Overtime work pays off in Marquette

November 17, 2008 - North American Hockey League (NAHL) News Release

The Marquette Rangers couldn't have picked a better weekend to pocket their first sweep of the season, knocking off the North Division-leading Traverse City North Stars twice in dramatic overtime fashion.

"We knew going in we would have our hands full," said Rangers head coach Kenny Miller, whose team improved to 8-10-3 on the season. "That's a good Traverse City team, so for us to come out and play with that kind of emotion was good to see as a coach."

On Friday, Michael Thompson's goal in the extra session lifted the Rangers to a 3-2 victory. Kyle Heck and Dustin Partacz scored in regulation for Marquette, and goaltender Dan Sullivan turned aside 34 shots.

James Gallagher struck in overtime the next night as the Rangers bested the North Stars, 2-1. Reed Rushing rang up the other Marquette marker, and Sullivan made 22 saves between the pipes.

"We played hard, competed for loose pucks, won the 1-on-1 battles and we got solid play in our own end," said Miller.

And Sullivan took care of the rest, allowing only three goals the entire weekend. Since being acquired recently from the Omaha Lancers of the USHL, the 19-year-old from York, Pa., is carrying a stingy 1.78 goals-against average along with a .928 save percentage in five appearances.

"Dan has been outstanding back there," said Miller. "He gives us a chance to win every night and when your goaltenders do that, good things usually happen for your hockey club."

Gallagher, who recently committed to the University of Connecticut for next season, has led the Rangers' offensive charge in the early goings. The 20-year-old Marquette product has 17 points on six goals, including his sweep-clinching tally on Saturday.

"When Jimmy is going and playing hard and doing all the little things to help this team win, he's a guy who can turn a game around," said Miller. "He worked hard for his OT goal and I'm happy for him."

Miller is also ecstatic with the early returns of Rushing, a defenseman whom the Rangers acquired in a trade for forward Josh Bussell earlier this month. In his first five games with Marquette, the 20-year-old NAHL veteran from Seattle has pitched in a goal and two helpers.

"He's starting to take on a leadership role on the blue line and you can tell by his play," said Miller. "He's very poised back there."

With a fourth-place position in the North Division standings, Miller, in his first season behind the Rangers' bench, was hoping for a better start to the season, but is confident last weekend's wins over the North Stars will inject some newfound energy into his locker room.

"We had a slow start, but we feel we're starting to turn the corner and we also understand that we have to play each and every night with the kind of passion we played with this past weekend," said the coach. "We like our team's makeup, so it should be interesting to see how we do on this road trip we have coming up."

That road swing entails the Rangers playing nine of their next 12 games away from Lakeview Arena, starting with a two-game set in Ann Arbor against the U.S. Under-17 Team this weekend. Marquette has only won one game on the road this season (1-7-3).

"We haven't had much success on the road so far, but I think if we play hard and do all the little things we do when we play here at Lakeview, then good thing are bound to happen for us," said Miller.

And that means a repeat performance of last weekend, in which the Rangers has command of all three zones of the ice for a majority of play.

"We have to compete like that every night in order to be successful," said Miller.

Despite the sub-par start, that hasn't stopped the Rangers from making headlines on the college front with the recent commitments of Gallagher and Kevin Gravel (St. Cloud State University). Miller has little doubt more good news will follow in that department.

"This team, in my opinion, has several players that can play at the collegiate level and there are several schools showing interest in these guys," he said. "I'm excited about the prospects we have and we hope we can add to our list of committed players in the near future."

STANDINGS/LEADERS
Central Division
TEAM GP W-L-OTL PTS PCT GF GA
Alexandria 19 12-5-2 26 .684 73 54
Bismarck 20 11-8-1 23 .575 50 47
Owatonna 18 10-7-1 21 .583 64 52
North Iowa 18 9-7-2 20 .556 54 60
Albert Lea 18 1-16-1 3 .083 37 82

North Division
TEAM GP W-L-OTL PTS PCT GF GA
Traverse City 18 13-3-2 28 .778 58 43
Mahoning Valley 17 11-4-2 24 .706 59 43
USNTDP 17 10-6-1 21 .618 66 46
Marquette 21 8-10-3 19 .452 58 67
Alpena 15 7-6-2 16 .533 39 45
Motor City 19 4-15-0 8 .211 37 78

South Division
TEAM GP W-L-OTL PTS PCT GF GA
St. Louis 21 16-3-2 34 .810 79 46
Topeka 17 14-3-0 28 .824 70 27
Springfield 21 7-11-3 17 .405 58 72
Wichita Falls 16 5-9-2 12 .375 41 60

West Division
TEAM GP W-L-OTL PTS PCT GF GA
Fairbanks 16 9-4-3 21 .656 63 48
Alaska 12 8-4-0 16 .667 52 45
Kenai River 17 7-9-1 15 .441 57 80
Wenatchee 12 4-7-1 9 .375 27 47

