Aston, PA -- This past weekend the Little Flyers hosted New York Applecore for the team's first matchup of the season.  Prior to Saturday night’s game the Little Flyers honored the billet families that their players live with throughout the season.  Once the flowers were given out and pictures were taken it was time to get down to some hockey.

                Philadelphia forward Nate Rogers didn't make the many family and friends of the Little Flyers in attendance wait very long for excitement, as he lit the lamp just twenty seconds into the game.  Just eighteen seconds later Rogers was at it again putting a rebound past the Applecore goaltender for a 2-0 lead just 38 seconds into the game, Jamie Bucell and Oliver Arnberg assisted on both Rogers goals.  "Getting two goals from the Rogers, Bucell and Arnberg London the first shift of the game was certainly a momentum boost for our team, that effort set the pace of play for us for the weekend which was important" said Little Flyers Head Coach Rocky Russo.  The Little Flyers dominated play in the first period, spending much of the opening ten minutes in the New York zone.  With a power play opportunity mid way through the period Trevor Coykendall added to the lead when he took a pass from Peter Hatton and fired a puck high glove side and into the net, Ziki Mroz also assisted on the play.  The offense wouldn't stop there as just over three minutes later, Jamie Bucell scored a power play goal of his own off of assists by Evan Heldt and Chris Best.  The first period ended with the Little Flyers leading 4-0 and outshooting the visitors 22-8 in the period.

                Coming out of the intermission the Little Flyers kept the pressure on their opponent.  A turnover in the Applecore zone lead to offense when Joey Savel got the puck to Alex Ochertbeck who found Konsta Jaakola alone in the slot, Jaakola found the back of the net for his 3rd goal of the season.  The period would be another good one defensively for the Little Flyers only allowing six shots on goal and goaltender Joe Giacobbo saving all 14 shots he faced through two periods of play. 

                Brett Abdelnour got the scoring started in the third period when he followed up a shot with a rebound attempt, poking the puck across the goal line.  Later in the period Ryan Vogt added to the lead with his first goal of the season as he buried a rebound off of a Trevor Lewandoski shot, Peter Hatton also assisted on the play.  The eighth and final goal of the evening began with Cam Bartkoski looking more like an NBA point guard then a hockey player when he alley ooped a puck from the Little Flyers zone into the Applecore end.  The puck was touched down by Nate Rogers tapping it Oliver Arnberg who shot the puck in the net.  The Little Flyers won the game 8-0 and Joe Giacobbo won his 17th game of the season with a 22 save shutout, his 6th of the season which ties him for the league lead. 

                The Little Flyers and Applecore got back together on Sunday afternoon for game two of the weekend series, the game would be very similar to Saturday night for both teams.  Even though it took a little longer to get on the scoreboard, the offensive momentum rolled for Rocky Russo's Little Flyers team.  Christian Karbler scored the game’s first game at the 15:48 mark of the first period when Peter Hatton had the puck beyond the goal line and found Karbler all alone at the side of the net.  Karbler took the Hatton pass and deposited the puck into the back of the net.  Like Rogers the night before Karbler would be back on the scoreboard in a matter of seconds.  Cale Coor moved the puck to Trevor Coykendall who got it to Karbler driving into the offensive zone.  Karbler drove wide on the defenseman then cut towards the net, slipping the puck through the Applecore's goaltenders five hole for his second goal of the game just thirty two seconds after scoring his first goal.  Sam Kany, in net for the Little Flyers mirrored the performance of Giacobbo the night before, stopping all eight shots he faced in the first period. 

                Neither team was able to get on the scoreboard in the second period until there was under two minutes to play.  Again, similar to Saturday night it was Konsta Jaakola with the goal late in the second period for the Little Flyers.  A Jamie Bucell shot was saved by the Applecore's goalie but the rebound founds it way to Jaakola who was all alone on the doorstep to put the puck home and extend the lead to 3-0.  Just forty seven seconds Oliver Arnberg scored his 17th goal of the season with assists going to Jamie Bucell and Trevor Lewandoski. 

                After two periods of play the Little Flyers were outshooting Applecore 35-17.  Alex Ochterbeck got it on the scoring at the 9:40 mark of the third when he deflected a Trevor Lewandoski shot from the point past the goalie.  The icing on the cake for the Little Flyers was Karbler scoring his third goal of the game for the hat trick with less than seven minutes to play in the game.  The 6-0 win gave Sam Kany his EHL leading 18th win of the season with the 27save shutout.  After the game Little Flyers head coach Rocky Russo was happy with his team's overall play on the weekend "Both games were pretty complete efforts for us.  Any time you’re able to score 14 goals in two games without giving up any, that's a tribute to a defensive effort collectively as a group.  Our goaltenders both made some big saves for us when we needed them to and offensively our ability to get pucks to the net and create contributed a lot to our successes this weekend".

                The Little Flyers will not play again until Friday February 10th when they head to New Jersey to face off with division rival New Jersey Rockets.