Louisiana game notes at Florida

Published on October 24, 2003 under ECHL (ECHL)
Louisiana IceGators News Release


IceGators at Everblades – Louisiana and Florida meet tonight for the first of back-to-back matchups, with the IceGators looking for just their second win ever at TECO Arena. While Louisiana sports a 6-3-2 mark all-time against the Everblades, it is just 1-3-1 in Naples. That one win, though, was in the IceGators' last trip there, on March 23, 2002, when Frederic Cloutier's 31 saves powered them to victory. Of the five all-time meetings at TECO Arena, each of them have been decided two one or two goals. The IceGators and Everblades met twice last season – back-to-back meetings at the Cajundome – with the IceGators coming away with a 1-0-1 mark. A night after a 3-1 win behind a team-record 51 saves by Kyle Kettles, Kevin Brown capped off a four-point night for Florida with the game-winner 45 seconds into overtime. Louisiana's Bobby Brown tied his career-high with four points (2g, 2a) in the game.

2003-04 IceGators/Everblades matchups (First meeting)
TONIGHT: Louisiana at Florida, 6:35 p.m. (ct)
TOMORROW: Louisiana at Florida, 6:35 p.m. (ct)
JANUARY 25: Florida at Louisiana, 4:05 p.m.

Saturday Night – Konstantin Kalmikov scored the second of his two goals with 2:07 remaining after a Mississippi penalty for too many men on the ice, as the Louisiana IceGators outlasted the Sea Wolves 2-1 in their home opener in front of 6,025. Frederic Cloutier made 26 saves for Louisiana, which is 2-0-0 after beating Mississippi on two straight nights. Steffon Walby scored his second goal in as many nights for the Sea Wolves. Greg Gardner was strong in net, stopping 36 shots.

Scouting the IceGators – With two bona fide No. 1 goaltenders in Derek Gustafson and Frederic Cloutier, stopping goals wasn't supposed to be a problem this season. Through two games, it hasn't been a problem, as Gustafson yielded two goals in a 3-2 win in Mississippi, and Cloutier allowed just a power play tally in a 2-1 home win over the Sea Wolves on Saturday. Just two players have scored goals thus far for the IceGators – Bobby Brown scored twice Friday and Konstantin Kalmikov added two power-play markers Saturday. Louisiana is getting a lot of support from the blueline early. Defenseman Josh Mizerek, who had just 10 points (2g, 8a) last season with Lexington, already has a team-best three points, all assists. Ben Storey, another player who was in Lexington last season, has an assist in each of the season's first two games. Louisiana has six rookies, and Jamie Johnson has one point, an assist, to lead them. However, Johnson scored the game-winner in a shootout last Friday in Mississippi. Fellow rookie Armands Berzins and veteran Martin Masa also scored in the shootout. The IceGators have opened the season going 3-for-11 (27.3 percent) on the power play, while killing off 10-of-12 (83.3 percent) of their opponents' power plays.

Scouting the Everblades – After a 2-0 road win over Augusta to begin the season, the offense came out for Florida, although so did its opponents'. The Everblades fell 8-5 in Augusta Saturday, then rebounded with an 8-4 thrashing of Florence the next day. Florida's 15 goals lead the ECHL. Nine different Everblades have scored goals in just three games, led by Keith Anderson, whose seven points (3g, 4a) are on top of the league's leaderboard. Center Brian McCullough, signed from Reading in the off-season, has six points (3g, 3a), as does Brent McDonald (2g, 4a). In all, 13 Everblades have at least one point. Former IceGator Matt Pagnutti anchors the blueline. Florida is shooting an amazing 15.3 percent through three contests. The Everblades got more physical in the off-season, acquiring Stu Pietersma from Mississippi. Pietersma has a goal and 16 penalty minutes in three games. In net, Jeff Maund, one of the original Everblades from 1999-2000, returned from Europe to go along with Carolina Hurricanes prospect Daniel Boisclair. Maund shut out the Lynx Friday before yielding eight goals the following night. Boisclair backstopped the team to the 8-4 win over the Pride, stopping 30-of-34 shots.

And the youth shall lead both of them – You'd be hard-pressed to find two younger teams than Louisiana and Florida. The IceGators have nine players on their roster born in 1980 or later, while Florida has 11. Keith Kirley will become the sixth IceGator to make his pro debut this season, while the Everblades have seven rookies on the team, although Paul Esdale did play five games with Cincinnati last season.

IceGators looking for fourth straight 3-0 start – Prior to Dave Farrish's arrival in 2000-01, the IceGators had just one season in which they won each of their first three games. Under Farrish, the team has won three straight to begin the season in each of his first three campaigns, and the IceGators look to go 3-0-0 for the fourth straight time tonight. In 2000-01 and 2002-03, Louisiana won the season's first five games. In 2001-02, the IceGators went 3-0-0 on their way to a 12-0-2 and 26-1-2 record.

