After dropping their first four games to begin their Federal Prospects Hockey League season, the Indiana Sentinels made a few key acquisitions this week to try to bolster their roster.
A couple of those players helped the expansion Sentinels give the Danbury Hat Tricks all they could handle for most of Saturday night’s matchup before Danbury pulled away for a 6-3 victory.
“We’ve made some changes to our roster,” Sentinels acting coach Joey Raab said. “We’ve brought in some pretty good players. Our practices have been on point this week. The more that we practice together, the better we’re going to get. I trust these players. I love these guys, and I know that we’re going to get a win. It’s going to come.”
The Sentinels had to play catch-up after giving up a goal 15 seconds into the game and another just under four minutes in. They held the Hat Tricks scoreless over the remainder of the first and all of the second periods and cut the lead to 2-1 on a goal by Maximus Marek-Tortorella with 3:23 left in the second.
Indiana tied the game on a goal by Ollie Vennstrom with 18:21 remaining. But Danbury used another quick strike goal, scoring just 11 seconds later to take the lead for good.
The Hat Tricks added three more goals in the third period to take a 6-2 lead before the Sentinels got a goal from Bohdan Zinchenko with 31 seconds left.
“The two quick goals that they had the first period, we were able to bounce back,” Raab said. “The second period, we came out firing. We definitely settled down a little bit. We got a little sloppy in the third and kind of lost control of the game, but it’s a team game. We’re going to be back stronger (Sunday).”
The two teams meet again at 12:30 p.m. Sunday at Hamilton Community Center and Ice Arena. It will be the last of six home games to open the season for the Sentinels, who will be on the road until returning home Thanksgiving Weekend.
“This is going to be really the first big challenge that we’re going to face on a back-to-back game,” Raab said. “The guys aren’t going to get out of here until 11:00 at night, and we have a game at 12:30. It’s a quick turnaround, but I have faith in these guys. I know we’re going to come come out and give the fans a show and try to get a win for them.”
