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Third period rally propels Jackals to 5-4 OT win

December 14, 2007 - ECHL (ECHL)
Elmira Jackals News Release


Scott May capped off a four-goal rally with the game-winner forty-six seconds into overtime as the Elmira Jackals stunned the Reading Royals 5-4 Friday night in front of 3,408 fans at First Arena. The win helped Elmira maintain its two-point lead over Cincinnati in the North Division.

Trailing 4-1 after two periods, the Jackals fought off 4:18 of consecutive shorthanded time to keep the deficit at three goals before beginning their comeback.

Just sixteen seconds after returning to full strength, Captain Frank Littlejohn notched his ninth of the season off of a dish from reigning ECHL Player of the Week Bryan Rodney. The defenseman, who now has ten points in just five games with the Jackals, wheeled down the slot from the left point and fed Littlejohn to the left of Royals goaltender Terry Denike (33 saves). The captain wasted little time in making a 4-2 reading, lifting a wrister home at 7:04 of the final period.

Rodney then was tagged for high sticking just nineteen seconds later as the Jackals skated short a man for the eighth time in the game, but held the Royals at bay.

After that, the Elmira man advantage turned the game around and brought the crowd back to life.

With Reading's Brett Hemingway in the box for hooking, Pierre-Luc Faubert was credited with his ninth of the season when he was checked in front of the Reading net as May released a left wing drive. The blast hit an airborne Faubert, bounding off of his body and settling into the net at 12:12 to pull the Jackals to within 4-3.

Patrick Hersley was the next to be whistled as he picked up an interference call at 14:20 after getting tangled up with Jim McKenzie breaking down the slot.

Rodney tied the game off of a gorgeous back door feed from Brett Pilkington with 4:20 left in regulation. Pilkington's dish from the bottom of the left circle settled on Rodney's stick before he sent his seventh of the year home over the blocker arm of Denike, tying the game at 4-4.

The Jackals, playing their sixth overtime contest in their last eight games, would not see this one go to a shootout as their previous seven had.

May and Reading's Malcom MacMillan tangled in the Jackals' zone for a loose puck with May eventually skating free with possession. Faubert carried to the enemy blue line before leading Jekabs Redlihs into the zone.

Redlihs unleashed a blast from the top of the left circle that Denike kicked out, but back into the slot. A driving May pounced on the rebound and snapped home his fifth of the season for his first game-winner of the year.

Joel Martin, making a season-high sixth consecutive start, picked up his league-leading twelfth win as he stopped 31 of 35 shots.

The Jackals moved to 17-6-0-2, good for 36 points, and return to First Arena ice tomorrow night as the Trenton Devils come to town for a 7:35 p.m. face-off. It's Teddy Bear Toss Night with fans encouraged to bring a stuff toy to throw onto the ice when the Jackals score their first goal of the game. All toys will be collected and donated to underprivileged youths throughout the Twin Tiers. Additionally, the first 1,000 fans through the doors will receive a free water bottle courtesy of New York Sport and Fitness. Good seats still remain and can be purchased at the Gray Street box office - First Arena beginning at 10 a.m. Saturday, charge-by-phone at 722-3711 or buy on-line at www.ticketmaster.com.

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