Dipace And Costello Earn Weekly League Honors
February 23, 2009 - International Hockey League 2 (IHL 2)
Muskegon Lumberjacks News Release
MUSKEGON, MI.--- Riding the rising rapids of their longest winning streak of the season at 5-victories in a row, the Muskegon Lumberjacks rise to tie for the IHL overall league leadership has spawned domination in this week's league-wide individual awards.
On this date, the International Hockey League, in concert with the Muskegon Lumberjacks, has announced that left wing JOHN DIPACE and right wing CHAD COSTELLO have been honored as PEPSI / IHL PLAYER OF THE WEEK and AQUAFINA / IHL ROOKIE OF THE WEEK, respectively, for the week of February 16th - February 22nd.
DIPACE, 26, enjoyed an absolute banner first week with Muskegon in a star-studded debut after being acquired in a major five-player blockbuster trade with the Flint Generals earlier in the same week on Wednesday, February 18th. In his initial week under the Lumberjacks employ, the 6-year pro from Clinton Township, MI was extraordinary. In 3-games, he collected 7-points on 4-goals, 3-assists, 14-PIM, 16-SOG and excellent +4 rating. Included in his premiere week was the game's FG in the first period of his first game the past Friday night at Kalamazoo as he ignited and excited his new team's 4-2 trumping of the Wings.
In a 2-game home-and-home series against his former team, DiPace spearheaded the sweep of both games, earning the game's #1 Star in each contest. Saturday night, in his home ice coming-out party, the 5-11, 190lb veteran engineered 4-points on 1-goal, 3-assists as the 'Jacks dismissed the Generals, 9-3. Then, in his homecoming Sunday at Flint, he fashioned some styling and profiling, connecting on a pair of TBG/PPG with the second strike stoked being the ultimate GWG with 5:47 remaining in the third period to shatter the 2-2 tie and catapult his new club into the victory circle, 3-2, to complete the sweep of the week. For the season, DiPace ranks a lofty circuit 7th in scoring with 51(28-30-58). His 28-goals rank as third most in the league. Included in his season output are 5-PPG, 1-SHG and 3-GWG.
COSTELLO, 22, continues to make major inroads in his first pro season in the Muskegon coat of arms. Developing into a highly-skilled and polished forward, the former Northeastern U. team scoring kingpin delivered a 3-game goal streak and point streak for the 3-games' weekend with 5-points on 3-goals, 2-assists. He fired 10-SOG and earned a stellar +5 rating. Friday night, in his team's 4-2 taming of the Wings in Kalamazoo, he connected on the TBG which produced a late first period lead that the Lumberjacks did not relinquish. Saturday night in the 9-3 trouncing of Flint, he delivered the primary assist on the GWG before connecting on the GTG Sunday, a scant :32 after Flint had achieved its first lead of the night and of the series.
For the season, the Johnston, Iowa native ranks 4th in overall rookie scoring with 35-points in 51-games on 13-goals, 22-assists. His 22-assists rank as third most among this season's league freshmen class. Costello is a former USHL Jr. 'A' scoring champion, capturing the coveted crown in the 2005-06 season with the Cedar Rapids Roughriders.
International Hockey League 2 Stories from February 23, 2009
- Dipace And Costello Earn Weekly League Honors - Muskegon Lumberjacks
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