By Jim den Hollander
Editor/Publisher
Saukhockey.info
Coming off what was likely its most emotional and ultimately, best week of the USPHL Premier Midwest-West regular season, the Dells Ducks are looking to pick up their first ‘dub’ on home ice this weekend.
In town on Saturday night and Sunday afternoon will be the Steele County Blades.
Veteran goaltender Anthony Falzone was as much a key as anyone in the team’s 180-degree turnaround last week, kicking out 42 Steele County shots at the Midwest Showcase in Blaine, MN on Friday collecting the shutout and bringing an end to an 11-game losing streak. He followed that up later the same day with a 2-1 win against Decatur.
While the goaltending and defense carried the week, the Ducks offense showed some signs of life as well after scoring two of fewer goals in seven of those 11 games.
This weekend, an angry Blades team will likely be visiting town looking for some revenge. Last season, the Blades collected three of four points against the Blades on the road but surrendered a pair of losses in early January that may have cost the team a shot at seventh place at season’s end.
Safe to say, this series will be vital for both the eighth place (3-10-1-1) Ducks and sixth place (5-5-0-1) Blades who both have sights set higher in the Midwest-West standings.
The 32 goals scored by the Blades this season leaves them as the only club with fewer than the Ducks who have also played four extra games. The 38 goals against for the Blades is among the best in the league so goals will be at a premium this weekend.
Offensively, the Blades are led by returners Brody Ward (‘03/Buffalo, MN 4g, 10a); Noah LaFleur (‘03/Fairbanks, AK 5g, 4a) and Arturas Laurynavichus (‘04/Minsk, Belarus 4g, 5a), three names familiar to the vets on the Ducks.
For the Ducks, third year defenseman Jack Kopfstein (‘05/Vista, CA) is off to a great star with five goals and 13 points in 14 games while Owen Plumert (‘05/Hudsonville, MI) is enjoying a fine rookie season with five goals and nine points.
The Ducks have turned into a deeper and more balanced team this season though. There are five other players within three points of Plumert and of late, they have seen several names appear on game sheet scoring sections.
Special teams could be a big factor in this one. The Ducks rank fifth of nine in their division in penalty minutes and the Blades have about 30 minutes more despite playing in four games fewer.
On paper, the Ducks’ goaltending does not have the type of numbers a player would brag about but it is currently trending better of late. Michael Carden (‘05/Dayton, OH) will likely be sidelined again with concussion symptoms, but Falzone (‘03/St. Charles, IL) is coming off the big games in Blaine while John Freiburger (‘06/Dubuque, IA) and Juan Aguilar (‘07/West Dundee, IL) have both had stretches of brilliance between the pipes as well.
All things considered; the team is in a good position this season compared to a year ago. At the end of October last season, the Ducks sat at 0-11-1-1, so the eight points collected has them six points ahead of last season’s pace.
Despite the dismal month of October, the Ducks enter November with a shot at reversing course and moving toward the division’s mid-pack.
But that move needs to start this weekend.
The Ducks will face off against the Blades at 7 p.m. Saturday, followed up by a 1:30 p.m. battle on Sunday.
The Blades will begin their own weekend on home ice Friday (Nov. 3) against Hudson Havoc.
These will be the team’s lone home games in November but they remain close the following weekend, traveling to Wisconsin Rapids for its first series of the season against the rival Riverkings. The following weekend the team travels to the Detroit area for its second and final Showcase tournament of the season, wrapping up the month with a single contest back in Owatonna, MN against the Blades.
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