(Branden Komm, via the Stingrays)
With the recall of Mark Deakanich by the Hershey Bears and Vitek Vanecek playing with the Czech Republic for the World Junior Championship in Finland, the South Carolina Stingrays needed a backup goaltender for the weekend series against the Norfolk Admirals. Branden Komm, the third string goalie on most nights, started both games with Mike Mansson on the bench.
Mansson is 34 years-old and last played hockey for the ECHL’s Augusta Lynx in 2005-2006. Before that, he played goalie at Plymouth State College/University in D-III ECAC-Northeast from 2000 to 2004. He played a total of 39 games, racking up a 4-15-5 (W-L-T) record in that time.
Mansson, who wore the #30 vacated by Vanecek, sat witness to a 5-2 victory for the Stingrays over the visiting Admirals on Saturday. Stephan Vigier found Jared Staal open in the slot for the first goal and Staal returned the favor three minutes later to double the lead. Vigier scored once again to open the second period on the power play. That would be the end of Adam Courchaine‘s night, who gave way to Nic Riopel for the remaining 35 minutes of the game. Alexandre Ranger put the Admirals on the board on the power play midway through the second and Jonathan Lessard cut the lead to one with two minutes left to play in the period. A spearing major to Norfolk’s Tommy Mele sent him out of the game, but the Stingrays could not capitalize on the advantage. Marcus Perrier, however, scored his first of the season off Paul Rodrigues’s backhand pass. Andrew Rowe added an empty netter to secure the victory.
Komm completed the weekend with a 25 save shutout the next night over the Admirals. 24 penalties were committed in the first period, mostly in two major scuffles. At 8:31 of the first, Bobby Shea and Alexandre Ranger each got five for fighting while Shea got an extra two for instigating. Nick Jones opened the scoring on the power play from the blue line at 18:33. At 19:00, every skater on the ice grabbed someone on the other team.
When the dust settled, 10 players had penalties to their name. Mele and Bobby Shea got two for roughing and 10 for continuing the altercation despite the linesmen separting them; Michael Pelech and Quinn Smith got roughing minors; Gabriel Verpaelst and Marcus Perrier fought each other after Perrier’s cross-check, for which he got two minutes, to get five and two for roughing each; Joey Leach and Paul Rodrigues each got roughing minors. Just 10 seconds after play resumed, Steven Whitey shoved Wade Epp in front of Komm to warrant a roughing call, but Epp’s retaliation strike hit him high to draw a double-minor for high-sticking.
To start the second period, seven Stingrays and four Admirals stood in the penalty boxes. Despite 11 shots from the visitors and eight from the home side, no goals were scored on Komm or Riopel. Rodrigues deflected Epp’s point shot to double the advantage seven minutes into the final frame. Perrier scored his second in two games into the empty net to finish the game at 3-0.
Komm’s 1.00 GAA and .955 save percentage earned him the CCM/ECHL Goaltender of the Week honors for December 21-27.
NEXT WEEK
A quick trip to Orlando on Tuesday is in store before a weekend series against the Cincinnati Cyclones to open the 2016 calendar year. In addition to $5 kids tickets and kids meals on Sunday, the first 1,000 children will receive a youth replica jersey. After the game, make sure you have your skates as the Rays are hosting a postgame skate with the fans.
CURRENT STANDING
2nd in South Division, 17-10-2-1 (W-L-OTL-SOL), 37 points
