In a tight, detail-heavy roller matchup, the Ice Dogs Copper outshot the Flint Tropics 30–26 but fell 4–3, undone by a third-period counterpunch and a hot goalie down the stretch.

The Dogs struck first at 1:12 of the first when Steve Silver finished a quick-touch entry from Anthony Amato and Mason Teitelman. Flint answered at 3:07 through Robert Babusci (assist Ryan Jacob), sending it 1–1 to intermission.

Early in the second, Mike Sanchez put the Dogs back on top at 1:06 off a sharp seam from Amato. The Tropics flipped the frame with two in response: Terry Jacob at 4:10, then Babusci again at 12:24 (Jacob), nudging Flint ahead 3–2 after two.

The third featured swings at both ends. Flint grabbed the eventual winner at 12:07 when George Bochanski buried a feed from Ryan Jacob. The Dogs answered with a heavy push, and AJ Nisbet pulled them within one at 14:24—off, fittingly, Amato’s third assist of the night. The final minute was a siege, but Jon Bugey held firm to close it out.

Numbers: Ice Dogs 30 shots, Tropics 26. Thomas Molloy stopped 22 (.846); Bugey turned away 27 (.900). Both sides stayed clean—no penalties assessed.

Ice Dogs notes:

• Amato drove the offense with three primary assists.

• Goals: Silver (1st), Sanchez (2nd), Nisbet (3rd).
  
  

• Sustained 5-on-5 discipline and a 12–9 shot edge in the second showed the template; the finishing touch late was all that was missing.

The Dogs get another crack to convert volume into points next time out; the structure and chance creation were there—now it’s about closing time.