Photo Credit: Rob Carr, Action Shots Photography

Aston,PA — After being off for over a week, the Philadelphia Little Flyers EHL team returned to action this past weekend for a pair of home games against the Connecticut Oilers.  This was the first meeting of the season between the two teams.

          Saturday’s goaltending matchup featured Brendahn Brawley in net for the Little Flyers and former Little Flyer Will McEwen in net for the visiting Oilers.  The Little Flyers controlled the play in the first period, spending a majority of the time in the Oilers zone.  Both teams had power play opportunities in the period but neither could capitalize.  Philadelphia’s defense shut down the Oilers offensively, holding them to just one shot on goal.  The lone tally in the first came from the stick of Little Flyers defenseman Zikmund Mroz, when he fired a wrist shot through traffic past McEwin with .2 remaining on the clock in the first.  On the ensuing face-off, Little Flyers captain Joey Savel took a cross-checking penalty that allowed the Oilers to begin the second period on the power play.

          The Little Flyers penalty killing units limited the Oilers to one shot on the power play that started off the second period to maintain the 1-0 lead.  Just over seven minutes into play with the teams playing 4-on-4, Savel won a faceoff in his own zone to defenseman Nick Magill-Diaz.  Diaz sent the puck from his zone off the boards to a streaking Alex Ochterbeck at the Oiler blue line.  Ochterbeck deked the Oilers goalie and backhanded the puck into an open net for his 18th goal of the season.  Two minutes late Ryan Vogt and Ricky Walsh caused a turnover in the Oilers zone, the puck came free to Sasha Miniouchine who beat McEwin short side to take a 3-0 lead midway through the game.  With 1:15 left in the period, Matt Sheaffer backhanded the puck cross ice to a wide open Avery Smith who one-timed the puck into the back of the net, Ryan Galvin assisted on the play.  After two periods of play, Philadelphia led Connecticut 4-0 while outshooting the Oilers 31-6.

          Early in the third Little Flyers newcomer Eric Higgins, sprung Ochterbeck on a breakaway to score his second goal of the game and 19th of the year.  Joey Savel picked up an assist on the goal.  Higgins would score his first goal as a Little Flyer later in the period when Stanislav Haurus and Nate Mickey found Higgins all alone at the front of the net.  Brawley and the Little Flyers defense would take of the rest, limiting the Oilers to five shots on goal in the third period.  The 6-0 win was Brawley’s 10th victory of the season and 5th shutout, leading all goaltenders in Tier 3 Junior hockey.

          Sunday’s game featured Alex Henson making his second career start in net for the Little Flyers and Olof Djurberg in goal for the Oilers.  The two teams played each other tightly through the first ten minutes of play in game two of the weekend as both teams combined for six total shots on goal during that time.  The Oilers Zach Withington got the visitors on the board first, scoring a breakaway goal at the 11:15 mark of the first.  Five minutes later, Sasha Miniouchine tied the game for the Little Flyers with a power play goal.  The speedy forward took a pass from Cale Coor in the neutral zone, beat the Oilers defenseman wide and fired a wrist shot far side past Djurberg.  Defenseman Brendan Coughlin picked up an assist on Miniouchine’s 6th goal of the season.   The two teams would head to the locker room tied at 1-1 after the first twenty minutes of play.

          The Little Flyers had two power play chances in the first half of play in the second period but were unable to get the puck past Djurberg.  Philadelphia then found themselves shorthanded twice in a five minute span but Henson was solid in net, making several saves while down a man.  With under seven minutes to play in the period, Joey Savel rang a shot from the slot off the post but Eric Higgins was on the doorstep to slam the puck home and give the Little Flyers a 2-1 lead.  The score would remain the same as the third period began with the Little Flyers leading in shots 28-17.

          The next goal in the game would be a big one.  Just past the halfway point of the third period that goal would come courtesy of Little Flyers Forward Avery Smith.  A Matt Sheaffer shot went wide of the net and hit off the boards to Smith who was all alone at the side of the net.  Smith backhanded the puck into the open net for his 10th goal of the year, Ryan Galvin assisted on the play.  That’s all the scoring the Little Flyers would need as Alex Henson picked up his first win with the Little Flyers stopping 22 of 23 shots he faced in the game.

          The Little Flyers have a pair of weekday games against Mid-Atlantic opponents before hitting the road for the November Showcase.  On Wednesday, the Little Flyers will make the 16 mile trip to West Chester, PA to a mid-day game against the Jr.Flyers.  On Friday, the Little Flyers will be back on home ice at Premier Orthopaedics IceWorks Skating Complex as they host the first place Philadelphia Revolution.