Mocs Choke Breakers 9-3 (1/15)

BILOXI, MS - Searching for their first win against Monroe all season, a reformed Breakers roster hit the ice at home looking to dethrone Goliath. Despite Rahul Sharma’s new career high 57 saves and Kyle Heitzner’s Gordie Howe Hat Trick, the Breakers fell 9-3 on Thursday night. 

The lights were bright for some Thursday night FPHL action kicking off the final 2 game set between the Moccasins and the Breakers. Monroe, carrying a franchise record 14 game win streak into the Coliseum, was here to make a statement. It took just 3:28 for Hagan Moe to make a nifty backhand-forehand move through the near circle and snipe post and in to put Monroe head early. The pressure remained constant for the visiting snakes, rallying shots from every angle in on Rahul Sharma while limiting Biloxi to very few chances. Across the midway point at 10:39, Hagan Moe fired a soft wrister from above the far circle that seemed to knuckle off the glove of Sharma and in to make it 2-0. Looking for a spark, newest Breaker Kyle Heitzner dropped the mitts and pounded Landon Johnson down to the ice to bring the building alive. The Breakers couldn't do much with the momentum, being held to just 5 shots in the opening 20. At 18:42, Austin Albrecht shoveled home a puck inside the blue paint through some traffic for his 22nd of the year to make it 3-0. But the most deflating blow of all came just 25 seconds later when Dean Balsamo redirected a Hagan Moe shot home to make it 4-0 Snakes. The Breakers certainly had their work cut out for them with still 40 minutes left. 

The middle chapter had a relatively slow buildup until the back half of the frame. At 11:55 Monroe struck again, with former SeaWolf Sam Turner sniping a top shelf bullet over the glove of Sharma to make it 5-0. 40 seconds later, Hagan Moe completed his first career Hat Trick off a feed from Yianni Liarakos to make it 6-0. Now it was time for Biloxi to get going, and they turned to their new weapon to lead the charge. At 14:52, Kyle Heitzner sauced a pass to rookie Aimy Royer who went backhand-forehand to finish past Masternak for his 2nd career mark to put the Breakers on the board at 6-1. The assist marks Heitzner’s first point with Biloxi. But Heitzner wouldn’t be done there. With a delayed call coming on Monroe, a Lucas Piekarczyk pass off the pad of Masternak kicked to a wide open Heitzner who fired it into the gaping net to complete a Gordie Howe Hat Trick and make it 6-2. Monroe led 45-12 in shots through 40 minutes. 

The 3rd period kicked off with Monroe shifting the momentum back in their favor. At 2:02 Yianni Liarakos slid a rebound home to make it 7-2. Then at 5:47, Hagan Moe redirected home a 4th goal to make it 8-2. Brandon Lucchesi scored the final Breaker goal of the evening at 7:42 on a redirect off a Fabian Lehner shot to pull to within 5. The final punch came at 15:56 with Casey Gerstein crashing the goal to cement the scoring at 9-3.

The two teams will square off tomorrow night for the final of 12 meetings at 7:00 inside Breaker Bay.