JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Jacksonville Icemen rookie goalie Matt Vernon posted his first playoff shutout, leading to a 4-0 victory over the Florida Everblades in the first game of the first round of the Kelly Cup Playoffs.
This was Vernon's first postseason start, and he made a crucial 28 saves.
"You know he's going to get the job done. He competes hard; he's quick. He made some big saves especially in the second. I thought as a group we did a good job defending, especially in the middle of the ice, so just have to keep building off of that," said Nick Luukko, Icemen head coach.
The Icemen took advantage of their power plays, scoring three special teams' goals and one short-handed goal.
"Special teams is key this time of year. You're not going to get many power plays, and for us to have three power play goals and a short-handed goal is unbelievable," said Luukko.
The Icemen will host the Everblades in game two of the series on Sunday, April 21 at 3 p.m. at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena.