NAHL Springfield Jr. Blues

Jr. Blues Drop Two Close Ones to North Iowa

Published on January 1, 2008 under North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Springfield Jr. Blues News Release


The Springfield Jr. Blues, after defeating the N. Iowa Outlaws on Saturday, keep it close but lose the last two games of the series to close 2008 two games out of first place.

North Iowa won Sunday night 5-3 and Monday-New Years Eve- 6-4. Both games were hard fought battles that saw the Blues take early leads that evaporated.

The Blues earned a tie for first with the Outlaws after Saturday nights win-but only for a short time. With the two end-of-the-year wins, North Iowa leads the Central Division by 4 points. However, the next five games with the Outlaws will be in the friendly confines of the Springfield Nelson Center where the Blues have an impressive record.

"We've got a good team and can beat the league's best on any given day, but we've had the same old problem", says coach Chris Wyler. "We get off to a good start, have a big letdown in the second period and play great in the third period. When you score four goals a game, you should win most games in this league. You shouldn't need to score five. We've let up some soft goals that should never been scored, which can kill your momentum".

Goaltenders Phil Cooke and Ales Sila will have new competition this week as the decision has been made to bring in a third goaltender. Garrett Tinkham, who was a highly-recruited midget player and currently playing in the East Coast Junior Hockey League, will report to the Blues this week and may see action this coming weekend as the Blues host the St. Louis Bandits. Tinkham is a Texas native.

The Blues have been playing without the services of one of their star players in Jon Gaffney. The skilled center is out for another two weeks with a wrist problem. His return, along with the return of Klemen Sodrznik who left to play for the Slovenian Junior World Championship team, will be a boost for the team as they head towards the playoffs.

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North American Hockey League Stories from January 1, 2008


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