News release
2 December 2011
Elmira, N.Y. - The Elmira Jackals held off the Trenton Titans on Friday night at First Arena, earning a 5-4 shootout victory for the club's third-straight win. The victory served as the 300th win in Pat Bingham's head coaching career.
Rob Bordson batted in a puck around the crease on a backhand feed from J.S. Berube that settled into the net to give Trenton a 1-0 lead at the 13:04 mark of the first period.
Artem Demkov snapped a puck in off of a Titan and into the net from the left circle 32 seconds into the second period to tie the game, 1-1. The goal was Demkov's first since Nov. 11, as the rookie from Minsk, Belarus became the first Jackal to reach 10 goals in 2011-2012.
Jordan Pietrus fired a shot in from the left goal line for his first goal as a Jackal, with the puck sneaking past the stick of Trenton netminder Dave Caruso to put Elmira up 2-1 at 3:30 of the middle frame.
Andy Bohmbach pushed in his league-leading seventh power-play goal at 6:23 on a feed from J.S. Berube to tie the game, 2-2.
Kevin Harvey rifled a puck in from the high slot just 11 seconds later, lifting it over Caruso's glove to give the Jackals the lead again, 3-2.
The Jackals extended their lead to two goals in the third period when Jack Downing, off of a feed from Mario Larocque, skated in on a breakaway and deked Caruso backhand, forehand and put the puck in for Elmira's fourth short-handed goal of 2011-2012, extending the club's lead to 4-2 at 2:46.
Bordson drove in a puck past Elmira netminder Brian Stewart from the slot, with the shot caroming off of a Jackal at 10:21 to bring Trenton to within a goal, 4-3.
The Jackals pulled off a late five-minute penalty kill with Harvey receiving a major penalty for boarding, but Randy Rowe tapped in a puck on the doorstep with 22.8 seconds remaining in regulation to force overtime, tying the game 4-4.
After a scoreless OT period, the Jackals skated to a shootout for the second-straight game. Stewart, for the third time in 2011-2012, was perfect in the post-overtime breakaway session. The second-year netminder turned aside chances from Ryan Hayes, Bohmbach, Bordson, and Denny Kearney. Elmira received a shootout winner from Mike Radja for the second time this season, and Demkov's strike in the fourth round sealed the victory for the Jackals.
Stewart is 12/12 in three shootouts this season and is the only ECHL goaltender to have participated in a shootout in 2011-2012 and not have allowed a goal. He improved to 6-3-0-0 this season with 38 saves on 42 shots. Caruso, with 34 saves on 38 shots, dropped to 5-6-1-1.
Bingham, who earned his first win as a head coach in 1999 with Huntsville of the CHL, will also bid for his 100th ECHL head-coaching win on Saturday when the Jackals welcome the Reading Royals to town at 7:35 p.m. com.