News release
23 October 2004
Elmira, NY The Elmira Jackals were dealt their first defeat of the 2004-05 season as they lost to the Richmond Riverdogs 5-2 Saturday night at the First Arena.
Richmond, looking for revenge from being ousted by the Jackals last spring in the Colonial Cup Playoffs, jumped out on top in the first period and would never look back. David Hymovitz scored from J.J. Wrobel and Mark Turner at 6:47 to make it a 1-0 lead.
In the second period the Riverdogs started quickly. Ryan Prentice scored at 2:14 from Wrobel and Bryan Cummings to double their lead. Mark Langdon finished off an odd man rush as he took a pass from Hymovitz at 9:55; the rush was created when Hymovitz was sent forward coming out of the penalty box by Langdon. At 13:15 Elmira forward Jamie Thompson began getting his first place team back into the contest. Thompson finished off a partial breakaway for his first short-handed goal of the season, assisted by Simon Poirier. But later in the period the Riverdogs regained their three-goal lead when Francis Belanger tapped in a two-on-zero breakaway at 16:29.
With a big hill to climb the Jackals came out flying in the third period and Jamie Thompsons second goal of the night cut the lead to one, as he banged home a rebound from Poirier and Carl Drakensjo at 2:01 of the third. But Richmond was able to deflate Elmiras sails for the final time when a mix-up between goaltender Greg Hewitt and defenseman Vaclav Zavoral gave Prentice an empty net to steal his second goal of the night and finish off the scoring at 6:57.
Former Jackals goaltender Ryan McIntosh got the win in his first start of the season; stopping 38-of-40 shots for the win. Hewitt, who suffered his first loss of the season, was not to blame as he turned aside 36-of-41 in another gritty effort from #34.