to get it via the hands of the Islanders Hockey Club, as Pics goaltender Wyatt Friedlander obtained his first shutout as the Pics were victorious 3 – 0 on Saturday afternoon.
Connor O’Brien struck first for the Pics shortly after a faceoff in which the Pics won. Matthew Tullo took the faceoff and dished it back to Nick Foster. The Pics briefly lost the puck but O’Brien faked his shot, and drop passed it back to Foster, who passed it through to Oliver Cookson. Cookson soft passed it off to Tullo and took a quick shot. Hahn blocked it and the rebound went right to O’Brien’s stick and was able to deposit it into the back of the goal at the 10:58 mark in to the first. The Pics insurance goal came while being on the short hand due to an interference call on Matthew Kowal. Lopes was set up for the draw and won the dual. He was able to dish it off to Andrii Levtuhkov who quickly shot it into the net making it 2- 0. Nick Foster was credited with the secondary assist. The Pics were able to convert on a power play opportunity about halfway through the 3rd period. The Pics started on their end of the ice. Cam Gaylor started from behind the Pics net and dished it off to Chase Reynolds. Reynolds went coast to coast and took an initial shot at Nepveu which was blocked. Reynolds obtained his own rebound and went “where mom keeps the cookies” to make it 3 – 0. Friedlander stood tall and stopped all 33 shots he faced for the win. Dean Hahn for the Islanders stopped 20 out of 22 shots, and William Nepveu stopped 13 shots out of 14.
The Premier Squad dropped their first game in regulation on the 23rd, 4 – 2 down at Chelsea Piers arena against the Connecticut Junior Rangers.
The Pics struck first early in the 1st period when Chase Reynolds was able to slip the puck past Rangers goaltender Benjamin Hathaway low stick side after a Pics player was tripped in the process of taking a shot. Julian Perino and Matthew Kowal were credited with the assists. The Rangers then had three unanswered goals which threw the momentum their way in the 2nd period. Reynolds scored again at almost the same point time wise in the 3rd period when the Pics were able to put the puck in the back of the net glove side shortly after the power play ended as the Pics were pressuring the Rangers. Reynolds was set up right in front of the net and was able to put a one-timer into the back in an attempt to get the Pics back into the game. The Rangers put the game out of reach six minutes later when they made it 4 – 2. Pics goaltender Matthew Jonas stopped 32 out of 36 shots, while Rangers goaltender stopped 39 out of 41 shots in the win.
The Premier Squad had to go to overtime today, but skated away victorious 5 – 4 in front of a faithful crowd.
The Monarchs struck first just under 7 minutes into the first period when Matias Alexandrov caught a pass from John Rynee who made it 1 – 0. Owen Stacey even the score just two minutes later when he got the pass from Nico Rodrigues, who then drove down the stick side of the rink and got a couple close in shots against Timothy Young but was able to deposit one into the back of the net and made it 1 – 1. Matt Pelletier got the secondary assist.
Matias Alexandrov was able to make it 2 – 1 with just 3 minutes remaining on the power play when he was able to get one past Friedlander on the power play.
Oliver Cookson was able to tie it up just past the half way point of the game when Oliver Cookson set himself up for a pass from Timofey Basarab when Basarab received the pass from Matthew Tullo. Basarab slowed down enough to make Young commit to Basarab who then passed it off to Cookson who deposited it in the net.
Devin Rohrich was able to make it 3 – 2 just two minutes later when he got a pass from Tanner Hartman and was able to put it between Friedlander’s legs.
