News release
27 March 2005
Greg Hewitt makes a save against Motor City
Elmira, NY The Motor City Mechanics won their 4th straight game with a 4-1 win over the Elmira Jackals Sunday night at the First Arena.
Motor City got their first goal at 2:39 of the opening period, when Chris Gignac won a face off to Joe Burton who partially fanned on his slap shot, wrong-footing Greg Hewitt for a short-handed goal.
In the second period the Mechanics added to their lead when Matt Hunter blasted home at shot a 9:59 from Burton and Blair Manning. The Jackals fought back with a strange goal five minutes later. Defenseman George Pujacs lifted the puck from the Elmira blue line in on the Motor City net, the biscuit bounced in front of goaltender Rod Branch and caromed up over the glove and into the net at 15:08, an unassisted, short-handed goal estimated at approximately 140 feet from the shot to the goal. Motor City got it back with a power play strike at 17:13 from Rick Smith for a 3-1 lead after two.
In the third period Ryan Baker scored at 12:59 by physically forcing the puck along the ice through a stranded Hewitt for a 4-1 final score.
Rod Branch made 35 saves on 36 shots for his 24th win of the season, while Greg Hewitt took the loss, stopping 27-of-31 in the loss.
The Jackals hit the road for a 6-day, 4-game trip which leaves the First Arena on Tuesday and starts with Wednesday March 30th match up with the Richmond Riverdogs at the Richmond Coliseum at 7:35 pm. They will return home Friday April 8th as they host the Adirondack Frostbite for their second-to-last home game of the season, a 7:30 pm face off.