Loss Closes Ice Season
April 14, 2013 - United States Hockey League (USHL)
Indiana Ice News Release
For the first time in their nine seasons in the United States Hockey League, the Indiana Ice did not punch a ticket into the Clark Cup Playoffs. The Ice closed the curtain on the 2012-2013 season with a 5-2 loss to the Waterloo Black Hawks.
Despite the disappointment, Indy took a calculated gamble early in the season to reload for the 2013-14 campaign by trading first and second line players for a stockpile of draft choices. The treasure trove of picks includes four first-round picks and six total selections in the opening two rounds of upcoming USHL Entry Draft.
Even though the season record fell short of Indiana expectations, they counted on fresh faces to stay respectable during the 2013 slate and many performed. Both Canon Pieper and Mitch Hults were goal scorers in the second period of the Sunday tilt at Bankers Life Fieldhouse and improved their game during the 64-game schedule.
"I do not look at this at as an individual effort, but a team effort," commented Hults after earning points in six of his last ten starts. "Next year will be a lot better. I learned alot in this half season of play and will know the system better when we start next year."
Waterloo took control of the final game by scoring three unanswered goals in the second period. The trio of scores came just after Pieper tied the game up at 1-1 with a short-handed goal at 4:43 of the frame. Matt Krug left him a drop pass and Pieper found an opening in the five-hole of Black Hawk netminder Eamon McAdam.
"We wanted to stay positive and stick with coach's (Jeff Brown) plan," Pieper stated. "It is going to pay off next year."
Just when the game was becoming out of reach for the hosts, Hults narrowed the deficit to 4-2 at 17:02 of the middle stanza. Mikhail Plotnikov won a corner battle and fed Hults in front of the visitor net. Patrick Newell also earned an assist on the goal.
Waterloo used the victory to earn the third seed in the Western Conference playoffs. They scored the only goal of the third period on an empty net goal with 58 seconds remaining.
Just like Saturday evening, the Hawks scored on their first shot of the game to carry a 1-0 lead into the second period.
United States Hockey League Stories from April 14, 2013
- Fromer Stampede Goaltender Eric Hartzell Signs with Pittsburgh Penguins - Sioux Falls Stampede
- Schedule Set for Phantoms' 1st-Round Playoff Series with Green Bay - Youngstown Phantoms
- Stampede to Face Lincoln in First Round of Playoffs - Sioux Falls Stampede
- Hawks Tie, Break Records - Waterloo Black Hawks
- Loss Closes Ice Season - Indiana Ice
- Drive to the Cup Begins Wednesday - Waterloo Black Hawks
- U.S. National Sled Team Beats Norway, 7-0, at 2013 IPC World Championship - U.S. National Team
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