Finally, justice has been served!
The Brooklyn Aviators shot down the hated New Jersey Outlaws — for the first time this season — on Friday night during a legendary 6–1 victory at the Hangar.
The born again Brooklyn team hitting the ice last night had never been seen at Floyd Bennett Field this season: the scrappy squad was brimming with steeley-eyed confidence as they jumped to an early 3–0 lead in the first, with A’s star right-winger Casey Mignone slapping in Brooklyn’s first goal of the night 4:14 minutes into the opening frame.
The rest of the game was just icing on the A’s victory cake: forward Lucas Schott scored a hat trick by the end of second frame, while forward Chase Watson widened the gap by scoring during a power play. Center Brendan Baumgartner scored the sixth and final goal of the game for Brooklyn less than three minutes into the third set.
But it was an Aviator alumni who stunted this shutout in the making: Outlaw Matt Puntureri, the Aviators’ fan favorite last year, scored on a short-hand tally with less than two minutes in the game, giving his team something to throw on the scoreboard.
But, by then, justice had already been meted out: the top-ranked Outlaws — the only team already assured a playoff berth in the upcoming Commissioner Cup games — were run out of the Hangar with their tails between their legs by the fifth place Aviators, who had suffered through a humiliating 0–7 record against the Outlaws until Friday evening.
The Brooklyn Aviators will return to the Aviator Sports and Events Center [3159 Flatbush Ave. in Floyd Bennett Field in Marine Park, (718) 758-7580] on Jan. 27 to take on the Akwesasne Warriors. Tickets are $12 ($10 for seniors and children under 14) For more info, visit www.BrooklynAviators.com.
