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IceGators Game Notes

April 2, 2003 - ECHL (ECHL)
Louisiana IceGators News Release


RiverBlades vs. IceGators – Louisiana and Arkansas will meet for the first time ever in the post-season. As a matter of fact, this is just Arkansas' second trip to the playoffs in its four seasons. In 2000-01, the RiverBlades beat Baton Rouge 2-0 in the Wild Card round before losing 3-1 to future Kelly Cup champion South Carolina in the Southern Conference Quarterfinals. Louisiana and Arkansas have met 35 times in the regular season, with the IceGators holding a 19-10-6 mark. Louisiana is 11-4-2 at home versus the RiverBlades in team history and 8-6-4 at ALLTEL Arena. This season, the IceGators went 5-4-3 against Arkansas and won just once in North Little Rock (1-3-2), all the way back on Opening Night, October 12. The IceGators are 5-5-3 in the last 13 overall meetings.

Scouting the RiverBlades – Arkansas finished third in the Southwest Division with 85 points, one better than Jackson. The RiverBlades went 23-8-5 at home and 14-16-6 on the road. Arkansas finished the season strong, going 7-3-1 in its final 11 games, including back-to-back 2-1 wins over Louisiana and Baton Rouge to end the regular season. Arkansas is led by ECHL scoring leader Buddy Smith, who recorded 104 points (30g, 74a) and 11 power play goals. The RiverBlades sport a pair of other high-scoring forwards in Jason Bermingham and Terry Marchant. Bermingham had 73 points (38g, 35a) and a team-best 18 power-play goals. Marchant (21g, 47a) was a fantastic free agent pickup in the off-season. Former IceGator blueliner Matt Pagnutti anchors a strong defensive corps with 58 points (15g, 43a), while captain Eric Long – currently on injured reserve – finished with 46 points (14g, 32a) in just 60 games. Forward Ernie Hartlieb, currently with AHL Worcester, had 55 points (21g, 34a) in only 47 games. Arkansas had another great free agent pickup in February, getting former Atlanta Thrashers goalie Scott Fankhouser to replace the injured Jason Saal. Fankhouser went 11-5-2 with a 2.65 goals against average and a .917 save percentage while starting 19 of the last 21 games. Fankhouser will be backed up by rookie Jimi St. John, who went 6-9-2 with a 3.58 goals against average.

IceGators update – Louisiana also had a strong stretch run, going 7-1-1 in its final nine to finish in a first-place tie in the Southwest Division with Mississippi. The IceGators, who returned just one of their top nine scorers from last season, were led by the duo of Shawn McNeil and Bobby Brown. McNeil was an overdue Second-Team All-ECHL pick, notching career-bests of 91 points, 40 goals and 51 assists. Brown also enjoyed a career season with 79 points (37g, 42a). Nathan Rempel was arguably the most improved player in the ECHL, and he finished with 53 points (25g, 28a) in 67 games. The IceGators' bluelining corps is anchored by Cal Benazic (12g, 32a) and Kevin Mitchell (5g, 29a). Mitchell had those 34 points in just 30 games, and he just returned from 43 games in the American Hockey League (Bridgeport, Cleveland). The IceGators' offense was given a shot in the arm with the addition of Martin Bartek in a trade from Richmond in February. Bartek, who came to Louisiana along with strong defenseman Milt Mastad, has 11 points (4g, 7a) in just eight games. The IceGators' top rookie was All-Star Rod Sarich, who posted 32 points (6g, 26a) while playing in all 72 games. Two young netminders lead Louisiana into the playoffs. Phil Osaer, assigned to the team by AHL Worcester two weeks ago, is 2-1-1 with the IceGators with a 2.21 goals against average. Rookie Kyle Kettles, under contract with NHL Minnesota, was an iron man all season, going 21-12-7 with a 2.61 goals against average – tied for fifth in the league – and a .919 save percentage – tied for third in the ECHL. Kettles set an IceGators record with 14 straight starts, after earlier establishing a new record with 12 consecutive starts.

Louisiana playoff history – Louisiana is making its eighth straight trip to the post-season, having gone 42-35. At home, the IceGators are 26-18, while on the road they are 16-17. Louisiana has won 10 of 17 playoff series in its history, with the last loss coming in the 2002 Southwest Division Semifinals against Jackson. The IceGators' last playoff series victory was in the 2001 Southern Conference Semifinals, when they beat Pee Dee in five games. Louisiana has been knocked out in the Kelly Cup Finals two times, the conference finals twice and the first round three times.

