North Iowa Outlaws update
December 6, 2006 - North American Hockey League (NAHL)
North Iowa Outlaws News Release
It was an interesting, but successful weekend for the Outlaws, going 1-1 against their Central Division foes from Springfield. With three games remaining before the break the Outlaws (12-14) are looking to get back to .500 before the break.
Saturday they travel to Southern Minneosota for a match up against their cross border rivals, the Express. Sunday they return home for an exhibition contest with Shattuck St Mary's at 5 pm.
Outlaws, Jr Blues Split Again
The North Iowa Outlaws should have won in regulation, but an empty net goal waved off, and the Jr. Blues scored to tie the game with nine seconds left to force overtime. With no one scoring in the extra frame, the Outlaws and Blues were headed to a shootout. In the shootout, the Outlaws scored twice with Joe Harcharik scoring in the first round to claim the game winner as Robby Moss stopped four Jr. Blues attempt, and Trevor Doden put it out of reach in round four. The win was the fourth in a row, the longest in the Outlaws two year history
North Iowa trailed in the first period when Kyle Greco scored for the Blues, but North Iowa fired back with a goal by Mike Wallgren to tie the game at the end of the first. Jared Smith and Mario Mjelleli assisted on the tally in the first. In the second period, Steve Mcleod scored :38 seconds into the period on the power play, but again, the Jr. Blues fired back with a tying goal :16 seconds later. North Iowa countered with a late goal in the second period when Jack Powers found the back of the net for the second time this season and the Outlaws looked to be in control headed to the third. With just under a minute to play, Jared Mullen slapped the puck out of the air, but it went off his glove into the empty net and the goal was disallowed. Moments later, the Jr. Blues scored when Brad Sellers scored with just nine seconds left.
With regulation and the overtime period gone, the teams settled in for a shootout and Robby Moss came alive. Moss went four for four and Joe Harcharik tallied the game winner, while Trevor Doden's five hole goal sealed the deal. North Iowa picked up a crucial two point in the standings and set for another contest on Sunday afternoon.
The North Iowa Outlaws looked like a different team on Sunday afternoon, and not in the good way. The effort given out on Saturday night in a 4-3 shootout win, wasn't there when the Outlaws took the ice on Sunday afternoon and the Jr. Blues capitalized with a three goal lead that the Outlaws couldn't overcome. Springfield scored with a :59 seconds left in the opening period and they added to it in the second period with a pair of goals to take a 3-0 lead into the third. In the final frame, the Outlaws showed signs of life as Mike Wallgren scored a shorthanded goal with over six minutes left to play, but that was all they could find in the tank as the Jr. Blues finished off the Outlaws 3-1.
The Outlaws next game is Saturday December 9th when they travel to Owatonna for a match-up with the Express. Sunday, North Iowa returns home for an exhibition contest against Shattuck St Mary's Prep School at 5:00 pm at the North Iowa Ice Arena.
Mjelleli Featured in Shattuck St Mary's Paper
Life in the juniors. That may the simplest and most accurate way to put it. Class of 2005 graduate Mario Mjelleli is living that sort of life; a life where young men tightly clasp their dreams and learn to transition to whatever is thrown at them. Then and now, he has lived the life to some extremes. Last season, he left his Faribault home for Fairbanks, Alaska bent on boosting up his hockey future and a struggling NAHL Icedogs team. He returned to the Last Frontier this September and initially figured to be blowing past his rookie transcript and keeping up the Icedogs exponential climb.
After 18 games, 4 goals, and 7 assists (which matched his 2005-06 season total), life in the juniors hit Mjelleli in no less than quintessential form. He was dealt to the Traverse City (Michigan) Northern Lights in early November and had resettled for five games only to pack his bags yet again days prior to Thanksgiving, this time for Mason City, Iowa. "It was just a deal that had to be made," said the perceptive Mjelleli. "No hard feelings, it's just business." Bottom line, "I just try to go out there and play hockey. I don't really care where I'm playing as long as I'm playing the game I love. I've got a pretty good setup right now. I'm having fun, and I'm pretty close to home, so I'm having a good time."
