Aston, PA  --  How would fourth year head coach Rocky Russo’s squad respond after a 3-2 overtime loss on the road in their season opener last weekend to division rival Philadelphia Revolution?   The EHL’s first showcase of the year was the perfect opportunity for the Little Flyers to correct some mistakes from the previous weekend and secure their first win of the season.  According to Coach Russo the word of the week leading up to the showcase was DETAILS, “Our staff felt like were not as detailed defensively as we could have been against the Philadelphia Revolution and that ultimately lead to our overtime loss, so the focal point of practice last week was that we wanted to tighten up in the defensive zone and be more disciplined to stay out of the penalty box.”  Once the team arrived in Bedford, Massachusetts tightening up in the defensive zone is exactly what the Little Flyers did, allowing one goal on 31 shots on goal in the teams two games.

                Fresh off of a big week, playing in the Atlantic District Futures Districts game, EHL rookie Joe Giacobbo made his debut in net against the Vermont Lumberjacks in the Little Flyers first game of the Bedford Showcase.  The Little Flyers week of practice leading up to the showcase focused on details, discipline, and defensive zone play.  The discipline showed in the game against the Lumberjacks as the Little Flyers only gave their opposition one chance on the power play, which they successfully killed off.  The defensive unit was solid all evening blocking shots, getting in the passing lanes and not letting their young goaltender see many prime scoring chances.    The first period saw the Little Flyers outshoot the Lumberjacks 18-4 but they couldn’t find the back of the net.  The tied game wouldn’t last long as Alex Peterson scored the eventual game winner just 17 seconds into the 2nd period.  The Peterson goal was started in the defensive zone with a pass break up and the defense moving the puck up to Peterson who dropped the puck off for Alex Ochterbeck, Ochterbeck’s shot was redirected by Konsta Jaakola and saved by Lumberjacks goaltender Ben Roberts, the rebound came right to Peterson who shot the puck into the back of the net for the 1-0 lead.  The Little Flyers were locked in defensively for the rest of the game limiting the number of shots Giacobbo faced between the pipes and holding on to the 1-0 lead for the team’s first win of the season.  “Our zone breakouts weren’t perfect but we were able to cut down on their chances by having good sticks in lanes and getting pucks out of the middle, blocking shots, just doing anything to not let them have good scoring opportunities” said second year defenseman Evan Heldt after the game. 

                The Little Flyers were back at in on Sunday morning with a tough test in the form of the Boston Bandits, who came into the game with a 4-0 record.  A Hooking minor on Alex Peterson put the Little Flyers on the penalty kill just 38 seconds into the game.  Starting goaltender Sam Kany was ready early making three saves on the Bandits power play.  The Bandits would take a 1-0 lead at the 7:44 mark of the period, the Bandits lead wouldn’t last long as second year forward Christian Karbler tied the game up 17 seconds after the Bandits scored.  “We got the puck deep like coach is always talking about and just got after it, Hatton and I were in there forechecking and got the puck out to Arnie (Oliver Arnberg) in the middle and he put the puck to the net and I was right there to just tap it in” recalled Karbler.  The offense was clicking from there as the Little Flyers scored three 2nd period goals in a four minute span.  The eventual game winner was scored by Trevor Lewandoski on a pass from Peter Hatton, Lewandoski’s wrist shot found the back of the net with plenty of traffic in front of the goalie to take a 2-1 lead.  Just over a minute later defenseman Chris Best picked the puck off of a Bandits player in the neutral zone and sprung forward Jamie Bucell into the offensive zone, two strides into the zone Bucell picked a corner, wound up and fired a slap shot over the shoulder of Bandits goalie Vinny Evans to take a 3-1 lead with seven minutes to play.  Evan Heldt, would seal the victory for the Little Flyers off of a beautifully executed faceoff play in the Bandits zone.  Bucell won the faceoff back to Heldt in the offensive zone while bodies were moving towards the net, Heldt let go a wrister that beat the Bandits goalie high and short side for a comfortable 4-1 lead.  Sam Kany got the Win in net with a 15 save performance.  “In the four exhibition games and game against the Revolution I didn’t see us getting to the net, creating traffic, fighting for rebounds and getting into the position we needed to be in.  The Heldt goal was perfect, we ran a faceoff play that was executed correctly, we took away the goalies eyes, got players moving where they should be, and got the shot on net.  It’s no coincidence when we start to move our feet without the puck in the offensive zone and get to the net that it equates to pucks getting into the net” said head Coach Rocky Russo following the Bedford Showcase.  The Little Flyers offensive outbreak was led by second year players, forward Christian Karbler knows the role the second year players on this team have “We as a group have to take on more responsibility on and off the ice and know the younger guys are looking up to us, we have to make sure we go out there and make smart plays, follow the systems the coaching staff has in place and play our game.”   

                The Little Flyers will be back in action this weekend making their home debut this season hosting the Connecticut Nighthawks on Saturday October, 1st and Sunday October, 2nd at IceWorks Skating Complex.