Sports stats



NAHL North American Hockey League

Phantoms scare up wins

October 31, 2006 - North American Hockey League (NAHL) News Release


Mired around the .500 mark for much of the early part of the season, the Mahoning Valley Phantoms picked up two momentum-building wins last weekend over North Division-leading Alpena.

"We weren't happy with where we were in the standings," said Phantoms coach Bob Mainhardt, whose team improved to 8-7-1 on the season. "It was very important to get those points. To play the way we did shows the potential our team has."

First-period goals by Eric Ringel, Chris Fairbanks and Dustin Cloutier paced the Phantoms to a 5-2 victory over the IceDiggers on Friday. Adam Snead and Matt Quigley, who scored his team-leading 11th goal of the season, rounded out the scoring for Mahoning Valley, while goaltender Ryan Zapolski turned aside 26 shots.

The next night, Mahoning Valley needed Brent Dexter's goal in the ninth round of a shootout to escape with a 5-4 triumph. Four different players scored for the Phantoms, with Cloutier notching his second goal of the weekend. Derek Graham rang up a goal in regulation and the shootout, while Zapolski, a Mercyhurst College recruit, made 32 saves to pick up his seventh victory of the season.

"We had four lines playing well," said Mainhardt. "Our special teams were better and we shut down their top line. We dictated the tempo to use our size and speed to our advantage."

The Phantoms were energized by a balanced scoring attack; there were no multiple goals-scorers either night.

"We're confident that at any time on the ice, anyone can step up and contribute offensively," said Mainhardt.

Defenseman Doug Leaverton "has his best weekend of the year defensively," according to Mainhardt, with Graham and Cloutier stepping up with timely goals.

"We had a solid effort from everyone last weekend," said the coach.

Including Zapolski, who did his part keeping Alpena shooters at bay all weekend.

"Ryan came out and gave us an opportunity to win both games with some big saves," said Mainhardt.

This coming weekend, the Phantoms host Traverse City, which lost two games to Marquette last weekend, for a pair of tilts on Friday and Saturday.

With 17 points, the Phantoms are two ahead of the North Stars in the North Division standings.

"We need to continue to improve as a team and make a commitment to playing our style of hockey," said Mainhardt. "If we can dictate the tempo of games, then we'll continue to win games."

LAST WEEK'S SCORES/HIGHLIGHTS
Thursday, October 26
Fairbanks 2 @ Texas 5 (TEX: Da Costa, 2G)
Alaska 4 @ Wichita Falls 2 (ALA: Shiferaw, G, GWG)

Friday, October 27
So. Minnesota 2 @ Fargo-Moorhead 4 (FM: Echternach, GWG, A)
Bismarck 7 @ Alexandria 2 (BIS: Romasco, 2G, 2A)
Springfield 3 @ North Iowa 4 (NI: McLeod, G, 3A)
Alaska 2 @ Wichita Falls 3 (OT) (WF: Hrtus, GWG)
Mahoning Valley 5 @ Alpena 2 (MV: Snead-Quigley, G, A)
Marquette 3 @ Traverse City 1 (MAR: Zuk, G, GWG, A)

Saturday, October 28
Fairbanks 3 @ Texas 6 (TEX: Fuller, GWG, 3A)
So. Minnesota 2 @ Fargo-Moorhead 4 (FM: Trottier, G, GWG)
Springfield 5 @ North Iowa 2 (SPR: Berecz, 2G)
Alaska 2 @ Wichita Falls 5 (WF: Nealon, GWG, A)
Bismarck 4 @ Alexandria 1 (BIS: Robert, G, GWG)
Mahoning Valley 5 @ Alpena 4 (SO) (MV: Graham, G, SOG, A)
Marquette 4 @ Traverse City 2 (MAR: Bennett, G, A)

Sunday, October 29
Fairbanks 3 @ Texas 5 (TEX: De Costa, 2G)

