Blades Fall in Shootout

Published on February 23, 2003 under ECHL (ECHL)
Arkansas RiverBlades News Release


Buddy Smith racked up three assists, and Eric Long added a goal and an assist, but the Arkansas RiverBlades fell 4-3 in a shootout to the Baton Rouge Kingfish Sunday at Alltel Arena.

Smith's three points gives him 81 on the year, tying the RiverBlades' team record for most points in a season, set by Mark Cadotte in 2000-2001.

Team captain Eric Long opened up the scoring at 6:37 of the first, assisted by Smith on the power-play.

Baton Rouge would later tie it on the man advantage, as Mike Kiesman snuck in his 6th of the season from Chris Bell and Jason Norrie just as Mike Cirillo's roughing penalty was expiring.

In the second, in a strange turn of events, Marquis Mathieu was credited with a goal at 6:58 to give Baton Rouge a 2-1 lead. Terry Marchant was down in front of the crease, and with goalie Scott Fankhouser lunging at the puck, Marchant attempted to play the puck with his hand, but instead, the plan backfired and the puck wound up in the net.

Moments later, Marquis Mathieu struck again, this time setting up Sam Paquet for his 11th of the year on a 2-on-1 break shorthanded.

However, Terry Marchant made amends at 14:26, as he lit the lamp with his 18th of the campaign assisted by Buddy Smith to cut the lead to 3-2.

Then, late in the period, Matt Pagnutti boomed home a laser from the point on the power-play to tie it 3-3 at 18:38. Eric Long and Buddy Smith had helpers on Pagnutti's 13th of the season.

There was no scoring in the third period or in the sudden-death overtime, so that led to a shootout. In the shootout, Mike Cirillo scored for Arkansas, but both Mike Martinello and Joe Guenther scored for Baton Rouge, giving the Kingfish the win in their last visit to the Alltel Arena this season.

Scott Fankhouser made 30 saves, and stopped 4 of 6 in the shootout, but got the tough loss. Niklas Sundberg stopped 36 RiverBlade shots and 5 of 6 in the shootout to clinch the victory.

Arkansas outshot Baton Rouge 39-33 for the game, and was 2-for-5 on the power-play. The Kingfish were 1-for-4.

The same two teams meet in Baton Rouge Wednesday, and then the RiverBlades return home Thursday to host the Pensacola Ice Pilots on "'70's College Night" at the Alltel Arena. Faceoff is set for 7:05 p.m.

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