RiverBlades Tied for Third

Published on March 17, 2003 under ECHL (ECHL)
Arkansas RiverBlades News Release


Last week...The RiverBlades began their week finishing a two-week long road trip Tuesday in Mississippi. Dean Stock and Buddy Smith each tallied goals, and Scott Fankhouser made 39 saves, but Mississippi edged the Blades 3-2 on a late short-handed goal by Austin Miller.

Then, on Friday, Arkansas returned home to the Alltel Arena to host the Louisiana IceGators. Mike Cirillo, Damon Whitten, and Dean Stork each racked up a goal and an assist as the Blades defeated the IceGators 5-2. Jason Bermingham and Mike Sandbeck also lit the lamp in the win for the Blades.

The following night, the RiverBlades hit the road for a key matchup with the Jackson Bandits. Dean Stock and Buddy Smith each scored again for the Blades, but Jackson got a late goal to tie the game and went on to slip past the Blades 3-2 in a shootout. Jimi St. John made 36 saves playing in place of the banged up Scott Fankhouser.

Team Leaders... Buddy Smith set a new team record with 65 assists and 91 points to lead the ECHL in both categories. Smith has scored 13 points in his last 10 games, and 6 in his last 5. Jason Bermingham has set a new professional-bests this year with 32 goals and 63 points. Bermingham also leads the team with 14 power-play goals and 230 shots on goal. Terry Marchant has set new career-highs with 19 goals and 44 assists for 63 points, tied for second on the team. Marchant has also 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 50 points. Pagnutti is also tied for the lead among ECHL 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 turned it on down the stretch, scoring 9 points in his last 10 games, and a career-high 35 points, seventh on the team. Mike Sandbeck has set new career marks this year with 13 goals and 12 assists for 25 points. Goaltender Scott Fankhouser is 5-3-2 since joining the Blades, posting a 2.79 goals-against-average and a .912 save percentage with one shutout.

A look ahead...The RiverBlades host Mississippi tonight, wearing special "St. Patrick's Day" third jerseys. The jerseys will then be auctioned right off of the players' backs after the game. There will also be select $2 seats and $2 green beer! The Blades also host Pensacola for a pair of games this Friday and Saturday at the Alltel. Full details on all of the events can be found on www.riverblades.com. 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 17, 2003


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