Jr. Blues Take Home Finale
Published on March 21, 2011 under North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Springfield Jr. Blues News Release
Good grief Charlie Brown! Where has this season gone' Today is the last home game for the Jr. Blues for the 2010-2011 regular season. As it turns out, this is the last home game as we did not make the playoffs. Sometimes you have to lose to win, and I fully expect good things to happen next season. We will have a good core group returning, along with a very positive outlook by the entire Jr. Blues organization. We may be done early this year, and I'm not ready to make any predictions about next year, but I do expect good things to happen!
Today is the third and final meeting between the Jr. Blues and Port Huron. We allowed the Falcons to get their very first win up at their place so we want to make up for it by putting them away today. With a win today the good guys assure a winning season above the .500 mark. The record coming into today's game is 27-24-3, and I know the guys don't want another Sunday letdown. I think they'll come out with a purpose, and while they won't be looking past this game, next week's showdown in Motor City promises to be down and dirty dog fight. The Jr. Blues trail the Metal Jackets right now by seven points in the North Division standings. If Traverse City co-operates and beats them in tonight's game, coupled with a Blues win this afternoon we'll be five points behind them going into next weekend. It could get very interesting and go down to the final game next Sunday. As the old saying goes ¬Â¦Stay tuned ¬Â¦
The first period was similar to the previous two games. Both teams were up and down the ice and back and forth. The difference in today's first period goals were scored! Port Huron got on the board first, scoring at the 9:05 mark with a goal by Gammage to make it 1 - 0. The Jr. Blues answered with a goal of their own at 14:22 to tie the score. Garrett Williams put the puck in the net with assists from Kyle Cook and T. J. Poganski. Three minutes and twenty four seconds later the good guys scored again to take the lead. Ethan Nauman scored at 17:46 on a pass from Kevin Walters.
Both teams have played good defense throughout this series, and played hard. The fans have been rewarded with good hockey all during this series. The crowd is the biggest we've seen this year for a Sunday game. We'll see what the attendance numbers are before we send this out to you. (The attendance is 1563. I don't remember ever having that big a Sunday crowd.)
T.J. Poganski scored first in the second period at the 4:35 mark with his rendition of an Alex Ovechkin imitation. Pogo shot and ended up flat on the ice on his belly, much to the delight of the fans in the stands! He was assisted on the play by Kevin Lopatto and Stew Bell. The Blues scored again at 15:42 of the second as Port Huron's defense began to crumble. This time Stew Bell got his chance and banged it into the back of the net to make the score 4 - 1. Again Kevin Lopatto was in the right place at the right time to assist Stew.
The third period was all Jr. Blues as they scored three more times. Guan Wang got it started at the 2:19 mark with a slam bang shot that tickled the twine at the back of the net. Garrett Williams and Kyle Cook assisted on the play. The 5 - 1 lead changed to 5 - 2 on a goal by the Falcons at 6:27 of the period. After that it was all downhill for the visitors, and what little momentum they gained on their third period goal went out the window when Ethan Nauman scored at 14:37, assisted by Mike Fallon and Gavin Tufte. That seemed to break Port Huron's spirit and the looks on the team's faces were downcast from there until the end.
The Blues continued to dominate, and just 23 seconds later Tufte scored the final tally to make it 7 - 1 with assists from Nauman and Shayne McLaughlin. The last five minutes was just "killing time" to the inevitable.
I've spent enough time lamenting Port Huron's unenviable season, but I will say that with no draft, camps or tenders, and with a big turnover in players and coaches this year, that organization is close to being winners. They haven't given up, and they will not be the doormat of the league next year. Kudos to their organization because they are headed in the right direction, and good luck to the Fighting Falcons next year ¬Â¦except when the good guys play them, of course.
So it was a well-deserved three game sweep for the Jr. Blues and some good came out of it. Our record is now 28-24-3. The good guys are guaranteed an winning season. They have played with an exorbitant amount of heart through a very trying season, and will wrap up the season next week in Motor City.
Okay, we didn't make the playoffs. There are a lot of reasons, but none pertaining to a lack of effort or talent. The entire organization has turned the corner and looks very positive for the coming years. There is a bond that has grown stronger than any I've seen with this team and they have each other's backs at all times. Most will return next year and Coach Dibble has positioned the team to head toward the upper echelon of the NAHL. Good things are in store and while there is a touch of sadness, as there always is, as this season concludes, the future is bright and exciting. So, look for another series of articles next week from Motor City, and come back next year. I guarantee you're gonna like it!
North American Hockey League Stories from March 21, 2011
- NAHL Announces Players of the Week - NAHL
- Free Gift Cards, Face Painting and More - St. Louis Bandits
- Wildcats win 2 of 3 in final home weekend - Wichita Falls Wildcats
- Janesville Jets Secure Playoff Berth - Janesville Jets
- Jr. Blues Take Home Finale - Springfield Jr. Blues
- Weekly Sports League and Franchise Report - OSC Original by Dan Krieger
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
