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NAHL North American Hockey League

Wildcats find winning formula

November 24, 2008 - North American Hockey League (NAHL) News Release


Mired in a six-game losing streak, the Wichita Falls Wildcats came to life last weekend with a pair of morale-building wins over the Springfield Jr. Blues.

"We needed a weekend sweep, or some kind of spark to get us on the right track," said Wildcats head coach John Bowkus, whose team improved to 7-9-2 on the season. "Our confidence was low, the players were questioning themselves and we just weren't getting any kind of bounces."

The tables turned on Friday, as Wichita Falls ended its skid with a 4-3 shootout win. Chad Hudson scored two goals and an assist in regulation and one goal in the shootout, with Brett Hartung adding the other Wildcats marker. Between the pipes, goaltender Phil Graveline turned back 34 shots.

The next night, Zach Rourke recorded a hat trick, including the game-winning goal, and an assist as the Wildcats downed the Jr. Blues, 7-5. Kyle Delaurell added four assists in the victory, and Graveline again made 34 saves.

"Our overall play was better," said Bowkus. "We were able to capitalize on some of our scoring chances and we had players finally contributing on both ends of the ice.

"It's not that we've been playing that bad, we just haven't been firing on all cylinders."

Hudson, who was acquired recently in a trade from St. Louis, has helped the offensive cause. The 18-year-old from Coppell, Texas, scored his first points last weekend (three goals, two assists) since arriving in Wichita Falls.

"Chad hasn't been here that long, but has fit in great with the other players," said Bowkus. "We brought him in to put up some points and last weekend he was able to do that."

Rourke also came out of hiding. With more time on the power play because of recent roster changes, the 18-year-old from Oxford, Mich., collected his first three goals of the season against Springfield.

"When he made the team this summer, we were hoping he would be one of our top-producing forwards, and hopefully he'll continue to prove us right," said Bowkus.

Air Force recruit Delaurell has been one of the Wildcats' top forwards all season long. The 19-year-old from Mission Viejo, Calif., picked up five more assists last weekend to add to his team-leading point total (23).

"We scored more goals last weekend in a two-game series than we have all year long," said Bowkus, "so I'm hoping that's jumpstarted our offense."

The coach is also hoping for improved play from his netminders, Graveline and Mike Jarboe. Both have save percentages south of .900, which will need to improve if the Wildcats have any plans of making a run in the competitive South Division.

"Our goaltending has been just average and I'm looking for either Phil or Mike to step up and get us some wins," said Bowkus. "I still think both goalies are capable of playing better, but it goes back to confidence and when we were on that losing streak, there wasn't a lot of confidence anywhere."

Bowkus has been impressed with the maturation of his inexperienced defensive core, crediting assistant coach Mike Flanagan for much of their early development.

"We have some young guys back there and we've asked them to come in and make an impact right away," said Bowkus, who also noted that the acquisitions of veteran defensemen Sean Coffey and Augie Hoffmann, both of whom were picked up from St. Louis, have paid immediate dividends.

Last season notwithstanding, Bowkus-led teams have a history of starting slow and finishing strong. And although not thrilled with the club's last-place position in the South standings, the Wildcats are confident better days lie ahead.

"No one is ever happy with a record below .500, but we're starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel," said Bowkus. "The players are starting to buy in, the chemistry is getting better, and the team believes we can succeed."

And it's right back to work for Wichita Falls this weekend, as it heads to Topeka for a two-game set against the RoadRunners. The Wildcats have eight games left before the New Year, including six against St. Louis and Topeka, which have a combined 32-8-2 record to date.

"By far, we have one of the toughest divisions in the league and the next four weeks will be an unbelievable measuring stick for us," said Bowkus.

Despite the slow start, the Wildcats are still getting plenty attention from Division I schools. Two players have already committed - DeLaurell and Zach Trotman (Lake Superior State University) and Bowkus expects more to follow suit in the coming months.

