Game Preview: Hat Tricks at Watertown Wolves | Nov. 1, 2024

LAST TIME OUT

Despite falling behind 1-0 just 23 seconds into the first period, the Hat Tricks rattled off six unanswered goals to power past the Hudson Valley Venom in the first installment of the Battle of 84 on Saturday night. Co-head coach and captain Jonny Ruiz's shorthanded goal, and first of the season, early in the second period started the Hat Tricks on a 6-0 stretch en route to a 9-3 victory. In his first start, Hat Tricks netminder Andrew LoRusso picked up his first professional win making 25 saves on 28 shots. The Hat Tricks are now 2-0-1 when allowing three or fewer goals, with their only loss against the reigning Commissioner’s Cup champion Binghamton Black Bears.

12 of Danbury's 16 skaters registered at least one point. Ruiz finished the game with four points (1g, 3a) to push his season total to six while three other players had three-point nights, Ratcliffe (1g, 2a), Labelle (1g, 2a), and Harwell (2ppg, 1a).

With the win, the Hat Tricks have recorded points in three straight games (7) and improved to 2-1-1 with seven points through four games. Danbury has outshot its opponent in three of its four games and has 44 or more shots in all four contests.

HEAD-TO-HEAD

The Hat Tricks visit the Watertown Wolves on Friday for the first time this season. The matchup marks the first of 11 meetings between the two teams, with Danbury hosting four and seven in Watertown, N.Y. One week from Friday, the Hat Tricks and Wolves resume their season series at the Danbury Ice Arena, before the sides meet again in Watertown the following day, Nov. 9. The teams meet again in Watertown on Dec. 21 before moving the series to Danbury on Dec. 27. The Hat Tricks and Wolves are scheduled for a home-and-home from Jan. 24–25 and then travel to Watertown for the series’ next three games on Feb. 21, Feb. 23 and March 13. The two sides face off in Danbury on April 12 for the final time.

Last season, the Hat Tricks went 8-3-1-1 against the Wolves, winning five of nine games in Watertown while taking all four at the Danbury Ice Arena.

ABOUT THE WOLVES

After losing both games to the Binghamton Black Bears in the first round of the Commissioner’s Cup playoffs last season, Watertown is off to a fast start in 2024-25 having won four of its first six games. The Wolves had victories in four in a row before a 5-4 shoutout loss in Motor City on Saturday night (Oct. 26). Forward Carter Thornton (1g, 1a) and defensemen Timothy Payne (2a) and Ludlow Harris, Jr (1g, 1a) each recorded two points in the one-goal loss. Thornton’s five assists are tied for the team lead while Harris is second on the squad in goals (3) and third in points (7).

Forward Kyle Heitzner, who played three games for the Hat Tricks last season, leads Watertown’s scoring attack with six goals and four assists. The 25-year-old is currently on a five-game point streak that includes seven combined points over back-to-back contests versus Dashers Hockey and Motor City. Heitzner played in just 15 combined games over the past four seasons, spending each with a different FPHL team, including Watertown in 2021-22. 

The Wolves hold the league’s second-best power play (25.0%), behind the Hat Tricks (25.9%), and the fifth-best penalty kill (85.7%), and is 4-1-0 when scoring at least four goals this season. 

The Wolves are led by first-year head coach Charlie Pens Jr. The 36-year-old played a combined five seasons in the FHL/FPHL with the final of his career with the Wolves in the 2022-23 season, when he posted seven points (1g, 6a). Pens Jr. was also the head coach of the Delaware Thunder in 2019-20 and went 13-31-0-1. He then served as the Thunder’s assistant coach in 2022-23.

Watertown has won three championships and made the playoffs in each of its 11 full seasons (excluding 2019-20 due to COVID-19), winning its latest Commissioner's Cup in 2022 against the Columbus River Dragons.

HAT TRICKS HEADLINES

The Hat Tricks are back on the road this week for two games against Watertown and Binghamton. In its first road win of the season against Hudson Valley on Saturday, Danbury scored nine goals for the first time since March 25, 2023, when it won by five against the Mississippi Sea Wolves. Before Saturday, the most unanswered goals the Hat Tricks scored this season came on Oct. 19, when they scored three straight twice to seal off the first victory of the Ruiz-Gonzalez coaching era against Motor City. 

