Grumet-Morris turns back the Jackals 5-1

Published on February 16, 2008 under ECHL (ECHL)
Elmira Jackals News Release


ELMIRA, NY - Dov Grumet-Morris stopped 48 shots while Cory Urquhart and David Desharnais notched a goal and an assist each to lead the Cincinnati Cyclones to a 5-1 victory over the Elmira Jackals Saturday night at First Arena. The loss, the fifth straight for the Jackals, dropped them 13 points behind the first place Cyclones. For Cincinnati, it was their 12th consecutive victory extending its club record.

The Jackals came out strong in the first period, registering 12 of the first 13 shots on goal, but Grumet-Morris found his groove early and it would be tough sledding for the Elmira offense all night long.

Despite the surge by the home team, it was the Cyclones that cashed out at the end of twenty minutes with a 2-0 lead on just seven shots on goal.

Urquhart scored his 14th of the year just 13 seconds into Cincy's first power play chance when he found a rebound of a Jason Deitsch shot in the slot, slipped to his left and popped it in at 13:04 of the opening period.

Matt Syroczynski extended the lead to 2-0 after the Jackals overskated a loose puck at the Cyclones line. Urquhart jumped on it and fired an outlet pass that found Syroczynski breaking at the Elmira line. In alone, he deked Joel Martin (32 saves) down and deposited his 20th of the season. The goal would turn out to be the game-winner, his league-leading seventh of the year.

The second period found the Jackals' play not as strong, but Martin turned it up a notch between the pipes and came up with 14 saves to keep the home team in it heading into the third period down by just a pair. Point blank stops on Jimmy Bonneau early in the second and on Urquhart later in the same period were Martin's best efforts of the night.

Cincinnati made it 3-0 at 8:37 as Desharnais scooped up a loose puck at center and sped around Brett Motherwell. Andrei Plekhanov appeared to have the angle on the speedy center, but Desharnais shifted gears to clear the defense and didn't miss on his breakaway attempt for his 14th goal of the year.

Jason Deitsch scored on a shorthanded penalty shot at 10:54 after being hauled down by Kyle Wharton while Scott Reynolds scored the club's second shorty of the period into an empty net as the Jackals pulled Martin in desperation with just under seven minutes left in the game and Elmira on the man advantage.

The third period shot totals read 23-16 in favor of Elmira, but the only dent in Grumet-Morris' armor would be a power play strike by Frank Littlejohn (18th) off of a Bobby Robins rebound with 2:15 left in the contest.

Elmira finished 1-for-7 on the power play while Cincinnati was 1-for-4. The loss was costly in the standings for the Jackals as Reading defeated Texas 4-1. The Royals are now just five points behind the Jackals in the North Division race. Following a Tuesday home date with Trenton (7:05 p.m.), the Jackals are in Reading Wednesday night (6:35 p.m.) for a key match-up with just 21 games left in the regular season for Elmira.

Ticket's for Tuesday's game are on sale at all Ticketmaster outlets, including the Gray Street box office (open 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Monday - Friday), www.ticketmaster.com, or charge-by-phone at 722-3711 or 734-PUCK (7825).

Broadcast coverage of Tuesday's game against the Devils begins with the Hill Top Inn Countdown to Face-Off at 6:35 p.m. on MAGIC FM (92.7/97.7) with the Voice of the Jackals, Grady Whittenburg.

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