Mississippi Sea Wolves Official Hockey Web Site

BILOXI, Miss. � Mississippi�s Travis Lisabeth scored with 1:20 remaining in regulation time, breaking open a tie and lifting the Sea Wolves past the Texas Wildcatters, 4-3.

The Sea Wolves added to their lead in the Nextel Cup season series against the Wildcatters, 5 games to 1.

�It was gritty effort and a good win for us,� said Sea Wolves coach Bob Woods. �Lisabeth stepped up to score his biggest goal of the season. Sean Matile played great in net. The team as a whole battled through adversity and it was a good character win.�

Texas (8-20-2) controlled the first 10 minutes and made the most by scoring twice. Cory Morgan sent a backhand shot from the right circle past Matile at the 3:48 mark. Lukas Smital and Martin Masa registered assists.

The Wildcatters kept applying pressure offensively and were rewarded at 5:03. Brian Passmore, acquired in a trade with Greenville on Saturday, notched his first goal with Texas and sixth of the campaign, slid the puck in at the side of the net. John Snowden and Tony Lawrence picked up helpers.

Mississippi (19-10-5) cut the deficit in half at 11:33. Jim Baxter made some nifty moves, stickhandling towards the net and beating Davis Parley with a snap shot from the low left circle for his 12th of the year. Jeff Hutchins, who was playing in his 100th career Sea Wolves game, drew an assist along with Roger Maxwell.

In the second, Sea Wolves� Louis Dumont tied the score by unleashing a wrist shot from the left circle for his 17th marker of the season. The goal was scored at 17:34, assisted by Jason Kean and Sergei Kuznetsov.

Mississippi grabbed its first lead of the game at 6:24. Dumont, the all-time ECHL�s leader scorer, cashed in a Kuznetsov centering feed for his second of the night and 274th career ECHL goal.

Texas evened the score, as the Wildcatters All-Star representative Snowden, lifted a shot over Matile at 10:39 for his team-leading 11th of the season. John Campbell, making his debut with Texas, collected an assist along with Tony Lawrence.

With the score tied at three, Mississippi was pressing in the Texas zone. On a scramble in front of the Wildcatters net, Lisabeth poked a loose puck in for his eighth of the year and eventual game-winner.

In the dying seconds, Sea Wolves� Matile made a huge blocker save, without his goal stick, robbed Campbell. Matile finishes the month of December unbeaten at 8-0-1, and has an overall record of 9-1-2.

The loss for Texas halted its season-high, two-game win streak.

Mississippi failed to score on five power play chances, while Texas also went 0-for-5. Sea Wolves outshot the Wildcatters, 33-32.

Additional Notes: Sea Wolves� Jim Baxter left the game in the second period with an undisclosed injury and did not return � Steffon Walby, the ECHL�s leading scorer, did not play for Mississippi. He is attending his brother�s wedding in Wisconsin.

The Sea Wolves next game is at 7:35 p.m. on Friday against the Columbia Inferno at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum. The game can be heard beginning at 7:20 p.m. with the Nextel Pregame Show on ESPN Radio WXBD-AM 1490 and online at www.msseawolves.com.

Individual game tickets can be purchased at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum box office, all TicketMaster locations and by calling 228-594-3707.

Flex packs, discounted group tickets and fundraiser opportunities are available by calling 228-275-WOLF.

--- Box Score ---

DATE - 12/30/03 Texas (3) at Mississippi (4)

SCORE BY PERIODS
Texas 2 0 1--3
Mississippi 1 1 2--4

FIRST PERIOD -- Scoring: 1, Texas-Morgan 9 (Smital; Masa) 3:48. 2, Texas-Passmore 1 (Lawrence; Snowden) 5:03. 3, Mississippi-Baxter 12 (Maxwell; Hutchins) 11:33. Penalties: Lawrence, TEX (High sticking), 0:08. Blais, MIS (Slashing), 5:45. Maxwell, MIS (Roughing), 9:04. Lowe, TEX (Holding stick), 19:48.

SECOND PERIOD -- Scoring: 4, Mississippi-Dumont 17 (Kean; Kuznetsov) 17:34. Penalties: Masa, TEX (Hooking), 4:45. Langdone, TEX (Roughing), 9:47. Blais, MIS (High sticking), 13:28. Passmore, TEX (Elbowing), 20:00.

THIRD PERIOD -- Scoring: 5, Mississippi-Dumont 18 (Kuznetsov) 6:24. 6, Texas-Snowden 11 (Lawrence; Campbell) 10:39. 7, Mississippi-Lisabeth 8 (game winner) (O'Rourke; Blais) 18:40. Penalties: Miller, MIS (Holding), 2:58. Kean, MIS (Slashing), 11:32. Matile, MIS served by Hutchins (Ten minute misc.), 11:32.

SHOTS ON GOAL
Texas 13 7 12--32
Mississippi 7 19 7--33

Power Play Conversions: Texas - 0-of-5, Mississippi - 0-of-5.

Goalies: Texas-Parley (33 shots, 29 saves; record: 6-9-1). Mississippi-Matile (32 shots, 29 saves; record: 9-1-2).

A: 2653. Referee: Banfield. Linesmen: Ross; Jones.