IceGators drop Jackson 4-2
March 19, 2003 - ECHL (ECHL)
Louisiana IceGators News Release
Jackson, MS âShawn McNeil scored twice in the first period and later added an assist and Phil Osaer made 29 saves in his IceGators debut, as Louisiana beat the Jackson Bandits 4-2 at the Mississippi Coliseum in the first game of a home-and-home set that finishes Friday at the Cajundome.
Andrew Proskurnicki and Rod Sarich also scored for the IceGators, who won their third straight and moved within three points of first-place Mississippi in the Southwest Division. Louisiana plays host to the Sea Wolves Saturday in a potential first-place battle.
Osaer, assigned to the team by AHL Worcester on Tuesday, started in place of Kyle Kettles, who was given the night off after a team-record 14 straight starts and 24 of 26.
McNeil's two goals give him 131 in his pro and IceGators career, just one goal behind former ECHL Most Valuable Player Chris Valicevic for third on the team's all-time list.
Darryl Laplante and Eric Fortier each scored and Tyrone Garner made 18 saves for Jackson, which lost in regulation for the first time in eight games (6-1-1).
McNeil cracked the scoreboard with his career-high tying 36th goal of the season at 5:57 of the first, just two seconds after a Louisiana power play expired. Kenny Corupe centered a pass from the left corner to McNeil, who found a wide open space between the circles. McNeil's one-timer went off Garner's glove and into the back of the net.
Jackson didn't get its first shot on goal until there was 9:20 left in the first, but Osaer was there to stop a 2-on-1 attempt. The Bandits peppered Osaer with seven shots in the next two minutes, but got none by.
The Bandits did solve Osaer at the 15:28 mark of the first on their eighth shot, just after a Jackson power play expired. Laplante intercepted a clearing pass and blistered a shot top shelf over the netminder for his seventh of the season.
McNeil's shorthanded goal established a new career-high with his 37th tally, with 2:42 left in the stanza. McNeil poked a puck away at the IceGators blue line and beat Bandits defenseman Nick Theriault down the far side. McNeil was able to ward off Theriault, wait for Garner to commit and then slide the puck short side past the sprawlen netminder.
The teams scored nine seconds apart late in the second period to keep it a one-goal game through two periods. The IceGators struck first, with 2:33 left in the second. Bobby Brown centered a pass from behind the net to Proskurnicki, who tapped the puck past Garner for his second goal in four games with Louisiana. Brown's helper was his 400th career point. He later added another assist.
Jackson answered back immediately, with 2:24 remaining in the stanza. Jeff Bes streaked up the right wing and sent a pass to a wide open Fortier in front, and the rookie had an easy time for his 18th goal of the season to get Jackson within 3-2.
The IceGators went up 4-2 on a fortuitous bounce on a 5-on-3 with 11:21 gone in the third. Sarich took a clearing attempt and walked down the left side. His centering pass for Proskurnicki went off Jackson defenseman Sean Gillam's skate right through Garner's legs. The tally was Sarich's sixth on the season, second on the power play.
The IceGators finished 1-for-7 on the power play, while Jackson went 0-for-7.
Gator Bites:
Thirty of McNeil's 37 goals have either tied the game or given the IceGators the lead. He has 20 goals that have given Louisiana the lead.
McNeil has six multi-goal games, trailing only Bobby Brown (nine) for the team lead.
Louisiana has killed off 13-of-13 shorthanded chances in the last three games after yielding a power-play goal in each of its prior seven games.
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