GREENSBURG, Pa. — In a game that could have went either way, it was first year head coach Eric Grant and his Hempfield Spartans that saw a five-goal surge in the second half of the game as Hempfield opened its 2019-20 PIHL season with a 9-4 win over the Franklin Regional Panthers.
Hempfield controlled the tempo for much of the game with their fast-paced style and outshot Franklin Regional 39-21.
Trent Lunden got the Panthers on the board early in a back-and-forth first period. Franklin’s longest lead of the game lasted only 4:46 before Zach Ridilla tied it for the Spartans.
After that, the Spartans had an answer almost immediately after every Panthers goal. The next longest lead in the game lasted 1:24 seconds before Matt Traczyniski’s power-play goal put Hempfield in the lead for good five minutes into the second period.
Traczyniski ended the night tied with a team-leading three points (two goals, assist). Trent Gray and Nichloas Bruno each had three assists.
Trent Lunden (two goals) and Zach Abdallah (goal, assist) where the stat leaders for the Panthers.
Matthew Overdorff has a .810 save percentage on the season for Hempfield.
Gunner Fulton has a .806 save percentage after two games played for Franklin.
UP NEXT:
Next week is a shared-ice rivalry week for both teams:
Hempfield will be playing the away team as they play Greater Latrobe at Kirk S. Nevin Arena on Thursday, Oct. 17.
Franklin will head back home to face Penn-Trafford at Center Ice Arena on Tuesday, Oct, 15.
