Minnesota Blizzard weekly summary
October 26, 2004 - North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Alexandria Blizzard News Release
(Alexandria, MN) The Minnesota Blizzard Junior "A" Hockey team completed its most frenetic stretch of games so far, with three wins at the North American Hockey League Showcase, in Blaine, MN. The Showcase event capped off a stretch where the Blizzard played seven games, over a period of nine days.
During the 32-team NAHL/EJHL Showcase:
Wednesday, 10/20/04: Early scoring punch was a key factor, in Minnesota's 6-2 win over NAHL opponent Wichita Falls (TX) at the Schwan's Super Rink. The Blizzard blew out to a 3-0 advantage after 20 minutes of play. Ryan Hawkins (Eden Prairie, MN) scored first for the Blizzard on the power play at 9:35, getting assists from Jake Nelson (Superior, WI) and Tim Manthey (Anoka, MN). Roughly five minutes later, it was Aaron Castle (Roseau, MN) adding to the Blizzard lead, with assists given to Josh Frider (Moorhead, MN) and Karl Larsen (Princeton, MN). Shawn Bitzan (Alexandria, MN) scored the third Minnesota goal at 16:55, with assists to Hawkins and Nelson. The second period was a grind for the Blizzard, as they spent much of the period trying to kill off power play opportunities by Wichita Falls. The Wildcats spent more than half of the middle period with a man advantage, as the Blizzard got whistled for six minor penalties. Wichita Falls scored on the power play at 13:30 of the second period, then Minnesota put three more scores on the board in the final period, to put the game out of reach. Dan Swanson (Menomonie, WI) tallied his first goal in a Blizzard uniform at 5:08, with Manthey and Bobby Kuehl (St. Paul, MN) assisting. After another power play goal by the Wildcats made the score 4-2, the Blizzard closed out the scoring, with Manthey's power-play goal at 6:31, with Hawkins and Sean Fish (Ramsey, MN) assisting. Then, with Minnesota trying to kill off yet another Wichita Falls power play, Frider intercepted a pass in the neutral zone, and slammed home an empty-net goal at 18:43, to wrap up the 6-2 victory. The Wildcats out-shot the Blizzard by nearly a 2-1 margin (the effect of having 11 power-play chances), but Marcus Paulson (Eden Prairie, MN) stood tall between the pipes, stopping 42 shots.
Thursday, 10/21/04: The Blizzard claimed a come-from-behind, 3-2 win over Green Mountain (VT), for a franchise-record fifth straight victory. Twice, the Glades of Green Mountain took one-goal leads, only to see Minnesota come back. Rylan Galiardi (Calgary, Alberta, Canada) scored with just 37 seconds remaining in the first period, to lock the game, at 1-1. Karl Larsen assisted on the first Blizzard goal. Galiardi and Dan Swanson got the assists on Minnesota's second goal, by Nick Peters (Eden Prairie, MN), at 15:19 of the third period. Late in regulation, the Blizzard went on the power play. With the clock running down, Hawkins and Frider were able to work the puck from out behind the Green Mountain net, finding Manthey open, out near the blue line. Manthey's blast sailed into the net, with only 1.8 seconds remaining on the clock! The 3-2 Minnesota victory was its third comeback win, in the five-game streak.
Friday, 10/22/04: Another day....another comeback win. But the storyline changed, for this game. It was the Blizzard that lost the lead, and ultimately the game, 4-3 in overtime, to the Baystate (MA) Breakers. Playing in his hometown, Dan McCauley (Blaine, MN) popped in his second goal of the year at 5:59 of the opening period, getting assists from Sean Fish and Bobby Kuehl. Fish's short-handed goal at 8:26 was assisted by Shawn Bitzan, to give the Blizzard a two-goal advantage. Baystate caught up, with two scores in the middle stanza. Minnesota grabbed the lead back at 8:04 of the final period, when Brian Baker (Brooklyn Park, MN) netted his first goal in a Blizzard uniform. His score came on assists from Sam Windsor (Plymouth, MN) and Dylan Decker (Faribault, MN). Baystate would close out the scoring with a power-play goal with about five minutes left in regulation, then win the contest, with an even-strength goal just 62 seconds into overtime. The game-winning goal was disputed by the Blizzard, as the players and coaches claimed that an offside call should have been made, moments before the winning shot. The officials' non-call turned out to benefit the Breakers, who won, for the second time at the Showcase.
