Game Preview: Hat Tricks vs. HC Venom | March 9, 2025

LAST TIME OUT

The Hat Tricks fell to HC Venom in overtime, 5-4, on Saturday in Danbury. Danbury allowed a goal to Nathan Butler with less than three minutes remaining in regulation before Dzianis Zaichyk put the game away at 1:01 of the extra frame.

The Venom clawed back from four one-goal deficits, two in the third, and goalie Rahul Sharma made 46 saves for his second straight win. Cory Anderson scored on the power play to move the Hat Tricks ahead, 4-3, at 15:22 of the third period. Connor Woolley and Chase Harwell also scored in the second to put Danbury ahead.

Dustin Jesseau scored in the slot at 9:41 of the second to level the contest at two and finished the game with four points (1g, 3a).

At 4:22 of the first, Zach Ross scored the go-ahead goal, his first as a Hat Trick in his professional debut.

Jacob Ratcliffe reached 100 FPHL points with assists on the Woolley and Harwell goals.

HEAD-TO-HEAD

The Hat Tricks and HC Venom battle for the final time in this weekend's three-game series on Sunday. It is the 11th of 12 total matchups this season as Danbury leads the series, 8-2, with a record of 7-1-1-1. Before Saturday’s 5-4 overtime loss, the Hat Tricks’ only loss of the series came on Dec. 13 (4-2L) in one of HC Venom’s multiple home games in Danbury.

The Hat Tricks and Venom have their final matchup on Wednesday, March 19, in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. (rescheduled game from Nov. 22).

The first of two overtime affairs in the series was on Jan. 4 (4-3SOW) in Danbury as the Hat Tricks rallied from a 2-0 deficit in the third and went 2-for-3 in the shootout. Jonny Ruiz, Aleksandr Gamzatov, and Aleksandr Vasilyev netted three unanswered goals before HC Venom’s Brett Jackson’s tying goal forced overtime.

Danbury has outscored HC Venom 57 to 32 in the series’ first 10 games and has only allowed more than four goals in just two contests, Saturday’s 5-4 overtime loss and on Jan. 3 (6-5W) in Danbury. The Hat Tricks power play is 23-for-54 (42.5%) versus the Venom.

In the season series, Chase Harwell (9-10-19) and Josh Labelle (5-15-20) lead the way for the Hat Tricks, while Jonny Ruiz has nine goals and eight assists.

In the net, Conor McCollum is 5-1-1 with a .914 save percentage.

For HC Venom, former Hat Tricks forward Dustin Jesseau has a team-high 17 points (6g, 11a) through eight outings.

Venom goalie Makar Sokolov is 0-1-1 (.864) versus Danbury while John Moriarty is 1-6 (.875). Rahul Sharma made his first start of the series Friday and stopped 46 of 50 shots.

ABOUT HC VENOM

HC Venom enters tonight’s matchup in sixth place in the Empire Division. With 31 points (8-25-3-2), the Venom are nine points behind Motor City for the fifth and final playoff spot.

HC Venom has struggled to secure points over its last three weekends, despite defeating Port Huron (3-2W) at home on Feb. 21 and splitting two games with Blue Ridge (4-3SOW, 4-3L) in Virginia last weekend. Over its past eight contests, HC Venom is just 1-6-0-2 after getting swept at Binghamton on Feb. 14–15. The Venom are back in Wytheville, Va., for another two-game series against the Bobcats starting Friday.

Dustin Jesseau leads HC Venom in points (57), goals (23), and assists (34), each good for career bests. The seventh-year forward has scored the team’s most power play goals, with six. Jesseau holds five multi-point games over his last six outings.

HAT TRICKS HEADLINES

The Hat Tricks face off with HC Venom in the final contest of a three-game set as it tries to finish the weekend with seven of a possible nine points. Danbury has earned points in each of its last 12 games on home ice, only losing twice in overtime to Port Huron (3-2) on Feb. 28 and HC Venom (5-4) on Saturday during that stretch.

The Hat Tricks have won 16 of their last 22 games (12-3-3-4) and have dominated since the start of 2025, securing points in 19 of those contests. Four of Danbury’s last five have extended past regulation (1-0-2-2).

