KIRK UNDERWOOD SCORES TWICE, BUT RIVER DRAGONS FALL TO ICECATS 7-5

FLORENCE, S.C. — October 12, 2025 — The Columbus River Dragons fell to the Pee Dee IceCats by a final score of 7-5 on Saturday night at the Florence Civic Center in Florence, South Carolina.

Trevor Babin was in net for the River Dragons, while Ricardo Gonzalez, for the second consecutive game, started for the IceCats.

The River Dragons opened the scoring as Kyle Moore sent a pass intended for Tyler Barrow, but the puck found its way in.

A few minutes later, Eli Rivers broke past the River Dragons’ defense and slid a pass across for a driving Houston Wilson, who put it home.

Another break for the IceCats led to another goal a few minutes later. Trevor Babin denied Patriks Marcinkevics on the initial try, but Trevor Lord snuck the rebound into the net.

On his next shift, Trevor Lord scored again, firing a wrist shot through Babin.

A power play got the River Dragons a goal closer with 4:13 to go in the opening frame. Ryan Galvin lifted a rebound up high over a prone Ricardo Gonzalez.

Columbus came out flying in the second period, scoring the first two goals in short order. Less than two minutes in, Kirk Underwood potted his first of the season on the backhand, following a pristine pass from Tyler Barrow.

Twenty-two seconds later, Alex Jmaeff tipped a Kevin Szabad shot past the goal line, as the River Dragons grabbed their second lead of the night, 4-3.

Just past the midway mark of the period, the IceCats tied the game as Eli Rivers deposited a backdoor feed.

A perfectly executed give-and-go from Tyler Barrow and Captain Kirk Underwood gave Columbus yet another lead, with Underwood wiring a wrist shot on Gonzalez.

The IceCats scored two unanswered to end the second period. Nick Gullo scored first for Pee Dee after a setup from Trevor Lord. With 45 seconds left in the period, Trevor Lord secured the hat trick and gave the IceCats a 6-5 lead entering the third.

Six minutes and thirty-five seconds into the third, Nick Gullo tipped in another net-front feed, giving Pee Dee enough insurance to hold on and win in regulation time. Overall, Gullo and Lord combined for 11 points on the night (5 goals, 6 assists).

Trevor Babin took the loss for the River Dragons, while Ricardo Gonzalez earned the victory for Pee Dee.

The River Dragons will be back in action on Friday night from the Hitachi Energy Arena in Wytheville, Virginia, when the club battles Blue Ridge at 7:30 p.m. Coverage begins at 7:00 p.m. on YouTube, Facebook, and Sporfie!

Check out the highlights below.