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Dabrowski’s Big Night Against Former Team Lifts Ice Flyers To First Home Win
November 9, 2024
by Bill Vilona, Ice Flyers Correspondent
The Ice Flyers newly acquired Sam Dabrowski had a little emotional tinge while glancing at this former team prior to Friday night’s game.
“There were a couple times when I saw the (Knoxville Ice Bears) jerseys and I had a little double take where I was like, wait, these aren’t my teammates,” Dabrowski said. “But I know how they compete.
‘I’ve practice with them for longer than I’ve practiced with these guys here in Pensacola, so I am familiar with everyone on the ice and their tendencies and how they play. And I just try to play my best game.
He did just that.
Dabrowski scored a pair of second period goals – his first two with Pensacola – as the Ice Flyers won a 7-4 scoring fest Friday against the Knoxville Ice Bears before a crowd of 5,330 at the Pensacola Bay Center.
The attractive adult jersey giveaway had fans waiting outside the Bay Center well before the doors opened for the replica jersey style worn Friday by the Ice Flyers.
When the game began, the Ice Flyers fans had more reasons to cheer in what became the first home ice win of the season.
Cameron Cook and Matt Weisner scored goals just 1-minute, 11 seconds apart in the first period for a 20 lead at intermission.
The teams combined for seven goals in a wild second period, which saw Ice Bears’ goaltender Stephen Mundinger, who played for the Ice Flyers most of last season, pulled after giving up a fourth goal on just 14 shots faced with 13:39 left in the second period.
The Ice Flyers then sealed the game in third period when Ivan Bondarenko slipped a perfect pass behind him to Jordan Henderson, who then rifled a wrist shot into the net 5:44 remaining for a 6-4 lead. CJ Hayes then made a diving whack at the puck with a defender on him for an empty net goal with 15 seconds left to complete the night.
“It’s good for the group, I think we’ve been getting our fair share of chances, we just haven’t been burying (pucks) and I think that’s what has been frustrating,” said Ice Flyers coach Gary Graham. “So the longer that goes, guys start squeezing their sticks.
“It’s all about confidence in this game. More confident players, the better they’re going to play, so it is good to see the team finally get rewarded. We got a few bounces for once (Friday), haven’t been getting a lot of those.
“On the flip side, I can’t sit here and be happy giving up that many goals. It’s not our standard. We’ve had way too many games this season giving up too many goals.”
The teams will rematch Saturday at 7:05 p.m. at the Bay Center on Blue Angels Night with the Ice Flyers wearing spectacular Blue Angels uniforms in honor of the U.S. Navy famed flight demonstration squadron based at Naval Air Station Pensacola.
The recognition follows the Blue Angels final air show of 2024 last Saturday in Pensacola and occurs on Veterans Day weekend.
FIRST PERIOD
Cameron Cook started things off for the Ice Flyers working the puck free off the boards from a faceoff and then rifling a wrist shot past Stephen Mundinger less than six minutes into the first period.
Matt Weisner quickly followed on a perfect pass from C.J. Hayes, who worked himself around the back of the net, then found Weisner open for a one-timer that became a 2-0 lead at intermission.
SECOND PERIOD
Just 47 seconds into the period, as fans were still returning from the first intermission break, Dabrowski scored his first Ice Flyers goal on assists from Cook and Shane Bull.
Knoxville answered less than a minute later to make it a 3-1 and ignite the scoring spree.
Dabrowski scored again, assisted by the same two linemates again, to make it 4-1 with 13:39 left. He was acquired by the Ice Flyers on Oct. 26 and made the trip with the team last weekend to Roanoke and Fayetteville.
“We kinda had a little bit of slow weekend last weekend when we were thrown together for the first time without a whole lot of practice time,” Dabrowski said. “With a week of practice together (this week) things started to click.
“The game plan was laid out for us, we executed, did what we were supposed to.”That goal led to Mundinger getting pulled and ignited Knoxville to make it a 4-3 game with the next two goals before Bull scored with 2:06 left in the period.
THIRD PERIOD
Henderson’s goal late in the period followed both teams getting power play chances earlier in the period. Ivan Bonderenko’s pass made the difference in setting up the goal-scoring play.
The Ice Bears pulled their goaltender with 1:15 remaining and had a two-man advantage briefly as the Ice Flyers killed off a penalty then Hayes’ great hustle play sent the puck into the net for the final goal.
GAME NOTABLES
The jerseys worn Friday night by the players and the fans will be followed on Saturday with the players wearing the Blue Angels uniforms in a partnership with the U.S. Navy’s famed squadron.
“You go around the world, everyone knows who the Blue Angels are,” Graham said. “I think these jerseys are probably the best I’ve ever seen, and I have seen a lot of cool jerseys in my lifetime. That jersey we will be wearing I think is the sharpest thing.”
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