IceGators fall in pre-season opener
October 10, 2003 - ECHL (ECHL)
Louisiana IceGators News Release
Pensacola, FL â Second-year goaltender Brian Eklund made 41 saves and Pensacola raced to a four-goal lead before holding on for a 4-2 win over Louisiana in the pre-season opener for both teams. Jean-Francois Soucy was credited with the game-winner and added two assists for the Ice Pilots, who host the IceGators at 7:05 p.m. Saturday.
Rookie Anthony Bilotto and Konstantin Kalmikov each scored for Louisiana, which also got two assists from Ben Storey. Storey was assigned to the team by AHL Houston on Thursday. Derek Gustafson stopped 25-of-29 shots sent his way, while 20-year-old rookie Dwight LaBrosse turned away all 12 shots he faced in the third period.
The Ice Pilots had a decided advantage with 18 dressed skaters, while Louisiana had 14.
Aaron Davis and Ryan Craig each scored in the first period to put Pensacola up 2-0, and Soucy and Russell Spence tallied a pair apiece in the second, with Soucy's a shorthanded score. Former IceGator Corey Neilson, in his first game with Pensacola, picked up an assist on the Spence goal.
Bilotto, a rookie from the Maritime Junior Hockey League, scored on assists from Bilotto and Dennis Shiryaev midway through the middle period to make it 4-1.
Kalmikov's goal, on assists by Storey and rookie Jamie Johnson, finished off the scoring with 2:33 remaining.
The game saw two fights, with the IceGators' Ken Goetz involved in both. Goetz finished with 24 penalty minutes.
Louisiana finished 0-for-6 on the power play, while Pensacola went 1-for-7.
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