PENSACOLA, Fla. � Defenseman Corey Neilson notched his first career hat trick to help Pensacola clinch its first-ever Brabham Cup, awarded annually to the ECHL regular season point champion, as the Ice Pilots skated past the Mississippi Sea Wolves 7-4 before 5,159 at the Pensacola Civic Center.
The loss ended Mississippi�s five-game win streak.
�We have to put this loss behind us,� Mississippi coach Bob Woods said. �Congratulations to Pensacola on winning the ECHL regular season title. They earned it. We�ll try to start another win streak of our own on Sunday at Augusta. It�s going to take a big effort finishing up three games in three days.�
Pensacola (48-16-5, 101 points) hit stride at 5:29. Jordan Krestanovich beat goaltender Randy Petruk on a shot from the top of the left circle for his 25th of the season. Scott May and Aaron Phillips picked up helpers.
Mississippi (38-23-6, 82 points) tied it 1-1 as Jay Legault stole the puck behind the Ice Pilots net and centered for Travis Lisabeth, who extended his goal scoring streak to six games, by notching his 25th of the year at the 6:54 mark. Kerry Ellis-Toddington also had an assist.
The Sea Wolves grabbed the lead at 8:21. Mike Jarmuth netted his 12th goal of the campaign to tie a team record for goals by a rookie defenseman set initially by Quinn Fair in 1996-97. Louis Dumont and Milt Mastad garnered helpers.
Pensacola got back on even terms on a loose puck in the slot. Neilson buried his first of the game and 16th of the season set up by Phillips and Dwayne Hay at 17:14.
Ice Pilots regained the lead on the penalty kill. Phillips got the puck to Krestanovich, who scored his second of the game with 30 seconds left in the first period, making it 3-2 Pensacola through 20 minutes.
In the second, Pensacola went up 4-2. Nick Lindberg was credited with his 12th of the season at the 7:01 mark set up by Mark Rooneem and Ryan Vince.
Mississippi shaved the lead to one on the power-play. Dumont tallied his 20th of the season on a sharp angle shot from the low left circle after taking a nice pass from Kerry Ellis-Toddington. An assist also went to Chris Cava.
Ice Pilots took a two-goal lead again by responding on the power-play. Neilson one-timed a shot from the left point for his second goal of the contest. Krestanovich and Vince collected helpers.
Nick Greenough shoveled a loose puck into the net to pull Mississippi within one at the 16:37 mark. Assists on Greenough�s eighth of the campaign were awarded to Ellis-Toddington and Anthony Battaglia.
Just 50 seconds into the third, Neilson finished off his hat trick performance with a hard shot from the point on the power-play for his 18th of the year that squeaked through the pads of Petruk. Jason Beckett and Chris St. Jacques had helpers.
Cam Keith put the game out of reach with 5:34 remaining. Keith scored his 13th goal of the season set up by Rooneem and Cory Stillman.
Mississippi converted on 2-of-7 power play chances, while Pensacola went 2-for-5. Ice Pilots outshot the Sea Wolves 32-30.
Mississippi wraps up its three-game road swing with a 3:05 p.m. contest tomorrow versus the Augusta Lynx at the Augusta-Richmond County Civic Center in Augusta, Georgia. With the pregame show beginning at 2:50 p.m., listen live on flagship radio station WGCM-AM 1240, or online at msseawolves.com, courtesy of Teamline.
The Sea Wolves return home game for a 7:05 p.m. on Tuesday against the Texas Wildcatters at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum.
Individual tickets for regular season home games plus Kelly Cup Playoff tickets are on sale 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.
Season ticket packages for 2005-06, the 10th Anniversary Season of the Sea Wolves, are on sale now by calling (228) 275-WOLF. Ask about the �Early Bird Special.�
--- Box Score ---
SCORE BY PERIODS
Mississippi 2 2 0--4
Pensacola 3 2 2--7
FIRST PERIOD -- Scoring: 1, Pensacola-Krestanovich 25 (May; Phillips)
5:29. 2, Mississippi-Lisabeth 25 (Legault, Ellis-Toddington) 6:54. 3, Mississippi-Jarmuth 12 (Dumont; Mastad) 8:21. 4, Pensacola-Neilson 16 (Phillips; Hay) 17:14. 5, Pensacola-Krestanovich 26 (short handed) (Phillips) 19:30. Penalties: Lindberg, PEN (Tripping), 3:02. Neilson, PEN (Roughing), 11:14. Legault, MIS (Roughing), 11:58. Beckett, PEN
(Roughing), 11:58. Battaglia, MIS (Tripping), 12:36. May, PEN
(High sticking), 17:36.
SECOND PERIOD -- Scoring: 6, Pensacola-Lindberg 12 (Rooneem; Vince)
7:01. 7, Mississippi-Dumont 20 (power play) (Ellis-Toddington; Cava)
8:51. 8, Pensacola-Neilson 17 (game winner) (power play)
(Krestanovich; Vince) 14:30. 9, Mississippi-Greenough 5 (power play)
(Battaglia; Ellis-Toddington) 16:37. Penalties: St. Jacques, PEN
(Roughing), 8:11. Martone, MIS (Hooking), 9:28. Greenough, MIS
(Unsportsmanlike Cond), 12:35. St. Jacques, PEN (Unsportsmanlike Cond),
12:35. Mastad, MIS (Holding), 13:59. Hay, PEN (Cross checking),
14:51. Beckett, PEN (Unsportsmanlike Cond), 14:51. Legault, MIS
(Cross checking), 14:51.
THIRD PERIOD -- Scoring: 10, Pensacola-Neilson 18 (power play)
(Beckett; St. Jacques) 0:50. 11, Pensacola-Keith 13 (Rooneem;
Stillman) 14:26. Penalties: Greenough, MIS (Hooking), 0:46. Beckett,
PEN (Holding), 4:48. Hay, PEN (High sticking), 17:34. Beckett, PEN
(Fighting, Major), 19:12. Greenough, MIS (Fighting, Major), 19:12.
Stillman, PEN (Fighting, Major), 19:12. Cava, MIS (Fighting, Major),
19:12. Greenough, MIS (Closing hand on puck, Game misc.), 19:12.
Stillman, PEN (Game misc.), 19:12. Cava, MIS (Game misc.), 19:12.
SHOTS ON GOAL
Mississippi 14 10 6--30
Pensacola 13 13 6--32
Power Play Conversions: Mississippi - 2 of 7, Pensacola - 2 of 5.
Goalies: Mississippi-Petruk (32 shots, 25 saves; record: 5-3-1).
Pensacola-Cloutier (30 shots, 26 saves; record: 30-12-3).
A: 5159. Referee: Smith. Linesmen: Deliman; Wright.
