hockeyfan Posted November 13, 2006 Report Posted November 13, 2006 Wildcatters Off To Best Start Ever, Tie Home Win Streak Record http://www.echl.com/cgi-bin/mpublic.cgi?action=show_news&cat=1&id=9154 Posting its first-ever wins against Gwinnett with a two-game sweep of the Gladiators, Texas is off to the best start in team history at 6-2-1, including 3-0-0 at home which ties the team record for consecutive home wins. The Wildcatters, who will host the Augusta Lynx on Friday and Saturday, won three home games in a row two times previously (Dec. 21, 2003-Jan. 3, 2004 and Mar. 25-27, 2005). Texas won its season opener for the first time in its three-year history with a 5-2 win at Florida on Oct. 20 and won its home opener for the first time ever with a 6-4 win against Pensacola on Oct. 28. The Wildcatters didn't reach six wins until the 27th game in 2004-05 (6-15-6) and until the 25th game in 2003-04 (6-17-2). Leading the offense is right wing Kevin Baker, who returned to professional hockey after playing the last three years at Acadia University. The 27-year-old has scored in every game and leads the league with seven power-play goals and is second with 10 goals. Baker, who leads the team with 16 points, had a six-game goal streak (8g) which ties him for the longest streak in the ECHL this season. Marco Rosa is second on the team with three power-play goals, eight assists and 13 points while his five goals is tied for second. Jean-Francois (JF) David leads ECHL defenseman with 12 points and 11 assists while Brandon Cote is tied for second in the league with two game-winning goals and tied for second on the team with five goals and 12 points. Matt Yeats is 3-0-1 in his last four starts improving to 5-2-1 with a goals-against average of 2.84 and a save percentage of .919. The Wildcatters are fifth in the league with 19 power-play goals and tied for fifth in the league on the power play at 18.3 percent (19-for-104). Texas has not qualified for the Kelly Cup Playoffs in its first two seasons while head coach Malcolm Cameron has never missed the Kelly Cup Playoffs in three seasons. In his first ever season as a head coach in 2002-03, Cincinnati finished third in its division at 26-29-7 and upset Peoria (103 points) and Brabham Cup champion Toledo (104 points) to reach the conference finals where it lost by a goal in Game 7 to Kelly Cup champion Atlantic City. In two seasons with Long Beach, Cameron was 79-47-18 and led the Ice Dogs to the postseason both years.
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