JACKSONVILLE – After being cancelled in 2021 the ECHL All-Star game finally came to town Monday night.
The All-Stars defeated the Icemen 14-7 before 7,687 at Veterans Memorial Arena. Jacksonville won all three of the skills competition accounting for three of their goals.
MVP Marcus Crawford scored a hat trick to lead the All-Stars. Anthony Nellis scored two goals. Teammates Alexis D’Aoust, Alex Tongue and Logan Nelson all scored in the final period.
The ECHL All-Stars led 4-2 heading into the second period. Jacksonville’s Ben Hawerchuk won the fastest skater competition. The victory in the night’s first skills competition led to a goal for Jacksonville.
Crawford and Aaron Luchuk tallied before the Icemen’s Abbott Girduckis cut the All-Stars first period lead in half. But Allie Thunstrom increased the lead to 4-1 going into the first intermission.
A Vladislav Mikhalchuk penalty shot for the Icemen in the second period made it 6-3.
Jacksonville picked up additional goals from the skills competition. Croix Evingson won the hardest shot contest to cut the All-Stars lead to 8-4. Derek Lodermeier won the shooting skills to make it 8-5 going into the final period when the teams played 3 on 3.
Jacksonville’s Bauer Neudecker made the final 14-7. Brandon Fortunato, recently returning from Hartford, scored the final Icemen goal.
Jacksonville returns home Friday night to play South Carolina. Game time 7 p.m.
Photo by Nancy Beecher/SportsDay
