Dragons Complete Weekend Sweep with 6-1 Rout of Monarchs

COLUMBUS, GA - Coming off a tenacious victory the previous night, the Columbus River Dragons returned to the ice Saturday looking to put together a complete 60-minute effort and secure their first weekend sweep against Delta Division rival Mid-South. Behind 20 saves from Trevor Babin and an explosive offensive performance, Columbus struck for six unanswered goals to open the game before cruising to a 6-1 victory.

The opening period got off to a somewhat sluggish start, with both teams struggling to find their rhythm. Through the first half of the frame, Columbus held a narrow 2-1 advantage in shots, while five minor penalties between the two sides provided opportunities to gain an early edge on special teams. The Dragons eventually broke through at 8:54. Alex Storjohann fired a wrist shot from the top of the circles through traffic, with the puck finding its way past goaltender Thomas Nappier after a deflection off a Monarch to give Columbus a 1-0 lead.

Less than five minutes later, Tyler Barrow doubled the advantage. After winning a puck battle off an offensive-zone faceoff, Barrow worked his way into the slot and wired a shot into the top corner on the power play, putting the Dragons ahead 2-0. Columbus continued to dictate the pace as the period progressed, generating quality offensive opportunities and taking a 13-6 advantage in shots into the first intermission.

The middle frame presented a different challenge, as both teams struggled to establish consistency and maintain a clean game. Four additional minor penalties were assessed, bringing the combined power-play total to 1-for-9 through two periods. With the next goal carrying considerable importance, the Dragons once again turned to their leading offensive weapon. At 12:27, Barrow collected a stretch pass from Yevdokimov, broke in alone on a breakaway, and finished with a powerful wrist shot to extend the Columbus lead to 3-0.

Despite being outshot 10-5 in the period, the Dragons continued to benefit from a strong performance between the pipes. Trevor Babin came up with several key stops to preserve the three-goal advantage, allowing Columbus to carry a 3-0 lead into the final 20 minutes. Through 40 minutes, the Dragons held an 18-16 edge in shots.

Columbus wasted little time putting the game out of reach in the third period. Just 37 seconds into the frame, Michael Kramer pounced on a rebound off a Connor Loft shot and buried it for his first professional goal, pushing the lead to 4-0. At 7:22, Ryan Galvin followed suit, lifting home another rebound for his first goal of the season to make it 5-0.

The offensive surge continued just over four minutes later when Jestin Somero capitalized on the power play, finishing from in tight to give the Dragons a commanding 6-0 advantage. Following the goal, Mid-South made a change in net, replacing Nappier with Wyatt Friedlander.

The Monarchs would eventually find the scoresheet after being awarded a 5-on-3 power play. Despite an otherwise outstanding night from Babin, former River Dragon Chiwetin Blacksmith managed to slip a Darion Benchich pass past the Columbus netminder to break up the shutout and make it 6-1. The Dragons remained composed down the stretch, closing out the contest to secure their first weekend sweep of the season. Columbus finished with a 30-21 advantage in shots.

With the victory, the River Dragons improve to 3-3-0 on the season and wrap up their four-game road trip next weekend with a pair of matchups against the Monroe Moccasins. Both games are scheduled for 8:05 p.m. EST on Friday and Saturday.

Mid-South falls to 3-5-1 and will look to rebound next weekend when it travels to take on the undefeated Topeka Scarecrows for a two-game series, with both contests also scheduled for 8:05 p.m. EST.