Wildcats score on the ice, for charity

Published on February 11, 2008 under North American Hockey League (NAHL) News Release

The Wichita Falls Wildcats celebrated their highly anticipated Children's Miracle Network "Jersey Off Our Back" auction last weekend in more ways than one, rattling off two wins over the Kenai River Brown Bears while raising over $80,000 for charity.

"There's no question this was a great all-around weekend for the organization," said Wildcats coach-GM John Bowkus, whose team improved to 30-12-2 on the season. "Not only did we pick up four important points in the standings, but the way the fans and the community rallied around the auction was unbelievable."

The Wildcats opened their weekend with a 7-3 victory on Friday. Mike HendersonKyle Delaurell recorded two goals, including the game-winner, while (two goals, assist), Adam Sponseller (goal, two assists), Skylur Jameson (goal, two assists) and Sean McKenzie (three assists) each fashioned three-point games. Between the pipes, goaltender Mike Jarboe turned aside 21 shots.

The Wildcats followed that up with a 4-2 win over the Brown Bears on Saturday. Four different players scored in the victory, with Matt Kenline tallying a goal and an assist. Jarboe made 22 saves to earn his second win of the weekend.

Saturday also marked the team's annual Children's Miracle Network "Jersey Off Our Back" auction, in which the team wore special jerseys that were auctioned off after the game. All of the money raised, including the $23,000 bid collected for Craze E Cat's jersey (the Wildcats' mascot), will be donated locally to the United Regional Health Care System.

"I'd have never believed it if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes," said Bowkus. "What a great night."

And what a great all-around weekend on the ice for Sponseller. The 20-year-old from Mt. Pleasant, Mich., was the Wildcats' top point-getter against Kenai River with two goals and two assists.

"Adam really committed himself this season to becoming a well-rounded hockey player," said Bowkus. "I knew he had the offensive ability, but now I'm seeing him play real well defensively as well.

"He came into the season in great shape and has added to his strength with our in-season weightlifting program."

Given Sponseller's performance, Bowkus is encouraged to see other players outside of the Wildcats' top line of Adam Cardwell, Grant Everett and Luke Salazar contributing offensively.

"Now we have some other players who are capable of scoring goals every night and that will help us down the stretch," said.

Included among them is Jameson, a fourth-year forward who is having his best season offensively with 46 points (19 goals).

"I think that most colleges are missing the boat with him," Bowkus said of the Top Prospects Tournament selection. "He's one of the best - if not the best - defensive players in the league and he's also putting up great numbers. And what a great kid off the ice."

Wichita Falls also got a boost on the defensive end with the recent acquisition of Top Prospects selection Kent Detlefsen, whom the Wildcats picked up at the trade deadline from Alaska. The 20-year-old recorded a goal in his first game with his new team on Friday.

"With the addition of Kent, we've added a whole other dimension to our defense," said Bowkus. "He has a great shot and offensive flare that we really didn't have with our current defensive core."

With two more wins last weekend, Jarboe, who will compete in next week's Top Prospects Tournament, continues to prove himself as one of the elite goaltenders in the league. His 24 victories are now tops in the entire NAHL.

"Mike has been steady all year long, and for as much ice time as he's logged, I expected his play to diminish a little but, in reality, it hasn't," said Bowkus. "He still gets the job done and will play a big role in our hopes of a long playoff run."

The Wildcats received good news on the college front with the recent commitment of Cardwell to the University of Fairbanks. Bowkus expects more to follow suit in the coming weeks.

"Adam's signing has the phones ringing a little more these days," said Bowkus. "I really think we have about five other players that will be able to step in and play for a Division I school. My hopes are that after the Top Prospect Tournament we'll get a few more commitments for our guys."

With an 8-1-1 record in their last 10 games, the Wildcats, who sit in first place in the NAHL's South Division, have two more tilts left on their 12-game homestand. Bowkus credits the local support for his team's good fortunes at home.

