Kettles, IceGators shut out Arkansas 2-0 in Game 1

April 2, 2003 - ECHL (ECHL)
Louisiana IceGators News Release


Lafayette, LA – Kyle Kettles turned aside 22 shots for a shutout in his first pro playoff game and Andrew Proskurnicki snapped a scoreless tie with a power play goal midway through the second period, as the Louisiana IceGators beat the Arkansas RiverBlades 2-0 in Game 1 of the Southwest Division Semifinals at the Cajundome. Shawn McNeil also scored for the IceGators, who will try to take a commanding 2-0 series lead Thursday at 7:05 p.m. Louisiana is 9-2 in best-of-five series when winning the opener.

Kettles, who tied for the ECHL lead in the regular season with five shutouts, turned aside eight shots in the first period, nine in the second and five in the third. The 21-year-old, who joined Evgeny Konstantinov as the only rookie goalies in team history to start a Game 1, became just the fourth IceGator netminder to record a playoff shutout. Kettles, who also picked up an assist, improved to 6-0-0 with a 0.67 goals against average in his last six starts.

Former Atlanta Thrasher Scott Fankhouser turned aside 45 shots in a strong performance for Arkansas, which was outshot 47-22. The IceGators held the RiverBlades' high-scoring duo of Buddy Smith and Jason Bermingham without a point and with just four shots. Smith and Bermingham combined for 16 goals and 39 points in 12 games this season against Louisiana.

Neither team scored in the opening period, and the RiverBlades nearly struck first in the second, as Ryan Coole clanged one off the post 4:50 in.

Proskurnicki, also playing in his first pro playoff game, set up his goal with a hustle play. He raced ahead of the pack and drew a high-sticking call on the 5-foot-8 Smith, setting up the power play.

Less than 30 seconds into the power play, Bobby Brown took a pass from Martin Bartek in the high slot and slung a shot on net. Proskurnicki made a backhanded stab at the puck and just got a piece of it, and the puck barely trickled over the line. The IceGators finally solved Fankhouser on their 29th shot at the 11:21 mark.

Louisiana finished 1-for-3 on the power play, while Arkansas was just 1-for-3 with one shot.

Kettles kept it a 1-0 game with 1:56 left in the second, robbing Dean Stock with the glove from the lower right circle.

Arkansas had its chances in the final period, going on three power plays, but they mustered zero shots on their first two and had just five shots in the stanza.

McNeil gave the IceGators a two-goal edge with his 19th playoff goal in 37 games, at 9:42 of the third. Kettles stopped a shot from the blueline, and John DePourcq picked the puck up of Kettles' pads and sent a long pass up ice. McNeil outskated defenseman Garry Toor to the puck in the right wing, then went five-hole on the massive netminder from the lower circle.

Defenseman Kevin Mitchell, in just his second game back from the American Hockey League, helped stop two good Arkansas chances later in the stanza.

With 7:25 left, Mitchell scooped a loose puck away from the crease and into the boards, and just more than a minute later his dive helped break up a 2-on-1 shorthanded breakaway.

Kettles was tested with two shots in the final minute after Arkansas pulled Fankhouser, as Brown went to the box for holding with 39 seconds left, but the RiverBlades couldn't solve Kettles.

The IceGators put 17 shots on Fankhouser in the first, perhaps none better than Proskurnicki's chance with 7:30 left in the stanza. Fankhouser ventured out of his net to play a loose puck, and just got back in time to kick out Prosknurnicki's attempt from the left circle.

Kettles wasn't tested until late in the period, when Sam Paquet found himself loose in front. The netminder made a skate save on the former Baton Rouge Kingfish, keeping the game scoreless.

Gator Bites:

Kettles joined Doug Bonner, Mike Valley and Marc Magliarditi as the only IceGator netminders with shutouts. Magliarditi made 27 saves against Jackson last April 8 in Game 4 of the Southwest Division Semifinals, giving Louisiana two shutouts in its last three post-season games.

Kettles, Marc Delorme, Dave Arsenault and Valley are the only IceGator goalies to pick up an assist in the post-season.

McNeil, who was held without a goal in three playoff games in 2002, picked up his second career playoff game-winner. McNeil helped beat Pee Dee 6-4 with his second of two goals on April 20, 2001.

Proskurnicki has faced Arkansas three times this season, and he has a power play goal in each game.

The IceGators enjoyed their largest regulation shot advantage (25 shots) in the post-season since a franchise-record 38 game difference in Game 5 of the Southern Conference Quarterfinals against New Orleans on April 18, 1999. Louisiana outshot the Brass 53-15 but lost 3-2.



ECHL Stories from April 2, 2003


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.

OurSports Central