Ak-Sar-Ben Knights finish pre-season with win

October 3, 2005 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Abbotsford Heat News Release


Omaha, NE - The Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights wrapped up a brief pre-season schedule last night with a 4-3 overtime win over the Iowa Stars at Wells Fargo arena in Des Moines. The Knights erased a 3-1 deficit and won the game on Craig MacDonald's powerplay goal just 32 seconds into the extra frame. The Knights, who played both pre-season games against the Stars, finished the exhibition schedule with a record of 1-1-0-0. Following the win, the Knights released five players from their training camp: forwards Michel Beausoleil and Marco Peluso, defensemen Tim Hambly and Bryan Nathe and goaltender Paulo Colaiacovo.

As they did in their first preseason game, a 4-3 loss to the Stars on September 29th, the Knights struck first in the game, getting a goal from Justin Taylor just 2:50 into the game. The Stars used the powerplay to tie the game and then take the lead. Janos Vas potted a deflected shot at 5:31 to knot the game at one. Defenseman Shawn Belle later beat Knights' goaltender Curtis McElhinney with a screen shot in the final minute of the period to put the Stars up 2-1 after one.

Iowa stretched its lead to 3-1 with less than two minutes gone in the second period. Francis Wathier scored on a backhander at 1:51, but the Knights would control the play from then on, holding the Stars to just nine shots over the final two periods.

Rookie Dave Moss got the Knights back to within a goal, finishing off a two-on-one break by beating Stars' goalie Mike Smith with a wrister at 6:27. Less than two and a half minutes later, Darren Lynch scored his second goal of the preseason unassisted to leave the game deadlocked at three after two periods.

It stayed that way through regulation in spite of a string of six consecutive powerplays for the Knights. They finally converted on their eighth man advantage when MacDonald one-timed a feed from Brandon Rogers just under the crossbar. McElhinney earned the win in net with 14 saves.

The Ak-Sar-Ben Knights begin their inaugural season in the AHL on October 7th when they host the defending Western Conference Champions, the Chicago Wolves, at 7:00 p.m. at the Omaha Civic Auditorium. Season tickets, group tickets and mini-plans are now on sale by calling the Knights at (402) 344-4625. For more information, visit the Ak-Sar-Ben Knights' web site at www.omahaaksarbenknights.com.



American Hockey League Stories from October 3, 2005


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