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Pride fall on road again, lose to Inferno 5-1

April 1, 2005 - ECHL (ECHL)
Myrtle Beach Thunderboltz News Release


COLUMBIA, SC - The Pee Dee Pride's road winless streak reached 17 games on Friday night, as the Pride fell to the Columbia Inferno 5-1 at the Carolina Coliseum.

The 17-game road winless streak (0-15-2) is the fourth-longest streak in ECHL history, breaking a tie with the 1995-96 Johnstown Chiefs.

Columbia outshot Pee Dee 13-4 in the first period of play, but the game was scoreless after 20 minutes thanks to stellar groaltending by the Pride's Sebastien Laplante who stopped several quality scoring chances, including two point-blank opportunities in the closing seconds of the period.

The Inferno got on the scoreboard early in the second period, tallying the game's first goal at the 1:32 mark, just four seconds after a power-play opportunity expired. Dean Stork pinched in from the blue line and got just enough of his stick on the puck to redirect Chanse Fitzpatrick's centering pass over Laplante's outstretched glove for his fifth goal of the season.

Columbia doubled its lead at the 7:49 mark of the second period. D'Arcy McConvery stole the puck off of the stick of Jan Vodrazka at the hash marks, and then using the Pride defenseman as a screen, took a quick wrist shot that beat Laplante through the five hole for his 22nd goal of the season.

The Inferno added one more tally before the end of the period, getting a power-play tally from Eric Boulton at 18:42 to make it 3-0 Columbia after 40 minutes of play.

Columbia added to its lead 2:39 into the third period. Laplante turned aside the initial offering by John Longo, but the rebound sat free on the far post, where Tim Smith was all alone, and he chipped the puck over the fallen body of Laplante for his sixth tally of the year.

Boulton gave the Inferno a 5-0 lead at the 5:04 mark as he ripped a wrist shot past Laplante from the right-wing circle for his second goal and third point of the night.

Darryl Green ended Mike Minard's shutout bid with his 11th goal of the season at the 10:05 mark of the third. Stevce Cygan's shot was stopped by Minard, but the rebound came free to the left-wing circle, and Green was able to sweep in from the blue line and push the puck past Minard for his 11th goal of the season.

The Pride return home on Saturday for the back end of their home-and-home series against the Inferno. Face off is set for 7:30 p.m. Tickets are available at the Florence Civic Center Box Office or through TicketMaster at (843) 679-9333 or www.ticketmaster.com.



ECHL Stories from April 1, 2005


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