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February 17, 2004 - North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Bozeman Icedogs News Release


The ICEDOGS are back on the prowl after two enormous wins at home last weekend. Friday, they ended Bismarck's 13-game win streak. Saturday, the 'DOGS survived a shootout with the second-place Jets. Now the ICEDOGS are in the fourth and final playoff spot.

This week, the ICEDOGS will try to increase their one point lead over fifth-place Helena. The two teams play in Bozeman on Thursday and in Helena on Friday. Saturday, the first-place Billings Bulls will make their final appearance of the regular season at the Valley Ice Garden. Thursday's game is sponsored by Big Sky Carvers and Saturday's game is sponsored by Carpet Mill Outlet.

Team Update

The ICEDOGS have played solid hockey over the past couple of weeks, and the pressure is on to continue the momentum as they try to maintain their playoff position. This week's games against Helena and Billings could make or break their spot in the standings for the rest of the season. With only 10 league games remaining, the ICEDOGS need to continue winning.

Fortunately, the 'DOGS only have to travel to Helena two more times and Billings once, with the remainder of the games at home. Helena and Fernie both come to Bozeman twice, and Billings, Minnesota, and Fargo- Moorhead all have one more appearance at the Valley Ice Garden.

Last week, Helena lost 2-1 in Billings and again at home to Minnesota 6-5. Helena is lead by KC Stahlbert who has 25 goals and 17 assists for 42 points. Marco Trevino and Cory Mozak also add goal scoring ability to the Bighorn front line. Look for the ICEDOGS to develop a tone of defensive aggressiveness to try and slow KC and his team down. Steve Nelson and Devin Underwood are two of Helena's big men on defense who the 'DOGS will have to contend with when trying to put the puck in the net.

The 'DOGS would like nothing more than to knock off the first-place Bulls. The ICEDOGS have not beaten the Bulls this season, but have the skill to add a loss to the the Bulls' record if they play well. Last week, the Bulls won home games against Helena and Bismarck. The Bulls have a trio of Forwards with scoring punch. They are led by Kent Bostrom, who has 20 goals--with Brian Kaufman (19 goals), Joel Gasper (16 goals), and John Stockler (15 goals) adding firepower to the team's front line. On offense, the ICEDOGS will have to get around Matt Charbonneau and Michael Mayra, the Bulls' toughest defenders.

Miscellaneous

Mary Wilhelm is now managing the Business Office at the Valley Ice Garden. If you have any questions regarding your account, please contact Mary and she will be happy to help! There are only a handful of regular season home games remaining--remember that season ticket holders can exchange unused tickets for tickets to another game! If you have tickets that you don't know what to do with, please let us know and we will help you find someone who will use them!

Do you know of a high school or college age student who wants a career in sports management or marketing? If so, please send them our way! The ICEDOGS are currently looking for one or two reliable students to volunteer on game nights and help with a variety of marketing and game operation functions. It would provide an excellent opportunity to gain valuable experience and decide if this is the career for them.

Monforton School will be guests of the ICEDOGS this Saturday night against Billings! They will be sitting in the Net Zone, and will bring a lot of enthusiasm to the building.

ICEDOGS Support Special Olympics Montana

The ICEDOGS had a great time at "The Plunge" to raise money for Special Olympics Montana on Monday. A dozen ICEDOGS jumped in the frigid water to celebrate the accomplishment of over $800 in donations on their behalf to Special Olympics.

Some players like Josh Heidinger took the dive twice...something not duplicated by other participants. Everyone except the ICEDOGS got out of the pond and went straight for the hot tub waiting on the shore. Every ICEDOG got out of the pond and waited for their teammates to all finish plunging before going to the hot tub as a team.

Every ICEDOG had their own unique style, and you can judge for yourself who did the best. Check out the community section of our website to see pictures of the plunging in action!

Spotlight on Blake Yanics

Blake joined the ICEDOGS in Chicago, and has been in Bozeman since returning from the two-week road trip. Last summer, Coach Winkler recruited him to the 'DOGS but he was drafted by Wichita Falls. After moving around between a few teams last fall, he is excited about finding a more permanent home.

Blake started playing hockey at the age of 7 in St. Louis, MO. His first year was split between playing goalie (convinced by his coach) and right wing (his favorite position). However, he felt comfortable in the net, and decided to make that his permanent position.

Blake has a few superstitions about being a goalie. When getting dressed for the game, everything on the left side gets put on first (pads, skates, etc...) When play stops, he skates to the boards to his left and hits the left post with his stick. Between periods, he also hits his stick on the posts. Most goalies engage in this behavior, although Blake admits there is really no rhyme or reason for it. It is just something he started as a kid and has always done since. His game day routine is not always the same, but spending time alone to listen to music (Thrice or something fast paced) is usually part of the agenda.

Blake has two more years of Junior A elibility and would definitely like to stay in Bozeman. Before coming, he was hesitant because of how far away it was...but has changed his tune after being here. He believes our isolation makes recruiting harder, but players always see how great it is once they get here.



North American Hockey League Stories from February 17, 2004


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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