Koch Hat Trick Fuels Seawolves to 7-4 Victory (3/27)

BILOXI, MS - The Breakers wound back the clock to honor and play as the Mississippi Seawolves and continue their I-10 rivalry with the Baton Rouge Zydeco on Friday night. In a gutsy barnburner, a combined 13 points from the top line of Hugo Koch (3G 3A) Chiwetin Blacksmith (2G 2A) and Ross Bartlett (1G 2A) gave Mississippi the breathing room they needed en route to a resounding 7-4 victory on home ice. 

Period 1 was loaded with offense for two teams who have struggled all season to find the twine. After an early Zachary Pamaylaon slash, Baton Rouge went a man up. The league’s least efficient powerplay went to work with Narek Aleksanyan potting the game’s first goal from in tight on a low angle at 5:17 to make it 1-0. Needing an answer, the Seawolves were able to create all kinds of pressure on Zydeco netminder Bailey Stephens. At 7:03, a surprise shot from the near circle by Ross Bartlett deflected off of Stephens and in to tie the contest at 1. Less than 3 minutes later, Chiwetin Blacksmith won a battle on the forecheck and found a slashing Hugo Koch in front to float one past Stephens and go ahead at 2-1. 4 minutes after that into the backhalf, Matthew Horan pounced on a loose puck and sprung ahead all alone on a breakaway. Finishing with a snap shot to the glove side, Horan’s first with his new group extended the lead to 3-1. Through 20 minutes, the Seawolves led 3-1, despite being outshot 16-13 due to 3 minor penalties they killed off. 

Period 2 was similar to the 1st, with plenty of parallels. At 3:37, Hugo Koch extended the lead to 4-1 with 2nd of the night. 4 minutes later, Koch completed the Hat Trick with his 9th of the year off a great forecheck play by Chiwetin Blacksmith once again. Ed Coffey was subbed in for Bailey Stephens after the 5th mark. Leading 5-1, Mississippi was hungry for more. At 12:56, Blacksmith unleashed a howitzer off a 3-on-1 break to secure the largest lead of the evening for the home squad at 6-1. Into the closing moments, at 15:40 Matt Stoia was ejected from the contest for a spear that opened up a 5 minute man advantage for the visitors. At 17:53, Curtis Hansen pounded a puck home from the far side to gain one back at 6-2. Similar to the first period, the Seawolves outscored Baton Rouge 3-1 in the frame, with the shots identical to the first as well at 16-13 and 32-26 Zydeco for the game.

20 more minutes to even the season series in the 8th of 12 meetings between the Seawolves and the Zydeco. Out of a lengthy delay, Chiwetin Blacksmith ignited the offense once again with a wrist shot that crawled over the goal line to make it 7-2. At 8:53, Baton Rouge would get one back courtesy of Narek Aleksanyan with his 2nd of the night off a shorthanded breakaway. The final punch in this battle for I-10 was thrown by Juuso Tihonen, potting his first professional goal on the man advantage to cement the scoring at a more respectable 7-4. The Zydeco outshot the Seawolves 47-34 in full time. 

The Seawolves and Zydeco will close out their weekend set tomorrow night at 7:00 inside the Coast Coliseum.