Mississippi Sea Wolves Official Hockey Web Site

BILOXI, Miss. � Mississippi exploded for six goals in the second period, tying a team record, en route to a 9-4 victory over the Fresno Falcons, in the historic first-ever ECHL meeting between the teams.

�We wanted to send a message to the ECHL�s western-based teams,� said Sea Wolves coach Bob Woods. �Our record isn�t overly impressive, but we�re not pushovers. Now, I would like to see us continue to bring a complete effort on our (six-game) road trip.�

Mississippi (4-3-3) opened the score at 3:05. Austin Miller floated a wrist shot from the right point, past the glove of Nolan Schaefer, for his second of the season.

Fresno (5-4-0) forward Mike Sandbeck was injured partway through the first, and did not return.

The Sea Wolves out shot the Falcons, 17-2 in the first period, and Schaefer kept the game close, robbing Jeff Hutchins in close on a Mississippi power play late in the stanza.

Steffon Walby made it 2-0, just 47 seconds into the middle period. Walby unleashed a wrist shot from the slot to notch his sixth goal of the campaign.

Mississippi kept looking for more in the second, as Louis Dumont finished off some nifty stickhandling by tallying a goal from the slot.

The Sea Wolves continued their relentless pressure and made it 4-0 at 6:51. Anthony Battaglia, in his first game back from injured reserve, scored his second of the year. John Evangelista picked up an assist, making him the 15th player in Mississippi history to register 100 points (203 gp, 39g-61a) in his Sea Wolves career.

The Battaglia goal signaled a goaltending change, as Terry Friesen took over for Schaefer.

Fresno got its offense in gear on the power play. Michael Kiesman, scored his third goal in the last two games, re-directing a centering pass from Riku Rahikainen at 12:36.

The Falcons cut the lead in half at 15:51. Fresno veteran Greg Bullock re-directed a Drew Schoneck shot, making it 4-2 for Mississippi.

The turning point of the game came moments later. Kiesman was knocked from behind at the half boards in the Fresno zone. Falcons coach Blaine Moore thought there should have been a penalty, but referee Jamie Koharski had other thoughts. Kiesman would be fine.

Seconds later, Brent Gauvreau tallied at 16:29, giving Mississippi its three-goal lead back again. Then 24 seconds later, Jeff Hutchins potted his eighth of the season, and scored in his sixth straight home game (7g), finishing with a team-high plus/minus of +4, to give the Sea Wolves a 6-2 lead.

That incensed Moore, who let his displeasure be known, tossing water bottles and a towel from the Fresno bench. Koharski handed Moore a game misconduct, plus a bench minor.

On the ensuing power play, Mississippi�s Sergei Kuznetsov cashed in his first of the year to make it 7-2. It was the Sea Wolves sixth goal of the period, tying a team record, done twice before, last on November 4, 2000 against Birmingham.

In the third, Fresno chipped away with a goal from Scott Borders at 4:30. Falcons� Jason Weaver, extended his point streak to eight games (3g-6a), by cutting in off the left wing and finishing with a backhand under Greg Gardner.

The Sea Wolves hit stride again with the man advantage at 15:43. Jim Baxter tallied his first of the year, sliding the puck under Schaefer, who had returned to the Fresno net to start the third period.

In the final minute of regulation, Mississippi�s Travis Lisabeth fed a sweet pass in front to Roger Maxwell, who buried his third of the year to complete the Sea Wolves season-high goal output.

Mississippi went 2-for-9 on the power play, while Fresno converted on 1-of-7 chances. Sea Wolves outshot the Falcons, 42-19.

The Sea Wolves take to the road their longest road trip of the season, stretching six games over a 10-day span, beginning Tuesday at 6:05 p.m. CT at the North Charleston Coliseum in South Carolina. Listen to Sea Wolves/Stingrays action on ESPN Radio WXBD-AM 1490 beginning with the Nextel Pregame Show, 15 minutes before the opening faceoff at 5:50 p.m. Games can also be heard online at www.msseawolves.com.

Mississippi returns home on Sunday, November 23 at 4:05 p.m. against the Texas Wildcatters for Game 2 of the Nextel Cup. It�s also the 3rd annual Nextel/Sea Wolves Howl Against Hunger. Bring a canned food or non-perishable for the Back Bay Mission and receive a �Howl Towel�. Other promotions include the �Party Four-Pack� consisting of four tickets, four hot dogs and four soft drinks, starting at only $44 and a postgame skate with the Sea Wolves.

Individual game tickets, start at $9 for children and $11 for adults. Tickets are available at all TicketMaster locations, the Mississippi Coast Coliseum box office and by calling 228-594-3707.

Season seat packages, flex plans and discounted group tickets remain on sale by calling 228-275-WOLF.

--- Box Score ---

DATE - 11/09/03 Fresno (4) at Mississippi (9)

SCORE BY PERIODS
Fresno 0 2 2--4
Mississippi 1 6 2--9

FIRST PERIOD -- Scoring: 1, Mississippi-Miller 2 (Kuznetsov; Dumont) 3:05. Penalties: Porter, FRE (Hooking), 3:22. Maxwell, MIS (Cross checking), 4:35. Borders, FRE (Slashing), 7:08. Dumont, MIS (Obstr tripping), 11:30. Hutchins, MIS (Holding), 14:36. Rahikainen, FRE (Obstr goalie interfe), 15:25. Borders, FRE (Holding), 18:44.

SECOND PERIOD -- Scoring: 2, Mississippi-Walby 6 (Hutchins; Gauvreau) 0:47. 3, Mississippi-Dumont 5 (Baxter) 5:27. 4, Mississippi-Battaglia 2 (Evangelista) 6:51. 5, Fresno-Kiesman 4 (power play) (Rahikainen; Mehalko) 12:36. 6, Fresno-Bullock 3 (Schoneck) 15:51. 7, Mississippi- Gauvreau 3 (game winner) (Ellis-Toddington; Hutchins) 16:29. 8, Mississippi-Hutchins 8 (Gauvreau; Walby) 16:53. 9, Mississippi- Kuznetsov 1 (power play) (Dumont; Maxwell) 17:38. Penalties: Walby, MIS (Hooking), 7:49. Porter, FRE (Tripping), 8:34. Lisabeth, MIS (Slashing), 12:19. Rahikainen, FRE (Diving), 12:46. BENCH, FRE served by Kiesman (Bench minor, Game misc.), 16:53. Friesen, FRE served by Kiesman (Delay of game), 17:38.

THIRD PERIOD -- Scoring: 10, Fresno-Borders 2 (Mehalko) 4:30. 11, Fresno-Weaver 3 (Truelson) 12:45. 12, Mississippi-Baxter 1 (power play) (Rochon; Walby) 15:43. 13, Mississippi-Maxwell 3 (Ellis-Toddington; Lisabeth) 19:43. Penalties: Hutchins, MIS (Obstr goalie interfe), 8:25. Borders, FRE (Roughing), 14:31. Maxwell, MIS (Roughing), 17:23.

SHOTS ON GOAL
Fresno 2 5 12--19
Mississippi 17 12 13--42

Power Play Conversions: Fresno - 1-of-7, Mississippi - 2-of-9.

Goalies: Fresno-Friesen (6 shots, 3 saves); Schaefer (36 shots, 30 saves; record: 3-3-0). Mississippi-Gardner (19 shots, 15 saves; record: 3-2-2).

A: 2392. Referee: T. Koharski. Linesmen: Ross; Stanton.