PENSACOLA, Fla. � Mississippi�s Patrick Rochon scored a dramatic overtime goal, his first tally since November 28, 2002 to give the Sea Wolves their season-high fifth straight win, 4-3 in overtime over the Pensacola Ice Pilots.
Mississippi won for the first time this season at the Pensacola Civic Center in four games and remain in a tie for second place with Louisiana in the Central Division with 30 points.
�I liked the finish of tonight's game,� said Sea Wolves coach Bob Woods. �We had some solid performances from a number of players including Rochon, Anthony Battaglia, Jason Kean and Sean Matile.�
Pensacola (12-7-3) started to roll at the 5:09 mark of the first. Corey Neilson, the top scoring defenseman in the ECHL, netted his seventh of the year, beating Sean Matile on a shot from just inside the blueline. Jamie Herrington picked up an assist.
Mississippi (13-8-4) tied the score in the second. Rookie defenseman Jason Kean snapped a shot from the left circle and sent it through the legs of Brian Eklund for his first ECHL goal at 8:07.
The Sea Wolves continued their attack and went ahead 28 seconds later. Anthony Battaglia whistled a shot from the slot over the left shoulder of Eklund, netting his third of the campaign.
In the third, Ice Pilots� Jamie Herrington scored his first of the season at 3:57, tying the score 2-2. But Mississippi went ahead again on the power play. Louis Dumont scored his team-leading 14th goal of the year from a sharp angle at 11:34.
But the Ice Pilots knotted up the game with a man advantage of their own. In a scramble in front of the Mississippi net, Jim Abbott tucked in his eighth of the year to make it 3-3 at 16:52.
In overtime, Rochon fired a shot from the high slot and it eluded Eklund through traffic to end the game in dramatic fashion at the 3:36 mark.
The loss snapped the Ice Pilots five-game home winning streak.
Mississippi went 1-for-5 on power play, while Pensacola converted on 1-of-6 chances. Sea Wolves outshot the Ice Pilots, 42-23.
Additional Notes: Bryan Graham, ECHL Vice President of Hockey Operations was at the game ... Sergei Kuznetsov had three assists, while Steve O�Rourke finished with two helpers � Steffon Walby did not register a point, ending his point streak at nine games and Brent Gauvreau was also held off the scoresheet, halting his goal and point streak at four games � Kerry Ellis-Toddington played in his 100th pro game � Mississippi forward Travis Lisabeth did not make the trip � Chuck Thuss, Sea Wolves Director of Player Development, was the emergency backup goaltender � Goaltender Greg Gardner remains on recall to Rochester of the American Hockey League.
The Sea Wolves return home to play the Louisiana IceGators at 7:35 p.m. tomorrow at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum. Promotions include �Hook�s Holiday Toy Drive.� The Sea Wolves mascot, Hook, is asking fans to bring a new, unwrapped toy to the game, which will be delivered by the team to the pediatric floor at Gulfport Memorial Hospital on Wednesday. The game promotion also includes $2 draft beers and $2 hotdogs from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Listen live on WTNI-AM 1640 and online at www.msseawolves.com starting with the Nextel Pregame Show at 7:20 p.m.
Individual game tickets are on sale at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum box office, all TicketMaster locations and by calling 228-594-3707.
Season seat packages, flex plans, fundraiser opportunities and discounted group tickets are available by calling 228-275-WOLF.
--- Box Score ---
DATE - 12/12/03 Mississippi (4) at Pensacola (3) OT
SCORE BY PERIODS
Mississippi 0 2 1 1--4
Pensacola 1 0 2 0--3
FIRST PERIOD -- Scoring: 1, Pensacola-Neilson 7 (Herrington) 5:09. Penalties: Rochon, MIS (Interference), 2:51. Cava, MIS (Cross checking, Roughing, Double minor), 8:49. Holmqvist, PEN (Hooking), 13:05. Gionet, PEN (Fighting, Major), 16:01. Cava, MIS (Fighting, Major), 16:01. Herrington, PEN (Slashing), 17:39. Neilson, PEN (Holding), 18:55. Sauer, PEN (Slashing), 19:54. Gauvreau, MIS (Slashing), 19:54.
SECOND PERIOD -- Scoring: 2, Mississippi-Kean 1 (Miller; Dumont) 8:07. 3, Mississippi-Battaglia 3 (Kuznetsov; Dumont) 8:35. Penalties: Walby, MIS (Slashing), 4:19. Soucy, PEN (Slashing), 9:59. Blais, MIS (Slashing), 13:03. Rochon, MIS (Roughing), 15:53. Kean, MIS (Charging), 16:58. Eklund, PEN served by Gionet (Bench minor), 16:58.
THIRD PERIOD -- Scoring: 4, Pensacola-Herrington 1 (Gionet; Soucy) 3:57. 5, Mississippi-Dumont 14 (power play) (O'Rourke; Kuznetsov) 11:34. 6, Pensacola-Abbott 8 (power play) (Holmqvist; Chambers) 16:52. Penalties: Beechey, PEN (Board check), 6:04. Kindle, PEN (High sticking), 10:45. Hutchins, MIS (Roughing), 16:27.
OVERTIME -- Scoring: 7, Mississippi-Rochon 1 (game winner) (Kuznetsov, O�Rourke) 3:36. Penalties: None.
SHOTS ON GOAL
Mississippi 13 15 10 4--42
Pensacola 9 6 7 1--23
Power Play Conversions: Mississippi - 1-of-5, Pensacola - 1-of-6.
Goalies: Mississippi-Matile (23 shots, 20 saves; record: 5-1-1). Pensacola-Eklund (42 shots, 38 saves; record: 12-4-2).
A: 3245. Referee: Koharski. Linesmen: Jones; Wright.
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