FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. – Tyler Kobryn scored the game-winning goal past the halfway point of the first period to secure the first Fayetteville Marksmen win of the 2023-24 season, and the 500th in franchise history just past the halfway point of the first period Friday against the Macon Mayhem.

Fayetteville hockey has been part of the SPHL since 2004, and has taken the ice as the Marksmen since 2017. Fayetteville has earned 93 of its wins against the Mayhem franchise, more than any other opponent.

Friday’s win also marks the first professional hockey win as a full-time head coach for Ryan Cruthers, who manned the bench for the Marksmen on an interim basis for 2 games in 2017 (1-0-1).

The action started quickly as Dalton Hunter (1) scored his first goal of the season just 72 seconds into the game from Ryan Lieth (1) and Cameron Cook (1), who was playing in his first game as a Marksmen after being acquired from Evansville. Cook snatched the puck along the near-side wall and fed it to Lieth drifting actoss the top of the slot. Lieth continued the play to the right circle, where Hunter slung in his fourth SPHL goal. Kobryn notched the eventual game-winning goal just over 10 minutes later when he powered the puck into the zone from the left side, sent a shot in and buried his own rebound from the slot at 10:16 of the period. Nick Parody (1) recorded his first professional point on the play, and Grant Loven (1) also assisted in setting up the historic goal.  Netminder Conor O’Brien turned aside 11 shots in the frame, and the visitors skated into the first intermission up 2-0.

The second period would begin a slew of penalties for Fayetteville, and the penalty kill went to work 78 seconds into the frame and killed off the first of three in the stanza. With 63 seconds left, Simon Boyko (1) caught a touchdown pass, that spanned d-zone to blueline, from Connor Fedorek (1) before skating in to take two cracks at the net, making a 3-0 game. Kyle Soper (1) was credited for the secondary assist on Boyko’s goal. Fayetteville’s solid goaltending continued, and O’Brien led the team into the break with 23 saves.

Macon found the back of the net on the powerplay for the only goal in the third period, but Fayetteville held on, getting the edge in shots 37-33 and securing the milestone win.

Soper and Boyko both played for the Mayhem before joining Fayetteville, and Boyko’s brother Josh was in net for Macon.

The Marksmen and Mayhem will play again from Macon, Saturday, October 28, at 6:30 p.m. For all team updates, including live scores, follow the Marksmen on social media.