Fort Wayne, Ind. – The Evansville IceMen stretch their winning streak to three games as the special teams units account for four of the team’s five goals at Memorial Coliseum.
IceMen Goaltender Paul Karpowich earned the first shutout of his professional career on Saturday night. Stopping all of Ft. Wayne’s 23 shots, Karpowich received the game’s first star honor. The decisive victory gave the rookie net-minder his second win of the season.
Evansville continued their trend of tallying the game’s first goal against Ft. Wayne. IceMen Forward Nathan Moon scored his fourth goal of the season at the 13:27 mark of the opening frame, giving Evansville a 1-0 lead that stood the remainder of the first period. Assisting on the initial IceMen goal was Right Winger Dan Gendur and Center Todd Robinson. Moon’s goal would stand as the game winner, earning him the game’s second star.
Robinson racked up another assist on the next IceMen goal that came off the stick of Left Winger Josh Beaulieu. The goal came on the power play 5:03 into the second period and became Beaulieu’s team-leading seventh goal of the season. IceMen Defenseman Matt Gens was also credited with an assist on the strike that gave Evansville a 2-0 lead that it would take into the third period. Gens was voted the game’s third star.
Scoring the ever important third goal of the game was IceMen Center Jason Dale, who lit the lamp for the first time this season. Dale’s power play goal resulted from a redirection of Defenseman Daniel Tetrault’s shot from Center Patrick Kennedy. The goal came 7:22 into the third period, giving Evansville a comfortable 3-0 advantage.
An IceMen penalty was committed by Kennedy for tripping with 5:00 remaining in regulation. While succeeding in killing the seventh Ft. Wayne power play opportunity of the game, the IceMen also tallied their first two shorthanded goals of the season. Gens took full advantage of a Komets turnover 15:59 into the third as he accumulated his third goal of the season and his second point of the game.
The second shorthanded goal came from IceMen Right Winger Trent Vogelhuber at the 16:37 mark of the final stanza. Vogelhuber’s third goal of the season was assisted by Beaulieu, who also earned two points for the game.
The IceMen penalty kill shut down a struggling Komets’ power play unit as they denied all seven opportunities. Evansville has now killed off 25 straight penalties in the span of five games. Ft. Wayne has not scored a power play goal in 20 straight attempts.
The IceMen power play, on the other hand, continued to be productive. The unit went 2-for-8 for the game and is 13 for its last 45 opportunities, stockpiling a succession rate of 28.9% during that period.
The losing goalie was Ft. Wayne’s Charlie Effinger, who saved 22 of Evansville’s 27 shots on goal, earning a .815 save percentage.
Tetrault, Gens, and Beaulieu all finished the game with +2 ratings.
Evansville improves their record to 15(5-9-1) accumulating 11 points on the season. Ft. Wayne declines to 13(7-5-1) for 15 points while falling from second to third in the ECHL’s Northern Division.
The IceMen return home Sunday, Nov. 18 to take on the Reading Royals, who bring an eight game winning streak to the Ford Center. The game is scheduled to begin at 5:00 p.m.
