Contact: awest@thesphl.com
HUNTERSVILLE, NC (October 28, 2023) – The SPHL continues its 20th season with four games tonight. You can follow all the action this season at https://www.flohockey.tv/
Fayetteville @ Macon (6:30 p.m. EST, 5:30 p.m. CST)
Fayetteville Marksmen (1-1-1, 3 pts, 5th)
• Simon Bokoyo tallied three assists in Saturday’s OT loss to Roanoke
• Starting the season with nine rookies
• Goaltender Conor O’Brien returns after making 21 appearances in net last season, where he amassed a 2.70 GAA and a .917 sv%
• Home opener record 4,711 fans packed the Crown Coliseum
• Fayetteville is 1-0-0 against Macon
Macon Mayhem (2-1-0, 4 Pts, 4th)
• Alex Cohen notched a four-point night as he tallied two goals and two assists in the Mayhem’s 7-2 opening night trouncing of Knoxville
• Jake Goldowski was named SPHL Player of the Week after his five-point opening night performance which saw him tally two goals and three assists
• Goldowski leads the SPHL with six points (2g, 4a)
• Tommy Munichiello returns after leading the Mayhem in points (40) in 2022-23
• Josh Boyko returns to the Mayhem alongside newcomer Jimmy Poreda as the tandem between the pipes
• CJ Hayes returns to Macon after collecting 28 points on 12 goals, and 16 assists in 27 games last season for the Mayhem
• Macon is 0-1-0 against Fayetteville
Knoxville @ Birmingham (8:05 p.m. EST, 7:05 p.m. CST)
Knoxville Ice Bears (0-3-0, 0 pts, 9th)
• Justin Portillo leads the league with 33 penalty minutes in three games
• Finished with a 32-22-3 record last season, 6th seed in SPHL playoffs
• Brady Fleurent returns after finishing top five in shooting percentage last season (21.5%)
• Goaltender Zane Steeves comes to the Ice Bears after playing last season in Evansville where the netminder posted a 2.97 GAA and a .912 sv%
• Kristian Stead also returns after finishing top five in wins (20), minutes played (1,818.00), and saves (956)
• Knoxville is 0-1-0 against Birmingham
Birmingham Bulls (1-2-0, 2 pts, 7th)
• Drake Glover ranks tied for second in points with five (2g, 3a)
• Carson Rose ranks tied for third with four points (1g, 3a)
• Rose is back for his third season after collecting 30 points in 27 games last season (15g, 15a)
• Michael Gillespie returns after being named to the SPHL first team last season after notching 60 points (27g, 33a)
• Hayden Stewart picked up his first shutout of the season, stopping all 18 shots he faced in a 5-0 win against Knoxville
• Birmingham is 1-0-0 against Knoxville
Huntsville @ Pensacola (8:05 p.m. EST, 7:05 p.m. CST)
Huntsville Havoc (3-0-0, 6 pts, 2nd)
• Brothers, Doug and Phil Elgstam both tallied goals against the Ice Flyers. With Doug netting a hat trick in their 5-2 victory on Friday night
• Doug Elgstam leads the SPHL with four goals, and also ranks tied for second with five points (4g, 1a)
• Dominick Procopio returns after posting the second highest +/- last season (+29)
• Defensemen Alex Kielczewski and Derek Perl return after being in the top 20 of scoring for blue-liners Tyler Piacentini makes the transition from the ice, to behind the bench, joining the Havoc as an assistant coach
• Huntsville is 1-0-0 against Pensacola
Pensacola Ice Flyers (1-1-0, 2pts, 6th)
• Brett Mercones notched the first-ever opening night hat trick in Ice Flyers history and is tied for third with four points (4g)
• Ivan Bonderenko leads the league with four assists
• Winger Garrett Milan returns for another season in an Ice Flyers sweater, looking to repeat his 2022-23, where he finished second in points (69), third in assists (43), and fourth in goals (26)
• Bondarenko returns after his 55-point season (15g, 40a)
• Mitch Adkins returns, following his career-best point season in which the Center tallied 46 points (9g, 37a)
• Pensacola is 0-1-0 against Huntsville
Roanoke @ Quad City (8:10 p.m. EST, 7:10 p.m. CST)
Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs (3-0-0, 6 pts, 1st)
• Austyn Roudebush collected the first shutout in the 2023-24 season, stopping all 27 shots he faced on opening night
• Nick Ford ranks tied for second with five points (1g, 4a)
• Stephen Alvo ranks tied for third in the league with four points (1g, 3a)
• Alvo collected two points (1g, 1a) in their 4-0 win on opening night
• Hoisted their 2023 Presidents Cup banner in front of their home crowd for the first time in franchise history
• The Dawgs return their top three leading scorers from last season in Nick Ford (54p), Mac Jansen (49p), and CJ Stubbs (47p)
• Goalie Austyn Roudebush returns for his sixth season, fresh off his President’s Cup MVP award.
• Roanoke is 1-0-0 against Quad City
Quad City Storm (0-2-0, 0 pts, 8th)
• Defenseman John DeRoche is tied for third amongst all blue liners with two points (1g, 1a)
• Tommy Tsicos scored the only Storm goal in his 200th appearance for the franchise in a 4-1 defeat to the Rivermen
Winger Michael Moran returns after his 30-point season (18g, 12a)
• Cole Golka is back with the Storm after a career-high 31 points (16g, 15a)
• SPHL second-team goaltender Kevin Resop is back in the Quad Cities after his impressive 2022-23 campaign which saw him post a 2.69 GAA, and .916 sv% in 40 games
• Quad City is 0-1-0 against Roanoke
