Jets monthly
December 4, 2007 - North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Fargo-Moorhead Jets News Release
(Fargo, ND) - As the first half of the season comes to an end, the Jets lost a little ground. Currently fifth in the standings, they have some work to do in order to regain their momentum. Here's a brief overview of this month's performance.
NOVEMBER 2007
Thu, Nov 1 Fargo-Moorhead 0 Northern Iowa 5 0 - 5
Fri, Nov 2 Fargo-Moorhead 0 Northern Iowa 3 0 - 3
Fri, Nov 9 Fargo-Moorhead 6 Marquette 3 6 - 3
Sat, Nov 10 Fargo-Moorhead 2 Marquette 5 4 - 5
Fri, Nov 16 Fargo-Moorhead 3 Northern Iowa 4 3 - 5
Sat, Nov 17 Fargo-Moorhead 1 Northern Iowa 5 1 - 5
Fri, Nov 23 Fargo-Moorhead 1 Northern Iowa 3 1 - 3
Sat, Nov 24 Fargo-Moorhead 3 Northern Iowa 6 3 - 6
Fri, Nov 30 Fargo-Moorhead 0 Bismarck 3 0 - 3
Power-Play Players
The FM Jets have accumulated 24 Power Play Goals thus far, along with 50 Power Play Assists. As one of the division's Power Play leaders, the Jets are excellent at capitalizing when a Power Play falls into their favor. Jets' Forward Robby Phillip is leading the team with 5 PPG, followed by Jordy Trottier with 4 PPG, and Andrew Harrison with 3 PPG. Mark Mihulka hits the top for the most Power Play assists; both with 10 PPA, followed by Erick Galt with 9 PPA. Robby Phillip is on the leader board a second time with 7 PPA.
Vs. Central
Team GP W L OTL PTS PCT GF GA PIM HOME AWAY
North Iowa 18 15 2 1 31 .861 71 31 300 11-1-0 4-1-1
Springfield 23 12 9 2 26 .565 92 79 485 7-3-2 5-6-0
Southern Minnesota 21 10 8 3 23 .548 73 75 483 5-6-1 5-2-2
Bismarck 23 10 11 2 22 .478 68 82 474 3-3-1 7-8-1
Fargo-Moorhead 23 9 13 1 19 .413 79 87 380 6-7-1 3-6-0
Alexandria 19 3 14 2 8 .211 53 91 514 2-8-2 1-6-0
Three-Headed Monster
The Jets' air travel has been captained by their top three point leaders, Marc Mihulka, Robby Phillip, and Mark Harrie. Mihulka is leading the threesome with 25 points (9G 16A) and is the fifth leading scorer in the Central Division, and is ranked 15th overall in the NAHL. The Jets' next leader is Robby Phillip. Phillip has acquired 20 points
(7G 13A) so far this season, followed closely by Mark Harrie with 19 points (7G 12A). With Andrew Harrison (8G 7A), Jordy Trottier (5G 8A), and Mark Johnson (G A) right on their tails, the Jets just need a little extra push to give their opponents a dose of double the trouble.
Beaudette and Niedzielak Flying for the Jets
The Jets were able to pick up Joe Beaudette (Blaine, MN) from the Indiana Ice of the USHL on Friday November 9th. Beaudette is listed as 6' 2" 183 lb forward who played in 19 games between Omaha and Indiana with three points (1G, 2A). During his senior season with the Bengals, Joe produced 60 points (32G, 28A) including a hat-trick against Champlin Park and four points against Wayzata and Burnsville. He led his team in goals and was second in assists while carrying them 16-2 in conference play and 22-8 overall.
The Jets were also able to snipe Tim Niedzielak (Chicago, IL) from the Springfield Jr. Blues of the NAHL. Niedzielak towers at 6' 3" and carries 220 pounds of solid defense to the ice. Tim played with the Jr. Blues since 2006 appearing in 49 games collecting eight points (1G, 7A) during his tenure. Already with the Jets, Niedzielak has been awarded with a Player of the Week nomination during Nov.23-29, after only two games with his new team.
Opponents at a Glance
The North Iowa Outlaws (15-2) have taken the division by force this season, falling only twice-both losses to teams outside the central division, giving them a huge edge over the entire division, as they have a five point lead over second ranked Springfield (12-9). The Jets (9-13) have fallen from their third place standing, down to fifth, being surpassed by both Southern Minnesota (10-8) and Bismarck (10-11). Not to worry, though, because the Jets are only trailing both teams by just one win. With some good teamwork and perseverance in December, the Jets could even out the playing field and boost their standings up a notch or two. Alexandria, the final contender of the central division, seems to have gotten lost in the masses of skates, sticks, and pucks. Coming into the last month of the year with a 3-14 record, the Jets feel comfortable looking at the competition to come and who they need to defeat without having to keep an eye on their backs. With a successful six games this next month, the Jets could be back sitting pretty, and can start the new year off comfortably, without having to gain lost ground.
Blast from the Past
Last season at this point, the Jets had a 16-8 record, and ended the season at the top of the division. The Jets lost their top five leading scorers from last season (Echternach, Connolly, Moreland, Johnson, Adams), and have basically had to start over playing with a completely new team. Double your flavor with the same record (16-8) in the 2005-2006 season. The alumni from both previous seasons have left the Jets with some big shoes to fill, but with over half the season left, they have plenty of time to rise to the occasion.
December Flight Plans
The Jets will be spending most of December traveling between Alexandria and Bismarck, as they have three games with both the Blizzard (3-14) and the Bobcats (10-11) to end the year. As of the current standings, the Jets are smack dab in between these two teams, only trailing Bismarck by one win. The Alexandria Blizzard have only won three games thus far, posing only a very subtle, if any, kind of threat to the Jets. With six games to make some magic happen, the Jets will hopefully bring in the new year with a 15-13 record.
The FM Jets Junior A Hockey Club is in its fifth season as members of the North American Hockey League. The NAHL is the nation's largest Junior A hockey league and is now in its 32nd year of operation. For more information, visit fmjets.com or call (701) 235-2354.
Jets home games are played at the John E. Carlson Coliseum in Fargo, ND. All games are broadcasted on Today's Hot New Country 103.9 THE TRUCK, video broadcast through B/2 Network and audiosportsonline.com.
North American Hockey League Stories from December 4, 2007
- Stars tender two - Traverse City North Stars
- IceDiggers home Thursday - Alpena IceDiggers
- U.S. National Under-17 Team Weekly - U.S. National Team
- Bobcats take Jets 3-0, 'Cats vs Outlaws This Weekend - Bismarck Bobcats
- Jets monthly - Fargo-Moorhead Jets
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