IceGators pick up point, but drop 4-3 shootout decision

November 1, 2002 - ECHL (ECHL)
Louisiana IceGators News Release


Columbus, Ga. - Sean McAslin scored twice, including the game-winner in the shootout, as the Columbus Cottonmouths rallied for a 4-3 victory over the Louisiana IceGators at the Columbus Civic Center. Jeff Zehr and Darren McAusland also scored and rookie Michael Morrison stopped 26 shots for Columbus, which improved to 4-3-1 and hosts the IceGators on Saturday at 6 p.m.

Nathan Rempel (1g, 1a) and Bobby Brown (2a) each had two points and Shawn McNeil scored his league-leading ninth goal of the season for the IceGators, who earned a point and fell to 6-1-1. Former Cottonmouth Kenny Corupe also scored and Frederic Cloutier made a season-high 37 saves for Louisiana, which held a two-goal lead with less than nine minutes remaining. The IceGators, who went 1-for-5 on the power play while killing off eight of 10 shorthanded chances, were 45-1-1 last season when leading after two periods.

John DePourcq missed Louisiana's first attempt in the shootout, and McAslin beat Cloutier. Corupe then missed against Morrison, and J.J. Hunter hit the post to keep the score 1-0 Columbus. McNeil tried to go upstairs but missed the net in the IceGators' third attempt, and Brent Cullaton scored for the Cottonmouths. Daniel Goneau missed for Louisiana, clinching the win for Columbus.

Zehr gave the Cottonmouths a 1-0 lead just 58 seconds into the game on the power play on assists from Andrew Long and Cullaton.

Corupe, on an assist from Brown, got things even at 1-1 at the 15:52 mark of the period with his fifth goal of the season.

Cloutier held the Cottonmouths at bay in the second period, and McNeil helped the IceGators seize the lead. Cloutier made 15 saves in the stanza, while McNeil put Louisiana on top at the 8:51 mark. McNeil took a loose puck deep in the Columbus zone and put it through Morrison's pads, using Rempel as a decoy.

McNeil had a five-game goal streak snapped Sunday, but now has a goal in six of his last seven games. The tally was his 103th as a pro and as an IceGator, moving past Louis Dumont for fifth place on the team's all-time list.

Rempel gave the IceGators a two-goal cushion at 6:32 of the third. He broke in on Morrison with Richardson, and the Louisiana center sent a perfect feed to Rempel, who ripped a shot past Morrison for a 3-1 lead.

McAslin got the Cottonmouths within 3-2 at the 11:28 mark with Rod Sarich in the penalty box, and again Louisiana went down a man just 26 seconds later. At 11:54, Kevin Mitchell was sent to the box with a double-minor for cross-checking and roughing, but Columbus couldn't push the equalizer across. Cloutier made a glove save on Ryan Risadore from point blank range with 5:29 remaining.

McAusland got Columbus even with just 1:47 left, ripping a shot from the point past a screened Cloutier.

Rempel and Columbus' Jay Vancik were each hit with fighting majors with 2.9 seconds left in regulation.

Louisiana got a rare power play chance in overtime when Risadore was whistled for holding 26 seconds into the frame, but couldn't capitalize. The IceGators had another chance with 50 seconds left when DePourcq slipped behind the Columbus defense, but he was hooked off the play at the last second. Louisiana outshot the Cottonmouths 6-1 in overtime.

Gator bites:

Louisiana was outshot for the first time this season, 41-29.

Rempel, who had 17 points in 60 games with the IceGators last season, already has 10 points (4g, 6a) in eight games with the team this season.

McNeil has an eight-game point streak to open the season, with 14 points (9g, 5a) in that span.

McNeil has a point in each of his last 15 regular-season games, dating back to last season. He has 23 points (14g, 9a) in that span.

McNeil scored Louisiana's first goal for the fifth time in eight games.

The IceGators have failed to score first in each of their first four road games. Last season, Louisiana allowed an opponent to score first just 19 times, going 9-8-2 in those contests.

Mitchell's seven-game point and assist streak was snapped.

Brown's two-point game was his fourth multi-point game of the season, tying him with McNeil for the team lead.

McNeil and DePourcq each had one point, meaning they are still tied for fifth place on the team's all-time list with 221 points.

Rempel's major was his ninth as an IceGator, tied with Peter Zurba, Wade Fournier and Hugo Marchand for 21st on the team's all-time list. With one more, he will tie Fred Goltz for 20th.

The IceGators, who scored once in the second period, have now outscored their opponents 15-0 in the middle period this season.

Louisiana didn't lose a shootout or overtime on the road last season, finishing 3-0 in shootouts and winning its only overtime game.

The IceGators have dropped two straight road games, the first time they've done that since dropping three straight last February 1-February 16.



ECHL Stories from November 1, 2002


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