Jets One Win From Advancing
April 9, 2007 - North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Fargo-Moorhead Jets News Release
Fargo (ND) The chalk is holding serve so far in this North American Hockey League Central Division first round series. The Fargo-Moorhead Jets have jumped out to a 2-0 lead in their Best-of-Five series with the North Iowa Outlaws after winning twice last weekend at the Carlson Coliseum.
The #1 seed FM Jets came back with 1-0 and 2-1 deficits to win 5-2 in the series opener on April 6th, and then held on for a 2-1 victory the next night over the #4 seed North Iowa.
Since 2003-2004, no NAHL team that has taken a 2-0 lead in a series has lost in a Best-of-Five setting. The FM Jets will be going for their third series sweep in team history when the series resumes on Friday April 13th in Mason City, IA.
"Nothing is over yet especially with us heading there for the next two games" said head coach Chad Johnson. "Falling into complacency would kill us, but that said, this is the scenario we wanted with the first two games at home."
Brooks DeZellar (Eden Prairie, MN) and Andrew Harrison (Temperance, MI) scored two goals to open the series, while Chris Connolly (Duluth, MN) had a goal and three assists and Robby Philipp (Thief River Falls, MN) had three assists.
The play of the rookies DeZellar and Philipp headline a very encouraging trend for the FM Jets who saw their first-year players step up. Including DeZellar and Philipp, rookies accounted for 8 the team's 21 points in the first two games. Greg Braun (Carmel, IN) had two assists and Marc Mihulka (Grand Forks, ND) had one assist.
In goal, Minnesota State-Mankato recruit Austin Lee (Bloomington, MN) was strong in his first Junior A postseason action stopping 96% of the North Iowa shots he faced. He made 17 third period saves in the Game Two victory to preserve the 2-1 win.
"Austin gave the type of playoff performance a team needs from its goaltender in order to win games" added Johnson. "(North Iowa) was able to get some great looks and Austin held them back."
North Iowa has been hampered by an ineffective power play which is 0/15 and has received no production from its top scorers. Steve McLeod had 62 points and Max Mobley had 52 points during the regular season but both have been held off the board in the first two games.
Playoff Record
The FM Jets are 15-8 in the post-season all time and of the five series the team has been in, they have won three of them. The FM Jets have never lost a playoff series that they have started at home, and the team that wins the first game has gone on to win the series each time.
On the road the FM Jets are 8-3 in the playoffs all-time.
#1 FM Jets vs. #4 North Iowa
NAHL First Round Series
Best of Five
Game 1 Friday April 6 in Fargo FM Jets 5-2
Game 2 Saturday April 7 in Fargo FM Jets 2-1
Game 3 Friday April 13 in Mason City, IA 7:05pm
Game 4 Saturday April 14 in Mason City, IA 7:05pm (if necessary)
Game 5 Monday April 16 in Fargo 7:35pm (if necessary)
North American Hockey League Stories from April 9, 2007
- Four teams take 2-0 leads - NAHL
- Phantoms sweep Marquette - Mahoning Valley Phantoms
- Phantoms' Fillinger commits to Ferris State - Mahoning Valley Phantoms
- Jets One Win From Advancing - Fargo-Moorhead Jets
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