Ice Flyers See Lead Slip Away Into OT Loss Against Evansville
February 24, 2025
No team in the league has played more overtime games than the Ice Flyers.
This season, that element has only compounded the overall struggles.
For a photo gallery, click here.
For the second time in a three-game weekend, the Ice Flyers lost a two-goal lead in the final period, then fell 3-2 in overtime Sunday against the Evansville Thunderbolts, ending a crucial series at the Pensacola Bay Center in the least desired way.
“It’s like there is just a black cloud over top of us and we got to get rid of it,” said Ice Flyers coach Rod Aldoff, who returned earlier in the week for a third time in his career behind the Ice Flyers bench, after a decision was made to release Gary Graham from his contract.
Friday night, the Ice Flyers opened the series with a 2-0 lead in the third period, only to fall 4-3. Saturday night, they tied the game in third period, but lost 3-2 in the post-overtime shootout.
Sunday, a 2-0 lead was erased by Evansville’s Issac Chapman, who scored with 11:59 left to halve the lead, then tied the game with just 2:30 remaining.
In the 3-on-3 overtime period, the Thunderbolts got a 2-on-1 rush after an Ice Flyers turnover and Aidan Litke kept the puck and wristed a shot past Ice Flyers goaltender Ricardo Gonzalez for the game winner.
Playing in just his second game since joining the team this week, Gonzalez stopped 32 shots, including a penalty shot and other great saves, but Evansville’s resolve led to a big weekend. The Thunderbolts picked up six points to climb all the way into fifth place in the Southern Professional Hockey League standings.
The Ice Flyers (14-23, 8 OT losses, 36 points) gained just two points, but still closed to within a point of ninth-place Macon and only two points behind the Quad City Storm for eighth-place and the final playoff spot.
Confronting the Ice Flyers, however, is they’ve played more games (45) than any other team in the league. They also have to travel next weekend to Roanoke, Virginia to face the Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs, the third place team in the league for back-to-back games.
A two-week break between games will follow before the Ice Flyers host Quad City for back-to-back games March 14-15 that will like be make-or-break for playoff hopes.
“We’re past urgency,” said Aldoff, who guided the Ice Flyers to three of their four SPHL championships during his tenure. “It’s Game 7 every day for us.
“We played some good hockey,” he said. “I was impressed with the team overall. I used this weekend to evaluate a lot. I’m evaluating everybody in this situation… and I liked a lot of things.
“It’s just a matter of getting this cloud over our head (removed). Because we were in great position Friday night and great position (Sunday) to finish those games off. And we found a way not to. We have to change that.”
Blake Tosto was involved in both goals to give the Ice Flyers their 2-0 lead after two periods. He assisted on Greg Susinski’s first period goal, then Tosto buried a shot on a feed from Ivan Bondarenko during 5-minute power play in the second period.
But just as Friday’s lead slipped from the Ice Flyers’ grasp, this game took the same course.
“First (Evansville) goal, (puck) bounced off the boards and off the slot and bounced a few times right on their (stick blade) tape and the shot goes up high into the net,” Aldoff said. “It’s just sequence after sequence of bad puck luck.
“We fought hard. We did a lot of good things. We played a pretty good game as far as I’m concerned. The effort and tenacity was there. It’s just a bad bounce here or there.”
Both of Evansville goals followed situations where the Ice Flyers were unable to clear the puck from their zone. And too many times, when the Ice Flyers cleared the puck, it was a icing call and the faceoff was back in their zone.
“If you look at how Evansville played, one thing I think that’s important, is they got pucks and just flipped them out and they got to the red (center ice line) and flipped them in,” Aldoff said.
“That’s all they did for nine periods. There were times when we were trying to make plays when there was no play there. And we just need to flip those pucks out. Just get it out, get it deep and go to work on it.
So these are things, it’s a learning process, game management and knowing the situation you’re in. You don’t need to make something that’s not there. Just keep it simple and get it out and live another day and just keep doing it. They literally did that for nine periods.”
Here’s a quick recap.
FIRST PERIOD
The Ice Flyers caught a break when one Evansville shot clanged off the goal post with 6:30 remaining. Two minutes later, Gonzalez made a big save on a point blank chance from the crease area.
With 3:50 left in the period, Susinski got a feed from Tosto following a face off and rifled a shot through traffic past Evansville goaltender Cole Ceci, who finished the game with 37 saves and won all three games in net.