Sawyer Smith made it 4 – 2 when he got a pass from Tyson Springer just under 3 minutes into the 3rd period. Andrii Levtuhkov started the swing of the momentum the Pics way just past the half way point in the 3rd period when he drove himself right in front of the net, and drew Young down and put the puck up top shelf making it 4 – 3. Stacey and Matt Pelletier got the assists on the power play. Ryan Moorhouse tied the game up with just 2 minutes remaining in regulation when the Monarchs turned the puck over behind their own net and Moorhouse was able to get the puck, and evened up the game. Rodrigues and Stacey got the assists. Nicholas Lopes ended the game with just over 2 minutes elapsed into the overtime period when he was able to finish up the save of the night from Friedlander, who was then able to get the puck off to Levthukov. Levthukov was then able to get the puck off to Julian Perino, who dished it off to Lopes who drove down the wing and went top shelf against Young. Young stopped 30 out of 35 shots in the loss, making his record 2 – 1 – 1. Friedlander stopped 20 out of 24 shots in the win, making his record 2 – 0.
The Springfield Pics face the New Hampshire Junior Monarchs today at noon time. The Monarchs are currently in the middle of the New England Division with a record of 2 – 4 , while the Pics are sitting up in 2nd place with a record of 4 – 0 – 1 .
The Monarchs are currently ranked 9th in the league on the power play, with a 41.7% conversion rate, and the Pics are ranked 12th, with a 36.4% conversion rate. On the penalty kill, the Pics are 17th in the league with 87.5% on preventing scoring, and the Monarchs are 66.7%. The Pics do have 1 short handed goal while on the penalty kill. The Monarchs have one player who is averaging one point a game, Tyson Springer at 3 goals and 4 assists. The Pics though, have six players who are averaging at least a point a game; Oliver Cookson, Connor O’Brien, Matthew Tullo, Owen Stacey, Matthew Pelletier, and Cam Gaylor. The Premier’s next game is against the Connecticut Junior Rangers tomorrow at 1pm. The Pics struck down the Thunder Thursday afternoon 5 - 3 in front of a faithful crowd in Hampden, CT. Nico Rodrigues opened up the scoring in the waining minutes of the game while the Pics just got on the shorthand when he and Owen Stacey went on a 2 on 1 breakaway in which Stacey fed Rodrigues the pass, and toe-dragged it causing Thunder goalie Owen Przbylo to pause which gave Rodrigues the ability to put the puck top shelf. Cam Gaylor was credited with the secondary assist. Rodrigues lit the lamp again in the opening minutes of the second period when he got the feed again from his line-mate Stacey as he crashed the net with Stacey going down the left wing. Nick Foster got the secondary assist. Timofey Basarab made it 3 - 0 just a few second later when he was able to break clean away from the defense and went one on one along the left wing and was able to shoot a lightning of a shot past Przybylo. Oliver Cookson got what ended up to be the game-winning-goal just past the half way mark in regulation on the power-play when he was able to poke it home after a small rebound in front of the net. Basarab and O'Brien got credited with the assists. Moorhouse got the insurance goal exactly two minutes later when Perino got the dish from Stacey and tried shooting it in. Moorhouse got the rebound and was able to stuff it in to seal the deal. Twin City tried getting back in it scoring two unanswered goals, but couldn't swing the momentum their way.
Veteran Pics goaltender Matthew Jonas stopped 28 out of 31 shots in the win, while Thunder goalie Owen Przybylo stopped 43 out of 48 shots for the loss. The Pics next regularly scheduled opponent are the New Hampshire Monarchs on Thursday, October 22nd, but is subject to change. If that game is postponed, the Pics will then face the Connecticut Junior Rangers on Friday, October 23rd at 1pm. The Springfield Pics meet the Twin City Thunder for the first time this season at noon at the Louis Astorino Arena. The Pics are 3-0-1 on the season so far, while the Thunder are 3-0 on the season in a 9 team division.
The Springfield Pics are currently ranked 12th on the Power Play, 4th on the Penalty Kill. The Thunder meanwhile are ranked 19th on the Power Play, and 41st on the Penalty Kill. In the last five years the Pics have defeated the Thunder three times. The Pics next game is against the New Hampshire Junior Monarchs, Thursday the 22nd at noon, at the Tri-Town Ice Arena. Chris Foster and Zack Fox contributed a combined seven points on the weekend to defeat the Utica Junior Comets 3 - 1 on Saturday, and 2 - 0 on Sunday.
