Snakes Finish Season On Three-Game Win Streak; Face Knoxville In Round 1

Published on March 25, 2013 under SPHL (SPHL)
Columbus Cottonmouths News Release


COLUMBUS, Ga. - The Columbus Cottonmouths finished the regular season on a positive note after a rough stretch of games in February and March. After dropping a 4-2 decision on the road in Pensacola on Tuesday night, the Snakes reeled off three straight victories to end the regular season, winning 4-1 at Augusta on Thursday night then taking a 3-1 victory at home against Pensacola on Friday night and a 2-1 overtime win against Augusta at home to close the regular season on Saturday night. The Cottonmouths have clinched the fifth seed in the postseason and are matched up against the fourth-seeded Knoxville Ice Bears. The two teams open the series Friday night in Tennessee before playing Game 2 of the best-of-three series in the Snake Pit on Saturday night. All games are broadcast on America One Networks with both a video and audio feed, with a nominal fee for each game. A free audio-only webcast of the games is also available. Details can be found at www.cottonmouths.com.

CURRENT RECORDS AND STATS

Last Week: 3-1-0

Record: 28-24-4, 60 pts (5th, SPHL)

149 GF, 138 GA

12.7% PP (8th, SPHL); 88.8% PK (2nd, SPHL)

LAST WEEK'S TRANSACTIONS

3/22 - D Marcel Alvarez signed to three-game tryout

3/22 - F Corey Bellamy signed to three-game tryout

FINAL SPHL STANDINGS

TEAM GP W L OTL PTS WPCT GF GA PIM HOME ROAD L-TEN STRK

xFayetteville 56 35 18 3 73 .652 195 154 784 19-6-3 16-12-0 7-3-0 4-0-0

xLouisiana 56 34 17 5 73 .652 172 167 1145 21-5-2 13-12-3 5-5-0 0-4-0

xPensacola 56 33 18 5 71 .634 171 149 1113 17-7-4 16-11-1 6-3-1 1-0-0

xKnoxville 56 33 19 4 70 .625 180 157 1028 16-11-1 17-8-3 7-2-1 2-0-0

xColumbus 56 28 24 4 60 .536 149 138 1159 17-7-4 11-17-0 4-6-0 3-0-0

xMississippi Surge 56 25 23 8 58 .518 152 156 1228 14-9-5 11-14-3 5-3-2 2-0-0

xMississippi R'Kings 56 24 24 8 56 .500 165 183 950 14-10-4 10-14-4 6-3-1 0-1-0

xHuntsville 56 21 29 6 48 .429 135 179 1379 16-10-2 5-19-4 3-7-0 0-2-0

Augusta 56 19 31 6 44 .393 150 186 1203 9-15-4 10-16-2 3-4-3 0-3-1

x - clinched playoff berth

PLAYOFF PREVIEW

(4) Knoxville vs. (5) Columbus - KNX won season series 5-2-2

Game 1: Friday, March 29, 7:30 PM EDT @ KNX

Game 2: Saturday, March 30, 7:30 PM EDT @ COL

Game 3 (if needed): Sunday, March 31, 7:30 PM EDT @ KNX

The Snakes will face the Knoxville Ice Bears in the first round of the 2013 SPHL playoffs, beginning Friday night at the Knoxville Civic Coliseum. The Snakes are 4-4-1 against the Ice Bears and Knoxville is 5-2-2; of the nine games between the two teams in the regular season, three have been decided in overtime or a shootout. After the Ice Bears won the first three games between the two teams, Columbus took the next four decisions, and Knoxville won the final two games between the two (and picked up the only shutout in the season series with a 1-0 win against the Snakes in Columbus on February 19). Jordan Braid and Matt Gingera are the high point men in the season series, each with three goals and seven assists; Braid played all nine games against Knoxville while Gingera played in only six. Emery Olauson led all Ice Bears in scoring against Columbus with nine points off a pair of goals and seven assists. Andrew Loewen was 2-1-0 against the Ice Bears with a 2.76 goals-against average and a .907 save percentage, while Ian Vigier went 2-3-1 in six games with a 2.36 GAA and .924 SPCT. Knoxville used four different goaltenders against the Snakes this season, but the two who remain with the Ice Bears, Connor Toomey and Bryan Hince, were a combined 4-1-1 against the Cottonmouths. Hince was 2-0-0 against Columbus with a 1.00 GAA and .962 SPCT and was the goaltender for the February 19 shutout.

