Wildcatters Clinch Playoff Berth With Season High Ninth-Straight Win
February 10, 2008 - ECHL (ECHL)
Texas Wildcatters News Release
Charleston, SC- The Texas Wildcatters (37-4-3-4) clinched a playoff berth with their season-high ninth straight win, a 4-2 decision versus the South Carolina Stingrays (29-17-1-1) Saturday at the North Charleston Coliseum.
In a game that featured the special teams on both squads, Kevin Baker gave Texas the early lead with an unassisted shorthanded goal at 1:14 after Max Taylor was whistled for hooking just :14 into the game.
Another Texas penalty would put the Stingrays on the power play again five minutes into the opening frame, and this time the home team would beat Jeff Pietrasiak with a power play goal at 7:08 to knot the score 1-1.
The teams would enter the second period with the score still tied but All-Star Captain John McNabb would put the first-place Catters back on top with his team-leading 21st goal of the season just 1:03 into the stanza. Moises Gutierrez and Tim Cook would collect assists on the play.
Defenseman Mike Grenzy found the back of the net for the first time this season with under six minutes remaining in the period. The power play tally was assisted by McNabb and AJ Thelan.
Travis Morin scored his team-leading 22nd goal of the season with a shorthand tally to reduce the Texas lead to 3-2 at 15:59 of the period.
The Stingrays would out shoot the Wildcatters 12-10 in the third frame, but Colin Nicholson would register the only goal of the period, the insurance goal his second of the year, an unassisted marker at 11:23.
The Texas power play, very potent as of late, would find the back of the net just one time in eleven chances in this game as both teams were able to kill penalties very effectively in the contest. Not only did both teams register a shorthanded goal, but the Wildcatters held the Stingray power play to 1-for-9.
Pietrasiak stopped 25 shots for Texas while Davis Parley made 29 saves on 33 shots for Carolina.
With the victory, the Wildcatters clinch a post-season berth after only 48 games-the earliest any ECHL team has ever accomplished the feat. The Louisiana IceGators clinched their postseason berth after 56 games on Feb. 24, 2002.
The Wildcatters head north to continue their six-game road trip, traveling to New Jersey to face Trenton at 6:00 CT Tuesday.
The Texas Wildcatters are the proud ECHL affiliate of the NHL's Minnesota Wild and the AHL's Houston Aeros! Book your group today with the Wildcatters, call 409.951.5500!
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