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Beast of the East Take Two From Port Huron

January 2, 2007 - International Hockey League 2 (IHL 2)
Elmira Jackals News Release


Coming back from their Christmas break, the Jackals faced a three-game series with the Port Huron Flags. They opened up a two-goal lead going into the third period of Friday's game at First Arena, only to squander the advantage and have to finish off the Flags in a shootout. Saturday at McMorran Place Arena in Port Huron, the Jackals again built up a two-goal advantage in the second period. But the persistent Flags clawed back, this time taking and holding the lead for their 8th win in nine games. On Sunday Elmira pulled ahead, this time defenseman Chris Mann's 2nd goal of the season gave Elmira a 3-goal lead early in the third period, which proved to be the magic number as the Flags staged a heroic late comeback that fell short 4-3.

After collecting 4 points out of a possible six points against Port Huron, the Jackals will begin the 2007 calendar year with four games, including home games against the leaders of both conferences. Wednesday January 3rd Elmira will host the Fort Wayne Komets for a 7:05 pm face off at First Arena. This match up will be the final meeting between the Komets and Jackals during the 2006-07 regular season. Elmira heads off to Flint Friday and Saturday before returning home for a Sunday afternoon game against the East leaders Muskegon at 4:05 pm.

Week 11 Game Results:

12/29/06 Port Huron 3 @ Elmira 4 - Shootout (1-0)

Elmira, NY - The Jackals lost a two-goal lead but held on for a 4-3 shootout win over the Port Huron Flags Friday night at First Arena. The Jackals win snapped the Flags 7-game winning streak.

The Flags grabbed the lead when Greg Bullock fired in a one-timer from the low slot at 14:23 of the first period, assisted by Garett Cameron and Jeremy Tucker. The Jackals out-shot Port Huron 14-12 in the first period, but did not create many quality scoring chances.

The tables turned in the middle session as the Jackals scored three straight goals and took the lead. Elmira tied the game on David Morelli's 10th goal of the season, scored at 12:06 from Mark Scott and Dan Veenema. Tommy Kotsopoulos put the Jackals in the lead at 18:30, assisted by Scott and Morelli. Kotsopoulos added his second of the game, and 6th of the season, at 19:33 when he finished off a pass from Yevgeny Lazarev and Derek Miller, giving Elmira a 3-1 lead after two.

But the Flags fought back, Garett Cameron made it 3-2 at 4:34 of the third period, then Ryan Markham tied the game at 6:31. Both teams had chances to win the game, including Dale Lupul's shot from the point on the power play that hit the post, but this game headed to a shootout.

Jackals forward Erik Anderson scored his 5th consecutive shootout goal in the first round for Elmira and that was all Elmira needed. Goaltender Dave Lemanowicz stopped all five Port Huron shooters to earn the victory in his first home start for the Jackals.

Lemanowicz earned his 2nd win of the season as he made 28 saves on 31 shots in regulation then went 5-for-5 in the shootout as the Jackals improved to 15-14-0 on the season. Noah Ruden took the loss for Port Huron, stopping 31-of-34 in regulation and 3-of-4 in the shootout as the Flags fell to 13-14-5. Elmira was 0-for-3 on the power play, while Port Huron was 0-for-1 in the least penalized Jackals game this season.

12/30/06 Elmira 4 @ Port Huron 6

Port Huron, MI - The Elmira Jackals lost a 2-goal second period lead and Colt King scored a hat trick as the Port Huron Flags beat the Jackals 6-4 Saturday night at McMorran Place Arena.

The long overnight bus ride from Elmira to Port Huron did not sap any of the energy from the two teams after an exciting 4-3 shootout win in Elmira on Friday night. The pace and intensity of the game was high from the start as they Jackals opened the scoring in the first two minutes. Tommy Kotsopoulos scored his 3rd goal in two games at 1:44 assisted by Dan Veenema giving Elmira an early 1-0 lead. But the Flags kept plugging away and tied the game with a power play goal. Colt King scored just 12 seconds after Brent Cullaton went to the penalty box for holding. King poked in a rebound from Garett Cameron at 6:25 tying the game at one. But nine minutes later the Jackals responded with a power play goal of their own when Dale Lupul scored his 8th goal of the season on a great pass from David Morelli and Tommy Kotsopoulos. The power play goal came at 15:38 on Elmira's first man-advantage of the game. Port Huron again tied the game when an unmarked Robert Snowball took a rebound off the back boards and tapped in an open net at 16:23, assisted by Shayne Tomlinson and Colt King. But the Jackals responded almost immediately when Scott Wray fired home his team-leading15th goal of the season at 16:54, assisted by Derek Miller and Erik Anderson. The Jackals out-shot the Flags 19-13 in the opening twenty minutes.

