Boyko ties goals, points lead, Marksmen down Mayhem 4-1

Macon, Ga. – Simon Boyko extended his point streak to 10-games with a goal and two assists, leading the Fayetteville Marksmen to a 4-1 win over the Mayhem and taking control of the SPHL points lead Saturday at the Macon Coliseum. 

The Marksmen jumped onto the score sheet early, and got a powerplay goal for the second time in as many nights just five minutes and three seconds in. Boyko (9) worked the puck free from behind the offensive net to Nick Parody (3) at the point. Parody then played catch with Max Johnson, who scored his ninth of the season. Macon handedly outshot Fayetteville through 20 minutes, 17-9, but the Marksmen took their 1-0 lead into the second frame. 

The scoring continued for Fayetteville near the halfway point of the middle period, starting with Cam Cook’s seventh at 8:25. Cook scored in front after catching a puck while facing the blueline and spinning around to finish off the play from Boyko (10) and Parody (4). Less than two minutes later, Boyko (12) scored a cross-crease, one-time goal from Tyler Barrow (2) to make it a 3-0 game. Matt Araujo (7) began the play from his own zone, leading to the goal at 10:10. Macon found the back of the net off a broken play with seven minutes left in the stanza, but Fayetteville held its lead into the third, despite being outshot 37-12. 

Neither club would score until the late stages of the final frame, when Fayetteville added to its lead. Grant Loven (10) entered the zone on the near side and dished to Anthony Yurkins (5) streaking in down the middle, before Dalton Hunter (4) finished the play with 1:58 left. The Marksmen locked things down defensively and killed off nearly 90 seconds of a 5-on-3 to end the game. Ryan Kenny notched 43 saves in his fifth win of the season. 

With the 3-point performance, Boyko matched Quad City’s Matt Ustaski (12 goals) and Leif Mattson (22 points) for SPHL leads in goals and points. 

The Marksmen will return to action Friday, December 22 for Decades Night at the Crown Coliseum against the Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs. The first 750 kids aged 12 and under will receive a youth jersey courtesy of Lee Hyundai, the Crown Coliseum and Window World. 

Single-game tickets to Decades Night and all 2023-24 Marksmen home games are available at marksmenhockey.com.