Havoc Win Second Straight Against IceGators

LAFAYETTE, La.--An Allstate Insurance slogan sums up the Louisiana IceGators’ weekend.

Mayhem is everywhere.

The Macon Mayhem certainly covered every corner of the ice Sunday afternoon, scoring four consecutive goals en route to a 4-1 victory over the IceGators in the Cajundome.  Former IceGators Matt Robertson and Jake Trask each scored a goal in the contest.

The Mayhem and the IceGators play again on New Year’s Day in Macon.  Game time is set for 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time.

“We played physical hockey in the first two periods,” said IceGators head coach Drew Omicioli.  “We have a set of guys who played a full 60 minutes, and then we have others who don’t.  I’m frustrated, and the team is frustrated.  You can see the shift of momentum go in the other team’s favor when we allow goals.  Goals happen, and we need to harness that frustration and turn it into motivation for us.”

The IceGators jumped out to a 1-0 lead 4:13 into the game when Geordie Wudrick went top shelf off a Benjamin Rubin centering pass from behind the net.

The IceGators nearly jumped out to a two-goal lead late in the second period on a Vladyslav Gavrik fast break, but Gavrik put his shot off the post.

Macon took advantage of the missed opportunity, skating down ice and tying the game with 2:58 left in the middle frame.  Jeff Sanders dropped a pass to Joshua Ranalli, who launched a shot from the point.  Lucas LeBelle tipped the puck into the goal to knot the score.

The Mayhem kept the momentum throughout the third period.

Robertson gave Macon the lead with 8:04 left in the game when he skated down the right wing on a one-on-one opportunity and launched a shot past Brad Barone.  Forty-six seconds later, Ryan Michel scored a power play goal after cycling the puck with Trask and Nick Grasso.  Trask tacked on an empty-netter with 33 seconds left in the game.

“At the end of the day, the game is about execution,” Omicioli said.  “We were outplaying (Macon), but we let (our mistakes) get to us.  In the first period, we had six turnovers, and we caused 16 turnovers.  That’s the style of hockey that our systems are geared towards.  That’s perfect hockey.  Then in the second period, we had nine turnovers to their seven, and they tied the game.  In the third period, we had six turnovers to their four.”

Omicioli says he has some major decisions to make between now and Friday’s rematch.

“We’re 21 games in,” Omicioli said.  “It’s time for us to make some changes after coming away with no points when we should have had four.”