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NAHL North American Hockey League

Bandits, RoadRunners fight to the finish

March 23, 2009 - North American Hockey League (NAHL) News Release


One weekend left in the regular season, and still no champion.

That's what the NAHL looks like with only a handful of games to play, and the final act couldn't have been scripted any better with the St. Louis Bandits and the Topeka RoadRunners going head-to-head in a two-game set to decide the league championship.

"We fully expect our team to be treating these games like it's playoff hockey," said Bandits head coach Jeff Brown. "With the division title and the regular-season title and home ice throughout the postseason on the line, the playoffs begin Friday night."

"They'll be on the hunt against us," said RoadRunners head coach Scott Langer. "We'll have to be perfect in every aspect against them. Series like this is why we play the game."

For the Bandits, who hold a one-point edge over the RoadRunners in the South Division with 88 points, a sweep, split or a win and a shootout/overtime loss will give them their second consecutive regular-season title.

The RoadRunners need a sweep or a win and a shootout/overtime loss to win the championship.

That second scenario - a Topeka win and a shootout/overtime loss - would leave both teams with 90 points. With the first regular-season tiebreaker - most wins - still tied (49 each), the RoadRunners would hold the second tiebreaker - head-to-head points - with a 16-13 advantage over the Bandits.

For the RoadRunners, who are 6-3-1 in their last 10 games, they'll need to rebound from a two-game split with the Wichita Falls Wildcats last weekend.

"We've put ourselves in a tough spot, but, if we're competitive inside, we'll bounce back," said Langer.

St. Louis, which holds a 9-1 mark in its last 10, enters the weekend after celebrating two wins over the North Division-leading Mahoning Valley Phantoms.

"Sweeping Mahoning Valley, a team that we have so much respect for, was a good tune-up for this all-important weekend against Topeka," said Brown. "We were happy with the results, but feel that we still have yet to play our best hockey."

And the season-series between the two powerhouses has been nothing short of dramatic, with all but one of the teams' 10 games decided by two goals or fewer, with four of those determined in overtime or a shootout.

"Topeka is full of veterans and they have guys who've experienced playoff hockey before," said Brown of the RoadRunners, who represented the South Division at last year's Robertson Cup Championship Tournament. "They have a lot of depth and it should be another good test for our hockey club."

"St. Louis has been a consistent team all year," said Langer of the two-time defending Robertson Cup champions. "They haven't taken a night off since Christmas. They're hungry."

The series kicks off on Friday at Hardee's Iceplex in Chesterfield, Mo. (7:15 faceoff). Game 2 slated for Saturday at the Iceplex with another 7:15 p.m. start.

"We need to be mentally tough," said Langer. "We have to put the last month behind us and move forward. We'll need to start working harder defensively, back to what we've put pride in since this franchise came about."

"I think we just need to play Bandits hockey," said Brown. "We know how Topeka plays, and Topeka knows how we play, so when it's all said and done, this weekend is going to come down to who wants it more."

The Central's playoff picture became crystal clear last weekend, as the Bismarck Bobcats rattled off three wins to lock up their first-ever regular-season division championship.

The Bobcats will host the No. 4-seed Alexandria Blizzard in the first round of the playoffs, with the No. 2-seed North Iowa Outlaws hosting the Owatonna Express in the other divisional semifinals series.

"The fact that it's the first division title in franchise history is pretty special," said Bobcats head coach Byron Pool. "They've had some great teams in Bismarck, and to be the first is a great accomplishment for these young men. It's something they should extremely be proud of."

The league's final postseason berth is still up for grabs in the North Division, as the Marquette Rangers, who skated to a two-game sweep over the Motor City Machine last weekend, inched closer to the Alpena IceDiggers, who picked up one point in three attempts, for the last spot.

With 58 points apiece, Alpena has three games remaining - two at Mahoning Valley and one at the U.S. Under-17 Team - and Marquette two (a two-game home series against the Traverse City North Stars).

