River Otters UHL Weekly Release #24

Published on March 25, 2002 under United Hockey League (UHL)
Missouri River Otters News Release


RIVER OTTERS EXTEND WINNING STREAK TO SEASON-HIGH SIX GAMES IN CRUCIAL WEEK; TIED FOR THIRD PLACE IN THE WESTERN CONFERENCE PLAYOFF RACE

OUTSCORE KALAMAZOO 6-5 ON WEDNESDAY; GET PAST THE KOMETS 3-1 IN FORT WAYNE ON FRIDAY EDGE QUAD CITY 3-2 ON SATURDAY; NIP THE KOMETS 3-2 IN A SHOOTOUT ON SUNDAY

River Otters 4-0-0 in Week 24

Missouri plays four in five nights this week, three at home and one on the road in final week of the regular season

(vs. Knoxville – Wednesday; @ Kalamazoo – Friday; vs. Rockford – Saturday; vs. Quad City – Sunday)

Record GP W L SOL PTS
T-3rd place, Western Conference
Total 70 38 23 9 85
Home 34 20 10 4 44
Away 36 18 13 5 41

THE RECAP:

Wednesday, March 20, 2002 vs. Kalamazoo Game #67 UHL Game #471 River Otters 6 Kalamazoo 5

They certainly made it hard on themselves but the Missouri River Otters broke their Kalamazoo curse on Wednesday night at the Family Arena with a 6-5 win before 1,528.

The River Otters had been winless in eight straight games (0-5-3) against them dating back to last season. It was their first win against the Wings since December 23, 2000 in Kalamazoo and their first home win over them since October 22, 2000.

The River Otters tallied three goals in the final period to secure the victory. They tied it 4-4 just 28 seconds into the final stanza. Center Eric Murano chopped in his 25th of the season from the far post on a Lonnie Loach centering attempt.

Missouri's first lead came on winger Jason Gudmundson's hat trick goal and 28th of the season. Gudmundson, who also had an assist in the game, beat Kalamazoo goaltender Scott Langkow through the legs at 8:47 of the third.

It was Gudmundson's second hat trick in three games. He has nine points (6g, 3a) over the last three games.

Kalamazoo's Craig Bilick, not to be outdone, completed a hat trick at 14:46 of the third. Bilick flipped in a Ted Laviolette centering pass for his 14th of the season. Laviolette finished the game with four assists.

Center Dustin Whitecotton snapped in his 34th of the year, the game winner, at 18:39 of the third. Whitecotton, who was attempting to send a pass across the top of the crease back to Gudmundson, had the puck deflect off a defenseman's skate and into the net. Whitecotton had four points (1g, 3a) on the night, setting up all three Gudmundson tallies. Whitecotton has 10 points (2g, 8a) in three games back from an eight-game call-up with Grand Rapids (AHL).

Missouri (35-23-9, 79 points) has won three in a row but is still one point behind the Flint Generals for the fourth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. The Generals beat Port Huron 7-3 tonight at home. Kalamazoo (29-34-5, 65 points) is winless in their last six road games (0-5-1).

Friday, March 22, 2002 @ Fort Wayne Game #68 UHL Game #481 River Otters 3 Fort Wayne 1

As a healthy scratch on Wednesday night, Missouri River Otters winger Curtis Voth must have thought up a good game plan for the Fort Wayne Komets. On Friday night, he put it to work.

Voth scored the team's first goal and assisted on the game winner, as the River Otters beat the Fort Wayne Komets 3-1 before a crowd of 6,366 on Friday night at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum.

The River Otters took the 1-0 lead at 7:01 of the opening period. Center Eric Murano brought the puck in on right wing and dropped it off at the top of the circle to Voth, who cannoned a one-time shot, his seventh of the season, over the right shoulder of Komets goaltender Doug Teskey.

Missouri made it 2-0 on a fluke play and one that would be the difference in the game. Fort Wayne defenseman David Mayes lost the puck in front of the Komets goal. Voth was there to take the initial slap shot and the rebound came right to winger Brandon Merli, who flipped his fifth of the year into the open net at 11:33 of the second.

