"Wolverines!" Icemen Sail Past Ghost Pirates 4-1 on Marvel Night

Written by Jasen Mata
 

Final Score: 

[Jacksonville Icemen] [4] - [1] [Savannah Ghost Pirates] 

Location: [VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena] – [Jacksonville, Florida] 

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Game Summary:

1st Period: 

- As the first period got underway, the Jacksonville Icemen and Savannah Ghost Pirates came to play Saturday night as they both showed off defensively. The back and forth started early and was frequent between the Icemen and Ghost Pirates. This was mostly due to Jacksonville welcoming back goalie Matt Vernon as he was recently sent back down to the ECHL from the Icemen AHL affiliate Rochester Americans. Vernon picked up right where he left off accounting for 8 Saves on 8 Shots Faced. This impressive goaltending allowed the Icemen to get things going offensively. Christopher Brown would strike first for the Icemen as he got the best of Ghost Pirate goalie Evan Cormier on a wicked crossbar shot. The first period of action was rather clean from a penalty standpoint as well. The only penalty came from Jacksonville’s Christopher Brown as he was called for High-Sticking (double minor). Ultimately, Brown’s goal would be the only goal action in the first, but it would be enough for the Icemen to end the first period of play with a 1-0 lead over their division rivals the Savannah Ghost Pirates.

- Scoring Summary:

  - JAX: [Christopher Brown] (Assist: [Davis Koch], [Noah Laaouan]) – [11:11]

  - SAV: Did Not Score

2nd Period: 

- In the second period Jacksonville looked to continue with the same high-energy defense they had in the first. While the defense was solid overall, this did not prevent Savannah from scoring their first goal. Ross Armour scored as he caught Icemen goalie Matt Vernon out of position on a powerplay, tying the game at 1-1. Despite the goal, Vernon would end his second period with 23 Saves on 24 Shots faced and would prevent Savannah from scoring on another powerplay opportunity. Jacksonville would steal the momentum right back with another goal of their own. Jacksonville’s second goal of the night was scored by Liam Coughlin off a rebound puck. The Icemen quickly gained a much-needed boost from this goal, not allowing any more points from Savannah, and would end the second period up over the Savannah Ghost Pirates 2-1.

- Scoring Summary:

  - JAX: [Liam Coughlin] (Assist: [Davis Koch]) – [12:03]

  - SAV: [Ross Armour] (Assist: [Logan Drevitch], [Reece Vitelli]) – [3:16] 

3rd Period: 

- The strong team performance from the Icemen carried over into the third and final period. This was shown through two third-period goals. The first goal was scored by Zach Jordan, his fifth of the year. The second came from Garrett Van Wyhe, his first goal of the season. These third-period goals were both empty netters, as Savannah elected to put goalie Evan Cormier on the bench for a sixth skater. This move by The Ghost Pirates wouldn’t help their chances of a win as they fell to Jacksonville after their first game against the Icemen. Matt Vernon continued to put on a masterclass at goalie with 34 total Saves on 35 Shots Faced. He wasn’t alone in this as the rest of the Icemen crew excelled at keeping the puck out of their zone and in the goal of The Ghost Pirates. The Ghost Pirates would be shut out in this third period and The Icemen would end the period with a 4-1 lead as they won over Savannah.

- Scoring Summary:

  - JAX: [Zach Jordan] (Assist: [Garrett Van Wyhe]) – [18:27] 

  - JAX: [Player Name] (Assist: [Liam Coughlin], [Chase Lang]) – [19:29]

  - SAV: Did Not Score

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Key Players of the Game:

- [Matt Vernon] – [Jacksonville Icemen]:[Gave up only one goal over 3 periods in his return to the Icemen, Saves (34), Shots Faced (35)]

- [Liam Coughlin] – [Savannah Ghost Pirates]: [Goals (1), Assists (1), Gave the Icemen a second-period lead]

- [Davis Koch] – [Jacksonville Icemen]:[Goals (0), Assists (2), Assisted on two key Icemen goals]

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Goaltending:

- [Jacksonville Icemen] – [Matt Vernon]: [34] saves on [35], [97.143%]

- [Savannah Ghost Pirates] – [Evan Cormier]: [18] saves on [20], [90%], [2 Empty Net Goals]

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Notable Stats:

- Shots on Goal:[Jacksonville Icemen] [22] – [35] [Savannah Ghost Pirates] 

- Shots Percentage: [Jacksonville Icemen] [18%] – [3%] [Savannah Ghost Pirates] 

- Power Plays: [Jacksonville Icemen] [3] – [3] [Savannah Ghost Pirates] 

- Saves: [Jacksonville Icemen] [34] – [18] [Savannah Ghost Pirates]

- Saves Percentage: [Jacksonville Icemen] [97%] – [82%] [Savannah Ghost Pirates] 

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Game Recap:

Saturday night was electric, as VyStar was decked out in their annual Marvel Theme Night. The Savannah Ghost Pirates came to town against their division rival Jacksonville Icemen. The Icemen and Ghost Pirates were sporting Wolverine and Deadpool-themed kits for their first meeting of the regular season. What started as a slow start for both teams ended in a decorated win for the Icemen. Jacksonville sported an impressive defensive performance led by a strong outing from goalie Matt Vernon. After being called down from the AHL, Vernon picked up right where he left off in Jacksonville. Vernon would end his night back with 34 Saves on 35 Shots Faced. The Icemen would pour on the points after scoring early in the first, once in the second, and twice in the third period. Savannah would place goalie Evan Cormier on the bench to boost their offense with a sixth skater but would give up two empty net goals as a result. The night would end with Jacksonville playing a well-rounded three periods as they won 4-1 over The Savannah Ghost Pirates.

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Next Game:

The Icemen will be back in action on Wednesday, November 20^th  as The Adirondack Thunder come to downtown Jacksonville at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arean. Jacksonville will look to continue with their strong playstyle next week as they look forward to getting back some key players from injured reserve. 

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