Battle Of Iowa, Fall Classic Highlight Busy 2009-2010 Preseason
September 2, 2009 - United States Hockey League (USHL) News Release
Chicago, IL - With the puck dropping in one month for the 2009-10 United States Hockey League regular season, the 14 Member Clubs of America's signature junior hockey league preseason begins next week, featuring new matchups, new teams, and a new state-wide tournament - all culminating in the USHL Fall Classic, the world's most heavily scouted hockey event, in Sioux City - in preparation for the League's season-opening weekend on Friday and Saturday, October 2- 3.
The exhibition schedule gets underway on Friday, September 11th with a pair of games, as the Chicago Steel will host a new USHL Member Club, the Youngstown Phantoms, at the Steel's home, The Edge Ice Arena (Bensenville, IL). Meanwhile, the Tri-City Storm, with new head coach Drew Schoneck, host the Omaha Lancers at the Viaero Event Center (formerly the FirsTier Event Center) in Kearney, Nebraska.
Tuesday, September 15th marks the first of three USHL preseason games that will take place in non-USHL arenas as the Sioux Falls Stampede will take on the Sioux City Musketeers, under new coach Luke Strand, at the Larson Ice Center in Brookings, South Dakota. A second game at the Larson Ice Center is scheduled for Sunday, September 20th when the Stampede host the Fargo Force. Rounding out the out-of-market schedule, the defending Anderson Cup Champion Green Bay Gamblers will travel to DePere, Wisconsin on Tuesday, September 22nd for an exhibition game at the Cornerstone Ice Arena vs. the Marquette Rangers of the North American Hockey League (NAHL).
The Chicago Steel will host the Gamblers and the 2008-09 Clark Cup Champion Indiana Ice in a round-robin format during the weekend of September 19-20. All games will be played at The Edge.
The inaugural "Battle of Iowa" also takes place on the weekend of September 19-20, as all four USHL teams based in the state of Iowa will meet in Cedar Rapids at the Cedar Rapids Ice Arena. On Saturday, the Des Moines Buccaneers, under new head coach Mike Guentzel, meet Sioux City while the host Cedar Rapids RoughRiders will square off against the Waterloo Black Hawks. The winners of Saturday's matchups will meet on Sunday afternoon to determine the mythical state champion while Saturday's losing teams hit the ice for a Sunday consolation game.
USHL preseason action concludes with the 2009 USHL Fall Classic in Sioux City, Iowa, September 24-26. All 14 USHL teams are scheduled to play once on each of the three days, before an impressive array of scouts representing every NHL club and Division I hockey program. This world-class event welcomed more than 200 scouts during last season's USHL Fall Classic.
2009 USHL Exhibition Schedule
Friday, September 11 - Youngstown @ Chicago, 7:30 PM
Friday, September 11 - Omaha @ Tri-City, 7:05 PM
Saturday, September 12 - Youngstown @ Chicago, 7:30 PM
Tuesday, September 15 - Sioux City @ Sioux Falls, 7:05 PM (Larson Ice Center - Brookings, SD)
Wednesday, September 16 - Cedar Rapids @ Waterloo, 7:05 PM
Friday, September 18 - Omaha @ Tri-City, 7:05 PM
Friday, September 18 - Indiana @ Chicago, 7:30 PM
Friday, September 18 - Sioux Falls @ Fargo, 7:35 PM
Saturday, September 19 - Green Bay vs. Indiana, 7:30 PM (The Edge Ice Arena - Bensenville, IL)
Saturday, September 19 - Sioux Falls @ Fargo, 7:00 PM
Sunday, September 20 - Tri-City @ Lincoln, 5:00 PM
Sunday, September 20 - Fargo @ Sioux Falls, 6:05 PM (Larson Ice Center - Brookings, SD)
Tuesday, September 22 - Marquette (NAHL) @ Green Bay, 7:05 PM (Cornerstone Ice Arena - DePere, WI)
"Battle of Iowa" - Cedar Rapids Ice Arena (Cedar Rapids, IA)
Saturday, September 19 - Sioux City vs. Des Moines, 3:00 PM
Saturday, September 19 - Waterloo vs. Cedar Rapids, 7:00 PM
Sunday, September 20 - Sioux City/Des Moines vs. Waterloo, 1:00 PM
Sunday, September 20 - Sioux City/Des Moines vs. Cedar Rapids, 5:00 PM
A full 21-game schedule for the 2009 USHL Fall Classic can be found at www.ushlfallclassic.com
The USHL celebrates its 31st season of junior hockey in 2009-10. With 190 players from the 2008-09 campaign already committed to NCAA Division I schools and 17 NHL Entry Draft picks taken from the League's rosters this past season, the USHL is the nation's foremost producer of junior hockey talent. For more information, visit us on the web at www.ushl.com.
United States Hockey League Stories from September 2, 2009
- Stampede kick-off training camp - Sioux Falls Stampede
- Battle Of Iowa, Fall Classic Highlight Busy 2009-2010 Preseason - USHL
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