Flags flying high in Port Huron
Published on December 26, 2005 under International Hockey League 2 (IHL 2) News Release
LAKE ST. LOUIS, MO --- The Port Huron Flags have made a move up the Central Division standings in the United Hockey League (UHL). The Flags have won five straight games and pushed their record to 7-1-2 in their last ten contests. After a somewhat slow start, the Flags have now put themselves into contention in the highly competitive Central Division which is currently led by overall UHL standings leaders Muskegon (40 points) and Kalamazoo (40 points).
During the week, Port Huron won three consecutive decisions by the score of 3-2 in the shootout. Port Huron is no stranger to the shootout during their inaugural UHL season. They have participated in a league high 13 (9-4) shootouts including eight times in their last eleven games.
First-year head coach Paul Willett has relied heavily on Scott Hay between the pipes in recent games. Hay has posted a 5-0-0 record and a stellar .944 save percentage during the five-game winning streak. He currently leads UHL goaltenders with 668 saves. Hay has also been outstanding in the shootout for the Flags, posting a 7-1 record in the extra session. The seven wins in the shootout are the most by any UHL goaltender. Despite facing a league high 42 shooters, Hay ranks fifth in the UHL with a .738 shootout save percentage.
NICHOLS JOINS 300 CLUB - Richmond RiverDogs head coach Robbie Nichols notched his 300th win as a UHL head coach when his team posted a 5-3 win vs. the Elmira Jackals on Wednesday. Fort Wayne's Greg Puhalski (327) and Danbury's Paul Gillis (326) are the only other coaches in UHL history to eclipse the 300-win mark. Nichols is in his first season with the RiverDogs and has coached in parts of nine UHL seasons (Flint 1995-99, 2002-05, Adirondack 1999-2000). In 553 games behind the bench, he has a 301-198-54 record. Nichols also has the most playoff wins in UHL history (39).
REEDS REACHES COACHING MILESTONE - Kalamazoo Wings head coach Mark Reeds recorded the 400th victory in his coaching career when the K-Wings defeated the Muskegon Fury on Friday 4-3. Reeds is in his 10th season as a head coach and has compiled a 400-222-70 record in stints with Kalamazoo, Missouri, and Peoria (ECHL). Reeds has been named UHL Coach of the Year in three of the past four seasons and has 274 wins as a UHL head coach.
AROUND THE LEAGUE
Adirondack Frostbite - (1-0-0) - Adirondack ended a 0 for 16 power play drought on Friday when they went 2 for 6 vs. Roanoke...14 of Adirondack's 18 wins have come vs. Elmira, Richmond, and Roanoke...Left wing Hugo Belanger tallied seven points (2g, 5a) on Friday. It set a team record and was the most points in a UHL game by an individual player since March of 2002...The Frostbite are 7-1-1 in one-goal games this season.
Danbury Trashers - (0-0-1) - Center Drew Omicioli scored the game-tying goal in the third period on Friday vs. Elmira, however the Trashers lost in the shootout for a final score of 3-2...Forward Alex Goupil is tied for the league lead among rookies with 105 shots on goal...Right wing Carlyle Lewis is on a seven-game penalty minute streak...Danbury is unbeaten in regulation in their last ten games (7-0-3).
Elmira Jackals - (1-1-0) - Nick Boucher is fifth among UHL goaltenders in saves (568)...Center Chris Chaput is fourth among league rookies in scoring with 28 points (11g, 17a) and second in assists (17)...Left wing Jarrett Konkle is second among UHL rookies in goals scored (17)...Defenseman Chris Mann is second among rookies and fifth in the entire league with 133 penalty minutes.
Flint Generals - (0-1-1) - The Generals have not won in their last three games...Four of their last six games have gone to a shootout...Flint's last two wins were in the shootout...Jason Saal is fifth among UHL goaltenders in minutes played (1151:14)...Flint leads the UHL in road penalty killing (90.5%) as they have allowed just nine power goals in their 14 road games.
