Game Recap: Hat Tricks Outswim River Sharks 3-2 in Opener of Nine Game Homestand

DANBURY — The Hat Tricks held off a late surge from Elmira to secure their third win in a row and first of the weekend trio. Hat Tricks Captain Jonny Ruiz netted two goals and added an assist in the 3-2 victory. Ruiz has points in five straight games and since the birth of his child on Feb. 9, the Hat Tricks veteran has nine points (5g, 4a).

Less than a minute into the game, Ruiz snapped the puck into the top right corner of the net to give the Hat Tricks an early lead. Forward Chase Harwell returned to action for the first time since his suspension back on Jan. 21 in Binghamton and wasted little time finding the score sheet. With four minutes left in the period, Harwell sprung off the endboards, flashed in front, and tucked the puck under the crossbar from in tight on the power-play. The goal marked Danbury’s tenth power play goal in the last four games. 

6:49 into the second period, Ruiz extended the Hat Tricks’ lead with a shot from the right circle under the arm of Elmira’s goaltender Sammy Bernard for his second goal of the night and seventh versus Elmira this season. With three seconds left in the period, River Sharks forward, and former Hat Trick, Dustin Jesseau wristed the puck through traffic to put Elmira on the board.

Elmira secured its second goal of the night from its leading point producer Steven Klinck. The rookie forward elevated the puck over the flexed blocker of Hat Tricks goalie Conor McCollum. Danbury held strong in the remaining 15 minutes to secure the first win of the weekend. The Hat Tricks outshot Elmira 42-23 in the game.

The Hat Tricks finish off the two-game set with Elmira tomorrow night at the Danbury Ice Arena. The puck is set to drop at 6 p.m.

The Hat Tricks are more than midway through their regular season Cup defense and we still want you to be a part of it! Season and single-game tickets are still available for purchase. Partial season packages can save fans up to 30% and include benefits such as FREE parking and season passes to the Danbury NAHL/NA3HL Hat Tricks games. Call Herm Sorcher at (973) 713-7547 to secure yours today or press here to learn more. To buy single-game tickets press here.

To stay up to date on all things Danbury Hat Tricks hockey, go to www.danburyhattricks.com and follow the team on social media.