RiverBlades Take 3 of 4

Published on March 24, 2003 under ECHL (ECHL)
Arkansas RiverBlades News Release


The Arkansas RiverBlades went 3-1 last week, all against divisional foes. The Blades how have a record of 34-22-11, 79 points, and are in third place in the Southwest Division. Arkansas leads fourth-place Jackson by one point in the standings.

Last week...The RiverBlades began their week wearing special "St. Patrick's Day" jerseys against the Mississippi Sea Wolves on Monday. Buddy Smith racked up a goal and 2 assists, and Jason Bermingham and Ryan Coole each contributed 2 assists as the Blades defeated the Sea Wolves 4-1. Dean Stock added a goal and an assist, and Scott Fankhouser made 37 saves in net for Arkansas. After the game, the players came back out for the first-ever jersey auction, which raised $20,500, with a portion of the proceeds going to CARTI.

Next up for the Blades were the Pensacola Ice Pilots, who came into town for two straight games. Friday, Matt Pagnutti and Buddy Smith each had 2 assists, and Dean Stock scored the game-winner as the Blades outlasted the Ice Pilots 4-3. Scott Fankhouser was again sharp in net, stopping 35 Ice Pilot offerings. Dean Stork, Ryan Coole, and Jason Bermingham also lit the lamp for Arkansas.

The following night, the RiverBlades again played host to the Ice Pilots. Mike Cirillo and Terry Marchant found the net for Arkansas, and Mark Scott scored his first goal of the season as the Blades beat the Pilots 3-2 to complete the weekend sweep.

The Blades then completed their week on Sunday, traveling to Mississippi to again take on the Sea Wolves. Dean Stork, Aaron Davis and Jason Bermingham all scored in the first period for Arkansas, but Mississippi came all the way back and edged the Blades 4-3. Jimi St.. John made 37 saves in the loss for Arkansas, whose 3-game winning streak came to an end.

Team Leaders... Buddy Smith is just 2 points away from becoming the first RiverBlade ever to eclipse the 100-point plateau. Smith has set a new team record with 71 assists and 98 points to lead the ECHL. Jason Bermingham has 34 goals this year, just three away from the team record of 37, set by Mark Cadotte in 2000-2001. Bermingham leads the squad with 15 power-play goals and 246 shots on goal. Terry Marchant has posted his first career 20-goal season, and ranks third on the team with 67 points. In addition, Marchant ranks second with 46 assists, and has set a new team record with 5 short-handed goals. Matt Pagnutti has a career-high 14 goals and ranks third among ECHL defensemen with 52 points. Pagnutti is also tied for the lead among blue-liners with 12 power-play tallies. Captain Eric Long leads the team with a +8 rating, and is sixth among D-men with 46 points. Damon Whitten has a career-high 38 points, 7th on the team. Mark Scott scored his first goal as a RiverBlade with a goaltender in net this past Saturday against Pensacola. Scott had a goal last year as well, but it was into an empty net. Goaltender Scott Fankhouser went 3-0-0 last week, and is 8-3-2 since joining the Blades, posting a 2.62 goals-against-average and a .918 save percentage.

A look ahead...The RiverBlades head into the final week of the 2002-2003 regular season, looking to secure the highest seed possible for the 2003 Kelly Cup Playoffs. The Blades will host a pair of games against the Columbus Cottonmouths on Tuesday and Wednesday, travel to Jackson on Friday, and return home for the final home game of the regular season against the division-rival Louisiana IceGators. Arkansas will then conclude its regular season schedule on Sunday in Baton Rouge. All games can be heard on the CSN radio network, FM 101 The River, and on the Internet at www.riverblades.com.

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ECHL Stories from March 24, 2003


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