The North's regular-season championship is also still in play, with Mahoning Valley (75 points, two games remaining), Traverse City (72, two remaining) and the U.S. National Team (71, four remaining) all fighting for the division's top spot.

"I've been around for a while, and I don't think I've seen so much undecided heading into the final weekend of the season," said NAHL commissioner Mark Frankenfeld. "It certainly makes things exciting, and the playoffs should only be better."

STANDINGS/LEADERS
Central Division
TEAM GP W-L-OTL PTS PCT GF GA
yBismarck 55 40-13-2 82 .745 193 117
xNorth Iowa 56 33-18-5 71 .634 211 168
xOwatonna 56 29-23-4 62 .554 211 183
xAlexandria 56 25-25-6 56 .500 174 194
Albert Lea 55 4-46-5 13 .118 105 286

North Division
TEAM GP W-L-OTL PTS PCT GF GA
xMahoning Valley 56 35-16-5 75 .670 216 166
xTraverse City 56 33-17-6 72 .643 177 168
xUSNTDP 54 33-16-5 71 .657 207 143
Alpena 55 26-23-6 58 .527 147 171
Marquette 56 25-23-8 58 .518 162 165
Motor City 55 11-42-2 24 .218 126 236

South Division
TEAM GP W-L-OTL PTS PCT GF GA
xSt. Louis 56 41-9-6 88 .786 207 116
xTopeka 56 41-10-5 87 .777 201 132
xWichita Falls 56 24-23-9 57 .509 158 192
xSpringfield 56 23-28-5 51 .455 172 180

West Division
TEAM GP W-L-OTL PTS PCT GF GA
yFairbanks 56 36-12-8 80 .714 216 147
xWenatchee 58 35-19-4 74 .638 197 182
xAlaska 56 23-30-3 49 .438 169 219
xKenai River 58 14-36-8 36 .310 165 249

x clinched playoff berth
y clinched division title

LEADING SCORERS
PLAYER TEAM P GP G A PTS
Block, Austin FBX F 56 28 44 72
George, Jordan TPK F 56 27 38 65
Gaffney, Jon SPR F 54 29 33 62
Paul, Jack NIO F 54 23 39 62
Brodhag, Brandon NIO F 54 30 30 60
Pietila, Chad MAR F 55 24 36 60
Juola, Michael FBX F 49 16 43 59
Hamburg, Andrew STL F 48 12 47 59
(three players tied with 56)

LEADING GOALTENDERS
PLAYER TEAM GPI MINS W-L-OTL GAA SPCT
Kinkaid, Keith STL 39 2332:52 29-5-4 1.83 .933
Bosner, David BIS 32 1910:48 23-7-1 1.85 .932
Merriam, Bryce TPK 31 1739:40 22-3-4 1.97 .917
Phillippi, Joseph FBX 24 1164:22 13-2-3 2.06 .937
Grogan, Matt BIS 25 1424:27 17-6-1 2.23 .924

GOALS
PLAYER TEAM P GP G Frey, Trent SPR F 56 34
ASSISTS
PLAYER TEAM POS GP A
Hamburg, Andrew STL F 48 47

PLUS/MINUS
PLAYER TEAM POS GP +/-
Clark, John BIS D 53 +37

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Sherwood/NAHL North Player of the Week: Chad Pietila - Marquette Rangers
Marquette forward Chad Pietila struck for three goals and three assists as the Rangers skated to a two-game sweep over Motor City. On Friday, the Milford, Mich., native recorded two assists, including one on James Gallagher's game-winning goal, in a 5-3 triumph. The next night, the 20-year-old recorded a hat trick and an assist as the Rangers outlasted the Machine, 6-5. The Northern Michigan University recruit was also a plus-4 on the weekend.

"Chad has been our go-to guy all year and with so much on the line last weekend, he stepped up for us when we needed it most," said Rangers head coach Kenny Miller. "To see Chad get his first Junior A hat trick on Saturday was rewarding, too. He works hard everyday and his efforts paid off."

