Outlaws on the road
January 25, 2007 - North American Hockey League (NAHL)
North Iowa Outlaws News Release
What a weekend for the North Iowa Outlaws. Although they didn't take both games from the Fargo- Moorhead Jets, they showed they can be a contender with the top team in the division. On top of that, the Outlaws picked up a big two points and fans at Saturday's 6-4 victory saw a first, and very rare occurance in all of hockey.
The Outlaws are in the frozen north for tens days, currently on the drive between Fairbanks and Anchorage. They will play the Alaska Avalanche later the week in Wasilla before returning to Mason City on Sunday.
North Iowa Cools Off in Alaska
The North Iowa Outlaws finished the weekend 1-1, splitting with the Central Division Fargo-Moorhead Jets. The Outlaws opened the weekend Saturday night in dramatic fashion with a 6-4 victory, capped off when Jay Clark, the goaltender, scored an empty-net goal with under a minute to play. Sunday night, the Jets turned on the afterburners and battled back to a 4-3 victory. The Outlaws nearly came back in the third from three down, scoring two goals before the Jets added an empty-netter with under a minute to play. The Outlaws scored their third goal with 13 seconds left on the clock, and time ran out before they could get the tie.
One phrase sums up the North Iowa Outlaws victory on Saturday night over the Central Division-leading Jets, "Jay Clark, the goaltender, just scored a goal," said Scott Montesano, the voice of the Jets. In a close game, Outlaws netminder Jay Clark took a shot from Mark Johnson with under a minute to go. Trying to keep the clock running, Clark set up and fired a wrist shot over the heads of the Jets defense and trickled in to seal the deal, a 6-4 victory over the Jets.
North Iowa jumped out to a 3-0 lead early in the first period on goals by Steve McLeod, Joe Harcharik and Jared Mullen. The Jets scored to make it 3-1 at the end of the first. In the second, the Jets pulled within one, but Mike Wallgren gave North Iowa the two goal cushion back at the end of the second. In the third, the Jets pulled within one once again, until Harcharik added his second goal of the game to regain the two-goal lead. With less then 10 minutes to play, Johnson scored to pull the Jets within one, and Fargo was pressuring, but the Outlaws had something left.
With under a minute to go, Clark made a save on a weak dump by the Jets and flipped the puck over the heads of the Jets, and into the back of the net for the win. For Clark, it was his first career goal, and a first in the North Iowa Outlaws' two-year history.
Sunday night, the Outlaws fell behind early, trailing 3- 0 after two periods, but mounted a comeback in the third. The Outlaws gave an all out effort in the third period, but the three-goal deficit was too much as the Jets held on to win 4-3 with an empty-net goal. North Iowa scored with 13 seconds left after the Jets tallied the empty-netter, and the final 13 ran out and Fargo salvaged a split on the weekend.
"We knew if we came out and worked and got on them, we had a chance to get back in the hockey game," North Iowa assistant coach Jeff Crouse said. "Our guys are like that, they don't quit. They keep coming and coming."
Tyler Romasco scored two goals for the Outlaws and McLeod tallied the other as the pair continued their point scoring streaks. Romasco moves to seven games where he's averaged a point per game and McLeod moved to 12 games with a point per game average. "They play real well together," Crouse said of the two forwards. "Tyler's been around a little bit and was Bismarck's leading scorer, and Steve was our leading scorer last year and is second this year."
The Jets improved to 4-2 against the Outlaws on the season with two remaining, the finale for both teams in March in Fargo. North Iowa heads on the road to Alexandria for a Friday night contest, followed by a Sunday matinee. On Saturday, the Outlaws will remain in Alexandria and practice rather then travel back and forth.
GO TO WWW.NORTHIOWAOUTLAWS.COM TO HEAR THE AUDIO FROM THE FARGO RADIO BROADCAST OF JAY'S GOAL.
GOAL FOR THE GOALIE
Clark accomplishes feat, joins select few in all hockey
Not only did North Iowa goaltender Jay Clark, 20, stop 24 of 26 shots en route to a 6-4 win over Fargo- Moorhead on Saturday night, but the Baudette, Minn., native also scored an empty-net goal. "It couldn't have come at a better time," said North Iowa coach Dave Boitz.
• Discuss this story on the North American Hockey League message board...
North American Hockey League Stories from January 25, 2007
- Hirschfeld commits to Miami of Ohio - Mahoning Valley Phantoms
- Rangers prepare for weekend - Marquette Rangers
- Outlaws on the road - North Iowa Outlaws
- Wildcats Face the St. Louis Bandits this Weekend - Wichita Falls Wildcats
- Billick Named NAHL South Player of the Week - Wichita Falls Wildcats
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.
