Fury complete sweep of another week

Published on October 23, 2006 under International Hockey League 2 (IHL 2)
Muskegon Lumberjacks News Release


TOPTEAM TALES: The all-time top winning team in United Hockey League history, the Muskegon Fury, have launched their 15th anniversary season in an utterly jet-propulsion fashion in rocketing to a perfect personified 5(5-0-0) record and a four points advantage over the Eastern Division and overall UHL standings. Under the guidance of first-year head coach Bruce Ramsay, the "Furious Ones" have represented the absolute epitome of excellence as the "Ramsay Regime," incorporating the pre-season schedule, remains unsullied at 7(7-0-0). As they get set to embark upon the third week of the infant season, Muskegon has assumed a four-points lead over second place Eastern Division rival Kalamazoo 3(3-0-0)6-points with the defending champions, Wings, having two games in hand on the league-leaders. It is also a four points edge over Elmira 5(3-2-0)6 with the Jackals gaining a three-games in three days sweep the past weekend over Port Huron 5(1-3-1)3 with the Flags winless in their last 4-starts (0-3-1), trailing the Fury by 7-points. Fifth place Flint 5(1-4-0)2 is 8-points in arrears of the Fury with the Generals in the throes of a 3-game losing streak. In the overall league picture, the men of the Fury fraternity have gained a six points advantage over Chicago 3(2-1-0)4, Fort Wayne 3(2-1-0)4 and Rockford 4(2-2-0)4. This week, the Fury face an abbreviated agenda consisting of two-games in two nights including their last home appearance for two weeks, Friday night against Port Huron. Then on Saturday night, will come the clash of two league titans when Muskegon journeys to Kalamazoo to be hosted by the defending league champions, Wings in a duel of the top two teams of the UHL's '05-06 season and the two teams that have captured the last three Colonial Cup crowns. After this weekend, the Fury will not be at home, again, until Friday night, November 10th when they tackle the Flint Generals.

JUGGERNAUT FRAUGHT: Having launched their 15th anniversary season resoundingly and astoundingly with an impeccable 5(5-0-0) record, the Fury are actually halfway there to equaling the all-time club record, which they recent-ly established last season, when they broached that campaign with their best start ever and a club record 10-game winning streak; 10(10-0-0). The Bruce Ramsay coaching regime has yet to taste the bitter herb of defeat thus far in this embryonic season. Including their two games' sweep of the brief pre-season dress rehearsals, Muskegon is now a flawless 7(7-0-0) since it all began back on October 4th and a pre-season 5-4 OTSO triumph at Kalamazoo. Dating back to last October 2005 when they capped that opening month of the season at 3(3-0-0), the Fury are presently riding the crest of an impressive 8-game win skein for the last two Octobers at 8(8-0-0). In their last 112-regular season games, the Fury have compiled a masterful mark of 112(78-22-12) for a win percentage of a brilliant .754.

HOME STOCK LOCK: On the impetus of their stirring come-from-behind 4-2 victory verdict Saturday night on home ice against previously undefeated Chicago, the Fury have maintained their masterful majesty at home. Thus far this season, they have already composed a faultless 3(3-0-0) record, outscoring the visitors by a combined colossal count of 20-7. Muskegon presently possesses the premiere home record in the UHL and has assembled an amazing regular season home log of 97(76-15-6) in the last 97-regular season home decisions for a winning percentile of an extraordinary .814.

ROAD WIN SPIN: Playing their initial two road games of the season, the Fury were pre-eminent and prevalent. Registering convincing conquests in contests Friday night at Bloomington, 7-1 and Sunday afternoon in Flint by the result of 7-3, the men of the Fury are already 2(2-0-0) abroad, out-goaling the home standing squadron by a sizable advantage of 14-4. It is an important beginning of the winning away for the Fury especially when considering that they ended last season's regular season road schedule with a rather uncharacteristic 4-game losing spell which represented their longest such span of all last season.

DIVISION DOMINANT: When the Fury upended Flint Sunday, 7-3, it was the league-leading team's first adventure into their own Eastern Division's den after playing their first four games against Western Division competition. The divisional dichotomy in these early hours of the season reads as follows: Eastern Division 1(1-0-0)7-3; home: 1(1-0-0)7-3. The breakdown: Flint 1(1-0-0)7-3; road: 1(1-0-0)7-3. Western Division: 4(4-0-0)27-8; home: 3(3-0-0)20-7; road: 1(1-0-0)7-1. The breakdown: Bloomington 2(2-0-0)14-4; home: 1(1-0-0)7-3; road: 1(1-0-0)7-1; Chicago 1(1-0-0)4-2; home: 1(1-0-0)4-2; Quad City 1(1-0-0)9-2; home: 1(1-0-0)9-2.

