Jr. Blues Sweep Port Huron
October 16, 2012 - North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Springfield Jr. Blues News Release
The Jr. Blues got into the win column this past weekend, winning 5-3 Friday night and 4-2 Saturday night versus first place Port Huron. Brett Skibba set the tone, scoring 5 goals. Matt Leon and Ryan Kellenberger gave the Jr. Blues strong performances in net.
Jr. Blues Defeat Port Huron 5-3
Skibba Scores Hat-Trick
The Jr. Blues got in track Friday night winning 5-3 by holding off a late push by Port Huron. Russell Jordan opened the scoring for the Jr. Blues 6 minutes into the game. Jordan buried a breakaway shot low to the stick side of the Falcons goalie. Mike Severson and Nick Anderson picked up assists on the play. The Falcons would add a goal 5 minutes later to make the game 1-1.
A little more than 5 minutes into the second period, Skibba would pick up his first of the night after catching a pass from Mike Fazio and beating the Falcon defender wide for a breakaway. Mitch Rogge scored four minutes later to give the Jr. Blues a 3-1 lead.
10 minutes into the third, Skibba would score his second of the night to increase the lead to 4-1. The Falcons would answer back with 2 of their own, 3 minutes apart making the score 4-3. However, strong team defense late in the third and Skibba winning a foot race to a lose puck would seal the deal and score his third of the night on an empty net goal with 33 seconds left in the game. Matt Leon was strong in net making 37 saves in the win.
Team Effort Leads to Weekend Sweep
Jr. Blues Win 4-2 Saturday Night
The Jr. Blues got off to another strong start on Saturday night, scoring the first goal of the game for the fifth time in their last six games. Brett Skibba started the scoring off as he deflected a Jack Sloan point shot in, 10 minutes into the first. Port Huron would answer the call and score a goal of their own 2 minutes later.
Despite outshooting the Falcons 24-5 in the second period, the score would remain 1-1 until 40 seconds into the third period when Skibba would find the net again. Nate Chasteen (pictured above) would fire a shot at the net and Skibba would bang home the rebound. 6 minutes later the Falcons would capitalize on their first power play of the night after a Jr. Blues defender blocked a shot that ended up on the Falcons stick. The game stayed 2-2 until 12:58 remaining. With Mike Fazio providing a screen in front, Terry Leabo would find the back of the net from the corner point making the score 3-2.
Ryan Kellenberger (pictured above) made a diving save with under 2 minutes left in the game that eventually lead to Fazio scoring an empty-net goal. The Jr. Blues would hold on to win 4-2. Nate Chasteen finished the weekend with 5 assists and was a +5. The Jr. Blues completed their first weekend sweep of the season.
Skibba Names North Division Star of the Week
Skibba Wins League Honors
NAHL Website- O ut of the nine goals that Springfield scored this weekend in their weekend home sweep of 1st place Port Huron, forward Brett Skibba, 19, registered five of them, which included a game-winner. The native of Verona, Wisconsin, helped the Jr. Blues out of the North Division basement with their first back-to-back wins of the season.
On Friday, Skibba (5'11/185) recorded a hat-trick, including the game-winning goal, in a 5-3 win over the Fighting Falcons. On Saturday, he would chime in for two more goals in a 4-2 win, completing the weekend sweep. Skibba was also a +6 over the weekend and leads the Jr. Blues in scoring with 14 points. He had 17 points all of last season with Springfield. "Brett is buying into the things that are going to make him improve and make his team successful," said Jr. Blues head coach Tony Zasowski. "He really works hard to get the puck and will shoot from anywhere. He plays really good two-way hockey which translates into offensive success."
Jr. Blues Travel to Topeka this Weekend
Games Friday and Saturday night at 7:05 PM
The Jr. Blues hit the road this weekend as they travel to Topeka, KS to take on the Topeka Roadrunners. The Roadrunners come into the weekend series with a 9-1-2 record and leading the South Division by 2 points.
This is the first of 8 meetings this season between the out-of-division rivals. The Roadrunners are averaging the fewest goals against this season. They also have the 6th best powerplay in the league and the 3rd best penalty kill unit.
Games are available on Fast Hockey and both nights start at 7:05 PM.
Celebrate Halloween with the Jr. Blues!
Trick or Treat at the Nelson Center
Make sure to stop by the Jr. Blues game on October 27th for your chance to meet the Jr. Blues players and trick or treat in the Franklin Room!
After the game on October the 27th, the Jr. Blues will be in the Franklin Room giving out candy to kids 18 and under. Kids are encouraged to wear their Halloween costume to the game. Please note, this event is only available to kids who purchased a ticket on the night of the 27th. Also on the 27th, the Jr. Blues will be holding a costume contest between the second and third period. Make sure to wear your best costume for a chance to win cool Jr. Blues prizes! The contest will be judged by the fans and is open to anyone who attends the game.
Fan Zone Page
Jr. Blues Launch Fan Zone
The Jr. Blues are proud to announce the addition of the Fan Zone page on the Jr. Blues website. Please visit the Fan Zone for more information!
The Fan Zone includes videos, a facebook link, a twitter link, our Fan of the Week and the Volunteer of the Month.
Coming soon to the Fan Zone is our merchandise page where fans can buy official Jr. Blues gear online!
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North American Hockey League Stories from October 16, 2012
- Jr. K-Wings Weekly - Kalamazoo Jr. K-Wings
- Jr. Blues Sweep Port Huron - Springfield Jr. Blues
- 2 Jets Named Honorable Mention - Janesville Jets
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