(BIRMINGHAM, Ala.) – Matt Carlson scored twice to keep the Mayhem in the game, but two third period goals from the Bulls proved too much to overcome as the Mayhem fell 3-2 to the Bulls.
The second meeting of the season between the Macon Mayhem and Birmingham Bulls opened with a fast-paced matchup as both teams looked to gain an early advantage. With stellar goaltending on both ends of the ice, the opening 20 minutes featured plenty of action but no goals.
The Mayhem earned the first power-play opportunity of the night following an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on Brady Lynn. Macon came up short on the man advantage but continued to create chances. Chris Carroll nearly found the back of the net despite being surrounded by four Birmingham defenders.
As the first period progressed, the physicality began to pick up, with Macon establishing a stronger presence and turning that momentum into extended offensive-zone time. Several icing calls against Birmingham further helped the Mayhem maintain pressure. Josh Boyko remained steady between the pipes, making back-to-back saves and briefly taking a moment to shake off discomfort following a painful stop. Boyko pushed through and finished the opening frame strong, keeping the game scoreless through 20 minutes.
Birmingham got on the board early in the second period as Aiden Wagner connected with Filimon Ledziankou on a give-and-go before finishing the play himself. Drake Glover and Ledziankou picked up the assists on Wagner’s fourth goal of the season, giving Birmingham a 1-0 lead.
Shortly after the goal, Macon’s Michael Krupinski was escorted to the bench by the trainer following a lower-body injury that sent him into the boards. The physical play continued as Tyler Drummond was assessed a kneeing penalty following a collision with Ledziankou, giving Birmingham a power-play opportunity. Boyko came up with an impressive save on a shot from Wagner near the end of the man advantage, preventing the Bulls from adding to their lead.
The goaltenders continued to trade saves as the second period moved along. Bohdan Zinchenko came close to tying the game for Macon, but Birmingham’s Hayden Stewart turned away the opportunity. Boyko followed with another stop of his own, and Stewart quickly answered at the other end. Macon’s pressure returned in the closing minutes, but Stewart denied a late attempt from Parker Allison to preserve Birmingham’s one-goal advantage.
The Mayhem kept pushing, and their persistence finally paid off as Matt Carlson found the equalizer. With an extra effort from Michael Herrera, who sent the puck across at the last second, Carlson was able to redirect the opportunity just inside the post to bring the score even at 1-1. After 40 minutes, the two teams were deadlocked, setting up a decisive final period in Birmingham.
The third period opened with plenty of physical play as Artem Pugachev nearly found the back of the net, but the opportunity ended in a pileup in front of the Birmingham goal. Savva Smirnov and Herrera worked the puck back and forth for another scoring attempt that finished in the crease, bringing several players together for a brief tussle. A loose puck in Macon’s crease led to more contact, and Allison was sent to the penalty box after a cross-check from behind on Glover. Birmingham generated several chances on the power play but could not convert, while Macon continued to apply pressure in the Bulls’ zone.
Macon’s momentum was interrupted by a slashing penalty on Mason Hoehn, giving Birmingham another opportunity on the man advantage. The Bulls capitalized when Matt Wiesner found the rebound and put Birmingham back on the board. Just minutes later, Andre Sutter redirected a shot from Collin Tracy from just short of the blue line, extending the Bulls’ lead to 3-1 and putting the Mayhem in a two-goal hole late in the period.
With 2:51 remaining, Sutter was called for tripping, giving Macon a two-man advantage after Boyko headed to the bench for an extra attacker. The Mayhem worked the puck around with six skaters on the ice before Carlson found the back of the net, with assists from Herrera and Mason Hoehn, cutting the deficit to 3-2. Despite the late push, Macon ran out of time to complete the comeback. Birmingham held on for the 3-2 regulation win, while the Mayhem came up just short.
The Mayhem travel to take on the Pensacola Ice Flyers tomorrow night at 8pm before finally returning home to the Macon Coliseum on Friday, November 20th to take on the Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs at 7pm.
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