Coash Grabs #100 in Win over Biloxi (2/12)

BILOXI, MS - The Breakers were excited to kick off another 2-game set with a team making up 3 of their 6 wins in the Topeka Scarecrows as the lone FPHL game on Thursday night. After AJ Schlepp grabbed his first pro goal early on to tie it, the Breakers offense would end there. Fueled by Scott Coash’s 100th FPHL goal and a pair from Cory Checco, Topeka cruised to a 4-1 victory. 

The Scarecrows struggled to possess the puck early on in the first, but all it takes is 1 shot to jump ahead. At 3:15, Cory Checco fired a catch and release missile from the high slot on the Scarecrows first shot of the game to open the scoring at 1-1. The Breakers, without Davidson and Heitzner, needed to find someone to step up offensively and fill the scoring void. At 7:40, one of the more unlikely candidates in AJ Schlepp redirected a Pahtayken shot from the point past Bernard to tie the game at 1. The goal marks the first pro goal for the FPHL’s penalty minutes leader. Back and forth we went, with Borodkin and Bernard exchanging some big saves to keep the game locked up. With time dwindling, at 18:31 Scott Coash shoveled a rebound home to boost Topeka back ahead at 2-1 and swipe the Biloxi momentum. Coash’s tally marks his 100th in his FPHL career. The shots through 20 minutes were 13 a piece. 

Period 2 Topeka struck on their first shift. 16 seconds in, Cory Checco swatted a rebound home past Borodkin for his 2nd of the night and first career multi-goal effort to make it 3-1. Neither team could get much going other than some back-and forth play for the majority of period 2. Declan Flanagan took the only penalty for holding but Topeka was denied by the post on the man-advantage. At 15:58, in the midst of a Biloxi breakdown, Avery Smith surged ahead and finished on the backhand for his first goal since January 3rd to increase the Scarecrow lead to 4-1. Topeka led in shots 35-27 at the break. 

Other than 3 minor penalties, there was not much to write home about in the final period on Thursday night. Biloxi outshot Topeka in the 3rd frame 14-11, but a 40 save night from Sammy Bernard would diffuse any offensive momentum as the Breakers fell 4-1. 

Biloxi falls to 6-30-1, while Topeka improves to 21-13-1. The two teams will square off once again tomorrow night at 7:00 CST inside the Mississippi Coast Coliseum.