Tornado Beginning to Brew Down South
Published on February 15, 2010 under North American Hockey League (NAHL) News Release
Thanks to the resurgence of the Texas Tornado, the North American Hockey League's (NAHL) South Division - already one of the league's most competitive - has become that much tougher.
The Tornado has racked up nine out of 10 points in its first five February games, including two victories last weekend over the Fairbanks Ice Dogs in Alaska.
"Those were very important wins because it's getting close to playoff time and playing well this time of year is critical," said Tornado head coach Tony Curtale, whose team improved to 20-19-4 on the season. "Right now, we're playing well as a team and everybody is starting to 'get it,' which is a good thing."
The Tornado opened its weekend with a 3-1 victory over the Ice Dogs on Friday. Axel Boyer, Jack Prince (game-winner) and Justin Jones scored the Texas goals, and J.D. Howard pitched in two assists. Between the pipes, Dan Sullivan turned aside 30 shots.
Howard struck for a pair of goals the next night as the Tornado celebrated a 5-3 triumph. Joe Adams (goal, assist) and Prince (two assists) also fashioned two-point games, while Sullivan made 37 saves.
"For us, it's really a team effort and now we're starting to get contributions from a number of players," said Curtale. "We're starting to play well as a team and a lot of players have improved over the course of the season. They're starting to contribute much more consistently and everybody is starting to get on the same page."
One player who has delivered with consistency all season long is Prince. The Tornado's leading scorer with 40 points (19 goals) through 42 games, the 19 year-old from Great Britain has solidified himself as a hot commodity in the college recruiting circles.
"Jack will be an excellent D-I player," Curtale said of Prince, who played in last month's Sherwood/NAHL Top Prospects Tournament. "He has great hockey sense and a great stick, and he's getting used to the North American style and the strength and conditioning needed to play in our league."
The same can be said for Sullivan, who has emerged as one of the NAHL's top goaltenders. The 21-year-old from York, Pa., has now won his last four starts and holds an 18-18-3 mark to compliment a 2.97 goals-against average and a .914 save percentage.
"I love his work ethic and how serious he is in practice," said Curtale of Sullivan, another Top Prospects selection. "He's been the best goalie in league all year, in my opinion, so he's been a huge part of our success."
And Sullivan is in good hands with the Tornado, especially with the list of elite goaltenders the program has developed over the years, among them Ben Bishop (University of Maine, St. Louis Blues draft pick); Dave McKee (Hobey Baker Award finalist at Cornell University); Brandon Crawford-West (University of Miami-Ohio, Pittsburgh Penguins draft pick); Al Montoya (University of Michigan, New York Rangers draft pick); and Ron Vogel, who enjoyed a storied minor-pro career.
"The Tornado has a fantastic goalie history, and Dan is on par with those guys," said Curtale.
The Tornado has also gotten a shot in the arm from a couple of recent acquisitions, most notably defenseman Ralfs Freibergs, an 18-year-old Latvian who has 10 assists in first 11 games with the team, and California native Shane Sooth, a forward who joined Texas from the U.S. National Program's Under-18 Team.
"Ralphs has been huge for us; he's made an immediate impact," said Curtale. "And Shane has an injury and hasn't been able to play for us yet, unfortunately, but we expect good things from him."
And the Tornado's second-half success should lead to good news on the college front, according to Curtale, who's confident many of his players have the mettle to be impact Division I players.
"There's been a number colleges that have shown interest in a lot of our guys," said the coach. "We expect several to commit in the coming weeks."
Despite its one-year hiatus from the league last season, the Tornado also continues to benefit from the tremendous support from the Frisco community.
"We got off to a late start, but people are starting to hear we're back and are coming out to support us," said Curtale. "The hiatus was hard, but we're such a big part of the North Dallas community and appreciate our longtime fans' continued support.
"It's really nice for our players to live in an area like this and to have so many loyal fans who appreciate them and I know our players certainly appreciate the fans."
And that appreciation will only grow fonder with continued success on the ice. With a little more than a month left in the regular season, the Tornado has its sights set high as it enters the most important part of the year.
"We're trying to get better in all areas," said Curtale. "I'm very happy with how the players have bought into the team concept and how hard they work.
"Now we're focusing on fine-tuning things to get ourselves ready for the homestretch. We'll be difficult to beat in the playoffs."