"We have about four other players who are getting interest right now, and as we get better and into the second half of the season, I think we'll see some more commitments," said the coach.

STANDINGS/LEADERS
Central Division
TEAM GP W-L-OTL PTS PCT GF GA
Alexandria 21 13-6-2 28 .667 79 62
Bismarck 22 13-8-1 27 .614 58 52
Owatonna 19 11-7-1 23 .605 70 55
North Iowa 20 9-9-2 20 .500 59 68
Albert Lea 19 1-16-2 4 .105 39 85

North Division
TEAM GP W-L-OTL PTS PCT GF GA
Mahoning Valley 19 13-4-2 28 .737 68 48
Traverse City 18 13-3-2 28 .778 58 43
USNTDP 21 11-8-2 24 .571 77 62
Marquette 23 9-10-4 22 .478 65 73
Alpena 17 9-6-2 20 .588 45 48
Motor City 21 4-17-0 8 .190 40 84

South Division
TEAM GP W-L-OTL PTS PCT GF GA
St. Louis 23 16-5-2 34 .739 83 53
Topeka 19 16-3-0 32 .842 77 31
Springfield 23 7-12-4 18 .391 66 83
Wichita Falls 18 7-9-2 16 .444 52 68 West Division
TEAM GP W-L-OTL PTS PCT GF GA
Fairbanks 18 11-4-3 25 .694 74 52
Alaska 15 9-6-0 18 .600 59 55
Kenai River 21 8-12-1 17 .405 67 97
Wenatchee 17 7-9-1 15 .441 43 60

LEADING SCORERS
PLAYER TEAM P GP G A PTS
Freismuth, Jerry ALX F 20 10 20 30
George, Jordan TPK F 19 9 21 30
Bourbonais, Clinton STL F 23 6 23 29
Gorczyca, Grant STL F 22 15 12 27
Block, Austin FBX F 18 10 15 25
Curry, Nick SPR F 23 8 17 25
Hamburg, Andrew STL F 17 6 18 24
Frey, Trent SPR F 23 17 6 23
Greco, Kyle STL F 23 14 9 23
Delaurell, Kyle WIC F 18 8 15 23

LEADING GOALTENDERS
PLAYER TEAM GPI MINS W-L-OTL GAA SPCT
Merriam, Bryce TPK 9 538:55 8-1-0 1.45 .939
Rocker, Lyle TPK 9 549:19 7-2-0 1.75 .929
Tibbett, Jordan MVY 12 730:57 10-2-0 1.89 .929
Yanakeff, Will USA 8 481:30 4-3-1 1.99 .911
Graves, Nick ALP 9 541:08 6-2-1 2.00 .933

GOALS
PLAYER TEAM P GP G Frey, Trent SPR F 23 17
Gorczyca, Grant STL F 22 15

ASSISTS
PLAYER TEAM POS GP A
Bourbonais, Clinton STL F 23 23
George, Jordan TPK F 19 21

PLUS/MINUS
PLAYER TEAM POS GP +/-
Freismuth, Jerry ALX F 20 +17
Bourbonais, Clinton STL F 23 +16

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Sherwood/NAHL North Player of the Week: Mike DeGrazia - Alpena IceDiggers
Alpena forward Mike DeGrazia tallied two goals and an assist as the IceDiggers celebrated a two-game sweep over Motor City. On Saturday, the Novi, Mich., native struck for two goals, including the game-winner, in a 3-2 victory. The next night, the 20-year-old recorded an assist as the IceDiggers defeated the Machine, 3-1. He was also a plus-1 on the weekend.

"It was good to see Mike put up some points for us," said IceDiggers head coach Jack Fritsche. "As a veteran, we expect him to lead both on and off the ice and he did that last weekend."