Things have been so hectic for both Mjelleli and his newest club, the North Iowa Outlaws, that he has been the lone skater with no name on the back of his jersey through four games. But he has supported his above statement by simply playing his game and making a splash. He charged up his first Outlaw point, and twelfth on the year, in the form of a pivotal helper last Saturday in a 4-3 overtime edging of the Bismarck Bobcats. Tuesday night made his most recent relocation all the more timely as the Outlaws combated the SSM Prep team in the school's year-old state-of-the-art rink.
Mjelleli, who spent five years studying and skating at SSM, graduated mere weeks before any ice was placed between the school's new set of boards. Though it was still there for his off-season training, he did not foresee a chance to play in its brightly lit edition until a week before it happened. "It was fun," he offered afterwards. "I skated in this rink all the time over the summer, but I hadn't played an actual game here, so it was pretty interesting. (I actually thought) it would have been nice to play in the old rink, but this was pretty fun."
Mjelleli never stored his gear in the top-level team locker room during his tenure at Shattuck. But by his senior campaign, he had made a considerable run for most recognized non-Prep face in the program, leading the Varsity/Midget AAA with 29-27-56 scoring totals over 46 games. And since snagging his diploma on the chapel lawn, he has set a similar example as an alumnus. In the continental U.S., and Canada for that matter, the Shads in the spotlight are all one- time Prep heroes: Sidney Crosby, Zach Parise, Patrick Eaves, and the like. As Mjelleli learned in his first NAHL campaign, Alaska is a somewhat smaller world. Small enough for any SSM product to sufficiently fuel his drive to the next level. The community was so fixated on their local franchise and he had made such waves from the start that he was delegated to endorse an area car dealership via television. He couldn't help but laugh when reminded of it.
Whether any similar deals sit on the horizon in Mason City is yet to be seen, as is Mjelleli's next stop once he outgrows junior A. For inspiration, he might look to none other than older brother Marty, a 2001 SSM graduate who spent three seasons pinballing through the ranks before finally clinging to the magnet of St. Cloud State University. "I don't quite know yet," said the younger Mjelleli of his ambition beyond this season. "I just kind of take it one game at a time."
Meet Mario Mjelleli
Name: Mario Franco Mjelleli
D.O.B: 9/19/86
Hometown: Faribault, MN
Nickname: Super Mario, The Magician, Mar, Me- jel
Catch Phrase: Gitty-Up
Mario started skating when he was three, and started playing at four. He grew up idolizing Mario Lemieux and played in Faribault youth leagues until he was 15. For high school, Mario attended Shattuck St. Mary's prep school and played four years for the Midget AAA team. His team won Sliver Sticks Tournament a few times and his success at Shattuck led him to the North American Hockey League. In the 2005-06 NAHL Entry Draft, the Fairbanks Ice Dogs selected Mario with the first overall pick. With Fairbanks, he scored some big goals, but none bigger then the overtime game winner in the Semi-finals against the Alaska Avalanche. He started the 2006- 07 season with Fairbanks before being traded to North Iowa.
In his free time he like playing ping pong and says he pretty good. Along with fellow teammate Jared Mullen, Mario can't wait to make a statement in the first Team Tournament on Monday night. He also plays guitar, billards, darts, Bocce Ball, tennis, and Depot League Baseball in the summers.
Quote: "I'm just a stud, not by choice but by birth"
Lake Chevrolet Raffle
Win $20,000 Gift Certificate for NEW CAR
The Posse has teamed up with Lake Chevrolet to hold a raffle worth $20,000 towards a NEW CAR at Lake Chevrolet. Tickets are $5 and can be purchased from the Outlaws Players or members of the Posse. Odds are 1 in 6000. For official rules click on the picture above.
• Discuss this story on the North American Hockey League message board...
North American Hockey League Stories from December 6, 2006
- U.S. National Under-17 Team Hosts Two NAHL North Division Foes This Week - U.S. National Team
- Former Wildcat Named Hockey East Rookie of the Month - Wichita Falls Wildcats
- North Iowa Outlaws update - North Iowa Outlaws
- Jets Wrapping Gifts for a Good Cause - Fargo-Moorhead Jets
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
