COLWOOD, British Columbia � Mississippi�s Jeff Hutchins scored two goals including the overtime game-winner to lift the Sea Wolves to a 4-3 triumph over the Victoria Salmon Kings at Bear Mountain Arena.
With the victory, Mississippi halts its three-game losing streak on the road, while Victoria has its three-game win streak snapped.
�We needed the win,� Mississippi coach Bob Woods said. �Everyone played well. It was a good team effort all around. It�s nice to have something to show for our hard work.�
Mississippi (8-10-2, 18 points) hit stride at 10:19 of the first period. Veteran Louis Dumont notched his fifth goal of the season getting the puck past goaltender Jason Stone. Nicolas Corbeil and Anthony Battaglia garnered assists.
Corbeil netted his eighth of the campaign to make it 2-0 for the Sea Wolves at 1:53 of the second period. Assists went to Jay Legault and Austin Miller.
Victoria (6-10-3, 15 points) had a 23-22 edge in shots through 40 minutes, but Sea Wolves goaltender Matt Underhill denied the Salmon Kings on each opportunity.
In the third, Ryan Finnerty solved Underhill for the second straight game, netting his eighth goal of the year at the 2:44 mark. Rob Voltera had the lone helper.
Victoria tied the score at 2-2 as Blue Bennefield buried his fourth of the season at 16:06 assisted by Derek Campbell.
With 24 seconds left in regulation, the Sea Wolves� Hutchins continued his torrid goal scoring pace by tallying his sixth goal in the last four games and team-leading 11th marker of the season giving Mississippi a 3-2 lead. Travis Lisabeth and Legault picked up assists.
Salmon Kings pulled their goaltender and just 13 seconds later Victoria�s Ryan Wade scored to knot the score 3-3 with 11 seconds left in regulation. The clutch goal was assisted by Brad Dexter and Mike Barrie, who extended his point streak to 11 games, which is the second longest in the ECHL this season.
Hutchins went back to work in overtime, scoring at the 1:26 mark for his seventh goal in the last four contests and giving the Sea Wolves a dramatic victory. Underhill had one assist, while Legault picked up his third helper of the game.
Mississippi failed to convert on four power play chances, while Victoria went 0-for-4. Sea Wolves outshot the Salmon Kings 42-37.
Mississippi remains on its season-high six-game road trip with its third game of the three-game set against Victoria at 9 p.m. CT on Monday at Bear Mountain Arena.
The Sea Wolves next home game is at 7:05 p.m. on Wednesday, December 22 against the Charlotte Checkers at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum.
Individual tickets for Sea Wolves home games can be purchased at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum box office, all Ticketmaster locations, by calling (228) 385-2600 and online at ticketmaster.com.
Flex packs, discounted groups tickets, birthday parties and fundraiser opportunities are available by calling (228) 275-WOLF or online at msseawolves.com.
--- Box Score ---
SCORE BY PERIODS
Mississippi 1 1 1 1--4
Victoria 0 0 3 0--3
FIRST PERIOD -- Scoring: 1, Mississippi-Dumont 5 (Corbeil; Battaglia)
10:19. Penalties: Lisabeth, MIS (Board check), 1:13. Finnerty, VIC
(Cross checking), 5:56. Campbell, VIC (Interference), 17:16.
Lisabeth, MIS (Tripping), 19:18.
SECOND PERIOD -- Scoring: 2, Mississippi-Corbeil 8 (Legault; Miller)
1:53. Penalties: Barrie, VIC (Roughing), 15:18. Dumont, MIS (Holding),
19:08. Voltera, VIC (Slashing), 19:51.
THIRD PERIOD -- Scoring: 3, Victoria-Finnerty 8 (Voltera) 2:44. 4,
Victoria-Bennefield 4 (Campbell) 16:06. 5, Mississippi-Hutchins 11
(Lisabeth; Legault) 19:36. 6, Victoria-Wade 6 (Dexter; Barrie)
19:49. Penalties: Finnerty, VIC (Slashing), 6:26. Lisabeth, MIS
(Roughing), 6:26. Martone, MIS (Tripping), 7:45. Voltera, VIC
(Roughing), 12:19. O'Leary, MIS (Roughing), 12:19.
OVERTIME -- Scoring: 7, Mississippi-Hutchins 12 (game winner) (Legault;
Underhill) 1:26. Penalties: None.
SHOTS ON GOAL
Mississippi 11 11 18 2--42
Victoria 14 9 13 1--37
Power Play Conversions: Mississippi - 0 of 4, Victoria - 0 of 4.
Goalies: Mississippi-Underhill (37 shots, 34 saves; record: 3-4-2).
Victoria-Stone (42 shots, 38 saves; record: 4-4-3).
A: 2144. Referee: Nissen. Linesmen: Cruickshank; Digby.
