IceGators Strafe the Ice Pilots
Published on January 18, 2004 under ECHL (ECHL)
Louisiana IceGators News Release
Lafayette, LA -- The IceGators had a big night at the Cajundome as they topped the Pensacola Ice Pilots 8-2. The Gators have tied Mississippi for the Central division lead. There is now a three-way tie for second place in the ECHL between Louisiana, Mississippi and Columbia. Each team has 54 points, two points behind league-leading Wheeling.
Konstantin Kalmikov scored three goals for the first IceGators hat trick of the season. Ed McGrane tallied two goals and an assist for three points on the night. Three other IceGators scored goals to help secure their division lead.
In their third game in three days, the IceGators did not look like a team just coming of a two-game road trip. The Gators took the lead on home ice with a goal from Jim Vickers. Vickers scored his second goal of the year with assistance from Jamie Johnson and Alex Materukhin.
Frederic Cloutier's bid for a second shut-out of Pensacola was spoiled in the second period when former Gator Cory Neilson scored his tenth goal of the year.
The Gators would not let the score stay tied for long, though, as Konstantin Kalmikov scored from down low. Positioned on the near side of Pilot goaltender Brian Eklund, Kalmikov caught a clean pass from Jamie Johnson and shot the puck into the twine. Second assist on the goal was Rod Sarich.
Ed McGrane and Alex Materukhin played a quick game of back-and-forth in front of Eklund before McGrane hammered the puck home for his fifth goal of the year.
The Pilots Brian Collins pulled Pensacola to within one goal when he redirected a bounce from the end boards past Cloutier. It was the last goal he would let in for the evening.
Bobby Brown scored his 20th goal of the year on the power play. He positioned himself on Eklund's stick side and waited patiently until Alex Materukhin passed the puck. Brown wristed it, top-shelf, over Eklund's far shoulder to put the Gators up by two.
The four-goal flurry in the third period was sparked by Ed McGrane who knocked in his second of the night and his sixth of the year. Assisted by Bobby Brown and Rod Sarich, McGrane skated to the far side of the goal and waited for the puck. Sarich shot it into the crease, where Brown caught it and sent it to a waiting McGrane. The next two goals were scored by Kalmikov, at even strength. Skating down the far boards, he took a pass from Ed McGrane and slapped the puck toward Eklund. Eklund dropped into a butterfly for the block, but the puck trickled through his pads and across the line. Frederic Cloutier earned the second assist on the goal.
Kalmikov's third goal of the evening was similar to his second, except he was unassisted. The crowd cheered wildly as the hats flew. Ben Storey scored his tenth of the year with what is becoming his trademark: a blaster from the high slot. While skating with the man-advantage, the Gators took position in the Pilots' zone. Rod Sarich got the puck to Jamie Johnson, who cleared it up to Storey.
Louisiana fired an offensive volley at Eklund with 47 shots on goal. Frederic Cloutier earned his 13th win of the season with 25 stops.
ECHL Stories from January 18, 2004
- Steelheads Lose to Long Beach, 3-2, in a Shootout - Idaho Steelheads
- Aces lose 2-1 in San Diego - Alaska Aces
- Gulls Beat Aces, 2-1 - San Diego Gulls
- Titans Fall To Royals - Trenton Devils
- IceGators Strafe the Ice Pilots - Louisiana IceGators
- Stingrays Ready for Big Games - South Carolina Stingrays
- Checkers Break For Four Days for ECHL All-Star Game - Charlotte Checkers
- Game Preview: Long Beach at Idaho - Idaho Steelheads
- Nailers Stifle Bullies 1-0 - Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies
- ECHL Today - ECHL
- IceGators Cap Wildcatters - Louisiana IceGators
- TJ's Sports Garden and Restaurant and the Nailers Present All-Star Wednesday Night - Wheeling Nailers
- Fresno Falls, 7-2, in Front of More than 11,000 - Fresno Falcons
- San Diego Strikes Quickly, Stuns Aces - Alaska Aces
- Wranglers One Better, 3-2 - Bakersfield Condors
- Gulls Beat Aces, 4-2 - San Diego Gulls
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