Posts Tagged ‘Aces’

With four games remaining and a playoff birth and first place finish already in the bag, some would question how important this game is for the Brooklyn Aces.

However, after the team’s 6-4 loss to the New Jersey Rockhoppers, expect Brooklyn to get back on track against the last-place Hudson Valley Bears.

The game can also end up being a pivotal one for two Aces in particular, as both of the team’s assistant captains, C.J. Tozzo and Kyle McCullough, currently find themselves with 90 points. While it’s obvious they won’t both score 10 points tonight, great games against Hudson Valley could play a huge factor in the duo being the first two players in league history to get to 100 points.

While Tozzo has put winning ahead of any personal goals, he did say it was something that has crossed his mind.

The way the Aces have been playing this season, going 21-2-2 through their first 25 games, you wouldn’t expect them to have problems against any team in the EPHL, right?

The New Jersey Rockhoppers have been responsible for two of Brooklyn’s losses this season however, thanks in part to brilliant goaltending by Nick Niedert, who seems to step up his game every time the two teams play.

Making 30 saves on the night, Niedert kept the Aces at bay for two periods, but wasn’t able to stop Aces assistant captain C.J Tozzo, whose two goals in the third paved the way for a 4-2 come from behind win.

“We played pretty bad in the first two periods,” said Aces head coach Chris Firriolo. “We played very well in the third period though and came back strong.”

Going into last night’s game unbeaten in 2009, the Aces knew beforehand that they’d have their hands full against a talented New Jersey Rockhoppers team, especially with veteran Chad Wilcox on injured reserve and steady defenseman Nick Grove on the sidelines.

For the third night in a row this week, the Brooklyn Aces hit the ice at the Aviator Arena and for the third night in a row, they came out victorious.

Fueled by two-goal nights by Josh Coyle, Ian McLaughlin and Eric Frank, the Aces stormed past the Danbury Mad Hatters 8-5.

“Coyle is a really smart player,” said McCullough. “He made some intelligent plays out there tonight.”

Without captain Chad Wilcox in the lineup, who injured his knee after getting checked by New Jersey’s Rich Jondo during the team’s last game, Brooklyn knew they’d have to score early and then establish themselves physically.

While they more than held their own in the physicality department, Danbury got on the board first less than a minute into the game on an Eric Kent marker. The Aces then tied the score at 4:56 on a Coyle wrister with traffic in front. Coyle soon extended the lead with his second goal of the night at 10:20. A factor again offensively, Coyle assisted on a Kyle McCullough goal at 12:33 that made it a two-goal game. With 32.1 seconds remaining in the first, Danbury got a goal from Stephen Schofield in traffic to cut the lead to 3-2.

Injuries are one thing you don’t want to be dealing with when you play the Danbury Mad Hatters.

Already without steady blue liner Rob Miller and speedy forward Tony Resendes, the Aces may be without veteran D-man Nick Grove and captain Chad Wilcox for tonight’s game.

It’s a rough situation and a situation Aces head coach Chris Firriolo isn’t happy about.

“The gang is banged up,” he said after last night’s 6-1 over the Rockhoppers. “I don’t want to think about it until tomorrow. It’s going to be tough.”

On a positive note, despite those injuries to their defense, Firriolo is thrilled with the play of Mike Thomson and Ian McLoughlin, two forwards who have gone to the blue line and stepped up over the past 10 games.

“I think they’re on their way to becoming two of the best defensemen in the league,” he said last night. “I really believe that. They move the puck extremely well and look good on the powerplay. If you ask me, aside from Miro Recicar, they were probably the MVPs of tonight’s game.”

After defeating the lowly Hudson Valley Bears 9-3 in their last game, the Brooklyn Aces knew things would be a bit tougher last night against a much better New Jersey Rockhoppers team.

Making a statement, the Aces never trailed against the second place Rockhoppers and got a hat trick from Jesse Felten and a 36 save night from Miro Recicar, defeating New Jersey 6-1.

“I feel really great out there,” said Recicar. “My teammates supported me and allowed me to see the puck well. I’m happy with what we did tonight.”