"Our fans are loud and proud of our team," said Bowkus, whose club is 17-5-2 at Kay Yeager Coliseum this season. "We have a great booster club and the way the boys are treated here is just astonishing."

With all the confidence in the world in his team's offensive capabilities, Bowkus would like his charges to sure things up defensively down the stretch as they look to nail down a South Division title.

"I know we can score goals at any time; I just want to make sure that we take care of our end first," said the coach. "For us to be a contender, we need to be consistent game in and game out. I think that if we stick to our game plan, we should be fine and, hopefully, in St. Louis come May."

STANDINGS/LEADERS

North Division

TEAM GP W-L-OTL PTS PCT GF GA

St. Louis 45 36-8-1 73 .811 196 119

Mahoning Valley 43 26-13-4 56 .651 169 128

Alpena 43 25-15-3 53 .616 144 126

Marquette 46 23-20-3 49 .533 155 170

USNTDP 41 21-18-2 44 .537 139 142

Traverse City 43 14-19-10 38 .442 124 154

South Division

TEAM GP W-L-OTL PTS PCT GF GA

Wichita Falls 44 30-12-2 62 .705 171 129

Topeka 40 25-9-6 56 .700 154 97

Fairbanks 40 25-12-3 53 .663 112 94

Texas 47 17-26-4 38 .404 136 157

Alaska 42 15-25-2 32 .381 123 185

Kenai River 43 8-28-7 23 .267 104 192

Central Division

TEAM GP W-L-OTL PTS PCT GF GA

North Iowa 43 30-10-3 63 .733 155 102

So. Minnesota 42 20-14-8 48 .571 154 161

Springfield 42 20-18-4 44 .524 143 151

Alexandria 38 17-18-3 37 .487 143 158

Bismarck 44 16-25-3 35 .398 120 162

Fargo-Moorhead 40 15-23-2 32 .400 133 148

LEADING SCORERS

PLAYER TEAM P GP G A PTS

Cardwell, Adam WIC F 42 27 45 72

Walters, Shea NIO F 43 20 46 66

Salazar, Luke WIC F 44 32 32 64

Graham, Derek MVY F 43 26 32 58

Peterson, Erik ALP F 41 19 39 58

Warda, Ben STL F 45 19 38 57

O'Kane, Kyle STL F 40 34 21 55

Everett, Grant WIC F 43 15 40 55

Nesper, Luke ALX F 38 19 33 52

Leone, Mike STL F 42 11 40 51

LEADING GOALTENDERS

PLAYER TEAM GPI MINS W-L-OTL GAA SPCT

Moss, Robby NIO 31 1843:58 22-5-3 1.98 .936

Reichard, Cody FBX 36 2109:41 22-12-1 2.16 .930

Merriam, Bryce TPK 32 1947:15 17-9-6 2.22 .902

Heeter, Cal STL 25 1429:10 18-5-0 2.48 .915

Graves, Nick ALP 24 1395:08 15-4-4 2.49 .911

GOALS

PLAYER TEAM P GP G

O'Kane, Kyle STL F 40 34

Salazar, Luke WIC F 44 32

(two players tied with 27)

ASSISTS

PLAYER TEAM POS GP A

Walters, Shea NIO F 43 46

Cardwell, Adam WIC F 42 45

(two players tied with 40)

PLUS/MINUS

PLAYER TEAM POS GP +/-

Cardwell, Adam WIC F 42 +27

Merrifield, Mike STL F 45 +27

(two players tied at +26)

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

North Division: Mike Merrifield - St. Louis Bandits

St. Louis forward Mike Merrifield rang up a goal and two assists last weekend as the Bandits skated to a two-game sweep over Texas. On Friday, the 18-year-old scored the game-winning goal and an assist in a 2-1 triumph. The next night, the Beverly Hills, Mich., native notched an assist as the Bandits bested the Tornado in a shootout, 3-2. He was also a plus-1 on the weekend.

