BILOXI, Miss. � The Mississippi Sea Wolves extended their winning streak to a season-high seven games, by winning both games last week, and sit in second place in the Central Division with 58 points, two behind Louisiana for first place.
Through 43 games, the Sea Wolves have an overall record of 26-11-6. Mississippi is 13-2-5 at home, and 13-9-1 on the road.
On Friday, Mississippi defeated Augusta 5-2 at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum. The Sea Wolves wrapped up a four-game homestand by cooling off Columbus, 6-2 on Sunday.
Mississippi takes to the road this week, visiting Columbus on Tuesday, traveling to Louisiana on Friday and visiting Texas on Saturday.
GAMES, BROADCASTS AND PROMOTIONS AT A GLANCE �
Tuesday, Jan. 27 at Columbus Cottonmouths � 6:30 p.m. CT � Columbus Civic Center, Ga.
* Broadcast starts at 6:15 p.m. CT on ESPN Radio WXBD-AM 1490 and online at msseawolves.com
Friday, Jan. 30 at Louisiana IceGators � 7:05 p.m. CT � Cajundome, Lafayette, La.
* Broadcast begins at 6:50 p.m. on ESPN Radio WXBD-AM 1490 and online at msseawolves.com
Saturday, Jan. 31 at Texas Wildcatters - 7:05 p.m. CT � Ford Arena, Beaumont, Texas
* Broadcast begins at 6:50 p.m. on WTNI-AM 1640 and online at msseawolves.com
GAME PREVIEWS �
Tuesday, Jan. 27 at Columbus Cottonmouths � 6:30 p.m. CT � Columbus Civic Center, Ga.
Mississippi is 4-2-0 against Columbus in the season series and 1-1-0 at the Columbus Civic Center. It�s the seventh of nine games in the head-to-head battles.
The Sea Wolves took the last meeting on Sunday, 6-2 at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum. Chris Cava and Steve O�Rourke paced Mississippi�s attack with two goals each, while Travis Lisabeth had three assists.
Mississippi won the last meeting at Columbus, 5-1 on January 11, snapping the Cottonmouths 10-game unbeaten streak. Sea Wolves� Greg Gardner made a season-high 45 saves. Mississippi received goals from five different scorers in the win, Anthony Battaglia, Jim Baxter, Louis Dumont and ECHL All-Stars Brent Gauvreau and Steffon Walby.
Steffon Walby (4g-6a) and Brent Gauvreau (3g-7a) each have 10 points points against the Cottonmouths this season. Walby and Jeff Hutchins four goals are tops for Mississippi in that department versus Columbus. Gauvreau�s seven assists leads the Sea Wolves with helpers against the Cottonmouths.
Cottonmouths� John Morlang (3g-1a) and Colin Pepperall (2g-2a) have each registered four points in the head-to-head meetings against Mississippi. Morlang�s three goals are tops for Columbus versus the Sea Wolves. Pepperall, Peter Hogan and Ray DiLauro have each picked up two assists against Mississippi.
Mississippi is 10-3-0 all-time against Columbus during the regular season and 3-2-0 all-time at the Columbus Civic Center.
Friday, Jan. 30 at Louisiana IceGators � 7:05 p.m. CT � Cajundome, Lafayette, La.
Mississippi is 3-2-3 against Louisiana this season and 3-1-0 at the Cajundome. It�s the ninth of 14 games in the season series.
Sea Wolves won the last head-to-head meeting between the teams, 5-4 at the Cajundome on January 10. Mississippi scored three goals in the third period to erase a 4-2 Louisiana lead after two periods. Travis Lisabeth tallied twice the Sea Wolves, while Anthony Battaglia, Patrick Rochon and Brent Gauvreau completed the comeback. Mississippi goaltender Sean Matile made 40 saves, including 24 stops in the second period to secure the win. Louisiana�s Derek Gustafson suffered the loss, turning away 20 of 25. IceGators received goals from Ed McGrane, Armands Berzins, Bobby Brown and Semir Ben-Amor.
Jim Baxter leads Mississippi with 10 assists and 12 points against the IceGators. Steffon Walby is the Sea Wolves leader with five goals in the head-to-head games.
Louisiana�s Ben Storey leads the IceGators with seven assists and nine points in the season series. Bobby Brown has scored seven goals through eight games against Mississippi to top the IceGators in that department.
Mississippi is 29-26-7 all-time in the regular season against Louisiana and 13-15-3 all-time at the Cajundome.
Saturday, Jan. 31 at Texas Wildcatters - 7:05 p.m. CT � Ford Arena, Beaumont, Texas
Mississippi leads the season series and all-time 5-1-0 and 1-1-0 at Ford Arena. It�s the seventh game of 15 in the Nextel Cup battle between the teams.
The Sea Wolves won the last meeting on December 30, 4-3 at Ford Arena. Mississippi�s Travis Lisabeth notched the game-winning goal with 1:20 remaining in regulation. Sea Wolves� Louis Dumont netted a pair of goals in the win and Jim Baxter also scored. Sean Matile stopped 29 shots to preserve the victory. Texas picked up goals from Cory Morgan, Brian Passmore and John Snowden. Davis Parley made 29 saves in the setback.
Sergei Kuznetsov leads Mississippi with six goals and 12 points against Texas. Steffon Walby has posted eight assists in the games versus the Wildcatters to lead the Sea Wolves in that category.
