Brown, Kettles help IceGators finish road trip strong

March 2, 2003 - ECHL (ECHL)
Louisiana IceGators News Release


Peoria, IL – Bobby Brown scored two goals and Kyle Kettles turned aside 37 shots, as the IceGators snapped their three-game winless streak with a hard-fought 3-1 victory over the Peoria Rivermen at Carver Arena, Louisiana's first regular-season win in Peoria since December 13, 1996. Rod Sarich scored his second goal in three games for Louisiana, which finished its four-game road trip 1-2-1 and moves back within one point of first-place Mississippi. The IceGators return to the Cajundome on Friday to play host to third-place Pensacola at 7:05 p.m.

Duane Derksen made 26 saves for Peoria, which had its eight-game unbeaten streak (6-0-2) snapped. The Rivermen, who dropped three points behind Northwest Division and ECHL points leader Toledo, suffered just their fifth home regulation loss this season.

Kettles, coming off a 47-save performance last night in a 2-1 loss in Toledo, stopped 11 shots in the first period, 14 in the second and 12 in the third, allowing just a Lauri Kinos power play goal with 5:44 remaining in regulation. The rookie helped Louisiana avenge a 4-3 loss to Peoria at Carver Arena on Friday.

The IceGators grabbed their first lead since Wednesday just 3:37 into the game. Nathan Rempel curled between the circles and fed a wide open Brown at the doorstep. Brown tapped the puck under Derksen's pads, extending his career-high goal total to 32.

Louisiana, which yielded a pair of power play goals in each of the last two games, got into early penalty trouble. Roughing penalties to Semir Ben-Amor and Cal Benazic 61 seconds apart led to a Peoria 5-on-3 attempt, but the IceGators held their own.

The IceGators got a 5-on-3 of their own for 1:25 midway through the period, but couldn't score. Derksen stoned Casey Kesselring from a tough angle down low, then swallowed up a Benazic shot from the point.

Peoria kept up the pressure in the final eight minutes of the first, but Kettles was unwavering – turning aside all 11 shots sent his way in the opening 20 minutes.

The Rivermen went on an early five-minute power play in the second period when IceGators enforcer Derek Boogaard took down Alexander Zinevych. Boogaard was given a major for kneeing and a game misconduct. Louisiana did get two minutes shaved off the penalty kill when Kinos was whistled for holding Ben-Amor.

With seven minutes left in the period and the teams 4-on-4, Mike Nelson skated in alone on Kettles, who stopped the former Columbus Cottonmouth.

Two minutes later, Jeff Worlton, playing forward with Boogaard out of the lineup, sprung Ben-Amor on a breakaway with a nice pass, but Derksen made the save.

Peoria had two golden chances with Rempel in the penalty box with less than a minute left in the second period, twice sending shots wide and fooling even the goal judge.

Randy Rowe pushed the puck wide of an empty net, and the goal light actually went on as Rowe shot it wide. Just before the period ended, Peoria again sent one wide as the light came on.

The game's only fight was an epic battle with 4:03 gone in the third, as Shawn Skiehar tussled with Peoria toughman Anthony Belza (219 penalty minutes). Skiehar landed several good rights during the fight, and Belza battled back.

McNeil had a good opportunity to push Louisiana's lead to two goals five minutes into the third, but Derksen stopped his redirection of a Brown shot.

Brown's second goal, with 8:02 left, made it a 2-0 lead. With the teams 4-on-4 after a high-sticking call to Bret DeCecco negated a Peoria power play, a streaking Brown took a cross-ice pass from McNeil and deposited the puck past Derksen for his 33rd goal of the season.

Peoria got back within one with 5:44 left, just 10 seconds after Kenny Corupe was called for cross-checking. Kinos ripped a shot from the point that just slipped inside the post past a screened Kettles. The goal was Kinos' first in 20 games this season.

Louisiana went back on the power play with four minutes left, as Corupe was taken down on a partial breakaway. Behind the play, Peoria's Brad Voth tomahawked J.P. Morin, with each player picking up high-sticking minors. Derksen helped keep Peoria in the game as he gloved a low Rempel offering.

Sarich, though, finished off Peoria with 1:17 left, intercepting an errant pass, skating into the Rivermen zone and firing a shot from the left circle past Derksen. The tally was the All-Star rookie's fifth of the season and second in three games.

The IceGators, who had yielded four power play goals on 13 chances the last two nights, killed off eight-of-nine Peoria power play opportunities. Louisiana finished 1-for-8 on the power play, and the IceGators are 1-for-16 with the man advantage in the last three games.

Gator Bites:

Rempel has two points, both assists, in his last nine games.

Brown has 14 goals in his last 13 games. He also has seven multi-goal games in the last 10 contests.

Bartek has at least one assist and point in each of his first five games with the IceGators, tied with Reading's Brian McCullough for the longest current assist streak in the ECHL.

Boogaard picked up 17 penalty minutes and has at least one penalty in each of his last 13 road games.

Kettles' 47-save performance in a 2-1 loss last night in Toledo was made to look even better today, when Toledo pelted Wheeling and former IceGator Mike Valley 8-3.

The IceGators avoided their first back-to-back losses in March under Dave Farrish.

Bartek left the game in the second period with an injury, while Chris Taliercio exited in the third after taking a big hit from a pair of Rivermen. With Boogaard out of the game, the IceGators ended with seven healthy forwards, including several stretches with six when a player was in the penalty box.

Peoria has now trailed after two periods just eight times at home, and has still won five of those games.

The IceGators improved to 24-1-3 when leading after two periods.

The teams, who are ranked No. 1 and 2 in the ECHL in penalty minutes, combined for 82 PIM's. They combined for just 30 in Friday's meeting.

Louisiana is 7-1-1 when Brown has two or more goals, including a 3-0-0 road mark. Brown has nine multi-goal games, three more than each McNeil and Rempel for the team lead.

The IceGators had lost four straight regular-season games in Peoria since the victory in 1996.



ECHL Stories from March 2, 2003


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