Sunday Night at the Fights
Published on November 10, 2002 under ECHL (ECHL)
Louisiana IceGators News Release
Lafayette, LA â Frederic Cloutier made 35 saves and Nathan Rempel had the game-winning goal and an assist as the camouflage-clad Louisiana IceGators cruised to a 4-1 win over defending Kelly Cup champion Greenville in a game marred by a third-period rumble in the penalty box.
The IceGators were comfortably ahead 4-1 in the third period when things got out of control. With Louisiana's Jeff Worlton already in the penalty box, Bruce Richardson and Alexandre Burrows each went to the box. Dave Kaczowka was serving Burrows' second minor, for roughing, while Shawn Skiehar went in for Richardson's roughing penalty.
Thirty-five seconds later, each player was involved in the fight in the penalty box, as officials intervened. Richardson, Worlton and Skiehar picked up game misconducts, while Rempel was assessed a gross misconduct. Burrows and and Kaczowka each got game misconducts.
Shawn McNeil, Rempel and Richardson scored 3:32 apart in the first period and Daniel Goneau added a second period tally as the IceGators stopped a five-game winless streak (0-3-2) in impressive fashion. Louisiana, which got two assists from Kevin Mitchell, was one game shy of its longest winless span in team history.
Cloutier made five saves in the first period, 16 in the second and 14 in the third, helping Louisiana kill off an eye-popping 13 straight shorthanded chances after an early 5-on-3 goal. Cloutier stopped a personal four-game winless streak (0-2-2).
Martin Masa scored and Jayme Platt turned aside 25 shots for Greenville, which allowed four first-period goals in a 4-0 loss at Jackson on Saturday. Prior to that game, the Grrrowl had outscored opponents 19-10 in the first period this season.
The Grrrowl got on the board early, as a pair of penalties put the IceGators down two men. With Louis Mass in the box for roughing and Worlton off for cross-checking early in the Mass penalty, Mike Hurley sent a cross-ice pass to Masa in the right circle. The veteran winger ripped a one-timer short side on Cloutier, just slipping the puck between the netminder and the post.
Greenville had been 0-for-11 on the power play in Saturday's 4-0 loss at Jackson, but scored on its first attempt today.
The IceGators scored three times to take a 3-1 lead with a flurry of activity around the midway point of the period. With Eric Van Acker and Paul Flache in the penalty box for a full two minutes, McNeil's league-best 12th goal of the season evened the game at 1-1. Mitchell, at the point, fed Rempel at the bottom of the left circle. Rempel slid a pass across the goal mouth to a wide open McNeil at the bottom of the left circle, and the winger easily got the puck past the out-of-position Platt.
Just 21 seconds later, Louisiana took the lead on the power play. Mitchell got the puck up ice to Bobby Brown, who skated into the right circle. Brown left a drop pass for a streaking Rempel, whose high shot handcliffed Platt.
Richardson gave the IceGators a two-goal edge at the 11:52 mark, as he took a pass between the circles from Goneau, settled the puck and got a knuckling shot between Platt's pads.
Richardson set up Goneau on Louisiana's next goal, a tally at 8:14 of the second period that extended the IceGators lead to 4-1. Goneau tried to center a pass from the right circle, and it deflected off Van Acker's skate past Platt. Mass, in his third game with the IceGators since being acquired from Pee Dee last week, picked up his first assist with his new team.
The IceGators nearly took a four-goal lead, but Richardson beat Platt just as time had expired at the end of the second period.
Cloutier was outstanding in the second period, turning aside 16 shots, including seven on three power play opportunities.
Platt kept further damage from coming four minutes into the second period, stopping Mitchell from the low slot twice. Mitchell hit the post seconds later on the power play after a slashing call to Tyler Deis.
Cloutier continued his acrobatics â he had his helmet knocked off for the second straight game â in the third period, as he stoned Flache all alone in the right circle after a power play had expired seven minutes in.
Gator bites:
McNeil, whose 11-game point streak was broken last night, has at least a point in 19 of his last 20 regular-season games, dating back to last season.
McNeil has scored Louisiana's first goal in eight of 13 games this season.
The IceGators failed to score first for the eighth time in the past 10 games.
Richardson's point streak is up to seven games, two better than his previous career best. The streak, which started with a four-helper game on October 27 against Jackson, includes 11 points (3g, 8a). Richardson has a point in all but two games this season.
Cloutier has allowed just six goals on 110 shots in the second period this season, good for a .948 save percentage.
Mitchell and McNeil are tied for the team lead with 13 special teams points apiece.
The IceGators improved to 4-2-1 when hosting a defending Kelly Cup champion. They beat South Carolina 1-0 last November 9.
Louisiana began the day with a minus-seven goal differential in the first period (17-10), the second worst in the ECHL.
Richardson has at least one penalty in 10 straight games, the second longest current ECHL streak and the third longest streak in the league this season.
ECHL Stories from November 10, 2002
- Condors Sweep Weekend with 4-2 Win over Idaho - Bakersfield Condors
- Kingfish get 'spark' in 4-3 loss - Baton Rouge Kingfish
- Sunday Night at the Fights - Louisiana IceGators
- Three from the Storm get the Call - Toledo Walleye
- Trenton Titans Weekly - Trenton Devils
- 'Gades Game Night - Richmond Renegades
- ECHL Transactions - ECHL
- Along the Coast - ECHL
- Falcons Still Can't Solve Condors - Fresno Falcons
- Griffins Nip Grizz - Utah Grizzlies
- Gulls Fall to Idaho, 4-2 - San Diego Gulls
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