Jason Shafer of the Comets struck first in Saturday's game just one minute into the game, but that was the only goal that the Comets scored as the Pics then put up 3 unanswered goals. Zack Fox scored the equalizer just under 8 minutes later when he picked up a feed from Foster and Hanrahan. Foster then got the game winning goal with just 23 seconds remaining in the 2nd period on the power play as Payton Kimball was called for roughing. Foster then got the insurance goal with under 30 seconds remaining when he got the feed from Fox and Hanrahan. Fox the continued his magic the following night when he lit the lamp twice in the 1st period. With assists from Foster, Disanti and Hanrahan. Fox's 2nd goal of the night was the hightlight reel of the night, as he went top shelf. The goaltending duo of Ray Picard and Jonny Hanscom stopped a jaw-dropping amount of 96 shots on the weekend, with Picard stopping 60 out of 61 shots, and Hanscom stopping all 34 shots that faced him. The Pics will then face USPHL newcomer Boston Advantage on Saturday night. Time to be announced later in the week. The Premier squad went 3 - 1 at the showcase, defeating the Jersey Hitmen twice, and the Utica Jr. Comets once, falling to them 5 - 4 today in OT. The Springfield Pics open their league schedule this weekend with the Premier’s away from the friendly confines of the Olympia, while the Elite, U16, and U15 open up their home end of their season.
PREMIER The Premier squad open their season with four games over an extended weekend. They will be facing the Jersey Hitmen and the Utica Jr Comets twice. They will be facing the Hitmen twice on Saturday, once on 3:50pm and again at 9:00pm. They will then face the Comets on Sunday at 10:40am, and again on Monday at 10:30am. The last time these teams met, the Pics beat the Hitmen 4 – 1 on November 16th, and the Pics and the Comets split their series, with the Pics on the winning end 4 – 3 on September 21st, and on the opposite end with a 3 – 2 loss on February 14th. The Pics then travel to the Hollydell Ice arena, home of the Skipjacks on October 9th, then back up to Bridgewater for another showcase against the Rockets Hockey Club, The New York Aviators, and the P.A.L. Junior Islanders. Rob Bonneau, when asked about this coming series was quoted at saying “We are looking forward to getting back to league play. We had an excellent training camp and look to get off to a good start as the division will be extremely competitive all season, and every game will be important.” ELITE The Elite squad has a lone game against the Islanders Hockey Club on Saturday at 8:20pm, with Pics broadcaster Eric Richardson having the call. The Islanders elected not to field an Elite team last season. The Islanders have already played 3 games so far, being victorious in all of them. “We are fortunate that the league is letting us move forward with the season. We are looking forward to our first league game Saturday against a new IHC team which I expect to be just as skilled as our upcoming opponents. We have a mix of veterans, players who have moved up in the organization, as well as newcomers. The Elite team this year is a skilled squad, and anticipates getting back to Nationals, and hope to begin the run on Saturday”, Elite Head Coach Chris Beaudoin was quoted saying when inquired about this upcoming game and season. U16 The Pics begin the home end of their season on Saturday and Sunday against the visiting Utica Junior Comets at 8:45 pm on Saturday and 5:30pm on Sunday. The Pics and the Comets did not face each other last season. U15 The Pics face the visiting Utica Comets, as they go to battle on Saturday and Sunday. 8:05pm on Saturday and 3:30pm on Sunday. The Comets were successful all three times last season they faced the Pics. When asked about this coming series against Utica, Head Coach Vern Smith was quoted saying “We’ve got a real challenge ahead of us with a skilled Utica team. We will be forced to up the tempo of our game. We have a number of new faces, so it will be a test for many of our players.” |
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