DiPace Named IHL Player of the Week
March 30, 2009 - International Hockey League 2 (IHL 2)
Muskegon Lumberjacks News Release
MUSKEGON, MI.--- Enjoying a late regular season surge that has produced a superb 8(6-1-1) mark through the last 8-games, the Muskegon Lumberjacks have catapulted into a tie for second place in the league standings. Their recent attainments of such grandeur has produced Muskegon's second consecutive Pepsi / IHL Player of the Week honors.
On this date, the Lumberjacks, in conjunction with the International Hockey League, have announced that right wing JOHN DIPACE has been named and acclaimed the PEPSI / IHL PLAYER OF THE WEEK for the week of March 23rd through March 29th.
DIPACE, 26, enjoyed an extraordinary week of sound, solid play and top-flight accomplishments. With his Lumberjacks team confronting the daunting, demanding assignment of 4-games in 5-nights, the American-bred from the northeast Detroit suburb of Clinton Township was at the top of his game as he registered key scoring points in all 4 outings. In those 4-games, he engineered a prolific 8-points on 4-goals, 4-assists with 16-SOG and supreme +6 rating.
He culminated the week's game activities with a 3-games' goals streak composed of 4-goals, 3-assists, 7-points. "Johnny D" earned two consecutive #2 Star awards on back-to-back nights against rival Bloomington, delivering 4-points on 1-goal, 3-assists and brilliant +4 rating in the Illinois hamlet on Saturday night to spearhead his 'Jacks club to a resounding 8-2 domination of the Prairie Thunder. The following night, he promptly proceeded to sizzle two more goals on home ice Sunday as his Lumberjacks team overcame a late third period deficit of 6-4 to ultimately prevail in the drama and suspense of the OTSO, 7-6.
Earlier in the same week, the 5-11, 190lb sixth year pro had essayed one assist in the Muskegon 3-2 OT triumph in Bloomington on Wednesday night before uncorking an electrifying GTG / SHG Friday night on home ice against Kalamazoo in a contest that the 'Jacks eventually bowed, 6-4.
DiPace enters the final two weeks of the 2008-09 IHL regular season having hatched a dynamic 5-games' point streak in which he has collected 9-points on 4-goals, 5-assists with an excellent +7 rating in that special span. He is 2(3-3-6) in his last 2-starts.
Since his acquisition by Muskegon on February 18th, as part of a major 5-player deal with the Flint, DiPace has been both prolific and terrific for his new team. In 19-games, he has amassed 24-points on 11-goals, 13-assists with a strong and stellar +13 rating.
For the season, he is ranked a lofty circuit seventh in league-wide scoring with 75-points in 67-games on 35-goals, 40-assists. His 3-SHG tie him for second most in the league with 2 of those SHG being brewed under the employ of the Lumberjacks.
This is the second consecutive week that the Lumberjacks have been the recipients of the Pepsi / IHL Player of the Week award. Last week, for the third time this season, right wing Luke Stauffacher was so honored.
International Hockey League 2 Stories from March 30, 2009
- DiPace Named IHL Player of the Week - Muskegon Lumberjacks
- Icehawks Lose Grasp On First Place As Season Winds Down - Port Huron Icehawks
- Komets jump into first place - Fort Wayne Komets
- IHL Weekly Honors Announced For Week Twenty-Four - IHL 2
- Four Teams Earn Place In Playoffs - IHL 2
- Muskegon Surges Into Share Of Second Place - Muskegon Lumberjacks
- Lumberjacks Weekly Notes - Muskegon Lumberjacks
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