SCORING SCOURGE SPLURGE: In commandeering three more victories in three days the past weekend, the high-voltage, high-octane Muskegon mighty machine produced a prodigious 18-GF for a GFA of 6.00. For the early stages of this current campaign, they have generated a massive 34-goals in just 5-games for a GFA of a prolific 6.80 to lead the league. At home, 3(3-0-0) connecting on 20-strikes for a GFA of 6.67 and on the road even superior with a record of 2(2-0-0) and 14-GF for a GFA of 7.00. Including the two pre-season results, Muskegon has engineered a sizzling 47-GF in 7-outings for a GFA of 6.71. Defensively, the Fury have also been assertive, allowing an avarice 11-GA in 5-games for a GAA of 2.20 which ranks a lofty circuit second. The Fury have scored 7-GF or more in 4 of their first 5-games for this season.

ON TOP TIMBER: With the league's best offensive weaponry at this juncture of the season, the Fury continue to dominate virtually every major scoring category in the UHL. They have in their arsenal the top 6-scoring sultans in the circuit. 1- Todd Robinson 5(4-11-15); 2- Mike Watt 5(9-2-11); 3- Rustyn Dolyny 5(4-7-11); 4- Elias Godoy 5(4-5-9); 5- Philippe Plante 5(0-9-9); 6- Evan Kotsopoulos 5(5-3-8). Watt's 9-goals lead the UHL with Kotsopoulos (5) running 2nd. Robinson's 11-assists are foremost with Plante close behind with 9. Watt's 3-PPG tie him for tops in the loop with Dolyny's 2-GWG leading the way. Watt leads the league in SOG with 27 while the Fury list the top 5 plus players in the UHL; 1- Watt +11; 2- Plante +10; 3- Robinson +9, Dave Van Drunen +9; 5- Dolyny +7. In UHL rookie scoring, the Fury have the top two in #1 Godoy and #2 Kotsopoulos in points and in goals. Josh Chase +5, Joe Pomaranski +5 share the rookie leadership in this category with Kotsopoulos (+4) closely behind. On the defense, Plante is #1 in scoring with his 9-points and 9-assists and +10 rating with Van Drunen runner-up in the latter department. In the seal of good goalkeeping category, rookie Ryan Cyr is 4th with a 2.00 GAA with Clayton Pool rated 6th at 2.33. Pool's 3-victories tie him for the league's top spot while Cyr's SPCT of .937 ranks UHL 5th.

THIS IS TODD'S TIME: Veteran center Todd Robinson has never been better ever in his 7-year hitch with the home town team. The past week, he artfully authored three consecutive multiple point games, amassing an astronomical 11- points on 3-goals, 8-assists with 15-SOG and +6 rating. In Friday night's 7-1 domination in Bloomington, he was (1-2-3) with the key GWG. In Saturday night's electrifying comeback 4-2 trumping of the Chicagoans, he duplicated that same (1-2-3) output, delivering the late first period PPG that fused his club's comeback counterattack from a 2-0 deficit. He was named the game's #2 Star. "T. Rob" capped his point-proficient weekend with a dynamic 5-points' masterpiece (1-4-5) including the complexion-altering TBG/SHG that severed a 1-1 first period deadlock to fuel his Fury's 7-3 conquest at Flint. He was saluted Star #1 in that triumph. With his personal season-inaugurating 5-games' point streak still intact. Robinson is the Fury's nomination for Sher-wood / UHL Player of the Week.

THE CASE FOR CLAYTON: Starting in goal for his team's first and third games of the ambitious weekend slate, third-year standout Clayton Pool turned in yet another sparkling weekend of puck prevention attention. In his 2-starts, he posted a 2(2-0-0) mark with a 2.00 GAA and superb .930 SPCT. In the Fury's Friday night triumph at Blooming-ton, he rebuked 21 of 22-shots, unfortunately losing his shutout bid with a mere 2:37 remaining in the contest. Never-theless, he did richly earn the game's #1 Star. Sunday in Flint, he repelled 29 of 32 attempts to raise his record to a perfect 3(3-0-0) and improve his all-time Fury best win percentage to a scintillating .730 at 50-16-8. Pool is the Fury's nomination for Southern Sports Supply / UHL Goaltender of the Week.

