The Niagara Falls PowerHawks, scheduled for only a single game this weekend, skated away with a 6-3 victory over the Roc City Royals Friday night at the Lakeshore Ice Arena in Rochester. The same two teams will meet up again this upcoming Friday in a tilt at the Hyde Park Ice Pavilion in Niagara Falls.
Patrick Nowak put the hard charging Royals on the board first with a power play goal at 12:04. The Royals cycled the puck around the PowerHawks’ net until Brandon Corey fired a quick pass across the crease to Nowak, who put it past an out of position Josh Mitchell. Niagara Falls responded at 14:41 when Branden Tripi buried a pass from Matthew Minichiello in the back of the net to make it 1-1.
Roc City regained the lead 5:37 into the second period when Brandon Corey scored on a shorthanded breakaway. Mitchell left the crease to poke the puck away from Corey and beat The Royals player to the puck, but fanned on the attempt. Corey stole the puck and put it into the empty net.
Andrew Logar tied the game once again off a blind back pass from Spencer Hyrnczak to the front of the net. Roc City continued the back and forth battle with another goal to take the lead at 11:38. Jacob LeBlanc was able to get free in front of the net when Josh Kalinowski was knocked down. Spencer Norris provided the assist.
Niagara Falls put another one in the net at 16:45, but the officials waved it off. Instead of celebrating a goal, the faceoff ended up all the way down the ice to the right of Josh Mitchell as the PowerHawks were called for Too Many Men on the ice.
The third period was all Niagara Falls as the PowerHawks found their legs and scored four goals. Andrew Logar tied the game at 3-3 on the power play at 1:15. Brandon Schweickert and Matthew Minichiello assisted on the goal as they cycled the puck around goaltender Frederick Peters.
Niagara Falls took their first lead of the night when Evan Domiano delivered on an end to end goal at 14:40. Frankie Bodami and Schweickert passed it to Domiano when he was skating behind his own goalie.
The PowerHawks extended the lead to 5-3 at 16:28 when Brandon Snyder put one past Peters off a quick pass from Hrynczak. Domiano closed out the scoring at 17:49 on an unassisted wrap around goal.
Josh Mitchell stopped 30 of 33 shots faced in the victory for the PowerHawks. Frederick Peters was able to turn away 32 of the 38 shots fired at him for Roc City.
Niagara Falls will host Roc City Friday night at the Hyde Park Ice Pavilion at 7:00pm. The PowerHawks will then play a pair of games Saturday and Sunday against the visiting Skylands Kings. Game times are 6:00pm for Saturday and 1:00pm for Sunday.