Watertown Offense Erupts, but Zydeco Clinch Playoff Spot Despite 7-3 Loss

Baton Rouge, LA – The Baton Rouge Zydeco entered Saturday night with their postseason hopes hanging in the balance, and while they ran into a red-hot Watertown Wolves squad, fate would swing their way thanks to a little help from Columbus.

The Wolves came out flying, netting two quick goals in the opening five minutes. Former Zydeco defenseman Matthew Gordon opened the scoring for Watertown just 3:55 into the first, and just over a minute later, Domenic Della Civita doubled the lead on the power play. Despite the early setback, the Zydeco showed resilience as Elijah Wilson found the back of the net in the second, pulling Baton Rouge within one. Dmitry Kuznetsov would add another to keep the game within reach, but Watertown's offense proved too much to handle.

Davide Gaeta completed a hat trick for the Wolves, scoring in each period, and Trevor Lord chipped in two of his own, including the empty net dagger in the final seconds. Chase DiBari and Trevor Grasby each tallied four assists in a dominant showing for the home side.

While the scoreboard wasn't in Baton Rouge's favor, the bigger win came off the ice. With the Monroe Moccasins falling 4-2 to the Columbus River Dragons, the Zydeco officially clinched a spot in the postseason for the first time in franchise history. Playoff hockey is coming to Baton Rouge.

Between the pipes, it was a tough night for Bailey Stephens, who turned aside 24 of 30 shots, seeing his record dip to 11-6-3. On the other end, former Zydeco netminder Breandan Colgan stood tall with 44 saves on 47 shots, good for a .971 save percentage, improving his record to 17-13-3.

Despite the loss, Baton Rouge’s playoff dreams are now a reality. The final week of the regular season will determine their seeding, but the Zydeco are officially in.