3rd Period Burst Helps Zydeco Sweep Breakers (4/11)

BATON ROUGE, LA - The final game of the regular season is always bittersweet. One thing that was for certain is the Breakers and the Zydeco were ready to conclude their 2026 I-10 rivalry with some fireworks, big moments, and a whole lot of bad blood. In a back and forth physical battle, 3 Zydeco goals in a span of 4:08 to begin the 3rd period helped Baton Rouge close out 2026 with a rivalry win by a final of 5-2.

Period 1 started a little somber. The teams combined for just 5 shots on goal through the opening 8 minutes, including a 4 minute Baton Rouge powerplay. In goal was a rematch of Thursday’s affair, with Garrett Johnson staring down at Bailey Stephens. At 9:21 Stephens cracked first. A slashing Al Rotiroti weaved over to the far circle and beat Stephens short side with a wrist shot to give Biloxi their first lead of the weekend. The lead would only last 3:29, as the Zydeco responded across the midway point with Curtis Hansen shelving a goal from just outside the blue paint to make it 1-1. 80 seconds later, Baton Rouge’s Garrett Johnson had time and space at the top of the near circle and fired a wrist shot through the five-hole of Biloxi’s Garrett Johnson to make it 2-1 Zydeco. Baton Rouge carried their 1 goal margin to the room outshooting Biloxi 13-11. 

Period 2 is when the Breakers turned it on. The game’s intensity also picked up with both teams finishing their checks and having to be separated by the linesmen after whistles. At 6:59, Vaughn Clouston, a veteran returning to the FPHL for the first time in 3 years, fired a wrister from the high slot to tie the game at 2. Bailey Stephens certainly had his hands full the rest of the middle frame, but stood tall to stop 18/19 Breaker shots. At the other end Garrett Johnson went a perfect 11/11. Just before the horn sounded, Biloxi was assessed a slash. But instead of a Zydeco powerplay to begin the 3rd, Tyler Larwood was booked for unsportsmanlike conduct. With the score tied at 2 in the final regular season affair and pride on the line, period 3 was set to be cinematic. Biloxi led in shots 30-24 through 40 minutes. 

With the stage set, Baton Rouge came out hot with something to prove. 72 seconds in, Heath Ford redirected a Garrett Johnson shot into the twine for just his 2nd of the year to make it 3-2 Zydeco. 14 seconds after that, Curtis Hansen shoveled home his own rebound on a fast break and in the blink of an eye it was 4-2. Less than 4 minutes later, Austin Weber lit the lamp to close out a run of 3 Zydeco goals in a span of 4:08, and cement the scoring at 5-2. The rest of the way there were plenty of scraps, but no more offense. The Zydeco closed out 2026 with a 5-2 victory over the Breakers, outshooting them 44-39.

The Breakers conclude their inaugural season with a record of 8-43-2, 7th in the Continental Division. The Zydeco finished on a 4 game winning streak, cementing their record at 17-33-6, good for 6th in the Continental.