MIKE MIGHT MAGIC: Left wing Mike Watt's coming out party in the UHL and with the Fury has been met with much critical acclaim and rave reviews. The former Michigan State All-American advanced his season-opening goal scoring streak to all 5-games for the early season when he ripped the chords to the tune of 5-goals in 3-games capped by a spellbinding, riveting 3-goal "hat-trick" Sunday in Flint. For the week, Watt was 3(5-1-6) with a sterling +8 rating, uncorking 1-FG, 1-IG, 1-TG, 1-PPG and 1-GWG along with 13-SOG. He has already delivered 3-multiple goal games in his team's first 5-games of the season.

"RUSTO GUSTO": The captain, Rustyn Dolyny has been getting into the act with his scoring knack. In three games the past weekend, he was 3(2-5-7) with a +6 rating, 11-SOG and two consecutive three point games. In his last 2-games; 2(2-4-6). His early third period strike Saturday night on home ice against Chicago was the key GTG that fueled the Fury's 3-goal comeback attack from a 2-0 shortfall in the team's eventual 4-2 triumph.

THE "JOHNNY I GUY": Fresh from his AHL early season stint with the Chicago Wolves, high-flying Fury blue line ace of the place, Jon Insana has returned to the Muskegon megalopolis with a venomous vengeance. In his last two outings, he fired 2-PPG including the GWG in Saturday's comeback over the Chicago Hounds. For his first 3-games back with the Fury, he is 3(2-2-4) with 12-SOG and +4 rating with both goals of the power play variety.

THE "VANDY" STANDING: Veteran defenseman Dave Van Drunen is, as usual, at the top of his game with his flawlessly effective workhorse-like efforts. For the three games work load, he earned a magnificent +8 rating, which included the equalizing of the UHL's best early season single game positive premium plus performance of +5 in Friday night's victory at Bloomington. Van Drunen's +5 effort matched Philippe Plante for the best thus far this year. "Vandy" has won the Fury Best Plus Player Award in each of the last 2-seasons, posting +37 ratings each time.

PHIL-THRILL: Defenseman Philippe Plante has emerged as one of the UHL's truly predominant members of the blue line brigade. For the week, he was 3(0-3-3) with a +2 rating as he continues to lead all league defensemen in point-productivity while ranked UHL runner-up for best plus.

MSU COUP: When the Fury triggered those 3-unanswered third period goals Saturday night in their comeback 4-2 decision over Chicago, it was Muskegon's MSU triumvirate of All-Americans that inflicted the lethal damage. Captain Rustyn Dolyny tied matters at 1:13 before Jon Insana seized the lead at 12:48 on the power play and Mike Watt sealed it just :23 later with some insurance at the 13:11 mark.

POWER PLAY POTENCY: Percolating five more PPG the past weekend, the Fury man advantage operation ranks a lofty second in the league at 12-49 for a proficiency rating of 24.5%. Their 12-PPG lead the league and have been produced in just 5-games for a per game PPG average of a gaudy 2.4 per game. Muskegon's penalty-killing cast is rated 4th in the loop at 37-43 for an efficiency ratio of 86.0%.

THE MATTER OF MILESTONES: With three more victories over the past weekend, the Fury's inexorable march to 600-UHL wins has nearly reached the promised land. They are at 597 and counting!! Todd Robinson 358(138-364-502) has become only the second player in club history to attain the Fury 500 in points. His 138-career goals leave him just 3-away from tying Brant Blackned (141) for #2 all-time. Robinson's SHG Sunday in Flint was his Fury all-time career high 17th SHG. Rustyn Dolyny 334(122-171-293) is just 7-points from becoming only 6th Fury player to collect 300-points. Clayton Pool has become only the third Fury netminder to achieve 50-career victories. Jon Insana (92) is just 8-points away from pro career 100.

