BILOXI, Miss. � The Mississippi Sea Wolves ended the calendar year by rallying from a 2-0 deficit to score five unanswered goals, halting the Reading Royals 10-game unbeaten streak on the road with a 5-3 victory at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum.
�We got the effort we needed in the second and third periods,� Mississippi coach Bob Woods said. �All three lines were contributing and that�s going to be key to our future success. We�re going to need to play just as good tomorrow if we want to upend the Ice Pilots at Pensacola.�
Reading (14-9-1, 29 points) connected on the power-play at the 10:21 mark. Eric Fortier whipped the puck in front from the right circle and it got by Mississippi goaltender Jason Wolfe to make it 1-0. Fortier�s fourth tally was assisted by Preston Mizzi and Beau Geisler.
With 54 seconds remaining in the first, Fortier went back to work on another power-play and scored his second of the game and fifth of the campaign, which was set up by Reading�s captain Cail MacLean.
Mississippi (13-12-3, 29 points) sliced the lead in half in the second period. Travis Lisabeth cut in off the right wing and deked Reading netminder Barry Brust at 3:50 to deposit his sixth goal of the year. Assists were garnered by Kerry Ellis-Toddington and Louis Dumont, who extended his point streak to five games.
The Sea Wolves got back on even terms at 16:13 of the middle stanza. From behind the Royals net, Mississippi�s Jeff Hutchins registered his 100th point in a Mississippi uniform over his career, fed Jay Legault, who buried his sixth goal of the season and extended his point streak to a career-high 11 games. Lisabeth also collected a helper for his second point of the game.
Just 44 seconds later, Mississippi took a 3-2 lead. Darryl Campbell fed a right circle pass to Lucas Drake, who unleashed a wrist shot into the back of the net for his second goal of the campaign. Chris Cava also had an assist.
The Sea Wolves grabbed a two-goal lead at 4:26 of the third. Mississippi�s Russ Guzior, who was activated off the injured reserve earlier in the day, crashed the net to score his first of the year. Helpers were handed to Pat O�Leary and Lisabeth, who collected his third point of the contest.
Late in the game, Reading pulled Brust for the extra attacker. Milt Mastad scored a 200-footer into the empty net with 1:45 remaining. Legault collected the lone assist.
Just 29 seconds later, Mizzi scored off a faceoff with a quick shot from the draw, but it was a case of too little too late.
Mississippi was unable to capitalize on two power play opportunities, while Reading went 2-for-5. Royals outshot the Sea Wolves 31-27.
Additional notes: Defenseman Mike Martone appeared in his 200th regular season game with Mississippi, while center Louis Dumont and defenseman Kerry Ellis-Toddington played in their 100th game with the Sea Wolves.
Mississippi continues three games in three days at 7:05 p.m. tomorrow at Pensacola against the Ice Pilots at the Pensacola Civic Center. Watch the live web telecast for $6, courtesy of B2 Networks, online at msseawolves.com. Listen live on flagship radio station WGCM-AM 1240, or online at msseawolves.com, courtesy of Teamline.
The Sea Wolves next home game is at 5:05 p.m. on Sunday against the Louisiana IceGators at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum. It�s Kids Day, allowing all children 12 and under a ticket for $5 each. Following the game there will be a postgame party for all ages at the Village Sports Pub, Edgewater Village, Biloxi.
Individual tickets for Sunday�s home game 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 packages and fundraiser opportunities are available by calling (228) 275-WOLF or online at msseawolves.com.
--- Box Score ---
SCORE BY PERIODS
Reading 2 0 1--3
Mississippi 0 3 2--5
FIRST PERIOD -- Scoring: 1, Reading-Fortier 4 (power play) (Geisler;
Mizzi) 10:21. 2, Reading-Fortier 5 (power play) (MacLean) 19:06.
Penalties: Borzecki, REA (Holding stick), 0:57. Guzior, MIS
(Board check), 8:46. Corbeil, MIS (High sticking), 12:56. Hutchins,
MIS (Board check), 17:25. Hutchins, MIS (Slashing), 19:59.
SECOND PERIOD -- Scoring: 3, Mississippi-Lisabeth 6 (Ellis-Toddington;
Dumont) 3:50. 4, Mississippi-Legault 6 (Hutchins; Lisabeth) 16:13. 5,
Mississippi-Drake 2 (Campbell; Cava) 16:57. Penalties: Cava, MIS
(Unsportsmanlike Cond), 10:10. Greenough, REA (Unsportsmanlike Cond),
10:10. Guzior, MIS (Roughing), 18:00. Courville, REA (Cross checking),
18:00.
THIRD PERIOD -- Scoring: 6, Mississippi-Guzior 1 (game winner)
(O'Leary; Lisabeth) 4:26. 7, Mississippi-Mastad 3 (empty net)
(Legault) 18:15. 8, Reading-Mizzi 4 (unassisted) 18:44. Penalties:
Fortier, REA (High sticking), 1:36. Hutchins, MIS (Board check),
5:05. Cava, MIS (Fighting, Major), 19:11. Greenough, REA (Fighting,
Major), 19:11.
SHOTS ON GOAL
Reading 6 10 15--31
Mississippi 9 10 8--27
Power Play Conversions: Reading - 2 of 5, Mississippi - 0 of 2.
Goalies: Reading-Brust (26 shots, 22 saves; record: 9-4-1).
Mississippi-Wolfe (31 shots, 28 saves; record: 7-6-0).
A: 2896. Referee: J. Koharski. Linesmen: Ross; Wright.
