Indians still under construction
December 9, 2004 - North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Soo Indians News Release
The Indians entered Saturday nights contest with the Toledo Icediggers averaging just over two goals against per game for the past month. In reality the main problem for the defending North Division Champions has not been defending. The Indians rank as one of the lowest offensive teams in the NAHL, averaging under three goals for per game.
On Saturday evening the Indians bombarded the Icediggers net with sixty shots on goal. By most standards, a win would be expected but Toledo scored on 4 of 5 power plays and scored a few third period goals into an empty Indians net to rout the Soo squad 9-2.
"It was certainly an odd game" stated Indians coach Joe Shawhan. "We had nearly one hundred attempts in the game and nearly 80 from grade A areas. Our offensive chances tripled our opponent but an important lesson was learned. Our offense must be generated from our defensive game and we lacked effort on the defensive side of the puck."
The Indians mentor held a short meeting in the hotel after the game, discarded the film in the waste basket and focused on winning a 1-0 game on Sunday.
Once again the Indians bombarded the Icedigger net throughout the contest with an amazing 54 shots on goal, but the defensive effort was much better and the Indians controlled the game from start to finish. In the end the Soo earned a 4-0 road victory and a split of the weekend series.
"We played competitively on Sunday on both sides of the puck," said the coach. "We had more intensity and were more deliberate. There are no secrets to the game. It's been played the same way for 100 years. You have to work hard to get the puck and be creative, yet smart with it when you get it. Our kids did that and got what they earned."
The shutout was the second for the Indians in the past four games for newly acquired netminder Jason Kearney (pictured above) who was named NAHL Defensive Player of the Week last weekend for earning road victories against division leaders Youngstown and USNTDP.
Shawhan is not panicked with the Indians currently occupying the fourth and final playoff spot in the NAHL's Northern Division. "I am honest in evaluating our situation," he said. "We have totally retooled this team since the beginning of the year.
"When our ownership announced that we were folding last January we did not recruit - at all. We are putting together this team as we go, developing what we have into better players and trying to add to those areas needed. Many of our players were never point producers and we are trying to get them to think differently, creatively, so that they do contribute offensively. It is in their best interest as well as ours.
"We started the season 1-7 and now are one game under .500. In the beginning we were the worst team in the NAHL and deserved our last place spot. I certainly would not look forward to playing the Soo Indians right now."
The Indians will look to gain ground as they host North Division frontrunner USNTDP for two games this weekend.
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North American Hockey League Stories from December 9, 2004
- Bighorns notch record seventh straight win - Helena Bighorns
- Ringing in the season - Bismarck Bobcats
- Ribiero's breakout weekend earns Sher-Wood NAHL Offensive Player of the Week honors - Springfield Jr. Blues
- Tornado fight back for two wins despite Friday loss - Texas Tornado
- Jets Alaska trip ends with two wins, plenty of memories - Fargo-Moorhead Jets
- Indians still under construction - Soo Indians
- Wildcats drop a pair - Wichita Falls Wildcats
- Blizzard win two on Montana trip - Alexandria Blizzard
- Three-win weekend vaults Phantoms into first place - Mahoning Valley Phantoms
- USNTDP players 'equal' to the pros - Yzerman - U.S. National Team
- Kessel, 13 NAHL alumni to help defend world junior title - NAHL
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