LEADING SCORERS
PLAYER TEAM P GP G A PTS
Freismuth, Jerry ALX F 19 9 20 29
George, Jordan TPK F 17 9 19 28
Bourbonais, Clinton STL F 21 6 20 26
Gorczyca, Grant STL F 20 13 12 25
Block, Austin FBX F 16 9 14 23
Greco, Kyle STL F 21 13 9 22
Gaffney, Jon SPR F 21 9 12 21
Shafer, Steve TPK F 17 9 12 21
Curry, Nick SPR F 21 6 15 21
Hamburg, Andrew STL F 15 6 15 21

LEADING GOALTENDERS
PLAYER TEAM GPI MINS W-L-OTL GAA SPCT
Merriam, Bryce TPK 8 478:55 7-1-0 1.38 .943
Rocker, Lyle TPK 8 489:19 6-2-0 1.72 .932
Yanakeff, Will USA 7 418:35 4-3-0 1.72 .919
Tibbett, Jordan MVY 10 605:57 8-2-0 1.78 .932
Bosner, David BIS 16 957:15 9-5-1 1.94 .929

GOALS
PLAYER TEAM P GP G Frey, Trent SPR F 21 15
(two players tied with 13)

ASSISTS
PLAYER TEAM POS GP A
Freismuth, Jerry ALX F 19 20
Bourbonais, Clinton STL F 21 20

PLUS/MINUS
PLAYER TEAM POS GP +/-
Freismuth, Jerry ALX F 19 +17
Greco, Kyle STL F 21 +15

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Sherwood/NAHL North Player of the Week: Erik Higby - Mahoning Valley Phantoms
Mahoning Valley forward Erik Higby connected for the shorthanded game-winning goal in overtime to lift the Phantoms to a 4-3 win over the St. Louis Bandits on Friday. The 19-year-old from Shelby Township, Mich., was also a plus-1 for the weekend, which marked Mahoning Valley's first two games played at the Chevrolet Centre.

"Erik has been great all year, from the Showcase on," said Phantoms head coach Bob Mainhardt. "He had a little slump going after a really hot start, so it was great to see him get back on the board in such an important fashion, giving us a win to open the Chevrolet Centre."

Sherwood/NAHL South Player of the Week: Ross Trousdale - Topeka RoadRunners
Topeka forward Ross Trousdale rang up two goals and two assists in the RoadRunners' two-game sweep over Wichita Falls. On Friday, the Rogers, Minn., native notched the game-winning goal and an assist in a 4-0 victory. The next night, the 19-year-old potted another goal and an assist as the RoadRunners downed the Wildcats, 5-1. He was also a plus-2 on the weekend.

"Ross is not only a gifted player, but a fan-favorite and big part of our program," said RoadRunners head coach Scott Langer. "He continues to improve every week and with his work ethic, his hockey future is sure to be a bright one."

HONORABLE MENTION: Topeka defenseman Eric Artman

Sherwood/NAHL Central Player of the Week: Zach Vierling - Owatonna Express
Owatonna forward Zach Vierling tallied three goals and an assist as the Express celebrated a pair of wins over Albert Lea. After being held scoreless in a 3-2 victory on Friday, Vierling, from Coon Rapids, Minn., recorded a hat trick and an assist as the Express blitzed the Thunder, 10-2. The 18-year-old was also a plus-4 for the weekend.

"Zach is a very smart, skilled player who we were waiting to break through offensively," said Express head coach Pat Cullen. "He's a very unselfish player that keeps getting better because of his work ethic and hockey sense."

HONORABLE MENTION: Bismarck forward Cody Keefer

Sherwood/NAHL West Player of the Week: Brad McCabe - Fairbanks Ice Dogs
Fairbanks forward Brad McCabe struck for three goals and an assist as the Ice Dogs skated to a two-game sweep over Wenatchee. On Friday, the Gearhart, Ore., native tallied a goal and assisted on Andrew McCabe's game-winning marker in a 3-1 triumph. The next night, the 20-year-old collected two goals as the Ice Dogs bested the Wild, 9-3. He was also a plus-4 on the weekend.

"Brad has been a great addition to our club," said Ice Dogs head coach Josh Hauge. "He brings a veteran presence and is a very big part of our offense and he proved that last weekend."

GDI/NAHL Goalie of the Week: Dan Sullivan - Marquette Rangers
Marquette goaltender Dan Sullivan backstopped the Rangers to a weekend sweep over Traverse City, turning aside 56 of 59 shots. On Friday, the York, Pa., native made 34 saves in a 3-2 overtime victory. The next night, the 19-year-old stopped 22 shots as the Rangers skated to another overtime win (2-1) over the North Division-leading North Stars.

"Dan played great last weekend, and he was a big reason we were able to get all four points," said Rangers head coach Kenny Miller. "He's the type of goalie that gives us a chance to win every night."

HONORABLE MENTION: Mahoning Valley's Jordan Tibbett

AROUND THE NAHL
ALASKA AVALANCHE: With the weekend off, the Avalanche readies to host Wenatchee for three games starting on Thursday.

