Dog Pound Weekly

Published on September 21, 2005 under North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Bozeman Icedogs News Release


Exhibition Offers The Chance To Work Things Out

The storming attack from the Texas Tornado came and went, leaving nothing but damaged spirits for the Bozeman ICEDOGS. After dropping both contests, Friday 4-1 and Saturday 5-2, the ICEDOGS coaching staff and players have spent the early week watching tape and figuring out what to focus on for the season. But for Coach John LaFontaine, this weekend's exhibition games against Shattuck-St Mary's Prep School will offer a chance to work on and try a few things.

"We weren't ready for rebounds when we crashed the net," Coach LaFontaine said. "There were a lot of long rebounds. If the guys had their sticks on the ice we would have been able to capitalize. We have worked on things we saw on tape and the games against Shattuck will allow us to continue to work on it. Anytime you play Shattuck it is going to be a tough game. They always have been good and last season got depth which makes them a strong team." The ICEDOGS penalty kill was up and down all weekend. They started off Friday giving up three goals in the first period to Texas but then rebounded to shutdown the Tornado in the second and third. On Saturday, it was just the opposite. They started with five successful kills in the first two periods before giving up a quick goal to start the third.

On the power play the ICEDOGS created a lot of scoring chances, but the puck didn't bounce their way. They converted on two power plays as both goals on Saturday night came with the man advantage. "We went 33% on the power play and anytime we do that we will take it," LaFontaine added. "The back door was there, but we just couldn't finish. Our puck movement was great. On the penalty kill, our fore check struggled and we allowed them to carry the puck in our zone. Our goaltender-to-defense exchanges cost us two goals this weekend so we need to work on that as well." The exhibition games will allow the ICEDOGS to get some valuable game experience for everyone on their roster, and continue improving. They currently are carrying 27 players, which means seven have to sit out in order to get down to the 20-man limit for games.

The ICEDOGS will host Shattuck-St. Mary's at the Valley Ice Garden for a pair of exhibition games this weekend. The following Friday, they will return to NAHL play when the have a home and home against the Helena Bighorns. Friday's game will be in Bozeman, and Saturday's contest will take place in Helena. Game time is scheduled for 7:05 PM for all home games. Tickets are $10 for adults, $6 for students and $5 for children 12 and under and are available now by calling the Valley Ice Garden at 406- 585-1415. Players will be on hand after the game to meet the fans and sign autographs.

After back-to-back games last weekend against the high flying Texas Tornado, both fans and coaches are excited about this year's team. In an online poll being conducted on bozemanicedogs.com this week, fans are most impressed with the ICEDOGS' aggressiveness. Perhaps this demeanor will serve them well against their biggest rivals throughout this season.

This weekend, the ICEDOGS welcome Shattuck St. Mary's, one of the most respected prep school hockey programs in the country. The two will square off on Friday and on Saturday. Be sure to check out the coupon on this Dog Pound Weekly for a ticket special to come to this weekend's games.

Friday's game will feature an intermission contest by The Caddyshack, challenging contestants in their golfing skills. There will also be a post-game party at Old Chicago restaurant.

Saturday's game is sponsored by the Days Inn. Be sure to watch out for flying T-shirts! Join the team afterward for a post-game autograph session on the concourse.

Spotlight on Josh Heidinger #22

Josh is in his third year of playing for the ICEDOGS, and will be a leader both on and off the ice. He is quick, shoots the puck well, and is using a new mirrored shield to make his play even more elusive to opposing players.

Q: What made you decide to come back to Bozeman for third a season? A: I love it here. Bozeman is the best place for hockey. The coaching staff is one of the best around, and the fans here are awesome. Not too many places you go can you play in front of over 1000 fans, and sometimes more than 2000. I didn't have anywhere else to go either, so I figured I would have a third season and then move on to college after this year.

Q: What is your playing background? A: I was 5 when I started playing because my mom wanted me and my brother Jay to get involved in sports. Jay and I were always competitive against each other and we used to practice our fighting, I always won. I played for Buffalo Saints Midget AAA hockey four years, then I went to high school at Bishop Timon St. Jude and played another four years. We won two state titles with the Saints. After that, I headed to Bozeman.

Q: What are you plans after this season? A: I want to move on to college and am thinking about majoring in Sports Medicine. I would like to keep playing in college, hopefully for a Division I school, but I don't really care which one it is. Coach works with us to help us get in to a school where we can play so I am not worring about it too much.

Q: How do you prepare for a game? A: I like to get up and go to morning skate. When I get home I make some eggs, relax a bit, make my bed because I can't play a game if my bed isn't made, and then time for my pre-game meal. I usually eat a bowl of Captain or Peanut Butter Crunch. After that it's time to head to the rink. If I don't play well I like to make changes at the rink. I wasn't happy with the way I played on Friday night against Texas, so I changed it up a little. I went from a half shield to a full shield, and I didn't tape my stick on Saturday night. I scored so it must have worked.

NAHL Showcase Schedule

The North American Hockey League has released the 2005-2006 Showcase Schedule. The annual event will take place in Blaine, Minnesota at the Schwan's Super Rink over four days running October 19th- 22nd. All 20 NAHL teams will be present, each playing four games in four days. The Bozeman ICEDOGS will face-off against four new opponents that aren't on their regular season schedule.

In the first game they will take on Traverse City Stars, the new expansion team out of Michigan. The second game will feature the Mahoning Valley Phantoms, formerly the Youngstown Phantoms. The final two games will see the ICEDOGS taking on teams from the South Division. The Santa Fe Roadrunners and the Texarkana Bandits will round out the schedule.

The event is one of the biggest in junior hockey and the league commissioner says it is one that everyone looks forward too. "This event has become a real special event for our league," said NAHL commissioner and president Michael Santos. "Our fans who live in the area and those who come to the Showcase love it because it is so competitive and there are so many games to see."

In addition to fans, the Showcase attracts a lot of college and some pro scouts to see the ever-growing talent of the North American Hockey League. For a complete schedule, including all 40 games and times click here.

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North American Hockey League Stories from September 21, 2005


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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