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EHL: Little Flyers Sweep Knights in Weekend Series

By Anthony Lorusso , 12/05/17, 10:00PM EST

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Ochterbeck Named EHL TSR Hockey Forward of the Week

Photo Credit: Sue Magill

Aston, PA - - The Little Flyers Eastern Hockey League team was back on the ice this past weekend with a Home and Home series against Atlantic Division rival Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights.  The Little Flyers led the season series 4-1 heading into the weekend. 

     On Friday, the two teams would meet on the Knights home ice, Brendahn Brawley was in net for the visiting Little Flyers.  The Knights wasted no time opening the scoring, taking the 1-0 lead just 1:58 into the first period.  Midway through the period, the Little Flyers were whistled for a Too Many Men on the ice penalty, sending the Knights to the Power Play.  While shorthanded, Little Flyers forward Joey Savel sent the puck ahead to Alex Ochterbeck who cut across the crease with a Knights defenseman on his back and beat the Wilkes-Barre goalie to tie the game at 1-1, Trevor Lewandoski was credited with an assist on the goal.  Seconds later the Little Flyers took another penalty and were now down two men for almost a minute.  The Knights took advantage to regain the lead just over a minute after the Little Flyers had tied the game.  With less than four minutes remaining in the opening period, the Knights added to their lead with an even strength goal from Alex Morawski.  As the two teams headed into the first intermission they were tied in shots on goal with 9 apiece but the Knights lead where it mattered 3-1.

     The second period belonged to the Little Flyers both offensively and defensively.  The offense got going while on the power play eight minutes into the second frame.  While on the power play, Mitchell Hall battled for a puck in the crease and deposited it into the back of the net to cut the Knights lead to 3-2, Alex Ochterbeck and Nick Magill-Diaz picked up the helpers on the play.  Five minutes later Brendan Coughlin found Ricky Walsh in the neutral zone that lead to a 2-on-1 with Walsh and line mate Ryan Vogt.  Walsh dished the puck over to Vogt who deflected the puck into the net to tie the game at three, the goal was Vogt’s first of the season.  The Little Flyers offense wasn’t done yet as they had a power play opportunity with less than three minutes to play.  The EHL’s top scoring duo of  Savel and Ochterbeck would take the lead for the visiting Little Flyers as they connected on the man advantage for Ochterbeck’s second goal of the game, Magill-Diaz added his second power play assist of the game on the play.  With under thirty seconds to play Savel, Ochterbeck and line mate Stanislav Haurus entered the Knights zone on a 3-on-1, Haurus passed the puck to Ochterbeck in the slot who sent a wrister into the back of the net for the hat trick.  The Little Flyers four goal period gave them a 5-3 leading heading into the final twenty minutes of play.  The defense had completely shut down the Knights in the second, only allowing 5 shots on goal.

     Wilkes-Barre/Scranton cut the Little Flyers lead in half three minutes into the third period with their second power play goal of the game.  Holding onto a one goal lead, it would be Ochterbeck with the final say in this game as the league’s scoring leader found the back of the net for the fourth time in the game off of assists from Haurus and Savel once again.  Brawley made 7 saves in the third period and improved to 12-4 on the season with the 6-4 win.

     The two teams were back at it again on Sunday, this time on Philadelphia’s home ice.  Alex Henson, the EHL’s reigning Goaltender of the Month for November was in net for the Little Flyers in the two teams final match up of the regular season.  The Little Flyers capitalized on a power play chance less than four minutes into the first period.  Defenseman Nick Magill-Diaz took a pass from Joey Savel and shot the puck towards the net from the blue line.  After being deflected and popped up in the air, the puck found its way past the Knights goalie who was unable to locate the puck through traffic.  Wilkes-Barre/Scranton was able to tie the game with under five minutes left in the first period with an Austin Weber even strength goal.  Henson and the defense successfully killed off three Knights power plays in the opening period, while only allowing 10 total shots in the first twenty minutes.  

     Similar to Friday’s game, the Little Flyers offense controlled the second period.  Eight minutes into the period, Alex Ochterbeck sent the puck up the boards for Joey Savel, after dodging a Knights player, Savel entered the zone on an odd man rush with Ricky Walsh and sent a wrist shot past the glove of the goalie to take a 2-1 lead.  With time winding down in the second, the Little Flyers power play was on the ice for the second time in the game.  With the puck deep in the Knights zone, Savel dropped the puck to Ochterbeck in the circle who quickly snapped the puck short side and across the goal line to give the Little Flyers a 3-1 lead.  The goal was Ochterbeck’s league leading 28th of the season,  Mitchell Hall recorded an assist on the play.  

Philadelphia’s defense and Henson would be relied upon heavily in the third period as the Little Flyers were shorthanded three more times in the last twenty minutes of play.  Henson came up big, stopping all eight shots on goal he faced including several in the closing minutes with the Knights on a 6-on-4 power play.  With the Knights goalie on the bench, Avery Smith sealed the game for the Little Flyers scoring a short handed empty net goal in the final minute of the game.  The 25 save, 4-1 win improved Henson’s record to 5-1 since joining the team in the middle of October.


Ochterbeck Named EHL’s TSR Hockey Forward of the Week

Little Flyers Forward Alex Ochterbeck, has been named the EHL’s TSR Hockey Forward of the Week for the third time this season.  Ochterbeck scored five goals and added two assists in the Little Flyers two win weekend over the Atlantic division’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights.  The ‘97 birth year Forward from Dallas, Texas currently leads the EHL in goals scored (28) and points (52).  

Ochterbeck and his Little Flyers teammates are back in action on Wednesday as they travel to Revolution Ice Gardens to face off against the 24-2 Philadelphia Revolution.  The game can be seen live on HockeyTv, puck drop is set for 2:00PM.