N.Y. AVIATORS ~ Game 5; Beat Danbury in OT - Reach FHL Finals

From the desk of:  The Coolest Guys in Brooklyn


NEW YORK AVIATORS:  The Coolest Guys In Brooklyn win Round One Clincher in Over-Time.

Game One of FHL Finals at Hangar #5 next Friday night!


The Federal League's Southern Division playoff series came down to a final Game Five.  The Aviators and Danbury Whalers split the first two games in Brooklyn then split the next two in Danbury.  Today, the deciding Game Five was played in Brooklyn's Hangar #5 at Floyd Bennett Field.   But when regulation time expired, we still had no winner.  Overtime would be needed to decide which team would take on the Akwesasne Warriors for the Federal League's Inaugural Championship.

In a game played by Danbury with far more discipline than Saturday's Game Four penalty riddled affair, it was an Aviator this time who was ejected from this contest for poor usage of his stick.  With less than two minutes remaining in regulation time, N.Y.'s John Goffredo was a assessed a four minute double-minor for high-sticking and given the obligatory ten minute major with the accompanying ejection.  Otherwise, both teams kept the penalty count respectable.

NY's Christopher Holmes started this afternoon's scoring with a goal (assisted by Angelo Serse; Anthony Longo) at the 9:02 mark of the first period.  But two minutes later, Danbury's Chris Seifert tied the score at the 11:04 mark.  That's the way the first period would end.  New York had fifteen shots-on-goal to the Whalers' eight.  New York was 0 for 1 on the PP.

To start the second period, the home ice crowd watched their A's jump out to another lead when Matthew Puntureri scored at the 2:09 mark (assisted by Jesse Felten; Jarrett Rush).  But the Danbury Whalers had other ideas for the crowd.  They answered back quickly to bring silence among Hangar #5's rooters.  At 3:42, Matt Caranci scored to tie the score at two apiece.  Then slightly more than a minute later, Chris Seifert would put the Whalers ahead for the first time in this game.  Both teams committed three penalties each and went a combined 0-6 on their respective power plays during the second period.

Danbury held on to their 3-2 lead beyond the half way point of the third period.  But at the 13:13 mark, New York's Nick Grove (assisted by Jesse Felten; Nick Vandenbeld) scored to get the game tied again.  And that's the way regulation time would end; tied 3-3.

After the regular season and a full five games during the first round playoff, it still wasn't enough to decide a Southern Division participant for the Championship Series.

So to overtime they went.  It would be the second time these teams would wind up in overtime this series.  But The Coolest Guys In Brooklyn didn't make their fans wait too long for this series to reach it's conclusion.  They gave the Brooklyn fans their moment of jubilation at the 3:56 mark of the extra period.  Fittingly, it was Aviator favorite Matthew Puntureri (assisted by Jesse Felten) who netted home the game winning goal for Brooklyn's skaters.  It was his second and obviously the more dramatic goal of the game for Matthew. 

In the end, the final score on the big red scoreboard at the Hangar would read Aviators 4;  Danbury Whalers 3.  The A's, Brooklyn's Pro Hockey team, would be heading to the Championship Series versus the Akwesasne Warriors.


* N.Y. Goalie Kevin Druce picked up another win while stopping 21 of 24 shots.
* Shots On Goal Totals ~ N.Y. 33;  DAN 24
* Jesse Felten ~ 3 assists; 3 points
* Matthew Puntureri ~ 2 goals; game-winning goal

2010-2011
Federal League Championship Series

Akwesasne Warriors
vs.
NEW YORK AVIATORS


Game One of the Inaugural Federal Hockey League Championship Series
 Friday, March 18, 2011 @ Brooklyn's Aviator Sports Complex.

You can start previewing the Championship match-up
and crunching the numbers

HERE

LINKS:

The Federal Hockey League

New York Aviators

Akwesasne Warriors

Mike.BTB