BILOXI, Miss. � On the second last week of the ECHL regular season, the Mississippi Sea Wolves went 2-1-1 in four games to continue their push for home-ice advantage in the opening round of the Kelly Cup Playoffs.
With four games left in the regular season, the Sea Wolves could mathematically finish as high as second in the American Conference or as low as eighth. From third place to seventh, there are five teams separated by just three points.
Mississippi is currently seeded fourth in the American Conference, where the top four teams receive home-ice advantage in the best-of-five American Conference Quarterfinals. Mississippi and the South Carolina Stingrays both have 83 points, however the Sea Wolves currently have the higher seed due to one more victory, which is the first step in the ECHL tie-breaking formula. Mississippi has also played one less game than South Carolina.
The Sea Wolves started last week by doubling Texas 4-2 on Tuesday at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum. The team then headed on the road for three straight, beginning with a 6-3 victory at Louisiana on Friday, before losing 7-4 on Saturday at Pensacola and then gaining one point in a 4-3 shootout loss at Augusta on Sunday.
After 68-of-72 games, the Sea Wolves have compiled a 38-23-7 record for 83 points.
Mississippi is 21-11-2 at home, 17-12-5 on the road, 3-4 in overtime games and 8-3 in shootouts.
LAST WEEK�S RESULTS � 4 gp, 2-1-1 = 5 pts
Tuesday, March 29 vs. Texas Wildcatters � Mississippi Coast Coliseum
Sea Wolves 4, Wildcatters 2 � Win
* Mississippi picked up two goals from Travis Lisabeth and single tallies off the stick of Stephen Greeley and Jay Legault.
* Texas goal scorers were John Snowden and Joe Pereira.
* Sea Wolves goaltender Randy Petruk made 24 saves in the win.
* Wildcatters netminder Phil Osaer stopped 36 shots in the loss.
Friday, April 1 at Louisiana IceGators � Cajundome, Lafayette, Louisiana
Sea Wolves 6, IceGators 3 � Win
* Mississippi�s Louis Dumont appeared in his 700th ECHL game, becoming the second player in league history to reach the milestone, and scored once and added two assists in the win.
* Other Sea Wolves goal scorers were Bates Battaglia, Lucas Drake, Austin Miller, Travis Lisabeth and Jay Legault.
* Louisiana collected two goals from Alex Sawruk and a single tally from Roger Leonard.
* Mississippi goaltender Phil Sauve turned aside 30-of-33 shots to win his fifth straight.
* IceGators goaltender Nathan Marsters made 18 saves in defeat.
Saturday, April 2 at Pensacola Ice Pilots � Pensacola Civic Center, Pensacola, Florida
Ice Pilots 7, Sea Wolves 4 � Loss
* Pensacola clinched the Brabham Cup, signifying the ECHL regular season point champion.
* Ice Pilots collected three goals from Corey Neilson, two goals from Jordan Krestanovich and single tallies from Nick Lindberg and Cam Keith.
* The loss for Mississippi halted a five-game win streak.
* Sea Wolves goal scorers were Travis Lisabeth, Mike Jarmuth, Louis Dumont and Nick Greenough.
* Mississippi goaltender Randy Petruk stopped 25 to suffer the setback.
* Pensacola netminder Frederic Cloutier made 26 saves to register his 30th victory of the season.
Sunday, April 3 at Augusta Lynx � Augusta-Richmond County Civic Center, Augusta, Georgia
Lynx 4, Sea Wolves 3 � Shootout Loss
* Augusta goal scorers were Eric Johansson, Colt King, Sean Connolly and in the shootout Johansson and Louis Goulet tallied for the win.
* Mississippi collected goals from Kerry Ellis-Toddington, Anthony Battaglia and Milt Mastad.
* Sea Wolves netminder Phil Sauve made 26 saves.
* Lynx goalie Chad Collins turned aside 40 shots.
GAMES, PROMOTIONS AND BROADCASTS THIS WEEK �
Mississippi hosts Texas on Tuesday and Pensacola on Friday while traveling to Louisiana on Thursday and Pensacola on Saturday.
Tuesday, April 5 vs. Texas Wildcatters � 7:05 p.m. CT � Mississippi Coast Coliseum
* Watch the live web telecast for $6 online at msseawolves.com, courtesy of B2 Networks.
* Listen live on WGCM-AM 1240 or online at msseawolves.com.
Thursday, April 7 at Louisiana IceGators � 7:05 p.m. CT � Cajundome, Lafayette, Louisiana
* Watch the live web telecast for $6 online at msseawolves.com, courtesy of B2 Networks.
* Listen live on WGCM-AM 1240 or online at msseawolves.com.
Friday, April 8 vs. Pensacola Ice Pilots � 7:35 p.m. CT � Mississippi Coast Coliseum
* Fan Appreciation Night.
* Military 2-for-1, sponsored by Keesler Federal Credit Union, offers all military personnel, active or retired, two tickets for the price of one by showing military identification at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum box office.
