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Louisiana game notes at Pensacola, 12/17

December 17, 2002 - ECHL (ECHL)
Louisiana IceGators News Release


IceGators at Ice Pilots – Louisiana looks for its eighth win in 10 tries against Pensacola, while also trying to avenge a 6-1 loss to the Ice Pilots on the road on November 15. That was the IceGators' worst loss ever in Pensacola. Louisiana had recently enjoyed much success against the Ice Pilots, winning five straight and 13 of 15 before going 2-2-0 over the past four meetings. The IceGators beat Pensacola 6-3 on Thanksgiving night, as Tony Tuzzolino recorded a hat trick and J.P. Morin added three assists. Frederic Cloutier made 37 saves for the victory after getting pulled in the November 15 game in Pensacola. All-time, Louisiana is 34-14-2 against the Ice Pilots franchise, counting one season as the Nashville Knights. The IceGators are 15-9-1 on the road against Pensacola, but have gone just 4-4-0 in their last eight trips there. The teams don't meet again until a home-and-home January 25 and 26, starting in Pensacola.

Sunday night – Bobby Brown swatted a puck out of mid-air for a goal with 55.1 seconds left in overtime for his second tally of the night, as the Louisiana IceGators rallied by the Jackson Bandits, 4-3, at the Cajundome. Frederic Cloutier made 25 saves and Bruce Richardson and Cal Benazic each scored for Louisiana, which snapped a five-game winless streak (0-2-3) and moved back into a first-place tie with Mississippi with 38 points. Adam Hauser, bidding for his fifth straight win, turned aside 36 shots, including 18 in the first period, but yielded Brown's game-winner. Reagan Rome, Sean Gillam and Brent Gauvreau each scored for the Bandits, who had a four-game winning streak snapped.

Scouting the Ice Pilots – Pensacola rebounded from a two-game losing streak with a 4-3 win against Arkansas on Saturday in the opener of a three-game homestand. Greg Pankewicz picked up a pair of goals to go along with 17 penalty minutes, while Gregor Baumgartner's third-period goal was the deciding tally. Maxime Gingras made 35 saves, and stopped all 15 shots in the first period, to pick up the win, while Baumgartner assisted on a pair of goals. Pankewicz, whose 18 goals are more than twice as many as any other Ice Pilot, will need to step up this week in the absence of former IceGator Louis Dumont, who is on seven-day IR. Dumont leads Pensacola with 26 points (7g, 19a), while Pankewicz has 25, including 18 goals in just 21 games. Pankewicz is also, however, near the league lead in penalty minutes with 125. He leads the Ice Pilots with eight power-play goals, and has also scored the game's first goal eight times. Pensacola became a deeper team with the addition last month of Gaetan Royer, who has eight points (3g, 5a) in 11 games. Other than Pankewicz or Dumont, no other Ice Pilot has more than 16 points. Gingras has been outstanding this season, going 10-6-4 with a 2.36 goals against average and a .929 save percentage. His record could be even better, but the Ice Pilots have scored two or fewer goals in 10 of his 21 games. Gingras is backed up by Bryan Eklund, who is 3-2-0 with a 3.92 goals against average and a .866 save percentage.

A record for one-goal games – The IceGators have played seven straight one-goal games for the first time in franchise history, going 2-2-3 in those games. Five of those seven games have gone into overtime or a shootout. Louisiana had five straight one-goal contests twice, most recently from February 10-21, 2001. The IceGators went 1-4-0 in those games.

Getting the first and last word - The IceGators have scored in the game's opening 90 seconds in three of their last five contests and have scored in the opening 2:30 of a period on 14 occasions this season. Louisiana has also scored in the final 2:30 of a period 20 times in 29 games, including three times Sunday.

Tuzzolino's streak continues – Tony Tuzzolino extended his career-best point streak to nine games with an assist Sunday, and he has 14 points (7g, 7a) in that span. Tuzzolino was held without a point in each of his first two games with Louisiana, but he has hit the scoresheet in ever game since. Shawn McNeil and Bruce Richardson hold the team season-

It's when he does his best work - Shawn McNeil has scored three extra attacker goals in the last 11 games, two of which forced overtime and gained the IceGators a point. McNeil's third extra attacker tally came Friday against Mississippi, and it brought Louisiana within 3-2 with 15 seconds left. The IceGators have four traditional extra attacker goals this season, plus another one on a delayed penalty call on November 13 against Jackson.

Shiryaev tied with Maxwell - Dennis Shiryaev's fighting major last Sunday was his 34th with the IceGators, tying him with Roger Maxwell for sixth on the team's all-time list.

It's all about special teams – The IceGators are 11-1-2 when yielding one or less power play goal this season, but they are 5-6-4 when allowing two or more.

Cloutier climbing the charts – IceGators second-year goaltender Frederic Cloutier's next appearance in net will be his 57th, one behind Bryan Schoen for second on the team's all-time list. Cloutier, who became the second Louisiana netminder with 40 total wins with the team, trails only Schoen and Doug Bonner (99) on the games played list. Bonner's 64 wins are tops on the IceGators charts.

Led after one only once on the road – The IceGators have scored first in 15 games this season, going 8-2-5 in those games. Despite scoring first in 15 games, Louisiana has led after one period just seven times – and only once on the road. The IceGators are 6-0-1 when leading after 20 minutes, including an 0-0-1 mark away from the Cajundome.

McNeil leads all ECHL goal scorers, since 2000-01 – Shawn McNeil has more goals than any other ECHL player since the beginning of the 2000-01 season. McNeil has 87 goals, five more than former teammate Jay Murphy.

Three's the magic number – Louisiana is 14-2-2 when yielding three or less goals, including an 8-0-1 mark when allowing two or less. When allowing four or more goals, the IceGators are 2-5-4.

He's a real plus to the team – IceGators center Bruce Richardson is third in the ECHL in plus-minus with a plus-20, trailing only Pee Dee's Mike Glumac (plus-25) and Matt Reid (plus-24). Richardson has had just two minus ratings this season, and has been at least even in each of the last 17 games since back-to-back minus-two games November 2 and 3.

Quick hits

Shawn McNeil has scored Louisiana's first goal in nine games this season, and 10 of his goals have given his team the lead. He has also scored the game's first goal in five contests.

Last season, the IceGators failed to win just two games (45-1-1) when leading after two periods. This season, they are 12-0-3.

Shawn McNeil has already set a new career-high with nine power-play goals.

Bruce Richardson is tied for the team lead with Daniel Goneau with 11 multiple-point games.

The IceGators are 6-4-6 in one-goal games this season after going 21-5-4 in that same situation in 2001-02.

Tonight will mark Bruce Richardson's 50th game with the IceGators.

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