Kossoff Shining in Backup Role
October 15, 2014 - North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Keystone Ice Miners News Release
The life of a backup goaltender isn't an easy one - at any level. The uncertain playing time, the long stretches between starts, the short margin for error - these are among the perils in the life of a backup. Ice Miners backup netminder Nick Kossoff has handled it just about as well as any such goaltender can in the early stages of the 2014-2015 season. Kossoff's 27 save shutout win at Nelson Center in Springfield on Saturday, October 11th against the Jr. Blues put his season record at 2-1-0 with a sparkling 1.92 goals against average and a .932 save percentage.
Kossoff's first and second starts came eight days apart. A 4-3 loss to Aberdeen at the Blaine Showcase on September 19th followed by a 3-1 win at the Soo Eagles, a 37 save effort, marked the only two starts of his young NAHL career until Saturday's shutout.
"I pretty much just try to prepare the same way every time because I never really know when I'm going to get in," said Kossoff, with regard to his role on the Ice Miners. "But I feel like it's good to have the same mindset every game so you're ready all the time for when you do get a start."
Nick comes to the Ice Miners from the Colorado Thunderbirds of the Tier 1 Elite League, where he posted 11 wins over two seasons with a 2.65 goals against average and a .917 save percentage. Kossoff got a look with the Brookings Blizzard last season, but never appeared in a game. Kossoff says the jump from U18 to the NAHL is significant.
"It's definitely a lot quicker and more physical," he said. "Things come at you a lot quicker and you have to make decisions quicker. That's been the biggest change so far."
Kossoff, a native of West Des Moines, Iowa, was lucky enough to have his parents in attendance for the game. "It was definitely nice to get it in front of the parents," he said. "The team made it really easy for me. Not a lot of shots, so it was a nice win."
The Ice Miners played one of their best overall games in the shutout of the Jr. Blues, holding Springfield to just eleven shots through the first two periods. They allowed 16 in the 3rd period, but Kossoff stopped them all. "It's a little bit more difficult [facing a large amount of shots after a light night], but once you make one of those big saves, you're kind of in it and it makes everything else a lot easier and you're ready for it."
Nick understands that the net belongs to veteran Keystone goaltender Alex Blankenburg most of the time. "It's a great relationship," Kossoff said. "It's definitely what I want to have with every goalie partner that I have - to be able to push each other to be better every single time we're on the ice."
Two things seem certain, in an otherwise whirlwind start to the Ice Miners season - whoever is on the ice between the pipes gives the Ice Miners a chance to win, and backup or not, Nick Kossoff will be ready when called upon.
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North American Hockey League Stories from October 15, 2014
- Bulls Announce Bullstoberfest Promotion - Amarillo Bulls
- Kossoff Shining in Backup Role - Keystone Ice Miners
- Tauros Name Captains - Minot Minotauros
- U.S. Army Presents Saturday's IceRays Game - Corpus Christi IceRays
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