Kozyrev Collects Hat Trick, Bobcats Blast Breakers 8-4

WYTHEVILLE, VA-

The Blue Ridge Bobcats began a season-long six game homestand in fitting fashion, scoring a season-high six goals in the first period to cruise to an 8-4 win over the Biloxi Breakers before a crowd of nearly 2,000 at Hitachi Energy Arena.

The opening frame onslaught started just under four minutes into the first period, with Nikita Kozyrev preceding his hat trick by starting his night with an assist on a beautiful backdoor pass finished off by linemate Mike Mercurio. Then, 2 goals in 36 seconds changed the course of the game and caused the Breakers to swap netminders. Nick McHugh finished off a beautiful shorthanded rush, one-timing home a gorgeous one-touch feed from Stephen Alvo at 6:21. Then at the 6:57 mark, Nick Stuckless skated down the far wing and sniped a wrist shot from just inside the blue line at the right point between the pads of Anton Borodkin to make it a 3-0 game. Borodkin was then relieved by Rahul Sharma after surrendering a trio of goals on a dozen Bobcats shots in the first seven minutes. 

Blue Ridge didn't stop there, putting up 3 more tallies in the final 13 minutes of the opening period. Kozyrev picked up his second assist, reversing sides of the net and finding Timothy St. Pierre who tapped in his second goal of the season. Kozyrev then jammed in a rebound out of a netmouth scramble on the power play to extend the lead to 5-0, followed 1:12 later by a goal from captain Danny Martin to cap off a wild six goal first period. Kozyrev's pair of assists in the opening frame gave him the single-season franchise record in assists with 37, passing Martin's record of 36 set last season.

Alfred Rotiroti and Hugo Koch each got fortuitous bounces off Bobcats defenders for the only goals by either squad in the second period to set the score at 6-2 heading to the third period.

Each squad tallied a pair in the final frame, with both the Breakers goals coming from Chiwetin Blacksmith. Both Bobcats markers came from Kozyrev, who put home his second of the game at the 5:22 mark of the third, and capped off his hat trick with a bottle-popping backhander past Sharma at 15:14.

Max Macchioni made his first pro start in net for Blue Ridge and earned his first professional victory, stopping 29 of 33 Biloxi shots.

Both teams rematch tomorrow night at 7:30 PM for Faith and Family Night presented by Alpha Therapy at Hitachi Energy Arena. Tickets are available online at blueridgebobcats.com/tickets, by phone at 276-335-2100 and in person at the arena box office.