Aviators drop final home game in front of season-high crowd
ELMIRA, N.Y. – The Elmira Aviators (19-30-3-1) failed to hold onto the lead against the Philadelphia Rebels (22-27-2-1), falling 3-2 Saturday night.
The LECOM Event Center welcomed 1,618 fans for the Aviators’ final home game of their inaugural season Saturday evening. The total number of fans is the highest for an Aviators home game this season.
The crowd danced and cheered as Elmira built up a 2-0 lead in the second period.
Clarence Beltz opened the scoring in the first period by hunting a loose puck in the blue paint and steering it home. Matthew Maglio picked up an assist on the goal by starting the rush that led to the chance. Bryce Terry also helped it along to the scorer Beltz and picked up an assist.
Beltz continues to lead the Aviators in points, now up to 39 this season.
Elmira doubled its lead in the second period with a goal on the rush. Jude Hunt rumbled through neutral ice with great speed and zipped the frozen biscuit cross-ice to his roommate, Jack Kohlmann.
Kohlmann ripped it home with a one-time blast to give the Aviators a 2-0 lead. The tally is Kohlmann’s third of the year and second in as many weekends.
The Rebels began to battle back late in the second period, with Brock Jones scoring in tight to get Philadelphia on the board.
Tempers flared at the middle period’s end as Abzal Alibek dropped the gloves with Chase Murray. The Elmira defenseman delivered a handful of haymakers before taking Alibek down to the floor.
However, Murray was given an extra instigating penalty and a game misconduct, ending his night on the ice. The Rebels would start the third period with a power play.
Philadelphia would go on to tie the game with less than 10 minutes to go in the third period and win it on the power play with a nice set play to defenseman Luke Janvirya.
Next weekend, the Aviators will make the short trip to Rochester to battle the Jr. Americans. Game 1 is Friday, March 21, at 7 p.m., and Game 2 is Saturday, March 22, at 6:30 p.m.
The games can 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].