Winners of eight straight games, there's no hotter team in the NAHL right now than the Owatonna Express, which rolled off three more victories last weekend."I'm very pleased with our start," said Express head coach Pat Cullen, whose club hasn't felt defeat since the second game of the last month's NAHL Showcase Tournament. "The experience we returned this season, as well as our play defensively, has led to our early success."
On Friday, goaltender Mike Shibrowski turned back all 24 shots in the Express' 2-0 victory over Bismarck. Dan Cecka and defenseman Marian Fiala connected for the Owatonna goals.
Brian McGinty recorded three assists the next night and Fiala added two of his own as the Central Division-leading Express bested the Alexandria Blizzard in a shootout, 5-4. Shibrowski made 22 saves in regulation and overtime and four of five in the shootout.
Shibrowski stood tall between the pipes again on Sunday, steering aside 19 shots in regulation and overtime and another four of five in the shootout in Owatonna's 2-1 triumph over the Bobcats.
"Our power play was sharp (the Express netted four goals with the man-advantage) and we scored timely goals," said Cullen, whose team improved to 8-2-1 on the season. "We also played good team defense and Mike made big saves when we needed him to."
At 8-0-1 to start his season, Shibrowski has been nothing short of outstanding in the early goings. The 18-year-old from Edina, Minn., who played Midget hockey the second half of last season now holds a 2.01 goals-against average (fourth best in the league) and a .927 save percentage.
"Mike is a big reason we are where we are (in the standings)," said Cullen. "He works extremely hard everyday and makes the saves we feel he should make. His consistency has been excellent, and I think he's a goalie with a very bright future."
So, too, does Cory Thorson. The second-year forward who was named the Express' captain by his teammates leads the club in scoring through 11 games with 12 points on eight goals.
"He's had nice start to the season and has taken a good step forward in his progression," said Cullen of the 19-year-old from Crystal, Minn. "He's a definite Division I prospect and he's getting interest from several schools."
Few complaints to be had up and down his entire lineup, Cullen is enthusiastic with the mix of players he's put together and their commitment to success as a team.
"I've been impressed with how hard all of our guys have worked up to this point," said the coach. "Certainly our veterans have looked good, and they've also led the way in showing our new guys how hard you need to work and what it takes to have success in junior hockey.
"All of our newcomers have been good, but Shibrowski and (defenseman) Jake Suter have stood out a little more than the others. We have a deep team and look forward to getting more contributions in all areas from the new guys."
Cullen has been most pleased his charges' effort in their own end of the ice. The Express has only allowed 31 goals against after 11 games, tied for third-fewest in the league behind the Marquette Rangers (21) and the St. Louis Bandits (29).
"What I like most right now is how committed we are to playing good team defense," said Cullen. "We always work to get better defensively and we want to get more production in our 5-on-5 play."
With a pair of players already committed to Division I schools - Ben Persian (Air Force Academy) and Jake Youso (University of Minnesota) - the Express is expecting more good news on the college front with continued success on the ice.
"We hope to have many more," said Cullen of his team's NCAA promise. "We played pretty well at the Showcase, so that helped stir up more interest in several of our players."
This coming weekend, the Express tangles with the second-place North Iowa Outlaws (12 points) in a home-and-home series. The Express defeated the Outlaws in the teams' only meeting of the season earlier this month, 5-1.
"Our focus this weekend isn't any different than it always is: play good defense, execute our systems and, when given opportunities, we need to find ways to score," said Cullen. "We never take success for granted; it's a long season and things can change in a hurry."