The Hat Tricks have experienced little difficulty scoring in their last seven home games, averaging 4.7 goals per contest. Danbury has scored six or more goals in three of those games.

12 games remain in Danbury’s regular season and it holds a record of 20-11-8-5 (78 points) and an eight-point lead on Watertown for second place in the division after the Wolves lost in overtime at Motor City Saturday. A regulation or overtime win on Saturday would push Danbury to 80 points in a regular season for the fifth straight year.

The Hat Tricks’ power play is third (24.6%) in the FPHL with the third-most goals (45) after converting in four straight games. On the penalty kill, Danbury is 10th (77.5%) and has allowed the league’s fourth-most goals (41). Over the last eight games, however, the Hat Tricks’ kill is 38-for-42 (90.4%) and 53-for-58 (91.3%) over its past 12 outings.

Gleb Bandurkin is the Hat Tricks’ leading goal scorer (26) and has two hat tricks in his rookie season. Josh Labelle paces the team with 31 assists.

RATCLIFFE CROSSES 100

Jacob Ratcliffe tallied two assists on Saturday, registering his 100th point in the FPHL. It was the 12th multi-point outing of the season for the Canterbury, New Zealand, native, and his first since Feb. 21 at Watertown (4-2W). Ratcliffe has 11 goals and 30 assists this season and is five points from matching his total output from last season (46).

HARWELL FINDS THE SCORESHEET

Chase Harwell scored in his second game back from the 15-day injury reserve on Saturday. In his last five outings, Harwell has produced 10 points (5g, 5a), including three multi-point efforts. Harwell has 39 points (17g, 22a) in 30 games in his second season in Danbury.

ANDO STRIKES ON THE POWER PLAY

Cory Anderson scored his third power play goal of the season on Saturday, marking the 20th of his career. The forward of Bakersfield, Calif., also scored on the man advantage against HC Venom in a 5-4 road win on Feb. 2. In his first stint with the Hat Tricks, Anderson potted nine on the man advantage during the 2019-20 season before netting eight in 2021-22.

WONDERFUL WOOLLEY

Connor Woolley found the back of the net in the second period of Saturday's overtime loss to the Venom. The third-year forward has netted goals in back-to-back games and four through eight games aganst HC Venom (4-5-9). The winger has recorded nine points over his past seven games (5g, 4a).

RUIZ STAYS HOT

Co-head coach and captain Jonny Ruiz notched an assist yesterday for his 22nd of the season. The franchise’s leader in points (309), goals (166) and games played (236), Ruiz has been hot since his return from injury on Feb. 21, posting 10 points (5g, 5a) in seven games. On Feb. 21 at Watertown (4-2W), Ruiz collected his 300th FPHL point. Ruiz has also tallied 19 points in his last nine outings. 

STRONG PENALTY KILL

Despite ranking 10th in the league (77.5%), the Hat Tricks’ penalty kill has been near perfect in its last 12 games. Danbury has locked down going 53-for-58 (91.3%) during that span. Against the Venom, the Hat Tricks’ kill has converted 79.2% of the time (48-for-60). Additionally, their eight shorthanded goals are tied for the second most in the league with Watertown, six behind Binghamton.

ABOUT DANBURY HAT TRICKS:

The Danbury Hat Tricks are a professional hockey team based in Danbury, CT and compete in the Federal Prospects Hockey League (FPHL). Since their founding in 2019, the 2023 Commissioner's Cup Champions have brought thrilling, fast-paced, and hard-hitting hockey to the Danbury Ice Arena, earning a reputation for their competitive spirit, electric atmosphere and strong community ties. The team is dedicated to providing an unforgettable game-day experience for fans of all ages while proudly representing the city of Danbury.

Off the ice, the Hat Tricks are committed to fostering connections within the local community through outreach programs with schools, businesses and charities. By developing top-tier hockey talent and growing the sport in the region, the Hat Tricks aim to bring the community together and deliver entertainment that leaves a lasting impact.

Danbury Hat Tricks 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).