Saturday, 10/23/04: The Blizzard played a 10:35 AM game, to conclude their participation, in the 2004 Showcase. The Capital District Selects of New York took advantage of some early chances, to build a three-goal lead. The Blizzard stormed back, with a four-goal third period rally, as part of a 6-5 win. Marcus Paulson struggled in the nets for Minnesota, as he allowed four goals, on 16 shots, in slightly more than 30 minutes of action. Clay Nestor (Glenwood, MN) came on, and held the Selects off the scoreboard, until the game's closing moments. Minnesota scored single goals in each of the first two periods. Jake Nelson's tally cut into the 3-0 Capital District lead. Ryan Hawkins and Shawn Bitzan helped out, on the Nelson goal. Josh Frider's unassisted goal at 7:33 of the second period narrowed the Capital District lead to a goal. With the Selects in front, 4-2 entering the third period, the Blizzard picked up their intensity, and in the process, started to wear the opposition down. The Blizzard scored four straight times, to grab the lead in the decisive final 20 minutes. Dan Swanson lit the lamp at 2:22, with assists by Nelson and Brian Baker. Tim Manthey's goal at 7:54 lifted the Blizzard into a 4-4 tie, with Hawkins and Nelson assisting. Manthey and Nelson helped out on Frider's go-ahead score, at 10:50. For insurance, Minnesota scored another goal at 14:52, with Dan McCauley finishing off the Blizzard's four-goal rally. Fish and Andrew Olson (Alexandria, MN) got assists, on the McCauley score. Capital District bounced back, with its final goal with under three minutes to go. But the Blizzard hung on, for the 6-5 win.
After two season-opening losses to the Fairbanks Ice Dogs, the Blizzard has built up an impressive stretch of games, having gone 8-1-1 since September 24th. Minnesota grabbed seven out of eight possible points, during the NAHL Showcase. In its inugural season (2003-04), the Blizzard did not win their eighth game of the year until mid-January. After the Showcase, the Blizzard now stands at 8-3-1, good for 17 points in the NAHL Western Division. Minnesota is currently in second place in the division, trailing the Fargo-Moorhead Jets by four points.
Ahead for the Blizzard: One game this coming weekend, in Bismarck, versus the Bobcats. The Blizzard will be gunning for its fourth victory over the Bobcats, in as many games. Game time at the VFW Sports Center in Bismarck is 7:00 Saturday evening. Then, the Blizzard will be back on home ice in Alexandria Friday, November 5th, for an early season showdown with the Fargo-Moorhead Jets, who are playing extremely well for first-year Head Coach, Todd Knott. F-M leads the Western Division, with 10-1-1 record. Get your tickets now, for the clash of the Division leaders! The ticket windows at the Runestone Community Center in Alexandria open one hour before game time. Advance single-game, as well as 2004-05 season tickets, are available, by calling the Blizzard, at (320) 763-1413.
Reminder, about the Saturday, November 6th Blizzard-Bobcats contest: While the game will be considered a "home" game for the Minnesota Blizzard, the venue for the contest will be the Fergus Falls Fairgrounds Arena, in the Otter Tail County seat, Fergus Falls, MN. The Blizzard is looking forward to showing other hockey fans in outstate Minnesota the fast-paced excitement that the North American Hockey League provides. Game time on Saturday, November 6th is set for 7:00. The Blizzard-Bobcats contest is sponsored, in part, by the Fergus Falls Hockey Association. The Minnesota Blizzard will play one other neutral site regular season game in November, on the 27th versus Fargo-Moorhead in Wahpeton, ND.
Thanks again, for reading the Minnesota Blizzard weekly summary! If you are with a media outlet, and would like a shorter version of the summary, please e-mail me directly, at davem@kmgk1071.com.
Don't forget: we are approaching the longest weekend of the year. In Minnesota, Daylight Savings Time officially ends on Sunday morning. Halloween this year will actually be 25 hours in length. SPOOKY! Before you retire Saturday night, be sure to set the clocks in your home/office back one hour, so that you will be in sync, come Sunday morning. Make it a safe, and happy, Halloween for you and your family! Check back here next week, for latest summary information.
North American Hockey League Stories from October 26, 2004
- Bitzan earns Blizzard Player of the Week honors - Alexandria Blizzard
- Minnesota Blizzard weekly summary - Alexandria Blizzard
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