Early deficit sinks Elmira in 4-3 loss

January 11, 2008 - ECHL (ECHL)
Elmira Jackals News Release


A 2-0 deficit less than four minutes into play proved to be too much to overcome as the Elmira Jackals dropped a 4-3 decision to the Johnstown Chiefs Friday night in front of 3,389 fans at First Arena. The loss left the Jackals two points behind idle Cincinnati with the clubs set to face off tomorrow night in Elmira.

The Chiefs parlayed their first two shots on goal into a 2-0 advantage as Ryan Garlock's left wing drive surprised Jackals goaltender Joel Martin (18 saves) and slipped over his glove hand to get the visitors rolling just 2:54 into the game.

Just thirty-two seconds later, Patrick Levesque's centering attempt clipped off of Martin and into the cage for a margin that would see the Jackals playing from behind the rest of the night.

Garlock would extend the Chiefs' lead to 3-0 with a shorthanded goal forty seconds into the middle period for Johnstown's biggest lead of the contest.

The Jackals came back with a shorthanded strike of their own to get the home crowd into the game at the 5:47 mark of the second period.

Jim McKenzie blocked a drive in the high slot and picked up the bounding puck in the neutral zone. Accelerating past the defense, McKenzie deked Chiefs netminder Ryan Nie (29 saves) to the ice before tucking home a backhander for his fourth of the year to make it 3-1.

Trailing by two heading into the final period, Pierre-Luc Faubert poked home a rebound at 3:37 of the third to pull the Jackals o within 3-2.

Quick answers to enemy goals had been a recent trademark of Elmira, but it was Johnstown that regained their two-goal cushion just forty-two seconds later as Andrew Martens field a shot off of the goal post and put home his fourth of the year to move the Chiefs on top 4-2.

Dan Kronick took 1:12 to again get Elmira with one when he muscled a wrister through the legs of Nie from the left face-off dot for a 4-3 reading. Over fourteen minutes remained at that point, but the scoring was complete and the sixth place Chiefs left town with their second win as many tries at First Arena this season.

Both clubs were scoreless in eight power play chances with each getting a shorthanded goal.

The loss was Elmira's second consecutive on home ice, a first this season, and only the third time the club has lost back-to-back games in the first half of the season.

The Jackals return to action Saturday night against the Cincinnati Cyclones in a 7:35 face-off at the First Arena. Good seats remain and can be purchased on-line at www.ticketmaster.com, charge-by-phone at 722-3711, or at the Gray Street box office - First Arena beginning at 10 a.m. Saturday morning.

Radio coverage on MAGIC-FM (92.7/97.7) begins with the Hill Top Countdown to Face-Off at 7:05 p.m. with the Voice of the Jackals, Grady Whittenburg.



ECHL Stories from January 11, 2008


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