Camp Patriots claim bragging rights on Benning's home ice

By Brittany S. SmithJanuary 13, 2015

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Camp Patriots, a club team from Fort Bragg, North Carolina, took on the Fort Benning hockey team during Military Appreciation Night, hosted by the Columbus Cottonmouths, winning 2-1, Jan. 10 at the Columbus Civic Center. Patriots' Brian Rutz taps the... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

FORT BENNING, Ga., (Jan. 14, 2015) -- The Fort Benning hockey team couldn't take advantage of two power-play opportunities in a 2-1 loss to the Camp Patriots club team during Military Appreciation Night hosted by the Columbus Cottonmouths Jan. 10 at the Columbus Civic Center.

After a scoreless 15-minute first period, the Patriots, who are made up of Soldiers and contractors from Fort Bragg, North Carolina, added their first goal midway through the second period when Brian Rutz took advantage of the lingering puck and tapped the offensive rebound in making the score 1-0.

Fort Benning and Cottonmouths head coach Jerome Bechard said from where he and the other players were sitting it looked like the first save was made and didn't realize the Patriots ended up tapping the rebound in.

"It ended up being a pretty easy goal for them," he said.

At intermission, adjustments were made to Benning's strategy.

"I told the guys we need to spread out in the offensive zone," Bechard said. "Once we get in there ... we attack, (but) if we don't have anything, I asked the guys with the puck to stop and pull up ... and circle back. When we circle back, that brings a couple of people to them ... trying to spread the defensive team out. I thought we kind of did that going into the third period a little bit better, but we didn't get rewarded for it."

Both teams incurred two, two-minute penalties with the Patriots scoring on their only power-play at the top of the third.

Rutz contributed the second Patriot goal with 13:35 remaining in the period and extended their lead to 2-0.

"The ... penalty we got scored on ... was a questionable call," Bechard said.

He said they were playing contact and it was questionable who contacted who, but that's the decision the referee made and they had to play with it.

Benning wasn't able to seize the opportunity of two power-plays - one, late in the second period and the other in the third.

"I am thinking we were trying to be a little bit too pretty as far as making an extra pass," Bechard said. "On a power play you obviously got an extra guy on the ice ... you almost tend to relax a little bit. That's when you have to be even more intense and use that intensity to get going and work even harder with that extra guy."

He said they just didn't capitalize.

With less than four minutes remaining in the game Ryan McWilliams put Benning on the scoreboard with a failed save attempt by Patriots goalie Frederick Frank finalizing the score 2-1.

Bechard said in those last few minutes, their intensity level went up because time was running out.

"For the better part of the last ... minutes we kept the puck in their end and we started putting shots at the net ... from everywhere," he said. "We got some really good opportunities, but we ran out of time. If we had another couple of minutes I think we would have scored that second goal and tied up.

"I thought for a better part of the game, we outplayed (them) and carried most of the play. Most of the time was spent in (the Patriots) end. I don't think (they) had any really sustained pressure."

Bechard said in the past, the teams usually win on their home ice; however, the Patriots have the bragging rights now.

To throw a wrench in the mix, a handful of Benning players were on loan to the Patriots team.

Benning's general manager, Spencer Folds, said the Patriots were short a complete line.

With the anticipation they would get tired in the end, Folds said, and wanting to give the audience a great game, some of Benning's players played on their side.

"(The Patriots) brought a great squad down this year," he said. "We had several attempts at the goal, but could not find the gaps to put them in the net. It's time to regroup and get ready to travel to Fayetteville with a chip on our shoulders."

Followed by their game, the Cottonmouths won their game 3-2 against the Fayetteville, North Carolina, FireAntz.

They are now one point ahead of the FireAntz and are in fifth place.

Bechard said these games were a small token of what they can do to provide a great atmosphere to the audience, and to acknowledge and show appreciation to the military.