Big crowds help Wildcats defeat Jr. Blues
February 3, 2005 - North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Wichita Falls Wildcats News Release
The Wildcats hosted the Springfield Junior Blues over the weekend and swept two games from them. The Cats put on an offensive display Friday night scorching the Junior Blues 9-3. On Saturday, Military Appreciation Night, in front of over 4,500 fans the Wildcats defeated the Junior Blues 5-2. The two wins moved the Wildcats into fifth place in the NAHL south standings and helped narrow the gap between them and the Junior Blues for fourth place and a spot in the playoffs.
The Wildcats were a team on a mission Friday night, scoring a season high 9 goals. After the first period of play the score was only 1-0, but the Wildcats changed that as they erupted in the second period scoring 4 straight goals. With a comfortable 5-1 lead heading into the third period the Wildcats did not let up as they added 4 more goals making the final score 9-3. Several Wildcats players scored multiple points on the night. Kevin Huck led the Wildcats with 6 points. Huck had 5 assists on the night and scored 1 goal. Kyle Kraemer had 1 goal and 4 assists for 5 total points in the game. Niklas Flodin and Chad Costello each had 4 points. While Flodin tallied 4 assists, Costello scored 2 goals and added 2 assists. Brent Sarcone scored 3 goals in the game, giving him his first hat trick of the season. Skylur Jameson and Andy Roberts each scored goals, while Derek Hansberry added 1 assist. Goaltender Dan DiLeo had 34 saves on the night and earned his second win as a Wildcat.
Saturday night was Military Appreciation Night in the Kay Yeager Coliseum and the Wildcats played in front of 4,522 screaming fans, the largest crowd in the NAHL this season. The Crowd was electric and so were the Wildcats who jumped out to a 2-0 lead and never looked back going on to win the game 5-2. The game was filled with action and intensity as there were 5 different fights during the game. Dave Lewandowski was named the player of the game for his performance Saturday night. He scored 1 goal, and had 1 assist, and was also involved in a fight at a key time during the game that energized the crowd and helped motivate his team. Chad Costello and Brent Sarcone scored 2 goals during the game while Niklas Flodin added 2 assists. Kevin Huck, Derek Hansberry, and Kyle Kraemer all added 1 assist in the win. Goaltender Dan DiLeo played a key role in the Wildcats win racking up 44 saves in the game.
The Wildcats played well this weekend, but know that they must carry this momentum into future games in order to climb in the standings.
"We have to realize that it's just one weekend," said head coach Brian Meisner. "We control our own destiny. Next weekend becomes a big weekend where we have to get some points."
There were many Wildcats players who scored multiple points over the weekend. Kevin Huck led the charge with 7 points. With 6 assists and 1 goal his play was a big reason why the Wildcats swept the Junior Blues. Huck's assist total for the season is 32, which is the 4th best in the NAHL. He is the Wildcats points' leader and sits in 10th in the league with 45 total points. Kyle Kraemer had 6 points over the weekend with 1 goal and 5 assists. Chad Costello scored 4 goals and netted 2 assists, while Niklas Flodin had 6 assists. Brent Sarcone scored 5 goals on the weekend, making his total for the season 22. He is the Wildcats leading goal scored and he is currently in 6th place in the league in goals scored.
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