Photo by Dan Stockfield
DANBURY, CT – Danbury Hat Tricks goaltender, Dillon Kelley, turned aside 25 shots en route to a 4-2 victory over the Battle Creek Rumble Bees before 1,024 at the Danbury Ice Arena on Friday night.
“I thought we played a solid game,” Tricks head coach Billy McCreary said. “DK was great for us in the net. He made some key stops, and I thought we controlled the pace of play.”
Carter Shinkaruk scored first for the Tricks at 8:20 of the first period with a one-timer from the left-wing off a gorgeous cross-ice feed from Gordy Bonnel on the powerplay. Nicola Levesque extended the Hat Tricks lead at 4:33 of the second period, corralling a Phil Bronner pass from behind the net and slipping a point-blank shot under the left pad of Rumble Bees netminder, Jacob Mullen.
Battle Creek halved Danbury’s lead less than two minutes later with a wrist shot that squeaked under Kelley’s right leg at 6:28.
The Hat Tricks’ powerplay would strike once more before the period’s end, with Bronner shoveling a rebound top shelf to beat Mullen at 16:45.
At 12:59 of the third period, Levesque saucered a 2-on-1 pass to Bronner, who took a stick to the midsection from Battle Creek’s Hayden Way. Taking exception to the hook, Bronner dropped the gloves and fought Way in a bout of fisticuffs, delighting the Danbury Hat Tricks faithful in the stands.
Though Vinnie Susi would tally with just 3:22 left in regulation for the Rumble Bees, Bonnel responded for the home team with a tally 11 seconds later to secure the 4-2 win.
The Danbury Hat Tricks are back in action tomorrow night for a rematch against the 0-10-0 Rumble Bees at 7 pm.
