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Trax fall over weekend

December 20, 2004 - SPHL (SPHL)
Macon Trax News Release


THIS WEEK:

TUE Dec. 21 Winston-Salem @ TRAX 7:05 p.m. Macon Centreplex

The Trax are looking for revenge as the Polar Twins come to Macon to finish a home-and-home series. Saturday night the Trax visited North Carolina and were handled by the league's last place team. Macon will try to get back on the winning track on GEORGIA TECH NIGHT. All fans who wear Yellow Jackets paraphernalia will receive $2 off their tickets. In addition, the Champ Sports Bowl will be televised inside the arena during the hockey game. As always it is a "DOUBLE COLA DOUBLE TUESDAY" Bring in a Double Cola product to receive 2-for-1 ticket specials.

Season Series: Tied 1-1 (Last Meeting: 4-1 loss @ W-S, 12/18/04)

All Time Series: Tied 1-1

THU Dec. 23 TRAX @ Asheville 7:05 p.m. Asheville Civic Center

Last time the Trax visited the Aces they were beaten badly. Asheville took it to the Trax putting nine goals on the scoreboard. The game set many league penalty records. The two teams combined for over 300 penalty minutes, including 199 for Macon. In addition, each team was assessed 13 majors, most of them coming late in the third period during a line brawl. Amazingly, when the two teams met in Macon only 12 penalty minutes were called the entire game.

Season Series: Tied 1-1 (Last Meeting: 4-2 WIN @ MAC on 11/27/04)

All Time Series: Tied 1-1

SAT Dec. 25 Jacksonville @ TRAX 7:05 p.m. Macon Centreplex

Christmas Night will be spent by all at the Centreplex. After you spend the day with the family eating, opening presents, and more come out to watch a fun filled hockey game between two fierce rivals. The Barracudas return for what promises to be another exciting showdown between the two clubs. In the first four meetings this season, three have gone to either overtime or a shootout. The home team has yet to win a game this year.

Season Series: Macon leads 3-1 (Last Meeting: 4-3 OT WIN @ JAX on 12/11/04)

All Time Series: Jacksonville leads 19-12

LAST WEEK:

FRI Dec. 17 Knoxville @ TRAX (5-3 loss) 7:05 p.m. Macon Centreplex

Knoxville came to Macon and escaped with a 5-3 win. The loss stopped the Trax four game winning streak.

Knoxville came out firing on all cylinders in the first 20 minutes. The Ice Bears scored just past the half way mark of the opening frame when K.J. Vorhees scored his 16th goal of the season. Less than four minutes later the Ice Bears doubled their lead off Marcus Forsberg's stick.

Tommy Stewart tried to rally his troops in the first intermission and it seemed to have worked. Ryan Rivard fired a shot just inside the blue line past goalie Terry Dunbar to cut the Knoxville lead to one only 62-seconds into the middle frame.

Later in the second period the Trax tied it up when Chris Duggan was on the receiving end of a great pass from Dominick Dawes. The tie game brought the crowd to life and the Trax looked like they would take momentum with them as they enjoyed their first power play of the night.

The power play went by the wayside as the Trax could not muster a shot. Just a few minutes later the Trax once again were given the man advantage, but the same result occurred.

With less than two minutes to go in the second period, Trax killer, Kevin Swider scored for the 15th time this season. Swider continued his hot ways against the Trax with four points in the contest giving him 10 points in three games against Macon.

The Trax found themselves down a goal heading into the final frame, but it would not stay that way for long. Steve Zoryk used his speed to get around two Knoxville defenders and scored on the top shelf to re-tie the game 28-seconds into the third period.

The Trax, who did not commit a penalty in the first two periods, found themselves shorthanded twice in the final stanza. Knoxville took advantage of their second power play of the night as David Bagley scored on a rebound goal to give the Ice Bears the 4-3 lead, one they would not relinquish. K.C. Caudill added an insurance goal at 16:42 to seal the victory and first place for Knoxville.

SAT Dec. 18 TRAX @ Winston-Salem (4-1 loss) 7:30 p.m. Lawrence Joel Veterans Coliseum

Chester Gallant had two goals and Jomar Cruz made 39 saves for his second win of the season as the Winston-Salem Polar Twins defeated the Macon Trax by a score of 4-1 Saturday night in front of a crowd of 1,410 at LJVM Annex.

Winston-Salem got on the board first at 15:31 of the first period on Gallant's seventh goal of the season. Shaun Aebig fought through traffic in front to take the initial shot which was blocked by Trax goaltender Nick Niedert. The rebound came out to Gallant at the right post that lifted the puck into the far top corner of the net for the 1-0 lead.

