PrairieThunder to take on Muskegon
Published on January 16, 2009 under International Hockey League 2 (IHL 2)
Bloomington PrairieThunder News Release
The Bloomington PrairieThunder continues its three-in-three day flurry of activity in the International Hockey League with a 7 p.m. game Friday in Muskegon at L.C. Walker Arena.
Bloomington has a 12-21-1-0 after Thursday's 5-3 loss at league-leading Port Huron. The PrairieThunder, which has 25 points and trails Flint by just three points in the standings, returns to U.S. Cellular Coliseum for the first time in two weeks Saturday to meet Flint at 7:05 p.m. All games can be heard on WTRX (93.7 FM) with Greg Halbleib handling the play-by-play.
Muskegon (19-10-2-1, 41 points) has won four of its last five games with its only loss in a shootout. The Lumberjacks, which have won three straight from the PrairieThunder, are 12-5-0-1 at home and hold a 2-1 edge over Bloomington at L.C. Walker Arena.
The PrairieThunder is 5-11-0-0 on the road.
Bagron on board
Coach Jarrod Skalde announced the acquisition of 26-year-old rookie center Bill Bagron from the Muskegon Lumberjacks on Thursday for future considerations.
The 5-foot-9, 185-pound Bagron will join the PrairieThunder in Muskegon on Friday and play against his former teammates. He will wear No. 15. The left-handed shooting Bagron played 23 games with the Lumberjacks after starting the year with the Wichita Thunder of the CHL.
He had two goals and eight assists for 10 points for Muskegon, along with a plus-5 rating, eight penalty minutes and one game-winning goal.
The Eagle River, Ark., native began his pro career last year with the Texas Wildcatters of the ECHL where he played five games after a four-year college career at Nebraska-Omaha. Bagron scored 43 points (13 goals, 30 assists) in 145 collegiate games.
To make room on the PrairieThunder roster, forward Jacob Anderson was waived. Anderson played in 10 games, scoring one goal with two assists for three points. Per team policy, terms of Bagron's contract were not released.
New faces
Jan Jas and Henry Kuster, two players obtained in trades over the last two weeks from Flint and Muskegon, have paid immediate dividends.
Jas has scored nine points in seven games since joining the team. He has five goals and four assists. Jas has scored four points in each of the last three games.
Kuster scored a goal 29 seconds into his first game with the PrairieThunder on the way to a four-point night (2 goals, 2 assists). He has six points in three games.
Injury list
Center Brent Clarke is on the 45-day injury list after suffering a broken jaw when hit by a puck during the Dec. 6 game at Fort Wayne.
Clarke, one of the team's fastest skaters, had scored 11 points in 17 games after scoring just 12 in 73 games a year ago as a rookie. He is scheduled to come off the IR list on Jan. 21.
Clarke joined defenseman Jason Lepine on the extended injury list. Lepine is recovering from ACL surgery and expects to return in March.
Leaders of the pack
Forward Jon Booras leads the PrairieThunder in scoring with 46 points (17 goals, 29 assists) in 33 games to rank fifth in the league. He has already notched more assists he had last season in 74 contests.
Booras is second in the league in power play goals with nine. He has scored at least one point in 24 of the 33 games he has played, including multiple-point efforts 13 times.
He also is the franchise leader in games played, goals scored, assists and points.
Shaun Fisher is the team's top scorer among defensemen with 18 points (3 goals, 15 assists), while Adam Tomkow is the top scoring rookie with eight points (3 goals, 5 assists).
Players of the Week
Rookie goaltender Ryan Ludzik and Booras are the reigning IHL Player and Goaltender of the Week. Booras scored seven points in two games, while Ludzik had a .928 save percentage in netting two wins.
Slapshots, etc.
Brett Holmberg has scored at least one point in seven straight games and eight of the last nine he has played for 12 points. He missed two games with a concussion. The second-year player has already tallied 34 points in 32 games to surpass the 31 he scored last year in 76 contests.
Marty Standish has scored 15 points in the last 15 games. There have only been six times in the 22 games Standish has played with the PrairieThunder that he hasn't recorded a point.
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.
Newcomers Henry Kuster and Jan Jas have either had a goal or assists (13 points between them) in the team's last 15 goals.
PrairieThunder Country Idol
The PrairieThunder, in conjunction with the Illinois Country Music Association and B-104 FM, stage the second round of its 'PrairieThunder Country Idol' talent contest at Saturday's game during the first intermission.
Missy Vail goes against Jordan Carter with the winner advancing to the March 21 finals. Mike Porter defeated Anjanel Folkens in the first round of the contest that tests the talents of six country music artists during PrairieThunder games
Winners are determined by the decision of an expert panel chosen by the Illinois Country Music Association and the vote of fans attending the game. The fan vote counts 25 percent and judges vote 75 percent in determining which performer advances in the competition.
The event is sponsored by the PrairieThunder, Illinois Country Music Association, B-104, McLean County Country Opry, PrimeTime Country Opry, 2156 East Studios of Springfield, AlphaGraphics and Altman's Billiards and Barstools.
Tickets for all PrairieThunder games can be purchased by calling 309-454-5500; on-line at www.prairiethunderhockey.com or at the Coliseum box office, 101 S. Madison Street, Bloomington between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and on game days.
International Hockey League 2 Stories from January 16, 2009
- Icehawks Edged by Generals, 2-1 - Port Huron Icehawks
- PrairieThunder Loses to Muskegon 7-4 - Bloomington PrairieThunder
- Kalamazoo Drops Third Straight on the Road with 2-0 Loss to Fort Wayne - Kalamazoo Wings
- PrarieThunder News - Bloomington PrairieThunder
- Lumberjacks Assigned Goalie From Griffins - Muskegon Lumberjacks
- Countdown to Face-Off - Kalamazoo Wings
- PrairieThunder to take on Muskegon - Bloomington PrairieThunder
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