Dominating first period lifts Gators to victory in game 9

Wow, what a great first period of play for the Louisiana IceGators! It was said that the IceGators needed to get out to a quick start and pressure the Fayetteville goalie early; and that is exactly what they did. Off of the opening faceoff, the Gators let a few shots rip and drew a penalty against the FireAntz. The Gators came into the game ranked 1st in powerplay success and they showed the North Carolina fans why. Three times in the first period, Trevor Karasiewicz and Shawn McNeil set up teammates on the powerplay. It only took 41 seconds for the duo to find McLaughlin for the first score, then they later found Fimiani and Sicard. Leading 3-0, with all the momentum, the Gators were not done yet. Don Melnyk set up McNeil who scored on a very nice looking wrist shot in the slot. The period ended with the Gators leading 4-0, and the shots on goal were 18-8.

 The IceGators would not find the scoreboard again for the rest of the game, and did not play great in the final two periods, but did a great job of not making costly mistakes. The defense did not allow nearly the scoring opportunities that were allowed the first two times these teams played. Karasiewicz had 3 assists on the night, and Shawn McNeil had 1 goal and 3 assists. There were two fights in the game, Melnyk beat Versteeg-Lytwyn and Tallent vs Reed (stay tuned for videos). These two teams will faceoff again tomorrow night, for the fourth straight game, and the IceGators need to follow the same game plan - come out with shots and intensity to start the game, and don't let up. The Gators still have 5 games in 8 days, but we could not ask for a better start to the long string of games.