News release
3 November 2014
ELMIRA, N.Y. - November 3, 2014 - The Elmira Jackals, proud ECHL affiliate of the NHL's Buffalo Sabres and AHL's Rochester Americans, finished their third weekend of the season with a two-game sweep against the Brampton Beast. Last weekend's series marked the first two all-time meetings between the Jackals and the Beast.
Overall Record: 4-2-1; second place in East Division, tied for third place in Eastern Conference
11/5 at Evansville Icemen - 9:30 a.m. CST (10:30 a.m. EST)
The Jackals hit the road to face former bench boss Dwight Mullins and the Evansville Icemen on Wednesday morning. Wednesday marks the first of six meetings this season and the first of two in Evansville. Last season the Jackals went 4-1-0 overall against the Icemen and 2-0-0 on the road. Brayden Irwin leads the Jackals offensive attack and is on a seven-game point streak (five goals, seven assists) to start the season. He posted five points (three goals, two assists) in the two-game weekend against Brampton and he currently leads the ECHL with 12 points.
11/7 at Kalamazoo Wings - 7:30 p.m. EST; 11/8 at Kalamazoo Wings - 7:30 p.m. EST
Even though the 2014-15 season is just beginning, the upcoming weekend series in Kalamazoo marks the final two meetings this year between these two clubs. Elmira hosted the Wings on its Opening Weekend and split the weekend set by the identical score of 6-2. Eleven Jackals earned at least one point in their season opener against Kalamazoo and four rookies (Thomas Nesbitt, Steven Shamanski, Taylor Stefishen and Allan McPherson) scored their first professional goal that night. Jackals captain Matt Tassone was suspended for the first two games of the season, so he will get his first crack at Kalamazoo on Friday night. Tassone is currently riding a three-game goal streak and has recorded five goals and three assists over that span.
Brayden Irwin scored 1:13 into overtime to give the Jackals a 3-2 win over the Brampton Beast and sent the fans home happy with a Halloween treat. Friday night was the first ever meeting between these two clubs. Matt Tassone got Elmira on the board first with a tenacious, individual effort while shorthanded 15:26 into the first period. Tassone pick-pocketed Brampton blueliner Elgin Reid at the top of Brampton's left circle and powered to the net on the backhand, switching to the forehand as Reid hacked his skates causing Tassone to fly through the air as he buried the puck top shelf over the shoulder of Brampton netminder Trevor Cann. Kevin Hart scored his first professional goal 5:39 into the second frame with a blast from the blueline that went bardown over Cann's left shoulder. Justin Kea and Mike Seidel added the assists on Hart's first tally. Seidel earned his first point as a Jackal in his team debut.
The line of Taylor Stefishen, Matt Tassone and Brayden Irwin powered the Jackals to victory on Saturday night with 12 combined points. Each of the three notched four points in the Jackals' 5-3 victory against the Brampton Beast. Matt Tassone scored the Jackals first and last goals of the night to increase his season total to five goals, recording them all in the last three games. Brayden Irwin also potted his fourth and fifth goals of the season which increased his point streak to seven games (5G, 7A) to start the season. Taylor Stefishen added four assists to push his season total to eight helpers and 10 points. Paul McIlveen also scored for the Jackals and Sam Marotta earned his first professional win with 29 saves in his debut.