UHL shootouts make for exciting finishes

November 28, 2005 - International Hockey League 2 (IHL 2) News Release


LAKE ST. LOUIS, MO --- Sixty minutes is not always enough time to decide United Hockey League (UHL) games. Seven games were decided in the shootout during the sixth week of the season. The Roanoke Valley Vipers have gone to the shootout in four straight games. Roanoke and the Richmond RiverDogs took 13 rounds of the shootout before their contest on Saturday was decided with the RiverDogs earning the 5-4 victory and two points in the standings. Richmond center Mike Oliveira and Roanoke left wing Josh Tataryn both scored twice in the extra session (after ten rounds in UHL shootouts, teams must select from the same ten shooters used in the previous ten rounds).

Roanoke has participated in a league high six shootouts this season and have an even 3-3 record in those contests. Adirondack has been perfect in the shootout this season (4-0) and Kalamazoo has won their only shootout appearance. Muskegon is the only team in the UHL that has yet to play in a shootout this season.

Scott Hay of Port Huron and Jamie Hodson of Roanoke lead UHL goaltenders with three shootout wins each. Motor City's Rod Branch has the best shootout percentage (.875) as he has stopped seven of eight opportunities. Richmond's Mike D'Alessandro played in his first shootout of the season on Saturday and recorded a league season high ten saves during the 13-round shootout.

A total of 44 UHL games have been decided in the shootout this season.

STREAKING - Muskegon right wing Robin Bouchard has started the season on a 15-game point streak. He has 30 points (16g, 14a) during the fifteen games this season. The UHL record for longest point streak in a season is held by Paul Polillo of Brantford during the 1995-96 season.

AROUND THE LEAGUE

Adirondack Frostbite - (3-1-0) - The Frostbite have allowed the first goal of the game in each of their last eight games, however, they have compiled a 6-2-0 record during that span...Center Sylvain Cloutier has 17 points (5g, 12a) in his last ten games...Adirondack is tied for the league lead in power play goals (29)...The Frostbite are 13-for-44 (29.5%) on the power play in their last six games...Adirondack is 4-0 in shootouts this season, scoring 11 goals in 18 opportunities in the shootout...The Frostbite have won their last five home games, outscoring their opponents 24-12 during that span.

Danbury Trashers - (3-1-0) - After scoring eight power play goals during their first 13 games, the Trashers netted four in their last three games...Danbury has killed off 33 of the last 34 power plays by their opponents...Forward Jeff Daw is riding a five-game point streak...With his win on Sunday, Jayme Platt became the only other Danbury goaltender besides Sylvain Daigle to win a game this season...Danbury has held their opponents to just one goal in each of their last three games...Right wing Brad Wingfield is tied for second in the UHL with 95 penalty minutes.

Elmira Jackals - (0-2-2) - Rookie forward Justin Laverdiere scored his first professional goal in the 5-4 loss to Adirondack on Sunday. He also added an assist in the game...Left wing Jarrett Konkle scored two power play goals in a span of 1:32 during the second period on Friday vs. Roanoke...Konkle is on a three-game goal streak. He leads the Jackals with 12 goals...Center Eddy Lowe had his ten-game penalty minute streak snapped on Saturday vs. Port Huron. He had racked up 26 PIM's during his streak...Elmira leads the UHL with 184 minor penalties, but are 8th in the UHL in PIM per game average (30.16).

Flint Generals - (2-2-0) - Goaltender Jason Saal earned his first shutout of the season as he stopped all 32 Fort Wayne shots on Saturday in the 1-0 win. He is 5th among UHL goaltenders with 345 saves this season...Adam Sturgeon is second among UHL defensemen with a .182 shooting percentage...Flint is 5-2-0 vs. Western Division opponents...The Generals are first in the UHL in road penalty killing (91.1%) and tied for second in overall penalty killing (87.1%)...Flint has been out-shot 536-449 this season.

Fort Wayne Komets - (2-1-0) - The Komets 5-4 shootout victory vs. Quad City on Thursday was their third consecutive win on Thanksgiving and the third consecutive win on Thanksgiving for goaltender Kevin St. Pierre. The win was the 75th for St. Pierre in a Komet jersey which set a new team record for UHL wins (Doug Teskey-74)...Center Colin Chaulk registered his 400th UHL point on Thursday. He then registered his 300th UHL assist on Friday vs. Missouri...Defenseman Guy Dupuis scored his 100th career goal on Thursday.

