Danbury, CT | Patrick Frenette
Danbury falls to the Black Bears in another 4-1 loss to close out the weekend series. Niko Tournas would net the only goal for the Hat Tricks. While netminder Jack Fialkoff would finish the game by saving all 17 shots that came his way after he came in to relieve Tyler Spokane.
The Hat Tricks got off to a slow start in the opening frame, as defenseman Anthony White would get sent to the penalty box for cross-checking only 2:39 into the first period. It would be their second time on the penalty kill that would lead to the first Black Bears goal of the contest. Black Bears forward Luke Janus would score on said power-play, and he would net the second goal for Maryland 5:38 later. Maryland forward Tommy Holtby would notch the third goal only 23 seconds later to take a 3-0 lead heading into the second period.
Maryland would be quick to add another tally to start the second frame. Forward Tommy Holtby would grab his second goal of the game 27 seconds into the period. Following the fourth Black Bears goal, Hat Tricks netminder Tyler Spokane would be taken out of the net after allowing four goals on 11 shots, leading to Fialkoff coming in net as a relief for Spokane. The Hat Tricks would also see an unfortunate line of events as they would have their first power-play of the game, which would quickly turn into a 4-on-3 penalty kill for Danbury. Both penalties would successfully get killed by Danbury. Danbury would then pull a trick out of their sleeve, as forward Niko Tournas notched the Hat Tricks first goal of the game. Tournas scored in what could be described as a fadeaway goal, similar to what defenseman Ryan Lukko put in net in the New Hampshire series. The final frame would end with both sides not recording a tally, however 20 minutes of penalties would be assessed between both squads, leading to the 4-1 final.
The Hat Tricks are on the road for the month of December, starting with a trip back to New Hampshire to face off against the Mountain Kings. Puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m. and you can stream the game on NATV. Follow us on social media for game day updates, interviews, and more.