Ice Flyers Secure Back-to-Back Wins (With Photo Gallery)
March 3, 2024
by Bill Vilonam, Ice Flyers correspondent
The Ice Flyers took on their alter identity Saturday as the Pensacola Bushwackers, then continued a recent trend of being a different team.
All in a good way.
After taking a 2-0 lead in the four minutes into the second period, the Ice Flyers grinded out a 2-1 victory against the Fayetteville Marksmen for their first back-to-back home weekend wins since December 1 and 2 when beating Peoria twice.
“I think we’re all jelling,” said Pensacola goaltender Stephen Mundinger, who made 34 saves – many of them creating reaction from the Bay Center crowd of 5,202.
“With every winning team, you just have to get hot before the playoffs and I think that’s the direction we are going,” Mundinger said. “Guys are buying in, doing all the right plays. It’s a whole different feel in the (dressing) room in my opinion. We are going into games confident.
The win pushed the Ice Flyers (21-20, 3 OT losses) above .500 for the first time in a long while and with 45 points.
The players were attired in the Bushwacker uniforms that were so popular a year ago and that was part of a theme of other activities in the game.
FIRST PERIOD
The Ice Flyers delivered on their first power play chance. Joseph Widmar finished a perfect pass from Garrett Milan, who was fed the puck by Andy Willis. The classic “tick-tac-goal” was wristed by Widmar into the net with 13:34 remaining.
Mundinger made a big save midway through the period. The Ice Flyers finished with a 16-9 edge in shots.
SECOND PERIOD
Mitch Atkins gave the Ice Flyers a 2-0 lead less than four minutes into the period on an assist from Ivan Bondarenko. He finished a shot from the slot area and the Ice Flyers were seemingly on their way.
But the game got tight. Fayetteville got their goal with 10:17 left in the period.
Taylor Egan then got the crowd going when squaring off in a fight against Fayetteville’s Ty Proffitt. Both players landed punches, but Egan won the fight with a flurry at the end that got Proffitt on the ice.
THIRD PERIOD
No scoring, but plenty of end of game drama.
Mundinger made of one of his biggest saves of the game with 8:09 left on a point-black shot by Fayetteville right in the slot area.
The Ice Flyers then got a power play opportunity with four minutes left when the Marksmen were called for too many men on the ice. They had a few shots, but nothing led to a goal.
With 1:15 left, the Marksmen pulled goaltender Ryan Kenny, who made 35 saves.
NOTABLES
Ice Flyers owner Greg Harris presented a $25,000 check to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwest Florida.
The team honored front office executive Brenden Arney, who worked his 100th game Saturday night.
QUOTABLES
Ice Flyers Coach Gary Graham:
“It was good. We’re slowing trying to build some momentum. The captains had a good meeting this week to set up some long-term goals. We had 14 games left, now we have 12 games left and we’re kind of breaking it up in a couple seven game segments with some goals to achieve each game. I thought it was a great idea. They are really leading right now.
Guys are stepping up right now. I thought it was a playoff style game. Both goalies played really well. Both teams checked well and both teams clamped down defensively, reminiscent of more what a playoff game would look like.”
NEXT FACEOFF
WHO: Ice Flyers vs. Peoria Rivermen
WHEN: March 8-9
WHERE: Peoria Civic Center, Peoria, Illinois
$55 Million Construction Project Beginning At I-10, Nine Mile Road Interchange
March 2, 2024
Construction will begin this month on a $55 million Florida Department of Transportation improvement project on I-10 at the Nine Mile Road interchange (Exit 5).
Planned improvements include replacing the existing I-10 overpass at Nine Mile Road to increase vertical clearance and to accommodate future improvements. The project will enhance traffic safety and mobility for the 62,000 drivers who travel the interchange daily.
During construction, the speed limit on I-10 will be lowered to 60 mph and 35 mph on Nine Mile Road. Lane closures on I-10 will be permitted Sunday through Thursday nights from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m., and lane closures on Nine Mile Road will be permitted between 7 p.m. and 5:30 a.m. seven days a week.
Drivers will encounter lane closures and traffic pacing operations on I-10 near Nine Mile Road Sunday, March 3 through Thursday, March 7 between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m. as crews perform striping and barrier wall work. Vehicle pacing operations, also known as “rolling roadblocks,” are used to create gaps in traffic so that short-duration construction activities can be completed. In addition, traffic on I-10 will be temporarily shifted to the outside (right) beginning Sunday, March 3 so crews can begin bridge construction work. The shift will be in place until spring 2025.
