PENSACOLA, Fla. – The Huntsville Havoc fought for momentum as the Pensacola Ice Flyers controlled all three periods for an 8-1 win on Wednesday night.
The opening period kicked off with a fierce fight for possession. Each earned a power play before the midway point, but neither managed to find an opening. The Ice Flyers struck first at 14:41, pulling ahead. In the final minute, tempers flared and chaos broke out in front of the Ice Flyers’ net with the Havoc nearly equalizing, being stopped only by a dislodged net.
The second period started off energetic. At 2:30, the gloves came off and the tone of the frame shifted instantly. During 4-on-4 hockey, the Ice Flyers pushed their lead to 2-0, followed moments later by a power-play goal for the 3-0. They kept the pucks flying, adding two more goals in less than two minutes to grab a commanding 5-0 lead. Despite struggling to move the puck through the neutral zone, the Havoc capitalized on a man advantage when Connor Fries, set up by Craig McCabe and Connor Galloway, buried a power-play goal.
The Ice Flyers’ defense stayed solid throughout the final frame, limiting the Havoc’s chance for a comeback. Pensacola padded their lead with another goal at 7:10 to go up 6-1. Rising tensions showed in a string of penalties on both sides, including a pair of 10-minute misconducts. With just over three minutes remaining, the Ice Flyers struck two more times, sealing their 8-1 win.
Brian Wilson stopped 13-of-18 shots before he was switched out with Billy Girard IV, who stopped 8-of-11 shots. Huntsville went 1-for-10 on the power play.
The Havoc will return home for their next game on Thursday, November 27 against the Knoxville Ice Bears at Roto-Rooter Ice at the Propst Arena.