Lukas Smital leads Texas with seven points (2g-5a) against the Sea Wolves. Martin Masa and Cory Morgan have also both scored twice to tie Smital for the team-lead in goals versus Mississippi. Tony Lawrence has garnered five assists to equal Smital in helpers versus the Sea Wolves.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK � Defenseman Steve O�Rourke had five points and a +5 rating in two games last week. The 6-foot-1 and 195-pound O�Rourke registered three assists and was +2 in the Sea Wolves victory against Augusta on Friday. He followed up that performance by netting two goals, including the game-winner to go along with a +3 rating in Sunday�s win over Columbus. A native of Red Deer, Alberta, O�Rourke has 16 assists, 19 points and a +21 rating this season in 41 games.
GOALTENDER OF THE WEEK � Greg Gardner extended his winning streak to five games by registering victories in both games last week. Gardner made 53 total saves, surrendering four goals over 100 minutes of action. Gardner went the distance in Friday�s 5-2 win over Augusta and played two periods of Sunday�s 6-2 victory against Columbus. The 6-foot and 190-pound Gardner an overall record of 15-8-3, 2.52 goals against average and .924 save percentage.
TRANSACTIONS FROM LAST WEEK �
1/20 Delete Jeff Hutchins, LW, placed on injured reserve
1/20 Add Sean Matile, G, activated off injured reserve
1/25 Delete Brent Gauvreau, C, loaned to Bridgeport (AHL)
1/25 Add Jeff Hutchins, LW, activated off injured reserve
STREAKING SEA WOLVES �
* Travis Lisabeth has a career high 10-game point streak (8g-8a).
* Brent Gauvreau has points in six straight games (5g-4a).
* Louis Dumont has points in six straight (2g-8a) and assists in each of his last six games (8a).
* Anthony Battaglia has scored in four straight road games (4g) and has five points (4g-1a) over his last three.
* Sergei Kuznetsov has six assists over his last three games.
* Steve O�Rourke has five points (2g-3a) over his last two games.
* Jeff Hutchins has scored in back-to-back games.
* Greg Gardner has won five consecutive games.
* Sean Matile has posted two straight victories.
SEA WOLVES APPROACHING MILESTONES �
* Steve O�Rourke is one point from career high (41 gp, 3g, 16a, 19 pts)
* Jim Baxter is three points shy of 250 in his pro career (303 gp, 67g, 182a, 247 pts) and three goals from tying career high (notched 16 last season)
* Sergei Kuznetsov is two goals from tying career high (scored 12 in 2001-02 and 2002-03)
* Travis Lisabeth is four goals from tying career high (tallied 19 in 2001-02)
STEFFON WALBY WATCH �
(Regular season totals with Mississippi � 154 gp, 104g, 133a, 237 pts, 38 PPG, 19 GWG)
* Two goals from tying all-time Sea Wolves leader Dave Paradise (106 goals in 262 games)
* Three power-play goals from tying all-time Mississippi leader Dave Paradise at 41.
* Has a 12-game point streak at home (9g, 14a, 23 pts).
TEAM LEADERS �
Goals � Louis Dumont and Jeff Hutchins, 21
Assists � Brent Gauvreau, 35
Points � Brent Gauvreau and Steffon Walby, 55
Plus/Minus � Brent Gauvreau, +30
Penalty Minutes � Roger Maxwell, 211
Power Play Goals � Jeff Hutchins, 9
Power Play Assists � Jim Baxter, 18
Power Play Points � Jim Baxter, 24
Shorthand Goals � Anthony Battaglia, 3
Game-Winning Goals � Brent Gauvreau, 7
Goaltender Wins � Greg Gardner, 15
Goals Against Average � Greg Gardner, 2.52
Save Percentage � Greg Gardner, .924
SPECIAL TEAMS (ECHL Rank) �
Power Play � 50-240, 20.8% (3)
Penalty Killing � 209-258, 81.0% (24)
Shorthand Goal For � 6 (T13)
Shorthand Goals Against � 2 (T3)
INJURED RESERVE � Defenseman Andrei Lupandin remains on the 7-day IR.
CALL-UP � Center Brent Gauvreau is on loan to Bridgeport (AHL).
PRACTICES THIS WEEK �
Monday � 10-11:30 a.m., Mississippi Coast Coliseum
Tuesday � TBD
Wednesday � Travel back to Biloxi
Thursday � 10-11:30 a.m., Mississippi Coast Coliseum
Friday � TBD
Saturday � 11-11:30 a.m., Ford Arena, Beaumont, Texas
Sunday � Day off for players.
* All practices are open to the public; Dates and times are subject to change
WEEKLY RADIO SHOW �
Wednesday, Jan. 28 � 7-8 p.m.
�Your Home Team,� the Sea Wolves weekly radio show for all ages at Club Caribe in Biloxi. Catch the show live on ESPN Radio WXBD-AM 1490.
Groups, organizations and companies that are interested in having members of the Sea Wolves appear at an event, are invited to call 228-388-6151.
Individual game tickets start at $9 for children and $11 for adults. Tickets are on sale at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum box office, all TicketMaster locations and by telephone at (228) 594-3707.
Flex packs, discounted group tickets and fundraiser opportunities are available by calling (228) 275-WOLF.
