Port Huron Up 2-1 Through First Week Of Semi-Final Series

April 28, 2010 - International Hockey League 2 (IHL 2)
Port Huron Icehawks News Release


PORT HURON, MI - The Port Huron Icehawks hope to avoid a grueling schedule of three games in four days as they continue their semi-final series with the Fort Wayne Komets. The Icehawks hold a 2-1 series lead after stealing home ice advantage with wins over the Komets last Saturday and Sunday.

Fort Wayne's Justin Hodgman, who has a goal and an assist in each game of the series has been suspended for games four and five after he slashed Icehawks' center Nick Lindberg following Sunday's game three.

Port Huron and Fort Wayne will match up in game four tonight at McMorran Arena at 7:00 p.m. Game five is set for Friday night at 8:00 p.m. in Fort Wayne, and could potentially be a do-or-die game for the Komets. With at least one win in the next two games Fort Wayne would force a game six back in Port Huron Saturday at 7:30 p.m.

The Icehawks hosted game two last Saturday, when they earned a come-from-behind overtime victory. Captain Kris Vernarsky scored twice to tie the game before Mickael Bedard took advantage of a turnover and scored just 13 seconds into overtime for the victory.

Fort Wayne jumped out to a two-goal lead when they hosted game three Sunday before a pair of Jamie Lovell goals got Port Huron back into the game. The Komets took a 3-2 lead after two periods, but the Icehawks netted a pair of power play goals in the third to earn a 4-3 road victory to steal home-ice advantage.

The Komets have scored first in all three games of this series, giving the Icehawks two come-from-behind victories. This has been a trend in the 2010 Turner Cup Playoffs, as the team scoring the first goal is just 1-5 between the two series, including 0-3 in the Muskegon-Flint series. This is a huge change from the 2009-10 regular season, when the four playoff teams were a staggering 131-19-4-11 when scoring first.

The Best Defense...: Port Huron's defensemen have been a huge part of the offense, as they are responsible for three of the Icehawks' nine goals thus far in this series. Daniel Tetrault scored in game one, and Jamie Lovell scored twice in game three. Tetrault also has two assists so far in the series.

More Powerful: The Icehawks have shown why they finished the 2009-10 regular season with the league's best power play unit, as they are 5/16 (31.3%) on the man-advantage so far in this series. The Komets have had just as many power play chances, but have converted on just two of them (2/16, 12.5%). Fort Wayne and Port Huron were the top two penalty-killing teams this season as well, though the Komets have struggled so far in the playoffs, allowing at least one power play goal in all three games.

Future Star: Port Huron native Jack Campbell recently earned a gold medal as USA's starting goaltender at the Under-18 IIHF World Championship. Campbell, a projected first-round pick in the upcoming NHL draft will be interviewed during the first intermission of Saturday's game (if necessary).

Gear Up: The Icehawks will hold a special sale at The Pro Shop during their first-round playoff games, with all apparel priced at 20% off. The first 500 fans at tonight's game will also receive a limited edition poster featuring the Icehawks' captains and alternates from the 2009-10 season.

Sudsy Special: For the first time this season, McMorran Arena will offer $2 domestic draft beer during tonight's game.

Viewing Party: The Under The Ice Lounge at McMorran Place will host viewing parties for all road games throughout the 2010 Turner Cup Playoffs. The Lounge will open 30 minutes before the start of each game, and features a full cash bar. The next viewing party will take place Friday, beginning at 7:30 p.m.

Now For Sale: 2010 Turner Cup Playoffs and 2010-11 season tickets are available now. Visit the box office at McMorran Arena at 701 McMorran Blvd. in downtown Port Huron or call the Icehawks office at 810-966-3800 for more information. Playoff tickets are also available at any Ticketmaster location or www.ticketmaster.com.



International Hockey League 2 Stories from April 28, 2010


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