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Home success carries Mallards to Midwest Division lead

Published on November 30, 2015 under ECHL (ECHL) News Release


With eight straight wins at home and a 10-0-1 mark in their last 11 games at iWireless Center, the Quad City Mallards have moved into the top spot in the Midwest Division. Quad City is 11-7-3 overall this season and with 25 points, holds a two-point lead over Cincinnati for the division lead.

After beginning last week with a 4-1 loss at Missouri on Wednesday, the Mallards returned for three games over the weekend, and started the stretch with a 3-1 over Kalamazoo on Friday. Sam Warning led the way for Quad City in the win with a pair of goals while Guillaume Gelinas chipped in with two assists. Steve Michalek picked up the win in goal with 34 saves on 35 K-Wings' shots.

On Saturday, Quad City edged Cincinnati 2-1 in a showdown of the top two teams in the Midwest Division. Matt Neal and Olivier Archambault provided the Mallards' offense in the win and Brody Hoffman stopped 30 shots, including 13 in the final period, to earn the win.

The Mallards ended the week with a final minute comeback win over Indy on Sunday. Trailing 2-0 in the closing minute of regulation, Ryan Tesink scored with 30 seconds left to make it a one-goal game and Neal scored with 11 seconds left to force overtime. In the extra session, Austin Coldwell scored his first goal of the season with 46 seconds remaining to give Quad City the win.

Neal has been one of the top rookies in the ECHL this season as he is tied for first among first-year players with nine goals and is fourth among rookies with 18 points. Fellow rookie Zach Pochiro is tied for eighth among first-year players with 13 points (5g-8a). Archambault leads the Mallards, and is tied for 10th in the league, with 19 points (6g-13a) in 17 games.

Michalek ranks 11th overall among goaltenders, and is fourth among rookies, with a 2.22 goals-against average. His .927 save percentage is seventh overall and second among first-year goaltenders.

The Mallards open a four-game road trip with a pair of games this week, traveling to Cincinnati on Tuesday and Evansville on Saturday.

Christie closes in on career wins record

With two wins last week, Tulsa Oilers' head coach Jason Christie is on the verge of setting a new ECHL record for most career wins.

Christie enters the week with 490 wins in 13 ECHL seasons with Peoria, Utah, Ontario and Tulsa. The all-time ECHL coaching wins leader is John Marks, a 2012 inductee into the ECHL Hall of Fame, who won 491 games in 15 seasons with Charlotte, Greenville, Pensacola and Augusta.

He has led his team to the Kelly Cup Playoffs in 10 of his first 12 ECHL seasons and has won 40 or more games eight times. Christie's 880 games coached rank fourth in league history, trailing third-place John Brophy, a 2009 inductee into the ECHL Hall of Fame, by just two games.

A look ahead

Games to watch in the ECHL during the week ahead. Watch ECHL games live on ECHL.TV.

Eastern Conference

Atlanta at Orlando (Saturday and Sunday)

The tightly-packed South Division features the top four teams separated by just eight points. The Gladiators enter the week in third place with 21 points while the Solar Bears are in fourth place with 20 points.

Western Conference

Quad City at Cincinnati (Tuesday)

Entering the week, the Mallards have a two-point lead on the Cyclones for first place in the Midwest Division.

Divisions

East Division

- Drew Fielding posted a 32-save shutout in his pro debut on Sunday against Greenville.

- The Thunder are tied for second with 2.00 goals-against per game.

- Adirondack visits Brampton on Thursday and hosts the Beast on Friday.

- Nathan Oystrick is second among defensemen with seven power-play assists.

- The Jackals are 6-1-0 in one-goal games.

- Elmira hosts Kalamazoo on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday and visits Wheeling on Sunday.

- Yann Sauve is on a seven-game point streak (1g-8a).

- Manchester is 10-0-0 when scoring three or more goals.

- The Monarchs host Reading on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

- Ty Rimmer is second with 487 saves.

- The Admirals are tied for fourth with three shorthanded goals.

- Norfolk hosts South Carolina on Wednesday and visits Greenville on Saturday.

- Mike Pereira is on a three-game goal streak (3g).

- Reading has outscored its opponents 23-9 in the third period.

- The Royals are at Manchester on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

North Division

- Brandon Marino had five assists in three games last week.

- The Beast are tied for fifth on the power play at 21.7 percent (15-for-69).

- Brampton hosts Adirondack on Thursday, visits the Thunder on Friday and hosts Kalamazoo on Sunday.

- Tanner Sorenson has at least one point in five of his last six games.

- Kalamazoo is 4-1-2 in one-goal games.

