FireAntz score late but lose to Columbus
By By Thomas Pope
Assistant sports editor

 

FireAntz coach Tommy Stewart said execution - the lack of it - was the reason his team dropped Friday night's Southern Professional Hockey League game to Columbus.

"You can shoot and shoot and shoot and make great plays, but the bottom line is execution. We didn't put the puck in the net, and we had 3-on-1's, 2-on-1's, power plays galore - we had our chances," he said. "That's all fine and dandy, but sooner or later you have to put the puck in the net."

The FireAntz came within 82 seconds of being shut out for the first time all year, but scored twice in a minute's time. They wound up losing 3-2 - only their second loss at the Crown Coliseum in eight outings.

Jeff Martens gave Columbus a 2-0 lead at 3:47 of the third, and the teams played another 15 minutes before an intense late barrage.

Fayetteville's Steve Cooke finally got the puck past goalie Ian Vigier on a deflection at 18:38, and Columbus' Kyle Lundale made the Cottonmouths' situation worse by being whistled for delay of game after the score. That gave the Antz a 5-on-4 power play that Stewart made 6-on-4 by pulling Guy St. Vincent for an extra attacker.

Martens spoiled that strategy, hustling to a loose puck and scoring an empty-net goal at 19:14. Fayetteville wasn't finished, though, as Rob Sich redirected a Craig Geerlinks blast past Vigier just 25 seconds later - but it was too little, too late.

Vigier stopped 42 of 44 Antz's shots, and was a bit aggravated that the shutout got away.

"It's frustrating for a goaltender. Shutouts for us goalies are like goals for a forward - it's the only stat we can really put up for ourselves," he said. "It's just a little frustrating because that's three games in a row that we've let a shutout maybe slip away."

Antz forward Jesse Biduke said Vigier shouldn't have really had a legitimate shot at notching a goose egg.

"In a sense, you've got to be thankful that you're getting those chances because it is hard work," he said. "But it's even harder work to put the puck in the back of the net. We've got to bear down big-time because with that many shots, you can't be scoring two goals in, like, the last two minutes.

"Like coach said, it's not midget hockey, it's pro hockey and we have to start bearing down. We have to be our on 'A' game the whole 60 minutes if we want to be the best team in the league, and we know in that (locker) room that we can be."

Fayetteville dropped to 8-7-0 (16 points) and fell into a three-way tie for third heading into a game at Knoxville (8-6-0, 16 points) tonight. Columbus improved to 8-6-0 (16 points).
Columbus 3, FireAntz 2

First period - None. Penalties - Columbus, Leslie (fighting), 0:03; Fayetteville, Needham (fighting), 0:03; Fayetteville, Reed (fighting), 2:19; Columbus, Stahl (fighting), 2:19; Fayetteville, McConnachie (roughing, roughing), 2:19; Columbus, Lundale (roughing, roughing, inciting an opponent misconduct), 2:19; Columbus, Hergott (tripping), 2:38; Columbus, Bowles (high sticking), 5:59; Columbus, Johnson (slashing), 9:56; Fayetteville, Sbrocchi (interference), 15:37; Columbus, Slusher (fighting), 15:37; Fayetteville, Free (fighting), 15:37.

Second period - 1, Columbus, Lind 7 (Cole, Dwyer), 7:48 (pp). Penalties - Fayetteville, Sich (holding), 5:30; Fayetteville, Reed (slashing), 7:06; Fayetteville, Snyder (holding), 8:46; Columbus, Lundale (slashing), 12:31; Columbus, Dwyer (interference, unsportsmanlike conduct), 13:15; Fayetteville, Sich (high sticking), 14:56; Fayetteville, Snyder (delay of game), 14:56; Columbus, Martens (delay of game), 14:56; Fayetteville, Geerlinks (hooking), 15:04; Columbus, Leslie (interference), 18:04.