Mix of veterans, youth helps IceGators hold on

Published on November 14, 2003 under ECHL (ECHL)
Louisiana IceGators News Release


Pensacola, FL – Bobby Brown scored twice and rookies Brian Herbert and Jamie Johnson added their first pro goals, and the Louisiana IceGators held on to beat the Pensacola Ice Pilots 5-4 at the Pensacola Civic Center. Konstantin Kalmikov's third-period goal was the game winner, Josh Mizerek tied his career-high with three assists and Frederic Cloutier made 28 saves to pick up his third straight win for Louisiana, which has won five straight. The IceGators' five-game winning streak ties their longest from last season. Louisiana will go after consecutive win No. 6 Saturday at 7:05 p.m. versus Texas at Southwest Medical Center Magnetic Schedule and Boy Scout Night. The team's last six-game winning streak was from January 13-29, 2002, during the team's record 116-point campaign.

Brian Collins scored twice, Aaron Phillips and Tyler Kindle added a goal apiece and former IceGator Evgeny Konstantinov turned aside 36 shots for Pensacola, which plays at the Cajundome on Sunday at 4:05 p.m.

Phillips wasted little time putting Pensacola in front, scoring just 52 seconds in. Phillips walked around a Louisiana defender and through the left circle, poking a shut underneath Cloutier for his third goal of the season.

Herbert, a rookie playing in just his second game since the death of his father in October, knotted the score at 1-1 with 6:25 left in the first with Cloutier off for the extra attacker on a delayed penalty. Ben Storey (two assists) threw one on net from the point, and Herbert redirected the puck home for his first pro goal.

Brown gave the IceGators a 2-1 lead on the power play with 2:46 left in the opening stanza. Hard work in the corners by Ben Kilgour and Kenny Corupe got the puck to Brown, who went backhand to forehand beat Konstantinov with Mike Jones in the penalty box for slashing.

Brown's fifth of the season padded the IceGators' lead to two goals just 37 seconds into the second period, with the teams 4-on-4. Mizerek got a nice clearing pass up ice to Brown, who skated in on a 2-on-1 with Corupe. Brown faked the pass and went five-hole on Konstantinov. Brown's goal was the IceGators' first at true even strength (not including two extra attacker goals) in 209 minutes, 45 seconds, dating back to Brown's goal with 4:08 left in regulation November 1 in Columbus.

Meanwhile, the IceGators defense was going to work. Louisiana yielded just one shot over a 20-minute span covering both periods.

Brown nearly notched the hat trick eight minutes into the period on a Louisiana power play, but Konstantinov closed the door from the slot.

Just more than a minute later, Collins helped draw Pensacola within 3-2. Collins stole the puck at his defensive blueline and skated ahead of the pack. Collins went low stick side on Cloutier, just 38 seconds after the IceGators power play had expired.

Pensacola had a turnover of its own, though, to fall behind by two goals again. Johnson stole the puck in the right circle and went top shelf over Konstantinov for his first pro goal with 1:54 left in the stanza. The tally gave the IceGators four goals in a game for the first time this season.

The Ice Pilots had outscored their opponents 24-7 in the second period entering the game, but were outscored 2-1 tonight in the middle stanza.

Collins got Pensacola within one with 7:52 remaining in regulation, as he redirected a Doug Schueller shot from the point through traffic.

However, Pensacola's Peter Bournazakis picked up a costly goalie interference call with 6:53 left in the game. Bournazakis took down Cloutier, and the puck eventually went into the net to no avail.

Instead, the puck ended up in the net behind Konstantinov on the ensuing power play. Kalmikov tipped a Storey rocket through the legs of the netminder for his fourth goal of the season with 6:24 remaining.

Kalmikov's goal was important, as Kindle's second of the season with 1:33 left again drew Pensacola within one. The tally came with Louisiana's Dennis Shiryaev in the penalty box for tripping.

Masa just missed the empty netter with three seconds left that would have given him his 500th career pro point.

The IceGators finished 2-for-6 on the power play. Pensacola – ranked second in the ECHL on the power play entering tonight's game – went 1-for-5. Two of the Ice Pilots power plays were abbreviated, when Louisiana took a penalty early in one of its own man advantages.

Gwinnett also won tonight, moving to 19 points – four more than Mississippi, a 5-4 victor in Florence. The IceGators' 14 points are in third place, one ahead of Pensacola.

Gator Bites:

Corupe has a seven-game point streak, setting a new personal ECHL high and drawing within two games of his career high, set in 2001-02 with CHL Odessa. He also has a career-best six-game assist streak.

Storey's assists gave him a point in five straight games, tying his career high, set from December 29, 1999-January 9, 2000, with AHL Hershey.

Phillips' first-period goal snapped Louisiana's scoreless streak at 114 minutes, 49 seconds.

Former IceGator Corey Neilson, who entered the game tops among ECHL defensemen in points, was held without a point, snapping an eight-game assist streak.

Louisiana improved to 109-5-4 under Dave Farrish when leading after two periods.

The IceGators are now 2-2-0 when allowing the game's first goal.

Brown has 18 points (10g, 8a) in just 15 career games versus Pensacola.

Louisiana has won four straight on the road, the first time that has happened since a five-game streak from December 28, 2001-January 26, 2002, also during the record-setting season.

Brown has 28 career multi-goal games, including 22 in the ECHL and 11 with Louisiana. The IceGators are 9-1-1 when Brown has two or more goals.

Louisiana was just 2-3-2 on the road to start last season, but is 5-2-0 in 2003-04 through seven games away from the Cajundome.

The IceGators are a perfect 7-0-0 against their division. Roanoke (5-0-0) is the only other team unbeaten against division rivals.

With the win, Louisiana is 4-4-1 in its last nine trips to Pensacola.

Konstantinov is 0-2-0 with a 5.04 goals against average against his former team.

Eight of Kalmikov's 23 goals as an IceGator have been a game-winner.

Mizerek's other three-assist game came on January 12, 2002, with Baton Rouge against Pensacola.

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



ECHL Stories from November 14, 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.

OurSports Central