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Roadrunners Collect Crucial Canadian Sweep

March 17, 2008 - ECHL (ECHL)
Phoenix RoadRunners News Release


PHOENIX, Ariz. - WEEK RECORD 2-0-0 - SEASON RECORD 22-33-8 - 5TH WEST DIVISION

‘RUNNERS REWIND: The Phoenix RoadRunners extended their home-winning streak to an ECHL club record four games and their unbeaten streak in regulation to a season-high five games with a two-game series sweep of the Victoria Salmon Kings. With a record of 22-33-8 and 52 points, the RoadRunners are currently fifth in the West Division and eighth overall in the National Conference. Phoenix is one point behind Stockton for seventh and five points ahead of Bakersfield who is currently in ninth place. Stockton has played two fewer games than the RoadRunners.

Friday, Peder Skinner tallied a pair of goals and Gino Guyer chipped in with a goal and an assist to lead the Phoenix RoadRunners to a 5-1 win over the Victoria Salmon Kings before 4,402 at US Airways Center.

Phoenix (21-33-8) jumped out to a 1-0 lead 5:51 into the first period when Skinner collected Gerard Miller's rebound in front of the net and slapped it past Victoria goalie Julien Ellis.

Skinner scored his second of the night taking a nifty feed off the wall from Guyer and beating Ellis upstairs at 3:08 of the second period for a 2-0 advantage. Guyer then jumped into the scoring act 2:09 seconds later when he shot the puck through Ellis' pads and into the cage at 5:19. Victoria (36-20-5) countered at 8:11 of the second when Marc-Andre Bernier cut into the slot and ripped a shot over the shoulder of RoadRunners' goalie Taylor Dakers to trim the Phoenix lead to 3-1. But the RoadRunners re-gained their three-goal edge before the end of the period as Dusty Jamieson scored at 16:56 to make it 4-1 and chase Ellis from the game.

Chris Stevens capped the scoring with his seventh goal of the year at 15:11 of the third period.

Victoria out-shot Phoenix 30-28. Dakers stopped 29 shots to improve to 3-1-1 on the season. The RoadRunners went 1-3 on the power play while Victoria was 0-7 with the man-advantage.

Sunday, Dusty Jamieson tallied a goal and added three assists, and goaltender Taylor Dakers stopped 35 shots to lead the Phoenix RoadRunners to a convincing 6-1 victory over the Victoria Salmon Kings and a sweep of the two-game weekend series before 3,624 at US Airways Center.

An exciting up-and-down first period produced 30 shots combined, four of which hit posts, but only one goal in the end. That tally belonged to the RoadRunners' Gino Guyer who re-directed Ian Turner's shot from the left point over the glove of Victoria goalie Billy Thompson at 15:15 of the period for a 1-0 lead.

Phoenix (22-33-8) exploded for three goals in the second period to build a 4-1 advantage after 40 minutes. Taylor Christie opened the scoring at 4:26 of the period when he beat a screened Thompson with a long shot from the blue line. Mitch Carefoot extended the RoadRunners lead to 3-0 when he scooped up Jamieson's loose puck at the right-wing circle and snapped it over Thompson's glove at 10:05. Thompson's glove would fail him yet again as Turner fired a puck from left-wing boards that deflected off the goaltender's mitt and trickled into the net at 16:05 giving Phoenix a 4-0 edge. Victoria (36-21-5) would finally score before the period's end. Trevor Blanchard tallied his first professional goal at 19:20 beating Dakers to the short side and cutting the lead to 4-1 heading into the second intermission.

Despite losing some momentum, the RoadRunners roared back in the third period with a pair of goals to close the scoring. Jamieson re-directed Guyer's shot off Thompson and into the cage at 4:38 of the period on the power play to increase the lead to 5-1. Daniel Sisca finished the scoring with his 18th goal of the year beating Thompson from the right-wing circle at 9:06.

Phoenix out-shot Victoria 38-36. Dakers improved to 4-1-1 on the season. The RoadRunners went 1-3 on the power play while Victoria was 0-5 with the man-advantage.

