Jackals Weekly Release 1/12-1/18

ELMIRA, N.Y.  - The Elmira Jackals, proud ECHL affiliate of the NHL's Buffalo Sabres and AHL's Rochester Americans, host the Reading Royals for a two-game set this weekend, which is the first time since December 5-7 that the Jackals have had consecutive home games.

Last Week's Record: 1-1-0
Overall Record: 18-14-4; t-fourth place in East Division, t-sixth place in Eastern Conference

Leaders:
Goals: Matt Tassone (14)
Assists: Steven Shamanski (16)
Points: Matt Tassone & Steven Shamanski (24)
+/-: Matt Tassone (+15)
PIMs: Matt Tassone & Justin Sawyer (78)
PPG: Matt Tassone, Steven Shamanski &Taylor Stefishen (4)
SHG: Matt Tassone, Taylor Stefishen & Mike Seidel (1)
Wins: Travis Fullerton (11)
GAA: Travis Fullerton (2.55)
SVP: Sam Marotta (.914)

Previewing the Upcoming Week:

1/16 vs. Reading Royals - 7:05 p.m. EST; 1/17 vs. Reading Royals - 7:05 p.m. EST
Home vs. REA 1-1-1, Away vs. REA 3-2-0

The Jackals return to First Arena to host the Reading Royals for the ninth and tenth meetings this season, and the fourth and fifth in Elmira. The last meeting between these two East Division rivals finished the 2014 calendar year in style for Sam Marotta and the Jackals. The rookie netminder recorded his first professional shutout for a 4-0 win on New Year's Eve. Matt Tassone and Steven Shamanski scored on the power-play while Colin Jacobs and Phil Bronner added even strength tallied to propel the pesky Jackals to victory. All four of the Jackals' goals came in the third period. Captain Matt Tassone leads the Jackals against Reading with eight points (five goals, three assists) in seven games this season. The Jackals hold a 48-46-11 all-time advantage in the series against Reading. This year's DeMet's Candy Turtle Cup Challenge is knotted at four games apiece.

Recapping Last Week:

1/9 vs. Brampton Beast: W 4-1

Ryan Rashid netted two goals and added two assists as Mike Bergin notched his first ECHL goal to power the Jackals past the Brampton Beast 4-1. Thomas Nesbitt started the scoring before many fans even found their seats with his sixth goal of the year, just 57 seconds into the opening frame. Ryan Rashid and Justin Daniels assisted Nesbitt's marker. In the second period, the Jackals turned the heat up and buried Brampton with three goals. The first of the second frame came off the stick of Ryan Rashid shorthanded. The rookie forward posted up in front of the net as the Jackals appeared to be on the power-play despite killing off a penalty and tipped Steven Shamanski's point shot past Brampton netminder Grant Rollheiser. Nick Tuzzolino also assisted Rashid's fifth goal of the season. With an even-strength goal and a shorthanded marker, the Jackals were just missing a power-play goal to complete the trifecta, and that goal came at 14:08 of the second period. Mike Bergin snuck down to the far post and deposited his first ECHL goal past Rollheiser with a beautiful backdoor bury. Ryan Rashid and Justin Daniels earned assists on Bergin's first goal. Matt Maione got the Beast on the board at 15:04 of the period, but that was the only goal Travis Fullerton would allow. Ryan Rashid added his second of the night to reclaim the Jackals' three goal lead at 16:11 of the second period. Mike Bergin and Justin Daniels were credited with helpers on Rashid's sixth goal of the season.

1/10 at Wheeling: L 2-4 

The Jackals jumped ahead 2-0 early in the second period on the road in Wheeling, but were out-done by the Nailers and Tyler Fernandez, who scored with 26 seconds remaining to sink the Jackals. Ryan Rashid continued his strong play with the game's opening goal 5:58 into the first period. Riley Wetmore fed Mike Bergin at the blueline for a wrist shot that was tipped in front by Rashid and past Nailers' netminder Eric Hartzell. Rashid's seventh goal of the season was his third in the past two games. Wetmore's assist was his first as a Jackal. The Jackals doubled their lead just 30 seconds into the second period. Thomas Nesbitt worked the puck out of the corner and over to Andrew Conboy, who moved it to Steven Shamanski at the point. Shamanski walked into the high slot and whistled a wrist-shot past Hartzell to put the Jackals ahead 2-0. The Nailers received their first power-play of the game shortly after Shamanski's eighth of the season and quickly cut the Jackals' lead back to one. Zack Torquato passed the puck to Morgan Ellis who fired the puck off his own teammate, Derek Army in the slot. The puck bounced back to Army and he fired it past Sam Marotta for his team-leading 12th goal of the season at 3:15 of the second period The Jackals maintained their 2-1 lead throughout the middle frame, until a defensive zone faceoff with less than a minute remaining in the period. Torquato won the faceoff back to Ellis and the defenseman blasted a slapshot past Marotta to tie the game 2-2 with just 46 seconds remaining in the period. The third period remained deadlocked until the final seconds of regulation. Ellis chipped the puck out of the Nailers' end and Torquato backhanded it to Fernandez streaking into the Jackals' zone. Fernandez snapped a wrist-shot past Marotta and gave the Nailers their first lead of the game with just 26 seconds left. Ellis added an empty-net goal to give Wheeling a come-from-behind 4-2 win. 

Quick Hits:

* Sam Marotta leads all rookie goaltenders with a 2.56 goals-against-average and ranks second with a .914 save percentage.

* Matt Tassone leads the league with seven first goals.

* Steven Shamanski leads all rookie defensemen with eight goals, 11 power-play points and 24 points. Shamanski is tied for second among all ECHL defensemen in goals and power-play points and ranks tied for third in points.

* Nick Tuzzolino leads all ECHL defensemen with 102 shots on goal.

* Elmira is 14-3-3 when scoring first.

* The Jackals are 17-1-1 when scoring three or more goals.

* Elmira is 12-0-1 when leading after two periods.