STANDINGS/LEADERS
STANDINGS
http://www.pointstreak.com/stats/pro/standings.html?leagueid=164&seasonid=4527
LEADING SCORERS
http://www.pointstreak.com/stats/pro/scoringleaders.html?leagueid=164&seasonid=4527
LEADING GOALTENDERS
http://www.pointstreak.com/stats/pro/goalieleaders.html?leagueid=164&seasonid=4527
GOALS
http://www.pointstreak.com/stats/pro/scoringleaders.html?leagueid=164&seasonid=4527&sortby=g
ASSISTS
http://www.pointstreak.com/stats/pro/scoringleaders.html?leagueid=164&seasonid=4527&sortby=a
PLUS/MINUS
http://www.pointstreak.com/stats/pro/scoringleaders.html?leagueid=164&seasonid=4527&sortby=plusminus
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
SHERWOOD/NAHL NORTH PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Eric Millisor - Motor City Machine
Motor City forward Eric Millisor connected for four goals and an assist as the Metal Jackets skated to a two-game sweep over Traverse City. On Friday, the Ecorse, Mich., native notched the game-winning goal and an assist in a 3-2 victory. The next night, the 19-year-old recorded a natural hat trick, including the game-winning marker, as the Metal Jackets downed the North Stars, 4-3. He was also a plus-1 on the weekend.
"Eric has been a wonderful addition," said Metal Jackets head coach David Cole. "He goes to the net with determination and purpose and, as a result, has scored some very big goals for us. I think Eric has a bright future if he continues to develop."
HONORABLE MENTION: Janesville forward Pat Dalbec
SHERWOOD/NAHL SOUTH PLAYER OF THE WEEK: J.D. Howard - Texas Tornado
Texas forward J.D. Howard struck for two goals and two assists as the Tornado celebrated a two-game sweep over Fairbanks. On Friday, the Canfield, Ohio, native picked up a pair of assists in a 3-1 triumph. The next night, the 19-year-old scored two goals as the Tornado downed the Ice Dogs, 5-3. He was also a plus-5 on the weekend.
"J.D. was around the puck all weekend," said Tornado head coach Tony Curtale. "He made a lot of big plays and his offensive presence was noticeable."
HONORABLE MENTION: Topeka forward Michael Hill; Wichita Falls forward Jason McAloon
SHERWOOD/NAHL CENTRAL PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Kyle Clay - Alexandria Blizzard
Alexandria forward Kyle Clay rang up five goals and five assists as the Blizzard skated to three wins. On Friday, the Henderson, Nev., native recorded a hat trick and assisted on Chris Franks' game-winning goal in a 4-1 victory over North Iowa. The next night, the 21-year-old tallied a goal in a 4-3 victory over the Outlaws. On Sunday, Clay notched another goal and four more assists, including one on Nardo Nagtzaam's game-winner, as the Blizzard downed the Albert Lea Thunder, 7-2. He was also a plus-5 on the weekend.
"Kyle has really showed some leadership with his hard work and his willingness to score goals at key moments," said Blizzard assistant coach Jeff Crouse. "He has a very good shot and, when he uses his speed, he has the capability to put up points in bunches."
HONORABLE MENTION: Bismarck forward Ben Danford
SHERWOOD/NAHL WEST PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Matt Friese - Alaska Avalanche
Alaska forward Matt Friese put home two goals and three assists as the Avalanche skated to a two-game sweep over Kenai River. On Friday, the Wasilla, Alaska, native tallied a goal and an assist in a 3-2 victory. The next night, the 17-year-old potted another goal and two more assists as the Avs bested the Brown Bears, 5-2. The University of Alaska-Anchorage (WCHA) recruit was also a plus-3 on the weekend.
"Matthew has definitely elevated his game to a higher level," said Avalanche head coach Dave Boitz. "He's a young player, but has been in our league now for almost two years and his experience and hard work are showing up big-time."
SHERBROOK/NAHL GOALIE OF THE WEEK: Tyler Bruggeman - St. Louis Bandits
St. Louis goaltender Tyler Bruggeman backstopped the Bandits to wins in his two starts against Wichita Falls, turning aside 67 of 68 shots. On Friday, the Mankato, Minn., native made all 33 saves in a 3-0 victory. Two nights later, the 18-year-old stopped 34 shots as the Bandits downed the Wildcats, 4-1.
"Tyler has been fantastic for us," said Bandits assistant coach Rocky Russo. "He has exceeded every expectation we had for him. We have no doubt that he'll be an excellent goalie at the Division I level and beyond."
HONORABLE MENTION: Bismarck's Jake Williams; Janesville's Matt Wichorek; Motor City's Jason Torf; Texas' Dan Sullivan; Topeka's Evan Karambelas
AROUND THE NAHL
ALASKA AVALANCHE: Forward Blake Hubbert (Wasilla, Alaska) tallied a goal and two assists as the Avalanche skated to a two-game sweep over Kenai River.
ALBERT LEA THUNDER: Forward Niko Kapetanovic (North Prairie, Wis.), the Thunder's leading scorer (29 points), recorded three assists in losses to Owatonna and Alexandria.
