Mavericks Split with Crush After Wild Friday Comeback
COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Columbus Mavericks’ Premier team took three of a possible four points from the Chicago Crush this weekend at OhioHealth Chiller North. They needed a three-goal comeback to get the first one.
On Friday afternoon, Konstantin Schleiermacher’s hat trick helped Columbus erase deficits all game long and force overtime. Chicago won 8-7 in the extra period. The Mavericks answered Saturday with a 5-1 win, led by Owen Abraham’s two goals and two assists. Columbus is now 6-1-2 on the season and earned its first win over the Crush in three meetings.
Friday: Chicago Crush 8, Mavericks 7 (OT)
Chicago came out flying. Brandon Herschbach, Konstantin Yurkevich and Nikita Tashkinov-Eidemiller scored in quick succession early in the first period for a 3-0 Crush lead.
Columbus started chipping away. Schleiermacher scored his first of the afternoon, assisted by Hudson Gerber and Evan Moore. Joshua Yeates restored Chicago’s three-goal lead on the power play. Abraham answered before intermission, set up by Patrik Frydecky and Ryder Gamey, to make it 4-2.
The second period followed the same pattern. Zachary Bentivenga and Nathan Dazey scored for Chicago. Schleiermacher and Simon Sochor answered for Columbus, Schleiermacher assisted by Moore and Samuel Heckathorne, Sochor by Pascal Bezares Ramirez and Timothy Boyd Jr. Ethan Dufour then scored with 47.5 seconds left in the period, assisted by Alan Faulkner III and Parker Arlet. That cut the deficit to 6-5 heading into the third.
Yurkevich scored on the power play midway through the third for a 7-5 Crush lead. The Mavericks didn’t fold. Boyd answered on a power play of their own, set up by Abraham and Sam Pies. With 4:31 left in regulation, Schleiermacher completed his hat trick to tie the game 7-7, assisted by Frydecky and Sochor.
Tashkinov-Eidemiller ended it in overtime, assisted by Mikey Large and Alex Yakimenka.
Schleiermacher led Columbus with three goals. Abraham, Boyd and Sochor each had a goal and an assist, and Frydecky had two assists. The Mavericks outshot Chicago 51-39. Robert Cook and Liem Nguyen split time in net, with Nguyen making 22 saves.
Saturday: Mavericks 5, Chicago Crush 1
The Mavericks left no doubt in the rematch.
Dufour opened the scoring in the first period, assisted by Benjamin Marquardt. Dylan Harris doubled the lead before intermission, set up by Pies and Abraham.
Pies made it 3-0 early in the second, with assists from Abraham and Boyd. Large got Chicago on the board with a power-play goal, but Abraham answered on a Columbus power play, assisted by Boyd and Sochor. Abraham added his second goal of the night in the third, set up by Dufour and Marquardt.
Kellen Ceraldi made 32 saves on 33 shots for the win. Abraham finished with two goals and two assists. Pies and Dufour each had a goal and an assist, while Boyd and Marquardt each had two assists. Columbus outshot the Crush 43-33.
Weekend Leaders
Owen Abraham: 3 goals, 3 assists, 6 points
Timothy Boyd Jr.: 1 goal, 3 assists, 4 points
Konstantin Schleiermacher: 3 goals, 3 points
Ethan Dufour: 2 goals, 1 assist, 3 points
Sam Pies: 1 goal, 2 assists, 3 points
Simon Sochor: 1 goal, 2 assists, 3 points
Patrik Frydecky: 2 assists, 2 points
Benjamin Marquardt: 2 assists, 2 points
Next up
The Mavericks stay home next weekend to host the Cincinnati Jr. Cyclones at OhioHealth Chiller North on Friday, Oct. 23. Columbus opened its season with a 9-0 win over Cincinnati on Sept. 20. Tickets are available at columbusmavericks.com/fan-zone/tickets, and the game will stream on USPHL+ through Black Bear Sports.