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IHL 2 Fort Wayne Komets

Komets start second half with two-game home sweep

January 22, 2007 - International Hockey League 2 (IHL 2)
Fort Wayne Komets News Release


Fort Wayne, IN --- The Komets started the second half of the season taking both games of a home double-header. After the All-Star Classic in Fort Wayne Wednesday, the Komets turned back the visiting Kalamazoo Wings Friday night 4-1 and stopped the Bloomington Thunder Saturday 6-1 to sweep a home double-header weekend.

The Komets improve to 25-13-2 and continue to lead the Western Conference with 52 points after 40 games.

This week the Komets hit the road for 3 games in 4 nights starting at 8:05pm Fort Wayne time at Bloomington, Illinois, Wednesday. The Komets lead the series against the Thunder 4-1-0 coming off Saturday night's 6-1 win over Bloomington on Fort Wayne ice. The Komets have won the last 4 straight meetings. Wednesday's game will be the 6th of 10 meetings slated this season.

Friday the Komets travel to Chicago to face the Hounds at the Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates at 8:30pm Fort Wayne time. The Komets trail the series 2-3-0 after the Hounds clipped the Komets in Fort Wayne 3-2 in the last meeting Jan. 14. It will be the 6th of 11 meetings and the 3rd of 5 at Chicago. The Hounds, coached by former Komet head coach Greg Puhalski, have lost their last 2 games and are 2-8-0 in their last 10 outings.

Saturday the Komets complete the week's road tour at Muskegon at 7:30pm. It will be the 3rd of 7 meetings this season against the UHL leading Fury and first of 3 at Muskegon. The Komets tied the series at 1-1-0 with a 3-2 win at Fort Wayne Jan. 12. Muskegon is coming off a home loss to the Flint Generals Sunday 4-1 and the Fury were 1-1-0 for the week.

Next week the Komets will skate at Chicago Friday, Feb. 2 before returning to Fort Wayne for their next home game Saturday, Feb. 3 against the Kalamazoo Wings at 7:30pm.

Tickets for all Komet home games are on sale at the Memorial Coliseum Ticket Office and online at www.ticketmaster.com. Fans may call the Komet office for ticket information at (260) 483-0011 or make inquiries via e-mail at komets@komets.com. Ticket information is also available at www.komets.com.

Leaders.....Komet defenseman Guy Dupuis leads the UHL with 22 power play assists and tops all defensemen with 168 shots.....J.C. Ruid (C) leads the Komets and ranks 4th in the league with 24 goals.....Mario Larocque leads UHL defensemen with 36 points....the Komets have surrendered a UHL low 98 goals.

Special K's.....in the 2 games played last week, the Komet penalty kill unit was a perfect 11/11 on the penalty kill. The Komet's power play continues to lead the UHL (62/285, 21.8%) after netting 7 power play goals on 17 chances for a weekly conversion rate of 41.2%. Fort Wayne leads the UHL in specialty teams at home with a power play success rate of 26.4% (42/159) and a penalty kill success rate of 90.5% (133/147).

Komet streak: Kevin St. Pierre is unbeaten in 4 straight starts (3-0-1). St. Pierre has appeared in 35 of the Komet's 40 games this season (22-11-2) and leads UHL goaltenders in minutes with 2067:23.

Matt gets the Hat.....Matt Syroczynksi (LW) scored his first pro hat trick netting 3 power play tallies in the Komet's 6-1 win over the visiting Bloomington Prairie Thunder Saturday.

Get the lead.....the Komets are 19-3-1 when leading after the first period and 20-1-2 when leading after 2 periods, however the Komets are 0-10-0 when trailing at the start of the third period.

Welcome back....the Komets re-signed center Kelly Miller last week. Miller, 27, started the season with Huntsville, SPHL, skating 29 games (7g, 17pts) before returning to the Komets Friday.

Komet Nominations

Player of the Week: J.C. Ruid (C), 2gp, 2g, 5a, 7pts, was number 1 star Friday, 4-1 win over Kalamazoo (2g, 1a) and number 3 star Saturday, 6-1 win over Bloomington (4a, 4 power play assists), and leads the Komets with 24 goals, 50 points.

Goaltender of the Week: Kevin St. Pierre, 2gp, 120 minutes, 2ga, 1.00 gaa, 44/46, .957 spct., surrendered no power play goals on 11 penalty kills.

KOMET GAMES THIS WEEK

Wednesday, Jan. 24.....Komets at Bloomington PrairieThunder, 8:05pm (WKJG Radio AM 1380)

Friday, Jan. 26.....Komets at Chicago, 8:30pm (WOWO Radio AM 1190)

Saturday, Jan. 27.....Komets at Muskegon, 7:30pm (WOWO Radio AM 1190)

All games broadcast on radio are also webcast free at www.komets.com Comcast KometCast.

KOMET PRACTICE PLANNER

Tuesday, Jan. 23.....10am-11:30am at McMillen Ice Arena

Wednesday, Jan. 24....10am-11am at McMillen Ice Arena

Friday, Jan. 26.....10am-11am at McMillen Ice Arena

Monday, Jan. 29.....10am-11:30am at McMillen Ice Arena

Tuesday, Jan. 30.....10am-11:30am at McMillen Ice Arena

Wednesday, Jan. 31.....10am-11:30am at McMillen Ice Arena

Komet Hockey on the air.....most of the Komet games are broadcast on WOWO Radio AM 1190 this year with Bob Chase at the Fort Wayne microphone for his 54th consecutive season. Again this year, some games will be aired on WKJG/ESPN Radio AM 1380 as an alternative when conflicts occur. All games broadcast will also be available via the internet at Comcast KometCast at www.komets.com .

Komets.com.....the official website of the Fort Wayne Komets is www.komets.com . In addition to featuring the webcasting of free live Komet game radio, Komets.com also provides fans and media with up-to-date teamstats, news, interactive fan features and information as well as real-time scoring via the UHL and Pointstreak. Scoring of all Komet games can be viewed as it happens at Komets.com.

Check out the Fort Wayne Komets Statistics

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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.

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