South Carolina's Shootout Score Stings Devils

Published on December 12, 2010 under ECHL (ECHL)
Trenton Devils News Release


Trenton, NJ - Luke Popko, a Skillman, NJ native, scored between Dave Caruso's legs in the seventh round of the shootout to lead the Stingrays to a 3-2 victory Sunday afternoon at Sun National Bank Center. In the first six shootout rounds, the teams had traded a pair of goals, setting the stage for the deciding seventh round where Popko's successful attempt followed J.S. Berube's shot clanking off the post, giving the visiting Stingrays a victory in their first and only trip to Trenton this season.

The game started with the Devils and Stingrays playing Trenton's first scoreless opening stanza of the season. Newly-acquired Devils defenseman Brad Miller broke the stale-mate by beating Jared DeMichiel with a wrist shot from the point to make the score 1-0 8:12 into the second period. Miller's goal, Trenton's fourth power-play goal in its last five games, was assisted by Ryan Ginand and Ryan Hayes. Trenton went ahead 2-0 2:24 later when Ginand picked the top corner with a backhand shot after winning a foot-race past South Carolina defenseman Zach Jones to a loose puck. Dave Leaderer recorded his sixth assist and second in his last two games on the play.

The Devils' lead was short-lived, with Johann Kroll trimming the lead to 2-1, scoring from the point with a wrist shot on the power play 3:23 after Ginand had put Trenton up by a pair. Jordan Pietrus pulled South Carolina even with 35 seconds remaining in the second period, scoring his first professional goal after digging a loose puck out of a net-mouth scramble.

Deadlocked 2-2 entering the third period, Dave Caruso denied all eight Stingrays shots in the third period with Jared DeMichiel stopping all 12 he faced, setting the stage for overtime. In overtime, the Stingrays nearly found the game-winner off of a flurry in front of Trenton's net. On the sequence, though, South Carolina's Rob Ricci interfered with Devils goalie Dave Caruso, giving Trenton a glorious four-on-three power-play opportunity in sudden death. The Devils power play came up empty, although Justin Pender nearly won the game by blasting a slap shot from just inside the blue line off of the left post.

With their best chance to win behind them, Matt Vokes scored Trenton's second shootout goal with his team needing a marker to prolong the game in the fifth round. But having elected to shoot first, the Devils were left without another chance to tie the shootout after Popko scored in the second half of the seventh round, immediately following Berube's missed attempt.

With the shootout loss, Trenton's record falls to 9-12-0-2. South Carolina wins for the second time on its three-game road trip to improve to 11-13-1-0. The Devils will next be in action next Friday when they travel to Elmira's First Arena to battle the Jackals at 7:35 p.m. Trenton will return home next Sunday to face off with the Toledo Walleye at 4:00 p.m.

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ECHL Stories from December 12, 2010


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