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First-place Fury remain road warriors

February 26, 2007 - International Hockey League 2 (IHL 2)
Muskegon Lumberjacks News Release


TOP TEAM TALES: Through the initial five months of their 2006-07 United Hockey League schedule, the UHL's all-time top winning team, the Eastern Division and league-leading Muskegon Fury are set to confront a daunting March agenda consisting of 16-games, of which 9 will be played on the road and another 7 on home ice. Under the auspices of first-year head coach Bruce Ramsay, the men of the Fury nation have composed an extraordinary record of 56(42-13-1) totaling 85-points and superlative .759 winning percentage. Completing their limited 9-games' February slate with a mark of 9(4-5-0), the Fury have maintained a 14-points' advantage over second place, defending league titlist Kalamazoo 56(33-18-5)71-points with the two nearby rivals still to meet each other five more times through their remaining 20-games with four of those endeavors to come consecutively beginning this upcoming opening week of March. However, as far as the overall UHL league-leadership is concerned and the quest for the regular season Tarry Cup crown, the Fury advantage has eroded to 7-points over Western Division front-running Fort Wayne 57(38-17-2)78 and 8-points over Western Division runner-up, scorching-hot Rockford 56(36-15-5)77. The Muskegon squadron still has 5-more games awaiting them between the Komets and the IceHogs; 3-more with Fort Wayne and twice more with the "Hog Heaven" boys. Of their 20-regular season games still remaining, the Fury will play 12-more on the road and 8-more on home ice. This could very well represent a distinct advantage for the Lakeshore "Icers" as they have been the superior team abroad as compared to recent home ice action. Three games in three days for the first place Muskegon band coming up this weekend with the Kalamazooans furnishing the foes. Muskegon will be in Wings Stadium for dates both Friday and Saturday nights before high-tailing it home for game #3 in a Sunday "Meijer Matinee" encore feature presentation at 2:00 pm between the same two title timber minded teams.

"ZOOPERSTARS SUNDAY": When the Fury rekindle the competitive fires this Sunday afternoon in their "Meijer Matinee" bout with Kalamazoo, the world-renowned "Zooperstars" will be on center stage and/or center ice to entertain the local hockey denizens with their unique stylings and profilings at Walker Arena. In addition, it will be another "Meijer Matinee" as all fans are encouraged to bring two Meijer canned good products and receive a buy one, get one free ticket voucher for the Fury/Wings game of that day.

MUST SEE FURY ON TV: The first place, league-leading Fury game replays can now be seen weekly on both Muskegon Comcast Cable Channel 97 as well as Charter Mainstreet Channel 20, throughout the Grand Haven area and beyond. In the greater Muskegon area, the Fury game replays are scheduled three times weekly; Monday nights at 9:00 pm; Wednesday evenings at 6:00 pm and Saturday mornings at 11:00 am. In Grand Haven / Spring Lake areas, the Fury are on the air Friday evenings at 7:00 pm and Sundays at 1:00 pm.

WIN CHIME AT .759: Posting a 3(1-2-0) record for the week with yet one more road win followed by back-to-back setbacks at home, the Fury continue to play winning hockey at a majestic .759 pace. Through 56-games, their record stands at a stellar 56(42-13-1)85-points and remarkable .759 win percentage. Their 42-wins are 4-more than the rest of the UHL. Having sustained setbacks in back-to-back games for only the second time all season long, the Fury are 5(3-2-0) in their 5-games and 7(4-3-0) through their last 7-efforts. In the first-half of the season, they engineered a record of 38(32-5-1)65; thus far through the initial 18-games of the second-half, the record is 18(10-8-0). One year ago after 56-games, Muskegon had compiled a mark of 56(40-9-7) 87-points. Presently, this year's Fury edition has earned 2-more wins, but has 4-more losses and 2-less points. Longest win streaks of this season have been 8-in a row on two occasions; one 7-game win skein and four 3-game winning streaks. Also to be included in the Fury's summary collection of winning achievements is a 5-game unblemished skein; 5(4-0-1). The monthly accounting list: October 7(7-0-0); November 13(11-2-0); December 14(11-3-0); January 13(9-3-1); February 9(4-5-0).

