Snakes Secure Sixth; Three Games, Three Nights, Three Cities This Week

March 22, 2010 - SPHL (SPHL)
Columbus Cottonmouths News Release


COLUMBUS, Ga. - The Columbus Cottonmouths went 1-2-0 over the past week as they won at home Thursday night against Knoxville but dropped both games of a home-and-home series on Friday and Saturday night against last-place Louisiana. With those results, the Snakes have locked themselves into the sixth and final playoff spot in the upcoming postseason, beginning at a date to be announced next week. This week, however, the Cottonmouths will close out the regular season with three games in three nights in three cities against the league's top three teams in the standings. Columbus closes out their home regular season schedule on Thursday night against league-leading Mississippi and travels to Fayetteville, the third-place team in the SPHL, on Friday night, then to Huntsville, who currently is in second, to close out the regular season on Saturday. All three games will be broadcast on B2 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. In addition, road games are now broadcast locally in the Columbus area on 106.9 WRCG-FM.

CURRENT RECORDS AND STATS

Last Week: 1-2-0

Record: 22-24-7, 49 pts (6th Place, SPHL)

165 GF, 189 GA

16.7% PP (6th, SPHL); 82.9% PK (3rd, SPHL)

LAST WEEK'S TRANSACTIONS

3/17 - Claimed F Daryl Moore off waivers

3/17 - Waived F Tommy McMonagle

3/17 - Signed D Tommy Upton to three-game tryout

UPCOMING GAMES AND PROMOTIONS

Thursday, March 25 - Mississippi at Columbus, 7:30 PM EDT (Season Series vs. MIS: 3-4-0)

The Cottonmouths close out their regular season schedule at the Snake Pit Thursday night with a game against the league-leading Mississippi Surge. The Surge is the likely opponent for the Snakes in the first round of the playoffs; Mississippi only needs one more standing point to clinch the regular-season championship. After Thursday night, the Surge close out the season with a back-to-back series against Louisiana at home on Friday and Saturday night. The Surge roster no longer has a Columbus flavor to it as both former Snakes goaltender Ryan Senft and former Cottonmouths defenseman Daryl Moor were activated from injured reserve then waived by the team last week.

PROMOTIONS: Fan Appreciation Night; Dollar Days $2 draft beer, $1 hot dogs

Friday, March 26 - Columbus at Fayetteville, 7:35 PM EDT (Season Series vs. FAY: 4-6-0)

The Snakes head to Crown Coliseum on Friday night to face the Fayetteville FireAntz. The `Antz only need one more standing point to secure their spot in third place and home-ice advantage for at least the first round of the playoffs. Forward Rob Sich continues to rewrite the SPHL record books, leading the league with a whopping 61 goals on the season so far. Sich's 197 penalty minutes, however, also have him among the league leaders, tied for sixth in the SPHL with Louisiana's Jason Hamilton (although Hamilton accumulated his in just 26 games played compared to 54 for Sich).

Saturday, March 27 - Columbus at Huntsville, 8:35 PM EDT (Season Series vs. HSV: 2-6-2)

The Huntsville Havoc will host the Snakes at the Von Braun Center on Saturday night in the final game of the regular season for both teams. The Cottonmouths have yet to win in Huntsville ice this season, going 0-3-1 so far. The Havoc still has an outside chance at first, but they would need to win both on Friday night against Knoxville and Saturday against the Snakes and have Mississippi lose all three of their games in regulation.

COTTONMOUTHS WEEK IN REVIEW

Thursday, March 18 - Knoxville 5 at Columbus 7 (Attendance: 1,886)

For the second straight home game, a Cottonmouths player collected a hat trick. This time, Ryan McCarthy was the one to find the back of the net three times in a 7-5 win over the Knoxville Ice Bears last night at the Snake Pit. Jesse Cole, who notched a hat trick in the previous home game last Saturday night against Pensacola, lit the lamp twice in last night's contest. Tim Green scored the first goal of the game for Columbus and Brent Clarke logged an empty-netter in the game's final seconds to secure the victory. Ian Vigier picked up 30 saves on 35 shots on goal in net for Columbus for the win, while Knoxville's Andrew Gallant made 26 saves on 32 shots in the losing effort between the pipes for the Ice Bears. The Ice Bears were 2 for 6 on the power play, however, and held the Snakes scoreless in their five chances with the man advantage.

Friday, March 19 - Louisiana 4 at Columbus 2 (Attendance: 2,932)

Levi Lind and Sam Bowles scored just 47 seconds apart in the final minute of the second period, but that was all the scoring the Snakes could muster as they fell 4-2 to Louisiana on Friday night. Ian Vigier turned away 46 of 49 shots on goal as Louisiana outshot the Snakes 50-45 in the game (the 50th shot on goal for the `Gators was an empty-net goal). Adam Dekker picked up the win for the IceGators in net with 43 saves on 45 shots. Both teams were scoreless on the power play with Louisiana going 0 for 3 and Columbus 0 for 5.

Saturday, March 20 - Columbus 2 at Louisiana 4 (Attendance: 2,222)

The venue was different on Saturday night than the night before, but the result was the same: a 4-2 win for Louisiana over the Snakes in the IceGators' final game of the season at Blackham Coliseum. Tim Green and Levi Lind were the goal-scorers for the Cottonmouths. Chad Rycroft had 27 saves on 31 shots in the losing effort in net for Columbus, while A.J. Bucchino took the win in net for Louisiana with 32 saves on 34 shots on goal. As was the case on Friday night, neither team scored on the power play as Columbus was 0 for 4 with the man advantage and Louisiana was 0 for 2.

THREE STARS OF THE WEEK

1. F Ryan McCarthy - McCarthy's hat trick led the Snakes to the win over Knoxville on Thursday night.

2. F Levi Lind - Lind had a goal in each game of the home-and-home series against Louisiana.

3. F Tim Green - Green lit the lamp once on Thursday night at home and again on Saturday night in Lafayette.



SPHL Stories from March 22, 2010


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