ALBERT LEA THUNDER: John Affolter led all Thunder scorers with a goal and two assists as Albert Lea dropped two games to Owatonna.

ALEXANDRIA BLIZZARD: Joe Knoepke (two goals, assist) and Jerry Freismuth (three assists) each posted three points in Alexandria's two losses to Bismarck.

ALPENA ICEDIGGERS: Idle last weekend, the IceDiggers travel to Motor City for a pair of games on Saturday and Sunday.

BISMARCK BOBCATS: Goaltender David Bosner, from Chesterfield, Mo., has committed to the Air Force Academy (Atlantic Hockey) for next season.

FAIRBANKS ICE DOGS: Goaltender Phil Cook improved to 9-3-1 on the season after backstopping the Ice Dogs to a pair of wins over Wenatchee.

KENAI RIVER BROWN BEARS: The Brown Bears host Wenatchee for a pair of games on Monday and Tuesday before heading to Fairbanks for a two-game set this weekend.

MAHONING VALLEY PHANTOMS: Goaltender Jordan Tibbett backstopped the Phantoms to a pair of wins over league-leading St. Louis, steering aside 43 of 47 shots. "It seems like we've been talking about Jordan all year; he's just been tremendous for us," said Phantoms head coach Bob Mainhardt. "He's really matured into an elite goaltender, the kind of goalie we always knew he would be."

MARQUETTE RANGERS: Forward James Gallagher, from Marquette, has committed to the University of Connecticut (Atlantic Hockey) for next season.

MOTOR CITY MACHINE: Nick Taurence and Anthony Iaquinto scored for the Machine in its 5-2 loss to the U.S. Under-17 Team on Sunday.

NORTH IOWA OUTLAWS: Despite a pair of losses to Springfield, the Outlaws are looking forward to the rest of November. "We go on a tear to end the month and we're back in first place," said head coach Jeff Crouse. "That's how tight everything is and the reason we can't get down even though we've been on a slide."

OWATONNA EXPRESS: Netminders Adam Buegler (20 saves) and Jason Horstman (19) each picked up a win between the pipes in Owatonna's two-game sweep over Albert Lea.

SPRINGFIELD JR. BLUES: Defenseman Jack Callahan, from Red Bank, N.J., has committed to Quinnipiac University (ECAC) for either 2010 or 2011.

ST. LOUIS BANDITS: Colorado College recruit Andrew Hamburg and Air Force-bound Clinton Bourbonais each racked up a goal and two assists in a pair of losses at Mahoning Valley.

TOPEKA ROADRUNNERS: Goaltender Lyle Rocker earned his second shutout of the season after stopping all 24 shots in the RoadRunners' 4-0 win over Wichita Falls on Friday.

TRAVERSE CITY NORTH STARS: Josh Miller notched two goals for the North Stars in their two overtime losses to Marquette. Traverse City's last three games have gone to OT.

TEAM USA: Michael Mersch (game-winner) and Luke Moffatt each scored two goals in the Under-17 Team's 5-2 victory over Motor City on Sunday.

WENATCHEE WILD: Nic Dowd and Michael Voran were the Wild's only multiple scorers (goal, assist) in Wenatchee's two losses to Fairbanks. The Wild has five games left on its seven-game Alaskan road trip.

WICHITA FALLS WILDCATS: Lake Forest, Ill., native Augie Hoffman collected Wichita Falls' only goal of the weekend as the Wildcats dropped a pair of games to Topeka.

THE WEEK AHEAD
Monday, November 17
Wenatchee @ Kenai River, 7:05 pm

Tuesday, November 18
Wenatchee @ Kenai River, 7:05 pm

Thursday, November 20
Wenatchee @ Alaska, 7:00 pm

Friday, November 21
Marquette @ USNTDP, 7:00 pm
St. Louis @ Topeka, 7:05 pm
Wichita Falls @ Springfield, 7:30 pm
Bismarck @ North Iowa, 7:30 pm
Kenai River @ Fairbanks, 7:30 pm
Owatonna @ Alexandria, 7:00 pm
Wenatchee @ Alaska, 8:00 pm
USNTDP @ Mahoning Valley, 7:15 pm

Saturday, November 22
Mahoning Valley @ USNTDP, 3:00 pm
St. Louis @ Topeka, 7:05 pm
Wichita Falls @ Springfield, 7:30 pm
Bismarck @ North Iowa, 7:30 pm
Alpena @ Motor City, 7:10 pm
Kenai River @ Fairbanks, 7:30 pm
Alexandria @ Albert Lea, 7:00 pm
Wenatchee @ Alaska, 7:00 pm
Marquette @ USNTDP, 7:00 pm

Sunday, November 23
Alpena @ Motor City, 5:10 pm

(all times local)

North American Hockey League Stories from November 17, 2008

• Overtime work pays off in Marquette - NAHL
• Higby's OT Winner Nets Him Player of the Week Award - Mahoning Valley Phantoms
• Outlaws Fall Back in Division Race - North Iowa Outlaws
• Machine Falter against USA, 5-2 - Motor City Metal Jackets

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