Mallards, Harrison Edge Bloomington 1-0 in Preseason Opener in Decatur

Published on October 10, 2009 under International Hockey League 2 (IHL 2)
Quad City Mallards News Release


DECATUR, Il - Sebastien Laplante stopped all 23 shots he faced and Terry Harrison scored with just 1:29 left in regulation to give the Quad City Mallards, proud International Hockey League (IHL) affiliate of the Philadelphia Flyers, a 1-0 win over the Bloomington PrairieThunder in the Mallards' preseason opener Saturday night.

Harrison wristed home Patrick Leveque's nifty centering pass to snap the deadlock. A standout performance from Mallards goaltender Sebastien Laplante set the stage for Harrison's late heroics.

Laplante was perhaps at his best in the second period, making a series of fine stops to deny the PrairieThunder. The second period also saw the second fight of the evening- a marathon tussle between Quad City's Jason Goulet and Bloomington's Derek Parker. Perhaps the most memorable moment of the scoreless opening period was the fight between the Mallards' Jonathan Tremblay and the PrairieThunder's Joey Olson- a bout in which Tremblay had the upper hand.

The Mallards outdueled the PrairieThunder despite the fact that veterans such as Chris Lipsett, Juris Stals and Jean Desrochers did not dress for Quad City. Head Coach Frank Anzalone chose to use the contest, in part, to assess some of his younger recruits a week to the day before the Flock's regular season opener.

The Mallards and PrairieThunder will meet again tomorrow afternoon at 2:00 p.m. at the Quad City Sports Center in Daveport. Tickets for Sunday afternoon's contest will be available at the door beginning at 1:00 p.m. on the day of the game. All seats are just $3; ticket sales benefit the Quad City Hockey Association's youth hockey programs.

The QCHA strives to provide a foundation for the growth and development of USA Hockey in the Quad City area. The QCHA's programs are designed to increase youth participation in the local hockey community, improve skills and provide a responsible environment for the growth of each child in their hockey experience.

Single-game tickets for the Mallards' inaugural IHL regular season, beginning with "Faceoff Rocks" on October 24 featuring not only the Mallards' home opener against Fort Wayne but also hard rock legends Night Ranger live in concert outside the i wireless Center, are now on sale.

Mallards tickets are available at the i wireless Center box office, Ticketmaster outlets and www.ticketmaster.com or through Ticketmaster charge-by-phone toll free at 1-800-745-3000. The box office is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., on Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and on game days from 10:00 a.m. through the end of the second period.

"Faceoff Rocks" kicks off a 38-game home schedule loaded with special events, unique promotions and giveaways. The Mallards and the i wireless Center have also teamed up to offer fans new Dollar Value Menus and free parking for home games all season long.

"Faceoff Rocks" festivities begin at 4:00 p.m. on October 24; admission to all events -- including the Night Ranger concert -- is free with a ticket to the Mallards' game. The first 2,500 fans to

arrive for "Faceoff Rocks" will receive a free Mallards opening night t-shirt. The Mallards will also give away free team magnet schedules and Mallards Thunderstixx. Fans taking in the Night Ranger concert will also have the chance to enjoy an outdoor beer garden and giant screen plasma television outside the i wireless Center. The fun will not stop there.

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International Hockey League 2 Stories from October 10, 2009


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