Photo Credit: Rob Carr, Action Shots Photography

Aston,PA — With just six games remaining in the 2017-18 regular season, the Little Flyers EHL team will enjoy home ice throughout the remainder of the season.  The six game home stand began this past weekend as they hosted the New York Applecore for a pair of games.

     In Saturday’s game, Alex Henson was in net for the Little Flyers facing off against his former team, while Ben Allard was between the pipes for the Applecore.  New York was able to strike first in this one as Logan Scarlotta put the puck past Henson at the 8:23 mark.  Less than thirty seconds later the Little Flyers found themselves shorthanded but were able to fight off the Applecore offense to keep the deficit to one.  A Little Flyers turnover led to the Applecore’s second goal of the game when Joe Verboys found himself all alone in the slot with the puck.  Philadelphia answered back forty three seconds later to cut the Applecore lead back to one.  Alex Ochterbeck chipped the puck from the boards towards the Applecore net, Ryan Galvin backhanded the puck past Allard for his 15th goal of the season,  Cade Street also picked up an assist on the play.  

     Trailing by one early in the second period, Henson and the Little Flyers defense would be relied on to kill off a 5-on-3 Applecore play for just under two minutes of play.  Back at even strength, New York regained a two goal lead when a puck put towards the net hit off a Little Flyers defenseman and trickled across the goal line.  Two minutes later, Grant Rinke got the Little Flyers back in the game, scoring his 6th goal of the season.  While circling out of the Applecore zone, Eric Higgins tapped the puck over to Rinke who re entered the zone on the wing.  With Higgins driving the net, Rinke fired a puck past Allard for the goal, linemate Nate Mickey was credited with an assist on the goal.  In the closing seconds of the second period the most veteran Little Flyers player, Co-Captain Trevor Lewandoski tied the game.  Lewandoski took a pass at the point from Alex Ochterbeck and sent a wrist shot towards the net.  Lewandoski’s shot found its way through traffic into the back of the net.  Ochterbeck and Ziki Mroz picked up assist on Lewandoski’s 4th goal of the season.

     The Little Flyers controlled most of the play in the third period, outshooting New York 15-6.  Philadelphia had eight minutes of power play time in the third but were unable to capitalize as the two teams remained tied and needed overtime to settle this one.  Just over a minute into overtime Applecore took advantage of an odd man rush when Brett Reed sent the puck towards the net for a Brandon Napoli tap in goal for the game winner.  Henson, made 29 saves in the overtime loss.

     Even though the Little Flyers picked up a point on Saturday, the team looked to capture both points at stake in Sunday’s contest.  Brendahn Brawley was in goal for the Little Flyers looking for his 19th win of the season, Allard was in net for the Applecore for the second straight day.  It took fifty minutes of game time for the Little Flyers power play to see the ice on Saturday, it took just over a minute into Sunday’s game.  Allard, with a little help from the goal post and cross bar kept the Little Flyers off the scoreboard on their first two power plays of the game.  Philadelphia finally capitalized when Cale Coor fed the puck to Grant Rinke moving towards the slot, Rinke shot the puck far side past Allard to take a 1-0 lead.  Six minutes later, Coor got the offense going again, passing the puck up to Joey Savel in the neutral zone.  Savel, moved into the Applecore zone and sent a shot towards the net.  The puck founds it’s way to a wide open Ricky Walsh who was parked at the side of the net for the tap home goal.  The Little Flyers took a 2-0 lead into the first intermission, outshooting New York 19-3.

     Brawley was challenged a lot more in the second period, facing 13 Applecore shots.  Just past the midway point of the period, New York was finally able to beat Brawley with an even strength goal from Elliot Friedow.  The Little Flyers were unable to put a goal on the board in the second frame and held a one score lead heading into the third.  Similar to the first period, the Little Flyers out shot New York handily, 19-5 but again couldn’t add to the lead.  With just over ten minutes left to play, Applecore tied the game at two with a wrist shot from Kyle Warren in the slot.  Neither team could brake the scoreless tie and we needed sudden death overtime once again to finish this one.  

     Shots were even in the overtime period but, it was Nick Magill-Diaz’s shot that mattered the most.  Brawley made a save and the rebound went to Magill-Diaz who sent the puck through the neutral zone to Joey Savel at the Applecore’s blue line. The EHL’s league leader in assists, Savel, patiently carried the puck along the wing waiting for the speedy Magill-Diaz to join the play.  Savel, passed the puck cross ice to Magill-Diaz who one timed the puck into the back of the net for the game winner.  The 22 save win by Brawley was his 19th victory of the season, the third highest number of wins in the EHL.