IceGators pick up four of six points

November 17, 2003 - ECHL (ECHL)
Louisiana IceGators News Release


Louisiana went 2-1-0 last week, picking up four out of a possible six points while moving into a second-place tie with Mississippi. The IceGators and Sea Wolves each have 16 points, five points behind first-place Gwinnett.

The weekend finished off wonderfully, with a 6-1 victory over Pensacola on Sunday. Bobby Brown and Maxime Fortunus scored 25 seconds apart late in a four-goal second period. Twelve different IceGators had at least one point, with Kenny Corupe, Milt Mastad and Fortunus leading the way with a goal and an assist apiece. Rookies Jamie Johnson and Armands Berzins each had two assists.

Almost lost in the offense was goalie Frederic Cloutier, who turned aside 34 shots, including 26 over the final two periods.

Saturday, Josh Snowden scored two goals and Davis Parley turned aside 46 shots, as expansion Texas Wildcatters held on for a 4-3 victory over the IceGators at the Cajundome.

Tim Branham scored and former IceGator Tony Lawrence's third-period goal went down as the game-winner for Texas, which won for just the third time this season (3-8-1) and avenged a 3-1 loss to Louisiana last Saturday.

Ben Storey and Konstantin Kalmikov each had power play goals for Louisiana.

Friday, the IceGators outlasted the Ice Pilots 5-4. Brown scored twice and Herbert and Johnson each added their first pro goals, while Josh Mizerek tied his career-high with three assists.

Konstantin Kalmikov's third-period goal went down as the game-winner for Louisiana, which won for just the fourth time (4-4-1) in its last nine trips to the Pensacola Civic Center.

Brian Collins scored twice, Aaron Phillips and Tyler Kindle added a goal apiece and former IceGator Evgeny Konstantinov turned aside 36 shots for Pensacola. Konstantinov also suffered the loss in Sunday's 6-1 decision, stopping 23-of-29 shots.

Coming attractions:

TUE, Gator Talk, 7-8 p.m.
Join Bruce LeVine and Dave Farrish as they recap last week's action and look ahead to the upcoming weekend's games. It's Gator Talk, Tuesday from 7-8 p.m. on Newsradio 105.1 KPEL.

SAT, LA vs. AUG, 7:05 p.m.
St. Martinville Chamber of Commerce and Breaux Bridge Chamber of Commerce present St. Martin Parish Appreciation Night $2 off tickets with St. Martin Parish ID

Co sponsors: Acadiana Pools Incorporated; Affordable Quality A/C; Angelle Architects; Bord's Concrete and Service, Breaux Bridge Crawfish Festival Association; Cecilia Hardware; Joe Picard, Inc.; St. Martin Bank & Trust Company; St. Martin Parish Tourist Commission, Teche Bank & Trust Company; Bruce Montesano - State Farm Insurance.

Augusta makes its first trip to the Cajundome in more than two seasons, and the Lynx bring former IceGator goaltender Jason Saal with them. Louisiana is 6-3-1 all-time against Augusta, but is 5-1-0 in the last six meetings. The IceGators are 3-2-0 on home ice against the Augusta/Raleigh team, but have won three straight.

SUN, LA vs. CBS, 4:05 p.m.
Cox Media Kids Sunday Spectacular (Arnold), $5 kids tickets

The IceGators and Cottonmouths kick off the Cox Media Kids Sunday Spectacular series, with Arnold (Hey Arnold!) the guest, and $5 tickets for kids 2-12. Louisiana is 4-0-1 in the last five meetings against Columbus.

Masa notches No. 500 - Louisiana veteran left wing Martin Masa began the season three points shy of 500 in his 10-year pro career, and Saturday night he picked up No. 500. Masa threw a shot on net from the right point, and rookie Brian Herbert deflected it for his second pro goal in two games. Masa, at 30 the eldest statesman in the IceGators locker room, has 500 points (213g, 287a) in 584 pro games beginning in 1994-95. Masa, who was a member of Greenville's 2002 Kelly Cup winning team, has more game-winning goals (32) than all of his teammates, except Bobby Brown, have goals in the ECHL.

