Hockey: Jackalopes win Game 5

ALLEN The big question for Odessa Jackalopes coach Paul Gillis on Saturday night was which goaltender to start in net against the Allen Americans in Game 5 of the Southern Conference Finals.

Gillis chose Martin, the 2009-2010 Central Hockey League Goaltender of the Year and that leads to another question.

Will he get a second consecutive start Monday night in Game 6?

Mike Ramsay scored a pair of goals and Martin stopped 38 of the 41 shots he faced as the Jackalopes defeated the Americans 6-3 at the Allen Event Center.

Dave Van Drunen, Kory Karlander, Mike Lesperance and Sebastien Thinel also scored for Odessa, with Thinel adding three assists in the victory.

“Joel played great tonight and we kept battling,” Gillis said. “I also think that our guys did a much better job tonight in helping out our goaltender, something that had been missing the past couple of games.

“I thought we worked hard tonight and it’s nice to get the win and to be going back home for Monday.”

Justin Bowers scored a pair of goals for the Americans, with Bruce Graham adding the other marker.

Bowers also sparred verbally all night with referee Kevin Graber, leading to an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty that led to an Odessa power-play goal in the first period and then earning 22 more minutes for abuse of officials after Thinel’s empty net goal clinched the victory.

Van Drunen opened the scoring with his second goal of the playoffs, beating Allen goaltender Chris Whitley with a shot from between the top of circles after taking a pass from Collin Circelli.

The Jackalopes continued to buzz the Americans’ net, but Whitley was up to the challenges, stopping shots by Ramsay, Dominic Leveille and Jean Bourbeau before Graham was able to get the equalizer for Allen on a rebound at the left post with 9:01 remaining in the first period.

The Americans then took their only lead of the game at the 12:31 mark when Bowers, taking the puck in the right circle, skated unchecked into the middle of the Odessa zone and beat Martin with a wrist shot inside the left post.

As he was finishing his shot, Bowers was checked to the ice by Karlander. Bowers remained on the ice for several moments before skating to the bench under his own power.

Karlander pulled the Jackalopes even with 5:06 before the first intermission after Alex Dunn carried the puck up the right wing and fed Bourbeau in the center of the ice. Whitley blocked Bourbeau’s wrist shot, but the rebound came right out to Karlander, who snapped it inside the left post.

That goal upset Bowers so much that he began yelling at Graber and the referee responded with a minor penalty that put the Jackalopes on the power play — and back into the lead.

After a faceoff win in the Allen zone, Thinel fed the puck up the left wing to Philippe Plante at the left point and the veteran’s slapshot was low and true and in a perfect spot for Ramsay to redirect between Whitley’s pads with 4:46 remaining in the first period, giving Odessa a lead it never would relinquish.

2010 Ray Miron Presidents’ Cup Playoffs

ODESSA JACKALOPES VS. ALLEN AMERICANS
Southern Conference Finals
Americans lead series 3-2.

>> Game 1: Americans 4, Jackalopes 3.

>> Game 2: Jackalopes 3, Americans 2 (OT).

>> Game 3: Americans 5, Jackalopes 2.

>> Game 4: Americans 6, Jackalopes 4.

>> Game 5: Jackalopes 6, Americans 3.

>> Game 6: 7:05 p.m. April 19, Ector County Coliseum.

>> x-Game 7: 7:05 p.m. April 21, Ector County Coliseum.

x-if necessary.