ALEXANDRIA BLIZZARD: Forward Steve Zierke (Brooklyn Park, Minn.) put home two goals and four assists in the Blizzard's 7-2 triumph over Albert Lea on Sunday.
ALPENA ICEDIGGERS: Forwards Kevin Crowe (Galloway, N.J.) and Michael Henderson (Bloomington, Ind.) each picked up two assists in the IceDiggers' 4-2 win over Janesville on Saturday.
BISMARCK BOBCATS: Goaltender Jake Williams (Montreal) turned back all 24 shots in the Bobcats' 4-0 victory over Owatonna on Friday.
FAIRBANKS ICE DOGS: Forward Jared Larson (University of Minnesota, WCHA) and defenseman Zach Tolkinen (Quinnipiac University, Atlantic Hockey) have committed to Division I schools for next season.
JANESVILLE JETS: Forward Pat Dalbec (Superior, Wis.) recorded an assist and was a plus-3 as the Jets split a two-game set with Alpena.
KENAI RIVER BROWN BEARS: Forward Josh Royston (Mason, Mich.) potted three goals as the Brown Bears dropped a pair of games to Alaska.
MARQUETTE RANGERS: Forward Tanner Kero (Hancock, Mich.), a Michigan Tech University (WCHA) recruit, leads the league in goals scored with 28, including four in his last three games.
MOTOR CITY METAL JACKETS: Goaltender Jason Torf (Hermosa Beach, Calif.) made 27 saves in the Metal Jackets' 3-2 victory over Traverse City on Friday.
NORTH IOWA OUTLAWS: Forward Ryan Bohrer (St. Paul) picked up two assists in the Outlaws' 4-3 loss to Alexandria on Saturday. He leads the team in scoring with 37 points.
OWATONNA EXPRESS: Forward Brian McGinty (Bethel Park, Pa.) has committed to Canisius College (Atlantic Hockey) for next season.
SPRINGFIELD JR. BLUES: Forward Jared Rickord (Skokie, Ill.) recorded an assist in the Jr.Blues' 4-3 loss to Topeka on Saturday. The Bentley University (Atlantic Hockey) recruit leads the team in scoring with 52 points (fourth in the league).
ST. LOUIS BANDITS: Forward Jordan Bourgonje (Alberta, Canada), the Bandits' captain, tallied two goals and an assist in three games against Wichita Falls. He now has 13 points his last 11 contests, including nine goals.
TEXAS TORNADO: Goaltender Dan Sullivan (York, Pa.) backstopped the Tornado to a two-game sweep over Fairbanks, turning aside 67 of 71 shots. "Dan make a lot of big saves throughout the weekend and gave us an opportunity to win both nights," said head coach Tony Curtale.
TOPEKA ROADRUNNERS: Forward Michael Hill (Fort Worth, Texas) connected for both game-winning goals and an assist as the RoadRunners celebrated a two-game sweep over Topeka. "Michael has been working very hard and seems to always be around the puck," said assistant coach R.J. Enga. "He's getting himself in position to capitalize on opportunities."
TRAVERSE CITY NORTH STARS: Forward Garrett Thompson struck for two goals and an assist as the North Stars dropped a pair of games to Motor City. He was also a plus-2 on the weekend.
WENATCHEE WILD: Forward Michael Voran (Livonia, Mich.), who captained the Wild last year, has committed to the University of Notre Dame (CCHA) for next season.
WICHITA FALLS WILDCATS: Forward Andy Cramer (New Wilmington, Pa.) and defenseman Kevin Liss (Pittsburgh) each recorded two assists in the Wildcats' 4-1 win over St. Louis on Saturday.