Kalamazoo Wings - (3-1-0) - Kalamazoo is the only UHL team undefeated at home this season (8-0-0)...They also are the only UHL team to not allow a shorthanded goal this season...The K-Wings have scored first in 14 of their 16 games this season...They have outscored their opponents 29-8 in the first period...Joel Martin (1.38) is currently the only UHL goaltender with a GAA under 2.00...Kalamazoo is averaging a league best 37.3 shots per game... Daniel Carriere leads all UHL defensemen in scoring (19 points) and assists (17).

Missouri River Otters - (0-3-1) - Center Lars Pettersen tallied five points (2g, 3a) in four games during the week... The River Otters are in the midst of a seven-game losing streak in which they have been outscored 31-15... Missouri has yet to win at home this season tying the team record for home winless streak set during the 2004-05 season...Rookie goaltender Brenden Cuthbert has been solid in net, but has yet to earn a victory. In his five starts, the team has scored just four goals total. In three of his starts, he has allowed two or fewer goals.

Motor City Mechanics - (1-2-0) - Motor City is the least penalized team in the league averaging 20.29 penalty minutes per game...The Mechanics are out shooting their opponents 205-175 in the third period this season... Center Adam Edinger is riding a five-game goal streak...Center Brent Gretzky has a four-game assist streak... Goaltender Rod Branch is tied for second among UHL goaltenders in wins (8).

Muskegon Fury - (4-0-0) - The Fury are the only UHL team undefeated on the road this season (6-0-0)...In their four wins during the week, the Fury outscored their opponents by a total of 19-7...Muskegon has not lost to a Western Division opponent this season (6-0-0)...Muskegon has converted seven of their last 15 power play opportunities. They are averaging nearly two power play goals per game (29 PPG in 15 games)...The Fury lead the UHL averaging 5.13 goals per game. In road games, they are averaging 5.83 goals per game...Rookie forwards Ryan Keller (5) and David Wrigley (5) lead the UHL in game-winning goals and have accounted for ten of the team's 14 game-winning goals this season.

Port Huron Flags - (1-2-1) - Goaltender Scott Hay is third among UHL goaltenders in minutes played (763:20) and is fourth in saves (401)...Jeff Cameron is third among UHL defensemen with a .179 shooting percentage...The Flags have allowed the most power play goals (29) in the UHL this season...The Flags are fourth overall in the UHL on the power play (19.0%), but rank 13th on the penalty kill (78.2%)...Port Huron has equaled their opponents in the first (19-19) and third periods (19-19), but have been outscored 24-10 in the second period this season.

Quad City Mallards - (1-2-1) - Forward Evgeny Lazarev has points in eight of the last nine games and goals in four straight games. He has 13 points (7g, 6a) in the last nine games...Right wing Patrick Nadeau has points in eight of the last night games (4g, 4a)...Goaltender Jason Tapp earned his first shutout of the season as he stopped all 23 Missouri shots on Saturday...The Mallards have scored on the power play in five of their last six games...Quad City begins a nine-game road trip on Sunday. Before the trip concludes, they will travel 3,425 miles and go 29 days between home games.

Richmond RiverDogs - (3-1-0) - Goaltender Mike D'Alessandro made a league season high 54 saves in Wednesday's 4-1 win vs. Danbury. On Saturday, he made a league season high ten saves during the 13 round shootout vs. Roanoke...Center Mike Oliveira is tied for the league lead in shootout goals (4). He also is riding a four-game point streak...Goaltender Doug Groenestege is second among UHL goaltenders in save percentage (.928)...After starting the season 0-5, the RiverDogs have gone 7-4-1.

Roanoke Valley Vipers - (2-0-2) - All four games the Vipers played during the week went to a shootout. They won two and lost two of the shootouts...Three of the four shootouts went more than five rounds including 13 rounds vs. Richmond on Saturday...Five of their last eight games have gone to the shootout...Forwards Josh Tataryn and Louis-Phillippe Martin are tied for the UHL lead with four shootout goals...Goaltender Jamie Hodson is tied for the league lead in shootout wins (3).

Rockford IceHogs - (2-2-0) - Winger Jason Notermann has ten multi-point games this season...Right wing Billy Tibbetts has a five-game point streak...The IceHogs are 10-1-0 within the Western Division...Rockford is 5-0-0 on the back of end of back-to-back contests. They are also 5-0-0 on Sunday this season...The IceHogs had their ten-game home unbeaten streak snapped in Friday's 4-2 loss to Kalamazoo...Rockford has compiled the second most penalty minutes in the UHL (624), however received just four minutes in penalties on Saturday vs. Muskegon...After playing 11 games in 17 days, Rockford will now play 11 games in the next 37 days.



International Hockey League 2 Stories from November 28, 2005


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