Saturday, Oct. 31, 2009

Columbus Cottonmouths edge Knoxville Ice Bears

Will make season debut Saturday

McCarthy scores with 1:10 left

By KATHY GIERER

kgierer@ledger-enquirer.com

Columbus Cottonmouths forward Ryan McCarthy was in the right place at the right time. The result was a thrilling 4-3 victory over the defending SPHL champion Knoxville Ice Bears.

“I didn’t know exactly how much time there was left on the clock,” McCarthy said. “Kyle (Lundale) was open and he let the shot go. He (goalie Dan Earles) couldn’t control the rebound and it came right to me.”

The puck ricocheted to McCarthy who buried it with only 1:10 left to give the Snakes the win before 2,271 raucous fans.

Lundale, a defenseman who signed with the Snakes last December after being released by the Ice Bears, scored his first goal of the season to tie the game 3-3 in the closing minute of the second period. It was the third power-play goal of the night for the Snakes.

“Having three goals on the power play is rare for us but it really clicked tonight,” Lundale said. “We dominated the game. We gave them what they got.”

Rookie forward Joey Martini had a pair of assists in his introduction to Columbus-Knoxville hockey. “It was a good game,” Martini said. “Getting off to a quick start really got our confidence going. The second period was a little soft, but we battled back.”

The Snakes built a 2-0 lead on a pair of power-play goals in the first period. Tim Hockley scored his first goal in a Snakes sweater to open the scoring at the 3:53 mark. Tim Green lit the lamp for the first time this season to extend the lead to 2-0.

The Snakes let the Ice Bears climb back with three goals in the second period.

“After the first period, we could have easily been up four or five goals,” Cottonmouths coach Jerome Bechard said. “In the second period, whatever I said they did the exact opposite. We had turnovers, giveaways, you name it.”

Mike Bulawka scored only 40 seconds into the second period for Knoxville. Former Cottonmouth Tommy McMonagle waltzed in alone on goalie Ian Vigier and tied the score 2-2 at the 8:46 mark.

Knoxville scored its third unanswered goal shorthanded to take a 3-2 lead, and it looked like the Snakes would enter the locker room down by one. But Lundale scored the tying goal with 37 seconds left in the second, and the game was tied with 20 minutes to play.

Both teams had their chances in the third. The Snakes and Ice Bears each had two consecutive power plays in the third but failed to convert. On the last Snakes power play, Orrin Hergott missed a breakaway that would have put the Snakes ahead on a shorthanded goal.

Friday at the Columbus Civic Center

Knoxville 0 3 0—3

Columbus 2 1 1—4

First period—1, Columbus, Hockley (Lind, Hergott) 3:53 PPG; 2, Columbus, Green (Boucher, Martens) 9:23 PPG. Penalties—Hockley, Columbus (slashing) :25; Harris, Knoxville (slashing) 3:34; Boucher, Columbus (tripping) 6:34; McMonagle, Knoxville (tripping) 7:34; Bulawka, Knoxville (tripping) 7:37.

Second period—3, Knoxville, Bulawka (Furdero) :40; 4, Knoxville, McMonagle (Martell, Farrell) 8:46; 5, Knoxville, Pelkey (Johnston, Martell) 17:57 SHG. Penalties—Hockley, Columbus (cross-checking) 3:12; Buors, Knoxville (fighting) 14:08; Leslie, Columbus (fighting) 14:08; Hanson, Knoxville (roughing) 17:43.

Third period—7, Columbus, McCarthy (Stahl, Martini) 18:50. Penalties—Martell, Knoxville (holoding) 3:01; Bulawka, Knoxville (tripping) 5:35; Lundale, Knoxville (interference) 8:19; Lind, Columbus (holding) 12:01.

Shots on goal: Knoxville 6-13-15—34; Columbus 15-13-11—39

Goaltenders: Vigier (win) 60:00 34-31-3: Earles (loss) 59:31 39-35-4.

Referee: Scott Bokal. Linesmen: Michael Sheehan, Stefan Stone.

Power plays: Columbus 3 of 7: Knoxville 0 of 6.

Time: 2:16. Attendance: 2,271.