Macon’s mix of youth and experience ready for shot at SPHL title
Chasing a title won’t be anything new for Macon’s opponent in the President’s Cup Finals. Peoria will look to chase down an elusive title this weekend after falling short despite posting the best regular-season record the past two seasons.
The puck drops in the best-of-three series at 8:30 p.m. on Friday in Peoria with the second game at 6 p.m. on Sunday in Macon. The third game, if needed, would also be in Macon at 7:30 p.m. on Monday.
The best-of-three format doesn’t allow much margin for error. It’s a role that Macon knows well after rallying from a 1-0 deficit in the first round against Columbus.
“In a short series like this, obviously the first game is important to get the jump. After Game 1, somebody is going to have their back to the wall,” Mayhem head coach Kevin Kerr said. “Obviously, Friday night, our guys know and (Peoria) knows how important it is. We’ll be ready, and they will be ready. The team that gets the breaks and plays the best will have the best chance to win.”
The Mayhem were on the other side of a 1-0 series lead last year, winning the first game of their opening-round series against Peoria before losing the final two games to be eliminated.
“It obviously going to linger. But it’s a new season and a new playoffs; it’s something that we’ve been looking forward to ever since we lost last year,” Mayhem defenseman Jeff Sanders said. “There’s definitely some animosity and frustration built toward this series because of how this series went last year. We want to make sure we’re at the top of our game.”
Despite having a roster that was started from scratch at the beginning of last season, the Mayhem have their share of big-game experience. The team’s mixture of first-year standouts, such as Collin MacDonald and John Siemer, is offset by second-year players like Ryan Michel and Daniel Gentzler complemented by veterans Jake Trask, Matt Summers and Dennis Sicard.
“Having guys like Sicard and Summers and Trask and (Jordan) Ruby, just overall we have the most depth in the league, and every guy does his job and brings something to the table,” Sanders said. “There’s a certain spark in the locker room, and it definitely comes from guys like that.”
Trask and Sicard especially have shown that veteran experience for Macon in the postseason. Trask is tied with Stephen Pierog for the team lead with three postseason goals, collecting a point in three of the Mayhem’s five playoff contests. Right behind them in offensive production is Sicard. The elder statesman of the Macon roster has scored a pair of postseason goals, but his bigger impact has been just being on the ice.
This season is Sicard’s 12th year in the SPHL, and he has been on two President’s Cup championship teams in Huntsville and Knoxville.
Sicard led the SPHL with 202 penalty minutes during the regular season, but he has been sent to the penalty box just twice for four minutes in the playoffs, keeping in position to contribute for Macon in the attacking zone.
“You always want your veteran guys to lead the way and run the ship and steer it in the right direction. I think we have veteran leadership that can do that. Sicard has been playing unbelievable in the playoffs. He’s been a different type of player in the playoffs. He’s maybe been in the penalty box once or twice in the playoffs,” Kerr said. “That’s what you need out of those types of players. He plays hard and plays gritty and is in your face all the time. Obviously, we have some young guys and second-year guys picking up the slack, too.”
Summers is a third-year player in the SPHL, spending all of the 2014-15 season and the majority of last year with Peoria.
“Having guys like Sicard and Summers, those guys are great leaders,” Pierog said. “With those guys, it’s helped us gel really well.”
This story was originally published April 27, 2017 at 5:41 PM with the headline "Macon’s mix of youth and experience ready for shot at SPHL title."