PrairieThunder Game Notes
Published on February 3, 2009 under International Hockey League 2 (IHL 2)
Bloomington PrairieThunder News Release
The opportunity to set a franchise record for the longest unbeaten streak in its three-year history awaits the Bloomington PrairieThunder when it meets Muskegon on Wednesday at U.S. Cellular Coliseum.
The 7:05 p.m. International Hockey League contest also marks the first of two straight games against the Lumberjacks. The teams square-off again Friday in Muskegon at 6 p.m.
Bloomington will be looking to run its unbeaten string to a record eight on Wednesday. The PrairieThunder is 5-0-2 over its last seven games and hasn't lost in regulation since a 7-4 setback at Muskegon on Jan. 16.
The PrairieThunder has won a season-best three straight to finish the month of January with a 7-3-1-2 record. Bloomington recorded 17 of a possible 26 points during the month to move into fifth place in the standings with a 17-22-3 record and 37 points.
Now, the team's focus becomes securing a spot in the playoffs over the final 34 games of the regular season. The PrairieThunder trails Kalamazoo by 15 points for the final playoff spot.
Wednesday's game also marks the beginning a hectic month for the PrairieThunder as it has 14 games in 28 days with only six at U.S. Cellular Coliseum.
It will be the first of four games in five days for the Thunder with a game at Kalamazoo on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. and a return game on Sunday against the Wings at U.S. Cellular Coliseum at 4:05 p.m.
Muskegon enters Wednesday's game with a 24-13-4 record and in third place in the standings with 52 points. The Lumberjacks were 9-3-2 in January and recorded 20 of a possible 28 points.
The PrairieThunder has a 6-2-0-2 record in its last 10 games. The team's latest victory was a 4-2 decision at Kalamazoo on Saturday. Bloomington has a 6-12-0-1 record on the road this season, while Muskegon has a league-best 15-6-1-1 mark at home.
Bloomington won the last meeting between the teams, 2-1, in Muskegon, but trails in the season series 5-3-1. The PrairieThunder is 1-3 at L.C. Walker Arena. The Lumberjacks are 6-3-1-0 in their last 10 games.
Both teams excel when leading at each intermission. The PrairieThunder is 9-1-0-2 when leading after the first period, while Muskegon is 10-2-0-1. The Lumberjacks are a squeaky clean 14-0-0-0 when leading after two periods, while Bloomington is an impressive 10-3-0-1.
Muskegon is led by Todd Robinson, the top scorer in the league with 67 points on 17 goals and 50 assists. Goaltender Clayton Pool ranks leads in the league with a .921 save percentage and ranks second with a 2.92 goals against average. He has a 10-2-2-1 record.
Ludzik back in net
Rookie goaltender Ryan Ludzik is scheduled to be back in the net Wednesday. Ludzik has a 5-1-2 record over the last eight games to even his season mark at 7-7-1-2.
In his last 10 starts, Ludzik has compiled a 6-1-1-2 mark during that stretch. He had no decision in one start. He has dropped his goal against average one point to 3.71 and improved his save percentage nearly two points to .894 over the last month. His last loss in regulation came Jan. 15 in Port Huron.
No crying Wolfe
The PrairieThunder has been in good hands when Ludzik hasn't played.
Jason Wolfe, who was signed by the PrairieThunder a week ago, is undefeated in two starts with a 2.40 goals against average and a .934 save percentage.
Player of the Week and Month
Bloomington PrairieThunder players Jon Booras and Jan Jas earned honors from the International Hockey League, it was announced Monday.
Booras was named the Pepsi Player of the Month for his performance during January, while Jas was named the Player of the Week for his efforts in three games last week.
The 5-foot-11, 195-pound Booras finished the month of January with 19 points (8 goals, 11 assists) and a plus-7 rating in 13 games, while leading the PrairieThunder to a 7-3-1-2 record.
Jas earned the Player of the Week award by scoring four points (3 goals, 1 assist) in three games. He scored a hat trick against his former Flint teammates, which was only the third in franchise history.
The 30-year-old right wing had the back-to-back game-winning goals. His first came as the final shooter in an 11-round shootout to give Bloomington a 4-3 victory over Fort Wayne. The second one came on his second goal of the hat trick to lead the PrairieThunder to a 5-3 triumph over Flint.
The honor for Jas marks the 10th time in 16 weeks that a PrairieThunder player has earned a weekly honor. Others earning the award have been goalie Ryan Ludzik (three times), goalie Scott Fankhouser (twice); center Jon Booras (twice); forward Henry
Kuster (once) and and Don Parsons (once).
No. 1 line clicking
The No. 1 line of Booras, Jas and Henry Kuster has been clicking since joining forces 12 games ago. The trio has scored 20 goals with 27 assists for 47 points.
Jas has scored 16 points in 14 games with a plus-5 rating since joining the team. He has scored at least one point in eight of the last 10 games and 20 of the 13 he has appeared in a Bloomington uniform. He has nine goals and seven assists.
Kuster has 13 points in 10 games. He scored a goal 29 seconds into his first game with the PrairieThunder on the way to a four-point night (2 goals, 2 assists). See below for Booras statistics.
Injury list
Goaltender Scott Fankhouser is on the 45-day injured reserve list with a high ankle sprain. During his recovery time, Fankhouser has taken on a more active role in coaching, administration and community services.
Defenseman Jason Lepine continues on the injury list while recovering from ACL surgery. He expects to return to action in March.
Leaders of the pack
Center Jon Booras is one point shy of tying his career record for most points scored in a season. He currently sits with 56 points in 41 games (23 goals, 33 assists). Last season he had 57 points (29 goals, 28 assists) in 74 games.
He ranks fourth in the league and has already notched more assists than he had last season. Booras is second in the league in power play goals with nine. He has scored at least one point in 31 of the 41 games he has played, including multiple-point efforts 16 times. He has scored at least one point in 11 of the last 12 games.
He also is the franchise leader in games played (188), goals scored (68), assists (85) and points (153).
Shaun Fisher is the team's top scorer among defensemen with 20 points (4 goals, 16 assists), while Adam Tomkow is the top scoring rookie with nine points (3 goals, 6 assists).
Slapshots, etc.
Brett Holmberg has scored at least one point in 11 of the last 15 games he has played for 17 points. He missed two games with a concussion. The second-year player has already tallied 39 points in 40 games to surpass the 31 he scored last year in 76 contests.
Marty Standish has scored 25 points in the last 23 games. There have only been six times in the 29 games Standish has played with the PrairieThunder that he hasn't recorded a point. He has scored nine points in the last six games.
Standish holds the record for the quickest goal scored to start a game (11 seconds) in franchise history. Four times this season, the PrairieThunder has scored a goal within the first 42 seconds of the game. Those scores came 11, 29, 38 and 42 seconds into a game.
Bloomington has stoped 32 of the last 36 power play attempts by opponents in the last seven games.
International Hockey League 2 Stories from February 3, 2009
- K-Wings Offer $1 Hot Dogs and Beer Every Friday in February - Kalamazoo Wings
- PrairieThunder Game Notes - Bloomington PrairieThunder
- Icehawks Sign Offensive Defenseman Esdale - Port Huron Icehawks
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