Beauchemin Sparks Bombers 3-1 Win In Elmira

Published on March 1, 2008 under ECHL (ECHL)
Elmira Jackals News Release


ELMIRA, NY - Rejean Beauchemin sparkled in net in making 38 saves as the Dayton Bombers got past the Elmira Jackals 3-1 Saturday night in front of 4,056 fans at First Arena, the 12th sellout of the year. The loss was the Jackals fifth in a row (0-2-1-2), matching a season-high, but they remained in second place in the North Division along with Reading, 5-3 losers to Johnstown.

A spirited first period saw little in the way of scoring, but plenty of spark after the teams each picked up just seven minors calls in Friday's shootout win by the Bombers.

Trevor Hendrikx got the scoring started with his seventh of the year as the Jackals came out buzzing, outshooting the Bombers 13-5 in the opening twenty minutes. Firing a low snapshot from the right point, the drive eluded goaltender Beauchemin on the blocker side just 1:20 into the game for a 1-0 lead.

Three seconds later off of the ensuing face-off, newcomer Yuri Moscevsky dropped the gloves with Britt Dougherty on his first shift of the game. After falling of balance early, Moscevsky rebounded to get a split decision, along with a fighting major.

The fireworks really began with a delayed penalty coming against Bobby Robins (boarding) at the 3:31 mark. With play halted, Frank Littlejohn grabbed Ryan Reid from behind and spun him down to the ice to set off a mini line brawl. Littlejohn squared up with Mike Berry while Chaz Johnson paired up with Corey LeClair.

Others had dance partners, but those two pairings were the only ones to exchange punches. Johnson finished his bout and was escorted away from the other battle still ongoing. He went to the bench for what looked to be work on stitches he picked up from a Chris Eade high stick the night before. Johnson then ended up back on the ice and was given a game misconduct for leaving the bench, a penalty that also carries an automatic five-game suspension.

Entering the game with 15 skaters, losing Johnson's 20 goals and 35 points only compounded the Jackals woes in trying to find victory for the first time in five games and for the second time in their last eleven.

Dayton tied the game after killing off the game's first power play with Chris Eade in the box for holding. As his penalty expired, Masihito Nishiwaki fired a long outlet pass onto Eade's stick. In alone on Ervins Mustukovs (23 saves), Eade went upstairs on what appeared to be a bad guess by Mustukovs who went down early and tried to stack the pads. The goal was Eade's sixth of the year and came at 6:04 to close out first period scoring.

The Bombers netted the only goal of the second period resulting from a Frank Littlejohn turnover along the boards. Ryan Smyth gathered in a loose puck and fired a shot into a crowd in front of the Elmira net. Ryan MacGregor was originally credited with the goal, but it was later given to Smyth unassisted for his 13th of the year at 10:32 for the eventual game-winner.

MacGregor would end up hitting the score sheet when he fired in his second of the season off of a Matt Beaudoin centering feed 3:57 into the final frame to close out the scoring and send the reeling Jackals to defeat for a second straight night in front of the home fans.

The Jackals will turn to a Sunday matinee against the surging Johnstown Chiefs in getting back in to the win column in a 4:05 p.m. contest at First Arena. Tickets are on sale at all Ticketmaster outlets, the Gray Street box office - First Arena, and online at www.ticketmast.com.

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ECHL Stories from March 1, 2008


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