CHL Allen Americans

Allen Americans Weekly Notes

Published on April 26, 2010 under Central Hockey League (CHL)
Allen Americans News Release


GAME RECAPS - CONFERENCE FINALS:

Game 6 - MONDAY, APR. 19 @ ODE (L 4-3 OT): The opening frame was relatively quiet with no goals and one penalty at 18:45 against the Americans. Chris Whitley started in net for Allen, while Joel Martin stood in between the pipes for the Jackalopes. Odessa's captain Kory Karlander was out of the lineup serving a one-game suspension for his hit to Justin Bowers April 17. Dominic Leveille scored the game's first goal at 3:41 on the power play. The Americans responded with two tallies from forwards Matt Radoslovich and Bruce Graham before the 10-minute mark to take a 2-1 lead. Odessa's Sebastien Thinel knotted the game 2-2 on a breakaway with 4:40 remaining in the middle frame. Nino Musitelli lit the lamp with 4:58 remaining in the frame to give Allen the go-ahead goal, making the score 3-2. Odessa was not ready for its postseason to end, and Philippe Plante scored two minutes later to force the game into overtime. Garrett Gruenke gave Odessa a 4-3 win on a one-timer at 6:53 of the first overtime period.

Game 7 - WEDNESDAY, APR. 21 @ ODE (W 4-2): The Americans outplayed the Jackalopes in the first period, taking everything to the net. Even though the expansion club only outshot Odessa 13-12, Allen killed off two penalties and continuously threw pucks at the net. Their hard work came to fruition when rookie Tobias Whelan buried a pass from Captain Jarret Lukin with 2:58 remaining in the opening frame to give Allen a 1-0 lead. Allen's good play persisted in the second period. Forward Colton Yellow Horn's shot trickled through Odessa backstop Joel Martin's pads at 5:04 to increase Allen's lead to two. Odessa did get a power play goal from Collin Circelli at 15:22, but Nino Musitelli lit the lamp with 44 seconds left in the second period. Musitelli's nineteenth postseason point regained the Americans' two-goal lead, making the score 3-1. Yellow Horn scored his second of the night on the power play at 6:35 of the third to give Allen its biggest lead of the night, 4-1. The Jacks were able to get a tally from Jeff Pierce after pulling Martin and putting the extra attacker on in the last minute of the game. The goal made the score 4-2

GAME RECAPS - RAY MIRON PRESIDENTS' CUP FINALS:

Game 1 - Friday, Apr. 23 (W 4-1): Both teams came out firing on all cylinders and treated fans to end-to-end hockey in the first. After one period, the score was tieless with shots favoring Rapid City 13-7. The Americans' offense exploded in a four-goal second period. Forward Nathan O'Nabigon scored the first goal of the finals at 3:49 of the frame to give Allen a 1-0 lead. Nino Musitelli increased Allen's advantage to two when he scored at 8:57. Rookie Tobias Whelan grabbed the third goal with 3:53 remaining in the period. The Rush replaced Danny Battochio in net with Miguel Beaudry immediately following Whelan's fourth postseason tally. Musitelli grabbed his second of the night on the power play 54 seconds before the second intermission to make it 4-0. The Rush' Dave Grimson scored with 3:10 left in the game, spoiling Whitley's perfect play. The Americans netminder still emerged with the win and 48 saves. Battochio stopped nine of 12, while Beaudry saved eight of nine shots.

Game 2 - Saturday, Apr. 24 - Allen @ Rapid City (L 5-4 OT): Neither team scored until 13:45 of the opening frame. Rapid City's Scott Wray notched the first goal of the game. Forward Christian Gaudet tied the score at 9:21 of the second period. The Rush regained their one-goal lead on the power play with a goal from Derek LeBlanc. The tally came with 2:32 remaining in the second. Although behind 2-1, the Americans ended the period with a great scoring opportunity and prepared to battle back in the third. Allen came out and scored two straight goals. Colton Yellow Horn started the lamp lighting at 2:26, and Bruce Graham gave the Americans their first lead of the game at 9:40. The 3-2 Allen advantage lasted for 45 seconds. Dave Grimson knotted the score at three, but Nino Musitelli gave the Americans the go-ahead goal with 5:27 left in the third frame. The Rush pulled backstop Danny Battochio to put the extra attacker on the ice at the end of the game, and the move paid off when Dave Grimson found the back of the net with 39 seconds left. Grimson's tally forced the game into overtime. At 4:17 of the first overtime period, Blaine Jarvis scored the game winner to push the Rush over the edge, making the final score 5-4. Whitley made 52 saves.

UPCOMING GAMES - RAY MIRON PRESIDENTS' CUP FINALS:

Game 3 - Wednesday, Apr. 28 - Allen vs. Rapid City, 7:30

Game 4 - Friday, Apr. 30 - Allen vs. Rapid City, 7:30

Game 5 - Saturday, May 1 - Allen vs. Rapid City, 7:30

*Game 6 - Tuesday, May 4 - Allen @ Rapid City, 7:35

*Game 7 - Friday, May 7 - Allen @ Rapid City, 8:05

*If necessary

The Americans were 1-2-0 against the Rush in their inaugural season. Their lone win came on the road March 12 in overtime. The Rush finished with a 43-14-7 record in the regular season, good for 93 points and first place in the Northern Conference. The Americans finished with a 42-17-5 record (89 points), which was second place in the Southern Conference.

Whitley Spectacular in Net: Entering his seventeeth playoff game, Chris Whitley has logged over 946 minutes this postseason and earned nine victories. The backstop made 48 saves April 23 in a 4-1 win and 52 in April 24's 5-4 overtime loss. Whitley had the most wins in the CHL in the 2009-10 regular season with 31 compared to Rapid City netminder Danny Battochio's 28.

Making History: The Americans became the first expansion team to clinch a spot in the finals after the merger of the Central Hockey League with the Western Professional Hockey League in May of 2001. The Laredo Bucks fell short of this accomplishment in 2003 after losing in the Southern Conference Finals. The Indianapolis Ice is the only first-year team to win the CHL championship, which it did in 2000 before the merger. The WPHL's Ft. Worth Brahmas also played in the finals in 1997.

On Fire: The line of Justin Bowers, Bruce Graham and Nino Musitelli combined for 11 points in April 14's 5-2 win over Odessa. Bowers and Musitelli each had one goal and three assists, while Graham had one goal and two assists. Bowers leads the Americans with 25 points (8-17=25) and is on an eight-game point streak. Musitelli and Graham are not far behind with 22 and 18 points, respectively.

Non-Stop Nino: The final Oakley CHL Player of the Week, Nino Musitelli, is second on the Americans in points during the club's first postseason. He has 22 points during the playoffs in 16 games, including three game winners. He has had points in the last seven games. Musitelli had the longest point-streak during the 2009-10 season, going 17 games straight with 21 points.

Notable Facts:

* Liam Huculak had the Americans first post-season goal March 26 in Game 1 against Laredo.

* Chris Whitley stopped 30 shots in the Americans' first playoff win March 27 in Game 2 against Laredo. It was also Whitley's first career post-season victory.

* Erik Adams is the only veteran on the Americans. He has played in 50 career playoff games and scored two goals in the Conference Semifinals against Laredo.

* Captain Jarret Lukin scored the first shorthanded postseason goal in club history April 1 in Game Four of the Conference Semifinals against Laredo.

* Rookie Tobias Whelan scored the game-winning goal in the series-clinching Game 7 against Laredo in the Conference Semifinals.

* Nino Musitelli had the game winner in Game 7 against Odessa in the Conference Finals.

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Central Hockey League Stories from April 26, 2010


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