2013-14 Mid Season Report
December 24, 2013 - North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Port Huron Fighting Falcons News Release
PORT HURON, MI - The Port Huron Fighting Falcons head into the holiday break of their fourth season in the North American Hockey League with a five-point lead atop the North Division standings.
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One game past the midway point of the 2013-14 season, the Fighting Falcons are in the midst of their best season in franchise history, on pace to eclipse 80 points for the first time since the team joined the NAHL prior to the 2010-11 season.
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At 18-6-7, Port Huron's 43 points puts them in second place in the NAHL's overall standings, three points behind first-place Wichita Falls, who has played three games more than the Fighting Falcons so far this season.
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The Fighting Falcons have the most prolific offense in the NAHL, leading the league with 105 goals, and an average of 3.39 scores per game.
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Through 31 games, Port Huron's six regulation losses are tied for the fewest in the league with the Minnesota Wilderness. Every other North Division team has lost at least ten games in regulation this season. The Fighting Falcons have not lost back-to-back games in regulation all season.
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When they return from the holiday break next week, Port Huron will be faced with the task of playing without leading scorer Mitch Maloney, who has been called up to the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders of the United States Hockey League.
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Maloney had led the way with 29 points on 18 goals and 11 assists, but the Fighting Falcons will still return from the break with five players with 19 points or more, including Zach Badalamenti, who becomes the new leading scorer at 24 points on eight goals and 16 assists.
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Captain Bryan Yim is close behind with 23 points on eight goals and 15 assists, and 19 points in his last 20 games.
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Logan Lambdin leads Port Huron's rookie class with 22 points on 13 goals and nine assists.
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Defensemen Jonathan Kopacka and Alex Archibald are tied for fifth place among NAHL blue-liners at 19 points.
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Forward Matt Seidel's six-point game against the Janesville Jets in November is the highest point total by any NAHL player so far this season.
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Port Huron has played in more close games than any other NAHL team, with 20 of their 31 games being decided by one goal. Thirteen Fighting Falcons games required overtime, and a league-high ten have gone to the shootout.
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Goalie Alex Blankenburg didn't suffer a loss until his tenth decision of the season, and is in the top five in the league in goals against average (1.72) and save percentage (0.941). A late November injury has forced veteran goalie Max Milosek to play in each of Port Huron's last nine games.
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Milosek has done his part with a 2.93 goals against average and a 0.903 save percentage, giving his team a chance to win every night.
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The highlight of the first half of the 2013-14 season came in Blankenburg's last start, when Port Huron overcame a four-goal deficit to defeat the Springfield Jr. Blues at McMorran Arena on November 30.
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The Fighting Falcons will play seven of their next 11 games on home ice to begin the second half of the season, looking for a spark to lead them into the Robertson Cup Playoffs.
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The Fighting Falcons return from the NAHL's holiday break when they travel to Springfield, IL to take on the Jr. Blues on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. They return to home ice to host the Janesville Jets Friday, January 3 and Saturday January 4.
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Tickets to any Fighting Falcons home game are available at the McMorran Arena Box Office, starting at just $7 for seniors, students and military. For more information, call the team's front office at (810) 966-3800.
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