Sherwood/NAHL South Player of the Week: Conor Allen - St. Louis Bandits
St. Louis defenseman Conor Allen tallied a goal and two assists as the Bandits skated to a two-game sweep over Mahoning Valley. On Friday, the Chicago native scored a goal in a 3-2 victory. The next night, the 19-year-old registered two assists as St. Louis bested the Phantoms, 5-2. He was also a plus-4 on the weekend.

"Conor really stepped up with some big contributions in a couple of our most important games of the year," said Bandits head coach Jeff Brown. "He's an important piece to our defensive core and we're counting on him for a big postseason."

HONORABLE MENTION: Topeka forward Andrew Blazek

Sherwood/NAHL Central Player of the Week: Jason Fabian - Bismarck Bobcats
Bismarck forward Jason Fabian connected for three goals and three assists as the Bobcats skated to a 3-0 record. On Friday, the Roseau, Minn., native recorded an assist and scored the game-winning shootout goal in a 3-2 victory over Albert Lea. The next night, the 19-year-old potted two goals and two assists as the Bobcats downed the Thunder, 10-2. On Sunday, the Air Force Academy recruit put home another goal in a 4-3 shootout win over the Alexandria Blizzard. He was also a plus-4 on the weekend.

"Jason is just starting to understand how great a player he could be," said Bobcats head coach Byron Pool. "He's starting to play his best hockey at the right time of the year. It's scary to think how good he'll be next year."

Sherwood/NAHL West Player of the Week: Junior Cadiz - Wenatchee Wild
Wenatchee forward Junior Cadiz rang up four goals and six assists as the Wild skated to a 3-0-1 mark against Alaska. On Wednesday, the Los Angeles native recorded two assists in a 5-4 overtime loss. Two nights later, the 20-year-old tallied two goals in a 4-1 victory. Cadiz notched another goal and three more assists in a 7-0 triumph over the Avalanche on Saturday, and wrapped up his week with a one-goal, one-assist effort in a 4-1 win on Sunday. He was also a plus-5 for the week.

"Junior has been a key player for us all season," said Wild head coach Paul Baxter. "He has tremendous skill and patience with the puck and has worked very hard in becoming a complete and physically strong two-way player. Any college that wants to substantially upgrade their skill level and character should be looking very carefully at Junior in the upcoming weeks."

GDI/NAHL Goalie of the Week: Mac Carruth - Wenatchee Wild
Wenatchee goaltender Mac Carruth backstopped the Wild to a pair of wins in his two starts over Alaska, turning aside 52 of 54 shots. On Friday, the Shorewood, Minn., native made 16 saves in a 4-1 victory. Two nights later, the 16-year-old University of Minnesota Duluth recruit stopped 36 shots in another 4-1 triumph over the Avalanche.

HONORABLE MENTION: Bismarck's David Bosner; Springfield's CJ Groh

AROUND THE NAHL
ALASKA AVALANCHE: Kyle Pichler and Tyler Currier scored for the Avalanche in its three losses to Wenatchee last weekend.

ALBERT LEA THUNDER: Nikita Feoktistov put home a goal and an assist in the Thunder's 10-2 loss to Bismarck on Saturday.

ALEXANDRIA BLIZZARD: Texas native Kyle Clement tallied two goals, including the game-winner, in the Blizzard's 3-2 win over North Iowa on Saturday.

ALPENA ICEDIGGERS: Jimmy McCusker tallied a goal and an assist as the IceDiggers fashioned an 0-2-1 record against the U.S. Under-18 Team and Traverse City.

BISMARCK BOBCATS: With 25 points in 39 games since joining the Bobcats from Fairbanks earlier this season, Isaiah Bennis has been a welcome addition to the lineup. "He's a big body (6-foot-4, 210) that has a lot of skill and has performed very nicely for us," said head coach Byron Pool.

