BOX SCORE

ASTON, Pa. -- If you didn't know any better, you'd think the Philadelphia Little Flyers and Protec Jr Ducks have been bitter rivals for 20-plus years.

At least that's how it looked on Friday afternoon at IceWorks Skating Complex.

There was no shortage of animosity and intensity in the first ever EHL meeting between the two clubs. There were even some theatrics. The Little Flyers were just on the wrong end of them in a 5-4 overtime loss to the Ducks.

Tyler Marvil, Dante Gattone, Brett Turner and Kyle Patton scored for Philadelphia. Scott MeGraw had a big outing, registering three assists.

The first period was mostly controlled by PLF. Shots were 12-5 in favor of the home team and there were quite a few heavy hits in open ice and along the boards.

Marvil opened the scoring at the 4:15 mark after Jake Frankenfield forced a turnover in the Little Flyers' defensive zone. MeGraw picked the puck up high and fed Marvil nearside on the breakout. Marvil then got a step on a Ducks defender and cut back to the middle before completing a backhanded deke on Tristan Fattedad for a 1-0 lead.

Philadelphia jumped on Protec early in the second frame, too. MeGraw sent a cross-ice pass through the slot just 38 seconds in to a waiting Gattone, who fired a one-timer past Fattedad for a two-goal lead.

Directly after the goal, Marvil and William White mixed it up in a spirited fight that saw Marvil land some heavy blows. Both players were ejected from the game and Protec forward Nick Newman received a double-minor for roughing in a separate scrum. 

Little Flyers starting goalie Jakub Kubik received his first test of the afternoon at 4:07, when Gavin Fritch was whistled for a tripping infraction on a breakaway. Kubik made a huge blocker save on the penalty shot attempt to keep his team up two.

The Ducks took advantage of some puck luck at 10:58 to get on the board, however. Cameron Plants hit the post but Newman collected the rebound and made it 2-1 after beating Kubik.

Turner responded after going coast-to-coast and scoring on the backhand at 14:20. Vincent Nicosia and Connor MacDonell received helpers for regrouping the play in the D-zone and sending Turner on his way.

Some more extra-curricular activity spilled over into the third period. Protec's Jordan Guigui received a match penalty for spearing Philadelphia's Luke Headman at 3:59. Newman and Johnny Scarduzio wrestled each other down to the ice and received coincidental minors for roughing away from the play.

PLF used the ensuing man advantage to increase its lead to 4-1. MeGraw pushed the puck up ice to Gattone, who made a nifty drop pass at the top of the faceoff circle. Patton, speeding in on the rush behind Gattone, corralled it and sniped a snapshot over Fattedad's shoulder for his sixth goal of the season.

A bad turnover in the defensive zone led to Newman's second goal of the afternoon at 11:19. That was when Philadelphia began to unravel.

With Gattone in the box for slashing, Protec continued its late push. Brayden Patricia scored on the power play from Brody Selman and Oliver Charest to make it 4-3 at 16:17.

The Ducks pulled their goalie in the final minute and having the extra attacker paid off. Selman fed Patricia again to tie the game at 4-4 with just 30 seconds remaining.

Patricia completed the natural hat trick in overtime just as Fritch exited the penalty box for another tripping call to make it a 5-4 final.

Loose pucks
Philadelphia went 1 for 4 on the power play and killed off 5 of its 6 shorthanded situations. ... Patton has three goals and three assists in his last five games. ... MeGraw has five helpers in his last three games. ... Nicosia's assist was his first career point as a member of the Little Flyers. ... These two teams will face off in a rematch on Sunday at IceWorks. Puck drop is scheduled for 12 p.m.