FDOT will hold a virtual project update (VPU) for the I-10 at Nine Mile Road interchange (Exit 5) project beginning at noon (CST) Thursday, March 7.
Gilman Homers, But Chiefs Fall To Liberty County In PC Tourney
March 2, 2024
The Northview Chiefs fell to Liberty County 6-1 Friday at the Florida-USA Softball Challenge in Panama City.
Jamison Gilman opened the scoring for the Chiefs in the Panama City Tournament with a solo home run to center field in the first inning, her first career home run.
Gilman went four and two-thirds innings in the circle for Northview, giving up eight hits and six runs while recording three errors and six strikeouts while walking two. Mikayla McAnnally went two and a third innings, giving up two hits, no runs, striking out two and walking one.
Gilman and Avery Stuckey had two hits each. Keeli Knighten, Chloe Ragsdale, Mary Clayton Dawson, Makayla Golson and Daviona Randolph each added a hit for the Chiefs.
The Chiefs tournament night game Friday against Marianna was rained out.
Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
One Candidate For Escambia School Board District 5 Has Withdrawn; Three Remain
March 2, 2024
Scott Taylor has withdrawn as a candidate for the District 5 seat on the Escambia County School Board.
Thomas C. Harrell prefiled Wednesday with the Escambia County Supervisor of Elections.
Thomas Harrell, Joshua Matthew Luther, and Jim Taylor previously prefiled to seek the position.
The Escambia County School Board is a nonpartisan office on the 2024 ballot.
Students Learn About Ag During Northview’s ‘Fresh From Florida’ Event (With Gallery)
March 2, 2024
About 600 elementary school students learned about agriculture first hand Friday morning during the Northview High School FFA “Fresh From Florida” program in Bratt.
The program gave students a chance to see farm animals, take part in hands-on activities, and learn more about how food gets from the farm to their table.
The program was moved indoors this year due to rain.
For more photos, click or tap here.
Previous Northview Fresh From Florida programs have been named the best in the state by the Florida FFA and the chapter has been recognized nationally for their efforts.
Photos for NorthEscambi.com, click to enlarge.
Campbell Homers As Tate Downs Mobile Christian In Panama City Tourney
March 2, 2024
The Tate Lady Aggies defeated the Leopards of Mobile Christian 3-2 Friday afternoon in Florida-USA Softball Challenge in Panama City.
Blakely Campbell homered to center field in the bottom of the first.
Jordan Smith earned the win for Tate, giving up two hits and two runs in seven innings, striking out eight and walking one.
Blakely Campbell doubled to score one run and give Tate the lead in the bottom of the third. Campbell and Kara Wine had two hits for the Lady Aggies.
Happy Read Across America Day! See Byrneville Elementary Students Celebrate
March 2, 2024
Saturday, March 2, was “Read Across America Day”, celebrated annually on the birthday of Dr. Suess.
Because school is closed Saturday, Byrneville Elementary School celebrated Read Across America Day on Friday.
The initiative on reading was created by the National Education Association.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Garrett Milan Sets Ice Flyers Franchise Goal Scoring Record In Dramatic OT Win
March 2, 2024
by Bill Vilona, Ice Flyers correspondent
Garrett Milan won a dramatic, overtime game and became the Ice Flyers all-time, goal-scoring leader on a shot he didn’t take.
But therein lies the beauty of it all.
Milan’s determination and some deft moves around net led to a sequence that resulted in a Fayetteville player’s attempt to wrist away a shot becoming an own-goal that lifted the Ice Flyers to a 5-4 victory Friday night at the Pensacola Bay Center.
“You’re never going ask how you do it, as long as it goes in, and that’s kinda all that matters,” said Milan smiling, after his 86th career goal for the Ice Flyers surpassed Adam Pawlick, who was a lead part of the Ice Flyers run of championships.
In a fitting salute to his record, Milan was named as all three stars of the game.
Before a crowd of 4,456 on Small Dog Race Night, the Ice Flyers rallied three times to tie the game, after twice giving up goals less nearly immediately to start a period.
The Marksmen (25-15, 4 OT losses) entered the weekend in fourth place in the SPHL standings, but just a point behind defending President’s Cup champ, the Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs, for third place. The Marksmen our on the verge of clinching a playoff spot.
The Ice Flyers (19-20, 3 OT losses) know they still have some work to do. But this was a best desired way to start a back-to-back set of games against a top tier team in the standings.