FAIRBANKS ICE DOGS: California native Mark Pustin notched two goals and three assists as the Ice Dogs skated to a two-game sweep over Kenai River.

KENAI RIVER BROWN BEARS: Ryan Lemke and Kevin Wentland each connected for a goal an assist as the Brown Bears wrapped up their regular season with a pair of losses to Fairbanks.

MAHONING VALLEY PHANTOMS: Josh Bussell tallied two goals in three games last weekend, including one in the Phantoms' 4-1 victory over the U.S. Under-17 Team on St. Patrick's Day.

MARQUETTE RANGERS: NAHL Top Prospects Tournament participants Chad Pietila (Northern Michigan University) and Reed Rushing (Bowling Green State University) have committed to CCHA programs for next season.

MOTOR CITY MACHINE: Ryan Misiak, an NAHL Top Prospects Tournament participant, has committed to Mercyhurst College (Atlantic Hockey) for the 2011-12 season.

NORTH IOWA OUTLAWS: With two home games left, the Outlaws are 1,154 fans away from passing last season's record attendance mark. North Iowa needs to average 577 in attencance over its last two games to break the record.

OWATONNA EXPRESS: Air Force recruit John Kruse struck for the game-winning goal in the Express' 5-3 win over Springfield on Saturday.

SPRINGFIELD JR. BLUES: Goaltender CJ Groh turned back all 27 shots in the Jr. Blues' 1-0 overtime victory over Owatonna on Friday. "CJ has played very well for us the last few months and has been the rock of this hockey team down the stretch," said head coach Andy Maher.

ST. LOUIS BANDITS: Defenseman Danny Weiss, from Ballwin, Mo., has committed to Niagara University (College Hockey America) for next season.

TOPEKA ROADRUNNERS: Andrew Blazek tallied two goals and an assist as the RoadRunners split a pair of games with Wichita Falls. "Andrew is consistent and a great asset for us heading into the playoffs," said head coach Scott Langer.

TRAVERSE CITY NORTH STARS: Forward Dan Radke, from Orinda, Calif., has committed to Lake Superior State University (CCHA) for next season.

TEAM USA: The Under-17 and Under-18 Teams combined for a 3-2-1 record in six games against North Division opponents last week.

WENATCHEE WILD: Two Wild players who competed in the NAHL Top Prospects Tournament have committed to Bemidji State University (College Hockey America): forward Duncan McKellar and goaltender Mathieu Dugas.

WICHITA FALLS WILDCATS: Kyle Gallegos recorded two assists, including one on Ryan Amin's game-winning goal, in the Wildcats' 4-2 triumph over Topeka on Friday.

THE WEEK AHEAD
Tuesday, March 24
Motor City @ USNTDP, 7:00 pm

Thursday, March 26
Alexandria @ Bismarck, 7:00 pm
Alpena @ Mahoning Valley, 7:15 pm

Friday, March 27
Springfield @ Wichita Falls, 7:05 pm
Topeka @ St. Louis, 7:15 pm
Albert Lea @ North Iowa, 7:30 pm
USNTDP @ Motor City, 7:10 pm
Alaska @ Fairbanks, 7:30 pm
Owatonna @ Bismarck, 7:30 pm
Alpena @ Mahoning Valley, 7:15 pm
Traverse City @ Marquette, 7:30 pm

Saturday, March 28
Springfield @ Wichita Falls, 7:05 pm
Motor City @ USNTDP, 7:00 pm
Topeka @ St. Louis, 7:15 pm
Alaska @ Fairbanks, 7:30 pm
Owatonna @ Bismarck, 7:00 pm
Albert Lea @ Alexandria, 7:00 pm
Traverse City @ Marquette, 7:30 pm

Sunday, March 29
Albert Lea @ North Iowa, 5:00 pm
Alpena @ USNTDP, 3:00 pm

END OF REGULAR SEASON

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