Aviators fail to hold lead in third period; fall to Hat Tricks
ELMIRA, N.Y. – The Elmira Aviators (15-22-3-1) could not hold onto their 4-2 lead falling to the Danbury Jr. Hat Tricks (17-23-3-0) 5-4 Saturday night.
Elmira went on a wild roller coaster ride against Danbury on Saturday. Off the heels of a dramatic win on Friday, Elmira played a relatively boring opening period.
Danbury took the lead on a Niko Tournas power-play goal. Early in the second, the Hat Tricks got a second goal from former Aviator Alexis Billequey. Danbury felt like it was in full control.
Then out of nothing, Elmira’s Clarence Beltz created a spark. He poked an attacking zone draw forward and threw the puck on net from below the goal line to put the Aviators on the board.
Elmira would go on to score four unanswered second-period goals.
Chase Murray followed up Beltz’s stunning bid 38 seconds later with a drive from the point to tie the game at two. Then Matt Maglio showed off his sweet wrist shot on the rush to give Elmira the lead.
The crowd at the LECOM Event Center was loving it, getting louder with each goal. The place reached its peak when Curtiss Sturgeon capped off the four unanswered with a short-handed breakaway to give the Aviators a 4-2 lead.
A two-goal lead can be a dangerous one and the Hat Tricks made sure to emphasize the point. Danbury’s Max Pendy pulled Danbury within in one before Niko Tournas fired home his second goal of the game and fourth of the series.
Tournas is now tied for the NAHL league lead in goals with 32.
Nineteen seconds after Tournas tied the game he found David Utkin for a one-timer to put Danbury in front 5-4.
The Aviators will have a quick turnaround to try and bounce back this Tuesday against the Rochester Jr. Americans at the LECOM Event Center. Puck drop is slated for 6:30 p.m. and kids 17 and under get in free as well as all college students with a valid student ID.
The game can also be streamed on NATV and listened to on Big Foot Country Legends.
Mac Young is the play-by-play voice of the Elmira Aviators. To contact him email [email protected].