Lynx set to face Inferno, Ice Pilots on the road this weekend

Published on November 18, 2005 under ECHL (ECHL)
Augusta Lynx News Release


The Augusta Lynx will play twice on the road this weekend, battling the Columbia Inferno at 7:05 pm on Friday night before tackling the Pensacola Ice Pilots on Sunday in a matinee contest at 5:05 pm.

Carrying a 1-1-0 mark in the season series, Augusta heads to Columbia for the first time since the pre-season. The two teams will meet a total of nine times this year, with four of the remaining seven contests being played in Columbia.

The Inferno comes into tonight's matchup after a tough 7-1 loss to the Grrrowl in Greenville during an education day game. Six different Grrrowl players lit the lamp while Justin Aikens was the only Inferno player to score in the contest. Rob Gherson started the contest but allowed three goals on six shots and was replaced in favor of Chris Houle, who turned aside 37 shots for the remainder of the contest.

Augusta and Columbia last faced each other Friday, November 11th in a Veteran's Day contest that saw the Inferno triumph 4-2 on goals by Leon Hayward, Dave Bonk, Mike Stathopoulos, and Aikens. Joe Pereira and Nicolas Corbeil scored for the Lynx, while Jason Wolfe turned aside 18 shots in the loss.

Pereira has scored in his last two games for the Lynx, while forward Brian Passmore leads the club with three goals and nine points. His +5 rating is also tops on the squad this year. Passmore, Corbeil, and Sam Ftorek are all tied for the team lead in goals with three.

Columbia has three players who have broken into double digit points already, with Bonk leading the way on four goals and 12 points. Goal-scoring leader Statholpoulos (5-6-11) and F.P. Guennette (4-6-10) are immediately behind in the queue.

Augusta will also meet with the Ice Pilots for the second time on Sunday, with both contests thus far coming in Florida. The previous meeting spawned a 3-2 Lynx win on goals by Passmore, Ftorek and Pereira, while rookie netminder Trevor Cunning made his first pro start and posted 40 saves for the win, the most stops by a Lynx goaltender this year.

Pensacola is struggling early in the season, going 2-6-1 and heading into the weekend off a 7-4 pasting by the Gwinnett Gladiators. Both of Pensacola's wins have come at home. Luke Fulghum's four goals ties him for the team lead with Nicklas Lindberg, and his nine points places him two ahead of Lindberg for the team lead. Only five Ice Pilots players have a rating better than even, and the team is a combined -31 this season. Also hampering the team is a league-worst power play that has scored only three goals in 51 chances for, a 5.9% success rate.

"We know that every two points is big, and that these are the games you can look back on later in the season and wish you'd have gotten the two points," said Lynx head coach and director of hockey operations Bob Ferguson at the Behind the Bench Coach's Show on Monday. "We just have to put together two solid, consistent 60-minute efforts against these teams."

Lynx fans heading to the game in Columbia this Friday can get $3 off tickets with a donation of a non-perishable canned food item at the door. Come out and support your Augusta Lynx and help fight hunger with Palmetto Health, who are sponsoring the food drive. Game time is 7:05 pm. Sunday's game in Pensacola will be a 5:05 pm EST start. Both games are available on the web through www.augustalynx.com, and on the radio on NEWSTALKSTPORTS 1630. The Classic Stucco and Stone Pre-Game Show kicks off one half-hour before game time.



ECHL Stories from November 18, 2005


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