Fayetteville was 17-1-1 in prior games when scoring first. That changed Friday night.
The game recap:
FIRST PERIOD
The Ice Flyers had two of the best shots early in the period, but Fayetteville got the game’s first goal.
Adam Keyes slid home a rebound midway through the period, after Ice Flyers goaltender Eric Dop made an initial save.
Four minutes later with 5:58 remaining, the Ice Flyers Joseph Widmar got the first of his two goals to tie the game by flipping a backhand shot in the crease area as he rushed the net on a shot by Andy Willis.
The Ice Flyers then had a defensive breakdown which led to Fayetteville’s John Moncovich providing the Marksmen a 2-1 lead at intermission on his goal with 2:55 remaining.
SECOND PERIOD
The Marksmen took a 3-1 lead just 62 seconds into the period on a power play goal. It was the kind of scenario that often led to an Ice Flyers defeat.
Not this time.
A little over two minutes later, Widmar got a great pass from Ivan Bondarenko and buried his shot to get energy back in the crowd. It was followed by a tying goal by Malik Johnson just two minutes after that one. Johnson was set up with a great pass from Lucas Herrmann and his one-timer shot soared past Fayetteville goalie Ryan Kenny.
THIRD PERIOD
This started badly for the Ice Flyers. The Marksmen took advantage of a lapse and scored just 11 seconds into the period.
The scored stayed that way until the Ice Flyers scored on their third power play chance in a five-minute span. The charm on this one occurred when Sean Gulka was in front of the net and had a wrist shot by Jordan Henderson deflect off his leg into the net with 3:58 left in the game.
Milan just missed seconds later on a rush and Widmar just missed a game-winning hat trick with a breakaway chance.
OVERTIME
The Ice Flyers controlled play in the 3-on-3 sequence. Fayetteville never got a shot on goal. By keeping the puck mostly in the Marksmen zone, Milan made a play with some spin moves, worked free in a crease area, then flicked a pass attempt that a Marksmen player mistakenly wristed into his own net with 2:56 left in overtime.
QUOTABLES:
Ice Flyers Coach Gary Graham:
“Garrett said it best in the lockeroom…had if it were probably four or five weeks ago, we lose that game probably 4-1. We just don’t have (past tense) that sense of belief where we can come from behind. I think what we have shown over the last month is the team is starting to get more confident and belief that we can score goals in critical times.
On Garrett’s Goal: “I’m sure he didn’t want his (record) goal to be like that, but I wanted it to be like that. Let me tell you why, I’m very superstitious. And we’ve had crap luck the entire season. We’ve had so many stupid goals go on our team and lose games off bounces of a guy’s butts in the net, skates in the net. We’ve had barely any puck luck this year. And so we have been due. And I told Garrett, it’s funny your record goal is this ugly goal that basically they score on their own net…. we’re going to take it.
Ice Flyers Captain Garrett Milan
“I think it’s huge for not only the morale, but the confidence in the locker room that we came back from one goal, then came back from 3-1 and obviously at the end. I think that is huge moving forward and we’re a whole different team now with confidence going into this final stretch here.”
NOTABLES –
— Before the game, Ice Flyers’ long time radio broadcaster Paul Chestnutt was welcomed into the team’s locker room by invitation from Gary Graham to read the starting lineup and speak to the team. He received a loud cheer by the players for his recent induction into the Pensacola Sports Hall of Fame. Chestnutt was also honored by the Ice Flyers on the video board during a timeout in the second period, eliciting a loud applause from the crowd.
— Like always, the small dog races were a big hit with numerous preliminary heats, a consolation and championship race in the second intermission sponsored by Olive Branch Pet Hospital.
— Always a fan favorite, the “Kiss Cam” Friday night came with a marriage proposal when a gentleman in the crowd got down on one knee in the seats and proposed to his girlfriend, who was attired in an Ice Flyers specialty jersey.
NEXT FACEOFF
WHO: Fayetteville Marksmen vs. Ice Flyers.
WHEN: Saturday, 7:05 p.m
WHERE: Pensacola Bay Center
Escambia County Mourns Cantonment Man Killed In Tree-Cutting Accident
March 1, 2024
Escambia County has identified the Public Works employee killed in a trimming accident as 58-year-old David Owen of Cantonment.
Owen had worked for Escambia County for nearly 25 years.
“David Owe is the type of guy you’re never going to replace,” said his supervisor, Randy Brasch. “There’s not another David Owen out there. They don’t make them like him anymore.”
