ELMIRA, N.Y. – The Elmira Aviators (5-9-0-0) soared to a 4-3 victory over the Danbury Hat Tricks (7-5-1-2) at the LECOM Event Center Friday night.
There was plenty of uncertainty around the Elmira Aviators organization this week with the hiring of new Head Coach Leeor Shtrom and a mass changeover behind the bench.
The Aviators entered Friday’s game riding a three-game losing streak, having scored one lone goal across the trio of defeats.
Elmira responded well against Danbury from the get-go of Friday’s contest. The Aviators established a strong fore-check, tilting the ice in their favor in the opening minutes.
Their positive play paid off when veteran forward Matthew Maglio was found alone in the slot by Jack Kohlmann. The Elmira alternate captain whisked the puck past Danbury netminder Jon Dukaric, giving the Aviators their first 1-0 lead since Sept. 27 against the North Iowa Bulls at the NAHL Showcase.
The purple and black kept up that momentum into the second period, doubling its advantage by way of its captain and a former Hat Trick.
Aviator defenseman and captain Brenden Bedorf intercepted a Dabury pass in the center ice before turning on his motor and racing through the neutral zone. Bedorf rounded the Danbury net with eyes up all the way, then slung the puck through the slot to a flashing Evan Dantas, who potted the puck home to give the Aviators a 2-0 lead.
Dantas, who started the season with Danbury, would add an assist later in the evening for a two-point night.
The multi-goal advantage was Elmira’s first since the opening night of the season in New Jersey on Sept. 13.
Friday night’s victory wasn’t without adversity. Former Aviator and current Hat Tricks’ leading scorer Kai Elkie cut Elmira’s lead in half with a breakaway goal fresh out of the penalty box.
Danbury would go on to tie the game in the third period, but Elmira’s power play would come through in the most crucial moment.
After a massive scrum, primarily featuring fisticuffs between the Aviators’ Max McGuire and Danbury’s Brendan Boring, Elmira received a power play with about seven and a half minutes left in the third period.
An Evan Dantas one-time shot was going wide of the goal, but Matthew Maglio deflected it across the goal crease, giving Nico Pohjola a tap-in on the back door, putting the Aviators back up 3-2.
Pohjola went on to score an empty net goal to seal the deal for the Aviators in an eventual 4-3 win.
Elmira played a committed, positive brand of hockey in Friday’s win, a great sign for Head Coach Leeor Shtrom’s first game behind the bench.
The Aviators will attempt to prove that Friday’s result is more than a first-game boost under new leadership. They will try to defeat the Hat Tricks for their first sweep of the 2025-26 season and first sweep on home ice in club history.
The action begins Saturday night at 7 p.m. inside the LECOM Event Center. The game can be streamed on NATV or listened to on WINGZ93.
Mac Young is the play-by-play voice of the Elmira Aviators. To contact him, email [email protected].