FEW FUN FURY FAST FACTS FROM "FIC": The Fury have outscored their opposition in the first period, 14-3 and in the second period, 12-2 for a combined advantage of 26-5 through the first two stanzas of the first five games of the season. In defeating Flint Sunday, 7-3, the Fury have raised their record to 15(12-2-1) in their last 15-verdicts against the Generals. Last season, when yielding 3-GA or less, the Fury were undefeated at 42(40-0-2); thus far this season, they are unblemished, again, at 5(5-0-0). Muskegon has not yet allotted more than 3-GA in their 5-games.

RECAP WRAP: Facing the daunting assignment of three games in three days, the Fury responded in impressive fashion with the "trifecta." Friday in Bloomington, Muskegon's first road test of the year earned full marks in its 7-1 dismissal of the Prairie Thunder. The 7-goal balanced attack featured 7-assorted marksmen with Evan Kotsopoulos (1-1-2), Todd Robinson (1-2-3)GWG, Bill Zalba (1-2-3), Adam Smyth, in his debut, (1-1-2), Scott Barnes (1-1-2)IG, Mike Watt (FG) and Elias Godoy (PPG) each connecting. Clayton Pool brushed aside 21 of 22-shots in goal. For their lone home game of the week on Saturday, the Fury surmounted a 2-0 deficit to overcome Chicago, 4-2. Robinson (1-2-3)PPG, Rustyn Dolyny (1-2-3)GTG, Jon Insana (TBG/GWG/PPG) and Watt (IG) were the goalgetters with Philippe Plante adding 2-assists. Ryan Cyr made 16-saves as the victors outshot the visitors, 47-18; 20-3 alone in the third period and 34-9 in the final two periods. Sunday in Flint, it was a 7-3 victory verdict for the Muskegonites with Robinson leading the way with (1-4-5)TBG/SHG. Watt (3-1-4)GTG/GWG/PPG, Dolyny (1-2-3), Insana (1-1-2)PPG and Kotsopoulos (IG) also registering. Godoy had 2-assists and Pool claimed the victory with 29-saves.

THE FURY GAME CALENDAR THIS WEEK:

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 27TH PORT HURON AT THE FURY 7:30 PM

For the first time this young season, these two in-division foes will lock horns with the Fury having captured last season's series in unsullied fashion 10(7-0-3). The Flags have a new coach this season in former IHL Detroit Vipers' star Stan Drulia who is a former draft choice of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Port Huron will come to town with a record of 5(1-3-1)3-points with their one victory coming on the road at archrival Flint.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 28TH THE FURY AT KALAMAZOO 7:30 PM

In a titanic tussle featuring the top two teams at regular season's end in '05-06 and the top two and only two undefeated teams thus far this season, the Fury will be hosted by the defending league champions, Wings. The Fury were 11(5-5-1) in 11-duels with Kalamazoo's finest on ice last season and 5(2-2-1) at Wings Stadium. In a pre-season clash on October 4th, also staged in Kalamazoo, the Fury prevailed in the OTSO, 5-4.

THE FURY ARE ON 92.5 "THE OUTLAW": All of the Fury games play-by-play broadcasts, home and away, in their entirety, all season long are on flagship radio station home of WLAW-FM 92.5 FM, "THE OUTLAW" on your FM radio dial. All Fury broadcasts are introduced through a one-half hour pre-game show before the opening face-off. All Fury game broadcasts can also be heard on the world-wide internet at www.furyhockey.com.

THE FURY DAILY UPDATE ON 97.5 "THE CHAMP": Keep up to date with the Fury every day even when there is not a game. Monday through Friday at 6:00 pm, it's the "Fury Hockey Update" on WEFG-FM 97.5, "THE CHAMP."

THE FURY HOTLINE SHOW: Now in its 12th consecutive year, the ever-popular Monday night Fury radio show, FURY HOTLINE is, once again, live every Monday night at its new home of CUTI'S SPORTS BAR & GRILL from 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm with Fury special guests. The program is hosted by the "Voice of the Fury," Terry Ficorelli on its new radio home of WWKR-FM 94.1, WEST MICHIGAN'S 94 K-ROCK" and live on the internet. Just visit the Fury web-site at www.furyhockey.com.

THE FURY TICKET INFORMATION: Tickets for all Fury games are available at the Walker Arena Box Office and all Ticketmaster Centers or by phone at (231) 726-2400. VISA / MASTERCARD are accepted. For great group rates and birthday parties with the Fury, phone (231) 726-FURY (3879).

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



International Hockey League 2 Stories from October 23, 2006


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.

OurSports Central