Kirkby Becomes Binghamton’s All Time Goals Leader in Route of Dashers

Binghamton, NY - Parker Rutherford returned to the crease to make an additional 58 saves for the Dashers in their 7-1 loss to Binghamton last night. Tyson Kirkby scored his 110th goal as a Black Bear to become the franchises’ new leading goal-scorer and was named the first star in a tilted affair.

The Dashers were eager to turn the page back to 0-0 in their 6th and final battle with the Empire’s best Binghamton Black Bears. Binghamton, with a league leading 16 game win-streak, was ready to floor it in front of a near sellout at the Visions Veterans Memorial Arena. The scoring started hot and heavy, with Binghamton cashing in on a CJ Stubbs rip from the slot to make it 1-0. 20 seconds later, before the Dashers could catch their breath, Josh Fletcher capitalized on a bad bounce to pound another tally into the back of the goal and double the margin at 2-0. Things cooled off for a bit until rookie Sean Doyle took a trip close to the midway point. The Binghamton power play, who scored 3 times last night, potted another with a Scott Ramaekers one-timer to stretch the lead to 3. Other than some pushing and shoving, not much happened in the back half, and Binghamton carried a 3 goal cushion to the room outshooting the Dashers 21-8.

Period 2 was a pandemonium of penalty minutes in the back half. Before all the extracurriculars, Binghamton added a 4th goal, and crowned a new leading goalscorer in franchise history. It was an awkward deflection in front, and Kirkby pounded the loose change home to extend the lead to 4. It was the captain’s 110th goal in franchise history. Around the midway point Quinn O’Reilly boarded Kirkby hard into the wall, and Nicolas Piorier dropped the gloves in response warranting a roughing penalty that kept the game at even strength. Kirkby, who was slow to get up, made it off the ice and returned for his next shift. Inside the final 3 minutes is when chaos broke out. Zach Slinger took a Don Olivieri shot to the face and went down. After the stoppage he bumped into a Dasher and rookie Sean Doyle took exception. The two squared off, with Olivieri landing all the shots before dropping an elbow into Doyle’s head on the way down. Olivieri also received a game misconduct following this. The Dashers made it out of the wreck on a power play, and Tyson Kirkby couldn’t believe it. Jawing with the officials he earned himself a penalty as well. So the Dashers went to work 5 on 3, and right off the faceoff Quinn O’Reilly one-timed a blast past McAnanama to put the Dashers on the board. The 5 on 4 time and period bled out with the score 4-1. The shots were 47-15 through 40 minutes. 

Period 3 things simmered down but it was all Binghamton. They were able to control the zone for what felt like 90% of the frame, limiting any chance the Dashers had to break the puck out while holding them to a measly 6 shots. The Bears also notched all 3 goals in the frame, beginning with a Dakota Bohn rocket from the point on the power play within the first 5 minutes. 5 minutes after that, Scott Ramaekers grabbed his second of the night to push the margin to 5. The icing on the cake was a Jesse Anderson goal off another Bear-friendly bounce to cement the score at 7-1. The final shot totals were 65-21 Bingo, with Parker Rutherford making a cumulative 119 saves in the 2 game set. 

The Dashers fall to 1-36-3, and are set to host the Monroe Moccasins Friday and Saturday at 7:05 CST inside the David S. Palmer Arena. Binghamton improves to 38-4-1, with a league leading 17 game winning-streak. They will travel to Virginia for a 2-game date with the Bobcats next Friday and Saturday with both starting at 6:30 CST.