RIVER DRAGONS TAKE BOTH ENDS OF WEEKEND SET FROM ROCK LOBSTERS

RIVER DRAGONS TAKE BOTH ENDS OF HOME AND HOME WITH ATHENS

Columbus Captures Shootout to Cap Weekend Wins

ATHENS, GA - Cody Wickline scored the game-tying goal with 51 seconds left to go in regulation and then capped off the night with the only goal in the shootout to give the Columbus River Dragons a 4-3 win over the Athens Rock Lobsters on Saturday night.

Columbus managed to pull goaltender Matt Petizian (30 saves) after several thwarted attempts, and that’s when Kyle Moore found Cody Wickline at the back post for the game-tying goal, knotting the game at 3-3 to force overtime and the eventual shootout.

In the shootout, Wickline was the only player on either side to score, getting Athens goaltender Jack Bostedt to drop his right shoulder and putting a wrist shot over it and just underneath the crossbar in the top of round three. Former River Dragon Carter Shinkaruk was stopped by Petizian to end the game, giving Columbus a weekend sweep of the Rock Lobsters.

Garrett Milan scored twice for Athens in regulation and was denied on a penalty shot midway through the second period after being slashed on a breakaway. Petizian made the save by kicking his left pad out while moving right to left as Milan cut across the front of the goalmouth.

Ryan Hunter and Kirk Underwood also scored for Columbus.

Notes:

This was the River Dragons’ first shootout win of the season in three tries.
Petizian won both games on the weekend for Columbus, and is now 3-0 with all of his victories coming past regulation.
Ryan Hunter has points in five straight games and points in nine of his first 10 games this season.

Columbus will now enjoy a short break for the Christmas holidays before getting back to games on Friday and Saturday night against the Blue Ridge Bobcats. Tickets are on sale now for all remaining River Dragons home games through the Columbus Civic Center Box Office and online at RDragons.com.