Ice Miners Prepare for Blaine Showcase
September 16, 2014 - North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Keystone Ice Miners News Release
CONNELLSVILLE, PA - The Ice Miners will depart from Connellsville at 8:00 PM local time tonight, headed for Blaine, Minnesota for the annual NAHL Showcase. All 24 NAHL teams will meet at the Schwan Super Rink, a large eight-rink complex in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area.
The Ice Miners will play out of division opponents, Topeka (2-0-0), Austin (0-0-0), Aberdeen (0-0-0), and Corpus Christi (0-1-1) - one game each day between Wednesday and Saturday.
"It's always good to see what the other divisions are looking like with the new format now," said head coach Michael Gershon. "We could see any of the other three divisions in the playoffs. It's always good to get a little bit of a barometer of where they're at and what type of systems they play. It's also nice to play somebody outside the division that we don't already play four, six, or eight times."
Keystone is 1-0-0 on the season after defeating the Johnstown Tomahawks, 5-4 in their home opener Saturday night at The Ice Mine. Although they got the win, Gershon says there is a lot to improve upon.
"We just want to just play our systems. We need to get back to playing the way we want to play - not worrying about the score or how individual guys are playing and play as a group," Gershon said. "When we play as a five man unit, we're really good. As individuals we're at a disadvantage and I think the players understand that now - we've had two good days of practice and we're excited to get up [to Blaine.]"
The Ice Miners added forwards Matt Jones and Michael Maiden to the roster this week, bringing the numbers to 27 for the Showcase.
"Everyone that's coming to Blaine is going to get in the lineup this weekend and with the way we play I think it will keep us a little fresher than some other teams that only play their top lines," Gershon said. "For us - yeah we want to go out there and win but at the same time it's about showcasing the players - they all need to play, they all deserve to play a game in the league and in front of these college scouts and potentially NHL scouts."
The complete Ice Miners Showcase Schedule is listed below. All games will be broadcast live on FASTHockey.com.
Wednesday: 6:00 PM ET vs. Topeka Roadrunners
Thursday: 11:30 AM ET vs. Austin Bruins
Friday: 5:45 PM ET vs. Aberdeen Wings
Saturday: 10:30 AM ET vs. Corpus Christi IceRays
The Ice Miners next home games will be during "opening weekend" on October 4th and 5th against the Michigan Warriors. Tickets are now available for online purchase to all home games.
• Discuss this story on the North American Hockey League message board...
North American Hockey League Stories from September 16, 2014
- Lomsnes and Michaud Earn Weekly Honors - Corpus Christi IceRays
- Daniel Rzavsky Named South Star of the Week - Topeka Pilots
- Wilderness Donate to Local Food Shelter - Minnesota Wilderness
- Player Spotlight: Nolan Schaeffer - Minnesota Magicians
- Ice Miners Prepare for Blaine Showcase - Keystone Ice Miners
- NAHL Announces Divisional Stars of the Week Presented by Easton - NAHL
- Wilderness Top Blizzard 6-2 - Minnesota Wilderness
- Bulls Begin Season at NAHL Showcase Wednesday Morning - Amarillo Bulls
- How You Can See the Runners and Caps this Week - Topeka Pilots
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.
