COLUMBUS, Ga. - The Columbus Cottonmouths went 1-1-0 last weekend in two games at the Snake Pit, defeating Louisiana 4-1 on Friday night but falling to Huntsville 5-2 on Saturday. The Snakes face their first three games in three nights stretch of the season this week, with a Thanksgiving night contest against Pensacola, a trip to Fayetteville on Friday, and a home game against Mississippi on Saturday. Both Pensacola and Mississippi will be making their SPHL debut appearances at the Snake Pit. All three games will be broadcast on B2 Networks with both a video and audio feed, with a nominal fee for each game. A free audio-only broadcast of the games is also available. Details can be found at www.cottonmouths.com.
CURRENT RECORDS AND STATS
Last Week: 1-1-0
Record: 5-5-0, 10 pts (6th Place, SPHL)
29 GF, 26 GA
21.1% PP (3rd, SPHL); 87.5% PK (2nd, SPHL)
LAST WEEK'S TRANSACTIONS
11/22 - Loaned D Tim Hockley and F Levi Lind to South Carolina (ECHL)
UPCOMING GAMES AND PROMOTIONS
Thursday, November 26 - Pensacola at Columbus, 7:30 PM EST (Season Series vs. PEN: 1-0-0)
The Pensacola Ice Flyers make their first-ever visit to the Columbus Civic Center on Thanksgiving night. The game marks a homecoming for Lorne Misita, one of the three veteran players on the Pensacola roster. Other notable faces on the Ice Flyers' roster include former Fayetteville netminder Chad Collins, former Knoxville and Jacksonville forward Chris Rebernik, and former Huntsville and Richmond forward Trevor Karasiewicz. Columbus defeated the Ice Flyers 7-4 in Pensacola on November 7 in the only meeting between the two teams this season.
PROMOTIONS: Dollar Days! $1 hotdogs, popcorn, nachos and soda, and $2 draft beer; Georgia Lottery Night; Canned Food Drive
Friday, November 27 - Columbus at Fayetteville, 7:35 PM EST (Season Series vs. FAY: 1-1-0)
Sandwiched between the two home games this week is a visit to the Crown Coliseum to face the Fayetteville FireAntz, the first of six meetings this season between the Snakes and 'Antz in Fayetteville. It marks the first time the two teams have faced each other since they split a pair of games on opening weekend in the Snake Pit, with a 4-1 Columbus win on October 23 and a 4-3 FireAntz victory on October 24.
Saturday, November 28 - Mississippi at Columbus, 7:30 PM EST (Season Series vs. MIS: 0-1-0)
The Mississippi Surge make their Snake Pit debut on Saturday night in their matchup with the Cottonmouths. Former Cottonmouths Daryl Moor and Ryan Senft will make their first appearance in Columbus wearing Surge
sweaters. The Snakes will look to avenge Senft's shutout effort over the Snakes (and the only shutout in the SPHL this season to date) in the lone meeting between the two teams this season, a 1-0 win for the Surge on November 13 in Biloxi.
PROMOTIONS: Fight Night with UFC's Forrest Griffin and Alex Karalexis. Special Fight Night jerseys will be worn and auctioned following the game; Meet and Greet tickets are still available in very limited quantities.
COTTONMOUTHS WEEK IN REVIEW
Friday, November 20 - Lousiana 1 at Columbus 4 (Attendance: 2,326)
Levi Lind's natural hat trick in the first period brought the Snakes' scoring drought to a welcome end as Columbus defeated Louisiana 4-1 at the Civic Center last night. Tyler Johnson scored a third period goal right after a Snakes power play expired to cap the scoring for Columbus. Lind had a hand in each of the four goals as he also assisted on Johnson's marker, and Jesse Cole logged three assists on the night. Ian Vigier turned in his second straight one goal allowed, 34-save performance for the Cottonmouths, which allowed him to leapfrog Huntsville's Mark Sibbald for the SPHL lead among goaltenders with a1.83 goals-against average on the season. Columbus threw a season-high 50 shots on goal at IceGators goaltender A.J. Bucchino, who played admirably in the losing effort, stopping 46 shots. Columbus was 2 for 6 on the power play while Louisiana went 1 for 5 with the man advantage.
Saturday, November 21 - Huntsville 5 at Columbus 2 (Attendance: 2,213)
After the two teams traded goals in the first two periods, the Havoc broke away with three goals in an 81-second span in the middle of the third period to defeat Columbus 5-2 on Saturday night. Levi Lind scored his fourth goal in two games and also assisted on the other marker, scored by Jeff Martens. Martens also assisted on Lind's goal for a two-point night of his own. The Snakes outshot Huntsville 35-33 in the game as goaltender Mark Sibbald stopped 33 of 35 for the Havoc and Chad Rycroft had 28 saves in net for the Cottonmouths. The Havoc were 2 for 4 on the power play while Columbus was 1 for 7 with the man advantage.
THREE STARS OF THE WEEK
1. F Levi Lind - Lind had a hand in each of the six goals the Cottonmouths scored this weekend, scoring four goals himself, including a natural hat trick on Friday night, and assisting on the two goals he did not score.
2. F Jesse Cole - Cole enjoyed a four-point week despite not lighting the lamp, tallying three assists on Friday night and scoring another helper in Saturday night's contest.
3. G Ian Vigier - Vigier stopped all but one shot on goal thrown his way on Friday night, logging 34 saves in the Snakes' 4-1 defeat over Louisiana.
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