* Empress Audio �Deck Out Your Ride� High School Showdown Night where two high schools will be battling for $5,000 in scholarships and one student will win a $5,000 Monster Car Stereo System, courtesy Empress Audio.
* 2,000 thundersticks will be given away courtesy of Roy Anderson Corp.
* Southern Miss Night.
* Postgame jersey auction to benefit the Southern Miss Alumni scholarship fund for future Golden Eagles.
* Watch the live web telecast for $6 online at msseawolves.com, courtesy of B2 Networks.
* Listen live on WGCM-AM 1240 or online at msseawolves.com.
Saturday, April 9 at Pensacola Ice Pilots � 7:05 p.m. CT �
Pensacola Civic Center, Pensacola, Florida
* Watch the live web telecast for $6 online at msseawolves.com, courtesy of B2 Networks.
* Listen live on WGCM-AM 1240 or online at msseawolves.com.
GAME PREVIEWS �
Tuesday, April 5 vs. Texas Wildcatters � 7:05 p.m. CT � Mississippi Coast Coliseum
* 11th and final game in the season series and sixth and final contest between the teams at Mississippi.
* Mississippi is 8-2-0 in the season series and 3-2-0 at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum after winning 4-2 on March 29 at the Wolves Den.
* Texas goaltender Jason Wolfe may go up against his former team for the first time. Wolfe started the season with Mississippi appearing in 15 games, compiling a 7-8-0 record with a 3.17 goals-against average and .908 save percentage before being traded to Bakersfield on February 19 for goaltender Randy Petruk.
* Sea Wolves� Travis Lisabeth leads all active Mississippi players with six goals, eight assists and 14 points against Texas in 2004-05.
* Texas forward Andrew Ianiero leads the Wildcatters with seven assists and 10 points against the Sea Wolves.
* Wildcatters� John Snowden has six goals, which is tops for Texas versus Mississippi in the season series.
* Driving distance between Biloxi, Mississippi and Beaumont, Texas � 330 miles. Approximate driving time � Five hours and 30 minutes.
* Mississippi is 21-4-0 all-time in the regular season against Texas, 11-1-0 at Ford Arena in Beaumont and 10-3-0 at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum.
Thursday, April 7 at Louisiana IceGators � 7:05 p.m. CT � Cajundome, Lafayette, Louisiana
* 11th and final head-to-head meeting and sixth and final game of the season series at the Cajundome.
* Sea Wolves are 6-3-1 against the IceGators in the season series and 3-2-0 at Louisiana in 2004-05 after the last meeting between the teams won by Mississippi 6-3 at the Cajundome on April 1.
* Sea Wolves� Anthony Battaglia (7g-5a) and Louis Dumont (3g-9a) are tied for the Mississippi team lead with 12 points each versus the IceGators this season.
* Louisiana�s Wes Mason has registered a team-leading seven goals, 11 assists and 18 points to lead the IceGators versus Mississippi this season.
* Driving distance between Biloxi, Mississippi and Lafayette, Louisiana � 198 miles. Approximate driving time � Three hours.
* Mississippi is 38-32-8 all-time in the regular season against Louisiana, 17-19-3 at the Cajundome and 21-13-5 at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum.
Friday, April 8 vs. Pensacola Ice Pilots � 7:35 p.m. CT � Mississippi Coast Coliseum
* 11th game of 12 in the season series and sixth and final regular season meeting at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum.
* Mississippi is 3-7-0 against Pensacola in 2004-05 and 1-4-0 at the Wolves Den after winning the last meeting at Mississippi on March 9 by a 5-1 final.
* Ice Pilots took the last head-to-head meeting 7-4 on April 2 to secure the Brabham Cup as ECHL regular season point champion.
* Sea Wolves� Louis Dumont (3g-4a) leads Mississippi with seven points against Pensacola this season.
* Ice Pilots� Aaron Phillips has 13 assists and 14 points to lead Pensacola versus Mississippi in the head-to-head meetings.
* Pensacola�s Jordan Krestanovich is tops with five goals against the Sea Wolves in 2004-05.
* Driving distance between Biloxi, Mississippi and Pensacola, Florida � 124 miles. Approximate driving time � Two hours.
* Mississippi is 49-27-5 all-time in the regular season against Pensacola, 22-15-2 at the Pensacola Civic Center and 27-11-3 at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum.
Saturday, April 9 at Pensacola Ice Pilots � 7:05 p.m. CT �
Pensacola Civic Center, Pensacola, Florida
* Final game of the regular season for both teams.
* 12th and final game in the season series and sixth and final contest at the Hangar in Pensacola.
* Mississippi is 2-3-0 at the Pensacola Civic Center this season.
STREAKING SEA WOLVES �
* Mississippi has won four consecutive home games.
* Right wing Travis Lisabeth has 11 points (7g-4a) in his last seven games.
* Right wing Jay Legault has 12 points (4g-8a) in his last six contests.
* Defenseman Kerry Ellis-Toddington has six points (1g-5a) in his last four games.
* Defenseman Milt Mastad has four points (1g-3a) in his last three contests.
