USHL Madison Capitols

Caps Look to Take Down Strand's Former Squad

March 21, 2015 - United States Hockey League (USHL)
Madison Capitols News Release


Madison, WI- The Madison Capitols (21-20-11) remain on home ice for a second straight night as they welcome the Sioux City Musketeers (33-16-5) to the Alliant Energy Center on Saturday for a 7 p.m. faceoff.

The Musketeers are one of two USHL teams (along with Tri-City) to have already clinched a playoff berth. Sioux City earned that spot with a 6-3 win over the Sioux Falls Stampede on Friday.

It will be the second and final meeting between the Capitols and Musketeers, with Sioux City winning the lone matchup 4-3 in overtime on Nov. 8 at the Tyson Events Center. Ryan Lohin scored a pair of goals for Madison that night, and Haralds Egle tallied one of his eight power play goals as well.

The Musketeers, a team coached by Capitols bench boss Luke Strand from 2009-2011, have been one of the USHL's best home teams, with 20 victories, but away from the Tyson, Sioux City is a more beatable team, going 13-11-3.

Head coach Jay Varady's group is driven offensively by a trio of 50-point scorers: Adam Johnson (29 goals, 35 assists), Robert "Bobo" Carpenter (30 goals, 26 assists), and Joe Snively (21 goals, 34 assists). They are backstopped by Collin Olson in the nets. The Carolina Hurricanes' draft pick leads all USHL netminders with 24 victories, but has dropped four of his last five decisions, giving up four goals on three of those occasions.

In the Capitols' last meeting with the Musketeers, Garrett Metcalf was strong in the Madison crease, stopping 38 shots before succumbing to a bank shot in overtime off the stick of Jerad Rosburg on Nov. 8.

After Darren Smith started each of the previous eight games, Metcalf was given the key to the net on Friday and turned aside 45 Cedar Rapids shots. He gave his team the opportunity to come back and force overtime when Miguel Fidler deadlocked the score at 2-2 with just under three minutes to play. Charlie Gerard opened the game's scoring just 1:05 into the opening period for his 11th of the year.

After the Capitols' tangle with Sioux City, Madison hits the road for games on Friday and Saturday in Dubuque and Chicago, respectively, before returning home on Sunday to host the Fighting Saints at 3 p.m. at the Coliseum.

Capitols' 2015-16 season tickets are available now by visiting www.MadCapsHockey.com . Fans who pay in full for season tickets by June 1 will receive a specialty season ticket holder jersey. Packages can also be purchased by calling (608) 257-CAPS (2277).

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United States Hockey League Stories from March 21, 2015


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