Finally, the hex at the Hangar is broken!
The Brooklyn Aviators sunk the Cape Cod Bluefins during an exciting 5-3 victory at Floyd Bennett Field’s Aviator Sports and Recreation Center on Friday — their first home win of the season.
Aviator center Jesse Felten almost single-handedly filleted “The Fish” as he blasted in three of the five goals that soared past Cape Cod netminder Chris Testa.
Cape Cod scored first in the opening set, but Felten quickly evened everything up — slapping in a puck offered by right winger and Aviator phenom Vladimir Nikifovov with just one minute left in the frame.
But Felten wasn’t done: he scored twice more in the second period, helping the Avs build a comfortable 4-1 lead before the hard-fought set (we’re not kidding — five Aviators and four Bluefins were boxed for fighting) ended.
Cape Cod rallied in the third, scoring twice, but couldn’t swim against the current felt by the hundreds of Aviator fans cheering Brooklyn’s boys of winter on.
Nikiforvov put the cherry atop the Aviator’s victory by smacking the team’s fifth goal into an unguarded net with just 45 seconds left in the match — his seventh goal of the season.
The Aviators have played five games at the Aviator Sports and Events Center — known to true fans (and our readers) as the Hangar — but couldn’t pull out a single win until Friday. Even more dishearteningly, two of the losses came in overtime.
The Brooklyn Aviators will be back home to play the Danville Dashers at Aviator Sports [3159 Flatbush Ave. in Floyd Bennett Field in Marine Park, (718) 758-7580] on Nov. 19 at 7:05 pm. Tickets $12 ($10 for seniors and children under 14). For information visit www.brooklynaviators.com.
Reach reporter Thomas Tracy at ttracy@cnglocal.com or by calling (718) 260-2525.