Fort Wayne Komets - (2-0-0) - The Komets are riding a four-game winning streak and are 7-1-0 in their last eight games...Left wing P.C. Drouin is riding a seven-game point streak...Center Mark Smith has scored the first goal of the game in the last four games...Fort Wayne is 11-3-2 when scoring the first goal of the game...Goaltender Kevin St. Pierre has a seven-game winning streak...Center Andrew Luciuk is on a four-game point streak.
Kalamazoo Wings - (2-0-0) - Right wing Dustin Virag played his 300th career game and left wing Lucas Drake played his 100th career game when the K-Wings defeated Muskegon 4-3 on Friday...Drake has five points (3g, 2a) in his last two games...Kalamazoo is unbeaten in regulation in their last four games (3-0-1)...Defenseman Daniel Carriere is fifth in the UHL in assists (27) and second among league defensemen.
Missouri River Otters - (0-1-1) - Left wing Jim Duhart (7g, 6a) continued his point streak as he has scored in all eight games he has played with Missouri this season...Since Duhart has joined the team, the Otters power play is 9 of 40 (22.5%). Overall, Missouri ranks tenth in the UHL on the power play (14.1%)...Center Damian Surma is riding a six-game point streak...The River Otters lead the league with 47 major penalties.
Motor City Mechanics - (0-2-0) - Motor City is the only UHL team to have yet to allow a shorthanded goal on the road, although they have allowed a league high five at home...Despite losing their last two, the Mechanics are 7-3-0 in their last ten games...Center Adam Edinger is tied for third in the league with 19 goals...Forward Tom Kotsopoulos is on a seven-game penalty minute streak.
Muskegon Fury - (1-1-0) - Muskegon suffered just their first regulation road defeat on Friday in the 4-3 loss to Kalamazoo...Right wing Robin Bouchard continues his amazing point streak as he has now scored in all 26 Muskegon games this season...The Fury have a league leading .808 winning percentage...Bouchard (27g, 23a) and center Jeff Nelson (15g, 36a) have both reached the 50-point mark this season.
Port Huron Flags - (2-0-0) - Left wing Brett Lutes is tied for fourth in the UHL with nine power play goals. He also leads the league with eight shootout goals...Left wing Trevor Edwards has a goal in his last two games and is riding a four-game point streak...Port Huron has trailed at some point in each of their last five wins...Goaltender Scott Hay has faced more than 40 shots in four of his last five wins.
Quad City Mallards - (1-0-1) - Quad City wrapped up their nine-game road trip with a 3-4-2 record...Forward Chad Woollard had five goals during the road stretch, including three in the last two games...The Mallards went a perfect 14 of 14 on the penalty kill during the week...Quad City plays ten of their next 12 games vs. their Central Division rivals...The Mallards have outscored their opponents 33-19 in the third period this season.
Richmond RiverDogs - (2-1-0) - Richmond won back-to-back games this week after losing their previous two games...The RiverDogs scored eight goals in regulation in their two wins after scoring just six goals in their previous five games...Richmond overcame deficits to earn their last two wins including two goals in the third period on Friday vs. Flint to send the game to a shootout.
Roanoke Valley Vipers - (2-1-0) - After scoring six goals during the week, left wing David Beauregard is now second in the league with 20 goals...Beauregard scored three different ways during the week (even strength, power play, shorthanded)...Beauregard (2g, 1a), right wing Jan Jas (1g 2a), and forward L.P. Martin (3a) all had three points in the 3-1 win vs. Richmond on Tuesday.
Rockford IceHogs - (0-0-2) - Rockford dropped back-to-back shootout games during the week. They scored just once in nine shootout rounds...Left wing Bruce Watson scored his first two goals of the season in Wednesday's 4-3 shootout loss to Fort Wayne...The IceHogs are unbeaten in regulation in their last four games (2-0-2)... Rookie winger Robin Big Snake ranks second in the UHL in shooting percentage (.260).
International Hockey League 2 Stories from December 26, 2005
- Flags flying high in Port Huron - IHL 2
- Adirondack's Belanger and Quad City's Tapp earn weekly honors - IHL 2
- K-Wings Week In Review - Kalamazoo Wings
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