Hunt for another strong October – The IceGators improved to 37-14-5 all-time in October on Saturday. Under Dave Farrish, Louisiana has a 22-2-1 mark in the season's opening month. One of those two October regulation losses came at TECO Arena, on October 21, 2000, when the Everblades took a 4-2 decision.

IceGators add another youngster – Forward Keith Kirley signed with Louisiana this week, becoming the ninth IceGator born in 1980 or later. Louisiana's youngest player is Armands Berzins, who won't turn 20 until December 27. The IceGators had five players make their pro debut last weekend, and Kirley will make six.

IceGators' scoring streak is franchise best – The IceGators have scored in 142 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 seven contests. Louisiana went 135 games without being shut out from the franchise's first game, on October 13, 1995, to a 1-0 loss at Baton Rouge on March 22, 1997. In the team's current streak, they have been held to one goal on 18 occasions, including 11 times last season. The IceGators have recorded an astounding 16 shutouts since they were last kept off the scoreboard. Mississippi and Greg Gardner did shut out Louisiana in the post-season in April.

Masa three points from 500 in pro career – Louisiana left wing Martin Masa is just three points shy of 500 as he enters his 10th pro season. Masa, at 30 the eldest statesman in the IceGators locker room, has 497 points (211g, 286a) in 575 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.

Cloutier returns, looks for win No. 50 – Frederic Cloutier, the league MVP in 2001-02, has rejoined the IceGators and will look to continue to climb the IceGators' charts. Cloutier's goals against average of 2.33 trails only Marc Magliarditi (2.26) and Bujar Amidovski (2.32) on the team's ledgers. Cloutier had a 1.84 gaa in his MVP season. His save percentage of .927 is best in team history. Magliarditi is second (.924). Cloutier's eight shutouts are also a team-best (Kyle Kettles, 5). Cloutier has 49 wins in his first 75 pro contests, and will go for win No. 50 in his next appearance.

Cloutier unbeaten in regulation in October – Every month as a pro has been a good one for Frederic Cloutier, but especially October. Cloutier is 8-0-1 all-time in the season's first month. The lone non-win was a 1-0 shootout loss against Jackson on October 17, 2001. Cloutier made 29 saves in that game, his first pro shutout. Cloutier was 2-0-1 in October 2001, 5-0-0 in 2002 and is 1-0-0 after his home opening win Saturday.

Farrish fourth among ECHL coaches with 140 wins – IceGators head coach and vice president of hockey operations Dave Farrish is 140-56-22 with the team after Saturday's win. He is fourth among active ECHL coaches in victories in the league, behind Greenville's John Marks (340), Greensboro's Rick Adduono (198) and Reading's Derek Clancey (145). Farrish is three ahead of fourth-place Jeff Pyle of Gwinnett. Farrish's 140 wins are just 30 shy of Doug Shedden's team record.

Brown lights them up early – Louisiana captain Bobby Brown has 39 goals in his season and two games with the team, and 21 of them have come in the first period (53.8 percent).

Not your usual rookie – IceGators rookie defenseman Kevin Holdridge took an unusual path to Louisiana. He was a third-round draft pick of Carolina in 1998 out of the Ontario Hockey League, but he went to the University of Michigan – for academics that is. After getting his degree in English, Holdridge went to camp with Cincinnati, was waived and picked up by the IceGators.

Kalmikov loves the game-winner – Winger Konstantin Kalmikov has 22 goals as an IceGator, and seven of them have been game-winners (32 percent), including one in Saturday's 2-1 win over Mississippi.

They can hold a lead – In the three-year Dave Farrish era, Louisiana has dropped just five games in regulation when leading after 40 minutes. The IceGators are 104-5-4 when taking a lead into the third period under Farrish. As amazing as those numbers are, consider this: Louisiana is 46-1-2 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.

Quick hits

In 2002-03, Louisiana went 36-7-8 when scoring three or more goals, including a 28-3-4 mark when scoring four or more.

Last Friday, Dennis Shiryaev became the 21st player in IceGators history to play in 100 games. Shiryaev's 399 penalty minutes with the IceGators are 12th all-time, and he needs just 19 PIM's to move into the top 10. (Dan O'Rourke, 417) Kenny Corupe has 49 career professional goals.

Louisiana played 36 one-goal games in 2002-03, fifth in the ECHL, and the IceGators have already played two this season.

The IceGators Keith Kirley and Pensacola's Paul Esdale each played collegiately for Brown from 1999-2003.

Florida defenseman Ryan Van Buskirk played with Richmond last season, as did Louisiana's Milt Mastad.

Everblades blueliner Matt Pagnutti enjoyed four seasons in Louisiana from 1997-2001. Pagnutti is sixth on the team's games played list (273).

Florida's Stu Pietersma was with Mississippi in 2002-03 and had eight fighting majors versus Louisiana. He fought current IceGator Dennis Shiryaev on December 8.

Louisiana's Martin Masa had five goals in just seven games against Florida last season. In his career, Masa has 27 points (7g, 20a) in 28 games versus the Everblades.

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ECHL Stories from October 24, 2003


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