Port Huron Seizes First Place With Fifth Straight Win

Published on December 3, 2007 under International Hockey League 2 (IHL 2)
Port Huron Icehawks News Release


PORT HURON, Mich. - The road is not supposed to be kind in the International Hockey League, but Port Huron has found success of late away from the Blue Water Area.

The Icehawks soared to their fifth-consecutive win with a pair of wins over the weekend and concluded a six-game road stretch with a 5-1 mark. Despite starting the season with 13 of its first 19 games on the road, Port Huron survived its harshest stretch of the season and found itself atop of the IHL standings with 22 points and an 11-8-0-0 record.

"I am proud of how the team has handled the pressure of playing on the road early in the season," head coach Stan Drulia said. "This was a crucial stretch for the guys, and to come home on a roll and in first place is a significant achievement."

To stay in first place, however, the Icehawks have to dominate their home ice, the same way they did on the road, when they return to McMorran Arena for a five-game home stand starting Friday.

The Icehawks seek to sink their talons into Kalamazoo on Friday, the only IHL team they have yet to defeat this season. Then, they will be tested by Flint and Fort Wayne, who enter the weekend tied for second place. Both are upset after losses to Port Huron last weekend and are looking to steal first place from Port Huron's grasp.

"We have to sustain our level of play on our home ice," Drulia said. "We need to pick up our lunch pails and be ready to work in front of our home town fans against some tough teams this weekend."

The K-Wings halted Port Huron's last win streak at four games with a 6-3 win at McMorran Arena on Nov. 3. Kalamazoo also handed the Icehawks a 5-2 setback on Nov. 10.

Port Huron holds the series lead versus Flint with a 3-2-0 record. Two of the wins for Port Huron came via shootouts at McMorran Arena.

Port Huron also leads the season series with Fort Wayne 3-2.

A Look Back: The Icehawks posted a 2-1 overtime win versus the Fort Wayne Komets on Friday. Joe Markusen notched the game winning goal one minute into overtime on assists from Tab Lardner and Brent Hughes. It was his first goal of the season in only his fourth contest.

On Saturday, the Icehawks rallied versus Flint, and scored three goals in the last nine minutes of play to erase a 4-2 deficit. Jamie Carroll and Tab Lardner each notched a pair of goals, Jeff Zehr added a goal and an assist and Kris Vernarsky contributed three assists in the win.

Goalie Gold: Netminder Larry Sterling posted a win between the pipes on Saturday, his fourth win in as many starts. The Lake Orion, Mich. Native is 4-0 with a goals against average of 2.75 and a save percentage of .899. Sterling, a CHL All Star a year ago, joined the team on November 22 after starting the season with the CHL Mississippi Riverkings.

Goalie Marty Magers also had a solid weekend in the net. He picked up a win on Friday, posting 27 saves in a 2-1 overtime victory over Fort Wayne. He was named IHL Goalie of the Week for his efforts. Magers is 4-3-0-0 so far this season, with 220 saves, a goals against average of 2.84 and a save percentage of .909.

All three of the goaltenders on the Icehawks roster have been named Player of the Week. Ron Vogel garnered the laurel in week two when he led the Icehawks to a shootout win over Flint. Sterling won the honor last week.

Fan-"Tab"-ulous Lardner: Left wing Tab Lardner continued his torrid pace over the weekend, adding one assist and two goals. He assisted on a game winning goal from Joe Markusen in overtime on Friday and notched two third period goals on Saturday, including the game winner, a shorthanded goal with just one minute and fifty seconds left to play. He is currently riding an eight game streak for points. He is tied with teammate Jamie Carroll for first place in the league for scoring with 21 points. He was named IHL Forward of the Week for the week ending November 26 and for the week ending December 3.

Lighting the Lamp: Entering week seven of IHL action, Port Huron has played more games than any other IHL team with 19. They lead the league for goals (65), assists (102), and points (167). Three Icehawks players are also among the league scoring leaders. Jamie Carroll and Tab Lardner are tied for first place with 21 points each. Jeff Zehr is tied for fifth with 17 points.

Special Team Deliveries: The Icehawks have the best power play unit at home this season, converting on 29.4 percent (10 of 34) of their chances. Port Huron also has the second-best road penalty kill percentage in the league at 86.2 percent (9 of 65). The Icehawks have scored five short-handed markers this season, best in the IHL. They added a shorthanded tally on Saturday, when Tab Lardner landed a shorthanded goal that proved to be the game winner.

Injury Updates: The Icehawks continue to battle injuries. Ron Vogel was placed on the Injured Reserved list last week after suffering an injury to his knee. He joins left wing Neil Clark on the IR. The good news is that defenseman Joe Markusen remains healthy after making his season debut on November 22. He had missed the team's first 14 games due to injury.

Blueliners Being Offensive: Mark Desantis and Jamie Lovell are among the IHL leaders for scoring by defensemen. Desantis (1-10-11) is fourth in scoring among blueliners and Lovell (2-6-8) is ranked sixth. Jeremy Leroux (2-4-6) is tied for eighth.

