News release
2 January 2005
Elmira, NY The Elmira Jackals scored 4 straight goals in the second period, on their way to a 8-4 spanking of the Richmond Riverdogs Sunday afternoon at the First Arena.
January has started as a much more inviting month for the Jackals. Richmond opened the scoring on the power play, Francis Belanger getting the goal at 6:28. Still on a 5-minute penalty kill the Jackals tied the game at 10:04 with a Jeff Antonovich short-handed goal, assisted by Eddy Lowe and Carl Drakensjo. Richmond quickly regained the lead 10-seconds later, but Elmira would equalize at 15:29 with a power play goal of their own from Dean Jackson, Nathan Gillies and George Pujacs assisted on the strike.
In the second period, the Jackals offense took over as Elmira switched to hurricane mode. Jason Sessa scored two straight goals; first at 3:29 from Antonovich and Pujacs, then he scored his 25th goal of the season on the power play from Antonovich and Corey Foster at 5:30 for a 4-2 lead. Darren Van Oene kept the Dog Pound rocking with his 6th of the year at 6:28 from Drakensjo and Gillies. Jamie Thompson got on the board at 11:22 with a power play goal to make it 6-2 Jackals, Sessa assisted on the goal.
Richmond stopped the bleeding and struck back with two quick goals. First David Dartsch scored his first goal of the season at 13:54. Then defenseman Mike Dombkiewicz made it 6-4 with a goal assisted by Dartsch at 14:21. But Elmira was not done with their goal parade. Thompson made it 7-4 at 15:15 from Lowe and Sessa, and then completed his second period hat-trick with his 11th goal of the season, a short-handed goal at 19:34 that was assisted by goaltender Greg Hewitt.
The third period was relatively quiet, resulting in no goals but two good scraps as Simon Poirier dropped the gloves with David Dartsch at 3:17 and Derek Campbell mixed things up with Ryan Prentice at 17:13.
Rookie starter Kevin Kurk earned his third career win, stopping 10-of-14 in 34:21 before being pulled for Hewitt when the score was 6-4. Hewitt came on to shutdown the Riverdogs, going and perfect 10-for-10 and getting his second assist of the season in 25:39. Ryan McIntosh started the game for Richmond and got the loss, making 17 saves on 21 shots; Jeff Sanger relieved him for the final 34:30, stopping 9-of-13.
Elmira returns to the ice next Friday, January 7th as they host the Richmond Riverdogs again, a 7:30 pm start at the First Arena. Saturday the Jackals face off with the Muskegon Fury for the first time since last seasons Colonial Cup Finals. Sunday Elmira will finish off the week in Virginia against the Riverdogs.