HONORABLE MENTION: Mahoning Valley forward Brandon Saad; Marquette forwards Garrett Ladd and Collin Saint-Onge

Sherwood/NAHL South Player of the Week: Chad Hudson - Wichita Falls Wildcats
Wichita Falls forward Chad Hudson rang up three goals and two assists in a pair of wins over Springfield. On Friday, the Coppell, Texas, native netted two goals in regulation and one in the shootout in a 4-3 triumph. The next night, the 18-year-old collected another goal and an assist as the Wildcats bested the Jr. Blues, 7-5.

"Chad is making the most of his chances," said Wildcats head coach John Bowkus. "He has a knack for scoring which we've been badly missing this season."

HONORABLE MENTION: Topeka forward Byron Paulazzo and defenseman Eric Artman; Wichita Falls forward Zach Rourke

Sherwood/NAHL Central Player of the Week: Jeff Harris - Bismarck Bobcats
Bismarck forward Jeff Harris struck for two goals, including the game-winner, and two assists in the Bobcats' 5-4 win over North Iowa on Friday. The 20-year-old from Simi Valley, Calif., was also a plus-2. Harris did not play in the second game of the series due to injury.

"Jeff has been a great teammate all year," said Bobcats head coach Byron Pool. "We expected big things from him, but it's taken him awhile to get going. It's nice to see Jeff rewarded for all his hard work."

HONORABLE MENTION: North Iowa forward Alex Carlson; Owatonna forward Tony McDonald

Sherwood/NAHL West Player of the Week: Brad McCabe - Fairbanks Ice Dogs
Fairbanks forward Brad McCabe connected for four goals and an assist as the Ice Dogs skated to a two-game sweep over Kenai River. On Friday, the Gearhart, Ore., native tallied two goals and an assist in a 6-3 victory. The next night, the 20-year-old potted two more goals as the Ice Dogs downed the Brown Bears, 5-1. He was also a plus-2 on the weekend.

"Brad has been playing a hot hand the last couple of weeks and we're more than happy to see it continue," said Ice Dogs coach Josh Hauge. "He's a talented offensive player and he's proving that again this season."

GDI/NAHL Goalie of the Week: Jordan Tibbett - Mahoning Valley Phantoms
Mahoning Valley goaltender Jordan Tibbett backstopped the Phantoms to a two-game sweep over the U.S. Under-17 team, turning aside 57 of 62 shots. On Friday, the Indianapolis native made all 23 saves as Mahoning Valley blanked the U.S. team, 3-0. The next night, the 18-year-old made 35 saves in regulation and overtime and all five in the shootout in a 6-5 victory.

"It seems we're always talking about Jordan, and he deserves it," said Phantoms head coach Bob Mainhardt. "He worked his tail off this offseason and was rewarded for it with his first shutout on Friday."

HONORABLE MENTION: Marquette's Dan Sullivan

AROUND THE NAHL
ALASKA AVALANCHE: Kyle Pichler recorded three goals and two assists as the Avalanche skated to a 1-2 record against Wenatchee last weekend.

ALBERT LEA THUNDER: Mikita Feaktsistau and Anthony Brown scored for the Thunder in its 3-2 shootout loss to Alexandria on Saturday.

ALEXANDRIA BLIZZARD: Minnesota native Kyle Politz, who started the season in the USHL, recorded a goal and two assists in his first two games with the Blizzard.

ALPENA ICEDIGGERS: Goaltender Nick Graves allowed only three goals against (43 saves) in a pair of wins over Motor City last weekend.

BISMARCK BOBCATS: Goaltender Matt Grogan continues his solid play, stopping 25 shots in the Bobcats' 3-1 win over North Iowa on Saturday. "Matt has been outstanding his last four games," said head coach Byron Pool.

FAIRBANKS ICE DOGS: Defenseman Drew Darwitz racked up four assists in the Ice Dogs' two-game sweep over Kenai River. The Minnesotan has recorded two assists in each of his last five games.

KENAI RIVER BROWN BEARS: Patrick Sullivan, from New York, notched the game-winning goal in the Brown Bears' 3-2 win over Wenatchee on Tuesday.

