Snakes Split First Two Road Games Of Season

November 9, 2009 - SPHL (SPHL)
Columbus Cottonmouths News Release


COLUMBUS, Ga. - The Columbus Cottonmouths played a pair of games this past weekend on the road, losing Friday night at Huntsville but recovering for a 7-4 victory in Pensacola on Saturday night in the first meeting between the Snakes and Ice Flyers. Columbus will meet the other two expansion teams in the SPHL this weekend with a game in Biloxi against the Mississippi Surge on Friday night and a Saturday night contest in Lafayette against the Louisiana IceGators. Both 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 broadcast of the games is also available. Details can be found at www.cottonmouths.com.

CURRENT RECORDS AND STATS

Last Week: 1-1-0

Record: 4-2-0, 8 pts (T-2nd Place, SPHL)

22 GF, 17 GA

25.7% PP (1st, SPHL); 91.2% PK (1st, SPHL)

LAST WEEK'S TRANSACTIONS

11/4 - Signed F Sam Bowles to three-game tryout

UPCOMING GAMES AND PROMOTIONS

Friday, November 13 - Columbus at Mississippi, 8:05 PM EST (First Meeting vs. MIS)

The Snakes will travel to the Mississippi Coast Coliseum in Biloxi on Friday night for their first-ever contest against the Mississippi Surge. Surge head coach Steffon Walby is no stranger to Columbus hockey, having skated against the ECHL version of the Cottonmouths as an all-star forward for the Mississippi Sea Wolves. Walby brings a roster with a couple of players very familiar to Snakes fans: former Cottonmouth Daryl Moor on defense and Ryan Senft between the pipes. Other familiar names from past SPHL rosters include Shane Wagner (Jacksonville/Twin City), Michael Richard (Twin City), Tim Velemirovich (Fayetteville), and Ryan Bartle (Twin City). The Surge are winless in their last five games after defeating Louisiana in a home-and-home series to open their inaugural SPHL season.

Saturday, November 14 - Columbus at Louisiana, 8:05 PM EST (First Meeting vs. LOU)

The Snakes will head further west on I-10 Saturday night to Lafayette to take on the Louisiana IceGators in the first meeting between the two teams. Like Mississippi, the Cottonmouths also faced Louisiana in the ECHL, but unlike Mississippi, the IceGators were known by the same nickname during their time in the league. Their location is different, however; while the ECHL IceGators played to crowds of 10,000+ at the Cajundome, the SPHL version of the 'Gators calls Blackham Coliseum home, which has half the seating capacity. The IceGators also carry some familiar names on their roster, with forwards Daryl Moore (Twin City) and Ben Manny (Knoxville/Richmond) and defenseman Jim Jensen. The IceGators also have center Mike Omicioli on

UPCOMING GAMES AND PROMOTIONS (cont'd)

Saturday, November 14 - Columbus at Louisiana, 8:05 PM EST (First Meeting vs. LOU) (cont'd)

their roster, who skated for the Snakes in the ECHL. New head coach John Gibson, who coached the Huntsville Havoc from 2004-2008 and also was part of two championships playing for the SHL and CHL Huntsville Channel Cats, will coach his first games for Louisiana this weekend. Gibson will be the IceGators' third coach this season after Ron Handy was relieved after an 0-3-0 start to the season and general manager Brent Sapergia guiding the team to a 2-2-0 record on an interim basis between Handy and Gibson. Ironically, Gibson, Handy, and Sapergia were all members of the Huntsville Channel Cats squad that won an SHL championship in the 1995-96 season.

COTTONMOUTHS WEEK IN REVIEW

Friday, November 6 - Columbus 2 at Huntsville 4 (Attendance: 3,556)

The Snakes spotted the hometown Huntsville Havoc a 3-0 lead on Friday night before scoring two goals of their own off the sticks of Jesse Cole and Kyle Lundale. However, Columbus could get no closer, and Huntsville added an empty-netter in the game's final minute to provide the 4-2 final. Levi Lind had a two-point night to lead all Snakes scorers as he assisted on both goals. Snakes goaltender Ian Vigier stopped 21 of 24 shots in the loss, while Mark Sibbald had 15 saves on 17 shots to pick up the win in net for Huntsville. Columbus was 1 for 9 on the power play and allowed their first power play goal of the season on the penalty kill, as Huntsville was 1 of 6 with the man advantage.

Saturday, November 7 - Columbus 7 at Pensacola 4 (Attendance: 3,172)

On Saturday, it was the Cottonmouths who came out to a big lead, staking themselves to a 6-1 advantage after two periods before three unanswered Ice Flyer goals made things interesting in the final frame. Jason Slusher's empty-netter with five seconds remaining in the game capped off the scoring for the Snakes. Joey Martini lit the lamp twice in the contest, while Jesse Cole, Tim Green, Dan Leslie, and Jeff Martens joined Slusher in scoring once apiece. Chad Rycroft earned his second victory in as many starts with 29 saves on 33 Pensacola shots on goal, while goaltender Chad Collins, fresh off his 100th regular season SPHL victory the night before, stopped 25 of 31 shots for the Ice Flyers. Both teams scored twice on the power play with the Snakes having six chances with the man advantage and Pensacola eight.

THREE STARS OF THE WEEK

1. F Jesse Cole - Cole was the only Cottonmouth to score in both games this weekend with a goal in each contest.

2. F Joey Martini - Martini's two-goal effort led the Snakes to a 7-4 win in Pensacola on Saturday night.

3. F Levi Lind - Lind assisted on both goals Friday night but was left off the scoresheet Saturday night, ending a streak of at least a point in the Snakes' first five games of the season.



SPHL Stories from November 9, 2009


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