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Road Warriors Return Home

March 29, 2005 - ECHL (ECHL)
Victoria Salmon Kings News Release


Victoria, BC – The Victoria Salmon Kings returned home Sunday from playing their first eight of their last twelve on the road. The trip started in Fort Myers, FL on Tuesday March 15, 2005 against the Florida Everblades. The second place team in the South Division beat the Salmon Kings 7-1. Victoria added forward Scott Borders on the trip after he was released by the San Diego Gulls. Borders is an alumnus of Head Coach Bryan Maxwell and the Lethbridge Hurricanes.

The trip continued to west to Beaumont where they played the South Division basement dwellers Texas Wildcatters. The Wildcatters jumped out to the first period two goal lead before the Salmon Kings came back to beat the Wildcatters by a 5-3 score.

Lafayette was the next stop on the epic journey where the Salmon Kings played back to back against the Louisiana Ice Gators, on Saturday March 19th and Sunday March 20th. The Salmon Kings scored 7 goals in their second win in as many nights. The ability to score disappeared for Victoria in game two. The Ice Gators beat the Salmon Kings 2-1, and the teams split the season series.

Back in the bus heading east the Salmon Kings encountered the problems of high speed the US interstate system. Just a few miles past Biloxi, MS a single passenger car came across the grass median and two lanes of traffic before colliding with the side of Victoria's coach. Luckily for all involved the skilled driving of the Salmon Kings ‘bussy' ensured nobody was injured in the accident and Victoria was able to continue down I-10 to Pensacola, FL.

The Salmon Kings and the Ice Pilots met for the first time in ECHL history on Tuesday March 22nd, and it was the battle of top and bottom. The Salmon Kings stifled Pensacola and took a one goal lead into the third period. But the powerful Ice Pilots wrote a different story in the final period scoring three unanswered to beat the Salmon Kings 3-1.

Victoria's next stop was back in Biloxi for the fourth meeting of the season the next day on Wednesday March 23rd. The Mississippi Sea Wolves enjoyed their first trip to Vancouver Island back in December and now it was the Sea Wolves turn to host. Victoria played their fifth straight solid game but was once again snake bit in front of the goal and dropped their third straight, 2-1.

The trip went full circle for the Salmon Kings as they ended their journey of the beautiful Gulf States back in the town they began, Fort Myers, FL for two games on Friday March 25th and Saturday March 26th. The team down to 12 skaters for the fifth or sixth time this season after losing, Alexei Glukhov (shoulder), Scott Turner (shoulder), Scott Borders (groin), Derek Campbell (wrist), Craig Strain (ankle) and Brandon Elliott (flu).

The Salmon Kings scored three unanswered on the Everblades in game one of the short two game set to beat Florida 4-3. Then with Strain and Elliott returning to the line-up for the second game the Salmon Kings looked weary. None-the-less they played their sixth solid game in a row but dropped it 5-2, after a late rally in the third period put the game out of Victoria's reach.

All in all the Victoria Salmon Kings stringed together their best seven games in a row possibly all season long. Their work ethic and game preparation gave them a chance to win every night. Aside from a few unlucky bounces and exceptional goaltending the Salmon Kings could very easily be coming home with a record of 6-2.

Injury woes continued to frustrate Maxwell as he finally was able to dress a full line-up in Louisiana after adding University of Calgary Dinos defenseman Craig Strain and Czech born, Edmonton Oilers draft pick Tomas Micka. The Salmon Kings lost Glukhov in game one of the trip with an injury to his shoulder. Borders injured his groin in the third game of the trip, Turner's shoulder injury occurred in game four as did Campbell's re-injury of his wrist. Both Elliott and Strain missed only the seventh game of the trip. Elliott was fell by a nasty flu and Strain took a shot off the ankle but both were cleared to play in the final game against the Everblades.

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Tuesday March 15, 2005 @ Florida Everblades – L7-1

The Everblades jumped all over the Salmon Kings from the drop of the puck. Florida scored early and often on Victoria whose only reply came from the stick of Scott Turner. Amazingly defenseman Kurtis Dulle finished the night plus one after the Everblades scored 7 goals on the Salmon Kings. Florida had seven different scorers; they were Matthew Pagnutti, Reggie Berg, Brent McDonald, David Lundholm, Kris Vernarsky, Damian Surma and Chris Lee. Jamie McCaig started between the pipes for the Salmon Kings but was replaced seventeen minutes in, by Rob Muntain.

Thursday March 17, 2005 @ Texas Wildcatters – W5-3

The Salmon Kings poor play continued only to the first intermission in Texas. Victoria was down by two heading into the second period but turned up the pressure after that. Ryan Finnerty opened the scoring for the Salmon Kings. Finnerty returned to the line-up after missing several weeks with a knee injury. Finnerty's goal was followed by Seth Leonard and a beautiful break-away goal five-hole from Scott Borders. The Wildcatters tied the score at 3 in the third, before Scott Turner continued to dominate the Salmon Kings box scores notching two, including an empty net to secure the Victoria victory.

