Sea Wolves shut out against Wildcatters, drop to 1-6

By DOUG BARBER
dmbarber@sunherald.com

BILOXI --

The Mississippi Sea Wolves hoped to go 2-0 on Sundays during this young ECHL season.

The Texas Wildcatters had other ideas.

Forward Marco Rosa collected a hat trick Sunday evening at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum as the Wildcatters posted a 4-0 shutout in South Division action.

The 6-foot, 190-pound Rosa, who hails from Scarborough, Ontario, scored on the game's opening shot with 18:24 left in the first period. He added a second period goal with 11:15 showing on the scoreboard, then hit his final goal with 4:42 left in the game.

The Sea Wolves dropped to 1-6, and are 1-4 on the current homestand. The Sea Wolves face the Wildcatters, now 5-1, on Tuesday night at 7:05 in the final game of this homestand.

"He (Rosa) was their difference tonight," Sea Wolves coach Steffon Walby said. "He's a leader. As he goes, that team goes. We have one of those guys in our room. We need that person to stand up and put the team on his back."

The Sea Wolves had a hard time uncranking their offense, taking their first shot on goal with 12:44 left in the first period. However, they finished fast, and were only outshot 35-29 for the game.

Power-play opportunities - an early season bugaboo, slipped by the Sea Wolves.

"We came up again against a good disciplined team," Walby said. "Our PK (penalty killing) was good. It's a headscratcher because we had all the right opportunities. The energy and the sense of pride wasn't out on the ice tonight. That's disturbing because we've been taking steps forward."

With the score 2-0 in the third period, the Sea Wolves were unable to convert several power play minutes. Just when the power play ended, Wildcatter Dan Welch fired in a goal with 9:05 left off assists by John McNabb and Brandon Benedict.

The highlight of the evening for Sea Wolves fans came when 6-5 Bill Kinkel got the better of 6-foot-8 Riley Emmerson of the Wildcatters in a fight.

"I tried a half dozen times to a dozen times to get Bill out on a regular shift," Walby said. "He's an energy guy. He can go out there and crash and bang. After the fight, look at the guys' response to it. Even Couch's fight (in the second period) definitely spurred us up a little bit.

"Sometimes penalties fall where they will, and I can't get him out there. It's too bad because the kid can play."