COTTONMOUTHS WEEK IN REVIEW

Tuesday, March 19 - Columbus 2 at Pensacola 4 (Attendance: 2,865)

Ryan Salvis's hat trick helped the Ice Flyers double up the Snakes 4-2 on Tuesday night at the Pensacola Bay Center. Jordan Braid and Derek Pallardy scored the goals for Columbus. Ian Vigier stopped three of six shots in the first period before being spelled by Andrew Loewen for the remainder of the game, who turned away all 27 shots on goal he faced. Gerry Festa picked up the win between the pipes for Pensacola with 24 saves on 26 shots. Columbus was 0 for 5 on the power play while the Ice Flyers scored a pair of power play goals in eight chances.

Thursday, March 21 - Columbus 4 at Augusta 1 (Attendance: 1,830)

Mark Thorburn's first period hat trick propelled the Cottonmouths to a win in the final road game of the regular season, defeating the Augusta RiverHawks 4-1. Matt Gingera scored the other goal for Columbus in the first period, spoiling Thorburn's bid for a "pure" hat trick (three goals scored consecutively in the same period). Andrew Loewen was the winning goaltender for Columbus and lowered his league-best goals against average to 1.74, stopping 34 of 35 shots on goal. Robby Moss started the game and took the loss as he gave up the first two goals of the game on 7 shots, with Brandon Foote turning away 16 of the 18 shots he saw the rest of the way in net for the `Hawks. Augusta was 0 for 8 on the power play while the Snakes were 0 for 6 with the man advantage; the RiverHawks' lone goal was a shorthanded tally.

Friday, March 22 - Pensacola 1 at Columbus 3 (Attendance: 2,873)

Snakes goaltender Andrew Loewen carried a shutout bid into the game's final ten seconds before a Pensacola goal, but that was the lone blemish on an otherwise stellar night for the Cottonmouths in a 3-1 victory last night at the Snake Pit over the Ice Flyers. Tom Fitzpatrick scored the game-winning goal for the Snakes, with John Sullivan scoring on the power play as well. Corey Bellamy was credited with a rare goal without the puck entering the net as he was hooked down on a breakaway with the Pensacola net empty, which by rule results in an awarded goal. Loewen ended the night with 20 saves on 21 shots, while the Ice Flyers' Gerry Festa took the loss in net with 20 saves on 22 shots on goal. The Cottonmouths were 1 for 7 on the power play while holding Pensacola scoreless in their eight chances on the PP.

Saturday, March 23 - Augusta 1 at Columbus 2 (OT) (Attendance: 3,471)

Sam Bowles's overtime game-winner helped goaltender Ian Vigier to his 100th professional win in a 2-1 OT decision over the Augusta RiverHawks. Vigier also set the SPHL career minutes played record by a goaltender early in the game. Matt Gingera scored the other goal in regulation for the Snakes. Vigier stopped 26 of 27 shots on goal while Augusta's Robert Moss made 39 saves on 41 shots. The `Hawks were 0 for 5 on the power play while Columbus was 0 for 4 on the PP.

THREE STARS OF THE WEEK

1. F Mark Thorburn - Thorburn's hat trick gave the Snakes a key 4-1 road win Thursday at Augusta.

2. G Andrew Loewen - Loewen went 2-0 on the week, stopping a total of 81 of 83 shots on goal in the process.

3. F Matt Gingera - Gingera had two goals and three assists over the week of games.

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