Cox’s Hat Trick Leads the Way as Zydeco Stay Hot Against the Moccs

Baton Rouge, LA – With the playoffs just around the corner and home ice still up for grabs, the Baton Rouge Zydeco kept the pressure on with a convincing 5-2 road win over the Monroe Moccasins on Friday night. Fueled by a dominant performance from Jake Cox and another stellar showing from Sammy Bernard, the Zydeco took care of business in a statement victory.

The night didn’t start in their favor, though. Monroe struck first just over a minute into the game, but Baton Rouge quickly flipped the switch. Jake Cox knotted things up with a power play marker midway through the first, and from there the Zydeco rolled. Ross Bartlett gave Baton Rouge the lead at 16:48, and just 31 seconds later, Cox buried his second of the night to make it 3-1.

Monroe tried to claw back in the second with a shorthanded tally from Kevin Szabad, but Elijah Wilson answered the bell with a slick finish late in the frame to push the lead to 4-2. Then, just 26 seconds into the third, Cox completed his second hat trick of the season—this one coming shorthanded—to put the game out of reach.

Ross Bartlett continued his impressive run since joining Baton Rouge, picking up a goal and an assist to bring his total to five points in just four games. Scott Shorrock quietly racked up two more assists, and Elijah Wilson stayed hot as the Zydeco’s forward group continues to fire on all cylinders.

In net, Sammy Bernard was a brick wall. The veteran goaltender turned aside 49 shots for a .951 save percentage, improving his record to 21-12-2 on the year. On the other side, Sean Kuhn did what he could for Monroe, making 38 saves but taking the loss as his record dropped to 13-14-5.

With this win, the Zydeco keep their home ice hopes alive for the play-in round. They’ll look to close out the weekend strong tomorrow night and Saturday when they head to Mississippi to face the Sea Wolves in a pivotal matchup, both at 7:05PM CT.