New era begins in Columbus

COLUMBUS, GA – Fans can be a fickle lot. When you’re winning, everyone stops to say hello and pat you on the back. Lose and they get frustrated, questioning every move like it is life and death.
Columbus Cottonmouths’ head coach and general manager Jerome Bechard understands the fans’ frustration all too well. Since winning the inaugural SPHL championship, his team has struggled to get back to the finals. He’s seen his team go through injuries, slumps and more but as the 2010-11 season gets underway, he believes that this is the year that the Cottonmouths get their bite back.
“Obviously the last couple years have been disappointing. Last year the way things ended, I don’t think we worked hard enough,” Bechard said this week as he prepared his squad for opening night on Friday at the Columbus Civic Center. “Last season I don’t think we worked hard enough on a consistent basis. We may not win 56 games this season, but we’re going to put the effort in and work hard. If we don’t win, you’re going to feel that you played against us and that’s Cottonmouths hockey.”
Last season was not what Bechard and the Cottonmouths had hoped it would or could be. The team suffered from scoring slumps on several occasions which contributed to a sixth-place finish with a record of 22-27-7, three points ahead of Louisiana for the final playoff spot. The toughest part may have been the final ten games of the regular season when they went 2-7-1 including losing the last five games in a row.
Columbus scored the fewest goals in the league (171) a year ago while opponents scored 207 against them. Maybe the biggest disparity came in the home versus away numbers. When protecting the “Snake Pit”, the Cottonmouths were a solid 17-8-3 with 104 goals scored to 92 given up. On the road, Columbus was not as good, posting a 5-19-4 record and scored just 67 goals to 115 by their hosts. Along the way, Columbus went 14-6-7 in games decided by one goal but just 2-10 in contests that ended with a two-goal margin.
The Cottonmouths faced first place Mississippi in the first round of the playoffs. The Surge followed their regular season dominance

by rolling past Columbus three games to one with the Cottonmouths’ lone win coming in game two when rookie Levi Lind scored a power play goal with less than a minute left in the first overtime.
As Bechard began putting together the roster for training camp, he knew that he needed to infuse the team with new energy. He was also faced with the prospect of replacing two of his long-time mainstays as sniper Tim Green and captain Craig Stahl, the man just about everyone considered to be the heart and soul of the Snakes, retired.
It turned out to be the perfect opportunity to overhaul the roster as the coach brought in many new faces to join a core group of returning players. Bechard said that he can see the difference already.
“We’ve got a totally different group out there, different leadership styles,” he said. “This group is very motivated and want to win a championship and I think they’re willing to pay the price to do it.”
The core group is led by veteran Orrin Hergott, the last member of the group that won the 2005 title. Hergott’s  13 goals and 27 points a year ago were the second lowest of his career as he went through one of the worst slumps of his career. Also coming back are third year player Sam Bowles, who had a breakout season last year (22-25-47), and defenseman Will Barlow who has been a steadying influence on the blue line.
“I have my core guys back in Orrin Hergott, Will Barlow and Sammy Bowles.They need to set the example for the young guys to work,” Bechard said. “If you have that work ethic, you’re going to be successful in the win column.”
Other returning players who will be important to the Cottonmouths’ success include Levi Lind, who exploded onto the scene as a rookie a year ago with 19 goals and 52 points, fellow second-year player Jesse Cole (28-23-51), defenseman Kyle Lundale (8-29-37) and late season addition Daryl Moore. Near the end of camp, Bechard added veteran Brett Hammond to the roster. Hammond spent the last two years in the CHL, including 59 games last season with the Missouri Mavericks coached by former Knoxville Ice Bear bench boss Scott Hillman.
Once again this season, Ian Vigier will be the go-to man in net. A year ago, he posted a 15-15-5 record with a 3.02 goals against average and a .920 save percentage. With Chad Rycroft retired, thebackup will be rookie Andrew Loewen who comes in from Canisius College where he set school records for save percentage (.913) and career saves with 2,463. He arrived in Columbus after being cut from the CHL Colorado Eagles’ training camp roster.
“Andrew’s a Manitoba boy. He looked good in practice but he’s been off for about a week. It will take him a couple of days to get him back where he needs to be,” Bechard said. “I’m very happy with him and I think he’ll push Ian Vigier to be even better.”
As the season starts, Bechard will be keeping an eye on the emotional register of his squad. Friday’s opening home game against Pensacola will begin with the retirement of Stahl’s 32 jersey, joining those of Bechard (16) and Frankie Ouellette (30) high in the rafters of the Columbus Civic Center. It will be a fitting tribute to a true Cottonmouths’ legend as well as the dawn of a new era with a new captain, plenty of new faces, a new attitude and a new look inside the Snake Pit.
“This is the year of the fresh start, a turning of the page,” Bechard said.
A page turn that the Cottonmouths hope will bring a return to glory. Contact the author at lee.marion@prohockeynews.com