Photo Credit:  Lindsay Tendler
Aston,PA — The Philadelphia Little Flyers EHL Premier Team was in Massachusetts this past weekend for the league’s second showcase of the season.  The team looked to pick up points in the close South division standings but would have to do so without the league’s top two scorers Kyle Scott and Captain Ryan Sharkey.  

            On Saturday, the Little Flyers faced off against the New Jersey Renegades for the third straight game.  Ryan Creenan got the start in goal for the Little Flyers; the ‘99 birth year goaltender would be relied on heavily in this game.  In Showcase play the teams play two twenty five minute halves rather than the normal three twenty minute periods.  Through the first half the teams were matched up pretty evenly but neither could get on the scoreboard early on.  The Little Flyers had three power play opportunities in the half including an extended 5-on-3 but couldn’t capitalize.  The Renegades broke the scoreless tie with less than two minutes to play and would take a 1-0 lead into intermission.  Creenan made 16 saves in the first half. 

            The Little Flyers outshot the Renegades 19-14 in the second half and finally tied the game up on their 19th shot of the period.  A Renegades boarding penalty with less than three minutes to play gave the Little Flyers one last power play in regulation.  With the face-off deep in the Renegades zone, center Austin Mazzulo won the puck drop back to Eric Maard.  Maard dished the puck back to defensive partner Nate Dunning, who moved towards the net and fired a wrist shot into the back of the net with Mazzulo setting the screen in front.  The goal was Dunning’s second of the season and guaranteed the Little Flyers at least one point in the game as the two teams headed to overtime.  The Little Flyers had several prime scoring chances in OT but couldn’t find the back of the net.  The game had to come down to a decisive shootout where the Renegades were able to edge the Little Flyers and pick up the extra point. 

            On Monday, the Little Flyers took on a familiar opponent in South Conference’s Jersey Wildcats.  Kolin Grogesky was in between the pipes for the Little Flyers in this game.  Grogesky and his teammates killed off an early Wildcats power play in the first half to keep the game scoreless.  The only goal of the period came courtesy of Little Flyers forward, Joe Marcella.  With the puck behind the Wildcats net, Nick Mongeon got the puck to the front of the net where Marcella poked it home for the 1-0 lead with five minutes to play. 

            The Little Flyers offense got going in the second half, starting with Sam Clapinson winning a race to the puck against a Wildcats defensman.  Clapinson gained control of the puck and put it past the Wildcats net minder, Nate Dunning and Patrick Swain assisted on the play.  Three minutes later Swain got in on the scoring himself, tipping a Nate Dunning shot from the point into the back of the net, Swain’s goal was also assisted by Clapinson.  The Little Flyers scoring was capped off by an unassisted goal from defenseman Eric Maard.  With the puck deep in the Wildcats zone a clearing attempt came to Maard all alone in the slot, he fired a wrist shot high blocker side into the net.  With a commanding 4-0 lead the Little Flyers looked to hold on to the shutout for Grogesky but the Wildcats had other ideas.  They spoiled Grogesky’s shutout bid with just 2:08 left in the game.  The Little Flyers took the game by a 4-1 Final, taking three of a possible four points on the weekend.  

            The Little Flyers are back in action this weekend with a home game at Premier Orthopaedics IceWorks on Sunday.  They will host the NJ 87’s at 2:30 PM on Sunday November 19th.