Cotton Kings Game Day Preview vs. Odessa

November 8, 2005 - National Women's Basketball League (NWBL)
Lubbock Hawks News Release


11/8/05 - ODESSA JACKALOPES (2-2-2) @ LUBBOCK COTTON KINGS (3-5-0) - 11:00 AM LUBBOCK MUNICIPAL COLISEUM

FOR THE KIDS

Today's contest is for the kids... and for first place. The Lubbock Cotton Kings will host the Odessa Jackalopes this afternoon and treat area school kids to a regular season contest that has first place on the line. The Cotton Kings and Jackalopes enter the game in a tie atop the Southwest Division standings, and today's winner will obtain sole possession of first place in the young season. The game closes out a span of four games in five nights for the Kings. Odessa only played one game on the weekend, as they lost in a shootout Saturday night in Rio Grande Valley.

THE SERIES

The two clubs will meet for the second time this season and for the 60th meeting all-time. Odessa defeated the Kings 4-0 in the series opener earlier this season to take a 1-0-0 series lead, with Sebastien Thinel leading the way with 2 points (1g,1a). Lubbock is 21-33-5 all-time against the Jacks', while Odessa is 38-18-3 against the Kings in the all-time series. Odessa's Scott Hillman is the all-time series scoring leader with 8 goals and 38 assists for 46 points. Jan Melichercik is the Cotton Kings all-time leader in scoring against Odessa with 33 points (15g,18a).

THE LAST TIME

10/28/05 - Mike Gorman treated 2,878 fans in attendance at the Ector County Coliseum to a 4-0 shutout victory in net over the Lubbock Cotton Kings by stopping all 37 shots in the Jackalopes home opener of the 2005/2006 season.

After a scoreless first period in which the Jackalopes out-shot the Cotton Kings 11-9, Adam Loncan scored his first goal of the season to give the Odessa Jacklopes a 1-0 lead 1:44 into the second period. Loncan was able to get control of a rebound from a shot by John Kozuris and tip it past Kings goaltender Lance Leslie for the only goal of the period. Lubbock was fortunate to trail by just one goal after surviving a five-on-three Jackalopes power play advantage for a span of 1:27.

The Kings would receive power play opportunities of their own in the third period and would out-shoot the Jackalopes 20-7 in the frame, but could not get anything past Gorman, and the frustration began to show. Trailing 2-0 after a goal by Matt Cressman, Mike Carter jumped out of the penalty box as his penalty expired and joined Sebastien Thinel to began a two-on-one rush, which Thinel took in himself and beat Leslie on the glove side to build a 3-0 lead with 9:02 remaining. Jackalopes giant Jeff Ewasko, who stands 6'7" scored on the very next Jackalopes rush 45-seconds later to tally the game's final marker.

The shutout by Gorman, which was his 13th of his career and his 11th as a member of the Jackalopes, was only his second against the Cotton Kings. It was the first time the Cotton Kings have gone scoreless in 12 games, carrying over from last season after losing 3-0 to Laredo on March 1st.

ROSTER CHANGES

Lubbock is without the services of forwards Justin Chwedoruk, Paul Fioroni and Aaron Goldade, who are each on the 14-Day IR. They have added forward Mike Brolsma this morning in time for the contest.

STANDINGS

Kings - 6 points, tied - 1st place, Southwest Division.

Jackalopes - 6 points, tied - 1st place, Southeast Division.

TEAM LEADERS

Kings - Nolan Graham 9 points; Nolan Graham 6 goals; Bobby Brown 5 assists; Matt Macdonald 22 penalty minutes.

Jackalopes - Several tied with 9 points; Sebastien Thinel 6 goals; Dominic Leveille 8 assists; Jeff Ewasko 36 penalty minutes.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Kings - Power play: 18.6% 4th, Penalty killing: 80.4% 12th.

Jackalopes - 10.9% 14th, Penalty killing: 87.0% 6th.

GOALTENDERS

Kings - Lance Leslie (3-4-0, 0 SO, 3.01), Brett Koscielny (0-1-0, 0 SO, 5.11).

Jackalopes - Mike Gorman (2-1-1, 1 SO, 2.94), Eric Pfligler (0-1-1, 0 SO, 4.81)

WHAT'S NEXT

Lubbock - Friday, November 11th 7:00 PM @ Odessa Jackalopes Ector County Coliseum

Odessa - Friday, November 11th 7:00 PM vs. Lubbock Cotton Kings Ector County Coliseum



National Women's Basketball League Stories from November 8, 2005


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