* Left wing Anthony Battaglia has three points (1g-2a) in his last three games.
MISSISSIPPI MILESTONE WATCH �
* Defenseman Mike Jarmuth is one goal from breaking the team record for goals by a rookie defenseman, set by Quinn Fair with 12 in 1996-97.
(68 gp, 12g, 20a, 32 pts, 22 PIM)
* Defenseman Austin Miller is three games from 200 in his professional career.
(197 gp, 16g, 31a, 47a, 196 PIM)
* Left wing Anthony Battaglia is one goal from 50 in his Mississippi career.
(134 gp, 49g, 45a, 94 pts, 64 PIM)
* Left wing Darryl Campbell is two points from 50 in his Mississippi career.
(126 gp, 20g, 28a, 48 pts, 80 PIM)
* Goaltender Randy Petruk is two appearances from 250 in his professional career.
(248 gp, 108-107-23 record)
* Center John Evangelista is four games from 400 in his professional career.
(396 gp, 68g, 112a, 180 pts, 413 PIM)
SEA WOLVES INJURED RESERVE �
* None.
MISSISSIPPI CALL UPS �
* Left wing Jeff Hutchins was loaned to the Bridgeport Sound Tigers (AHL) on March 8.
* Defenseman Mike Garrow was loaned to the Utah Grizzlies (AHL) on March 18.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK � Right wing Jay Legault registered points in each of Mississippi�s four games last week stretching his point streak to six games with four goals and eight assists over that span. A native of Peterborough, Ontario, Legault collected seven points last week with two goals including a game-winner, five assists and a plus/minus of +2. The 6-foot-4 and 220-pound Legault notched the game-winning goal and had two assists in the Sea Wolves 4-2 win over Texas on Tuesday. The 25-year-old Legault netted a goal in Mississippi�s victory at Louisiana on Friday, picked up one assist at Pensacola in the Sea Wolves loss on Saturday and completed the week with two helpers on Sunday in the shootout loss at Augusta. Legault is averaging over a point-per-game this season with 19 goals, 39 assists for 58 points in 57 games and a plus/minus of +6.
GOALTENDER OF THE WEEK � Phil Sauve went 1-0-1 last week over two games. The 25-year-old made 30 saves on Friday in the Sea Wolves win at Louisiana. The 6-foot and 195-pound Sauve stopped 26 shots at Augusta on Sunday only to suffer a shootout loss. A native of Montreal, Quebec, Sauve has an overall record of 12-3-3 in 18 games with Mississippi, while compiling a 2.75 goals-against average and .919 save percentage to go along with one shutout this season.
TRANSACTIONS FROM LAST WEEK �
* None.
ACTIVE MISSISSIPPI TEAM LEADERS �
Goals � Anthony Battaglia, 26
Assists � Louis Dumont, 44
Points � Louis Dumont, 64
Plus/Minus � Kerry Ellis-Toddington, +17
Penalty Minutes � Chris Cava, 193
Power-Play Goals � Travis Lisabeth, 9
Shorthand Goals � Anthony Battaglia, 3
Game-Winning Goals � Louis Dumont, 5
Goaltender Wins � Phil Sauve, 12
Goals-Against Average � Phil Sauve, 2.75
Save Percentage � Phil Sauve, .919
SPECIAL TEAMS (ECHL Rank) �
Power Play � 53-for-321, 16.5% (16)
Penalty Killing � 267-of-322, 82.9% (17)
Shorthand Goals For � 7 (T15)
Shorthand Goals Allowed � 5 (4)
PRACTICES THIS WEEK �
Monday � Day off
Tuesday � 9-9:30 a.m., morning skate, Mississippi Coast Coliseum
Wednesday � 10-11:30 a.m., Mississippi Coast Coliseum
Thursday � 9-9:30 a.m., morning skate, Mississippi Coast Coliseum
Friday � 10-10:30 a.m., morning skate, Mississippi Coast Coliseum
Saturday � To be determined
Sunday � Day off
* All practices are open to the public. Dates and times are subject to change.
LISTEN AND WATCH BROADCASTS � Join Mike Kelly, �Voice of the Sea Wolves� for live play-by-play action of all home and away games on flagship radio station WGCM-AM 1240. Listen on the internet, courtesy of Teamline, at msseawolves.com.
Watch games live on the web telecast for $6 each at msseawolves.com, courtesy of B2 Networks.
Bring your radio and headphones to the home games and tune into the play-by-play broadcast on 88.5 FM inside the Mississippi Coast Coliseum.
The pregame show gets underway 15 minutes before the puck drops each game.
TICKET INFORMATION � Kelly Cup Playoff tickets are on sale by calling (228) 385-2600.
Celebrate �A Decade in the Den� with season tickets for the Sea Wolves 10th Anniversary Season in 2005-06 by calling (228) 275-WOLF.
Flex packs, discounted group tickets, birthday packages and fundraiser opportunities are also available by calling (228) 275-WOLF.
Individual regular season 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, by telephone at (228) 385-2600 and online at ticketmaster.com.
