Brown & Lodermeier Score Twice as Icemen Rally Past Ghost Pirates

SAVANNAH, GA – Christopher Brown and Derek Lodermeier scored twice to help guide the Jacksonville Icemen to a 5-4 victory over the Savannah Ghost Pirates Thursday evening at Enmarket Arena. 

The Ghost Pirates grabbed an early lead just 2:02 into the contes on Vincent Marleau’s 14^th tally of the season.   However, Icemen captain Christopher Brown would accept a feed from Chris Grando in the slot and flex a shot that would beat Svannah netminder Michael McNiven to even the score at one. 

Later in the period, Jordan Kaplan would Savannah the lead on ago- great individual effort as he was able to skate around an Icemen defender and work across the top of the crease to the backside of goaltender Michael Houser.   Kaplan then was able to tuck the puck underneath Houser’s pad for the goal to make it a 2-1 game. 

Moments later Savannah’s Ross Armour set up a Alex Swetlikoff low on the left wing side to extend the Ghost Pirates lead to 3-1. 

In the second period, the Icemen started to win the special teams battle in the contest, as Brown would net his second goal of the game. Brown picked the pocket of a Savanah defender and took two strides toward the net and snapped a shot high past McNiven to make it a 3-2 game. 

Later in the middle frame, the Icemen stuck again on the power play as Brown set up Brendan Harris for the tally.  Brown delivered a circle-to-circle pass to Harris who hammered a one-timer that went wide of the net. However, the puck was directed right back to Brown at the half wall and he would immediately send the puck across for Harris again for another one-time as this time Harris finished off the opportunity to tie the game at three. 

The Ghost Pirates transition game would haunt the Icemen once again, as Marleau would lead a 2-on-1 rush into the zone which would be finished off by a Patrick Guay wrist shot to give Savannah the lead right back after two periods of play. 

The Icemen, led by Derek Lodermeier, seized control of the game in the third period.  This first of his two tallies came three minutes in, as Logan Cockerill from the right-wing boards delivered a pass to Lodermeier at the opposite wing circle.  Lodermeier wristed the puck toward the net that cleanly beat McNiven to tie the game at four. 

Then at the 8:29 mark, Savannah turned the puck over on a pass at their own blue line.  Lodermeier stole it away and rifled a wrist shot from the left wing that clipped into the Savannah net to give Jacksonville their first lead of the game at 5-4.   

Savannah would generate some scoring chances late, but Michael Houser would turn them all aside to secure the 5-4 road win for the Icemen.    Jacksonville finished the game 2-for-3 on the power play.   

The Icemen will now travel to Duluth, Georgia to battle the Atlanta Gladiators on Friday evening at 7:35 p.m.  before returning home on Saturday to face the South Carolina Stingrays at 7:00 p.m. 

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