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The Binghamton Black Bears (4-2) lost to the
Pee Dee IceCats (5-1) in Game of the Commissioner's Cup Finals by
the score of 5-2 in Florence, SC. The IceCats wasted little time making
their presence felt in their first-ever Commissioner's Cup Finals game,
striking first on the power play just 5:34 into the opening period. With
Scott Ramaekers in the penalty box for hooking,
Elijah Wilson capitalized on the man advantage, finishing off a
setup from Jacob Hamilton and Nick Gullo
to give Pee Dee a 1-0 lead. Binghamton answered quickly, and fittingly, it
was Ramaekers himself who responded. After serving the game's first
penalty, the veteran forward redeemed himself by netting his first goal of
the postseason at the 8:07 mark. Gehrett Sargis and
Zac Sirota each picked up assists on the equalizer,
knotting the score at 1-1. The IceCats regained the lead late in the period
thanks to a fortunate bounce near the Binghamton crease. A loose puck found
its way into the slot area in front of Dominik Tmej, where
Dzianis Zaichyk pounced and buried the opportunity at
15:51. Nicholas Magill-Diaz and Alexander Legkov
assisted on the play, giving Pee Dee a 2-1 advantage heading into the first
intermission. After twenty minutes, the IceCats held a slim edge on the
scoreboard, while Binghamton carried a slight 12-9 advantage in shots on
goal.
The Black Bears came out with purpose in the middle frame and
quickly found the equalizer. Just 4:28 into the period, Austin
D'Orazio took advantage of open ice through the neutral zone,
carried the puck into the offensive end, and fired home his first goal of
the postseason to tie the game at 2-2. Tyson Kirkby and
Nick Swain each earned assists on the play. Pee Dee
answered right back. At the 7:52 mark, Dominiks Marcinkevics
restored the IceCats' lead, beating Tmej high on the short side to make it
3-2. The IceCats continued to capitalize on their opportunities later in
the period when Binghamton found itself shorthanded once again. After
Nick Swain was assessed a two-minute minor for elbowing at
10:42, Pee Dee went back to work on the man advantage. This time it was
FPHL Rookie of the Year Alexander Legkov who delivered,
scoring at 12:29 off a setup from Marcinkevics and Elijah Wilson.
The power-play tally gave the IceCats a 4-2 lead and underscored one of the
biggest storylines of the night: Pee Dee's special teams execution. The
period grew more physical as emotions began to rise. Matching roughing
minors were handed out to Nick Swain and Dominiks
Marcinkevics at 13:34, and just twelve seconds later,
Jacob Hamilton was called for holding, giving Binghamton another
opportunity with the man advantage. However, the IceCats' penalty kill
stood tall, preserving their two-goal advantage heading into the second
intermission. Through forty minutes, Pee Dee held a 4-2 lead despite being
outshot 25-19. The IceCats were a perfect 2-for-2 on the power play, while
successfully shutting down every Black Bears opportunity with the extra
skater—a rare sight against one of the FPHL's most dangerous special-teams
units.
The Black Bears pushed hard in the final twenty minutes,
throwing everything they had at Breandan Colgan in an
effort to climb back into Game 1. Binghamton controlled much of the play in
the third period, heavily outshooting Pee Dee and generating several
quality opportunities, but Colgan and the IceCats' defense stood firm.
Tempers flared early in the period following a scrum at 2:41. Zac
Sirota and Dominiks Marcinkevics were each
assessed matching high-sticking minors, while Patriks Marcinkevics
was handed a double minor for butt-ending, giving Binghamton a lengthy
power-play opportunity. Despite the extended man advantage, the Black Bears
were unable to solve Colgan, a key turning point as Pee Dee preserved its
two-goal cushion. Binghamton continued to press, even killing off a
Tyson Kirkby tripping penalty midway through the frame. Later, a
boarding minor to Dominiks Marcinkevics at 16:45 gave the
Black Bears one final late chance to cut into the deficit. With time
winding down, Binghamton pulled Dominik Tmej for the extra
attacker with 1:22 remaining. The Black Bears sustained pressure in the
offensive zone, but the IceCats ultimately sealed the victory when Houston
Wilson found the empty net with just seven seconds left. Timur
Raslov picked up the lone assist on the insurance marker at 19:53.
The final horn sounded on a historic night in Florence, as the expansion
Pee Dee IceCats claimed a 5-2 victory in their first-ever Commissioner's
Cup Finals game. Backed by a crowd of 5,933 at the Florence Center, the
IceCats grabbed a 1-0 lead in the best-of-five series. Despite the loss,
Binghamton held a commanding 44-24 advantage in shots on goal, including a
14-3 edge in the third period. But Pee Dee's special teams, timely scoring,
and outstanding goaltending from Breandan Colgan proved to
be the difference in Game 1.
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