Corupe has points in nine straight - IceGators centerman Kenny Corupe had four points last week (1g, 3a), including a point in each of the three games. Corupe's point streak is at a career-best nine games, and is the longest IceGator point streak since Bruce Richardson's 11-game streak from November 22-December 13 of last season. Corupe also has one assist in eight straight games, another career-high, and the longest for an IceGator since Daniel Goneau also had a helper in eight straight from November 19-December 6 of last season. Corupe has a point in 10 of Louisiana's 11 games this season.

Storey also streaking - Louisiana defenseman Ben Storey has one point in seven straight games, with three goals and six assists in that span. The seven-game point streak is three better than his previous ECHL high, set twice, most recently from February 16-22 of last season with Lexington. With a goal and an assist Saturday night, Storey broke his career-high, five-game point streak from December 29, 1999-January 9, 2000, with AHL Hershey. Not one to rest on his laurels, Storey had an assist in Sunday's 6-1 win over Pensacola.

Storey Brown? - IceGators Bobby Brown and Ben Storey may not have made their presence known in the music circuit yet, but they just might get their big start this Wednesday. The duo will be playing guitar and singing at Artmosphere, in downtown Lafayette across from Borden's. Storey and Brown will begin playing at 9 p.m.

Cloutier has 49 wins with Louisiana - IceGators third-year netminder Frederic Cloutier made 34 saves Sunday for his 49th win as an IceGator. Cloutier, who picked up pro win No. 50 earlier this season, is a stout 49-12-7 all-time with Louisiana. Cloutier's goals against average of 2.33 trails only Marc Magliarditi (2.26) and Bujar Amidovski (2.32) on the team's ledgers, and he is second all-time in the ECHL in that category, trailing only Curtis Sanford (2.17).

Shiryaev up to No. 9 on PIM list – Louisiana's Dennis Shiryaev has been racking up the penalty minutes lately, and his six PIM's Sunday gave him 474 in his IceGators career. His 17 penalty minutes Saturday moved him past Chris Valicevic for ninth place on the team's all-time list. Shiryaev has 86 penalty minutes in 11 games this season. Next on the team ledgers is Roger Maxwell (542). Shiryaev has a goal and two assists during the 2003-04 campaign.

Community update - The IceGators have another strong week in the community coming up. Tuesday, the players will be at Prairie Elementary in Lafayette to read to first graders. Thursday, the players and Clawd will visit Cankton Elementary in St. Landry Parish to sign autographs.

‘Gators have four straight road wins - Louisiana has won four straight on the road, bettering last season's three-game run from December 20-29. The last time Louisiana won five straight on the road was from December 28, 2001-January 26, 2002, during the team's record 116-point campaign. The IceGators won't go on the road again until November 26 at Texas.

Mizerek enjoys Louisiana – Louisiana defenseman Josh Mizerek tied his career-high Friday night with three assists, the second time he has accomplished the feat against Pensacola, and he added a total of three helpers in the next two games. Mizerek's 10 assists are already two more than his entire total from last season, and he has already tied his point total from the 2002-03 season with Lexington. Just how much does Mizerek like playing for Louisiana teams? In his 137 games with New Orleans, Baton Rouge and the IceGators, Mizerek is averaging .40 points per game. In his 70 games elsewhere, Mizerek averaged just .16 points per contest.

Player of the Week Nominees

Left wing Brian Herbert - Rookie out of Quinnipiac scored a goal in each of Louisiana's three games last week, leading the IceGators to a 2-1-0 mark...Friday, Herbert scored Louisiana's first goal as the ‘Gators rallied from an early deficit for a 5-4 win...Saturday, made it a 3-2 game in 4-3 loss to Texas...On Sunday, picked up first career game-winner, scoring in the second period of a 6-1 loss to Pensacola...Has three points in six games this season.

Goaltender Frederic Cloutier - Went 2-0-0 with a 2.50 goals against average and a .925 save percentage last week...Stopped 28 shots in 5-4 win at Pensacola on Friday...Made 34 saves Sunday in 6-1 win versus the Ice Pilots, stopping the last 34 shots sent his way after a Brian Collins goal just 58 seconds in...Is 5-1-0 with a 2.23 goals against average and a .919 save percentage this season...Has 49 saves as an IceGator and 53 in his pro career.



ECHL Stories from November 17, 2003


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