Lobsters’ Streak Snapped

Lobsters’ Streak Snapped by Columbus

COLUMBUS, GA. - The Athens Rock Lobsters fell 8-4 Saturday night to the Columbus River Dragons in the Columbus Civic Center, snapping the team’s eight-game winning streak.

Tyler Barrow started the scoring on the power-play for the second-straight night, finding the breakthrough with 11:04 gone in the contest.

The lead was short lived, as Brandon Picard finished off an odd-man rush with his first goal of the 2025-26 campaign. 

Just 10 seconds later, the hosts recaptured the advantage through a Chiwetin Blacksmith breakaway and doubled the lead  through Kevin Szabad three minutes later.

The overtime winner from last night, Eric Neiley drew Athens back within one with yet another wicked release. The first five goals of the game were scored in a span of roughly five minutes. 

Joe Mack, having fed Picard on a rush earlier on in the period, finished off a shorthanded break to tie the game at 3-3 before the first intermission.

The Rock Lobsters lost valuable pieces in Neiley and Luke Croucher to the locker room in the second period and were reduced to seven forwards and five defensemen. 

Columbus used a lack of luck for the visitors to its advantage, scoring through Barrow and Ryan Hunter in the 2nd period to take a 5-3 lead into the third.

Athens never let up and sought out the momentum at the start of the third, as Mack’s spinning beauty of a goal cut the deficit to one again 1:19 into the third period.

But more knocks reared their ugly head for the Rock Lobsters in the third period, losing Picard and Jack Johansen. The Rock Lobsters were depleted to 10 skaters. 

The visitors brought the fight, but it wasn’t enough as Columbus scored an even-strength goal and two empty netters to complete its first win against Athens this season.

The Rock Lobsters (14-3-4-0, 50 pts) travel to Florence, SC to take on the Pee Dee IceCats on Boxing Day, Dec. 26. Puck drops on the home-and-home opener at 7:15 p.m.