"Mike played a big role in our success last weekend," said Bandits coach-GM Jon Cooper. "He figured in some key goals for us in a couple of tightly-contested games."

HONORABLE MENTION: Mahoning Valley goaltender Jordan Tibbett; Marquette goaltender Beau Christian

Central Division: Luke Nesper - Alexandria Blizzard

Alexandria forward Luke Nesper struck for a goal and seven assists last weekend as the Blizzard fashioned a 2-1 record. In a 4-3 shootout win over Springfield on Friday, the 20-year old recorded a shootout goal and three assists. The next night, the Eagle River, Wis., native tallied four assists in Alexandria's 6-3 triumph over Bismarck. Nesper closed out his weekend with a goal in a 4-2 loss to the Jr. Blues in Sunday. He was also a plus-6 for the week.

"Luke has been playing extremely well for us these past two months," said Blizzard coach-GM Brad Willner. "Every time his line is on the ice, they create offensive opportunities."

HONORABLE MENTION: North Iowa forward Dustin Skinner and goaltender Robby Moss

South Division: Bryce Merriam - Topeka RoadRunners

Topeka goaltender Bryce Merriam backstopped the RoadRunners to a pair of wins in Fairbanks last weekend, turning aside 63 of 65 shots. On Saturday, the 20-year-old made 28 saves in a 6-1 victory. The next night, the Pittsburgh native stopped 35 shots - he also stopped five of six shots in the shootout - as the RoadRunners celebrated a 2-1 win over the Ice Dogs.

"We needed Bryce to play at the top of his game and he did," said RoadRunners coach-GM Scott Langer. "He answered the call and was simply outstanding all weekend."

HONORABLE MENTION: Wichita Falls forward Adam Sponseller

LAST WEEK'S SCORES/HIGHLIGHTS

Thursday, February 7

Fargo-Moorhead 2 @ Bismarck 6 (BIS: Coldwell, 3A, +3)

Friday, February 8

Springfield 3 @ Alexandria 4 (SO) (ALX: Nesper, SOG, 3A, +2)

Marquette 6 @ Mahoning Valley 2 (MAR: Weight, GWG, A)

Southern Minnesota 1 @ North Iowa 4 (NI: Walters, 2G, +1)

St. Louis 2 @ Texas 1 (STL: Merrifield, GWG, A)

Kenai River 3 @ Wichita Falls 7 (WF: Henderson, G, GWG, +2)

Saturday, February 9

Alexandria 6 @ Bismarck 3 (ALX: Nesper, 4A, +3)

Topeka 6 @ Fairbanks 1 (TOP: Stoddard, 2G, +2)

Marquette 1 @ Mahoning Valley 4 (MV: Tibbett, 31 saves)

North Iowa 2 @ Southern Minnesota 3 (SO) (SM: Brodhag, G, SOG)

St. Louis 3 @ Texas 2 (SO) (STL: Johnson, 25 saves)

Kenai River 2 @ Wichita Falls 4 (WF: Kenline, G, A)

Sunday, February 10

Topeka 2 @ Fairbanks 1 (SO) (TOP: Hayes, SOG, A, +1)

Springfield 4 @ Alexandria 2 (SRP: Cook, 34 saves)

North Iowa 2 @ Southern Minnesota 1 (NI: Skinner, G, GWG)

AROUND THE NAHL

TOP PROSPECTS JERSEY AUCTION ANNOUNCED: All game-worn player jerseys, as well as jerseys representing all six participating coaches, from next week's NAHL Top Prospects Tournament will be auctioned off through eBay. Bids can be placed at www.nahl.com/auction starting on Tuesday, February 12.

TOP PROSPECTS ON B2 NETWORKS: All games at next week's NAHL Top Prospects Tournament, as well as the championship game of the Midget Showcase Series event, will be video broadcast live over the Internet through B2 Networks. Visit nahltopprospects.com for details.

