SOUTHAVEN, Miss. – The Mississippi RiverKings (10-12-2) scored a goal in the first and again in the second then played stout defensively to beat the Louisiana IceGators (12-9-3), 2-1, at the Landers Center Saturday night.
The RiverKings grabbed a 1-0 lead in the first period while on their first power play of the game. Mike Hayward kept the puck in at the right blue line and sent a backhand pass to the right circle to Devin Mantha. He was alone there and fired a shot past Marco De Filippo for a 1-0 lead at 9:22.
Mississippi extended the lead early in the second. After Adam Courchaine made a save on an IceGators opportunity the RiverKings started a 3-on-2 into the offensive zone. Mantha had the puck down the right wing and passed across for Dan Delisle, who redirected in past De Filippo at 1:54 for a 2-0 lead. Louisiana pulled back within one less than five minutes later when Tanner Burton jammed a puck barely over the goal line at 6:38. That made it 2-1 heading into the final period.
In the third the RiverKings allowed just five shots on goal and killed of the only Louisiana power play to hold on for a 2-1 win, giving them four wins in their last five games.
Notes: The RiverKings improved to 7-1-2 in games when they score a power-play goal… Since starting 0-6-2 in one-goal games the RiverKings have won their last five and are now 5-6-2… Through the postgame Elvis jersey auction the RiverKings raised $8,950 for the RiverKings ReachOut Fund.
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