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USHL Des Moines Buccaneers

Buccaneers Engaged with the Community

November 4, 2013 - United States Hockey League (USHL)
Des Moines Buccaneers News Release


Urbandale (IA) Everyone strives to be a good neighbor wherever they may live, for while there may be the occasional grumpy exception, human nature leads to wanting to be helpful. But while everyone lauds the grand gestures, like removing a tree from a neighbor's driveway after a storm, the true success of fulfilling that duty of being a good neighbor is in the consistency of focusing on those tasks that don't come with regular pats on the back.

Moving a parked car from the road to create more space for a neighbor's party or just routinely offering a smile and a wave.

The Des Moines Buccaneers, a team that has been treated so well by the community for over 30 years, knows the importance of giving back whenever possible. This includes all the jersey auctions, in-game silent auctions and public shows of support that get attention. The events that highlight a promotional calendar and are noticed by a fan base. It's a basic part of what any successful team must do and like seeing a holiday movie favorite, or eating mom's best dish it never gets old.

However, what truly creates the base for the Buccaneers' community out-reach is the time spent by players and staff actively engaged in events around the Des Moines' metropolitan area. Events that sometimes have only a handful of people present and even fewer who may know the Buccaneers were a part of it.

Players assisting food banks stock shelves, reading to classrooms, cheering up hospital ridden children, promoting the dangers of tobacco use and ringing bells make up the bulk of the Buccaneers' community program. Nearly all of these events are done void of attention and sometimes completed with only those in attendance knowing.

"Community relations aren't about free publicity as it can't be. If your community outreach is only motivated by attention, then you aren't going to go far" says Buccaneer's Director of Communications Scott Montesano. "It sounds clich' but it really is as simple as being a good neighbor to the community"

"You want your players, and the image of being good neighbors, to be fastened together. That is the benefit to the team" adds Montesano. "But it's impossible to track its worth so you can't do it expecting immediate validation. Like when you were a kid and your mother told you to not sit too close to the television. You couldn't comprehend why; you just knew it's the right thing to do."

There is also a benefit to the players themselves adds Buccaneers' head coach and general manager Jon Rogger.

"No doubt, all of these events are an educational experience for the players. They come out of all of these events with an increased appreciation for those they helped and the volunteers they stood side-by-side with" Notes Rogger. "At the end of a season, players remember the games but the times they help the community remain with them as well."

With the holiday season approaching, the Buccaneers will be actively engaged in a number of events:

Carcinoid Walk at DMACC - Players will be present to cheer on participants 11/10

Urbandale Food Pantry - Assisting volunteers the mornings of 11/14, 11/21, 12/5, 12/12

Blank Children's Hospital - Started last year, a group of players will visit with patients at Blank Children's Hospital as well as clinics throughout Iowa Methodist Hospital on 11/20.

Salvation Army Bell Ringing - Players will be around town on multiple days ringing bells, including all day 11/23 at the Jordan Creek Mall.

Festival of Trees - Players and mascots will make multiple visits at the end of the month to Unity Point's annual fund raiser.

In addition, the Buccaneers' classroom visits continue to multiple schools with the focus this season being on a tobacco-use prevention. The Buccaneers have partnered with the Central Iowa Tobacco-Free Partnership this season on all school visits for 2013-2014.

Buccaneer players, staff and mascots have already made multiple classroom visits, appearances at fundraiser walks and community fairs since September.

Buccaneers Look to Rebound

The Buccaneers dropped a pair of games at Green Bay last week to suffer their first pointless weekend since the end of September. Though the current season is no longer in its infancy, there are still 48 games to play and the Buccaneers can look back to as early as last year to see much can change in the playoff picture before April.

Last season, of the eight USHL teams to make the postseason, three of them were below .500% at some point in November.

"Our main focus for this week is to compete hard in battle drills and take care of our defensive zone responsibilities" says head coach Jon Rogger. "We will also be concentrating on driving the net looking for rebounds, finishing our chances."

Bus Legs

The Buccaneers are coming to the end of a month long stretch where they had only one home game. Starting Oct. 11th and concluding with their game this Friday at Cedar Rapids, Des Moines will have played eight of nine games on the road, including the last five away from Buccaneer Arena. The Buccaneers lone home game during this time frame was Oct. 19th.

Between Oct. 10th - Nov. 3rd, the Buccaneers were either traveling or in a hotel for 12 out of the 24 days.

Des Moines begins a three-game home stand with their game against Cedar Rapids on Saturday night. In fact, beginning Saturday, Des Moines will play nine of their 11 remaining games before the holiday break at home.

Marnell Making Season Debut

Second year player Michael Marnell is expected to make his season debut as early as this coming weekend when the Buccaneers play Cedar Rapids in a home and home (at home Saturday). Marnell was sidelined at the beginning of the season with an upper-body injury that necessitated him being placed in injured reserve which ended this last weekend.

The Long Island native, and St. Lawrence recruit, had a standout rookie season with 25pts (15g, 10a) in 2012-2013.

The Des Moines Buccaneers are preparing for their 34th consecutive season in the United States Hockey League. Since 1980, the Buccaneers have produced hundreds of NCAA Division I players and dozens of professional alumni. Season Ticket Packages and Corporate Partnership information for the 2013-2014 season are available by calling (515) 278-2827.

Check out the Des Moines Buccaneers Statistics



United States Hockey League Stories from November 4, 2013


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