STANDINGS
North Division
TEAM GP W-L-OTL PTS PCT GF GA
Alpena 15 10-4-1 21 .700 56 45
Marquette 15 8-6-1 17 .567 52 41
Mahoning Valley 16 8-7-1 17 .531 59 65
USNTDP 14 7-6-1 15 .536 64 51
Traverse City 17 7-9-1 15 .441 53 60

South Division
TEAM GP W-L-OTL PTS PCT GF GA
Santa Fe 15 10-3-2 22 .733 56 35
St. Louis 12 10-1-1 21 .875 45 22
Texas 15 10-4-1 21 .700 54 45
Fairbanks 19 7-11-1 15 .395 66 71
Wichita Falls 15 6-7-2 14 .467 44 49
Alaska 16 5-9-2 12 .375 44 56

Central Division
TEAM GP W-L-OTL PTS PCT GF GA
Fargo-Moorhead 15 11-4-0 22 .733 52 40
Bismarck 17 9-6-2 20 .588 59 67
Springfield 15 9-6-0 18 .600 56 42
So. Minnesota 13 5-8-0 10 .385 38 42
Alexandria 15 5-10-0 10 .333 38 53
North Iowa 14 4-10-0 8 .286 39 68

LEADING SCORERS
PLAYER TEAM P GP G A PTS
Craner, Nolan ALP F 15 10 17 27
Rudasill, Todd ALP F 15 10 16 26
Kretzer, Ryan SPR F 15 5 18 23
Schmidt, Kyle FBX F 19 13 9 22
Haddad, Nick FBX F 19 9 11 20
Shean, Joe FBX F 19 8 12 20
Echternach, Jesse FMH F 15 11 8 19
Quigley, Matt MVY F 16 11 7 18
Maroon, Pat STL F 12 7 11 18
(two players tied with 17)

LEADING GOALTENDERS
PLAYER TEAM GPI MINS W-L-OTL GAA SPCT
Reiter, Kenny STL 6 329:59 5-0-1 1.64 .943
Hopper, Nick SFE 14 815:57 10-3-1 1.91 .912
Nagle, Pat STL 6 364:31 4-1-1 1.98 .931
Ritter, Stephen MAR 12 720:06 8-3-1 2.00 .939
Tragust, Thomas TXS 10 610:00 7-2-1 2.16 .916

GOALS
PLAYER TEAM P GP G
Schmidt, Kyle FBX F 19 13
Echternach, Jesse FMH F 15 11
Quigley, Matt MVY F 16 11

ASSISTS
PLAYER TEAM P GP A
Kretzer, Ryan SPR F 15 18
Craner, Nolan ALP F 15 17
Rudasill, Todd ALP F 15 16

PENALTY MINUTES
PLAYER TEAM P GP PIM
Flink, Adam TXS F 15 75
Carlson, Matt FBX D 16 73
Yovanic, Paul TXS F 14 69

Zapolski, Romasco, Fuller named Sherwood Players of the Week

NORTH PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Mahoning Valley goaltender Ryan Zapolski, 19, turned aside 58 of 64 shots last weekend, backstopping the Phantoms to a pair of wins over North Division-leading Alpena. On Friday, the Erie, Pa., native made 26 saves in Mahoning Valley's 5-3 win over the IceDiggers. The following night, the Mercyhurst College recruit stopped 32 shots - and seven of nine in a shootout - as the Phantoms celebrated a 5-4 triumph.

CENTRAL PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Bismarck forward Tyler Romasco, 19, struck for three goals and three assists as the Bobcats won two games in Alexandria last weekend. On Friday, the Perry, Ohio, native scored two goals and two assists in Bismarck's 7-2 win over the Blizzard. The next night, Romasco recorded a goal and an assist in the Bobcats' 4-1 victory.

