Buccaneers Loot Ice in Second Period, win 4-3 in Regulation 

The Des Moines Buccaneers plundered three unanswered goals in the second period to earn a 4-3 win over the Indiana Ice at Buccaneer Arena.

Ryan Obuchowski led the Icemen with two goals while Jake Fallon complimented  the scoring efforts with two assists.  Netminder Dalton Izyk logged 43 saves on 47 shots on net.

Both teams capitalized on the other’s misdeeds in the opening frame as Obuchowski made the hosts pay for a tripping penalty with a laser from the point five seconds into the power play.  Jake Fallon and Sean Kuraly both earned helper’s credit on the opening score.

Des Moines responded exactly two minutes after the first goal to knot the game at one each with six minutes left in the period.

Indy surrendered control of the second period to the Buccaneers, giving up 27 shots and three unanswered goals in the middle 20 minutes.  The Ice’s shining moment in the middle frame came when Robert Polesello weaved through two Bucs defenders to find twine five minutes into the marker.  Christian Hilbrich earned the helper on the play.

Des Moines responded with offensive pressure of their own, outshooting Indy 20-4 on the strength of two power plays.  Anthony Greco, Gasper Kopitar and Luke Voltin scored for the Buccaneers.

The intensity picked up in the third as both teams battled for the win.  Two penalties in the closing minute of play provided an opportunity for the Ice to tie the game in the final seconds, but Pheonix Copley was equal to all of Indy’s last-second attempts.

The offensive pendulum shifted back toward the Ice in the third period, but Indy was unable to capitalize on a 15-8 shot advantage in the closing frame.  Obuchowski drew the Ice within one after his second goal of the night.  Fallon earned a second assist on the effort.

Indy is back on the road Saturday night for part two of their three-week road trip before returning to the Circle City on Friday, March 9 against the Youngstown Phantoms from the Pepsi Coliseum.