The first period was a seesaw battle, with both teams scoring a goal apiece. Felten opened the scoring at 6:51 however and gave the Aces the early 1-0 lead. After some sloppy passing in the neutral zone, the Aces gave the Rockhoppers a two on one opportunity and Anthony Becker made the most of it, scoring his fifth goal of the season at 16:04 and tying the score at 1-1.

Despite beating the Hudson Valley Bears 9-3 last night, the Brooklyn Aces have no time to relax.

The New Jersey Rockhoppers have the weapons on offense, defense and in net to play 60 solid minutes against the Aces and have done it before. Coming off a tough loss to Danbury last night, the Rockhoppers will look to rebound and it’ll be up to the Aces to stop them in their tracks.

Wilcox back in full swing- Making his return to the team last night after nursing a few injuries over the past few games, Aces captain Chad Wilcox nabbed two assists and was on his game, forechecking, fighting and getting the crowd involved. While he may only play about 10 minutes a game, Wilcox can play on any line and is capable of switching the momentum of a contest in a heartbeat. Getting him back in the lineup is definitely a good thing.

If tonight’s game between the Brooklyn Aces and Hudson Valley Bears at the Ice Time Sports Complex had a promotion, it would have to have something to do with the Twilight Zone.

At 17-2-2, the Aces are coming off a rare loss and at 2-16, Hudson Valley is coming off of an equally as rare win.

So with both team’s current predicaments spoken for, the questions become simple ones. Do the Aces have the strength to bounce back after a tough loss to a gritty and driven Danbury Mad Hatters team and have the Hudson Valley Bears finally found out what it takes to win this season?

Because of these questions, this game should be an entertaining one, as both teams have everything to prove, with the Aces trying to get back on track and the Bears attempting to make a statement that they aren’t ready to lay down for the rest of the season.

Players to watch-

When the Brooklyn Aces and Danbury Mad Hatters square off, you can bet your bottom dollar it’s going to be a physical affair.

This time around, it’ll be extra physical.

In the prior three games with Danbury, Brooklyn, despite winning all three, were roughed up physically and were dealing with injuries, which made it even tougher for them in battle in the corners and in front of the net. However, with newly acquired 6′5 D-man Gabe Yeung in the lineup for the first time against Danbury, the Aces just got a whole lot tougher. That’s not to say that Yeung is a talentless goon either. It’s actually quite the opposite, as he’s the stay at home D-man the team was in desperate need of with various injuries to their blueline over the past few weeks. With Yeung’s presence in the neutral zone and the rambunctious play of Chad Wilcox, the days of Brooklyn being pushed around by Danbury may be over.

Combining for 15 goals and 78 shots on goal, one look at the box score may have had the most dedicated hockey fan believing that the legendary offenses of the New York Islanders and Edmonton Oilers of the ’80s were back in town for one night.

It was the Brooklyn Aces and Hudson Valley Bears that competed last night at the Mid-Hudson Civic Center however, and it was the Aces that came out victorious 10-5 despite a three-goal period by the Bears in the third that made things interesting.

Defenseman Ian McLoughlin started the scoring for Brooklyn at 6:54 of the first, but just 1:11 later, former Ace Scott Estey tallied to tie the score. The Aces weren’t satisfied with a tie score though and over the next 5:10, they lit the lamp five times on goals by Chris Holmes, B.J. Kuper, Kyle McCullough, Eric Frank and newbie Joey Grasso, giving them an impressive 6-1 lead.

Although it was by the skin of their teeth in their last game on Friday, the Brooklyn Aces proved they could beat a quality team in the New Jersey Rockhoppers without then-leading scorer James Brannigan.

Now they’ll have to face an improved Hudson Valley Bears team and prove once again that they have the personnel to stay on top of the EPHL standings.

Against New Jersey on Friday, Brooklyn got a two-point night from winger Jesse Felten, who will be asked again today to be a factor for the Aces. While his 17 points in 19 games this season aren’t exactly eye-popping, Felten is one of the speediest players in the league and has the ability to take over a game. Working hard in the corners and playing a physical game as well, despite his size at 5′8, 165 pounds, Felten is one of the best two-way players in the league and someone who will be counted on down the stretch for the Aces.