The Aviators fought their way to a fourth place perch in the Federal Hockey League on Sunday by literally beating the Danville Dashers during a bloody 4–2 slug-fest in Illinois.
The triumph marks Brooklyn’s third straight victory this week, and elevates the A’s to the spot held by last year’s Commissioner Cup champions, the hated Akwesasne Warriors.
Brooklyn struck first blood with two big goals in the opening set. The Dashers managed to slip a puck past Aviators goalie John Dorman three minutes before the end of the round, but the tone of the game had already been set: the A’s slapped in an unanswered goal in the second and sent their fourth and final puck of the night past netminder Nick Wydock six minutes into the final frame.
Danville’s Rob Schweyer managed to earn an impressive shorthanded goal a few minutes before the end of the game, but it wasn’t enough to stop the A’s charge towards victory.
The Aviators clearly outshot Danville, smacking 40 pucks toward the Dashers’ net. Danville, in turn, made only 16 attempts at Brooklyn’s net, but more than pucks were slapped around on Sunday afternoon.
The game was an absolute slug-fest, with two fights breaking out seven minutes into the first frame. The brawling continued five minutes before the final buzzer, when a no-holds-barred battle broke out between four Aviators and four Dashers.
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 March 2 to battle the Danbury Whalers. Tickets are $12 ($10 for seniors and children under 14) For more info, visit www.BrooklynAviators.com.