- The K-Wings are at Elmira on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday and Brampton on Sunday.

- Jeff Lerg has won his last three starts.

- The Walleye are 5-0-3 in their last eight games.

- Toledo is at Indy on Thursday and Friday.

- Zack Torquato has eight goals in 13 games.

- Wheeling is 4-1-1 in its last six home games.

- The Nailers host South Carolina on Friday and Saturday and Elmira on Sunday.

South Division

- Derek Nesbitt is on a four-game point streak (3g-3a).

- Atlanta is 7-0-0 when scoring four or more goals.

- The Gladiators are at Orlando on Saturday and Sunday.

- Daniel Altshuller leads the league with three shutouts and a 1.33 goals-against average.

- The Everblades are second with 3.57 goals per game.

- Florida is at Idaho on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.

- Richard Nejezchleb has points in six of his seven games (1g- 5a) with the Swamp Rabbits.

- Greenville is 8-1-0 when scoring at least one power-play goal.

- The Swamp Rabbits host Cincinnati on Thursday and Friday and Norfolk on Saturday.

- Eric Baier leads defensemen with 19 points (5g-14a).

- Orlando is tied for the league lead with six shorthanded goals.

- The Solar Bears host South Carolina on Monday and Atlanta on Saturday and Sunday.

- Vitek Vanecek has allowed two goals or less in nine of his last 10 starts.

- South Carolina is 8-0-2 when scoring first.

- The Stingrays are at Orlando on Monday, Norfolk on Wednesday, Wheeling on Friday and Saturday and Indy on Sunday.

Midwest Division

- Joe Wilson has points in four of his last five games (2g-2a).

- The Cyclones play 17 of their next 24 games on the road.

- Cincinnati hosts Quad City on Tuesday and is at Greenville on Thursday and Friday.

- Tyson Fawcett leads the IceMen with eight goals.

- Evansville is 5-1-0 when leading after two periods.

- The IceMen host Missouri on Wednesday, Fort Wayne on Friday and Quad City on Sunday.

- Cody Corbett scored the overtime game-winning goal in both of Fort Wayne's wins last week.

- The Komets are 3-0 in games decided in overtime.

- Fort Wayne visits Evansville on Friday.

- Cody Sharib is tied for third among rookies with a 25.0 percent shooting percentage (5-for-20).

- Indy is third on the penalty kill at 88.2 percent (45-for-51).

- The Fuel host Toledo on Thursday and Friday and South Carolina on Sunday.

- Steve Michalek is on a four-game winning streak during which he has posted a 1.49 goals-against average and a .954 save percentage.

- The Mallards have won eight straight home games and are unbeaten in regulation in their last 11 home games (10-0-1).

- Quad City visits Cincinnati on Tuesday and Evansville on Saturday.

Central Division

- Chad Costello scored his 500th career point on Saturday at Utah.

- Allen is 10-1-0 when scoring first.

- The Americans host Rapid City on Friday and Utah on Saturday.

- Jesse Root is on a five-game goal streak (6g).

- The Mavericks are the league's least-penalized team with 8.85 penalty minutes per game.

- Missouri is at Evansville on Wednesday and hosts Wichita on Saturday.

- Emerson Clark has six points (4g-2a) in six games since being acquired in a trade with Greenville.

- Tulsa is in the midst of an eight-game home stand and does not play another road game until Dec. 21.

- The Oilers host Rapid City on Wednesday and Utah on Thursday.

- Danick Gauthier has five goals in the last four games.

- The Thunder open a seven-game road trip on Saturday.

- Wichita visits Missouri on Saturday.

West Division

- Gleason Fournier had two-goal games against Evansville on both Saturday and Sunday.

- Alaska has had at least 40 shots on goal in three straight games.

- The Aces host Colorado on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.

- Jake Marto is tied for fourth among defensemen with 12 assists.

- The Eagles lead the league with 24.53 shots-against per game.

- Colorado is at Alaska on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.

- Jefferson Dahl has scored each of his last three goals on the power play.

- Idaho returns home this week after wrapping up its season-long nine-game road trip.

- The Steelheads host Florida on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.

- Winston Day Chief leads Rapid City with 13 points (4g-9a).

- The Rush are 5-0-2 in one-goal games.

- Rapid City is at Tulsa on Wednesday and Allen on Friday.

- Connor Hardowa is tied for second among defensemen in plus-minus at +13.

- Utah has scored five shorthanded goals in its last eight games.

- The Grizzlies are at Tulsa on Thursday and Allen on Saturday.

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ECHL Stories from November 30, 2015


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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