Saturday March 19, 2005 @ Louisiana Ice Gators – W7-5

Game three the Salmon Kings were on to Louisiana where the story was Scott Turner once again. The story would have been the fact that the Salmon Kings recorded seven goals for the first time since December, it also could have Ryan Wade who recorded the franchises second hat-trick and an assist. But the story was Turner because he recorded a goal and five assists and completely dominated the game. It helped that everything the Salmon Kings put on net was beating Ice Gators net minder Nathan Marsters, but Turner showed his worth to the Salmon Kings coaching staff in their second straight win.

Sunday March 20, 2005 @ Louisiana Ice Gators – L2-1

If scoring on Louisiana was the story of game one in Lafayette, then the Salmon Kings inability to beat the netminder was the story of game two. The Salmon Kings held the Ice Gators to a franchise low 13 shots total and a franchise low single period shot total allowing only a single shot in the third period and out-shot the Ice Gators 37-13, but could only beat Nathan Marsters once. Marsters was outstanding in the 2-1 Louisiana win and the two teams split the two game series.

Tuesday March 22, 2005 @ Pensacola Ice Pilots – L3-1

The battle of the top and the bottom of the league standings occurred in Pensacola with the visiting Victoria Salmon Kings. Victoria continued to play well in Pensacola and took a one goal lead from Mark Smith. Pensacola out shot the Salmon Kings 39-34 and were able to score three unanswered in the third period to beat the Salmon Kings 3-1.

Wednesday March 23, 2005 @ Mississippi Sea Wolves – L2-1

Mark Smith showed up again on Wednesday in Biloxi, MS scoring the only goal for the Salmon Kings. The Salmon Kings played the Sea Wolves tight in another game that Victoria could easily have taken the victory on the road to Fort Myers. But they was unable to beat Mississippi's goaltender Phil Sauve more than once to drop their third straight winnable game.

Friday March 25, 2005 @ Florida Everblades – W4-3

Ryan Finnerty scored the 1-1 tying goal in the middle of the first. The Everblades then jumped out to the two goal lead, 3-1, both goals came from the stick of forward Reggie Berg. The undermanned Salmon Kings took over the game from there though scoring three unanswered goals. Mike Josephson scored a beautiful goal on a solo effort coming off the end boards and roofing the shot. Josephson's goal was followed by a tremendous effort from Chris Corrinet and then with just a couple of minutes left defenseman Kurtis Dulle was standing on the Everblades doorstep, on the powerplay when he beat goaltender Rob Zepp. The 60 minute effort from the Salmon Kings silenced the 6000 Everblades faithful leaving the Florida squad questioning a Salmon Kings team they manhandled two weeks prior.

Saturday March 26, 2005 @ Florida Everblades – L5-2

The wheels of the wagon looked to shake loose for the first since the opener in Florida. The Salmon Kings were still undermanned skating with only 14 players and 2 goalies. The Everblades jumped out to the early three goal lead. Victoria crept back into the game registering two of their own before the Everblades scored two more to close out the scoring. Victoria looked very road weary in the third period and just did not have the gas in the tank for the final twenty minutes.

Salmon Kings Record

Overall: 68GP - 14-49-5 - 33PTS .243% Home: 36GP - 8-26-2 Road: 32GP - 6-23-3 Last 10: 4-6-0 Streak: 0-1-0

Last Week's Results

Road Trip Review

Tuesday March 15, 2005 @ Florida Everblades – L7-1

Thursday March 17, 2005 @ Texas Wildcatters – W5-3

Saturday March 19, 2005 @ Louisiana Ice Gators – W7-5

Sunday March 20, 2005 @ Louisiana Ice Gators – L2-1

Tuesday March 22, 2005 @ Pensacola Ice Pilots – L3-1

Wednesday March 23, 2005 @ Mississippi Sea Wolves – L2-1

Friday March 25, 2005 @ Florida Everblades – W4-3

Saturday March 26, 2005 @ Florida Everblades – L5-2

Coming Up

Friday April 1, 2005 @ Las Vegas Wranglers

Saturday April 2, 2005 @ Long Beach Ice Dogs

Injuries

Rob Voltera (shoulder)

Corey Smith (ankle)

Craig Zubersky (concussion)

Aaron Plumb (concussion)

Ryan Watson (hand)

Day-to-Day

Alexei Glukhov (shoulder)

Scott Turner (shoulder)

Derek Campbell (wrist)

Transactions

Add

#29 Scott Borders (San Diego Gulls)

#28 Tomas Micka (Toledo Storm via Edmonton Oilers/Edmonton Roadrunners)

#22 Craig Strain (University of Calgary Dinosaurs)

Tickets

Available by phone (250) 220-7777, or online at www.selectyourtickets.com

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