GAME RECAP: Hat Tricks Swept By Black Bears, Lose fourth consecutive game to reigning champions
The Hat Tricks dropped their fourth consecutive game to the Black Bears in an 11-3 loss on Saturday night in Binghamton.
Binghamton forward CJ Stubbs started the scoring off at 6:56 in the first frame off a rebound from the stick of Ivan Bondarenko. Mac Jansen put the Black Bears up 2-0 just 25 seconds later with a snipe from the slot. It wasn't until 14:11 in the first that the Hat Tricks got themselves on the board. Rookie Alexander Legkov took the puck from his forward to backhand and over the outstretched left pad of Black Bears goaltender Connor McAnanama.
Jesse Anderson put the Black Bears up by two again, less than two minutes into the second period, with a tap-in off a cross-crease pass from Zac Sirota. Anton Rubtsov put Danbury back within one, at 6:46, going five-hole on McAnanama. With 7:59 remaining in the second, forward Kyle Stephan beat Hat Tricks netminder Sebastian Resar through his five-hole after firing the puck while tripping to the ground of the right circle, to give Binghamton a two-goal advantage yet again. Recent addition Gehrett Sargis notched his first as a Black Bear at 16:11 on the redirect. Austin D’Orazio twisted the knife after adding a tap-in goal with one second remaining on the Black Bear penalty, with only a minute and 29 seconds remaining in the second frame.
To begin the third, goalie Cristian Wong-Ramos replaced Resar for Danbury. Captain Jonny Ruiz tallied his first goal of the night, and third of the series, on the power play at 1:04 on a one-timer over the blocker of McAnanama. D’Orazio scored his second of the night, both on the power play, at 5:52 of the third. From that point forward, Binghamton took complete control of the game with goals from Sargis, Captain Tyson Kirkby, and Sirota in the span of eight minutes. 17 of 18 Black Bears who touched the ice tonight found themselves on the scoresheet with at least one point. The only player who didn’t was defenseman Dan Wieber. The only other rostered player not to register a point in the contest was backup goaltender Dominik Tmej, who did not see any playing time.
While looking promising in the first period, Danbury still shows gaps through every part of play, whether it be the penalty kill, power play, scoring, or defense as a whole.
The Danbury Hat Tricks continue their sixth season in the Federal Prospects Hockey League on Friday, Dec. 26 (7:30 p.m.) and Saturday, Dec. 27 (7:00 p.m.) at the Danbury Ice Arena, against the Port Huron Prowlers. Single-game tickets and partial season ticket packages are on sale and can be purchased in person at the Hat Tricks office located inside the Danbury Ice Arena at 1 Independence Way in Danbury, by calling (973-713-7547) or emailing (herm@danburyhattricks.com) the office, or online through Tixr. For the latest Hat Tricks news, visit www.danburyhattricks.com, follow the team on Facebook (www.facebook.com/danburyhattricks), Instagram (@danburyhattricks), X (@DanburyHatTrick), TikTok (@danburyhattricks), and YouTube (@DanburyHatTricks), and subscribe to the Hat Tricks' newsletter.
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.