IceGators explode into first place

December 21, 2002 - ECHL (ECHL)
Louisiana IceGators News Release


Biloxi, MS – Rod Sarich scored his first pro goal in the first period and Louisiana scored four times in the second, as the IceGators got goals from six different players to rally from a two-goal deficit for a 6-2 road win over the Mississippi Sea Wolves to move back into first place in the Southwest Division.

Bruce Richardson, Daniel Goneau and Chris Taliercio each added a goal and an assist, and Frederic Cloutier made 26 saves for the IceGators, who are unbeaten in their last four (2-0-2) and snapped a four-game road winless streak (0-1-3). Branislav Kvetan and Dennis Shiryaev also scored for the IceGators, who saw their string of eight straight one-goal games end.

Dave Paradise had a goal and an assist and Cody Bowtell also scored for Mississippi, which had its five-game winning streak snapped. Sean Matile made 30 saves for the Sea Wolves.

The IceGators, 6-2-1 against the Sea Wolves this season, now have 41 points, one better than Mississippi. Each team has played 31 games.

Mississippi led 2-0 late in the first period when Sarich's first pro goal got the comeback started at the 16:51 mark. Newcomer Derek Boogaard took the original shot, which deflected into the corner. Boogaard dug the puck out along the boards and got it to Taliercio, who swung the puck to Sarich at the point. Sarich's shot beat Matile for his first pro goal in 31 games, on his 42nd shot.

The IceGators knotted the score at 2-2 just 1:03 into the second on Shiryaev's power play goal. Bobby Brown's shot from the point went wide, but Shiryaev collected the puck off the boards and tucked it behind Matile for his third goal of the season.

Just 2:03 later, Louisiana got lucky went back on top with Richardson's 16th goal of the season. J.P. Morin cleared the puck out of the IceGators zone, and Goneau raced ahead. Goneau touched the puck after it has crossed the goal line for an apparent icing call and sent a quick pass to Richardson, guarded in the low slot. Richardson knocked the bouncing pass past Matile for the go-ahead goal.

Kvetan's second goal of the season, at the 11:31 mark, made it 4-2. Richardson sent a pass from along the board to Kvetan at the right point. Kvetan walked in and ripped a high shot that eluded Matile.

Only 23 seconds later, Goneau's highlight-reel tally made it a three-goal advantage. Goneau blocked a shot at the blue line and raced up ice all alone. Goneau had an easy time beating Matile for his 12th goal of the season.

Louisiana has outscored its opponents 49-28 in the second period this season.

Taliercio made it 6-2 at the 3:07 mark of the third with his sixth goal of the season, and first since a 16-game stint on injured reserve. Taliercio banged home a Kenny Corupe rebound that Matile lost in a crowd for his first goal since October 27 against Jackson.

There were three altercations inside the final two minutes. Just as Boogaard, regarded as the Western Hockey League's top enforcer for the past three seasons, was seemingly ready to square off against Stu Pietersma, Jeff Worlton dropped the gloves with Pietersma.

On the ensuing faceoff, Boogaard tried to coax Jeff Hutchins into a fight. Hutchins picked up an unsportsmanlike minor, while Boogaard got a roughing minor and a 10-minute miscounduct.

With seconds left on the clock, Mississippi's Mike Scott dropped the gloves with Louis Mass, Mass' first fight as an IceGator.

Mississippi had taken a 1-0 lead on Paradise's shorthanded goal 6:51 into the game. Paradise stole a puck in the IceGators zone and hit a shot off the left post into the net. At the 9:04 mark, the Sea Wolves went up 2-0 when Bowtell took a failed clearing attempt and beat Cloutier upstairs.

The IceGators finished 1-for-4 on the power play, while Mississippi converted on 1-of-7 opportunities with the man advantage.

Gator Bites:

The IceGators have 26 wins and Mississippi 25 in the all-time series, which Louisiana leads 26-17-8. The IceGators also moved over the ..500 mark all-time in Biloxi, going to 11-10-6.

The teams have played nine times this season, or 29 percent of their games. They won't meet each other for another 34 days, at the Cajundome on January 24.

Louisiana had played three straight overtime/shootout games, one shy of the franchise record.

The IceGators' four-game road winless streak was one of their season- and franchise-worst.

Louisiana again scored early in a period and has scored in the opening 2:30 of a stanza on 16 occasions this season.

Shawn McNeil's assist on Shiryaev's goal was his 132nd as an IceGator, tying Ron Handy for sixth on the team's all-time list.

The IceGators have scored first in just six of 16 road games.

Kvetan scored his third career pro goal in three seasons, and his first since November 22 against Baton Rouge at the Cajundome.

Corupe finished with two assists. The IceGators are unbeaten (8-0-1) when he has an assist and when he has a point (10-0-4).

Sarich earned his first multi-point game as a pro.

The IceGators scored four goals in a period for the fourth time this season, the first since the third period on November 24 against Columbus, a 7-3 win at the Cajundome.

Two of Shiryaev's three goals this season have tied the game.

Louisiana is 4-0-0 when Taliercio scores a goal and 5-0-0 when he has a point.

Tonight marked the first time this season that Shiryaev scored and his team won. Louisiana had been 0-2-0 when he scored.

Morin has a three-game assist streak, with four helpers in the span.

McNeil has a six-game point streak, with six points in the span (1g, 5a).

Richardson picked up his 100th pro assist.



ECHL Stories from December 21, 2002


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