Second Place Icehawks Face Three Opponents This Week

Published on March 17, 2008 under International Hockey League 2 (IHL 2)
Port Huron Icehawks News Release


PORT HURON, Mich. - The Port Huron Icehawks have been stellar in extended games this season and last weekend was no exception, as they skated to three consecutive shootout wins on the road.

The Icehawks continue to hold the league's best record in extended games this season, with a 4-1 record in overtime games and 5-2 mark in shootout games.

With the wins, the Icehawks picked up six of six possible points and regained sole possession of second place in the International Hockey League standings. With just four weeks to go in the regular season, they hold 69 points in the standings with a three point lead on third place Flint and a four point lead on fourth place Muskegon.

Flint, who once had nine games in hand on the Icehawks, now have just three games in hand, while Muskegon has two games in hand.

"The weekend was a huge one for us. I believe that we have proved that we are a playoff team that can bring our "A" game in high pressure situations," Head Coach and General Manager Stan Drulia said. "With just four weeks to go and the standings tight, every remaining game will be an important one."

The Icehawks have just nine home games and three road contests remaining. They will meet every team in the league just two more times, except for Kalamazoo, who they face four more times.

This week, the Icehawks return home for contests with Kalamazoo on Wednesday and Fort Wayne on Friday, before returning to Muskegon for a Saturday tilt.

The Icehawks currently lead fifth place Kalamazoo by six points in the standings. The Icehawks lead the season series with Kalamazoo 6-4-0-0, though the K-wings lead 4-2-0-0 at McMorran Arena.

The first place Komets sit above the pack with a record of 45-12-5-1 and 96 points in the standings. They clinched the regular season championship and will have home ice advantage throughout the IHL playoffs after taking both games played last week. They lead the season series with Port Huron 10-3-0-0 and lead at McMorran Arena 5-1-0-0.

A Look Back: Defenseman Jamie Lovell scored the game winning shootout goal in both Friday's 2-1 shootout win over Bloomington and Sunday's 4-3 shootout win over Muskegon. He leads the team in shootout goals with three and also shares the team lead for points among defenseman with 24 points (6g, 18a). Rich Hansen scored the game winner in Saturday's 3-2 shootout win over Bloomington, while Steve Hildenbrand scored as the first shooter in Sunday's shootout victory. Marty Magers was stellar between the red pipes on Friday and Saturday, giving up just three goals against and making a combined 46 saves. He finished the two games with a 1.38 goals against average and a .939 save percentage.

Streaking Hawks: Jeff Zehr extended his point streak to seven games with an assist in Friday's game. He had seven points (3g, 4a) in that span. That streak was snapped on Saturday.

Milestone Watch: Kris Vernarsky reached 200 points in his professional career with three assists over the weekend. He is ranked fourth on the team in scoring with 51 points this season. Several other Icehawks are quickly approaching milestones. Steve Hildenbrand needs just one goal to reach 100 in his pro career and Rich Hansen is two goals shy of 50 in his professional career.

Goalie Gold: With a shootout win on Sunday, goalie Larry Sterling has now won three of his last four starts. He has not lost in regulation since February 23. He is tied with Fort Wayne's Nick Boucher for second place in the league in wins with 19 and trails only Fort Wayne's Boucher and Kevin Reiter in save percentage with a .909 save percentage. Marty Magers also had an outstanding weekend for Port Huron, with two shootout wins on Friday and Saturday.

Straight Shooters: The Icehawks outshot their opponents by at least ten shots in all three of last weekend's games. They have outshot their opponent in 43 of 64 games this season and lead the league in third period shots with 706.

Penalty Kill Prowess: The Icehawks continue to lead the league in penalty killing on the road, killing off 83.8% of penalties and giving up just 32 power play goals in 197 shorthanded situations.

Practice Info: Team practices are open to the public and held Tuesday through Thursday from 9:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. and most Friday's from 10 a.m.-11 a.m. at McMorran Arena, 701 McMorran Blvd., downtown Port Huron.

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.

Upcoming Home Games:

Wednesday, March 19 vs. Kalamazoo, 7 PM - Landmark Academy Night, American Red Cross Night, Taco Bell Winning Wednesday. The game will be a fundraiser for Landmark Academy and the American Red Cross. Buy a ticket voucher at either of those locations and $3 will go back to the organization. If the team posts a win, every fan in attendance will receive a coupon for a free taco at Taco Bell.

Friday, March 21 vs. Fort Wayne, 7:30 PM - Mascot Mania, Port Huron Tennis House Fundraiser. The game will be a fundraiser for the Port Huron Tennis House. Local mascots will also converge on McMorran Arena and participate in a game of on-ice broomball.

Get Your Tickets: Tickets are available now 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. Walk-up tickets for children 14 and under and senior citizens 62 and over will be just $5 when purchased on game days at the Port Huron Icehawks office or the McMorran Arena box office. For more info call 810-966-3800.

Season Tickets On Sale Now: The Port Huron Icehawks are coming back for another season. Don't miss a single minute of the hard-hitting checks, amazing goals and smooth saves. Season ticket packages for the 08-09 season are on sale now! Tickets are not only packed with great incentives, but are more affordable than ever. Packages are just $539 for center ice seats and $349 for all other sections. Reserve your seats now. Visit the Icehawks office or call 810-966-3800.

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



International Hockey League 2 Stories from March 17, 2008


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