Gutierrez, Taylor each score 3, Champagne adds 4 assists, and Catters win wild one 10-5
December 30, 2007 - ECHL (ECHL)
Texas Wildcatters News Release
Biloxi, MS- Max Taylor and Moises Gutierrez each registered hat tricks as the Wildcatters doubled up the Mississippi Sea Wolves 10-5 in the highest scoring contest of the Texas season Saturday night at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum.
For the second time in two nights the Wildcatters would give up the first goal of the game as Lance Monych-who would finish the night with a hat trick for Mississippi-beat Texas All-Star goalkeeper Anton Khudobin on the glove side for the 1-0 lead at 6:54.
The Catters would respond with two goals before the break and take a 2-1 lead into the intermission. John Adams would fire a blast and beat Mississippi goalie Morgan Cey to tie the game 1-1 at 17:04, and Brandon Benedict would follow with his eighth of the season at 19:13. Assists on the Adams goal would go to John McNabb and Gutierrez while Scott Champagne would collect the helper on the Benedict tally.
Taylor would get the first of his three goals at 2:47 of the second period to ignite a four-goal frame for the Catters. Gutierrez and Champagne would each collect their second assists of the night on the play.
Kevin Baker, who has registered a point in all seven games since his return to the Wildcatters, netted a power play goal from Benedict and Cleve Kinley at 5:31 to increase the lead to 4-1.
Gutierrez would find the back of the net for the first time this season-with two more to soon follow-at 7:56. A.J. Thelen would be credited with an assist on the play and Champagne would gather his third of four assists on the evening as well.
Baker would strike one more time before the period was over, his sixth goal of the season making the score 6-1 at 16:05. Matt Kassian and Adams would each garner assists.
Entering the third period with a five-goal advantage, the Catters would have to withstand a barrage from a Mississippi team that has played them close all season. Monych would net back-to-back goals at 0:12 and 2:58 to secure his hat trick and poise the home team for a monumental comeback with the score 6-3 less than three minutes into the final frame.
Gutierrez would reclaim some momentum for Texas with his second goal of the night at 4:04, but Jason Tejchma would make the score 7-4 with his 10th of the year at 6:29.
Taylor would get his ninth of the season from Benedict and McNabb on the power play at 8:47, and following a Mississippi goal from Chase Trull that made the score 8-5 just fifteen seconds later, would seal his hat trick with his tenth goal of the season at 9:48 to give Texas a 9-5 edge.
Gutierrez would become the second Wildcatter to notch a hat trick at 12:56 as he would close out the scoring and bring the score to 10-5. Initial research suggests that this is the first time in club history two players have registered hat tricks in the same game.
Saturday's game saw 13 of the 15 Texas defensemen or forwards register a goal or assist. Tim Cook and Mike Grenzy, the only two players to not score a point, finished a collective +4. Of the scorers, eight had multi-point games, highlighted by Gutierrez' five points (3g-2a), Champagne's four assists, and Taylor's hatter.
Khudobin would collect the victory to remain unbeaten in regulation (12-0-0-3), having stopped 25 of 30 shots in just over 49 minutes of play. Peter Aubry stopped all three shots he faced in 10:58 of action. Cey would stop 28 of 38 and take the loss for the Sea Wolves.
The Wildcatters finished the game 3-for-10 on the power play and allowed two power play goal in seven Mississippi attempts.
With the win, the Wildcatters unbeaten-in-regulation streak reaches an astounding 19 games. Their 53 standings points (24-2-1-4) are tops in the ECHL and give them a 13 point cushion over the Gwinnett Gladiators in the South Division.
The Wildcatters next home games are January 4 and 5 versus the Charlotte Checkers! Call (409) 951-5500 for group ticket discounts or other ticket information.
The Texas Wildcatters are the proud ECHL affiliate of the Houston Aeros and the NHL's Minnesota Wild.
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