HOME HOT NOT!: For the third time thus far this season, the league-leading Fury have sustained back-to-back defeats on home ice. In the process, with their overall season's mark of 30(21-9-0), the "Furious Ones" have already incurred more home setbacks (9) as compared to last season (8); 38(27-8-3). In their last 9-home appearances, the Fury log reads; 9(3-6-0). Saturday night has been particular perplexing for the home town team as they have dropped 4 of their last 5-Saturday night home dates; 5(1-4-0). Nevertheless, the Fury still have attained the third best home mark in the league. The longest home win streak of the season has been 8-in a row; 8(8-0-0) mirroring their initial 8-home dates of the current campaign. Muskegon has also registered one 6-game win skein and one 3-game victory skein.

ROAD REBELS REVEL: Since the opening weekend of this season, the Fury have represented the utter embodi-ment of the consummate road warriors. Through 26-road ventures, they have achieved a magnificent road record of 26(21-4-1); superior to their overall home mark. Astonishingly, the Fury still have not sustained back-to-defeats while seeing the U.S.A. on the UHL roadway in '06-07. They have extracted a minimum one victory verdict from each of the UHL members clubs locales while maintaining a most impressive list of undefeated haunts on the foreign ice expedition, totaling five; Flint 4(4-0-0); Kalamazoo 3(3-0-0); Port Huron 4(3-0-1); Chicago 3(3-0-0); Bloomington 3(3-0-0). In their most recent 9-stops on their expedition trail, the Fury are excelling at 9(6-2-1). Earlier this season, the Fury established an all-time club record with an 11-game road win streak which fell one shy of matching the all-time league standard of 12-straight road wins. The Fury have also earned one 4-game road win streak. Muskegon is now only 3-wins shy of tying the all-time club record for most road wins established just last season in 2005-06 when claiming 24-foreign ice successes through an outstanding mark of 38(24-10-4). The Fury have been especially effective abroad against their own Eastern Division as their 14(12-1-1) record reflects.

THE DIVISION DOCTOR: The Fury have been prospering at the expense of both the Eastern and Western Divis-ions in this, their 15th Anniversary Season. Against their own Eastern Division, the record is 31(23-7-1); at home: 17(11-6-0); road: 14(12-1-1). The breakdown: Elmira 7(6-1-0)32-25; home: 4(4-0-0)17-12; road: 3(2-1-0)15-13. Flint 9(7-2-0)36-17; home: 5(3-2-0)15-11; road: 4(4-0-0)21-6. Port Huron 8(5-2-1)28-24; home: 4(2-2-0)13-13; road: 4(3-0-1) 15-11. Kalamazoo 7(5-2-0)29-18; home: 4(2-2-0)17-10; road: 3(3-0-0)12-8. Western Division: 25(19-6-0); home: 13(10-3-0); road: 12(9-3-0). The breakdown: Chicago 6(6-0-0)21-12; home: 3(3-0-0)10-4; road: 3(3-0-0)11-8. Bloomington 5(5-0-0)26-7; home: 2(2-0-0)10-5; road: 3(3-0-0)16-2. Quad City 5(4-1-0)29-15; home: 3(3-0-0)20-9; road: 2(1-1-0)9-6; Rockford 5(3-2-0)15-20; home: 3(2-1-0)11-13; road: 2(1-1-0)4-7. Fort Wayne 4(1-3-0)8-13; home: 2(0-2-0)4-9; road: 2(1-1-0)4-4.

FIREPOWER ON LOW POWER: Launching the past weekend most auspiciously with an emphatic 6-1 dismissal of the Generals Friday night in Flint, the Fury's chameleon-like offense changed colors, again, mustering a mere 2-PPG the rest of the weekend from Todd Robinson as the Fury were outscored on home ice, 7-2. However, the Fury still enjoy a considerable lead in the UHL in goal-scoring cannoneering. They have struck 225-times in 56-games for a GFA of 4.02. In the month of February, the Fury's high-tech, high-octane offense seemed to lose some of its fire-power, registering only 26-GF in 9-games for a GFA of 2.89. Meanwhile, defensively the Fury rank #4 in the loop with a GAA of 2.71. In February, the GA yield was 34 for a GAA of 3.78.

