News release
16 January 2005
Fort Wayne, IN The Elmira Jackals scored three times in the first period on their way to a 4-3 shootout victory over the Fort Wayne Komets Sunday to close out the weekend.
Carl Drakensjo scored two first period goals and added the decisive shootout goal to help the Jackals pull two points out of an otherwise unsuccessful western road trip that included losses to Kalamazoo and Quad City. Drakensjo opened the game with a goal at 5:41 as he buried a sizzling wrist shot past Kevin St. Pierre from the high slot, assisted by Jamie Thompson and Simon Poirier. Greg Koehler gave Elmira a two goal cushion with a power play strike at 13:08 as the Jackals leading scorer batted a puck at waist-height out of the air and into the back of the net; Jeff Antonovich and Trevor Burgess assisted on the goal.
90 seconds later Fort Wayne managed to muster their first quality scoring chance and it cut into the lead. Sean Venedam made it 2-1 at 14:34 as he snuck behind both defensemen to gobble up a rebound and beat rookie Kevin Kurk for a power play goal. But Drakensjo was not done. The Enebyberg, Sweden native scored his eighth goal of the season, and second of the game, at 18:44 as he took a pass from Alex Andreyev and slipped the puck around St. Pierre from the top of the crease
Elmira continued its domination of the Komets defensemen in the second period, but despited out-shooting Fort Wayne 9-7 in the period, the home team would cash in. Colin Chaulk scored the only goal of the middle twenty minutes at 6:46, assisted by Danny Stewart and Troy Neumeier.
After an awful opening period and a shaky second session, the Komets began to exhibit their my accustomed form in the third period. Fort Wayne out-shot the Jackals 12-7 in the third and got the equalizer at 3:36 when Steve Rodberg blasted a shot from the point through a screen and past Kurk to level at three.
In the shootout, Jason Sessa scored a clinical goal in the first round to give Elmira the lead, but Rodberg again left his mark, tying the shootout in round three. Back and forth the shooters would go but both Kurk and St. Pierre put on a goalkeeping display. In the 9th round Drakensjo fittingly snapped a wrister past St. Pierre for the third time on the night, lifting Elmira to a 2-1 lead. The lead would hold when Kurk stoned Danny Stewart to give the Jackals the badly needed two points.
Rookie goalie Kevin Kurk earned his 4th win of the season while stopping 28-of-31 in net and then turning aside 8-of-9 shootout attempts in one of his best performances of the season. Kevin St. Pierre took the shootout loss for the Komets, making 25 saves on 28 shots, and then blocking 7-of-9 in the shootout.
The Jackals return to action Wednesday January 19th at the Richmond Coliseum at 7:30 pm for an East Division showdown with the Riverdogs. Elmiras next home game will be Friday January 21st at 7:30 pm against Kalamazoo at the First Arena.