Mole Gives Roadrunners 2-1 Win Over Long Beach

by Andrew Nordmeier
December 5, 2005 - ECHL (ECHL)
Phoenix RoadRunners


By nature, a mole is a small animal with no external eyes or ears. For the Phoenix Roadrunners, Michael Mole is a six-foot-tall animal that has sharp reflexes and a penchant for stopping pucks.

Mole didn't burrow under the ice when the Long Beach Ice Dogs (8-10-2) barraged him with 48 shots Sunday night. He made a career-high 47 saves and powered the Roadrunners to a 2-1 win, just the second triumph for Phoenix away from home this season, and crept them to within a point of the Victoria Salmon Kings for fifth place. The Roadrunners were out-shot 48-22 but still managed to win just their second one-goal game of the season (2-3-2) and raise Mole's mark to 3-7-2.

Phoenix (6-10-2) started the scoring in the waning seconds of the second period when a familiar face got the Roadrunners on the board.

Cory Pecker, in his first game back since being returned to the Roadrunners from the San Antonio Rampage of the AHL, scored with 2.2 seconds left to give Phoenix a 1-0 edge.

He started on a 1-on-1 rush and lost the puck. Dusty Demaniuk found the loose puck and zipped it over to Dave Cousineau who maintained possession in the Long Beach zone. Cousineau threaded a pass back to Pecker and he beat Long Beach goaltender Greg Hewitt from the left circle for his team-leading 10th goal of the season.

Phoenix doubled its lead on a two-man advantage goal off the stick of Jason Deskins. Deskins' low wrist shot from the slot came at 11:07 and was assisted by Mark Wires and Pecker and was his fourth goal of the campaign. Long Beach responded right back 46 seconds later when Mac Faulkner scored his fourth goal of the year. His short-handed strike was set up by a Roadrunner turnover. Mole stopped the first shot, but the rebound eluded him.

The Ice Dogs pulled Hewitt for the extra attacker in the final minute but failed to get the equalizer. Hewitt leads the ECHL in losses with nine as his record falls to 7-9-1. Phoenix finished 1-of-7 on the power play while Long Beach showed why it is the league's worst power play with an 0-for-5 effort.

The Roadrunners head out on a three-game road trip next weekend when they visit the San Diego Gulls Friday night before christening the Stockton Arena Saturday and Sunday when they are the first team to visit the Thunder. Stockton started the season on a 14-game road trip while construction was wrapping up on the 10,000-seat arena.

Three Stars

3. Deskins-PHX Game-winning goal

2. Pecker-PHX Goal and assist

1. Mole-PHX Career-high 47 saves

Notes: Phoenix has now allowed three shorthanded goals in its last two games...Blake Robson, released by Phoenix on Friday, was picked up by Long Beach...The ice in Long Beach is tinted blue so the blue lines are painted yellow; the red line is still red...Jake Riddle and Shaun Fisher, the two newest Roadrunners, didn't play in this game. They had to make the 2,000-mile drive from Augusta to Phoenix and are expected to be in the lineup for the team's next game...Long Beach has a league-high five shorthanded goals on their home ice...Phoenix is now 4-0-1 when leading after two periods and Long Beach falls to 2-10-1 when trailing after 40 minutes...Phoenix is 4-3-0 when scoring first...Attendance was 1,705



ECHL Stories from December 5, 2005


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