News release
17 December 2011
Kalamazoo, Mich. - The Elmira Jackals, behind Louie Caporusso's first-career hat trick, prevailed with a 4-3 win over the Kalamazoo Wings on Saturday night at Wings Stadium. The Jackals' win, combined with a Wheeling Nailers' loss, propelled Elmira into sole possession of first place in the Atlantic Division.
Caporusso took a feed from Dustin Gazley and wristed a puck past the stick of Devils netminder Maxime Clermont to give Elmira an early lead, 1-0, at 1:41 of the opening frame.
Justin Taylor took advantage of an Elmira turnover and backhanded a puck in on the doorstep at 6:54, tying the game, 1-1.
In the second period, Jack Downing backhanded a puck from behind the goal line off of Clermont and into the net, putting Elmira in front, 2-1, at 5:17. Caporusso assisted on the goal, giving the rookie from Woodbridge, Ontario a career-high four points.
Darryl Bootland finished off a rebound at the top of the crease at 15:57 of the second, evening the game at 2-2.
Caporusso broke in by himself early in the third period, taking a puck from Kalamazoo's Mike Matczak and banking a puck off of Clermont and in at 1:05 to give Elmira its third lead of the contest, 3-2.
Sam Ftorek blasted a puck past Elmira netminder Timo Pielmeier's stick side and in from the left-wing boards, knotting the contest at 3-3 with 11:44 remaining in regulation.
After a match penalty on Bootland for boarding at 13:30, Elmira received a five-minute power play and took advantage of it to notch the game winner. Clermont stopped a Demkov shot with his left pad, but Caporusso jammed in the puck at 14:49 to give the Jackals the lead for good, 4-3.
Pielmeier stopped 27 of 30 shots, including a big save on Ftorek with under a minute to go to improve to 5-5-0-0 on the season. Clermont stopped 30 shots, falling to 4-2-0-0.
The Jackals have now won eight of the last 10 and finished their season series with Kalamazoo with a 3-1-0-0 record. Elmira ended Kalamazoo's winning streak at four games with the win.
The Jackals finish out their seven-game road trip on Wednesday in Wheeling, battling the Nailers at 7:05 p.m. Elmira returns home to host Wheeling on Dec. 26 on 4-for-$44 night. com.