Wildcatters Weekly

Published on May 7, 2007 under ECHL (ECHL)
Texas Wildcatters News Release


Welcome to Wildcatters Weekly: 2006-07 Season Final Edition

Beaumont, TX (May 7, 2007) The Texas Wildcatters shattered records during their magical 2006-07 hockey season. The Wildcatters made the Kelly Cup Playoffs for the first time in team history. Texas finished in second place in the South Division with a record of 41-22-9 for 91 points. The Wildcatters advanced to the second round of the playoffs as they beat the Gwinnett Gladiators three games to one in the South Division Semifinals.

End of Season Wrap Up

Come see your Wildcatters and celebrate the 2006-07 season this Tuesday, May 8 at 6:00p.m. at the Ford Park Exhibit Hall. The end of year wrap-up will feature Wildcatters players as they will be on hand to meet with the fans of Southeast Texas.

2006-07 Online Jersey Auction

The 2006-2007 Texas Wildcatters Jersey (White) Auction began today. To participate, email your bid to jmunson@wildcattershockey.com. Be sure to include your name and phone number in your email. Updated bids will be posted at 10:00am each morning. All bidding will close at 11:59pm, on May 21, 2007.

*No bids will be accepted by phone or in person. Bids will not be considered if received before 12:00am on May 7th or after 11:59pm on May 21st. Bids are ordered by email timestamp.

Last week - Wildcatters' Season Comes to a Close in South Division Finals at Florida

Monday, April 30 vs. Florida 4-2 Loss (Game 5)

Vince Bellissimo continued his dominance of the Wildcatters as he scored two goals including the game winner to help the Florida Everblades beat the 'Catters 4-2 in front of 1,392 at Ford Arena. With the win, the Everblades take a 3-2 series lead in the South Division Finals. The Wildcatters got on the board first as Mike Bayrack jammed in a rebound at 10:23 of the first period to make it 1-0. Florida followed with three unanswered goals as David Brine and Vince Bellissimo scored 2:06 apart to give the Everblades a 2-1 lead after the first period. Just 2:45 into the second, Bellissimo scored his second of the night and seventh of the playoffs. It was his second power play goal of the night to make it 3-1 Florida. Early in the third, the 'Catters looked to rally. Mark Rooneem one timed a puck past Florida goaltender Craig Kowalski for his first of the playoffs and the lead was cut to one, but Florida answered as Brad Parsons converted on a 'Catters defensive zone turnover and quieted the Ford Arena crowd.

Friday, May 4 vs. Florida 4-3 OT Loss (Game 6)

Florida defenseman Chris Lee scored at 15:11 of the first OT to send the Everblades to the American Conference Finals as Florida defeated the Wildcatters 4-3 in front of 6,442 at Germain Arena. The Everblades win the best of seven South Division Finals four games to two and move on to the American Conference Finals to face the Dayton Bombers. The Wildcatters magical season was just one goal away from continuing but Florida got some key saves from goaltender Craig Kowalski and the power play goal from Lee to advance to the next round. The 'Catters had to rally three times in the game as Florida scored just 34 seconds in with a one timer from the stick of Derek Damon. J.F David answered the call for the Wildcatters jamming the puck past Kowalski to tie the game at one. Ryan Brindley gave the Everblades the lead back at 2-1 with a power play goal 10:29 into the first. Leon Hayward answered for Texas with his first of the playoffs 50 seconds after as he blasted a shot past Kowalski. In the second period, Brindley scored his second of the night on the power play as he came out of the penalty box and beat 'Catters goalie Matt Yeats with a shot from the left wing circle. The Wildcatters trailed by one goal going into the third period and Mike Bayrack would force overtime with his third of the playoffs 3:35 into the period with a great feed from Brandin Cote. Overtime proved to be thrilling as each team traded penalty shot opportunities and power plays. Matt Yeats stopped David Brine at 1:53 while Craig Kowalski stopped Colin Nicholson at 10:22, but it was a power play goal by Lee at 15:11 that proved costly as Florida beat the Wildcatters. Matt Yeats made 36 saves for the Wildcatters. The 'Catters finished 0 for 11 on the power play while Florida finished 3 for 11.

