JACKSONVILLE, FL – Vincent Marleau scored twice to guide the Savannah Ghost Pirates to a 4-2 victory over the Jacksonville Icemen in the preseason finale Saturday night at the Community First Igloo.
The Ghost Pirates struck first at 5:48 into the contest when Anthony Collins backhanded a shot to the right of the crease that slipped low past Icemen goaltender Joe Murdaca to give Savannah a 1-0 lead.
The Icemen evened the score at the 14-minute mark of the middle frame when Garrett Van Wyhe picked up the puck down low and clipped a shot past netminder Michael Bullion for the tying tally.
Just over a minute later, Savannah reclaimed the lead on a stellar tally by Vincent Marleau. Marleau utilized his speed to gain a step on the defender and go in on goal against Murdaca. Marleau deked forehand to the backhand to slide the puck around Murdaca for the go-ahead marker.
The Ghost Pirates seized control of the game in the third period when Alex Gilmour scored off a rebound in front and Vincent Marleau tacked on his second goal of the game to put Savannah ahead by three with under five minutes remaining.
The Icemen were awarded a late power play and did receive a goal from Damien Giroux who wristed a shot from the slot to make it a two-goal game. However, the Ghost Pirates would maintain the lead and secure the 4-2 victory. The two teams split the preseason weekend set.
The Icemen open the season next Saturday, October 21 against the Florida Everblades at Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena. Game time is set for 7:00 p.m.
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