BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Huntsville Havoc earned a 4-1 victory over the Birmingham Bulls on Saturday, securing a back-to-back win in the ongoing Battle for Bama rivalry.
The first period started off strong for the Havoc, getting on the board early, just like the previous night when Frank Trazzera, assisted by Connor Fries and Kevin Weaver-Vitale, put a puck in the net at 2:05. Tensions quickly mounted, leading Connor Fries to drop his gloves and circle with a Bulls forward. Maintaining high pressure on the opponent, David Novotny added a second goal off a rebound, set up by Connor Galloway. Despite three power-play opportunities, the Bulls could not convert, leaving the Havoc’s lead intact going into the break.
A heated and fast-paced game continued in the second period. At 10:18, Connor Fries, backed by Connor Galloway and David Novotny, kept up the relentless offensive pressure, scoring to make it 3-0. After a double minor penalty against the Havoc, the Bulls scored on their extended power play at 17:06, narrowing the score to 3-1.
Outshooting the Bulls 13-9, the Havoc held strong in the final period, successfully killing three penalties. They made it difficult for the Bulls to maintain puck possession, consistently clearing the zone and disrupting their advances. Although Birmingham tried to capitalize on a last-minute man advantage and pulled their goalie for a 6-on-3 play, Dom Procopio, backed by Connor Fries, fired a puck down the ice for a short-handed empty-net goal. The buzzer sounded with the score at 4-1 in favor of the Havoc, sealing another win in the Battle for Bama and taking home the Joe Stroud Memorial Yellowhammer.
Brian Wilson stopped 31-of-32 shots to guarantee the win. Huntsville went 0-for-4 on the power play.
The Havoc will return home for their next game against the Evansville Thunderbolts on Friday, January 9 at Roto-Rooter Ice at the Propst Arena.
