ROCK LOBSTERS RALLY PAST ICECATS 4-3

FLORENCE, SC - The Athens Rock Lobsters scored twice in the final five minutes of regulation to turn a 3-2 deficit into a 4-3 win over the Pee Dee IceCats on Friday night at Florence Center.

Pee Dee started the game shorthanded due to a penalty for leaving the ice late for warmups, but the league's most dangerous shorthanded team struck just 1:37 into the first period to take a 1-0 lead. Patriks Marcinkevics scored on a breakaway for his 19th goal of the season and the team's league-leading 11th shorthanded marker of the year.

Athens responded with a pair of goals 1:44 apart to establish a 2-1 lead 8:17 into the second, but Pee Dee would dig back into the game.

Trevor Lord evened the game with a late second period goal, a wrist shot from the blueline that found a way through the legs of Rock Lobsters goaltender Carter McPhail. Then the IceCats opened the third period with a goal from Alexandr Legkov just after the expiration of a power play chance to take a 3-2 lead.

Once again, Athens knocked out a pair of goals in quick succession, this time in the final five minutes to take a lead Pee Dee could not overcome despite pulling goaltender Sean Kuhn for the extra attacker.

Notes:

• Dennis Zaichyk recorded a pair of assists, his first two-assist game with the IceCats.
• IceCats part owner and 26-year Marine Corps veteran Kevin Boggs signed as a celebrity player on Friday as part of Military Appreciation Weekend.
• Tomorrow night's Military Appreciation Night game is close to sold out, with a record crowd expected at Florence Center.

The same two teams will rematch on Saturday at 7:15 pm for Military Appreciation Night, with the Powers Properties pregame show starting at 7 pm on 100.5 FM and the IceCats YouTube Channel @PeeDeeIceCats.