Blizzard win, prepare for first-place showdown Friday
Published on November 4, 2004 under North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Alexandria Blizzard News Release
Saturday night, the Minnesota Blizzard maintained its second place position in the NAHL West Division, following a 4-2 win at Bismarck. The victory was the seventh in the last eight games for the Blizzard.
Twice in the game, Minnesota grabbed one-goal leads, only to see the Bobcats come back to tie the game. The Blizzard tallied both goals in the final period, to seal the win.
Aaron Castle (Roseau, Minnesota) put the Blizzard in front, with his third goal of the season early in the game. Defenseman Paul Henderson (Menomonie, Wisconsin) assisted on Castle's score. Dan McCauley (Blaine, Minnesota) put the Blizzard up 2-1 in the middle period, with his fourth goal, assisted by Rylan Galiardi (Calgary, Alberta) and Jake Nelson (Superior, Wisconsin).
Tied at 2-2 entering the final stanza, Minnesota scored the go-ahead goal with 12 minutes left. The leading scorer for the Blizzard, Ryan Hawkins (Eden Prairie, Minnesota), netted his seventh of the year, getting assists from Andrew Olson (Alexandria, Minnesota) and Tony Selvog (Warroad, Minnesota). For insurance, the Blizzard built a two-goal lead, scoring with just under three minutes left, as Shawn Bitzan (Alexandria, Minnesota) and Sean Fish (Ramsey, Minnesota) assisted on the fifth goal of the year by Josh Frider (Moorhead, Minnesota).
Bismarck's goals were scored by Richard Huna in the first period and by Robert Huna late in the second period.
Ahead for the Blizzard: Minnesota will be back on home ice, at the Runestone Community Center in Alexandria Friday evening, November 5, as they host the Fargo-Moorhead Jet. The Jets lead the NAHL West Division with 21 points, with the Blizzard just two points back, in second place. Game time is 7:00 p.m..
Then on Saturday evening, November 6, the Blizzard will face the Bismarck Bobcats, at the Fergus Falls Fairgrounds Arena. The regular-season contest between the Blizzard and the Bobcats on November 6 is sponsored, in part, by the Fergus Falls Hockey Association, as the teams reach out into greater Minnesota for a display of fast-paced, Junior "A" Hockey. The game in Fergus Falls is considered a "home" contest for the Blizzard, even though it is being played at a neutral site. Tickets for Blizzard home games are available, by calling (320) 763-1413. The ticket windows open one hour, prior to each Blizzard home contest.
North American Hockey League Stories from November 4, 2004
- NTDP dominates junior team roster - U.S. National Team
- Tornado sweep Roadrunners to widen South Division lead - Texas Tornado
- Blizzard win, prepare for first-place showdown Friday - Alexandria Blizzard
- IceDiggers to be televised on BCSN - Alpena IceDiggers
- Friday victory builds no momentum for Icedogs - Bozeman Icedogs
- Wildcats continue to dominate - Wichita Falls Wildcats
- Jets lose to Bismarck, showdown with Blizzard on Friday - Fargo-Moorhead Jets
- Jr. Blues Gumaer leads the way - Springfield Jr. Blues
- Bobcats split pair with Jets ad Blizzard - Bismarck Bobcats
- Home fans treated to Horns victory - Helena Bighorns
- Phantoms sweep all-Ohio weekend - Mahoning Valley Phantoms
- Bandits morning game a huge success...off the ice - St. Louis Bandits
- Phantoms set for home-and-home with Ice Diggers - Mahoning Valley Phantoms
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
