Sarich, Southern Conference fall 8-2
January 21, 2003 - ECHL (ECHL)
Louisiana IceGators News Release
Estero, FL â Louisiana's Rod Sarich helped save a goal, but the Southern Conference fell to the Northern Conference 8-2 in the Compuware/ECHL All-Star Game at TECO Arena. The South scored the fewest goals ever in an All-Star Game, bettering a 10-year-old record, and the six-goal margin of victory was also the largest ever.
Toledo's Nick Parillo scored twice, seven different players had a goal for the North, six players had two points and just three were held without a point. Atlantic City goalie Scott Stirling was the game's Most Valuable Player, stopping 11 shots in a perfect first period.
Columbia's Justin Morrison scored twice for the Southern Conference.
Peoria's Tyler Rennette got the North on the board at the 4:11 mark, and it could have been 2-0 with 1:52 left had it not been for a big play by Sarich. Charlotte rookie Takahito Suzuki had three good shots on Florida netminder Rob Zepp, and as the puck was about to cross the goal line, Sarich swatted it away.
The North did extend to a 2-0 lead with just 48 seconds left, as Reading's Brian McCullough's pass towards the net deflected off Florida's Marty Johnston â Zepp's teammate â and into the net.
The star of the first period was Atlantic City goaltender Scott Stirling, who shut out the Northern Conference on 11 shots. Zepp made 15 saves in the first.
Play opened up a bit in the second period. Dayton's Andrew Ianiero made it 3-0 North 8:41 in against Pee Dee's Matt Underhill, but Morrison finally got the South on the board 33 seconds later versus Richmond's Dan Lombard.
But Toledo's Nick Parillo put the lead back at three goals at the 11:47 mark, taking advantage of a turnover in the South's zone.
Ryan Fraser, a familiar face and name to IceGators fans, was the referee for the game, while Nic Kephart was one of the linesmen. Fraser drew the ire of the Southern Conference faithful when he called a penalty on J.J. Hunter in the second period, a rarity for an All-Star Game.
The North responded on the power play, getting a goal from Richmond's John Zion with 53 seconds left in the second.
Lombard made 12 saves in the second, while Underhill turned aside 10 shots.
Wheeling's Chris McNamara scored on a breakaway at 2:23 of the third, as the puck trickled through Jackson's Adam Hauser's pads.
Morrison scored on a breakaway, deking Lexington's Mike Smith to the ground, on an assist from teammate Rejean Stringer, at 4:09 of the third, to get the South within 6-2.
Richmond's Jamie Herrington scored all alone against Hauser at 6:40, making it 7-2.
Fraser called another penalty in the third, against Johnstown's Pierre-Luc Courchesne.
Parillo finished the scoring with his second of the game with 4:28 left.
Hauser had 10 saves in the third, while Mike Smith turned aside 17 shots.
Gator Bites:
Former IceGator Ryan Gaucher served as the captain for the North. Gaucher, a defenseman, has 45 points (11g, 34a) in 39 games for Cincinnati â the highest point total for a Northern Conference blueliner. The next highest scoring total in the North is Reading's Simon Tremblay â another All-Star â with 33.
The previous record for fewest goals by one team in an All-Star Game was three, by the West All-Stars in the 1993 game in Wheeling.
Two teams had previously won by four goals, the last being Canada (11) over USA/World (7) in 1998 in Lafayette.
Prior to the game, the ECHL announced that Peoria will host the 2004 All-Star Game.
ECHL Stories from January 21, 2003
- Catch a rising star - OSC Original by Jason S Rufner
- Ianiero Scores as Northern Conference Wins, 3-2 - Dayton Bombers
- Sarich, Southern Conference fall 8-2 - Louisiana IceGators
- North Wins ECHL All-Star Game, 8-2 - ECHL
- Ice Dogs Sign 2000-01 WCHL MVP Lyons - Long Beach Ice Dogs
- National Anthem Auditions Land Lucky 20 - Alaska Aces
- Nailers Waive Nelson - Wheeling Nailers
- Hodson Makes His Way to the NHL - Greensboro Generals
- Wings Stadium and Chamber Celebrates Kalamazoo - Kalamazoo Wings
- Ianiero, Northern Conference Prevail in Skills Competition - Dayton Bombers
- Who's Got the Real Diamond?... The Search Continues February 2 - Dayton Bombers
- Lombard Shines in Skills Competition - Richmond Renegades
- Three 'Gades to Play in All-Star Game - Richmond Renegades
- Sgroi Heading Out West - Burlington
- Smith Stymies All-Stars - Burlington
- Komets waive Duffus - Fort Wayne Komets
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