10/14 Marple Recap (Semi-Pro)

by Anthony Flynn

All eight Atlantic division teams met for a Semi-Pro festival at Marple Sports Arena on Saturday.  Coming into the event, three teams sat at 3-1 on the season, the Fusion Blizzard, Philadelphia Deuces, and Propel MG.  For half of the teams, including the 309 Sting Rays, Rink Rat Iron Knights, Hershey Typhoon, and Marple Gladiators, it would be their first action of the season.  

Early in the day, the Typhoon and Blizzard clashed in the days only overtime game.  Through both overtime frames, neither team scored and it took a shootout to decide a winner.  Finally the Blizzard were able to sneak one past Mitchell Reinhold for the 3-2 shootout victory.  

Later in the day, the game everyone had circled on their calendars was the Gladiators vs the Deuces.  The game was a rematch of last season's epic playoff semi-final game, which the Glads came out on top.  In fact, the two squads have met in the semi-finals two years in a row now.  Yet again, another incredible tight game showcased two of the divisions powerhouses.  Goaltenders Pat Coll and Travis Pelke were the stars, as the Glads edged the Deuces 2-1.  

If there was only one true winner on the Saturday, it was Propel MG, the days only team to go a perfect 4-0.  Propel and their high flying offense racked up victories of 10-2 (Typhoon), 7-1 (Iron Knights), 10-1 (Sting Rays), and 5-3 (Gladiators).  Forward Justin Skelly now has a healthy early lead in the division scoring race and goaltender Chris Marsillo leads the league in wins.

Other notable teams on the day were the Deuces and Gladiators who both went 3-1, as well the Blizzard who also won three of their four games, with one in overtime.  The Sting Rays, Iron Knights, and Typhoon all earned one victory at the hands of the Grizzlies, with the Typhoon earning an extra point for the OT loss to the Blizzard.

The Sting Rays, Iron Knights, GLadiators, and Typhoon will all be back in action at 422 Sportsplex in two weeks as they play their first of two cross division events against the Northeast teams