SARTORIAL SUMMIT: The Fury continue to possess 3 of the top 4 and 4 of the top 9 in the UHL scoring derby. 1- Todd Robinson 56(36-67-103); 3-Rustyn Dolyny 53(22-47-69); 4- Mike Watt 50(32-33-65); 9- Philippe Plante 56(15-42-57). In UHL Goals: 1- Robinson (36) 3- (tied) Watt (32). In UHL Assists: 1- Robinson (67); 2- (tied) Dolyny (47); 4- Plante (42). In PPG: 4- Robinson (12); 6- Watt (11). In PPA: 2- Robinson (25); Plante (25). In SOG: 3- Robinson (250); 4- Watt (246). In GWG: 1- Robinson (10). In SHG: 1- (tied) Robinson (7). In PIM: 5- Adam Smyth (195). In Majors: 6- Kelly Thomson (14). Best PLUS: 1- Dave Van Drunen (+40); 2- Plante (+39); 3- Robinson (+38); 5- Dolyny (+29); 6- Evan Kotsopoulos (+26). In Rookie Scoring: 4- Kotspoulos 55(16-24-40); 7- Elias Godoy 24(11-25-36). In PIM: 1- Kotsopoulos (159). In Minors: 3- Kotsopoulos 32. In Goals: 4-Kotsopoulos (16). On the UHL Defense: 1- Plante (57-points). In the goaltending department, Clayton Pool ranks UHL 4th with a 2.50 GAA and .918 SPCT. Pool is tied for 2nd in the UHL in OTSO/Wins with 4 and is 1st in the UHL in SHOPCT at 18/19; .947. Ryan Cyr has climbed to 8th with a GAA of 2.91.

ROBINSON ROCKINSTAR: During the recently completed three games in three days work week, the league's leading scoring soaring star Todd Robinson fashioned yet another point-filled extravaganza bonanza. Notching a goal in each of the three games, "T. Rob" was 3(3-1-4) for the week with 2-PPG and 1-SHG while recording 15-SOG. Named the game's #2 Star twice on the weekend, he accounted for the only two Fury goals in their back-to-back home losses on the weekend. In the process, the Fury's second all-time career scoring king eclipsed the century-point plateau for the 4th time in his illustrious 8-year pro career and for the third time in 7-seasons under the Fury employ. His 36-goals thus far this season equal his single season pro career high which he accomplished in his very first Fury season back in 2000-01. Robinson is the Fury's nomination for Sher-wood / UHL Player of the Week.

DENYIN' WITH RYAN: Goaltender Ryan Cyr seems to be emerging at an apropos time of the season to insure the breadth of depth in the Fury's key goaltending department. In 2-games the past week, he was 2(1-1-0) with a thrifty GAA of 1.51 and SPCT of .927. For the month of February, the Fury's goal gate guardian accounted for all 4 of his team's victories, posting a 5(4-1-0) record in 6-appearances with a stingy 2.28 GAA and .917 SPCT. In his last 5-outings, his GAA is 1.67 and his SPCT is a healthy .930. Cyr is the Fury's nomination for Southern Sports Supply / UHL Goaltender of the Week, UHL Goaltender of the Month and Easton / UHL Rookie of the Month for February.

THE CAPTAIN COLLECTION: The Fury's three-year captain Rustyn Dolyny seems to be assembling one of his prominent premiere seasons. In the recently concluded month of February, the 6-year pro was his team's second leading point-meister with 9(5-5-10) and enormous 45-SOG. His 5-February goals also tied for the club's top spot. He authored two 2-goal games and one 4-games point streak; 4(5-4-9). His 5-goal output included 2-PPG, 1-GTG, 1-TBG and 1-GWG. Dolyny is the Fury's nomination for Sher-wood / UHL Player of the Month.

WILL AND SKILL FROM PHIL: Veteran defenseman Philippe Plante continues to be the quintessential profess-sional through his all-star performance and demeanor. The past week, he drew key, clutch assists on Fury PPG in two games. For the month of February, he was the Fury's third top scoring ace with 9(1-7-8). He ranks 9th in the UHL's overall scoring chase list this season and continues, as he has since opening night, to lead all UHL defensemen in point-productivity.

