Buccaneers Weekly
Published on March 4, 2009 under United States Hockey League (USHL)
Des Moines Buccaneers News Release
Game Preview
This Friday the Buccaneers will faceof against the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders for the sixth tme this season. They are also in second place in the East Division with 65 points. The last tme the two teams faced of the Buccaneers would lose in overtme, 5-4. The RoughRiders are currently led by forwards Mike Seidel (21-34-55) and Kyle Flanagan (14-29-42). The team has a powerplay percentage of 18.15 and a penalty kill percentage of 86.63. On Saturday the Buccaneers will take on the Green Bay Gamblers for the third straight week. The Gamblers are currently leading the East Division with 66 points. The Gamblers are led by forwards Michael Forney (24-27-51), CJ Lee (20-25-45) and Reed Seckel (8-33-41). The Gamblers have a powerplay percentage of 18.30 and a penalty kill percentage of 82.83. The two teams will face of against each other this week before playing the Buccaneers this weekend in a batle for frst place.
Week in Review
The Buccaneers lost their three games last weekend. On Thursday, the Buccaneers played at home against the Waterloo Black Hawks and would lose 5-1. Chris Knowlton scored the lone Buccaneer goal during the game. In the third period, Buccaneer Ryan Walters, Austn Handley and Josh Myers matched up against three Waterloo players, sending the crowd to their feet and each player to the penalty box. The team then traveled to Sioux City to take on the Musketeers on Friday night. The Buccaneers lost a tough game in the seventh round of the shootout. Bret Bruneteau and Chris Knowlton scored for the Buccaneers before the game would go into a scoreless overtme period and a shootout. Buccaneers' Joe Gleason, Rocco Carzo and Ryan Walters scored for the Buccaneers before Sioux City's Donnie Hallmark made the last shot of the game. Goalie Aaron Crandall would stop 30 of 33 shots on goal. The Buccaneers traveled to Kearney, Nebraska to take on the Tri- City Storm on Saturday. Austn Handley, Mike Fink and Bret Skalski scored for the Buccaneers in the 6-4 loss. Goalie Aaron Crandall recorded the loss, stopping 30 of 36 shots on goal. The Buccaneers had 34 shots on goal and would be 1 for 5 on powerplays.
Buccaneer Alex Chiasson (14-27-41) is currently ted for 19th, alongside two other players, for scoring leaders in the league. Ryan Walters (15-22- 37) and Bret Bruneteau (14-23-37) are currently ted with three other players for 28th.
The team as a whole currently has a powerplay percentage of 15.99 and are currently ranked 8th in the league. They currently have a penalty kill percentage of 76.32.
Goalie Michale Houser is currently ranked 16th in the league with a GAA of 3.96 and a SV% of .905, while his counterpart Aaron Crandall is ranked 18th with a GAA of 4.90 and a SV% of .859.
Buccaneer Spotlight
The Buccaneers announced they had hired Marty Mjelleli as an Assistant Coach. Mjelleli, a standout at St. Cloud State University and a former Buccaneer, started his career with the Buccaneers halfway through the 2001-2002 season. He would help lead the team to a playof run and end the season with 11 goals, 12 assists and 23 points and would play in all 60 games for the Buccaneers the next season recording 21 goals, 36 assists and 57 points as an assistant captain. Afer playing for the Bucs, he would play for SCSU. He was a 3-tme WCHA All-Academic Team selecton. He graduated Cum Laude with a double major in Business Marketng and Communicaton Studies. He fnished his college career playing in 69 games with 7 goals, 14 assists and 21 points. He was named a fnalist for the 2008 Lowe's Senior CLASS Award and would make the All- America First Team and was nominated for the 2008 Hockey Humanitarian Award. Earlier this year, Mjelleli was playing in the ECHL for the Gwinnet Gladiators and Johnstown Chiefs, an afliate team for the NHL's Colorado Avalanche.
Upcoming Events
March 14th - Green Bay vs. Des Moines - It's KCCI Kids Free Night! Kid's get in free with a paid adult admission at the arena box ofce. The Iowa Barnstormers players will also be making an appearance at the game! The Buccaneers will also host a silent aucton of sports memorabilia with all proceeds going to the Big Brothers Big Sister of Central Iowa.
March 21st - Cedar Rapids vs. Des Moines - It's Des Moines Register Family Fun Night! Fans can purchase four tckets, four hot dogs, four sodas and four autographs for $44! Following the game there will be a FREE public skate with the Buccaneers.
United States Hockey League Stories from March 4, 2009
- Buccaneers Weekly - Des Moines Buccaneers
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