THE WEEK AHEAD
Tuesday, February 16
Marquette @ Motor City, 7:30 pm
Wednesday, February 17
St. Louis @ Wichita Falls, 7:05 pm
Thursday, February 18
Fairbanks @ Alaska, 7:00 pm
Friday, February 19
Fairbanks @ Alaska, 7:00 pm
Owatonna @ Alexandria, 7:00 pm
Texas @ Wenatchee, 7:05 pm
St. Louis @ Wichita Falls, 7:05 pm
North Iowa @ Bismarck, 7:15 pm
Topeka @ Albert Lea, 7:30 pm
Janesville @ Marquette, 7:30 pm
Alpena @ Motor City, 7:30 pm
Saturday, February 20
Fairbanks @ Alaska, 7:00 pm
Topeka @ Albert Lea, 7:00 pm
Owatonna @ Alexandria, 7:00 pm
Janesville @ Traverse City, 7:05 pm
Texas @ Wenatchee, 7:05 pm
St. Louis @ Wichita Falls, 7:05 pm
North Iowa @ Bismarck, 7:15 pm
Alpena @ Motor City, 7:30 pm
Sunday, February 21
Alpena @ Motor City, 7:30 pm
Janesville @ Traverse City, 1:00 pm
(all times local)
COLLEGE COMMITMENTS
ALASKA AVALANCHE
Matt Friese - University of Alaska-Anchorage (WCHA) *
ALBERT LEA THUNDER
Derek Docken - University of Alaska-Anchorage (WCHA)
Joe Rogers - University of Notre Dame (CCHA)
ALEXANDRIA BLIZZARD
Jordan Gidaro - Western Michigan University (CCHA)
Bryce Ravndalen - St. Cloud State University (WCHA) #
Brett Wall - Lake Superior State University (CCHA)
BISMARCK BOBCATS
Jason Fabian - Air Force Academy (Atlantic Hockey)
Gavin Hartzog - University of Wisconsin (WCHA)
Ryan Jacobson - Air Force Academy (Atlantic Hockey) *
Tom McCarthy - Merrimack College (Hockey East)
Sam Rendle - Bemidji State University (CHA)
Tony Turgeon - University of Nebraska-Omaha (CCHA) #
Aaron Quick - Air Force Academy (Atlantic Hockey)
FAIRBANKS ICE DOGS
Michael Juola - Brown University (ECAC)
Jared Larson - University of Minnesota (WCHA)
Jared Linnell - University of Alaska-Fairbanks (CCHA) *
Mike Taffe - University of Nebraska-Omaha (CCHA)
Zach Tolkinen - Quinnipiac University (ECACHL)
MARQUETTE RANGERS
Kevin Gravel - St. Cloud State University (WCHA) #
Nate Heng - University of Nebraska-Omaha (CCHA) #
Tanner Kero - Michigan Tech University (WCHA)
Garrett Ladd - Bemidji State University (CHA)
MOTOR CITY METAL JACKETS
Brice Geoffrion - University of Alabama-Huntsville (CHA)
Ryan Misiak - Mercyhurst College (Atlantic Hockey ) #
Patrick Sullivan - Canisius College (Atlantic Hockey)
OWATONNA EXPRESS
Brian McGinty - Canisius College (Atlantic Hockey)
Ben Persian - Air Force Academy (Atlantic Hockey)
Mike Shibrowski - Colorado College (WCHA)
Jake Youso - University of Minnesota (WCHA)
SPRINGFIELD JR. BLUES
Jack Callahan - Quinnipiac University (ECAC) #
Randy Cure - Mercyhurst College (Atlantic Hockey)
Nick Curry - University of Massachusetts-Lowell (Hockey East)
Rob Dongara - Northeastern University (Hockey East) #
Trent Frey - Mercyhurst College (Atlantic Hockey)
CJ Groh - University of Alabama-Huntsville (CHA)
Jared Rickord - Bentley University (Atlantic Hockey)
ST. LOUIS BANDITS
Garrett Bartus - University of Connecticut (Atlantic Hockey)
Clinton Bourbonais - Yale University (ECAC) #
Michael Gunn - Michigan State University (CCHA) #
Joe Kalisz - University of Alaska-Fairbanks (CCHA)
Daniel Olszewski - University of Denver (WCHA)
Brad Smith - Ohio State University (CCHA)
TOPEKA ROADRUNNERS
Bryon Paulazzo - Miami University (CCHA) #
Kevin Ryan - Niagara University (CHA)
Cole Schneider - University of Connecticut (Atlantic Hockey)
TRAVERSE CITY NORTH STARS
Kelin Ainsworth - Lake Superior State University (CCHA)
Kyle Jean - Lake Superior State University (CCHA)
Andy Huff - Ferris State University (CCHA)
Tyler Marble - Lake Superior State University (CCHA)
Dan Radke - Lake Superior State University (CCHA)
WENATCHEE WILD
Kyle Brodie - Bemidji State University (CHA)
Brandon Burrell - St. Cloud State University (WCHA)
Armand De Swardt - Cornell University (ECAC)
Nic Dowd - St. Cloud State University (WCHA) #
Jeff Jubinville - Bemidji State University (CHA)
Adam McKenzie - Air Force Academy (Atlantic Hockey)
Alex McLean - Air Force Academy (Atlantic Hockey)
Ryan Timar - Air Force Academy (Atlantic Hockey)
Mitch Torrel - Air Force Academy (Atlantic Hockey)
Michael Voran - University of Notre Dame (CCHA) #
WICHITA FALLS WILDCATS
Zach Ledford - Bentley University (Atlantic Hockey)
# alumni
* for 2011-12 season
North American Hockey League Stories from February 15, 2010
- Tornado Beginning to Brew Down South - NAHL
- Rangers Win Over Wyandotte, 4-1 - Marquette Rangers
- Rangers Beat Motor City - Marquette Rangers
- Wildcats Take One In St. Louis - Wichita Falls Wildcats
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