The Binghamton
Black Bears (39-5-2) dominated the
Watertown Wolves (14-26-5) on Saturday night up in
Watertown, NY defeating the Wolves 10-2. The Binghamton Black Bears
wasted no time taking control of the game in the opening period,
erupting for four goals in the first nine minutes against the
Watertown Wolves. Binghamton struck first on the power play after
Dustin Henning was called for tripping at 4:07. Just ten seconds
later, Scott Ramaekers picked up right where he
left off from the night before, scoring from nearly the same spot to
give the Black Bears a 1-0 lead at 4:17. Gavin Yates
and Dan Stone picked up the assists on the play.
The Black Bears kept the pressure on and doubled their lead only 31
seconds later. Gavin Yates was stationed in front
of Wolves goaltender Ricardo Gonzalez, where he
buried the puck at 4:48 to make it 2-0 Binghamton. The goal was a
milestone marker for Yates, as it was his 100th career goal as a
Black Bear. Zac Sirota and Tyson Kirkby
recorded assists on the goal. Binghamton’s offensive surge continued
moments later. At the 5:10 mark, Dan Wieber scored
his third goal of the season, extending the lead to 3-0, with
assists credited to Cheechoo Lathlin and
Gehrett Sargis. The Black Bears weren’t done yet. At 8:22,
CJ Stubbs added to the onslaught when he tipped a
shot from Dan Wieber past Gonzalez for his 34th
goal of the season, pushing the Binghamton lead to 4-0. Ivan
Bondarenko also picked up an assist on the play. The
physical side of the game surfaced midway through the period when
Tyson Kirkby and Trevor Neumann
dropped the gloves at 10:24, each receiving five-minute fighting
majors in what was a spirited bout between the two. After twenty
minutes, the Black Bears held a commanding 4-0 lead while also
outshooting the Wolves 15-7. It was also a memorable opening period
for Marshall McKallip, who made his first
professional start in goal for Binghamton, while the Wolves
countered with Ricardo Gonzalez in net. The night
also marked the professional debut of Matthew York,
the son of longtime NHL defenseman Jason York, who played 14 seasons
in the NHL.
The offensive surge for Binghamton continued in
the second period as the Black Bears added four more goals to their
already commanding lead. Binghamton wasted little time extending the
advantage as Austin D’Orazio scored just 1:01 into
the period, firing a shot past Wolves goaltender Ricardo
Gonzalez to make it 5-0. Mac Jansen and
Ivan Bondarenko were credited with the assists on the early
tally. The Black Bears struck again midway through the period when
Cheechoo Lathlin recorded a milestone moment,
scoring his first professional goal with a wrist shot at 10:49 to
extend the lead to 6-0. Tyler Schwindt and Gehrett Sargis
assisted on the play. Following the goal, Watertown made a change in
net as Ricardo Gonzalez was replaced by
Grant Linville. The Wolves were finally able to get on the
scoreboard shortly after the goaltending change. At 12:19,
Reece McDonald scored for Watertown, with assists from
Egor Filippov and Ian McDonald,
cutting the lead to 6-1. Binghamton quickly answered to regain their
six-goal cushion. Just 51 seconds later, Captain Tyson
Kirkby blasted a shot past Linville at 13:10, giving the
Black Bears a 7-1 lead. Cheechoo Lathlin and
Zac Sirota picked up the assists on the play. The
Black Bears capped off the scoring in the period late in the frame
when Gehrett Sargis tallied Binghamton’s eighth
goal of the night at 17:32, finishing a play set up by Nick
Swain and Austin D’Orazio to make it 8-1
heading into the second intermission. The only penalty of the period
came late when Austin D’Orazio was called for
roughing at 18:37. After forty minutes, the Black Bears held a
commanding 8-1 lead, while the Wolves held a slight edge in
second-period shots 14-12. There were also several notable
individual achievements during the period. Ivan Bondarenko’s
two assists on the night tied him with Kyle Powell
for the Black Bears single-season assist record with 67, a mark
Powell set during the franchise’s inaugural 2021–22 season.
Additionally, Tyson Kirkby recorded a Gordie Howe
Hat Trick, finishing the period with a goal, an assist, and a fight.
The Wolves opened the scoring early in the third period,
striking just 43 seconds into the frame when Darion Benchich
scored his 5th goal of the season against his former team. Benchich
finished a play set up by Yefim Mishkin and
Quinn Chevers, cutting the Black Bears lead to 8-2.
Binghamton responded quickly and continued their offensive
dominance. At 4:14, CJ Stubbs netted his second
goal of the night and 35th of the season, restoring the Black Bears’
seven-goal advantage. Mac Jansen and Cheechoo Lathlin were credited
with the assists on the play. The Black Bears then reached double
digits midway through the period. At 8:21, Gavin Yates
scored Binghamton’s 10th goal of the game, finishing a play from
Dan Stone and Tyson Kirkby to cap off the
scoring and extend the lead to 10-2. Watertown took three penalties
later in the period as Aaron Atwell (roughing) at
10:19, Adam Zimmerman (cross-checking) at 11:47,
and Quinn Chevers (slashing) at 12:13 were all sent
to the box, though the Black Bears were unable to add to their
already sizable lead. Binghamton continued to control the pace of
play throughout the final frame, outshooting the Wolves 19-8 in the
third period and finishing the game with a 46-29 advantage in shots
on goal. With the victory, the Black Bears improved to 39-5-2 on the
season, earning their 15th win over Watertown in 16 meetings this
year. The win also reduced Binghamton’s magic number to five points
to clinch the Empire Division title, as the league’s top team
continues its dominant run toward the postseason. |
