Long-shot goal lifts Arkansas over IceGators in OT

November 9, 2002 - ECHL (ECHL)
Louisiana IceGators News Release


North Little Rock, AR - Eric Long's power play goal, his second of the night, with 2.1 seconds remaining in overtime lifted the Arkansas RiverBlades to a 3-2 victory over the Louisiana IceGators at Alltel Arena. Jason Saal made 30 saves, including seven in overtime, to beat his former team for the second time in as many games, and Jason Bermingham also scored for the RiverBlades, who are unbeaten in seven games (6-0-1) to move past Mississippi by one point for first place in the Southwest Division.

Daniel Goneau scored twice and Frederic Cloutier made 34 saves in a fine effort as Louisiana picked up a point but saw its winless streak extend to five games (0-3-2). That streak is the second-longest in team history, not counting when the IceGators had to forfeit nine games in the 1996-97 season. Louisiana will have to win tomorrow afternoon's game against Greenville to keep from matching the longest winless streak of six games, set in the 1997-98 campaign, from January 9-16. Louisiana is also winless in five straight road games (0-3-2), the longest such streak in team history, not counting the forfeited games.

Louisiana and Arkansas combined for nine shots, seven by the IceGators, in a frantic overtime period which saw four penalties called.

The teams skated 3-on-3 for 50 seconds in the extra session when Louisiana's Bruce Richardson and Arkansas' Ryan Coole were sent off for roughing, but Louisiana went up a man on the 4-on-3 power play when Terry Marchant was whistled for cross-checking at 2:22. Kevin Mitchell had a chance early on the power play with a shot from the point, and Shawn McNeil just missed with the rebound. Rempel had another rebound attempt after Arkansas cleared the puck, but the shot went just wide. Goneau had a chance 15 seconds later from inside the left circle, but Saal was up to the task.

Semir Ben-Amor picked up a holding call at 4:31 of overtime to put the RiverBlades on the power play. Louisiana still looked good to get out of it with no more damage, with a faceoff just outside its zone with eight seconds left. Buddy Smith, who finished with three assists, pushed the faceoff to himself along the right boards, sent a pass between the circles to Long, and the captain got the puck past Cloutier, who was screened by the 6-foot-1, 205-pound Marchant, with 2.1 seconds left.

Louisiana, victimized during the winless streak by allowing early goals and getting into penalty trouble, held a 1-0 lead after the first period, the first time the IceGators had scored first in five games. The IceGators got on the board with 3:26 left in the stanza, as Goneau took a pass from Rod Sarich at the point and sent it on net. The puck deflected off an Arkansas defender past Saal.

Cloutier, getting his third straight start for the second time in his career, saw a flurry of action early, but Louisiana was on the offensive for most of the period.

Louisiana stayed out of penalty trouble for the most part, but a hooking penalty to McNeil at 2:20 of the second period set up Long's first goal of the game. Former IceGator Matt Pagnutti launched a shot from the point that Cloutier made the stop on. Long poked at the puck twice, and on his third attempt he lifted it past a sprawled Cloutier to tie the game.

Goneau's second tally of the game put the IceGators back up 2-1 at the 5:26 mark of the middle stanza. Saal went behind his own net to try and clear the puck, but he misfired. Goneau stole the puck and tucked it into the net for his second goal of the game and fifth of the season.

The lead was shortlived, as just 2:07 later Bermingham notched his fifth goal of the season. The goal came only 28 seconds after J.P. Morin slugged it out with Mark Scott. Smith left a drop pass from the top of the right circle for Bermingham, who fired a wrister upstairs on Cloutier.

The damage could have been worse less than two minutes later, as Cloutier made a nifty glove save on Mike Sandbeck from close range.

On the power play, the IceGators nearly reclaimed the lead with 6:45 left in the period when Goneau set up Chris Taliercio, whose shot just missed the post.

Four minutes into the third period, Cloutier was spectacular, ranging all over to make several stops, his helmet falling off after making a pad save.

Each team had a power play in the third period, but neither team managed a score. Arkansas finished 2-for-6 on the power play, while the IceGators were 0-for-6.

Gator bites:

Louisiana had failed to score first in seven of its last eight games. Tonight marked just the second time in seven games that the IceGators haven't given up a goal in the opening 1:58 of the contest.

Overall, Louisiana has allowed its opponent to score first in eight games this season. In 2001-02, just 19 opponents hit the scoreboard before the IceGators did, and Louisiana went 9-8-2 in those games.

McNeil's 11-game point streak was snapped just a game shy of his career-best. Tonight was his first game without a point since last March 12, as he had at least a point in 18 straight regular season games.

Morin's fighting major was the second of his two-year pro career, the first coming as a member of UHL Port Huron back on October 13, 2001.

Bermingham has four goals in four games against the IceGators this season.

Goneau has 17 games with two or more goals, including a hat trick with AHL Hartford.

Goneau has a pair of two-goal games this season, tied with Taliercio for second on the team. They trail McNeil, who has three multi-goal games.

Richardson assisted on Goneau's first goal to extend his point streak to six games, a new career-best. The streak, which started with a four-helper game on October 27 against Jackson, includes two nine points (2g, 7a). Richardson has a point in all but two games this season.

Sarich has five assists in his last six games. The IceGators have three unassisted goals this season, two by Goneau.

Bobby Brown's five-game point streak was snapped. It was the second five-game streak of the season for Brown

Arkansas outshot the IceGators 18-10 in the second stanza, the most shots allowed by Louisiana in a period this season.

The IceGators failed to score a power play goal for the first time since March 22 (0-for-1 that night), a span of 16 games. It marked the first time since going 0-for-7 with the man advantage, on December 9, 2001, that Louisiana had more than six power plays without scoring.

Louisiana was outshot for just the second time this season, 37-32. The other time was in a 4-3 shootout loss at Columbus on November 1 (39-29).

IceGators defenseman Jeff Worlton whipped Tom Kaiman in a fight early in the second period.

Mitchell's 11-game penalty streak came to an end.

The IceGators fell to 5-2 in franchise history in games decided in overtime. The ECHL adopted the five-minute overtime period in the 1999-2000 season. Its other overtime loss came January 12, a 4-3 home loss against Mississippi.

Louisiana had been 3-0 in overtime decisions against the RiverBlades, winning twice on the road.



ECHL Stories from November 9, 2002


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