There were no penalties in the period.
SECOND PERIOD
Ice Flyers captain Jake Hamilton, returning from a five-game, league-imposed suspension, made his presence known by dropping a Evansville player during a brawl that led to each team getting two guys in the penalty box.
The Ice Flyers thought they had a second goal during the 13-minute mark, but the replays showed the puck hit the cross ball, bounced down and straddled the goal line before rolling away. The referee made the right call in waving it off, even though the goal light came on.
With 9:48 remaining Evansville’s Grayson Valente was hit with a 5-minute major penalty for boarding. During the power play, Bondarenko made a perfect pass to Tosto who buried the shot for the two-goal lead.
THIRD PERIOD
After Gonzalez thwarted Evansville’s Scott Kirton on a penalty shot – awarded after the Ice Flyers’ Jonathan Bartuccio-Pereira was called for closing his gloves on the puck in the crease area with 13:31 left – the Ice Flyers seemed in good shape.
But Chapman gave his team momentum with a goal from just outside the faceoff circle. He then buried a wide open look with 2:30 remaining.
WHAT’S NEXT?
WHO: Ice Flyers vs. Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs
WHEN: Friday-Saturday, both games at 6:05 p.m. (CST)
WHERE: Berglund Center, Roanoke, Virginia.
NEXT HOME GAMES: March 14-15 vs. Quad City Storm.
Walnut Hill Ruritan Holds 50th Annual Auction (With Photo Gallery)
February 23, 2025
The Walnut Hill Ruritan Club held their 50th annual auction Saturday in Walnut Hill with crowds bidding on farm equipment and hundreds of other items.
All proceeds from the auction benefit the Walnut Hill Ruritan Club’s community service projects in the Walnut Hill area. The auction is held each year on the last Saturday of February.
The auction included not only farm equipment, but also household items like tools and small equipment, lawn and garden items, antiques and more.
For a photo gallery, click here.
Pictured: Hundreds attended the annual Walnut Hill Ruritan Club farm equipment auction Saturday in Walnut Hill. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Byrneville Elementary School Names Students Of The Month
February 23, 2025
Byrneville Elementary School recently named their January Students of the Month.
They are:
- Kindergarten: Sydney Lashley and Brylee-Paige Smith
- 1st Grade: Kacki Sanders and Nevaeh Carnley
- 2nd Grade: Rebecca Cooley and Danny Parish
- 3rd Grade: Cambree Flowers and Baylee Gafford
- 4th Grade: Ezra Hall and Brayden Mullins
- 5th Grade: BJ McCall and Lilly Harper Jacobson
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Molino Library Hosting Photography Meetup Group Monday Afternoon
February 23, 2025
Interested in learning morning about photography?
The Molino Library will host a photography group at 2 p.m. on Monday.
Whether you are taking photos with your phone or a professional camera, the group is open to everyone.
At the first meeting, the group will explore the magic of light and how it can transform a simple photo into art. Participants will learn the basics of using natural and artificial light to enhance compositions, capture emotion, and create striking images.
NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
What’s The Status Of A Costco For Nine Mile Road?
February 23, 2025
What’s happening with plans for a new Costco store on Nile Mile Road?
Short answer — nothing.
An engineering firm filed plans with Escambia County Development Review Committee (DRC) for the store back in June of last year. Then, in response to DRC feedback, updated plans were filed in late October 2024.
Since that time, the proposal has not gone before the DRC for consideration. Without a development order, the project can’t move forward.
A DRC Committee review on the resubmission has not yet been scheduled.
We reached out to Costco for comments on this story, but didn’t hear back.
What do the plans show?
The latest plans filed last October with Escambia County show the 172,580 square feet Costco retail store with a gas station and 885 parking spaces at 235 East Nine Mile Road, at the corner of East Nine Mile Road and Chemstrand Road. That’s the site of the current Planet Fitness and a former Kmart store. It’s several parcels totaling just under 22 acres.
The new plans are about 10 thousand square feet larger that the originally filing months earlier.
The plans show the existing Dairy Queen, Sam’s Seafood Restaurant and Wells Fargo to remain, with a Costco gas station constructed between Sam’s Seafood and Wells Fargo in an area that is currently a parking area for the old shopping center. The current Planet Fitness building will be demolished to make room for the new Costco if it’s approved.
