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Mallards Look For Positive Turn In 2010

January 4, 2010 - International Hockey League 2 (IHL 2) News Release


ROCHESTER, MI--- After being shutout for the first time this season on December 26th, the Quad City Mallards have responded well, earning points in their last six contests. The Mallards have currently matched their season high winning streak, winning three straight and are unbeaten in regulation in their last five games, extending into 2010. Quad City currently sits just six points away from fourth place with 26 points.

Quad City rookie goaltender Jerad Kaufmann earned his first professional shutout of his young career Saturday against the Bloomington PrairieThunder. Kaufmann turned aside all 42 shots he faced from the PrairieThunder to earn the shutout, which was also the Mallards first of the season. Quad City forward Chris Lipsett scored the only goal of the contest at the 7:25 mark of the first period, giving the Mallards the1-0 victory over Bloomington.

The Flint Generals have had an interesting week, playing extra hockey in all three games played. The Generals have pushed their last three straight games to a shootout, going 1-2 in those three contests, all on home ice. Flint is unbeaten in their last five games, earning points in all of those contests. The Generals are currently in sixth place, just five points away from fourth place.

The Fort Wayne Komets wrapped up the busiest stretch of their season so far, playing six games in eight days. They compiled a 4-1-0-1 record in those six games, outscoring their opponents 22-18 during the stretch. Their only losses came in Flint against the Generals, losing 4-1 on Sunday, December 27th and losing 3-2 in a shootout this past Saturday.

AROUND THE "I"

Bloomington PrairieThunder (0-2-1-0)- The PrairieThunder is undefeated when leading after the first period on 16 occasions and undefeated when leading after the second period on 14 occasions. However, the PrairieThunder is winless when trailing after the first and second periods. Bloomington posted a 5-4-1-0 record in December for its best record during the Christmas month in franchise history. Previously, the team had won a combined eight games in December in the first three years. Rookie defenseman Noel Coultice scored his first professional goal with the PrairieThunder in 4-3 overtime loss to Muskegon. Defenseman Jason Lepine finished the month of December with a team-high nine points in 10 games. He had only four points in his first 18 games.

Flint Generals (1-0-0-2)- Flint seems to have the most luck on Fridays and Sundays (5-4-0-1 and 4-4-1-0 respectively), especially when they are at home, where they have a combined record of 7-1-0-2 posting a 4-0-0-1 on Sundays. Saturdays have been the unluckiest day of the week for the Generals, where they are 3-6-0-0. Flint picked up half of their season's wins in the month of December going 5-5-1-1 overall. Each of those wins came on home ice, where they put up a 5-1-0-1 record for the month, by far their best month of hockey thus far. John Ronan has taken the lead among the team in goals with 14 and is sporting an 11-game point streak and seven-game goal streak. Brandon Gentile is second among rookies (first among defensemen) in shooting percentage with.185 (5 goals on 27 shots).

Fort Wayne Komets (2-1-0-1)- The Komets finished December with a 6-6-0-1 record and have not had a losing December for eight seasons since December, 2001. The Komets, entering the second half of the campaign, have not had losing months of January, February or March since 1997-98. For the second straight year a sold-out crowd attended the traditional Komet New Year's Eve game. 10,454 were on hand for the Komets' 5-1 home win over Bloomington pushing Fort Wayne's average attendance to 8,036 for the year after 13 home games. The Komets have averaged over 10,000 fans per game on New Year's Eve the last eight years. It was the Komets' eighth straight New Year's Eve victory to improve to 36-13-3-1 in 53 games.

Muskegon Lumberjacks (2-2-0-0)- Muskegon's 6-5 shootout win Sunday at Flint halted their first two game losing streak of the season. In that same game, for the second time this season, the -˜Jacks connected on three power play goals in one game, going three for four. When they bowed 12/31 at Quad City, 6-1, to the Mallards, it marked Muskegon's first road defeat in exactly two months since 10/31 at Fort Wayne. Through the two months of November and December combined, the -˜Jacks sustained a total of only four defeats in 24 total games. When the 'Jacks play at home for their next game, January 8th, it will be only their second home game since December 31st. Center Todd Robinson played pro career game #700 01/02/10 at Port Huron and has amassed 698 career assists for an average of nearly one per game for his career.

Port Huron Icehawks (2-1-0-0)- The Icehawks 10 game home streak is the longest in the league this season and the longest of any Port Huron team since the 1999-2000 season. Mickael Bedard scored his second hat trick in seven days in Saturday's win against Muskegon. He added two assists in the game as well to give him the first five-point game by any IHL player this season. Port Huron continued their success on the penalty kill this week, holding opponents scoreless in 11 of 13 power play chances. The other half of the Icehawks special teams had a dominant week as well. Port Huron scored four power play goals this week, putting them in a tie with Fort Wayne for the league lead with 31 man-advantage goals. Offending opponents have left the box early 21.1% of the time, the highest power play success rate in the league.

Quad City Mallards (3-0-0-1)- The Mallards have collected nine of a possible ten points from their last five games- their best five game stretch of the season. Chris Lipsett set a team single game season high by recording four points (2g, 2a) in last Thursday's 6-1 win over Muskegon. Lipsett (11-12-23) has scored four goals in his last three games, strung together a five-game point scoring streak (4-4-8) and totaled 11 points (four goals, seven assists) in his last eight games. He now ranks second on the team in goals and third in points. The Mallards have killed off 11 of their opponents' 12 power plays in six games since Christmas. The Mallards have kept their opponents to three power play opportunities or fewer in seven straight games and to two man advantages or fewer in six of those seven outings.

Dayton Gems (2-1-0-0)- The Gems finally broke the Icehawks winning ways against them, earning a 4-2 victory over Port Huron at Hara Arena on Sunday. The Icehawks have won the last six straight meeting against the two teams. Port Huron remains the only arena the Gems have yet to record a victory at. Dayton begins a stretch of seven games over the next two weeks where four will be played on home ice. The Quad City Mallards will make their first appearance at Hara Arena this season during the stretch. The Gems will face-off against the Mallards a total of 10 more times in 2010, five on home ice and five at the iwireless Center in the Quad Cities. Forward Derek Parker leads the league in penalty minutes with 173. Parker also leads the league in majors (17) with 12 of those being fighting majors for 60 total minutes.



International Hockey League 2 Stories from January 4, 2010


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