Shootout Slingers: The Icehawks have been involved in two shootouts thus far this season, and have captured wins over rival Flint both times. Port Huron needed just two shooters in a 4-3 win over Flint on Oct. 27. Brian Felsner and Carroll landed back-to-back goals during shootout action and Ron Vogel stopped both General attacks. The Icehawks needed six shooters on Nov. 11 versus Flint. Jamie Lovell and Jeremy Leroux both found the back of the net to nail down the 6-5 victory. They are flawless this season in extended games, with two shootout wins and one overtime win. Goaltender Marty Magers has stopped five of six shootout attempts this season and Ron Vogel has stopped both advances when he guarded the net during a shootout with Flint.

Comeback Kids: The Icehawks scored three third period goals last Saturday for a come-from-behind 5-4 win over Flint. The victory marked the fourth time this season that the Icehawks have overcome a third-period deficit to claim victory. Port Huron also had comeback wins over Flint on Oct. 27, Bloomington on Oct. 28 and Fort Wayne on Nov. 22. They lead the league for third period scoring with 28 goals in the third.

Misc. Icehawks Notes: The Icehawks are 6-1 when they score first and 7-1 in one goal games... Port Huron has been whistled for the most minor penalties in the IHL this season (121)... Port Huron has defeated every IHL team this season at least once except for Kalamazoo, who has defeated the Icehawks twice... Port Huron is 6-4 when outshooting its opponents.

Streaking 'Hawks: - The Icehawks have won five-straight games, all coming on the road. - Tab Lardner is riding an eight-game scoring streak (9-3-12). - Goaltender Larry Sterling is on a four-game win streak (Nov. 22, 23 & 24 & Dec. 1). - Jamie Carroll has scored at least one point in eight of his last 10 games. He is 6-8-14 in that span.

Power Play To Fight Multiple Sclerosis: Icehawks forward Jeff Zehr has made a commitment to fight Multiple Sclerosis. For every power play goal Zehr scores this year, he will donate money to the Multiple Sclerosis Society. The Icehawks management has agreed to match his contributions. He has posted three power play goals so far this season.

Around The Community: The Icehawks will make several appearances in the community this week. Several players will ring the bell at the Salvation Army kettle at the Fort Gratiot Walmart on Tuesday from 4 p.m.-6 p.m. and then again on Thursday from 2 p.m.-4 p.m. at the Birchwood Mall. On Thursday, the Icehawks will kick off a reading program at Garfield Elementary. Several players will adopt a second grade classroom and read to those students throughout the school year.

A Visit From The Voice Of The Red Wings: Karen Newman, the voice of the Detroit Red Wings, will return to McMorran Arena on Saturday to perform the National Anthem for the second time this season. Newman will sign autographs during the first period and copies of her CD's will be available for sale. Proceeds of the sale of her CD's will benefit the Diabetes Care Association. She will perform a post game concert with her band at the Huron Athletic Club (HAC), located at 319 Huron Avenue.

Miss Lake Huron Shores Stops By: Miss Lake Huron Shores 2007, Regina Ruelle will also be in attendance at Saturday's game. She will be collecting coats, flashlights, cleaning supplies, diapers, journals, tools, detergent and radios to donate to the St. Clair County Women's Shelter.

Game Worn Jersey Auction Begins This Weekend: A silent auction for game worn jerseys will begin during Friday's game and run through Sunday. Place your bid for a chance to win a game worn jersey of your favorite Icehawk.

Make Some Noise With Macaroni and Cheese Night: Fans are asked to bring boxes of Macaroni N' Cheese or other boxed products that make noise (rice, pasta) to shake during Sunday's game. Fans are then asked to drop the boxes off on the way out, benefitting the Blue Water Food Depot. All non-perishable food items will be accepted. Those donating food will be entered for a chance to win autographed merchandise.

Thunderstix Giveaway: The first 500 fans at Friday's game will receive free Thunderstix. Practice Info: Team practices are open to the public and held Tuesday through Thursday from 9:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. and Friday 10 a.m.-11 a.m. at McMorran Arena, 701 McMorran Blvd., downtown Port Huron. The team will not practice on Tuesday this week.

Icehawks on the Radio: All 76 of the Icehawks regular season games, along with all playoff contests will air on AM 1450 WHLS and AM 1590 WHLX for the 2007-2008 season. RadioFirst Sports Director Dennis Stuckey will return to the booth to call all the action both at home and on the road.

The Icehawks weekly radio show "Coaches Corner" will air every Thursday from 6 p.m. - 7p.m. at the Huron Athletic Club, 319 Huron Avenue, downtown Port Huron. Head coach and general manager Stan Drulia and several players will join RadioFirst sportscaster Dennis Stuckey for the broadcast which will air on AM 1450 WHLS and AM 1590 WHLX.

Icehawks on the Internet: All Port Huron Icehawks games can be viewed online live with B2 Networks. Broadcasts cost $6 each and can be purchased 10 minutes before the start of the game. To view you must have a current version of Windows Media Player and a high speed internet connection. More information can be found at www.ihl-hockey.com or www.b2livetv.com.

Get Your Tickets: Tickets are available now by calling 1-810-966-3800, at the Icehawks offices, McMorran Arena box office, all Ticketmaster locations and www.ticketmaster.com. Ticket information can be found online at www.porthuronicehawks.com.

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



International Hockey League 2 Stories from December 3, 2007


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.

OurSports Central