Missouri (36-23-9, 81 points) has won four in a row, one away from their season-best. They have won their last three games against the Komets, a team they host on Sunday afternoon. The River Otters are within one point of the Komets for third place in the Western Conference. Fort Wayne (35-21-12, 82 points) had their three-game, home winning streak snapped.

Saturday, March 23, 2002 vs. Quad City Game #69 UHL Game #487 River Otters 3 Quad City 2

Center Dustin Whitecotton's second goal of the night was the difference, as the Missouri River Otters beat the archrival and defending Colonial Cup Champion Quad City Mallards 3-2 before a crowd of 5,834 on Saturday night at the Family Arena.

The goal was Whitecotton's 36th of the season and second of the night. It came at 2:41 of the third period on a 4-on-3 power play. Whitecotton hammered the puck past Quad City netminder Joe Dimaline on a mix-up in front of the goal. Whitecotton also added an assist on the team's first tally for a hand in every Missouri goal. He has 13 points (4g, 9a) in five games back from an eight-game call-up with the Grand Rapids Griffins (AHL).

Missouri (37-23-9, 83 points) tied a season high with their fifth straight win. They snapped a five-game winless streak (0-4-1) and three-game losing streak (0-3-0) against the Mallards with the victory. Missouri improved to 3-8-2 against Quad City. With the win, the River Otters maintained their hold on fourth place in the Western Conference for the final playoff spot. Fort Wayne and Flint both won tonight. Quad City (52-15-2, 106 points) had their seven-game winning streak snapped.

Sunday, March 24, 2002 vs. Fort Wayne Game #70 UHL Game #490 River Otters 3 Fort Wayne 2 Shootout

Winger Curtis Voth had just one shootout attempt to his credit before Sunday afternoon's game against the Fort Wayne Komets, but in the seventh round of the shootout, head coach Mark Reeds called on Voth to win the game.

Voth worked straight in from the center ice face-off circle, faked left as he got to the top of the crease, wiggled his stick to pull Fort Wayne goaltender Doug Teskey out of position, moved to the right and snapped it into the net.

The River Otters won by the score of 3-2 in front of 1,825 at the Family Arena and improved to 7-9 in shootouts on the year.

Voth tallied the second River Otters goal of the game on the power play in the first period to give his team a 2-0 lead before Fort Wayne tied it over the final two periods.

The shootout round began with Komets winger Craig Desjarlais scoring in the first shootout round. The River Otters were nearly out of chances until the fifth round, when Captain Lonnie Loach fired the puck by Teskey to tie it and send it to sudden death.

Missouri (38-23-9, 85 points) has won six in a row for the first time this season and extended their home winning streak to a season-high five games. The River Otters are now tied with the Komets for third place in the Western Conference. The first tiebreaker is wins, which Missouri would win if the season ended today. The River Otters finished 6-1-0 against the Komets this season. They also improved to 2-6-1 in Sunday games; it was their first home Sunday win. Fort Wayne (36-21-13, 85 points) dropped their 13th of 22 opportunities in a shootout this season. The Komets fell to 17-13-5 on the road.

--Keeping Track--

-Six-Game Sensations-

The River Otters have posted six straight wins for the first time this season with Sunday's 3-2 shootout win over the Fort Wayne Komets. Missouri's previous season high for consecutive wins, five, was established on January 9. Sunday's victory also gave the River Otters five straight home wins for the first time this season. Their previous season high for consecutive home wins, four, was achieved on February 22.

-Putting Ourselves In Third Place-

With six straight wins, three against the Fort Wayne Komets, the River Otters are in a tie for third place in the Western Conference with the Komets. The first tiebreaker is wins and Missouri has two more wins than the Komets. Each team has four games remaining in the regular season. The River Otters finished 6-1-0 against the Komets this year. The Flint Generals, who have played one more game than the River Otters, are a point back in fifth place in the Conference. Missouri finished 1-0-1 against the Generals this year. The River Otters play three of the four worst teams in the UHL, in terms of record, to finish out the regular season. They host Knoxville (14th) on Wednesday; play in Kalamazoo (11th) on Friday; welcome Rockford (13th) to the Family Arena on Saturday and do battle with Quad City (1st) at home on Easter Sunday. Fort Wayne plays Elmira (2nd) on Tuesday, Flint (6th) twice on Wednesday and Friday and Quad City on Saturday. Flint's other game is against Port Huron at home on Saturday. Missouri's magic number is six. Any combination of six points gained by Missouri and lost by Flint will result in a playoff berth.