SOUTH PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Texas forward Ryan Fuller, 19, tallied two goals and five assists last weekend as the Tornado skated to three wins over Fairbanks. On Thursday, the Morgan Hill, Calif., native netted a power-play goal and an assist in a 5-2 Tornado win. Fuller rang up the game-winning goal and three assists on Saturday night as Texas downed the Ice Dogs, 6-3. He added another helper in the Tornado's 5-3 victory on Sunday.

AROUND THE NAHL

CICHY TO NORTH DAKOTA: U.S. Under-17 Team forward Michael Cichy, 16, has committed to the University of North Dakota (WCHA) for the 2008-09 season. The New Hartford, Ct., native has a goal for five points in nine NAHL games this season.

GOING STREAKING: With two come-from-behind victories last weekend over Southern Minnesota, Central Division-leading Fargo-Moorhead has now won seven straight games, matching the second-longest winning streak in the team's four-year history (the Jets also won seven in a row from Jan. 22-Feb. 12, 2005). Fargo-Moorhead opened last season with a franchise-record 10-game winning streak.

RED HOT HRTUS: Wichita Falls forward Michal Hrtus, 19, extended his scoring streak to five games with three goals and two assists in three games against Alaska last weekend. The Slovakian notched the game-winning goal with 10 seconds left in overtime in the Wildcats' 3-2 triumph on Friday.

SAVING THE DAY: Marquette goaltender Stephen Ritter, 19, continues to assert his dominance between the pipes, backstopping the Rangers to a pair of wins over Traverse City last weekend. The Tenafly, N.J., native stopped 62 shots while allowing only three goals against. "Stephen displayed a steady and poised performance, made timely saves and showed good leadership," said Rangers coach Leigh Mendelson.

COMING A-LONG: Texas defenseman Colin Long, 19, rang up four assists in three wins over Fairbanks last weekend, including one on Neilsson Arcibal's game-winning goal in the Tornado's 5-2 win on Thursday. "Colin was a big part of our defensive corps that only allowed 44 shots in three games and was 19-of-20 on the penalty kill," said Tornado coach Tony Curtale of the Anchorage native.

SPECIAL K: Bismarck goaltender Tim Krystosek, 20, turned aside 45 of 48 shots helping lead the Bobcats to a two-game sweep of Alexandria last weekend. The Maple Grove, Minn., native made 27 stops in Bismarck's 7-2 victory on Friday.

ON THE RIGHT TRACK: Southern Minnesota forward Dusty Jackson, 20, notched a goal and an assist as the Express dropped two to Fargo-Moorhead last weekend. A three-year NAHL veteran, the Omaha, Neb., native played the last two seasons with the defunct Billings Bulls.

THE WEEK AHEAD
Tuesday, October 31
Fargo-Moorhead @ Bismarck, 7:05 pm
Alpena @ USNTDP, 7:00 pm
Springfield @ St. Louis, 10:30 am

Wednesday, November 1
Alpena @ USNTDP, 7:00 pm

Thursday, November 2
St. Louis @ Wichita Falls, 7:05 pm

Friday, November 3
Marquette @ Fargo-Moorhead, 7:35 pm
Alaska @ Texas, 7:30 pm
Bismarck @ North Iowa, 7:05 pm
Fairbanks @ Santa Fe, 7:05 pm
Springfield @ Southern Minnesota, 7:05 pm
St. Louis @ Wichita Falls, 7:05 pm
USNTDP @ Alpena, 7:00 pm
Traverse City @ Mahoning Valley, 7:00 pm

Saturday, November 4
Alaska @ Texas, 7:30 pm
Marquette @ Fargo-Moorhead, 7:05 pm
Bismarck @ North Iowa, 8:15 pm
Fairbanks @ Santa Fe, 7:05 pm
Springfield @ Southern Minnesota, 7:05 pm
St. Louis @ Wichita Falls, 7:05 pm
Traverse City @ Mahoning Valley, 7:00 pm

Check out the North American Hockey League Statistics



North American Hockey League Stories from October 31, 2006


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.


Sports Statistics from the Stats Crew
OurSports Central