Tuesday Thrillers: The Away Teams Come Out Victorious

Ilja Nikitins spotlights his first shutout

Philadelphia 1 @ Danbury 0 - The Philadelphia Rebels were heading into this contest coming off being swept by the Northeast Generals at home, while the Hat Tricks were looking to extend their winning ways with a third straight win. The matchup was a low-scoring affair, with the lamp only being lit once. The first period featured both team trading chances, however unsuccessful in finding the back of the net. The middle frame featured the Rebels showing up on the scoresheet thanks to an unassisted goal by Jordan Brothers. As the matchup moved into the final 20 minutes of regulation, the Hat Tricks took majority possession of the puck outshooting the Rebels 14-2. However, Philadelphia’s Ilja Nikitins was perfect in the crease, notching a 31-save shutout. This game marks Nikitins' first shutout of the season. 

Corpus Christi 4 @ New Mexico 1 - The IceRays hit the road and take on the Ice Wolves in a midweek battle. The first period was a scoreless period with Corpus Christi outshooting New Mexico 10-6. As the second period commenced, both teams were looking to strike. With 2:51 left on the clock, Johnny Maruna finds the back of the net on the man advantage to give his team the lead heading into the final frame. Midway through the third period, Easton Swift adds to Corpus Christi’s advantage with a tally. Less than five minutes later, Justin Thibault added insurance with a goal for the IceRays. New Mexico would not back down from the battle and prevented the shutout. New Mexico’s alternate captain, Stanley Hubbard, finds twine with his second goal of the season. However, the IceRays would score one more time with an empty-netter by Thibault. Corpus Christi would skate away with a 4-1 victory. Between the pipes, Corpus Christi featured Xander Miceli, turning away 13 out of 14 shots on net.