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Jackal Bites

November 5, 2002 - ECHL (ECHL)
Elmira Jackals News Release


What goes up must come down.

The Elmira Jackals dropped two out of three games this weekend, with both losses coming at the clutches of the Muskegon Fury, the team the Jackals lost last year's Colonial Cup Finals to in six games. The team's lone win came over the Fort Wayne Komets at the Coach USA Center on Friday night.

Hoping to avenge the demons from last year's post-season loss, the Jackals prepared for a Halloween contest against the Fury in their special orange and black jersey, which were to be auctioned off after the game. It was Muskegon putting the fright into the Jackals, however, scoring four times in the first period to grab a 4-1 lead after 20 minutes. Elmira would come back in the game, making it as close as 4-3 and 5-4, but the Fury would score twice on the power play late in the third period to take the 7-4 win.

After the game, the Jackals auctioned off those special Halloween jerseys to fans who stayed after the game. Jerseys were auctioned off in two ways, some by silent auction during the contest, and then through a traditional, bid building style after the game. Over $4,000 was raised to help support MDA in the Twin Tiers area.

On Friday night, Elmira was eager for the chance to rebound, and did so in fine fashion with a 6-3 win over the Fort Wayne Komets. The Jackals scored the only two goals of the first period, with Mike Thompson and Kevin Kerr putting the offense in gear. In the second period, Fort Wayne drew to within 2-1, but two more Jackal goals from Randy Murphy and Brad Wingfield pushed the Jackals ahead by three at the second period intermission. In the third, the Jackals finished off the Komets with a pair of goals from David Lessard, one on the power play and one into an empty net with the Komets pushing to tie the game. Jeremy Symington stopped 41 of 44 shots to pick up the win for the Jackals.

After the game against the Komets, the Jackals boarded a bus and headed straight to Muskegon for a Saturday rematch with the defending champs. Things did not start out well for the club, falling behind 6-0 after two periods of play. Brad Wingfield would score the only goal of the game from Randy Murphy and RC Lyke in the third period to break the shutout for Sylvain Daigle, who stopped 24 of 25 shots to get the win for Muskegon.

The Jackals will now play a pair on the road in their division against Port Huron on Friday night, and Adirondack on Saturday. Friday's game is a 7:05 pm start, while Saturday is a 7:30 pm start in Glens Falls. Player of the Week Nomination:

R.C. Lyke - Defense

Lyke played as solid as any member of the Jackals defensive corps this week, not only going +3 despite the team going 1-2 this weekend, but chipping in with three assists, three shots on net, and 4 PIMs. Lyke assisted on two Jackal tallies in the 7-4 loss to Muskegon on Halloween, and added another point on the only Elmira goal in a 6-1 loss in Muskegon on 11/02. His solid, stay at home style of play helped the Jackals blue line through injuries sustained before and during the weekend.

Lyke's Stats for the Week:
10/31 vs. MUS 0-2-2 Even 1 SOG
11/01 vs. FTW 0-0-0 +3 0 SOG 4 PIMs
11/02 @ MUS 0-1-1 Even 2 SOG

JACKAL BITES:

· Elmira begins a stretch of ten games in a row against Eastern Conference opponents this Friday night when they travel to Port Huron to take on the Beacons. Six of those ten games will be on the road, and the Jackals face Port Huron twice, Adirondack four times, and Flint four times over that stretch. The Jackals are 4-2-1 against their own division this year.

· The Jackals power play is starting to come to life, as the Jackals have scored four power play goals in the last four games.

· Randy Murphy has nine points in his last five games on 3-6-9 to go with a +1 rating. Murphy leads the team with three power play goals this year.

· Not only does Brad Wingfield lead the league in PIMs with 110, but he also is fifth in shooting percentage (6 goals on 22 shots for a .273 percentage). Wingfield is also riding a four game goal scoring streak, currently the second longest active streak in the UHL.

· The Jackals hosted a special jersey auction following their Halloween game, with special jerseys worn durnig the contest made available to the public. The auction helped to raise over $4,000 for MDA.

· New addition Glenn Stewart is paying immediate dividends for the Jackals. Stewart has 1-6-7, +4 in just four games with the club.

NEWS AND NOTES:

The Jackals Coach's Show this week will feature Glenn Stewart and Ryan Esselmont. The Coach's Show is broadcast live from Patrick's, 303 College Ave. in downtown Elmira at 7 pm on WiNGZ 104.9. Join Tom Callahan, Head Coach Todd Brost, and WiNGZ's own Joe Munroe for an hour of all things Jackals!

Tickets are still available for next week's games against Adirondack (Thurs. 11/14) and Flint (Fri. and Sat.). Seats may be purchased through all Ticket Master locations, online at www.TicketMaster.com, or charge by phone at (607) 722-3711. You may also come to the Coach USA Center Box Office, open Monday through Friday from 10 am to 6 pm, and Saturday's 10 am to 4 pm. The Jackals Monthly Dinner Series continues on Monday, November 4th at 6 pm at Horigan's, 365 Davis St. in Elmira. Join the Jackals for dinner, trivia, and lots of fun! No reservations are required at Horigan's, where Irish Hospitality Is Always On Tap!

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The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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