STANDINGS/LEADERS STANDINGS http://www.pointstreak.com/stats/pro/standings.html?leagueid164&seasonid45 27
LEADING SCORERS http://www.pointstreak.com/stats/pro/scoringleaders.html?leagueid164&season id4527
LEADING GOALTENDERS http://www.pointstreak.com/stats/pro/goalieleaders.html?leagueid164&seasoni d4527
GOALS http://www.pointstreak.com/stats/pro/scoringleaders.html?leagueid164&season id4527&sortbyg
ASSISTS http://www.pointstreak.com/stats/pro/scoringleaders.html?leagueid164&season id4527&sortbya
PLUS/MINUS http://www.pointstreak.com/stats/pro/scoringleaders.html?leagueid164&season id4527&sortbyplusminus
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK Sherwood/NAHL North Player of the Week: Zack Smoot - Janesville Jets Janesville forward Zack Smoot connected for three goals and two assists as the Jets split a two-game series with Traverse City. On Friday, the Fort Collins, Colo., native tallied an assist in a 5-4 loss. The next night, the 19-year-old recorded a hat trick, including the game-winning goal, and an assist as the Jets doubled up the North Stars, 6-3. He was also a plus-1 on the weekend.
"Zack has played well since coming back from an early-season injury," said Jets head coach Dane Litke. "He plays with a lot energy and also has a good touch around the net. We hope he continues his good play."
HONORABLE MENTION: Marquette forwards Brent Bain and Josh Bussell; Motor City defenseman Mike Monfredo
Sherwood/NAHL South Player of the Week: Ryan White - Topeka RoadRunners Topeka forward Ryan White potted a goal and three assists as the RoadRunners skated to a 1-0-1 mark against Springfield. On Friday, the Parker, Colo., native recorded a pair of assists in a 4-3 shootout loss. The next night, the 18-year-old rang up the game-winning goal and an assist as Topeka downed the Jr. Blues, 5-3.
"Ryan is a highly-skilled forward who creates chances every time he touches the puck," said RoadRunners head coach Scott Langer. "He has a blistering shot and sees the ice well."
HONORABLE MENTION: St. Louis defenseman Brad Smith; Texas forward J.D. Howard; Wichita Falls forward Anthony Iaquinto
Sherwood/NAHL Central Player of the Week: Alex Altenbernd - Alexandria Blizzard Alexandria forward Alex Altenbernd struck for four goals as the Blizzard skated to a 1-0-1 record. On Friday, the Moorhead, Minn., native recorded a hat trick in a 6-3 victory over the Albert Lea Thunder. The 19-year-old rang up another goal the next night as the Blizzard fell to the Owatonna Express in a shootout, 5-4. He was also a plus-4 on the weekend.
"Alex has proven to be a good Division I prospect in our league," said Blizzard head coach Doc Delcastillo. "He continues to get better on a daily basis because of his love for the game and his work ethic."
Sherwood/NAHL West Player of the Week: Jake Parenteau - Alaska Avalanche Alaska defenseman Jake Parenteau tallied two goals and two assists as the Avalanche skated to a 1-0-1 record against Wenatchee. On Friday, the Shafer, Minn., native potted two goals, including the game-winner, and an assist in a 4-0 triumph. The next night, the 20-year-old added another assist as the Avs fell to the Wild in a shootout, 3-2.
"Jake had an outstanding weekend and has been terrific for us all season," said Avalanche head coach Dave Boitz. "We believe he's one of the top defensemen in the league and his point production and plus-minus support that."
NAHL Goalie of the Week: Mike Shibrowski - Owatonna Express Owatonna goaltender Mike Shibrowski backstopped the Express to three wins, turning aside 65 of 70 shots. On Friday, the Edina, Minn., native made all 24 saves as the Express blanked Bismarck, 2-0. The next night, the 18-year-old stopped 22 shots in regulation and overtime and four of five in the shootout in a 5-4 triumph over the Alexandria Blizzard. On Sunday, Shibrowski steered aside 19 shots in regulation and overtime and four of five in the shootout as Owatonna edged the Bobcats, 2-1.
"We've been playing very well defensively as a team, and every time Mike plays he gives us an opportunity to win," said Express head coach Pat Cullen. "He's an extremely hard-working kid, and the results are a product of the work he puts in on a daily basis."
