Jackals Host Wheeling After Record-Setting Week

Published on November 16, 2009 under ECHL (ECHL)
Elmira Jackals News Release


The Elmira Jackals eclipsed multiple team and individual marks in a busy fifth week of the regular season and return home to First Arena to host the Wheeling Nailers on Friday, November 20 and Saturday, November 21.

Last week, the Jackals came away with three points in four games against three teams from the American South Division. On Tuesday night, the Jackals took a hard-fought point against the defending Kelly Cup Champion South Carolina Stingrays, falling 4-3 in a shootout in front of 3,686 fans at First Arena. Rookie defenseman Ben Wright notched a career high three points in the shootout loss, with a goal and two assists.

Although the Jackals suffered two losses at the hands of the Charlotte Checkers in Charlotte, N.C. on Friday and Sunday by scores of 4-2 and 6-4, the Jackals victory at Gwinnett on Saturday against the Gladiators was one to remember.

Making his return from the injured reserve after missing four games, Chris Korchinski sparked the Jackals with a power-play goal at 3:51 of the first period. Later in the period, a pair of Jackals goals 24 seconds apart by Keegan Dansereau and Brennan Turner, the former Gladiator making his return to Gwinnett, put Elmira up 3-0 entering the first intermission.

While the Jackals had a comfortable first intermission lead, the outburst in the second and third periods by Justin Donati ensured the Jackals would earn their eighth victory of the season.

After Guillaume Lepine knocked home a loose puck at 4:47 of the second period for his first goal of the season to give Elmira a 4-0 advantage, Justin Donati scored the next four Jackals goals, earning his first professional hat trick in the process, as Elmira cruised to an eventual 11-3 victory over Gwinnett.

With the big victory, Elmira set multiple club and 2009-2010 ECHL team records:

- The most goals scored by the Jackals since the team joined the ECHL in 2007 and the most scored by any team this season (11).

- The largest margin of victory this season in the ECHL (8).

- The largest point total by a team this season (30).

- The most assists by a team this season (19).

The Jackals also set club and ECHL individual marks:

- The most goals scored by a player since the team joined the ECHL, and the most scored by any player this season (Justin Donati, 4).

- Tying the mark for most points in a game this season (Justin Donati, Maxime Gratchev, 6).

- Most assists in a game this season (Maxime Gratchev, 6).

NOTES

- Justin Donati enters the sixth week of the regular season leading the league with 28 points. He is scoring at two points per game, and tops the ECHL in assists with 20, one ahead of brother Tyler.

- The Jackals top defensive pairing leads the league in plus minus, with Brennan Turner in first with a +15 and Travis Gawryletz one behind with a +14. Both players have participated in all 14 games this season, and Gawryletz has yet to record a penalty. Each had a +6 on the week, which led the ECHL.

- With a goal on Sunday, Tyler Donati extended his ECHL leading point streak to ten games, which ties for the longest in the league this season (Colin Hemingway, AK, Brad Schell, GWT). The Jackals ended Schell's ten-game streak on Saturday night.

- While Ryan Kinasewich (UTA) has scored 16 goals this season, Chanse Fitzpatrick has consistently turned on the red light as well. The Cornwall, Prince Edward Island native scored his 10th and 11th goals of the season on Friday and Sunday at Charlotte, good for second in the ECHL.

- With a big week (ten points in four games), Maxime Gratchev moved into a tie for third among rookie scorers with 15 points (5g-10a). Gratchev had a highlight-reel goal on Tuesday night against South Carolina. With the game tied at two in the third period, Gratchev raced the puck up the left-wing boards around multiple Stingrays defensemen, skated in on goaltender Todd Ford and backhanded the puck into the net top shelf before crashing into the goal for his fourth tally of the season.

- The Jackals had the top three scorers in the ECHL this past week, with Justin Donati leading with 11 points (4g-7a), Maxime Gratchev in second with 10 points (2g-8a), and Tyler Donati tied for third with nine points (2g-7a).

- The Jackals lead the ECHL in percentage attendance through their first six home games, drawing at approximately 103%. Last season, the Jackals totaled five sell outs, while in 2009-2010, First Arena has sold out four times through six games.

- Rookie Matt Lowry was recalled to Binghamton (AHL) this past Saturday. In 12 games with the Jackals this season, he has two goals and four assists.

UP NEXT

The Jackals host the Wheeling Nailers on Friday, November 20, and Saturday, November 21, with each game beginning at 7:35 p.m. First Arena will be loud on Friday night, as fans will receive thundersticks. On Saturday night, the Jackals faithful will receive a team photo from Curly's Chicken House along with reusable bags from Wegmans.

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