-Putting Our Best Line Forward-

In the six games center Dustin Whitecotton has been back from an eight-game call-up with Grand Rapids (AHL), the River Otters top line of Whitecotton and wingers Jason Gudmundson and Joe Ritson has accounted for 31 of the team's 72 points (43.1 percent). Whitecotton has 14 points (4g, 10a) for the stretch; Gudmundson has 11 points (7g, 4a) with two hat tricks; and Ritson has six assists. For the season, Dustin Whitecotton has 91 points (36g, 55a), good for fourth in the UHL in scoring, and is a strong favorite for UHL MVP honors. Gudmundson is second in team scoring with 75 points (29g, 46a). Ritson is tied for third in team scoring with winger Lonnie Loach with 74 points (29g, 45a). Ritson is first in power play goals (14), game-winning goals (6) and shots (268). The trio has accounted for 36.6 percent of the team's points this season (240 of 655).

-Say Hey On Sundays-

With their 3-2 win over the Fort Wayne Komets on Sunday, the River Otters posted just their second Sunday victory of the year and their first on home ice. Missouri is now 1-2-1 at home on Sundays and 2-6-1 overall. Their first Sunday win of the year came on January 20 in Port Huron.

-More Thirty-Goal Theatrics Around The Corner-

With his second hat trick in three games on Wednesday and a tally on Sunday against Fort Wayne, winger Jason Gudmundson is within one goal of registering 30. He and linemate Joe Ritson are both perched at 29 markers on the year with four games remaining. Their linemate Dustin Whitecotton has already eclipsed 30 goals. He established a new franchise mark for tallies in one season on Wednesday with his 34th of the year. The tally broke center Eric Murano's record of 33 set last season. Whitecotton currently has 36 goals. Winger Lonnie Loach moved past the 30-goal plateau in the past two weeks and is holding at 31. Murano is five away from 30 with 25 goals in just 50 games.

-Kalamazoo Cruise Capsized-

Wednesday's 6-5 home win over the Kalamazoo Wings erased an eight-game winless streak (0-5-3) for the River Otters against the Wings, dating back to last season. It was the first win by the River Otters over Kalamazoo since December 23, 2000 and the first home victory over the Wings since October 22, 2000. Missouri has an opportunity to finish the season series at .500 with a win in Kalamazoo on Friday. They are 1-2-1 after Wednesday's success.

-Quieting Quad City-

The River Otters posted their first home win of the season over the Quad City Mallards on Saturday. Missouri had lost three in a row against the Mallards coming into the game and were winless in the last five meetings (0-4-1). The River Otters improved to 3-8-2 against Quad City on the year, 1-3-1 at home and 2-5-1 on the road. There is one game remaining in the season between the clubs. They will do battle for the final time on Easter Sunday at the Family Arena.

-Mighty Merli-

Second-year winger Brandon Merli, who was acquired from Quad City on March 12 for a fifth round pick in the 2002 UHL North American Amateur Draft, has tallied five points in six games with the River Otters. He picked up those five points in the first four games he competed in for the team, registering two goals, including Friday's game winner in Fort Wayne, and three assists. He had one goal in six games with Quad City in limited duty and just two goals in 18 games with Atlantic City (ECHL) before his release earlier this year.

-Valiant Voth-

Winger Curtis Voth stepped up to the plate for the River Otters in two of his three games this past week. On Friday in Fort Wayne, Voth, who was a healthy scratch at home against Kalamazoo on Wednesday, netted the team's first tally of the night and set up the game winner for his third two-point night of the year. After being held without a point in Saturday's home win over Quad City, he scored the team's second goal in regulation and then was called upon in the seventh round of the shootout to win the game and did. It was just his second shootout attempt of the season.

-He'll Be Tired & He's Played Them All-

River Otters defenseman Jason Hughes has already played 75 games this season, even though no team in the UHL plays more than 74. Hughes has been a part of three teams this season. Before getting traded to Knoxville, he played a long stretch of games for Kalamazoo, and then upon arrival in Knoxville, he caught that team's hectic stretch. When he arrived in Missouri, the same happened. If he remains healthy through the final week of the regular season, he will compete in 79 games. Defenseman Anthony Cappelletti is the only River Otters player to participate in all 70 of the team's games this season.