HONORABLE MENTION: Marquette's Kevin Kissaw; Motor City's Jason Torf; St. Louis' Tyler Bruggeman; Wenatchee's Brandon Jaeger
AROUND THE NAHL ALASKA AVALANCHE: Goaltender Landon Peterson (Oregon, Wis.) turned aside all 25 shots in the Avalanche's 4-0 victory over Wenatchee on Friday.
ALBERT LEA THUNDER: Forward Danny Wood's (Wilmington, Ohio) hat trick accounted for all of the Thunder's goals in its 6-3 loss to Alexandria on Friday.
ALEXANDRIA BLIZZARD: The team's leading scorer, forward Kyle Clay (Henderson, Nev.) tallied two goals and an assist as the Blizzard went 1-0-1 last weekend.
ALPENA ICEDIGGERS: Forwards Jimmy McCusker (Novi, Mich.), Sam Cheraso (Brunswick, Ohio) and Ryan Timar (Novi) scored the IceDiggers' goals in two losses to Marquette.
BISMARCK BOBCATS: Forward Ryan Jacobson (Denver) struck for two goals, including the game-winner, in the Bobcats' 3-2 triumph over North Iowa on Saturday.
FAIRBANKS ICE DOGS: Forward Kyle Politz (Elko, Minn.) notched a shorthanded marker and an assist as the Ice Dogs downed Kenai River on Saturday, 3-2.
JANESVILLE JETS: Playing against his former team, defenseman Mike Schenfeld (Littleton, Colo.) connected for a goal and an assist in the Jets' 6-3 win over Traverse City on Saturday.
KENAI RIVER BROWN BEARS: Forwards Doug Beck (Canton, Mich.) and Brad Duwe (Soldotna, Alaska) each tallied a goal and an assist as the Brown Bears bested Fairbanks on Friday, 3-1.
MARQUETTE RANGERS: Allowing only three goals against in two wins over Alpena, goaltender Kevin Kissaw (Goodrich, Mich.) continues his solid play between the pipes. "Once again, Kevin has shown that he's an elite goaltender at this level," said head coach Kenny Miller. "He's a very confident player and he's been our MVP so far."
MOTOR CITY MACHINE: Logging over 30 minutes of ice time a game, defenseman Mike Monfredo (Shirley, N.Y.) holds a league-best plus-14 rating after 11 contests.
NORTH IOWA OUTLAWS: Forwards Mickey Knox (Warroad, Minn.) and Ryan Bohrer (St. Paul) scored for the Outlaws in their 3-2 loss to Bismarck on Saturday.
OWATONNA EXPRESS: Marian Fiala's (Slovakia) 10 points after 11 games ranks him tied for fifth in scoring among NAHL defensemen.
SPRINGFIELD JR. BLUES: Forward Jared Rickord (Skokie, Ill.), a Bentley College recruit, connected for a goal in regulation and one in the shootout in the Jr. Blues' 4-3 triumph over Topeka on Friday.
ST. LOUIS BANDITS: In his Bandits debut, goaltender Tyler Bruggeman (Mankato, Minn.), who started the season with Fairbanks, steered aside 22 shots in St. Louis' 2-1 win over Motor City on Saturday. "We were excited to bring him in and his performance Saturday reaffirmed that," said head coach Jeff Brown. "He made every big save he needed to and he earned his win."
TEXAS TORNADO: In his first two games with the Tornado last weekend, forward J.D. Howard (Canfield, Ohio) notched two goals and an assist. "We've struggled a bit offensively this season, and a player like J.D. who was a goal-scorer in Midgets will be a nice addition to our attack," said head coach Tony Curtale.
TOPEKA ROADRUNNERS: Former RoadRunner Eriah Hayes, a 2007-08 NAHL All-Rookie Team selection, scored his first collegiate goal for Minnesota State-Mankato (WCHA) in the Mavericks' 5-2 loss to Minnesota Duluth on Friday.
TRAVERSE CITY NORTH STARS: Forward Dan Radke (Orinda, Calif.), a Lake Superior State University recruit, recorded three assists, including one on Kellin Ainsworth's game-winning goal, as the North Stars knocked off Janesville on Friday, 5-4.