In the second period Jackals captain Brent Cullaton scored his 9th goal of the season on the power play, assisted by Scott Wray at 7:25, giving the Jackals a 4-2 lead. After Cullaton's goal, Flags coach Stan Drulia replaced starting goalie Noah Ruden with Dustin Traylen. Elmira bombarded the net for the next few minutes, but then the Jackals ran into penalty trouble and lost their offensive momentum as they were called for three-straight minor penalties. The Flags pulled one goal back as Ryan Markham redirected at Pat Sutton shot from the point at 19:23, a power play goal, ending the 2nd period with Elmira ahead 4-3 and Port Huron out-shooting the Jackals 18-9 in the middle frame.

The third period Colt King tied the game at four when he scored his 2nd goal of the night at 10:37 of the third period, completed the Flags 2nd straight 2-goal comeback against the Jackals. King then gave Port Huron the lead as he completed his hat trick at 17:42 from Hildenbrand and Olynyk. The Flags added an empty net goal from Greg Bullock at 19:55 to seal the 6-4 come-from-behind win.

Dustin Traylen earned the win in goal for Port Huron, stopping all 12 shots he faced in 32:35 of action in relief of starter Noah Ruden. Ruden allowed 4 goals on 25 shots in a no decision. Jackals goaltender Kris Tebbs was sharp in goal, making 41 saves on 46 shots in the loss as Elmira drops back to .500, 15-15-0 on the season. Elmira was 2-for-4 on the power play, while the Flags were 2-for-8.

12/31/06 Elmira 4 @ Port Huron 3

Port Huron, MI - The Elmira Jackals almost lost a 3-goal lead, but they held on to beat the Port Huron Flags 4-3 Sunday afternoon at McMorran Place Arena.

The Jackals dodged an early bullet when the Flags had a power play goal disallowed by referee Neil Christopher for a high-stick. Shortly after it was Elmira who cashed in on their first power play of the game as Frank Littlejohn swatted in a rebound out of mid-air at 4:58, assisted by Erik Anderson and Brent Cullaton. The goal was Littlejohn's 13th goal of the season and his team-leading 6th power play goal of the year. But the Flags came back with a power play goal of their own when Mike Olynyk poked home a loose puck during a scramble in the crease at 11:48. But the Jackals pulled ahead late in the period as they grabbed back the momentum. Derek Miller sent Tommy Kotsopoulos free down the left wing and Kotspoulos would not waste his opportunity as he fired a snap shot up over the glove of goalie Dustin Traylen at 18:38, giving Elmira a 2-1 lead at the break.

After two scraps pitting Rob Chappell against Robert Snowball and Chris Mann with Pat Sutton, the Jackals would double their lead. Rookie David Morelli scored his 11th goal of the year at 10:08 assisted by Derek Miller and Yevgeny Lazarev, giving Elmira a 3-1 lead. Jackals goaltender Dave Lemanowicz stood on his head in the period, making some outstanding saves as he helped to preserve the lead.

In the third period, defenseman Chris Mann gave the Jackals a 3-goal lead when he scored his 2nd goal of the season at 3:27, assisted by Tommy Kotsopoulos. Kotsopoulos won the face off back to the point to Mann, who corralled the puck and unleashed a blazing wrist shot that zipped into the top of the goal, under the cross bar, for a 4-1 Jackals lead. But the Flags wouldn't go away as defenseman Craig Mahon slipped through the defense and scored at 15:30, cutting the Jackals lead to two goals. Another defensive lapse allowed Flags forward Bobby Kukulka to race down the right wing and he fired a back hand shot that slid into the net at 17:58. But despite pulling their goaltender for the final 1:46, the Flags failed to find the equalizing goal as the Jackals held on for a 4-3 win.

Dave Lemanowicz made 26 saves on 29 shots to earn his 3rd win of the season and 2nd win against Port Huron this week as Elmira improved to 16-15-0 on the year. Dustin Traylen took the loss, stopping 34-of-38 shots over the first 55:52 of the game, before leaving with an injury. Noah Ruden replaced the injured Traylen and made one save.

Jackals Player & Goaltender of the Week: (Week 12)

Tommy Kotsopoulos - C 3 GP, 4 goals, 2 assists, 6 points, +4, 4 PIMs

Tommy Kotsopoulos returned from a two-week stint on the injured reserve and closed out the 2006 calendar year with gusto. Kotsopoulos scored 6 points (4 goals, 2 assists) in three games this week for the Jackals, doubling his season goals output to 8 on the year. In his first game back he scored two goals in Elmira's 4-3 shootout win over the Flags on Friday night. Saturday in Port Huron he added a goal and an assist in a 6-4 defeat. Sunday Kotsopoulos finished out 2006 with two more points as the Jackals clung to a 4-3 win. Defensively he also played well, finishing in the positive during all three games and a solid +4 rating on the week.

