Snakes split opening weekend in SPHL

November 1, 2004 - SPHL (SPHL)
Columbus Cottonmouths News Release


COLUMBUS, Ga. - The Columbus Cottonmouths won their opening game of SPHL action on Friday night with a dramatic 3-2 come-from-behind victory in overtime against the Knoxville Ice Bears. On Saturday night, the Snakes fell to the rival Macon Trax 8-3. Columbus finds themselves among four other teams in the SPHL with identical 1-1 records, locked in a four-way tie for third place in the league. The Cottonmouths pay a visit to the Tarheel State this weekend with a pair of road games: Friday night in Fayetteville and Saturday night in Winston-Salem.

CURRENT RECORDS AND STATS

1-1, 2 points (T-3rd, SPHL)

6 GF, 10 GA

25.0% PP (4th, SPHL); 42.9% PK (8th, SPHL)

LAST WEEK'S TRANSACTIONS

10/27 - Released F Brant Becker, F Chad Wrixon, and D Barrett Labossiere

10/28 - Signed D Cameron Breitkreuz and D Sam Phillips

UPCOMING GAMES AND PROMOTIONS

Friday, November 5 - Columbus at Fayetteville, 7:35 PM EST

The Cottonmouths play their first road game in SPHL history on Friday night against the Fayetteville FireAntz. The game marks the first visit by a Columbus hockey team to the Crown Coliseum since a dramatic overtime victory in Game 4 in the first round of the 2001 CHL playoffs against the Fayetteville Force. The FireAntz dropped two straight decisions at home over the weekend, being shut out by Asheville 3-0 Friday night and losing a hard-fought 5-4 contest to Jacksonville on Saturday night. The FireAntz roster only has one familiar face to Snakes fans: right wing Bryan LaChappelle, who played against Columbus last year as a member of the ECHL's Greenville Grrrowl.

Saturday, November 6 - Columbus at Winston-Salem, 7:30 PM EST

The Cottonmouths travel deeper into North Carolina on Saturday night with a visit to Winston-Salem to take on the Winston-Salem Polar Twins at the Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum. The game will not be the first time a Cottonmouths team has skated there, however, as the ECHL Cottonmouths faced the Greensboro Generals in a game there three seasons ago. Polar Twins head coach Bryan Wells is no stranger to the Snakes, as he faced Columbus six years ago as bench boss of the Wichita Thunder in the 1998 CHL Levins Trophy Finals, a series in which Columbus swept Wichita en route to the league championship. Winston-Salem features another former Grrrowl as Troy Ilijow wore a Greenville sweater last season in ECHL action against the Cottonmouths.

COTTONMOUTHS WEEK IN REVIEW

Friday, October 29 - Knoxville 2 at Columbus 3 (OT) (Attendance: 3,171)

The Cottonmouths opened up SPHL action with a victory on Friday night in dramatic fashion. The Snakes struck first as Ryan Rutz scored the first goal in Cottonmouths SPHL history and his first as a professional at 19:14 of the first period off assists from Orrin Hergott and Brent Toews. Knoxville would storm back with two unanswered goals, and the Snakes would wait until late in the third period to start its heroics as Sam Phillips scored a power play goal with just 91 seconds remaining in regulation, sending the game to a 3-on-3 overtime. Craig Stahl scored the game-winner 1:20 into the extra session off Hergott's second assist of the night, sending the crowd of 3,171 home happy. Terry Friesen saved 27 of the 29 Knoxville shots he faced, and Jamie Ronayne turned away 28 of 31 for the Ice Bears. Columbus was 2 for 4 on the power play while Knoxville scored on their lone man advantage of the game.

Saturday, October 30 - Macon 8 at Columbus 3 (Attendance: 3,975)

Craig Stahl continued with his hot hand for the Cottonmouths, notching the first goal of the game and adding an assist. However, Macon's first scoring line of David Deeves, Ryan Rivard, and Steve Zoryk was deadly on Saturday night, contributing on five of the Trax's eight goals en route to a 8-3 win over Columbus. Rivard led the way with a five-point night on two goals and three assists. Tyler Keller scored his first professional goal for the Snakes, and Cameron Breitkreuz made the score a little more respectable with a goal in the third period as well. Terry Friesen stopped 24 of 32 for Columbus, while Matt Cairns turned away 20 of the 23 Columbus shots on goal he faced. Columbus was scoreless in their four power play chances while Macon made good on three of their six opportunities.

THREE STARS OF THE WEEK

1.. F Craig Stahl - Craig had a three-point weekend with the game-winning goal on Friday night and picking up the "Gordie Howe Hat Trick" on Saturday night with a goal, assist, and fighting major. He was also a +3 in action this weekend.

b.. F Tylor Keller - Keller scored his first goal as a pro on Saturday night and also chipped in with an assist. He also had an assist in Friday night's action.

c.. D Sam Phillips - Phillips scored the game-tying goal on Friday night to send the game to overtime and an eventual Cottonmouths victory.



SPHL Stories from November 1, 2004


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