The Polar Twins would hold the lead until a shorthanded tally by Chris Duggan tied it 1-1. Steve Zoryk had a clean shorthanded breakaway but was stopped by Cruz. After clearing the puck into the neutral zone, Duggan beat the Polar Twins defender at the blue line for another breakaway, this time deking out Cruz for his sixth goal of the season at the 11:08 mark of the second period.

Winston-Salem came back in the late part of the second frame, netting two goals in less than a minute to regain the lead at 3-1. First it was Gallant with his second of the game and eighth of the season. Steve Lajoie found Gallant who was wide open in the slot and able to beat Niedert for the 2-1 lead. Troy Ilijow then made it 3-1, deflecting a Trevor Karasiewicz shot from the side of the net for his fourth goal of the season. Karasiewicz added an empty net goal for the 4-1 final.

TRAX TIDBITS:

· "CHUGGIN' WITH THE TRAX"--Monday, Dec. 20 at Wagers Grill and Bar located at 3914 Riverplace Drive directly behind Outback. Join Trax broadcaster Adam Minnick, Head Coach Tommy Stewart and Chris Duggan from 6-7pm. Food and drink specials will be available every week to all Trax fans in attendance. **THE SHOW WILL NOT BE HEARD ON TALK RADIO 1670AM. IT WILL BE BROADCAST INSIDE WAGER'S ONLY**

· Dec. 21—"BLACK AND GOLD NIGHT"—Nowhere else can fans watch hockey and Georgia Tech football on the same night. Come out to the Centreplex as the Trax will play against the Polar Twins and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets will be in the Champs Sports Bowl. The Trax are scheduled to have a TV set up so fans can watch both events at the same time. Any fan who shows their Georgia Tech pride will receive $2 off their game ticket. In addition, all beer will be 2-for-1.

· Dec. 21—""DOUBLE COLA DOUBLE TUESDAY"—Fans should go buy a Double Cola, Ski, or Jumbo soda at locally owned shops and convenient stores for ticket specials. Bring the can product to the Trax office to get 2-for-1 ticket specials. Call the Trax office for a list of places Double Cola is sold.

· Dec. 21—"THIRSTY TUESDAY"—Come to the game to enjoy 2-for-1 beer specials. All concession stands will offer fans the buy one get one free promotion.

· Dec. 25—"CHRISTMAS WITH THE TRAX"—Bring the whole family out for holiday fun. The Trax will battle their fierce rivals from Jacksonville on a special holiday game. All fans that come to the game are guaranteed to enjoy fun games and great hockey.

· Dec. 31—"NEW YEAR'S EVE WITH THE TRAX—Join the Macon Trax as they send out the old year and ring in the new one on the ice. The Trax staff will look their best on the last day of 2004 and invite the fans to do the same. Any fan coming to the game in formal attire will receive $2 off their ticket. Come to the hockey before you hit your New Year's Eve Bash.

· Jan. 1—"BULLDOG NEW YEAR'S DAY"—The Georgia Bulldogs will beat up on the Wisconsin Badgers early in the day and the Trax will look to roll past the Havoc at night. Any fan who wears any UGA clothing will receive $2 off their game ticket. To show their Georgia pride, the Trax will wear the special red jerseys for the game.

TEAM APPEARANCES:

Monday, December 20; Bagging Toys for Toys for Tots; Colonial Mall, Macon, 2:00-4:00; Nick Niedert, Mike Walling, Mark Allen, Craig Geerlinks, Lou DiMasi

Wednesday, December 22; The Log School of Knowledge, Macon; 12:00; Ryan Crowther

*players attending subject to change*

TEAM NOTES:

Macon has become the third least penalized team in the league averaging 29.79 minutes a game.

The Trax continue to lead the SPHL with a 27.01% power play.

Macon has won six of their last 10 games.

Macon's six road wins lead the SPHL.

In games decided by two goals or less the Trax are 8-2.

STANDOUTS:

CHRIS DUGGAN has scored 11 points in his last 7 games.

JOHN GURSKIS is 5th in league scoring with 2 game winning goals.

DAVID DEEVES is 4th in SPHL points (23) and 2nd in assists (15).

STEVE ZORYK is 4th in the league with 12 goals.

MARK CAIRNS leads the SPHL with 9 wins.

TRAX PLAYER OF THE WEEK:

CHRIS DUGGAN—The Woodville, Ont. native was one of the few bright spots for the Trax this past weekend. Duggan scored a goal in each game including a shorthanded goal Saturday in Winston-Salem. The 6-foot, 185-pound center has scored a point in each of his last seven games. Duggan has 15 points on the season and is one of only four Trax player with a positive plus/minus rating.

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