IceGators Cling to 5-4 Win over Pensacola
November 29, 2013 - SPHL (SPHL)
Louisiana IceGators News Release
Lafayette, La.--"Welcome back, Tyler Barr!"
That's what many fans in the Cajundome were shouting at the end of the Louisiana IceGators 5-4 victory Friday night over the Pensacola IceFlyers.
Barr, who missed all of last season after tearing his ACL, scored the game-winning goal with with 10:24 remaining in regulation. That goal capped off the IceGators' comeback from a 3-2 deficit at the end of the second period.
The IceGators (10-3-1) travel to Biloxi for a Saturday evening match against the Mississippi Surge. Game time is 7:05 p.m.
"It's a big win," said IceGators head coach Kevin Kaminski. "We went down there and won the game to take the lead in the standings, and we came home and gained some ground.
"I thought we were good in the first and third periods. In the second period, we thought we could play pond hockey and be cute. We had 'dangleitis,' turned the puck over, and gave them the momentum. I told them they would respond, and they did."
Louisiana jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first period.
Jake Trask scored the first goal at the 9:13 mark off assists from Jason Cohen and goalie Matt Zenzola. Five minutes later, Chris Wilson scored his first goal of the night off feeds from Cohen and Matt Robertson.
Pensacola fought back, scoring three unanswered goals in the second period.
Keegan Flaherty went top shelf nine minutes into the frame off assists from Ryan Salvis and Paul Rodrigues. Brett Lutes tied the game with a power play goal with 3:44 remaining in the frame. The IceFlyers took the lead 21 seconds later when Adam Pawlick scored off assists from Flaherty and Rodrigues.
Louisiana bounced back in what turned out to be a wild third period.
Wilson tied the game with his second goal of the night 95 seconds into the frame.
Jason Cohen gave the IceGators a 4-3 lead on a controversial goal 5:36 into the period. Cohen scored on a breakaway opportunity, but the goal was initially waved off by referee Mike Sheehan, who ruled the puck hit the underside of the crossbar and never crossed the goal line. Sheehan reversed his call during the next stoppage of play after conferring with the goal judge.
The IceGators and the IceFlyers traded two goals at the end of the game. Barr scored at the 9:36 mark of the period to make it a 5-3 game. Flaherty tacked on another power play goal with 4:12 left in the game.
Although his penalty kill unit stopped four of six Pensacola power plays, Kaminski saw some areas where his special teams unit could have improved.
"I thought we could have pressured the puck more on the penalty kill," Kaminski said. "There were a couple of times when we were down low when guys were against the wall that we were hesitant. I have to give them credit for taking advantage."
Kaminski says Saturday's road trip to play the Surge gives his team another chance to assert its dominance in the league's standings.
"We've put ourselves in a good spot to win our fifth game in a row," Kaminski said. "It's another opportunity to stay on top. We need a good solid 60 minutes against the Surge. The guys know they have an opportunity to have two days off. This is where they need to have mental toughness, sacrifice the body, and be road warriors again."
SPHL Stories from November 29, 2013
- Rivermen Hold on for 4-3 Win over Bloomington - Peoria Rivermen
- Thunder Comeback Falls Short at Peoria - Bloomington Thunder
- IceGators Cling to 5-4 Win over Pensacola - Louisiana IceGators
- Huntsville Wreaks Havoc on Surge, Wins 6-0 - Mississippi Surge
- Kallechy, Havoc Blank Surge 6-0 - Huntsville Havoc
- Ice Flyers Lose 5-4 in Louisiana - Pensacola Ice Flyers
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