-One Donut Left-

Defenseman Jason Hughes' tally in the first period of Saturday's home win over Quad City gave him his first goal of the year in his 74th game. Defenseman Kevin Chabbert is the only player on the River Otters roster without a goal this season.

-Injury, Call-up & Transaction Report-

-River Otters defenseman Vaclav Pazourek remains on the 14-day injured reserve, 02/15/02.

-River Otters rookie winger Joe Pecoraro remains on the 21-day injured reserve, 12/23/01. -Pawing Our Way Through The Schedule-

-On Wednesday, March 27, 2002, the River Otters welcome the Knoxville Speed to the Family Arena in the final regular season meeting between the clubs. Missouri has won six in a row against the Speed and is 9-1-1 against them on the season. In the most recent meeting, the River Otters shut out the Speed 5-0 on March 15 at the Family Arena. Goaltender Aaron Vickar stopped 22 for his second March shutout. Knoxville (19-49-2, 40 points) owns the worst record in the UHL. The Speed are led by center Dave Gilmore, who has 66 points (24g, 42a). It is Dave & Buster's Power Card Night. The first 1,000 adults will receive a Dave & Buster's Power Card. The game broadcast can be heard on KFAV 99.9 FM or online at www.riverotters.com, beginning at 7:00 p.m. from the Family Arena. Game time is 7:15 p.m.

-On Friday, March 29, 2002, Missouri travels to Kalamazoo, MI for the fifth and final meeting with the Wings this season. The River Otters snapped an eight-game winless streak (0-5-3) dating back to last season with a 6-5 win over Kalamazoo last Wednesday at the Family Arena. Missouri is 1-2-1 against the Wings this year. Kalamazoo (29-35-7, 65 points) is in sixth place in the Western Conference. They were officially eliminated from the playoffs after their loss in Port Huron on Saturday, March 16. The Wings are led by winger Randy Holmes, who has 58 points (26g, 32a). The game broadcast can be heard on KFAV 99.9 FM or online at www.riverotters.com, beginning at 6:15 p.m. from Wings Stadium. Game time is 6:30 p.m.

-On Saturday, March 30, 2002, the River Otters host the rival Rockford IceHogs in the 17th and final meeting between the clubs in the regular season. Missouri is winless in the last four meetings (0-2-2) but still has a 9-5-2 record against the IceHogs in 16 meetings. The teams met for three straight games from March 8-10 and the River Otters could only muster two points in two shootout losses. Rockford (26-39-6, 58 points) is in seventh place in the Western Conference. The IceHogs are led by center Jeff Antonovich, who has 73 points (30g, 43a). It is Youth T-shirt Night, sponsored by SYSCO Food Systems. The first 1,000 children 13 and under will receive a Youth T-shirt. It is also Fan Appreciation Night. Prizes from the team's various sponsors will be given away throughout the game. And it is Youth Hockey Night. Division winners from the St. Louis area will be honored. The game broadcast can be heard on KFAV 99.9 FM or online at www.riverotters.com, beginning at 7:00 p.m. from the Family Arena. Game time is 7:15 p.m.

-On Easter Sunday, March 31, 2002, Missouri will do battle with the archrival and defending Colonial Cup Champion Quad City Mallards for the 14th and final time. The River Otters snapped a three-game losing streak and five-game winless streak (0-4-1) against the Mallards with a 3-2 home win over them on Saturday night. It was the first home win against Quad City this year. Quad City (53-15-2, 108 points) has wrapped up their third straight Tarry Cup Championship and fourth in the last five years, giving them home ice advantage throughout the playoffs. They are three wins away from establishing a new UHL record for wins by a team in one season. The Mallards are led by center Kevin St. Jacques, who has 69 points (27g, 42a). It is St. Louis Post-Dispatch Family Day. Families of four receive four tickets, four hot dogs and four sodas for just $44. The game broadcast can be heard on KFAV 99.9 FM or online at www.riverotters.com, beginning at 2:45 p.m. from the Family Arena. Game time is 3:00 p.m.

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United Hockey League Stories from March 25, 2002


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