THE ACE PLACE WITH CHASE: Showing great, marked improvement in every game that he is in the lineup, first year pro center Chase Trull has made great strides under the tutorship of head coach Bruce Ramsay. One of only three players to play in all 56-games thus far this season for the Fury, the St. Lawrence U. pivot has increased his plus rating to a sound and solid +11. For the season, he is 56(5-10-15) with 95-PIM and 1-GWG. Four of first 5-goals have been collected on the road.

THE PERCOLATE RATE: Much maligned in recent action, the Fury power play seems to be showing a pulse and with a little hint of swagger instead of stagger. In the past weekend's 3-games, the Fury percolated an extra man band strike in each contest, going 3-17 for a proficiency rating of 17.6%. For the season, their power play ranks UHL 6th at 53-349 for a proficiency rating of 15.2%.The penalty-killing cast and crew has been consistently effective, operating at 86.1% efficiency while being ranked a lofty third in the circuit at 341-396. Muskegon is second in the league in SHG with 16.

MOUNT MILESTONE: Rustyn Dolyny (141) has tied Brant Blackned for #3 all-time in Fury career goals. Also, this past week, Dolyny passed Scott Feasby (210) for #5 on the Fury's all-time career assists list with 211. Moreover, Dolyny has catapulted over Sergei Kharin (349) for 4th place on the Fury's all-time point-scoring list with 352. The Fury franchise has now captured 635-regular season victories, by far, the most ever in UHL annals. Todd Robinson's (7) next SHG will equal the Fury's all-time single season record of 8-SHG set back in the 1994-95 season by Brett Seguin.

FEW FUN FURY FAST FACTS FROM "FIC": With their convincing win Friday night at Flint, 6-1, the Fury have hiked their Friday night record to 20(18-2-0) overall and 11(10-1-0) on the road. The Fury's record following a loss this season is a hale and hearty 12(10-2-0). The Fury have derived great road success in 1-goal games this season with a mark 11(9-1-1). In their last 163-regular season games, the Fury have posted a sterling record of 163(115-35-13) for a winning percentage of .745.The Fury own the league's best record when scoring the game's FG at 32(29-3-0). In their last 3-games against nemesis Port Huron, the Fury have posted a 3(1-2-0) record despite outshooting the Flags by a combined margin of 116-50.

RECAP WRAP: Facing the daunting assignment of three games in three days to climax their February schedule, the Fury posted a 3(1-2-0) record; prevailing Friday night on the road in the Flint before returning home only to falter in a pair of contests against Port Huron and Fort Wayne respectively. Friday in Flint, the Fury fused 3-goal infernos in the first and third periods, lacing their lusty assault with 1-PPG and 1-SHG in a 6-1 domination of the Generals. Rustyn Dolyny (2-1-3)PPG/GWG, Mike Watt (1-2-3)FG, Todd Robinson (1-1-2)SHG, Billy Collins and Bill Zalba also connected and Ryan Cyr was superb with 23-saves. Returning home for the duration of the weekend was not euphoric for the Fury as they bowed Saturday night to Port Huron 3-1; despite outshooting the Flags, 33-18 overall and 16-4 in the last period. Todd Robinson (PPG) was the Fury's lone marksman. Cyr suffered the loss in the Fury goal. Sunday the Fury fell to Fort Wayne, 4-1. Again, it was Robinson (PPG) accounting for his team's lone goal.

THE FURY GAME CALENDAR THIS WEEK:

FRIDAY, MARCH 2ND THE FURY AT KALAMAZOO 7:30 PM

SATURDAY, MARCH 3RD THE FURY AT KALAMAZOO 7:30 PM

SUNDAY, MARCH 4TH KALAMAZOO AT THE FURY 2:00 PM

The two nearby archrivals will broach the month of March with four consecutive clashes with three of them being staged at Wings Stadium in Kalamazoo. The Fury currently lead the 12-game season series, 7(5-2-0), including an undefeated 3(3-0-0) mark in Kalamazoo. The Wings enter the week with an 8(6-2-0) record in their 8-games while enjoying a 3-game win streak on the road. Muskegon opens the new month with a 14-points' lead over second place Kalamazoo atop the Eastern Division standings.



International Hockey League 2 Stories from February 26, 2007


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