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Generals Intelligence Report

December 1, 2003 - ECHL (ECHL)
Greensboro Generals News Release


First full month: The Greensboro Generals registered a 9-4-0 record during the month of November, and along the way managed two four game winning streaks. The first four-game streak came with a set of wins over Greenville, Charlotte, Gwinnett, and when the Generals traveled back to Greenville. The second streak was maintained during a five-game home stand to close out the month, when Greensboro defeated Mississippi, Roanoke, South Carolina and Reading. With the opportunity to move into first place, Greensboro fell to the Florida Everblades on Thanksgiving Day, however rebounded on the final game of the month with a 4-2 victory over the Florence Pride.

LOOKING BACK: The Greensboro Generals completed the week of November 29th winning two of three games, losing to only the Florida Everblades to close out the first of two five-game homestands for the season. Avenging an earlier loss to the Reading Royals, Greensboro kicked off the week with a 4-3 victory over the Royals. Following the middle game of the three game set against Florida, Greensboro closed out the week on a strong note with a defensive rising in Florence, with a victory over the Pride.

Greensboro now takes to the road for games at Dayton (11/05) and Cincinnati (11/06), returning to the Greensboro Coliseum on Thursday, December 11th, when they face the Gwinnett Gladiators for the second time this season.

LAST WEEK RECAPS

Generals 4, Pride 2

Daniel Berthiaume stopped 32 shots and Matt Elich scored a pair of goals to help the Greensboro Generals double up the Florence Pride, 4-2.

Berthiaume, who has started 12 consecutive games, made 11 saves in the third period to preserve his seventh win in his last 10 starts.

Elich scored 55 seconds into the first period and added his seventh goal at 3:58 of the second to cap the scoring for Greensboro. Mike Bayrack assisted on a goal by Tom Reimann late in the opening period and notched the eventual game-winning goal at 2:01 of the second for the Generals, who have won four of their last five games.

Mark McRae and Jeff Szwez scored back-to-back goals in a 21-second span of the third period for Florence, which has dropped four of its last five games. Matt Underhill surrendered four goals on just 22 shots to suffer the loss for the Pride.

Everblades 4, Generals 3 The Greensboro Generals closed out their first five-game home stand of the season with a 4-3 loss at the hands of the division leading Florida Everblades. The Generals captured four of five games, however were unable to capitalize on opportunities presented to them late in the third period, that would allow them to extend their second four game winning streak of the season to a fifth game.

A battle of goaltenders in the early on, was broken with Eric Fortier of Greensboro (12-6-0) scored his 11th goal of the season at the 15:48 mark of the first period. Fortier put a wrister past the outstretched glove of Jeff Maund, giving Greensboro a 1-0 lead. That advantage would last just a shade over ten seconds when the Everblades (12-3-3) Gray Shaneberger was able to capitalize off the recovering Generals defense, to tie the game at 1-1, where the score would remain throughout the remainder.

The Generals Sam Ftorek netted a breakaway goal that was sent top shelf, giving Greensboro its second lead of the game, this time 2-1 just 2:38 into the second period. Once again the Everblades would retaliate with a goal of their own, this time coming when Jay LeGault skated just in front of the crease occupied by netminder Daniel Berthiaume, who despite an acrobatic move, surrendered his second goal of the game. In the final stages of the second, Matt Turek converted the only power-play of the game, when on an assist from Tom Reimann, sent the puck to the left top shelf past Florida's Jeff Maund.

In the third, Florida once again tied the game, when just 4:52 into the period Reggie Berg sent a shot past Berthiaume for a 3-3 contest. The Everblades closed out scoring when Carl Mallette took advantage of the Generals cushion on defense to put a high shot on net, and earn the victory.

"I am pleased because as a team we had 47 shots on goal. Obviously when you don't win in your own building you didn't play well enough, regardless if they got lucky goals or not. The effort was definitely there from our side. We had solid goaltending tonight, they countered it with solid goaltending. We had a 3-2 lead going into the third, and the third goal that tied the game was just a shot thrown at the net and no one saw it. The winning goal, we had great coverage in our own zone, but we gave too much of a gap and allowed their defensemen to get a shot away, and they scored," Head Coach/General Manager Rick Adduono said of his team's performance.

Generals 4, Royals 3 The Greensboro Generals maintained their winning ways at the Greensboro Coliseum, avenging an earlier season loss to the Reading Royals, winning 4-3. In front of 2,338 in attendance, Greensboro scored a goal early in the third period and continued its strong defensive play to extend its winning streak to four games marking the second time so far in the campaign.

Reading (9-4-3) scored the opening goal of the game when Peter Hay took advantage of a screen play to send the puck past Greensboro netminder Daniel Berthiaume. The Generals (12-5-0) retaliated with a power-play conversion, the first of two in the game, when Tom Reimann sent a shot past Royals netminder Cody Rudkowsky from just beyond the circle to knot the game at 1-1.

With the game tied, Reading's Scooter Smith scored the first two goals of his professional career, with the first coming at the 10:17 mark of the first on a power-play conversion. The second came just under two minutes later, when again on the power-play, Smith penetrated the Generals defense to convert a goal from the left circle, giving Reading a 3-1 lead. Greensboro's Joe Gerbe would then net his first goal of the season, when hitting the puck off the armpad of Rudkowsky to make the score 3-2 heading into the second period.

The lone goal in the second came off the stick of Generals forward Sam Ftorek, when on breakaway, Ftorek pulled away from the Royals defenders to shoot a hard slap shot to the top shelf proving to quick for Rudkowsky, tying the game a 3-3.

Eric Fortier scored the game-winning goal for the Generals when at the 5:04 mark of the third period, scoring off an assist from Tom Reimann and Geno Parrish. Parrish recorded three assists in his third of four home games. Strong defensive efforts led by Daniel Berthiaume's 30 saves proved to be the difference over the final stretch giving Greensboro the victory.

IN THE BARRACKS

Mark Turner is continuing his excellent play for the Generals, where he currently ranks tied for 8th in the league with 25 points.

Defensemen Geno Parrish ranks first in the league in assists with 20, while teammate Mark Turner is right on his heels with 19, ranking him tied for second.

Eric Fortier is tied with three others in the ECHL with six power-play goals on the season. Sam Ftorek has registered four game-winning goals, tying him for second, and 79 shots, leaving him fifth amongst the ECHL leaders.

Daniel Berthiaume's play has only gotten better with time, as the netminder ranks first in wins (13), minutes played (1,112), and saves (551) over all other goaltenders in the ECHL.

Rookie Tom Reimann has maintained his standing among the ECHL rookies, where he is eighth with 15 points; and second with five power-play goals and points of the power-play of (10).

Defensemen Kurt Drummond and Geno Parrish are the backbone of the Generals defense, where Drummond has 19 points (five goals, 14 assists) leaving him fourth in the ECHL, while Parrish is tied for second with 21 points coming off a lone goal and 20 assists. Parrish has recorded nine power-play assists.

"Coaches Corner": The Greensboro Generals have announced Head Coach/General Manager Rick Adduono will appear on the "Our Town" radio show (WGOS 1070-AM) each Monday afternoon beginning October 13. The half-hour "Coaches Corner" will air each Monday at 1:00 PM throughout the season.

The "Coaches Corner" segment is part of the WGOS' "Our Town" program that is hosted by "Buffalo" Jack Umlaluf and Ogi Overman weekdays from 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM. The show will feature interviews with Adduono as well as segments with Generals players and their involvement in the community.

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