Early Season Showdown Set For This Weekend
Published on October 13, 2008 under North American Hockey League (NAHL)
North Iowa Outlaws News Release
Mason City (IA) It's never too early to start playing up a first place showdown and with that in mind, the North Iowa Outlaws will have the "overhyping" machine's engine roaring this week as they get ready for an October series with the Central Division's top spot on the line. Staking a claim to first place in October is as meaningful as winning the state of Delaware in the presidential election, but that doesn't mean it's not desired and the Outlaws will have their chance to move into first with games against Bismarck and Alexandria on Friday and Saturday.
Two wins could move them into sole possession of first, while a pair of losses would push the Outlaws into an early hole as the 2008-2009 campaign moves past its first 10-game stretch.
"We want to be in first at the end of March, that's the ultimate goal, but it's never too early to try to get into that position" said head coach Jeff Crouse. "Bismarck and Alexandria are both coming off sweeps so they are sure to have confidence."
The Outlaws will open the weekend by facing the Bismarck Bobcats on Friday at the North Iowa Ice Arena, in a rematch of a series in Bismarck two weeks earlier that the Outlaws swept. North Iowa hasn't lost to Bismarck since midway through the 2005-2006 campaign, a stretch of 19 consecutive games that they will look to extend.
Having missed the playoffs three out of the last four seasons since reaching the National Championship game in 2004, Bismarck is desperate to turn the franchise around on the ice, and with the team's third head coach in four seasons in place, a team that feels it has a scoring punch its lacked the last two seasons and more confidence they are hoping to accomplish that.
Bismarck is currently tied with the Outlaws for second place, two points behind Alexandria.
North Iowa then heads to Alexandria on Saturday to take on the reigning Central Division postseason champion Blizzard, a team loaded with players returning from a surprise Robertson Cup tournament appearance last season. A franchise once on the verge of collapse following the 2004-2005 season, the Blizzard have come completely full circle packing the Runestone Community Center and going from division doormat to one of the teams to beat in the course of a couple of seasons.
North Iowa will take a five-game unbeaten streak into the weekend (4-0-1) after taking three out of a possible four points this past weekend. The Outlaws fell 3-2 in a shootout to Owatonna at the Ice Arena on Friday and then held on for a 5-4 win against Albert Lea on Saturday. For the weekend, the Outlaws held a convincing 80-50 shots on goal advantage for the weekend and controlled most of the play throughout both games and would've earned the weekend sweep if not for the play of Owatonna netminder Adam Buegler on Friday.
Buegler stopped 38 shots through regulation and overtime, and then stopped all four shots he faced in the shootout to give Owatonna the victory. In fact, if not for a two-goal rally in the second period the Outlaws wouldn't have even earned the one point for the shootout loss.
On Saturday, North Iowa jumped out a 4-0 lead on three first period goals and another early in the second thanks to four different goal scorers. However, Albert Lea scored three unanswered to make it 4-3 with a minute left in the period before a Joe Harcharik (Johnston, IA) tally with 13-seconds left in the period to elevate the lead to 5-3.
Another Albert Lea goal early in the third period made it 5-4, but the Thunder failed to muster any significant pressure the remainder of the game and the Outlaws held on for the win, in a game that was loaded with pushing, shoving and a couple second period fights that fired the crowd up.
Shootout Struggles
North Iowa is only 4-9 in shootouts all-time, with all but one lasting no more than the scheduled five shooters. That one exception was a 12-round shootout in Nov. 2005, a loss to the Fargo-Moorhead Jets, in North Iowa's first-ever shootout.
New Player Signed
The Outlaws have signed forward John O'Neil (Ramsey, MN) and he will join the team next week. O'Neil is committed to UM-Duluth.
Streaking
Brandon Brodhag (Brooklyn Park, MN) has scored at least one point in five straight games.
Punching Out Early Until last night, the Outlaws had been one of just a handful of teams in the NAHL to not have a game go past regulation. However, with last night's shootout for the Outlaws, that leaves only Albert Lea and Marquette as teams that have yet to see overtime.
Outlaws Last Week
Fri. Oct. 10 vs. Owatonna 2-3 SOL attendance 727
Sat. Oct. 11 vs. Albert Lea 5-4 Win attendance 1,014
Outlaws This Week
Fri. Oct. 17 vs. Bismarck 7:30pm
Sat. Oct. 18 @ Alexandria 7:00pm
The North Iowa Outlaws Hockey Club is in its fourth season as members of the North American Hockey League. The NAHL is the nation's largest Junior A hockey league and is now in its 33nd year of operation. For more information, visit northiowaoutlaws.com or call (641) 424-5468.
Outlaws home games are played at the North Iowa Ice Arena in Mason City, IA. All games will be broadcasted on northiowaoutlaws.com and video broadcast through B/2 Network.
North American Hockey League Stories from October 13, 2008
- Jr. Blues Look to Season Home Opener To Get Needed Win - Springfield Jr. Blues
- Blizzard continues its surge in Central - NAHL
- Machine Fail to Take One from Bandits - Motor City Metal Jackets
- Outlaws Announce Radio Deal - North Iowa Outlaws
- Early Season Showdown Set For This Weekend - North Iowa Outlaws
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.
