The Jacksonville Icemen lost 2-0 to the Savannah Ghost Pirates on Saturday night at Enmarket Arena in Savannah, Georgia. Goaltender Michael Bullion made 37 saves on 38 shots for Jacksonville. Savannah goaltender Cristian Cicigoi stopped all 18 shots sent his way.
The defeat dropped Jacksonville to 0-2-2, while Savannah improved to 2-2-0. It was Jacksonville’s first regulation loss since opening night. The teams remained tied 0-0 after the first period.
Jacksonville Holds Savannah Scoreless Through Two Periods
The Ghost Pirates applied pressure early, but Bullion and the Icemen kept the game scoreless through the opening 20 minutes. Jacksonville opened the second period with several quality chances. Savannah goaltender Christian Cicigoi kept those opportunities from becoming goals while making his first professional start, according to the source.
The source identifies the Savannah goaltender as Cristian Cicigoi in the game summary and Christian Cicigoi in its second-period account. Late in the second period, Savannah created chances and forced Jacksonville into back-to-back penalties. That sequence gave the Ghost Pirates a 57-second five-on-three advantage at the start of the third period.
Ghost Pirates Score Twice in Third Period
Jacksonville killed off the five-on-three disadvantage to keep the game tied. The Icemen then had additional offensive chances but could not score. Savannah found the opening goal midway through the third period on a point shot through traffic that beat Bullion.
Savannah added an empty-net goal late in the game to complete the 2-0 victory. Bullion’s 37-save performance kept Jacksonville within one goal until the late empty-net tally. The Icemen finished the game without a goal despite sending 18 shots at Savannah’s net.
Jacksonville Sets Home-and-Home Weekend
The Jacksonville Icemen will visit the winless Orlando Solar Bears on Friday, October 30, at 7 p.m. Jacksonville will then host the Atlanta Gladiators on Halloween afternoon. That game is scheduled for 3 p.m. at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena.
FSB Take
Jacksonville received a strong performance from Michael Bullion but could not turn its scoring chances into a goal. The Icemen successfully killed the five-on-three disadvantage, yet Savannah broke through midway through the third period and added an empty-net goal. Jacksonville now has a road game against the Orlando Solar Bears before returning home to face the Atlanta Gladiators.
Source: Original report