MAHONING VALLEY PHANTOMS: Phantoms leading-scorer Brandon Saad put home two goals, along with the only goal of the shootout, in Mahoning Valley's 6-5 triumph over the U.S. Under-17 Team on Saturday. "Brandon played great last weekend, and his goals were critical," said head coach Bob Mainhardt. "His play all year has been excellent."

MARQUETTE RANGERS: Goaltender Dan Sullivan turned away 63 of 69 shots as the Rangers picked up three points (win, overtime loss) against the U.S. Under-18 Team.

MOTOR CITY MACHINE: Nick Taurence recorded three assists in Motor City's two losses to Alpena. He's now tied for the team lead in scoring with Josh Bussell (13 points).

NORTH IOWA OUTLAWS: With two losses to Bismarck, the Outlaws have now dropped five games in a row. "The season still has plenty more left and, come the end of March, [the losing streak] may be a forgotten memory by then, but we do have to get it turned around soon," said head coach Jeff Crouse.

OWATONNA EXPRESS: Tony McDonald put home a goal and an assist in the Express' 6-3 victory over Alexandria on Friday. The Express has now won five games in a row.

SPRINGFIELD JR. BLUES: With two more goals in two games against Wichita Falls, Trent Frey added to his league-leading total of 17.

ST. LOUIS BANDITS: After opening the season 16-1-1, the Bandits have now lost five in a row, including two in Topeka last weekend.

TOPEKA ROADRUNNERS: Forwards Jordan George and Matt Hartmann have both committed to Bemidji State University (CHA) for next season.

TRAVERSE CITY NORTH STARS: With last weekend off, the North Stars will skate in the North Division Showcase this week against host Mahoning Valley, Alpena and St. Louis.

TEAM USA: Jeremy Morin's overtime goal lifted the Under-18 Team to a 4-3 win over Marquette on Saturday. It was his second goal of the weekend.

WENATCHEE WILD: Duncan McKellar tallied three goals and five assists as the Wild skated to a 3-2 record last week in Alaska.

WICHITA FALLS WILDCATS: Zach Rourke recorded a hat trick in Wildcats' 7-5 win over Springfield on Saturday, his first three goals of the season. "It took him a long time to find the back of the net," said head coach John Bowkus. "Now that the monkey is off his back, we hope he continues to put the puck in the net."

THE WEEK AHEAD
Wednesday, November 26
Owatonna @ North Iowa, 7:30 pm
USNTDP @ Motor City, 7:10 pm

Thursday, November 27
Fairbanks @ Kenai River, 7:05 pm

Friday, November 28
Alaska @ Wenatchee, 5:05 pm
Wichita Falls @ Topeka, 7:05 pm
Marquette @ St. Louis, 8:30 pm
Springfield @ Owatonna, 7:00 pm
Traverse City @ Mahoning Valley, 7:15 pm
Fairbanks @ Kenai River, 7:30 pm
Albert Lea @ Bismarck, 7:30 pm
Motor City @ Alpena, 4:00 pm
North Iowa @ Alexandria, 7:00 pm

Saturday, November 29
Alaska @ Wenatchee, 5:05 pm
Wichita Falls @ Topeka, 7:05 pm
Motor City @ St. Louis, 4:00 pm
Springfield @ Owatonna, 7:00 pm
Marquette @ Mahoning Valley, 7:15 pm
Fairbanks @ Kenai River, 7:30 pm
Albert Lea @ Bismarck, 7:00 pm
Traverse City @ Alpena, 1:00 pm
North Iowa @ Alexandria, 7:00 pm

Sunday, November 30
Alaska @ Wenatchee, 7:05 pm
St. Louis @ Traverse City, 11:00 am
Mahoning Valley @ Motor City, 6:00 pm
Alpena @ Marquette, 2:00 pm
Owatonna @ Albert Lea, 7:00 pm

(all times local)
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