WENATCHEE WILD: Air Force recruit Mitch Torrel (Monticello, Minn.), a forward, connected for both goals in regulation in the Wild's 3-2 triumph over Alaska on Saturday.
WICHITA FALLS WILDCATS: Forwards Brian Sheehan (St. Louis) and Tyler Lundey (Middleton, Wis.) each put home a goal and two assists on Friday as the Wildcats dropped Texas, 5-2.
THE WEEK AHEAD Wednesday, October 21 Springfield @ St. Louis, 10:00 am
Thursday, October 22 Albert Lea @ Topeka, 7:05 pm
Friday, October 23 Alpena @ Janesville, 7:00 pm North Iowa @ Owatonna, 7:00 pm Motor City @ Springfield, 7:00 pm Albert Lea @ Topeka, 7:05 pm Alexandria @ Bismarck, 7:15 pm Wichita Falls @ Fairbanks, 7:30 pm Alaska @ Kenai River, 7:30 pm St. Louis @ Texas, 7:30 pm
Saturday, October 24 Bismarck @ Alexandria, 7:00 pm Alpena @ Janesville, 7:00 pm Motor City @ Springfield, 7:00 pm St. Louis @ Texas, 7:00 pm Albert Lea @ Topeka, 7:05 pm Marquette @ Traverse City, 7:05 pm Wichita Falls @ Fairbanks, 7:30 pm Alaska @ Kenai River, 7:30 pm Owatonna @ North Iowa, 7:30 pm
Sunday, October 25 Marquette @ Traverse City, 1:00 pm
(all times local)
2009-10 COLLEGE COMMITMENTS ALASKA AVALANCHE Matt Friese - University of Alaska-Anchorage (WCHA) *
ALEXANDRIA BLIZZARD Jordan Gidaro Western Michigan University (CCHA) Bryce Ravndalen - St. Cloud State University (WCHA) # Brett Wall - Lake Superior State University (CCHA)
BISMARCK BOBCATS Jason Fabian - Air Force Academy (Atlantic Hockey)
MARQUETTE RANGERS Kevin Gravel - St. Cloud State University (WCHA) # Nate Heng - University of Nebraska-Omaha (CCHA) # Tanner Kero - Michigan Tech University (WCHA)
OWATONNA EXPRESS Ben Persian - Air Force Academy (Atlantic Hockey) Jake Youso - University of Minnesota (WCHA)
SPRINGFIELD JR. BLUES Jack Callahan - Quinnipiac University (ECAC) # Randy Cure - Mercyhurst College (Atlantic Hockey) Rob Dongara - Northeastern University (Hockey East) # Trent Frey - Mercyhurst College (Atlantic Hockey) CJ Groh - University of Alabama-Huntsville (CHA) Jared Rickord - Bentley University (Atlantic Hockey)
ST. LOUIS BANDITS Clinton Bourbonais - Yale University (ECAC) # Michael Gunn - Michigan State University (CCHA) Brad Smith - Ohio State University (CCHA)
TOPEKA ROADRUNNERS Kevin Ryan - Niagara University (CHA) Cole Schneider - University of Connecticut (Atlantic Hockey)
TRAVERSE CITY NORTH STARS Kelin Ainsworth - Lake Superior State University (CCHA) Kyle Jean - Lake Superior State University (CCHA) Tyler Marble - Lake Superior State University (CCHA) Dan Radke - Lake Superior State University (CCHA)
WENATCHEE WILD Mac Carruth - University of Minnesota-Duluth (WCHA) Armand De Swardt - Cornell University (ECAC) Nic Dowd - St. Cloud State University (WCHA) # Duncan McKellar - Bemidji State University (CHA) Adam McKenzie - Air Force Academy (Atlantic Hockey) Alex McLean - Air Force Academy (Atlantic Hockey) Mitch Torrel - Air Force Academy (Atlantic Hockey)
WICHITA FALLS WILDCATS Aaron Quick - Air Force Academy (Atlantic Hockey)
# alumni * for 2011-12 season
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