Sports stats



Louisiana back on winning track

November 3, 2003 - ECHL (ECHL)
Louisiana IceGators News Release


Week in review: LA 3, CBS 2

It was a mix of newcomers and a veteran that helped the IceGators (3-2-0) snap their two-game losing streak Saturday.

Martin Masa and Ben Kilgour each scored their first goals with the team, and then Bobby Brown snapped a tie late in the third period to lift the IceGators to a 3-2 win in Columbus. The IceGators also got 20 saves from Frederic Cloutier.

Colin Pepperall and J.F. Plourde each scored for struggling Columbus, which also lost Sunday and has dropped six of seven after beginning the season with two straight wins.

Plourde had tied the game with 8:31 left in regulation, but Louisiana got the game-winner with 4:08 remaining. Brown picked up a loose rebound along the goal line and banged the puck off goaltender Kristian Antila and into the net for his third goal of the season.

Columbus, which never led in the game, nearly got the equalizer with 1:30 left, but Cloutier stopped Carlyle Lewis walking in from the corner.

The Cottonmouths pulled Antila with less than a minute left, and did get a faceoff in front of Cloutier with 28.4 seconds left after an icing call to Louisiana. Columbus had another after a second icing call, but the Cottonmouths weren't able to get a clear shot at Cloutier.

The IceGators, playing their only game in a 13-day stretch, took a while to get things going, as they went the first eight minutes of the game without recording a shot. After killing a Columbus power play, Louisiana went to work, notching 12 straight shots.

Masa's first goal, the 498th point of his pro career, got Louisiana on the board with 4:17 left on the first on a 5-on-3. Ben Storey ripped a shot from the point, and Masa deflected the puck in front. It went off Antila's blocker and into the net for the 1-0 lead.

Coming attractions:

TUE, Gator Talk, 7-8 p.m.

Join Bruce LeVine and Dave Farrish as they recap last week's action and look ahead to the upcoming road trip. It's Gator Talk, Tuesday from 7-8 p.m. on Newsradio 105.1 KPEL. This week's guests are Kenny Corupe and Kenny Goetz.

FRI, LA @ MIS, 7:30 p.m.

The IceGators and Sea Wolves meet for the third time in Louisiana's first six games. The IceGators won a pair of one-goal decisions from Mississippi on Opening Weekend. Louisiana beat the Sea Wolves 3-2 in a shootout October 17 in Biloxi, then 2-1 the next night at the Cajundome. The IceGators are 30-18-8 all-time against Mississippi, including a 12-10-6 mark on the road. Please note: Friday's game will be on 107.9 KRKA due to a high-school football conflict.

SAT, LA @ TEX, 7:05 p.m.

The Texas Wildcatters open their brand-new arena in their first ECHL season against the IceGators. Lafayette and Beaumont are two hours apart on I-10.

SUN, LA vs. CBS, 4:05 p.m. Military Appreciation Night

The IceGators and Cottonmouths meet in a rematch of Saturday's 3-2 Louisiana win. It's Military Appreciation Night. Active or retired military personnel get $2 off tickets, while any "civilian" bringing in an American flag will also get $2 off.

Cloutier gets win No. 50 - Third-year netminder Frederic Cloutier picked up his 50th pro victory Saturday, making 20 stops in the IceGators' 3-2 win over Columbus. In just 77 pro games, Cloutier is 50-15-9 (.736 winning percentage) with a 2.36 goals against average and a .923 save percentage. In his ECHL career (65 games), Cloutier is an amazing 46-12-7 (.762 winning percentage) with a 2.35 goals against average and a .926 save percentage. Cloutier's 2.35 career ECHL goals against average is second all-time, trailing only Curtis Sanford's mark of 2.17, from 2000-2002 with Peoria.

Masa scores first goal, closes in on 500 points - Louisiana's veteran left wing Martin Masa is just two points shy of 500 for his pro career. Masa, at 30 the eldest statesman in the IceGators locker room, has 498 points (212g, 286a) in 578 pro games beginning in 1994-95. Masa, who was a member of Greenville's 2002 Kelly Cup winning team, has more game-winning goals (32) than all of his teammates, except Bobby Brown, have goals in the ECHL. Masa has most victimized South Carolina, with four game-winners. Masa had been held without a point in four straight games until scoring in Saturday's contest.

