Aces Trounce Bears in 8-1 Win

With Mike Christensen and Rob Miller back in the lineup last night, the Brooklyn Aces had the depth at the blue line and on the forward lines that they’ve lacked recently and as a result were able to skate over a beleaguered Hudson Valley Bears team in an 8-1 impressive win.

“I’m happy with the way we played defensively tonight,” said Aces head coach Chris Firriolo. “All three lines played well out there as well; I liked the combinations out there.”

While the defense was solid all night, the Aces wasted no time building a lead, getting a goal from Christensen at 3:38 of the first period on a shot that banked in off a Hudson Valley defenseman. Just 21 seconds later, Christensen scored again after Tony Resendes fed him the puck on a two on one, making it a 2-0 game. At 9:29, the Aces made it a three-goal game after Eric Frank tapped in a rebound in front while on the powerplay.

Swarming the net and exhibiting their most aggressive forecheck all season, Brooklyn looked much more like the dominant team they were earlier in the season and nothing like the team that has gone 5- over their past ten games..

“They weren’t pretty, but I’ll take them,” said Christensen of his two goals. “Defensively though, I thought we were really sharp. Everyone skated hard tonight.”

At 13:16, the Aces continued to pad their lead, getting another goal in traffic, this one by C.J. Tozzo, putting the score at 4-0. Just 24 seconds later, Brooklyn tallied again courtesy of the stick Kyle McCullough, putting the Aces up by five going into the second period.

Brooklyn got right back on the scoresheet in the second, needing only 1:21 before garnering another McCullough tally and making it a 6-0 game. At 7:21, Tozzo added a shorthanded goal to his resume, giving him his second goal of the night and his team a scary 7-0 lead. Hudson Valley finally broke through with a goal from Mark Lebenns at 19:13

While the Brooklyn offense was on it’s game, the defense was even better, limiting the Bears to just 17 shots on goal through the first two periods.

Things got hairy at the end of the period however, as Aces goaltender Eddie Neville, who was still livid after being ran into earlier in the period and Lebenns’ goal, which he believe was scored after the net came off it’s moorings, was given a 10 minute major for unsportsmanlike conduct and a game misconduct, forcing Brooklyn backup goaltender Miroslav Recicar into action.

He only had to face shots in the period though, as the Aces clamped down on defense. Another marker from Tozzo at 14:14 gave him the hat trick and secured a 7-1 win.

With the win, the Aces are now 11 points ahead of the New Jersey Rockhoppers for the top spot in the EPHL.

“Everyone was on the same page tonight,” said Aces captain Rob Miller. “This is the way we want to play the next time we play New Jersey or Danbury.”

Notes-

Neville made 16 saves in 40 minutes of action, while Recicar made five saves in the third.

McCullough and Tozzo both had five points on the night, while Tony Resendes and Mike Thomson both had three assists each.

Miller was +2 with an assist in his return.

Attendance for the game was 1,023.

Photos by Patrick Hickey Jr.

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