Elmira Jackals Weekly

March 25, 2013 - ECHL (ECHL)
Elmira Jackals News Release


ELMIRA, N.Y. - March 25, 2013 - Last week the Elmira Jackals clinched their sixth consecutive Kelly Cup playoff berth thanks to three wins in four games. This week features their final three games of the season all against Atlantic Division foes.

Last Week's Record: 3-1-0

Overall Record: 38-24-7, 83 pts., 2nd Place Atlantic Division, 4th Place Eastern Conference

Leaders:

Goals - Andrew Rowe: 27

Assists - Andrew Rowe: 40

Points - Andrew Rowe: 67

+/- - Jordon Southorn: +24

PIMs - Kevin Harvey: 185

PPG - Andrew Rowe/Kyle Bushee*: 5

SHG - Louie Caporusso*/Andrew Rowe: 3

Wins - Maxime Clermont: 19

GAA - Ian Keserich: 2.01

SVP - Ian Keserich: .936

* Not on current roster

Previewing the Upcoming Week:

3/27 at Wheeling - 7:00 p.m., Home vs. WHL 4-1-0, Away vs. WHL 2-2-0

Wednesday will be an opportunity for Elmira to accomplish something only one other team in the ECHL has this season; win three games at WesBanco Arena. The Nailers are one of the toughest home teams in the league with their 20-7-6 mark. Only Reading and Ontario have lost as few home games in regulation as the Nailers. The Jackals, meanwhile, have captured wins in each of their last two trips to Wheeling and in each of their last four meetings overall. Wheeling, like Elmira, is coming off a four-game-in-five-days week where it went 2-2-0. The Nailers' loss to Trenton on March 22 mathematically eliminated them from playoff contention.

3/29 vs. Trenton - 7:05 p.m., Home vs. TRE 4-3-0, Away vs. TRE 5-2-1

Even though the Jackals are in the playoffs for the sixth year in a row and the Titans will miss the playoffs for the fourth straight year, all bets are off when these teams meet. The games do typically turn into high-scoring affairs as evidenced by the 7.8 combined goals per game average in the 15 games played in their season series. Elmira had won two straight over Trenton, by a combined 13-4 score, before the Titans roared back to hand the Jackals an 8-2 home loss last Sunday. Trenton has the second most wins against the Jackals (6) of any team in the ECHL, but the Jackals have always been able to prevent back-to-back losses to the Titans. This Friday's home finale will be final attempt at keeping that trend intact.

3/30 at Reading - 7:05 p.m., Home vs. REA 4-3-1, Away vs. REA 2-4-1

Reading is the second best defensive club in the Eastern Conference with 176 goals allowed through 70 games (2.51), and that defense has the biggest thorn in the Jackals' side in recent meetings between the clubs. The Jackals have lost three in a row to Reading, after winning four straight from January 21 to February 15, and have been limited to four goals combined in the three losses. Reading's 2-0 triumph at Sovereign Center on March 15 was Elmira's first shutout loss of the season. The Royals are tied with Alaska for the most home wins (26) in the league, but the Jackals hold the distinction of being one of two teams (along with Trenton) to win twice on Reading ice. A victory on Saturday would make Elmira the winningest team in Reading for the 2012-13 season.

Jackals Broadcast Information

All Elmira Jackals broadcasts are carried on WEHH AM 1600 and FM 93.9. Fans can also access live streaming of the broadcast online on their computer, smartphone, or tablet at www.1600wehh.com. America One provides pay-per-view internet TV broadcasts of all Jackals games as well. Check out how you can watch the Jackals on America One by clicking here. All Jackals broadcasts begin 10 minutes prior to faceoff with "The Jackals Pre-Game Show."

Recapping Last Week:

3/20 vs. Trenton: W 7-1

It was a night to remember for Rob Bellamy (2G, 3A) and Jordan Pietrus (3G, 2A) as their career-highs of five points each powered Elmira to a comfortable win over Trenton. The Jackals did most of their damage in the first period with five goals - their most in a period this season. Ian Keserich came within 2:49 of his first shutout of the season, but Jesse Todd broke it up.

3/22 vs. Fort Wayne: W 5-2

Elmira hosted Fort Wayne for the first time since their United Hockey League days and made quick work of putting the game out of reach. For the second game in a row, Elmira racked up five scores in the first and coasted to a win. Five different scorers tallied for the Jackals with multi-point efforts coming from Andrew Rowe (1G, 1A) and Jordan Pietrus (2A).

3/21 vs. Fort Wayne: SOW 2-1

Fort Wayne goalie Charlie Effinger was finally able to slow down Elmira's offense, but not enough to keep the Jackals from two points. The Jackals scored one goal on 39 shots through regulation, and Jean Bourbeau's second period tally nearly stood as the game winner. But Fort Wayne's Matt Syroczynski netted a late power play goal to send it to overtime, and eventually a shootout. Elmira rookie Eric Delong scored in the bottom of the fifth to lift the Jackals to the win.

3/22 vs. Trenton: L 2-8

Playing their fourth game in five days proved to be too much for the Jackals as they suffered their most lopsided home loss of the season. The line of Jacob Cepis (2G, 3A), Shane Harper (1G, 3A) and Mike Ullrich (2G, 2A) was the major spark plug in the Titans' win. The Jackals received scores from Matt Tassone and Chaz Johnson.

Quick Hits:

* Elmira's win on Wednesday, coupled with a loss by Kalamazoo, qualified the Jackals for the Kelly Cup Playoffs for the sixth season in a row. The only other Eastern Conference teams to qualify every season since 2007-08 are the South Carolina Stingrays and Florida Everblades. Cincinnati and Reading have each qualified five times, Gwinnett and Greenville have gotten in three times, and Toledo has been in twice.

* After Jackals skaters had scored two goals in a game 30 different times this season, Jordan Pietrus earned the first hat trick of the season March 20 vs. Trenton. It was Elmira's first hat trick since Mike Radja scored three against Reading on March 3, 2012, and it was the first hat trick of Pietrus' professional career. Pietrus also broke the Jackals' single-season shot record on Friday vs. Fort Wayne and has set the bar, for now, at 267.

* Entering this week, the Jackals have scored the second most goals on the road (114) in the ECHL. Only Reading (115) has scored more away from home and the road portion of its schedule is complete. They will travel to buildings, though, where goals have been hard to come by. The Jackals have scored one goal in regulation, combined, in their most recent trips to Wheeling and Reading.

* Matt Tassone is enjoying his most productive stretch of play this season since signing with the Jackals. He has four points (2G, 2A) in six games since signing with Elmira and making his debut on March 15. He had combined for nine points (7G, 2A) in 27 games between Arizona and Wichita of the Central Hockey League and Lake Erie of the American Hockey League before joining the Jackals.



ECHL Stories from March 25, 2013


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central