ZYDECO HOLD ON AT HOME (11/2)

Baton Rouge, LA - The Baton Rouge Zydeco looked to complete the sweep of the Dashers Hockey Club on Saturday November 2nd. In front of over 3,000 people, a high scoring affair would need extra time to find a hero, and to the joy of the Zydeco that hero would be Kevin Szabad.

The Dashers looked to create a new identity in period one ahead of a rematch with the Zydeco. The answer came from their points leader Brandon Stojcevski, who came in tonight with 0 goals and 7 assists. It took just 74 seconds for the Dashers’ star to patiently wait for a small opening in Colgan to tuck it home and give the Bucks an early lead. There was a noticeable shift in the physicality of tonight’s game, as both teams finished checks and participated in some extracurriculars after the whistle. Around the middle part of the period, the Dashers got caught in transition and made way for a 2 on 1 in which Narek Aleksanyan easily sauced the puck into the slot to find Scott Shorrock who backhanded it by Rutherford to even the score at 1 a piece. Prior to this, Rutherford made a flurry of highlight reel saves, including a stop with the paddle of his stick while on all fours. With time dwindling, Dasher D man Quentin Roseboom was booked for a cross check and served as the game's first penalty. To the shock of everyone in the arena, Dasher rookie Yosuke Jumonji forced a turnover in the neutral zone and found himself with a breakaway on Colgan. After a brilliant initial save, Trey Fischer pounded home the loose puck to give the Dashers a 2-1 lead with 3 seconds remaining in the period. 

Period two was a roller coaster ride. Dashers’ defenseman Jacob Gagnon checked in on the scoresheet with a screened wrister that found its way past Colgan to put the Danville boys up 3-1. Almost instantly after, the Zydeco stormed back. A pair of unassisted goals by Cox and Szabad tied the game just 1:51 after Gagnon’s goal. The fourth goal came in exciting fashion, with Dmitry Kuznetsov sniping over Rutherford’s shoulder to make it 4-3. After the goal horn sounded, Quentin Roseboom popped Elijah WIlson in the face and the two engaged in a brief brawl with Wilson the victor. Roseboom was also given two minutes for instigating. Just seconds after the powerplay expired, Scott Shorrock buried a bardown rocket to make it 5-3. The shots read 37-19 in favor of the Zydeco at the second break.

To the third period we went, and fireworks erupted early when Brandon Stojcevski crashed the net to pot another goal and make it 5-4 just 47 seconds into the frame. The teams exchanged some more chances, with Colgan and Rutherford countering each other with better saves than the last. The Dashers continued to battle, with the reward coming off the stick of Nikolai Salov around the midway point to even it at 5-5. It was a stalemate the rest of the way, with some controversial officiating opening doors for both sides on the powerplay.

It would take extra time to decide this one, and everybody in the Raising Cane’s River Center stayed to find out who would be the hero. The Zydeco controlled the puck well and didn’t give the Dashers too many chances to set something up. Ultimately, a turnover led to a breakaway that Rutherford’s magical night couldn’t handle, and Kevin Szabad was deemed the hero when he ripped the twine. 

The Bucks were outshot 55-29 in the contest, and they are set to carry a 1-5 record to New York next weekend for a game with both Binghamton and Hudson Valley. The Zydeco improve to 5-1-1 and will host Columbus next weekend for a 2-game series.