They can hold a lead - The IceGators held onto a third-period lead Saturday against Columbus, but that shouldn't have been a surprise. In the three-plus year Dave Farrish era, Louisiana has dropped just five games in regulation when leading after 40 minutes. The IceGators are 105-5-4 when taking a lead into the third period under Farrish, although they did need a late goal by Bobby Brown to pull out Saturday's victory. As amazing as those numbers are, consider this: Louisiana is 47-1-2 on the road when leading after 40 minutes, with the only blemish being a 3-2 loss in Peoria on January 4, 2001 - Farrish's first season. In that game, Louisiana led 2-0 after one period and 2-1 after 40 minutes. The IceGators went on to lose the next two games of the road trip, in Peoria and Toledo, by a combined 12-6 margin.

Power play is charged up - Louisiana went 2-for-5 on the power play Saturday. The IceGators have scored 10 regulation goals in 2003-04, and six of them have been with the man advantage. Louisiana is 24.0 percent on the power play (6-for-25), good enough for fourth in the ECHL. The IceGators' penalty kill unit isn't shabby, either, at 86.4 percent, ninth in the league.

Home sweet home at last - By the time the IceGators wrap up their five-game road trip and return home Sunday against Columbus, they will become the last ECHL team to play their second home game. Currently, San Diego and Louisiana each have played one home game, but the Gulls play host to Florida on Friday and Saturday.

A simple philosophy - The IceGators have scored first in three of their five games, and have won all three. Louisiana has allowed its opponent to score first on two occasions, both at Florida in late October, and has dropped both of those games.

IceGators' scoring streak is franchise best - The IceGators have scored in 145 straight regular-season games, dating back to a 1-0 shootout loss to Mike Tamburro and Jackson at the Cajundome on October 17, 2001. That's the longest regular-season streak in team history by 10 contests.

Clawd's Krewe "Kicks off" - The IceGators wrapped up a huge Red Ribbon Week Friday in New Iberia. The team visited four schools last week, plus had time for the Clawd's Krewe Kids Club Kickoff Party at the Zoo of Acadiana on Sunday. The Kids Club signed up 100 new members yesterday alone and is at 1300 members! It's not too late to sign up, at www.icegators.com.

Leaders update - After just three players accounted for the goal scoring through the first four games, balance was the key Saturday. Bobby Brown leads the IceGators with six points (3g, 3a), while linemate Kenny Corupe has five (2g, 3a). Konstantin Kalmikov (3g, 1a) and Josh Mizerek (4a) each have four points, with Mizerek's total leading the IceGators defensive corps. The team's leading rookie scorer is Jamie Johnson (2a). Saturday, Ben Kilgour became the first IceGators rookie this season to tally a goal.

Player of the Week Nominees

Right wing Bobby Brown - Posted goal and an assist to lead IceGators to 1-0-0 record last week...Assisted on Martin Masa's 5-on-3 goal to give Louisiana the lead in the first period...Scored game-winner with 4:08 left in regulation, his first GWG this season...Leads IceGators in scoring with six points (3g, 3a)...Three goals are tied for the team lead with Konstantin Kalmikov...Three helpers are one behind Josh Mizerek's team-best total of four.

Goaltender Frederic Cloutier - Stopped 20 shots in only game of week, a 3-2 win over Columbus...Week's goals against average was 2.00 and sported a .909 save percentage...Victory over the Cottonmouths was his 50th pro win...Is 2-1-0 with a 2.33 goals against average and a .903 save percentage this season...Goals against average ranks 17th among ECHL netminders, 14th among those having played three or more games...Is 50-15-9 in his pro career.

• Discuss this story on the ECHL message board...

ECHL Stories from November 3, 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.

Other Recent Louisiana IceGators Stories



Sports Statistics from the Stats Crew
OurSports Central