Fayetteville Exacts Revenge
The Mayhem put themselves in a strong position when they swept the Fayetteville Marksmen on home ice two weeks ago. Doing so separated them from much of the pack and launched them to a five-point advantage over the Marksmen in the standings. Last weekend at Crown Coliseum, Jesse Kallechy’s squad returned the favor and snagged all four points in regulation, drawing to within a mere point of Macon in what’s become a race down to the wire.

Without question, the return of goaltender Nathan Perry, defenseman Brandon McMartin, and forward Brian Bowen from the ECHL remarkably improved Fayetteville’s roster. All three of them contributed to the Marksmen’s sweep in a considerable way. Point value is almost always exponentially higher this time of year, and the Mayhem still have their focus set on attaining home-ice advantage for the first round of the playoffs. Four incredibly valuable points will be on the line this weekend as the Mayhem host one of the hottest teams in the SPHL.

The Matchup
The Huntsville Havoc come to town having won six of their last seven games. Glenn DeTulleo and company have obtained a point in every one of those tilts, jolting ahead of Macon and Knoxville and into third place. Former Mayhem forward Ryan Salkeld now leads the entire SPHL in goals with 22 and has been firing on all cylinders with his line.

Only one matchup between the Mayhem and the Havoc has taken place at the Macon Centreplex this season, and it was a game the Mayhem decisively won by a 4-1 margin back on January 25th. Otherwise, Huntsville has controlled the head-to-head season series, winning three games out of four against Macon at Von Braun Center. The Mayhem are optimistic that with the amount of crucial pieces which have returned to the fold, they can snap Huntsville’s skid with the support of a Military Appreciation Weekend crowd.

Roster Enhanced
Tonight’s lineup looks drastically different than it did a week ago. Danny Cesarz will make his Mayhem debut, Stathis Soumelidis and Jake Faiella have returned from the ECHL, Alexander Taulien has returned from suspension, and Shawn Lynch and Egor Babynin have been signed to tryouts. Cesarz was a point-per-game player with Knoxville this season, Soumelidis has been a leader on Macon’s top line who has been greatly missed for months, Faiella has been a solid, top-four defenseman, Taulien has brought much needed grit and sandpaper to the lineup, and Lynch and Babynin promise to bring young talent to the forefront. Macon’s firepower has undoubtedly amplified over the past week, and it will be interesting to see how all of these moving pieces mesh throughout the coming days.
 

Military Appreciation Weekend
Military Appreciation Weekend is here! The Mayhem will be wearing specialty jerseys both tonight and tomorrow night to honor all active and retired service men and women who have defended the United States of America. Admission is $10 for active and retired military personnel who bring valid identification to the box office. Saturday’s game is also the last opportunity to purchase an Amici Family 4-Pack this season, so call the Mayhem office at (478) 803-1592 to purchase yours today! For general ticket information, click here.