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McNeil ties it up late, then wins it in OT

December 6, 2002 - ECHL (ECHL)
Louisiana IceGators News Release


Lafayette, LA – Shawn McNeil sent the game into overtime with 49 seconds left, then won it with 1:23 remaining in the extra session, as the Louisiana IceGators rallied from three goals down for a wild 5-4 win over the Arkansas RiverBlades.

Kevin Mitchell and Daniel Goneau each had a goal and two assists for Louisiana, which won its fourth straight and stretched its unbeaten streak to a season-high eight games (7-0-1). Cal Benazic also scored and Frederic Cloutier withstood constant pressure to finish with a season-high 38 saves as the IceGators maintained their three-point Southwest Division lead over Mississippi, a 5-1 home winner over Columbus, and increased to a six-point lead over the RiverBlades.

The IceGators rallied from a three-goal deficit to win for the first time this season and for the third time in the past two seasons. Louisiana rallied from a 4-1 second-period deficit against New Orleans last November 18 before rallying for a 5-4 win behind a pair of goals by McNeil. Then, on January 26, the IceGators trailed 3-0 late in the second period but won at Mobile 5-4.

Buddy Smith and Jason Bermingham each had a goal and an assist for Arkansas, which is winless in four straight (0-3-1). In three of those games, the RiverBlades saw a three-goal lead disappear, and in the other, Arkansas, had a two-goal lead in the second period. Dean Stork and Dean Stock also scored and Jason Saal made 28 saves for the RiverBlades, who also failed to hold a 6-2 second-period lead in a 7-6 loss in Peoria on November 15.

Benazic started the IceGators' second comeback with his fourth goal of the season with 6:18 left to cut the Arkansas lead to 4-3. Kenny Corupe sent a shot on net from the high slot, and the rebound came to Benazic at the left doorstep. Benazic lifted the puck high over a fallen Saal.

The IceGators pulled Cloutier with 1:04 remaining, and McNeil tied the game with 48.8 seconds left on the clock. Mitchell ripped a shot from the point, and McNeil, in front of Saal, redirected the puck past the netminder.

Louisiana's first shot in overtime was a winning one and was started with a crushing hit by Mitchell, who laid a massive bodycheck on Jason Deskins at center ice. McNeil picked up the loose puck and skated in on Saal, with Ryan Coole closing in on him from behind. McNeil went glove side on his former teammate for his second career overtime game-winner, and his fifth post-regulation game-winner, counting three shootout goals. McNeil leads the IceGators with 17 goals in 23 games.

Saal, who played the 2000-01 season with the IceGators, was looking for his third straight win over his former team.

Goneau started the first comeback with Louisiana trailing 3-0 midway through the second. Goneau made it a two-goal game at the 12:33 mark with his ninth goal of the season. Bruce Richardson threaded a pass between two defenders from center ice to Goneau streaking up the middle. Goneau, ahead of the pack, easily beat Saal to get his team within two goals.

The score stayed that way until Mitchell's power-play tally with .7 seconds left in the second. Stork went for holding at the 19:55 mark, and on the ensuing faceoff, Corupe drew the puck back to Nathan Rempel, who slid a pass to Mitchell at the right point. Mitchell's shot through a heavy screen eluded Saal. The goal was originally credited to Goneau.

Arkansas took the wind back out of Louisiana's sails early in the third, getting a goal by Smith at the 2:58 mark. Bermingham carried the puck into the right corner and put a centering pass across the crease. Cloutier sticked away the pass, but the puck came right to Smith in the left circle. Smith deposited the puck high over Cloutier's blocker for his team-best 15th goal of the season.

The IceGators didn't go away, continuing to go after Saal. Mitchell fed a wide open Corupe in front of the net with eight minutes left, but Corupe couldn't get the handle on the puck with Saal out of position. Less than two minutes later, Benazic's power-play score got things going for the IceGators.

Arkansas finished 2-for-4 on the power play, while the IceGators were 2-for-5.

Cloutier kept the IceGators in the game early. He ventured out of his net just after the nine-minute mark of the first period to play a puck behind his own net, and disaster nearly happened. Cloutier collided with two players behind the net, and slung the puck around the boards on his way down. Somehow, Cloutier regained his balance, and kicked away a shot from Bermingham at the left point as he found his way back to the net. The puck rebounded to a streaking Ernie Hartlieb in the slot, and Cloutier made a skate save – literally – as the puck stuck in Cloutier's skates.

The RiverBlades finally solved Cloutier on their 15th shot, at the 10:48 shot. Coole ripped a shot from the left point, and Cloutier made the initial save. The puck trickled to Stock at the left doorstep, and Stock put it past the sprawled netminder for the 1-0 lead.

With four minutes left in the period, Arkansas extended to a two-goal edge on Stork's power-play tally. His shot from the point deflected off an IceGator in front and past Cloutier.

Early in the second, Saal made an acrobatic save to rob Shawn Mamane on a 2-on-1 with Goneau. Goneau sent a pass from the right circle to Mamane between the circles, but Saal rotated back in time to make a pad save and cover up.

Arkansas struck again on its 30th shot, at the 9:15 mark of the second period on the power play. Matt Pagnutti, at the left point, sent a pass along the boards to Hartlieb. Hartlieb wristed a shot on Cloutier, and the rebound came to a wide open Bermingham, who tapped the puck into the open net for a 3-0 lead.

Gator Bites:

Goneau extended to an eight-game point streak (2g, 16a) and an eight-game assist streak. He has five multiple-point games in his last six contests.

Richardson has 16 points (8g, 8a) in a seven-game point streak.

McNeil has a six-game point streak (6g, 5a).

The RiverBlades' 18 shots in the opening stanza and Cloutier's 16 saves in each the first and second period tied Louisiana's season-high. The IceGators also yielded 18 shots to Arkansas in the second period on November 9. Cloutier twice recorded 16 saves – in the November 9 game, and the next night against Greenville (second period).

The IceGators, who were a remarkable 8-9-1 last season when trailing after two periods, improved to 1-5-1 in that situation this season.

Arkansas dropped to 8-2-3 when leading after two periods.

Mitchell had his second career three-point game, with the other coming November 24 against Columbus.

Corupe had two assists and has four points in the last two games, the first time this season that he's had multiple points in back-to-back games.

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