In their 9-3 win at Hudson Valley on Saturday, the Hat Tricks scored five of their nine total goals on the power play. Through the first four games of the season, the Hat Tricks have the FPHL’s second-most power play goals with seven and the best percentage in the league (25.9%). 

Co-head coach Jonny Ruiz posted a season-high three assists and his first goal of the season, short-handed, on Saturday. Ruiz is the Hat Tricks’ all-time points and games played leader and last season’s league leader in power play goals (12) and shorthanded goals (5). He led Danbury in points (74), goals (38), and assists (36) in 2023-24, and through six games in 2024-25, is second on the team in assists (5) and points (6), both behind third-year winger Jacob Ratcliffe (7a, 8p).

RATCLIFFE’S STRONG START

Forward Jacob Ratcliffe has registered a team-high seven assists and eight points through the Hat Tricks’ first five games, including a goal and two helpers in Saturday’s win. In his second season last year, he recorded a career-high 46 points (15g, 31a), the second-most behind Jonny Ruiz. This past summer, the Canterbury, New Zealand, native won an AIHL championship with the Canberra Brave and was named the Finals MVP with four points (2g, 2a) in a 5-0 win. He also won the Team MVP after notching 42 points (17g, 25a) in 21 games.

THE HARWELL POWER PLAY SHOW

Second-year forward Chase Harwell scored two power play goals in the third period on Saturday. The Southbury, Conn. native has tallied three power play scores over the last two games and leads the FPHL in man-up goals (3). Last season, the center played in 27 games and turned in 13 goals and six assists.

A NIGHT OF FIRSTS

Defensemen Chris Dusek and Reese Tamburo both scored their first professional goals on Saturday, while third-year forward Connor Woolley tallied his first of the season. Dusek played one game with Danury last season (March 10) and registered an assist while Tamburo, a member of the Hat Tricks’s NA3HL program (2021-23), got on the board in his professional debut. Woolley, a Commissioner’s Cup winner with the Hat Tricks in 2023, turned in a career-best 34 points last season with the Hat Tricks (12g, 22a).

LORUSSO WINS FIRST PRO START

In his first start for the Hat Tricks on Saturday, second-year goaltender Andrew LoRusso also picked up his first professional win. The 25-year-old, who dressed in just one game for the Hat Tricks last season (April 12), made 25 saves on 28 shots versus Hudson Valley, despite allowing the game’s first goal 23 seconds into the opening period. In four seasons at the Division III collegiate career, LoRusso played one year at Becker College, two at Rivier University, and spent last season at Western New England University, before arriving in Danbury.

LABELLE DOMINATES ON THE ROAD

Defenseman Josh Labelle recorded a season-high three points in Danbury’s first road win of the season on Saturday, scoring on the power play and providing two assists. The Hat Tricks’ alternate captain tallied 10 multi-point outings last season and led all blueliners with 34 points (9g, 25a). 

Single-game tickets and full/ partial season membership plans are still available for purchase. If you are interested, email herm@danburyhattricks.com or go to Tixr.

To stay up to date on all things Danbury Hat Tricks hockey, go to danburyhattricks.com and follow the team on Facebook, Instagram, X, and TikTok (@DanburyHatTricks).

ABOUT DANBURY HAT TRICKS:

The Danbury Hat Tricks are a professional hockey team based in Danbury, Connecticut, competing in the Federal Prospects Hockey League (FPHL). Since their founding in 2019, the Hat Tricks have brought thrilling, hard-hitting hockey to the Danbury Ice Arena, earning a reputation for their fierce competitive spirit and strong community presence. The team is dedicated to providing an exciting game-day experience for fans of all ages, with a focus on building long-lasting connections within the local community.

Proudly representing Danbury, the Hat Tricks are committed to excellence both on and off the ice. In addition to developing top-tier hockey talent, the team engages in numerous community outreach programs, fostering relationships with local schools, businesses, and charities. The Hat Tricks aim to continue growing the sport of hockey in the area and provide entertainment that brings the community together.

Whether you're a die-hard hockey fan or new to the sport, the Danbury Hat Tricks promise an unforgettable experience every time they take the ice.