Wildcatters Decimate Roadrunners 7-3

by Andrew Nordmeier
March 7, 2007 - ECHL (ECHL)
Phoenix RoadRunners


The game was hockey but the final score was more like football as the Texas Wildcatters scored a touchdown and converted an extra point while the Phoenix Roadrunners managed just a field goal in Texas' 7-3 win Tuesday night at the US Airways Center.

Texas (33-18-9) opened the scoring just 54 seconds into the game when Olivier Proulx tipped Keith McWilliams' bomb from the point past Phoenix netminder Cody Rukowsky for his 23rd goal of the season.

The Wildcatters put Phoenix (25-29-5) down 2-0 at 4:17 when Leon Hayward tipped the puck past Rudkowsky for his 14th tally of the season. Daniel Sparre's goal at 5:04 to made it 3-0 and Texas was on cruise control. And Texas also had a goal disallowed at the 4:25 mark as the puck was ruled to hit the crossbar and bounce out though replays showed the puck going into the net.

"We had another lackluster start at home," Phoenix Assistant Coach Brad Church said, "I'm at a loss for words."

Rudkowsky was pulled in favor of Mike Morrison to start the second period but it proved to make no difference. Sparre scored an easy goal when he wristed the puck into a nearly empty net at 5:23 of the middle period to make it 4-0 Texas with his second of the night.

But then the third period was wild and wooly as each team scored three goals and Phoenix made it interesting.

Lance Monych scored for Phoenix 30 seconds into the period to get the Roadrunners into the scoring column and Justin Aikins' goal at 2:15 made it a 4-2 game.

Texas got the first of two third-period goals from Brandin Cote at 7:56 to reestablish a three-goal cushion at 5-2.

Tommy Maxwell scored for Phoenix at 8:36 to make it 5-3 and keep the Roadrunners in the game until Cote struck again at 11:10 to get the Wildcatters back on top by three goals. Sparre closed out the scoring with the goal that completed his hat trick with 3:32 left to close the scoring.

Church said the team should be playing the full game like the way they did in the third period but had no answer as to why the team couldn't muster that effort for the full sixty minutes.

Texas outshot Phoenix by a wide margin, 38-22. On the power play, Texas cashed in three times in six chances while Phoenix drew the collar in four chances.

These two teams meet again Thursday night to conclude their five-game season series. It is also the second game in a key stretch for Phoenix where they have six of seven games at home before their season-ending seven-game road trip.

"This homestand is important," Church said, "it's getting to do or die and we better figure it out quick."

Three Stars of the Night

3. Maxwell-PHX Goal kept Phoenix close.

2. Cote-TEX Two goals and an assist for Texas

1. Sparre-TEX Hat trick, assist in the win

Notes: Texas goaltender Matt Yeats made his 21st straight start in goal for the Wildcatters and has started every game since January 25th against South Carolina, posting a 9-7-3-1 mark in the 20 starts prior...Phoenix fell behind by at least two goals for the 11th time in 22 games since the All-Star Break...Attendance was 2,864.



ECHL Stories from March 7, 2007


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