Icehawks Continue Home Stand This Weekend

Published on December 10, 2007 under International Hockey League 2 (IHL 2)
Port Huron Icehawks News Release


PORT HURON, Mich. - The Port Huron Icehawks returned to McMorran Arena last weekend riding a five game road win streak, but found a much different result on home ice.

Port Huron dropped three tough contests-including two showdowns for first place in the International Hockey League-and fell to third place in the standings with a record of 11-11-0-0 and 22 points.

"It was a tough weekend, but we are only three points out of first," head coach and general manager Stan Drulia said. "We played hard against both Flint and Fort Wayne but gave up game winning goals late in the third period. We need to show up ready to work this weekend."

The first place showdowns Saturday and Sunday versus Flint and Fort Wayne were close contests, with the game winning goal surrendered with less than three minutes to play. That was an area where Port Huron had been solid up to date as the Icehawks entered the weekend 7-1 in one-goal games.

Port Huron will look to end their home winless streak this weekend, when they conclude a five game home stand with a rematch Friday with Fort Wayne and a showdown on Saturday with Bloomington.

A Look Back: Brent Hughes and Tab Lardner both scored on Friday, but the Icehawks dropped a 4-2 contest to the Kalamazoo Wings. Kalamazoo is the only IHL foe Port Huron has yet to beat this season.

On Saturday, Port Huron entered a game with Flint tied with the Generals for first place. The game was tied 1-1 for much of the second and third periods before Jason Cirone notched the game winning goal with less than three minutes left to play. Defenseman Mark DeSantis scored for the Icehawks.

On Sunday, the Icehawks faced Fort Wayne, with at least a share of first place in the IHL up for grabs. Tab Lardner landed a goal at the 15:10 mark in the third period to bring the game to a 2-2 tie. Fort Wayne's Guy Dupuis responded with a goal past Icehawks goalie Marty Magers several minutes later for the win. The Icehawks pulled Magers with less than a minute to play, but could not connect on any of their scoring chances. Mathieu Curadeau then took advantage of the empty net with just one second left on the clock to bring the victory to a 4-2 margin. The Icehawks are now 3-3 on the season series with the Komets.

Lets Get Physical: Last weekend's games were physical contests, with a total of 55 penalties and 146 penalty minutes dished out in three games. The Icehawks continue to lead the league for minor penalties with 151 this season.

Called Up To The AHL: Icehawks forwards Jamie Carroll and Neil Clark were called up Sunday to to join the Grand Rapids Griffins, the AAA affiliate of the Detroit Red Wings in the American Hockey League. Clark participated in the training camp for the Red Wings in September. The tough left wing impressed coaches during camp and went on to join the Red Wings for two exhibition games. He then attended camp with the Griffins, before being assigned to the Icehawks. The 26-year old has posted 22 penalty minutes in nine games with Port Huron this season. He missed 13 games due to an ankle injury.

Carroll (6-2, 215 lbs) has been impressive in his first professional season. The 24-year old Andover, Conn. native has posted 22 points in 22 games with the Icehawks (12-10-22), and holds a plus/minus rating of +7. He leads the International Hockey League for shots on goal with 91, is ranked fourth for scoring (22 pts) and is tied for second for goals scored (12).

Clark and Carroll are not the only Icehawks that have been promoted this season. Goalie Marty Magers was called up on Friday to the AHL Rockford IceHogs. He returned to Port Huron's starting lineup on Sunday.

Lighting the Lamp: Entering week nine of IHL action, Port Huron has played more games than any other IHL team with 22. They lead the league for goals with 70. Three Icehawks players

are also among the league scoring leaders. Tab Lardner is tied with Fort Wayne's Luciano Aquino and Flint's Jordan Fox for first place for scoring with 23 points, Jamie Carroll is fourth with 22 points and Jeff Zehr is sixth with 20 points.

Snowball Fight: Robert Snowball returned to Port Huron and Neil Clark jumped back into the lineup and immediately made an impact-with their fists. A fan favorite who racked up 231 penalty minutes in Port Huron a year ago, Snowball returned to hockey following his graduation from firefighting school. The team also activated Clark from the IR on Friday. Both Snowball and Clark got in fights during Friday's game with Kalamazoo, a tough game that saw 21 penalties. In Sunday's game with Fort Wayne, Snowball got in a scrap with Fort Wayne's Oliver Legault just six seconds after the first puck dropped.

Perfect After Hours: The Icehawks are flawless in extended games this season, with an overtime win (2-1 over Fort Wayne on Nov. 30) and two shootout wins, both versus the Generals. Port Huron is the only IHL team that hasn't dropped an overtime contest or shootout. Port Huron needed just two shooters in a 4-3 win over Flint on Oct. 27. Brian Felsner and Carroll landed back-to-back goals during shootout action and Ron Vogel stopped both General attacks. The Icehawks needed six shooters on Nov. 11 versus Flint. Jamie Lovell and Jeremy Leroux both found the back of the net to nail down the 6-5 victory. The Generals have not been able to get a shot past the Icehawks goalies in a shootout this season.

Injury Updates: Defenseman Chris Bogas was activated Sunday after sitting out the previous two games due to injury. Defenseman Chris Gehrke was added to the seven day injured reserve list on Dec. 9. He joins goalie Ron Vogel on IR.

Misc. Icehawks Notes: The Icehawks are 5-2 when they score first and 8-2 in one goal games. Port Huron is 7-5 when outshooting its opponents.

Power Play To Fight Multiple Sclerosis: Icehawks forward Jeff Zehr has made a commitment to fight Multiple Sclerosis. For every power play goal Zehr scores this year, he will donate money to the Multiple Sclerosis Society. The Icehawks management has agreed to match his contributions. He has posted three power play goals so far this season.

Teddy Bear Toss: The Icehawks will hold the first annual Meijer Teddy Bear Toss during Saturday's contest with Bloomington. Bring a new teddy bear or purchase one during the game to throw onto the ice after the first Icehawks goal. Bears will be collected and donated to the Salvation Army courtesy of Meijer.

Scouting Outing: A Scout Night is scheduled for Saturday. Local Boys Scouts and Girl Scouts are invited to attend the game and receive a free patch. Group rates are available.

Practice Info: Team practices are open to the public and held Tuesday through Thursday from 9:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. and Friday 10 a.m.-11 a.m. at McMorran Arena, 701 McMorran Blvd., downtown Port Huron.

Icehawks on the Radio: All 76 of the Icehawks regular season games, along with all playoff contests will air on AM 1450 WHLS and AM 1590 WHLX for the 2007-2008 season. RadioFirst Sports Director Dennis Stuckey will return to the booth to call all the action both at home and on the road.

The Icehawks weekly radio show "Coaches Corner" will air every Thursday from 6 p.m. - 7p.m. at the Huron Athletic Club, 319 Huron Avenue, downtown Port Huron. Head coach and general manager Stan Drulia and several players will join RadioFirst sportscaster Dennis Stuckey for the broadcast which will air on AM 1450 WHLS and AM 1590 WHLX.

Icehawks on the Internet: All Port Huron Icehawks games can be viewed online live with B2 Networks. Broadcasts cost $6 each and can be purchased 10 minutes before the start of the game. To view you must have a current version of Windows Media Player and a high speed internet connection. More information can be found at www.ihl-hockey.com or www.b2livetv.com.

Get Your Tickets: Tickets are available now by calling 1-810-966-3800, at the Icehawks offices, McMorran Arena box office, all Ticketmaster locations and www.ticketmaster.com. Ticket information can be found online at www.porthuronicehawks.com.

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International Hockey League 2 Stories from December 10, 2007


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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