NEMEC'S 5 POINT NIGHT FUELS HOME WIN
Jan 15, 2025Utica, NY – Winners of their last two home games, the Comets stepped onto the ice in front of a friendly crowd at the Adirondack Bank Center on Wednesday to do battle with an Atlantic Division opponent and top affiliate of the New York Rangers, the Hartford Wolf Pack. During the contest, the Comets let a three goal lead slip away but utilized the scoring prowess of defenseman Simon Nemec to achieve a lead and never look back winning the contest by a 7-3 score. The win became their third straight victory at home.
In the opening period, it was Max Willman who got the home team on the board as he drove the goal and slipped the puck between the body of goaltender Dylan Garand and the post at 12:48 giving the Comets a 1-0 lead. The goal was Willman’s second of the season. Later in the period, the Comets used the powerplay and a Nolan Foote shot to extend their lead to 2-0. The goal by Foote was his ninth of the season at 13:59 with assists going to Simon Nemec and Austin Strand. Utica took a 2-0 lead into the first intermission.
The Comets scored another goal to give them a 3-0 lead after Chase Stillman’s wrist shot down the right-wing side beat Garand for his second of the season at 5:06. The goal was Stillman’s third of the season assisted by Foote and Topias Vilen. Beniot Groulx answered back for the Wolf Pack at 5:38 after he fired it over the glove of Daws. The Wolf Pack went on to score two more goals and tie the game with the next one coming from Dylan Roobroeck on a shorthanded dash down the ice scoring on a backhander on Daws at 8:38. Later, a perfect deflection from Anton Blidh at 10:37 sailed into the Comets net made it a 3-3 game. The Comets recaptured a lead after Simon Nemec joined the rush, took a pass from Shane Bowers, a fired a backhand shot beating Garand at 13:01. The goal that lifted the Comets to a 4-3 lead was Nemec’s fourth of the season.
During the final period, the Comets were right back on the scoresheet with Nemec taking the cross-ice pass from Adam Beckman and blasting it in at 1:33 putting the Comets up, 5-3. Willman added another goal beating Garand between the legs as he skated in with speed and took the puck Mike Hardman pass. The goal was his second of the game and Simon Nemec added another point on the evening with a secondary assist on the goal that made it 6-3. Xavier Parent added a seventh goal for Utica en route to their victory at 16:50 when he deflected the Fil Engaras pass into the Hartford net for his fourth of the season. A secondary assist was awarded to Nemec giving him five points on the night. The goal gave the Comets to a 7-3 lead and more than enough goals to skate away with the win.
The Comets are back on the ice Friday night against the Laval Rocket at 7:00 PM inside the Adirondack Bank Center. Tickets are still available and can be purchased by visiting www.uticacomets.com/tickets.