The accident happened about 9 a.m. at Detroit Boulevard and Cove Avenue. The crew member was pronounced deceased at the scene.
“Deputies discovered that county workers were cutting a tree when the tree swung and struck the boom arm,” the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement. “This knocked a 59-year-old male employee from the bucket to the ground. He was pronounced deceased by EMS.”
A preliminary investigation revealed that no harness or helmet was being worn during the accident, according to investigators.
Owen was an Equipment Operator III for Escambia County’s Public Works Department, a job he took great pride in, according to those who worked with him every day. The county said he would often arrive at work as early as 3:30 a.m. to ensure that he had time to enjoy his morning coffee and get ready for the workday, including starting up his coworkers’ computers and making sure their vehicles and keys were ready to go.
Owen had served as an equipment operator with the county since he was hired in April 1999.
“David would help anybody,” Brasch said. “Everybody in Cantonment probably knew David Owen and his black GMC truck. If David had $10 in his pocket and you needed $10, he would give it to you. He had a big heart. David would do without to help others.”
Floyd Heist worked alongside Owen for more than 20 years as an Equipment Operator IV, where they spent most days together cutting and trimming trees, driving around the county completing work orders, and just talking about the highs and lows of life as they worked.
“David and I were together 99% of the time,” Heist said. “We were like brothers.”
Just like brothers, Heist said they gave each other a hard time over little things – whether it was Owen’s small frame, cold-natured tendencies, obsession with tinkering with old trucks, or his daily breakfast of honey roasted peanuts, a Little Debbie snack cake, and a Code Red Mountain Dew.
Heist said he and Owen built a mutual trust and strong friendship over the years, and he wouldn’t have traded Owen as his partner for anyone else.
“He was a good friend,” Heist said. “He would take his shirt right off his back and give it to anybody.”
Owen had a keen eye and an incredible memory when it came to trees, Heist said, and he would often file away trees or potentially problematic limbs in his “Rolodex” to be addressed as needed.
“That man could spot trees on his day off, and when we didn’t have work orders, we would go back and he would remember them,” Heist said. “He’d be driving down the road and see a tree and file it away.”
As an extremely hard worker who loved his job, Heist said Owen hated rainy days that slowed down their work. He would get bored easily, never wanting to take a break or have a slow day.
“He was a worker that wanted to work 24/7, because cutting trees was what he enjoyed doing,” Heist said.
When he wasn’t working, Owen enjoyed tinkering with old trucks, often visiting the junkyard on the weekends to get parts for his next project. Owen also loved spending time with his grandchildren and family, especially his mother, who he visited daily.
“David Owen is already incredibly missed by his Escambia County family, and we join his family and loved ones in mourning and remembering what a special person he was,” County Administrator Wes Moreno said. “Our hearts go out to everyone impacted by this tragic loss, and we will continue to support our employees who were close to David as we grieve together. David was a special person who will be remembered fondly for many years to come.”
A visitation for David Owen will be held Thursday, March 7 from 11 a.m. to noon at Eastern Gate Memorial Funeral Home, 1985 W. Nine Mile Road in Pensacola, followed by a funeral service from noon to 1 p.m. An interment will occur from 1 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Eastern Gate Memorial Gardens.
Century Man Arrested Twice In The Same Day Tased, Charged With Resisting, Battery On Deputy
March 1, 2024
A Century man arrested twice in te same day for driving as a habitual traffic offender has also been charged with resisting and battery on an Escambia County deputy.
Christopher Angelo Phifer, 52, was booked into the Escambia County Jail Wednesday morning on charges of driving with a suspended license and failure to register a motor vehicle. He was released from jail on a $650 bond at 5:17 p.m.
At about 7:42 p.m. Wednesday, an Escambia County Sheriff’s Office deputy in a marked vehicle spotted Phifer driving a Ford Ranger on Pond Street in Century without a tag — the same vehicle as involved in the morning incident. The deputy conducted a traffic stop.
As the deputy attempted to detain Phifer, he pulled away from the deputy and pushed him away, according to an arrest report. The deputy took Phifer to the ground, but he escaped and ran westbound on Pond Street. The deputy gave loud verbal commands to stop before using his Taser on Phifer. He was placed under arrest without further incident.
The report states no illegal items were found when the Ranger was searched.
Phifer was booked back into the Escambia County Jail Wednesday night, this time without bond. Phifer was charged with driving as a habitual offender, battery on a law enforcement officer and resisting arrest with violence.