News release
29 October 2004
Elmira, NY The Elmira Jackals exacted sweet revenge on the Richmond Riverdogs as they won 6-4 Friday night, getting back the team who broken the Jackals unbeaten run to start the season.
Elmira jumped on top late in the first period as Vaclav Zavoral scored his first ever goal as a Jackal at 15:17 assisted by Greg Koehler. Zavorals shot from the left point skimmed through 4-pairs of legs on its way past a screened Jeff Sanger. Koehler would make it 2-0 when the center scored a power play goal with 27 seconds remaining in the period, from Trevor Burgess and Jason Sessa.
Just like the last meeting, Richmond got the jump on Elmira early in the second period. Thanks to four-straight minor penalties on Elmira, the Riverdogs cashed in with two 5-on-3 power play goals to tie the game. Luch Nasato sound the net at 7:31 assisted by Jonathan Gagnon and then Francis Belanger leveled the score at 8:11 assisted by David Brosseau and Brian Goudie and it was 2-2. Richmond took its only lead of the game at 10:44 when Ryan Prentice knocked in a rebound past Greg Hewitt from Trevor Senn and Mark Langdon, the third straight Richmond goal. But Elmira struck back right before the intermission; Koehler scored his second of the night from Sessa and Jamie Thompson, an even strength goal to equalize at 18:35.
The third period belonged to Elmira, but the Riverdogs did not go quietly. The Jackals regained the lead at 3:52 courtesy of a Thompson one-timer on the power play, assisted by Sessa and Koehler. Sessa scored Elmiras 3rd power play goal of the night, his 5th of the season and the eventual game winner, at 9:13 assisted by Koehler. After calling a timeout, the Riverdogs got one back as Mark Turner was sent clear on a deflected puck in the neutral zone, and he finished off his breakaway at 16:54 to make it 5-4. But #26 Eddy Lowe hammered the nail in the coffin with an empty net goal at 18:57 to seal the Jackals 6-4 victory.
Elmira finished 3-for-7 on the power play and goaltender Greg Hewitt stopped 31-of-35 Richmond shots for his 5th win of the season. The Riverdogs were 2-for-7 on the man-advantage, while goalie Jeff Sanger maked 25 saves on 31 Elmira shots.