Pictured top: The Costco in Montgomery, Alabama, on Saturday afternoon, February 22. NorthEscambia.com photo. Pictured below: Plans for a Costco on Nine Mile Road in Pensacola. Click to enlarge.
County, Sheriff’s Office Again Warning About Those Toll Scam Text Messages
February 23, 2025
The county and sheriff’s office are once again warning residents about fraudulent toll messages.
Escambia County and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office have received reports of fraudulent text messages targeting the public from persons claiming to represent SunPass.The messages are requesting prompt payment to avoid fees and contain a link to a fraudulent website in an attempt to collect information.
Escambia County or Sunpass does not send text messages to SunPass or Pensacola Beach Annual Pass holders seeking information or action regarding their account balances or fees owed.
SunPass does not ask customers via text to make a payment or to take immediate action on their account. Messages from SunPass will come from the following email address or text number:
- Email: customerservice@sunpass.com or noreply@sunpass.com
- Text: 786727
Pace Walks Off With A Win In Saturday Game Against Tate
February 23, 2025
The Pace Patriots walked off with a 4-3 win Saturday afternoon over the Tate Aggies. The game in Pace was tied in the bottom of the ninth when the Patriots hit a solo home run.
Nathan Ozuna and Kaden Posta both had two hits for the Aggies. Posta, Nathan Connors, and Evan Taylor each recorded and RBI.
Zane Warrington went eight and two-thirds innings for Tate, giving up four runs (three earned) on six hits, walking one and striking out one.
The Aggies will hit the road this week, with games at West Florida on Tuesday, Crestview on Thursday and Fort Walton Beach on Friday. Tate won’t be back at home until a March 4 game against the Milton Panthers.
Thunderbolts Defeat Ice Flyers In Shootout
February 23, 2025
In Saturday night’s rematch against Evansville, the Ice Flyers forced overtime, but the Thunderbolts claimed victory in a shootout.
Myles Abbate opened the scoring with a quick shot past goaltender Ricky Gonzalez, who was making his first start as an Ice Flyer.
Sam Dabrowski and Bronson Adams energized the home crowd of 6,829 when they dropped the gloves at center ice to close out the first period.
For more photos, click here.
Matt Wiesner evened the score with a hard-fought second-effort shot off a deflection from Eimantas Noreika.
Logan Vande Meerakker restored the Thunderbolts’ lead five minutes into the third period.
Nick Pryce tied the game again with a snipe from the faceoff circle late in the period.
After a scoreless overtime, Evansville’s Scott Kirton and Aidan Litke secured the win in the shootout.
Cantonment Cold Case: 1981 Murder Remains Unsolved
February 22, 2025
It was just over 44 years ago on the afternoon of January 2, 1981, that 9-year-old Kenneth Deshun Underwood and three companions went bird hunting in the woods near their Cantonment home. Everyone returned home that afternoon except for Underwood.
When Underwood was still not home around 6 p.m., Escambia County Search and Rescue personnel were called. The area where Underwood was last seen alive was canvassed. His body was discovered about 5:45 the next morning –apparently murdered — in an area near Booker Street. His cause of death was determined to be blunt force trauma.
The case remains unsolved, and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office is asking the public for help because they believe someone in our area still has information about Underwood’s death.
If you know anything about the death of Kenneth Deshun Underwood, 9, you are asked to call the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office Major Crimes Unit at (850) 436-9580 or Crime Stopper at (850) 433-STOP (7867).
Pictured above: The fourth-grade photo of murder victim Kenneth Deshun Underwood of Cantonment. Pictured below: The highlighted area in this map shows where the body was found. Courtesy images for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Tate High Students Place In Regional HOSA Competition
February 22, 2025
Tate High School Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA) students competed at regionals and had numerous first place winners and qualifiers for the state competition in April.
They were:
Kaylyn Weiss: First Place – Behavioral Health
Dalila Whalen: Second Place – Behavioral Health
Jax Hardnack: First Place – Clinical Nursing
Aiden Ledbetter and Bode Smith – Third Place – Forensic Science
Alysen Garske – Second Place – Medical Law and Ethics
Lily Treick – First Place (third year in a row) – Nursing Assisting
Emma Nigam – First Place – Occupational Therapy
Caelynne Walter – First Place – Research Poster
Talia Smith – First Place – Vet Science