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NAHL Topeka Pilots

'Runners Rewind: Topeka Steamrolls through Odessa

December 14, 2015 - North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Topeka Pilots News Release


The last time Topeka put together nine consecutive wins, it began a stretch where the 'Runners went an astounding 23-1-1 to begin the 2011 calendar year. The team's current win streak now sits at nine straight after handily winning both games this weekend in Odessa. Topeka won their first eleven games in the Ector County Coliseum but had dropped their last three, including a pair of 4-2 losses in early October. The Jackalopes had dropped 5 straight at home coming into the weekend, while Topeka had posted seven straight wins.

Friday night the RoadRunners came in like a house afire, netting 4 first period goals to set the tone early. John O'Connor starting the ball rolling at 6:56, then set up Yu Hikosaka for a power play blast on the one timer from the left circle at 12:29 for the 2-0 lead. Less than a minute later, Ryan O'Connor fired an unassisted wrister from the same area to make it 3-0 and force a Jackalope goalie change. In the final minute of the period, Max Harper scored a power play goal to make it 4-0 as John O'Connor picked up his third point of the period. Odessa managed a power play goal from Hampus Sjodahl in the second period, but Marcus Russell made it 5-1 early in the third. Odessa's Cooper Zech gave his team a spark with a short handed goal, but the 'Runners power play put the game away as Max Harper scored again, followed by a Dominic Lutz tally to make it 7-2. Juho Niku turned aside 19 of 21 shots for his fifth win.

The RoadRunners followed the same blueprint Saturday night, jumping to a 4-0 first period lead. Dominic Lutz continued his hot streak with a power play goal at 5:03, then assisted a Cam Strong goal at 9:29. JB Baker muscled home a rebound in the crease after a Max Harper attempt, and then Lutz set up Hikosaka for a 4-0 lead just :12 seconds later. The Jackalopes scored their second shorthanded goal of the weekend but Hikosaka and Andrew Hart scored goals :26 seconds apart to put Topeka in front 6-1 at the end of 2 periods. Zach Zech notched a goal for Odessa in the third but Topeka cruised to the weekend sweep, improving to 19-11-0 on the season. Juho Niku made back to back starts for the first time, as Tyler Johnson has been temporarily assigned to Chicago in the USHL. RJ Pluhar has been brought in from the Iowa Wild AAA U18 team to back Niku up. After a rough first outing, Niku has settled down to win 5 straight games, posting a 1.80 goals against average and a .915 save percentage over those 5 games. Johnson is slated to return after the short Christmas break, as is forward Luka Maver who is overseas to compete in a tournament for his native Slovenia.

Topeka (19-11-0) is headed to Springfield this coming weekend for the final meetings of the season with the Jr. Blues (15-8-4). After splitting weekends with Springfield over six consecutive encounters, the RoadRunners have won the last 4 games, sweeping one series on the road and one at home. The Jr Blues took 3 of 4 points in a big weekend series at Janesville last week, with the teams locked in a third place tie. After a few days off for the Christmas holiday, the RoadRunners come home to begin their longest homestand of the season, seven games beginning Dec 26 as Lone Star, Corpus Christi and Odessa each visit Landon Arena.

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