THREE ICE DOGS MAKE D-I PLANS: Three more Fairbanks players have committed to Division I schools for next season: goaltender Cody Reichard (Miami University, CCHA), 20, and forwards Caleb Harrison (Holy Cross, Atlantic Hockey), 21, and Aaron Stonacek (Bentley College, Atlantic Hockey), 20.

KIRBY TO FLY WITH AIR FORCE: Second-year Southern Minnesota defenseman Tim Kirby, 19, has committed to Air Force (Atlantic Hockey) for next season. The Austin, Minn., native has five goals for 30 points in 40 games this year.

U17'S TAKE SECOND IN SLOVAKIA: The U.S. National Under-17 Team finished in second place at the Under-18 Vlad Dzurilla Tournament in Slovakia with a 2-1 record. A.J. Treais, 17, led Team USA with four points (two goals, two assists).

RUST PROOF: Making his first start since January 20, Mahoning Valley goaltender Jordan Tibbett, 18, turned aside 31 shots in the Phantoms' 4-1 win over Marquette on Saturday. "It goes a long way in showing how much he's matured, having not played in a while and then getting back in there and having his A-game ready," said Phantoms coach-GM Bob Mainhardt.

ALASKA DEALS DETLEFEN, SKINNER: Alaska traded defenseman Kent Detlefsen, 20, to Wichita Falls for forwards Bill Colclough, 19, Pat Colclough, 19, and Tyler Tosunian, 17. The Avalanche also dealt forward Dustin Skinner, 20, to North Iowa for a second- and third-round pick in this year's NAHL draft.

CHRISTIAN IN CONTROL: Marquette goaltender Beau Christian, 19, guided the Rangers to a two-game split with Mahoning Valley last weekend, including a 59-save performance in the Rangers' 6-2 win on Friday. "Beau played two great games and gave us a chance to win both," said Rangers coach Randy Enders. "We're counting on him to continue his strong play down the stretch."

SKINNER STRIKES: In his first games with North Iowa since being traded from Alaska, forward Dustin Skinner, 20, recorded two goals and an assist last weekend in three games against Southern Minnesota, the team he started the season with. "Dustin was a valuable pick up for our team," said Outlaws coach Dave Boitz. "Going up against his old team, we knew he'd be ready to play and he had a great weekend."

THE WEEK AHEAD

Wednesday, February 13

Topeka @ Alaska, 7:00 pm

Thursday, February 14

Fargo-Moorhead @ Bismarck, 7:05 pm

Friday, February 15

Fairbanks @ Alaska, 7:00 pm

Bismarck @ Fargo-Moorhead, 7:35 pm

Topeka @ Kenai River, 7:00 pm

Traverse City @ Mahoning Valley, 7:15 pm

Alexandria @ North Iowa, 8:00 pm

Springfield @ Southern Minnesota, 7:00 pm

Alpena @ St. Louis, 7:15 pm

Texas @ Wichita Falls, 7:00 pm

Saturday, February 16

Fairbanks @ Alaska, 7:00 pm

Bismarck @ Fargo-Moorhead, 7:05 pm

Topeka @ Kenai River, 7:00 pm

Traverse City @ Mahoning Valley, 7:15 pm

Alexandria @ North Iowa, 8:00 pm

Springfield @ Southern Minnesota, 7:30 pm

Alpena @ St. Louis, 7:15 pm

Texas @ Wichita Falls, 7:00 pm

Sunday, February 17

Topeka @ Kenai River, 3:00 pm

(all times local)

North American Hockey League Stories from February 11, 2008

• Despite Split With Marquette, Phantoms Retain Second Place in North - Mahoning Valley Phantoms
• Blues get three out of four weekend points vs. Alexandria - Springfield Jr. Blues
• Wildcats score on the ice, for charity - NAHL
• Wildcats Win Again, Pick up Four Points in Weekend Series - Wichita Falls Wildcats
• Rangers Players Shine Off the Ice - Marquette Rangers
• Jets weekly - Fargo-Moorhead Jets

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