Icehawks Face Crucial Week, Three Games With Flint

Published on February 18, 2008 under International Hockey League 2 (IHL 2)
Port Huron Icehawks News Release


PORT HURON, Mich. - The Port Huron Icehawks moved up and down in the IHL standings last week, but ended the week at third place in a tight standings picture.

With a win Wednesday over Muskegon, the Icehawks moved into sole possession of second place in the IHL, but a loss Friday to Flint and another on Saturday versus Kalamazoo sent the Icehawks to third place in the standings.

The Icehawks were also slated to play at Muskegon on Sunday, but the game was cancelled due to icy road conditions.

The Icehawks currently hold a record of 26-25-0-2 and 54 points in a close race to the playoffs.

Flint leads Port Huron by two points, while the Icehawks lead the Fury by just one point. Kalamazoo is at fifth place with 50 points, while Bloomington is ranked sixth with 42 points.

This week is another crucial one for Port Huron, as they face Flint in three straight games. They play at Perani Arena on Friday and Saturday and host the Generals at home on Sunday. The Icehawks currently lead the season series with the Generals 6-5, with one overtime win and two shootout wins.

The Icehawks have a number of important games coming up. After three straight with Flint, they take on the Muskegon Fury in three consecutive games. Flint has eight games in hand on Port Huron, while Muskegon has four.

"This will be a crucial stretch for us, but we have played more games than any team in the league," head coach and general manager Stan Drulia said. "While we play three games each week, the other teams will be playing catch up with tough schedules. We need to take advantage of that."

Vogel Returns: The Icehawks were shutout by a familiar foe on Saturday as Ron Vogel turned away 44 shots to propel the Kalamazoo Wings to a 2-0 victory at McMorran Arena. Ironically, Vogel's first start in three months came in a K-Wings jersey versus his former team. The netminder was waived by the Icehawks last week and signed by Kalamazoo as a free agent. He played just nine games with Port Huron this season and had been out since November 29 due to an injury. The win also marked the second straight game that the K-Wings earned a shutout versus the Icehawks.

Vogel was joined on the ice by former Icehawks teammate Mark Nebus who was waived by Port Huron on Wednesday and picked up by Kalamazoo. Nebus had one assist in the game.

Let's Get Physical: The Icehawks saw highs and lows as far as penalty minutes last week. Wednesday's game with Muskegon saw the whistle blow for just three penalties and six penalty minutes which tied a season low for the Icehawks. Friday game was a different story, as an all-out brawl versus Flint led to 138 penalty minutes in the third period alone, and a total of 160 penalty minutes throughout the game, both season highs for the Port Huron. The brawl saw all players on the ice drop their gloves, even goalies Marty Magers and Matt Spezza.

Suspensions Handed Out: Friday's brawl versus Flint resulted in the first Icehawks suspensions of the season. Center Mike Olynyk was suspended for one game for instigating the fight, while right wing Robert Snowball was suspended for five games for leaving the penalty box.

Carroll Corner: With a goal and an assist on Wednesday and an assist on Friday, rookie Jamie Carroll has now averaged a point per game in his last 13 games, with five goals and ten assists in that span. He is ranked second among IHL rookies with 49 points for the season (20-29-49).

Hildenbrand Signed: Center Steve Hildenbrand (5-10, 182 lbs) returned to Port Huron Saturday after a brief break from the game. He played with the Port Huron Flags last season and tallied 47 points (14g, 33a) and 96 penalty minutes in 61 games.

The Belle River, Ontario native spent five years with various ECHL teams before coming to Port Huron. During the 2003-04 season, he also played one regular season game and four playoff games with AHL Cleveland Barons and tallied a total of four points (1g, 3a). His most prolific season came in 2005-06 when he recorded 69 points (29g, 40a) with the San Diego Gulls.

Injury Updates: Defenseman Jeremy Leroux was activated from the IR Friday. Chris Bogas (10-Day, 02/13/08) remains on IR, while Jeremy Tucker was added to the IR Saturday (7-Day, 02/16/08).

Straight Shooters: The Icehawks have outshot their opponent in 36 of 53 games this season, and 15 of their last 17. They also continue to lead the league for shots in all three periods and total shots (1,779).

Practice Info: Team practices are open to the public and held Tuesday through Thursday from 9:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. and most Friday's from 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 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. The Icehawks have also instituted a new walk-up ticket discount. Walk-up tickets for children 14 and under and senior citizens 62 and over will be just $5 when purchased on game days at the Port Huron Icehawks office or the McMorran Arena box office. For more info call 810-966-3800.

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International Hockey League 2 Stories from February 18, 2008


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