Dave Lemanowicz - G 2 GP, 2-0-0, 3.00 GAA, 0.900 SV%, 54 saves

Dave Lemanowicz has been unbeatable since returning from a bout with pneumonia last week. He has won his last three consecutive starts, including both outings against Port Huron this week. Lemanowicz beat Port Huron on Friday night in his first home start for Elmira at First Arena. He made 28 saves on 31 shots in regulation and denied all five shooters in the shootout to earn a gutsy 4-3 victory. Sunday Lemanowicz again held off the Flags, this time in Port Huron, as he blocked 26-of-29 shots for a 4-3 win, handing the Flags their first regulation loss in their last 10 games. For the week he finished 2-0-0 with a 3.00 GAA and a 0.900 save percentage as he improved his season record to 3-1-0.

JACKAL BITES:

- GOALS GALORE - Forward Tommy Kotsopoulos returned from the IR this week with a bang. Kotsopoulos scored goals in each of the three games against Port Huron, four goals in total, doubling his season account to 8 goals. He will take his 3-game goal-scoring streak into Wednesday's showdown with Fort Wayne.

- NUMBER TWO IS SWEETER - Defenseman Chris Mann scored his 2nd goal of the season and third of his young career on Sunday against Port Huron. Not only was it his first even strength goal this year, but it was also the game-winning goal. Mann's first goal of the season also came against Port Huron, back in October and it was one of only two short-handed goals scored by a defenseman so far this season in the UHL.

- HELP ALONG THE WAY - Rookie defenseman Derek Miller had a very strong week on the Jackals blue line. Miller tallied assists in each of the Jackals three games against Port Huron, four assists total, giving him 10 assists on the season. Miller also leads the Jackals in Plus/Minus with a +8 rating.

- SPECIAL GOALS - Forward Frank Littlejohn scored a power play goal Sunday, Elmira's first goal of the game, giving him a team-leading 6 power play goals on the year. Littlejohn also leads the team with 5 short-handed goals, meaning that 11 of his 13 goals so far this season have come on specials teams play.

- SHARING THE WEALTH - The Jackals have strived this season on balancing their scoring throughout their roster. Currently 10 players in the lineup have 10 or more points, 6 players have 20 or more points and captain Brent Cullaton is tied for 8th in the UHL in scoring with 33 points so far this season.

NEWS AND NOTES:

Elmira Jackals Team Leaders:

Goals: Scott Wray (15)

Assists: Brent Cullaton (24)

Points: Brent Cullaton (33)

Plus/Minus: Derek Miller (+8)

Penalty Minutes: Curtis Tidball (176)

Power Play Goals: Frank Littlejohn (6)

Short Handed Goals: Frank Littlejohn (5)

Game Winning Goals: Frank Littlejohn (3)

Shots: Scott Wray (161)

Shooting Percentage: David Morelli (24.4%)

Saves: Kris Tebbs (769)

Wins: Kris Tebbs (11)

GAA: Dave Lemanowicz (3.02)

Save Percentage: Kris Tebbs (0.903)

Eastern Conference Standings:

EASTERN GP W L SOP PTS PCT.

Muskegon 34 29 5 0 58 0.853

Kalamazoo 33 21 10 2 44 0.667

Port Huron 34 14 15 5 33 0.485

Elmira 31 16 15 0 32 0.516

Flint 36 13 21 2 28 0.389

Coach's Show

Don't miss the next broadcast of The Elmira Jackals Coach's Show LIVE Monday January 8th at 6 pm at the Pioneer Sports Bar & Grill in Elmira. Join the Voice of the Jackals Owen Newkirk, as he interviews the Jackals Head Coach and two Jackals players for the broadcast on News Talk 1230 & 1450 AM WENY or stream it online at www.jackalshockey.com - Fans are encouraged to email their questions for any of the Coach's Show participants to jackalsinfo@jackalshockey.com no later than 3 pm on Monday before the show or they can come to the Pioneer Sports Bar & Grill to experience the Coach's Show in person.

First Arena Rec Rink Hockey Information

The ice is HOT at First Arena - Visit our website for a complete list of Public Skating times and Arena Programs at www.firstarena.com - Come in to the COOL place to be!

The First Arena Rec Rink offers public skating, skating lessons, hockey programs, figure skating, birthday parties, adult hockey leagues and much more....

Beast of the East Take Two From Port Huron; Jackals Begin 2007 By Facing Both Conference Leaders

2006-07 Record: 16-15-0, 32 points (8-6-0 Home, 8-9-0 Road), Fourth Place, Eastern Conference

Week 13 Schedule: (All games are broadcasted LIVE on MAGIC 92.7 & 97.7 FM)

Wednesday, January 3 7:05 pm vs. Fort Wayne Komets (19-10-1, 39 pts) First Place, Western Conference

Friday, January 5 7:30 pm @ Flint Generals (13-21-2, 28 pts) Fifth Place, Eastern Conference

Saturday, January 6 7:30 pm @ Flint Generals (13-21-2, 28 pts) Fifth Place, Eastern Conference

Sunday, January 7 4:05 pm vs. Muskegon Fury (29-5-0, 58 pts) First Place, Eastern Conference

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