RIVER DRAGONS SCORE TWICE IN THE THIRD, BEAT THE ICECATS IN A SHOOTOUT ON OPENING NIGHT

FLORENCE, S.C. — October 11, 2025 — The Columbus River Dragons defeated the Pee Dee IceCats by a final score of 3-2 on Friday night at the Florence Center in Florence, South Carolina.

Tyler Roy started in goal for the River Dragons, while Ricardo Gonzalez got the nod for Pee Dee.

Despite six combined penalties in the opening frame, neither team was able to find the back of the net, leading to a scoreless tie after one.

In the second period, while on a power play, the IceCats scored their first goal. Chance Adrian (1st) put home a rebound after Tyler Roy made a miraculous stop on the initial attempt.

The River Dragons delivered a gutsy effort in the final frame, as Kevin Szabad (1st) tied the game 2:21 in. Szabad broke in on an odd-man rush with Jestin Somero, and in an attempt to find Somero at the back door, the puck found its way into the net.

Following the ensuing center-ice faceoff, the River Dragons went to the penalty box once again, and Pee Dee made them pay. Nick Gullo (1st) scored a power-play goal to give his club the lead right back.

Columbus took another penalty shortly thereafter, but managed to tie the game with a shorthanded tally. Ryan Galvin (1st) unleashed a one-timer after a backhand pass from Alex Jmaeff.

A five-minute overtime solved nothing, and on the first night of the FPHL season, the two teams went to a shootout.

On a night where comebacks were the theme, the River Dragons had one more in store during the shootout.

Despite Latvian forward Patriks Marcinkevics scoring for the IceCats to lead off the shootout, goals from Tyler Barrow and Matt Stoia secured the victory for Columbus.

Tyler Roy earned the win in goal for the River Dragons, keeping his perfect record with the club intact. On the other side, Ricardo Gonzalez took the loss for Pee Dee.

The River Dragons and IceCats will battle once more this evening at 7:15 PM. Coverage begins at 6:45 on YouTube, Facebook, and Sporfie!

Check out the highlights below!