MAGIC NUMBER DOWN TO 14: By virtue of their four-point week and Alaska's two wins over Bakersfield in regulation, the RoadRunners shaved eight points off their magic number in just three days reducing it from 22 to 14. Any combination of points earned in Phoenix wins and overtime or shootout losses and points surrendered by Bakersfield in regulation losses and overtime or shootout losses equaling 14 will clinch a playoff berth for the RoadRunners. Phoenix also picked up two points on seventh seeded Stockton and closed to within one of tying the Thunder. Stockton opens a four-game road trip tonight in Bakersfield before visiting Idaho for a three-game series beginning Wednesday.

WE'RE STREAKING: During the RoadRunners five-game unbeaten streak in regulation, Phoenix has outscored their opponents 23-10, including 12-3 in second periods, which has traditionally been their worst period this season. The RoadRunners are converting at 26.6% on the power play going 4-15, and have killed off 24 of their opponents' 27 opportunities on the man-advantage (88.8%), including 19 straight penalties dating back to their March 6 win over Bakersfield at home.

SISCA SETS ANOTHER RECORD: Center Daniel Sisca etched his name once again in the RoadRunners' ECHL record books Sunday collecting his team-leading 58th and 59th points to set a new single season points record. Sisca broke the previous mark of 57 achieved by forward Justin Aikins in 2006-07 who tallied 27 goals and 30 assists.

O'CONNOR POSTS CAREER-HIGHS IN ALL OFFENSIVE CATEGORIES: Forward Sean O'Connor set a new personal best with his 15th assist of the season Sunday. Playing in his 54th game of the season, O'Connor has set career-highs this year in goals (24), points (39), and games played. The Victoria, British Columbia native and sixth-year professional is also just three goals shy of matching Aikins' club record for goals in a single season.

NEWS & NOTES: Defenseman Taylor Christie tallied his first goal since returning to the RoadRunners Sunday. It was Christie's first goal in a Phoenix uniform since April 7, 2006, and also set a new personal best for goals in a single season...With their two-game series sweep, the RoadRunners finished 3-1-4 in their eight-game series against Victoria and outscored the Salmon Kings 32-28...Peder Skinner's four-game scoring streak came to an end Sunday. Skinner collected four goals and three assists during the streak, and has points in seven out of his last nine games with six goals and five assists.

FACE-OFF AGAINST KIDS CANCER A SUCCESS: The Phoenix RoadRunners' second "Face-Off Against Kids Cancer" concluded Friday with a post-game jersey auction inside the Toyota Club. Final totals are still being calculated and all proceeds will benefit the Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders at Phoenix Children's Hospital and Caps For Kids, a national non-profit organization which provides hats autographed by athletes and celebrities to children who lose their hair due to the effects of chemotherapy.

The RoadRunners would like to thank everyone for their support of the "Face-Off Against Kids Cancer".

WATCH THE ‘RUNNERS LIVE IN '07-08: The RoadRunners have teamed up with B2 Networks to bring you live action of Phoenix RoadRunners hockey in 2007-08. RoadRunners fans will be able to click the "Watch Online" link at www.phxroadrunners.com to view and listen to the game. These broadcasts are available to fans for a charge of $6 per game. All 72 RoadRunners broadcasts will be available on-line. A cable or DSL Internet connection and Windows Media Player 9 are required to view the games.

UP NEXT: The RoadRunners welcome the Fresno Falcons to US Airways Center for a two-game series at 7:11 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday, and visit the Las Vegas Wranglers at 5:05 p.m. Sunday. Great seats are still available beginning as low as $8 and can be purchased by calling Ticketmaster at (480) 784-4444, purchasing online at ticketmaster.com or visiting the US Airways Center Box Office. Catch all the action of Thursday and Sunday's games (ASU Women's Basketball permitting) live on Independent 1310 KXAM and at www.phxroadrunners.com beginning with "RoadRunners Countdown" twenty minutes prior to face-off. Information on season tickets, half-season packages, and flex plans for the 2007-08 season of Phoenix RoadRunners Hockey are available by calling (602) 462-GOAL.



ECHL Stories from March 17, 2008


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