Season Tickets

Texas Wildcatters 2007-08 Season Tickets are on sale now!!! Current 2006-07 Season Ticket Holders can renew from now until June 1st to make sure that you get your seats for all the exciting action to come in 2007-08. After June 1st, all seats will be open to the public for sale. RENEW TODAY and get 5% off your total Season Ticket Purchase plus the chance to buy additional seats around you for the 2007-08 season. Purchase your season tickets by calling (409) 951-5500 or stopping by the Wildcatters office at Ford Arena.

Record Setting Season

The Wildcatters finished with 91 points which is the most the organization has ever had in their 10 year history, including the years in Huntington, West Virginia. The 41 wins are also an organization high. The 'Catters had a home record of 21-8-7 and a road record of 20-14-2. The 21 home wins are the most since the Wildcatters relocated to Southeast Texas and the 20 road wins are the most in the organization's history. Texas scored 265 goals which is the most in Wildcatters history and the 222 goals allowed is the most in the organization's history. Goaltender Matt Yeats appeared in 60 games which were the most in team history. His 32 wins and 6 shut outs were a team best as well.

Playoff Success

For the first time since relocating to Beaumont, the Wildcatters made the Kelly Cup Playoffs. It was also the first time in the history of the 10 year organization that the team won a playoff series.

Individual Awards

Goaltender Matt Yeats was named RBC Financial Group Saver of the Month twice. He is the only goalie to earn that award multiple times this season. He won the award in November and March. Kevin Baker was named CCM Tacks ECHL Player of the Month for November. Also, Baker, Olivier Proulx and Marco Rosa earned player of the week honors. Kevin Baker was named to the All-ECHL First Team while Paul Albers was named to the All-Rookie Team. Albers was runner up for Rookie of the Year.

All-Stars

Kevin Baker, Mike Madill and Paul Albers were elected to play in the ECHL All-Star Game. Head Coach Malcolm Cameron was behind the bench for the American Conference who won the game 6-3. Baker had a goal in the game and Albers had two assists.

Leaders

Kevin Baker led the 'Catters in scoring with 36 goals and 81 points. He finished 5th in the league in points. He finished tied for 6th in goals. Mike Bayrack finished 10th in the league in scoring with 78 points. His 20 power play goals were number one in the league. Captain Brandin Cote registered seven game winning goals which were tied for second in the ECHL. Rookie defensemen Paul Albers, Jonathan Paiement and Mike Madill finished the season with 43 points. They were all tied for 20th in the league for rookie scoring. They were also tied for 9th among defensemen scoring. Madill's 39 assists were second among rookies. Goaltender Matt Yeats played in 60 games this season. His 6 shut outs were best in the ECHL. He also had 32 wins which were second in the league.

Streaks

The Wildcatters won six games in a row from November 18-November 28. From November 10-December 8, Texas went 11-1-1 and had the league's best record for the first half of the season. The Wildcatters won both opening night games, on the road and at home for the first time since relocating to Southeast Texas. Kevin Baker had a 16 game point scoring streak to begin the season. It was third best in the league. Olivier Proulx had a seven game goal scoring streak. Baker and Marco Rosa each had a six game goal scoring streak.

Call-ups

The Wildcatters sent plenty of players up to the AHL this season. Kevin Baker had two stints; one with Milwaukee, the other was with Toronto. Brandin Cote played several games with Norfolk. Marco Rosa spent time with Houston and Providence. He is currently playing with the Providence Bruins in the Calder Cup Playoffs. Paul Albers and Mike Madill were recalled to Houston. Alex Leavitt who started the season with Houston was called up to San Antonio and even signed an NHL contract. JF David spent most of the season with Binghamton before returning to the Wildcatters for the playoffs. Mark Rooneem received a couple of call ups to Houston while James Sanford saw action in Milwaukee after being traded. Ben Thomson started the season with the Aeros and was called up near the end of the regular season. Goaltender Miroslav Kopriva had several stints in Houston and was even called up to the NHL. He backed up two games with the Minnesota Wild.

Attendance Increase

The Wildcatters raised their average attendance by 7.5 percent from the 2004-05 season. This was the third largest increase in the ECHL.

Thank You

The Texas Wildcatters Hockey Club wants to thank all of our fans for their support this season. We look forward to the 2007-08 season and continuing to expand hockey in Southeast Texas.

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The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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