The Savannah Ghost Pirates finished their second season in 6th place in the South Division, once again missing out on the playoffs. This season was full of new surprises, twists and turns, and fun and meaningful events that brought the city of Savannah together. The Ghost Pirates continue to develop their strength and skills as a team and will continue to fight hard for a spot in the playoffs next year.
Leader introduction:
There were a lot of skaters wearing Ghost Pirate green this year. Some of the faces were familiar from last year, some from the SGP brother-sister team in Henderson, and others from other teams in the league. Rounding out the lead in points are Logan Drevich (52), Simon Pinard (48), Brent Pederson (43), Kelty Jeri-Leon and Ross Armor (35), and Nolan Vallow (33). was. In terms of lamp-lighting leaders, the top five shooters include Pinard (24), Pederson (22), Dorevich (19), Alex Gilmore (15), and Vincent Marleau and Jordan Kaplan (14). The result was a tie. The Ghost Pirates’ offensive stats this season have shown very clean consistency between the leaders. For example, if you look at the player who took the most shots, you’ll see that 4 of the top 5 players also lead in shots and goals. Drevtic led the way with 219, followed by Pederson with 203, Geri-Leon with 148 and Pienaar with 143. In fifth place was defenseman Brandon Estes, who took 130 shots all season.
The two statistical categories that fall primarily on the defensive side are assists and PIM. Leading in assists were Logan Drevich (33), Nolan Burrow (27), Brandon Estes and Ross Armor (25), and Simon Pinard (24). Now, what most fans will find interesting is penalty time. The top four players with the most time in the box are Anthony Collins (140 hours), Joe Fleming (122 hours), team captain Matt Bodens (117 hours), and Logan Drevich (90 hours). Yes, but it’s not that surprising.
The goaltenders who guarded Savannah’s goals and played the most were Jesper Vikman, Michael Brion, and Jordan Papilny. Brion led the team in wins (15), shutouts (4), minutes played (1,753) and save percentage (.908). Papirny had eight wins and a save percentage of .881 in 1,090 minutes played. Finally, Jesper Bikman, who came to Savannah from Henderson, played 898 minutes for the Ghost Pirates, posting seven wins, including a shutout, and a save percentage of .899.
For more fun content related to Savannah players this season, stay tuned for my “Savannah’s Best”.
Opponent highlights:
The Savannah Ghost Pirates faced three different teams they had never faced before, all the same opponents in their division. The Ghost Pirates faced the Norfolk Admirals and Trois-Rivières Lions once each, winning both. They also won three games against Rapid City Rush.
When it comes to opponents Savannah is used to playing against, the Ghost Pirates have fared best against the Atlanta Gladiators and South Carolina Stingrays, with a 64% winning percentage this season. Savannah won 4 of 9 games against the Orlando Solar Bears, 3 of 14 against the Greenville Swamp Rabbits, 2 of 14 against the Jacksonville Icemen, and 12 against the Florida Everblades. Won 4 games in middle school. The new team still has a lot of work to do, but we’ve seen significant improvement from this season.
Main memorable events:
So many epic events have happened in Savannah this season. Michael Brion tied for the most shutouts this season with two other ECHL goalies. In January, they hosted the ECHL All-Star Classic. The Ghost Pirates hosted several special themed games, including Marvel Night featuring Rocket His Raccoon, Warner Bros. Night with Marvin the Martian, Hockey Fight Cancer, and Military Appreciation. Because a large portion of Savannah’s population is made up of military veterans, and Hunter Army Airfield is an important and historic local Air Force base, Military Appreciation Day is a very important event that the entire city celebrates with great importance. .
Once again, the Savannah Ghost Pirates had a great season and showed a lot of improvement in all areas, but especially in goaltending. There’s a lot to look forward to next season, especially with the possibility of making the playoffs. The Ghost Pirates have not yet qualified for the Kelly Cup Playoffs, but with how much growth they have shown as a team this season, they have a good chance of qualifying for next season.