Arkansas playoff history – The RiverBlades make just their second trip to the ECHL post-season in five years, sporting a 3-3 overall mark. In 2000-01, the RiverBlades beat Baton Rouge 2-0 in the Wild Card round before losing 3-1 to future Kelly Cup champion South Carolina in the Southern Conference Quarterfinals. Arkansas is 2-1 at home in the post-season and 1-2 on the road.

Game 1 notes - The IceGators have won 11 of 12 Game 1's in team history (five-game series only). Louisiana is 9-2 when winning game one, with one of the blemishes last season when Jackson turned it around after a 6-1 loss in Game 1 for a five-game victory in the Southwest Division Semifinals. The last time the IceGators dropped a Game 1 in a best-of-five series was in their first playoff game, against Jacksonville, on March 27, 1996. Louisiana went on to lose that series in five games.

Sixty-four percent of Game 1 winners last season advanced – Of the 14 best-of-five series played in the 2002 Kelly Cup playoffs, the team that won Game 1 went on to win the series nine times (64 percent). However, in the Division Semifinals, winning Game 1 wasn't as important. Just half of the eight Game 1 winners went on to the series victory. The IceGators were one of four teams to win the series opener and not advance.

Behind door No. 1 – Louisiana head coach Dave Farrish has a pair of young netminders that could see the start tonight. The first prospect is second-year goalie Phil Osaer, who was assigned to the team from AHL Worcester last month. Osaer went 2-1-1 in the final two weeks of the season with a 2.21 goals against average. The 22-year-old is no stranger to pro playoff experience, going 2-2 with a 2.43 goals against average in four games with Peoria last season. The Rivermen were beaten by Johnstown in the Northwest Division Semifinals.

And our second contestant is – The IceGators could also skate rookie netminder Kyle Kettles to the crease in Game 1. Kettles, who started 14 straight games and 26 of 28 earlier this season, was 21-12-7 with a 2.61 goals against average and a ..919 save percentage. The 21-year-old rookie has made his case to start lately, going 5-0-0 with a miniscule 0.80 goals against average in his last five starts. Kettles' last loss came on March 14, a 5-2 defeat in Arkansas.

McNeil leads playoff charge - Shawn McNeil is one of only three IceGators (minimum 30 games played) in team history to average more than a point per game in the playoffs. He has 43 points (18g, 25a) in 36 games. McNeil has three more ECHL playoff points than the entire Arkansas roster has. Former teammate Matt Pagnutti leads the way with 19 points (7g, 12a) in 47 playoff games.

Pagnutti faces former team – Defenseman Matt Pagnutti will face his former team in the post-season for the first time since leaving prior to the 2001-02 season Pagnutti is seventh on the team's all-time playoff games played list with 49, playing for Louisiana in the post-season in 1998-2001. Pagnutti had 19 points (7g, 12a) with the IceGators in the playoffs, helping them to the Kelly Cup Finals after the 1999-2000 season.

Small in stature only – Arkansas center Buddy Smith plays way above his 5-foot-8, 155-pound frame. Smith, who set an Arkansas record with 104 points (30g, 74a), better his previous career high by 49 points. Smith had 53 points (16g, 37a) in his rookie season of 1999-2000 with Pee Dee. Smith had the most points in an ECHL season since John Spoltore put up 119 in 1999-2000. Holding Smith off the scoresheet is key. The RiverBlades were just 4-9-3 when Smith didn't have a point this season.

Quick hits

Buddy Smith and Jason Bermingham combined for 35 of Arkansas' 111 scoring points this season against Louisiana. Smith had 22 points (5g, 17a), while Bermingham had 17 points, including 11 goals.

Jason Bermingham had one career goal in 17 games against the IceGators heading into this season. In 12 games in 2002-03, Bermingham posted 11 tallies – including five power-play goals.

Arkansas defenseman Maxim Linnik went to training camp this season with the IceGators.

RiverBlades' netminder Scott Fankhouser met Louisiana just twice this season, but was incredible, winning both starts with a 1.44 goals against average and a .960 save percentage.

Shawn McNeil led the IceGators with 14 points and a team-best nine goals this season against Arkansas.

Six of the 12 meetings between the teams this season went to overtime or a shootout.

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