O’Brien secures shutout, Reapers dispatch Mayhem 3-0 

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. – Conor O’Brien stopped all 18 shots he faced and the Carolina Reapers controlled play for a 60-minute effort to beat the Macon Mayhem 3-0 for the team’s third straight win at the Crown Coliseum Wednesday. 

Neither side could find the back of the net through 20 minutes, but not for a lack of trying. Carolina went back to the locker room outshooting Macon 20-5, but the Mayhem netminder turned them all aside. 

The Reapers jumped ahead to a 1-0 lead 6:39 into the second frame when Simon Boyko (6) tipped in a Cam Cook (8) shot for his second goal of the season against his brother Josh. Matt Araujo (3) helped set up the play with a zone keep-in. Just 15 seconds later, Dalton Hunter (9) sent a puck back to Soper (9) at the point, and the defenseman let it fly. Tyler Kobryn (7) tipped it in to give Carolina a quick 2-goal lead over the Mayhem. Before the end of the frame, Billy Jerry (3) extended the home team’s lead to 3-0 with a shorthanded goal from Araujo (4) with under four left in the period. The Reapers continued their dominance over the Mayhem and finished the second period with 37 shots on goal. 

The Reapers netminder stopped all eight shots in the third period, and the team played strong defense to finish the game off in commanding fashion. In total, Carolina peppered the Macon net with a season-high 54 shots compared to the Mayhem’s 18. 

The Fayetteville Marksmen will take a trip to Roanoke for a matchup with the Rail Yard Dawgs Friday before hosting Hockey in Fayetteville Night at the Crown Coliseum December 2. 

Single-game tickets for all 2023-24 Marksmen home games can be purchased at marksmenhockey.com.