By Jim den Hollander
Editor/Publisher
Saukhockey.info
Editor’s note – Apologies for the delay on this story and all of the others (at least eight) that will follow over the Thanksgiving weekend. Focus shifted a bit in recent days as I once again find myself in Ontario with my ill father. Hopefully I will get caught up and stay focused on the amazing run the Ducks have put together this month.
For a second time, the Dells Ducks hit paydirt going against teams from other divisions at the second of two Showcase tournaments.
This time the Ducks headed to Motown to take part in the Midwest Showcase and the locals posted wins in three of four contests, putting up the strongest performance of anyone in the Midwest-West Division.
The wins come on the hills of a pair of lopsided defeats in Wisconsin Rapids the previous weekend and show the team got the message from the the best way a coach can show their disappointment…a bag skate.
The Ducks started with a 5-4 edge against the Buffalo Stampede Friday (Nov. 18) morning, then returned to the ice later the same day and dropping a 3-1 decision to the MJDP from the Metro Jets program.
On Saturday, the Ducks returned with a 4-3 edge against the Cincinnati Cyclones and on Sunday, they picked up an impressive 3-1 decision against the Chicago Crush.
Buffalo Stampede 4 @ Dells Ducks 5
The Ducks rolled into the Detroit area and started the tournament off with a come from behind win against the Stampede.
For a team that has had mighty struggles in the opening period, an impressive first 20 saw the Ducks stay even on shots 8-8 with Buffalo, but on the scoreboard the Stampede held a 2-1 edge. Bryce Purtill’s second goal of the season was sandwiched between the two Stampede tallies with assists for Austin Plumert, a Michigan native and Martin Sorelli.
Three consecutive middle period markers turned things around for the Ducks, Buffalo counting a late one to get back within a goal.
Andy Gonzalez and Jack Kopfstein fired the first two before Purtill notched his second of the game and third of the season. Scott had set ups on all three second period goals with other assists for Purtill and Kopfstein.
The Stampede rallied to tie the game 6:31 into the final frame but Zach Halling restored the lead with the game winner less than four minutes from the finish with Plumert collecting another assist.
Jack Freiburger stopped 23 shots to collect his first junior victory in goal.
MJDP 3 @ Ducks 1
Before taking on the Ducks, MJDP picked up impressive wins against Midwest-West superpowers, Minnesota Moose and Minnesota Blue Ox and afterward they knocked off the same Riverkings that pounded Ducks the previous weekend.
But Ducks, led by Anthony Falzone who is making a case for himself as a goaltender of month in the Midwest-West, kept it close to the end.
In fact, when Halling notched his second goal of the day 5:27 from the final buzzer, the Ducks were staying right with the junior Jets in an exciting penalty-free contest.
Quinten Clausen collected an assist on the goal and Falzone continued to be the best protection againt the first period barrage as the Ducks trailed 1-0 after a period in which they were outshot 16-4.
MJDP scored once in each period for a total of three goals on 36 shots.
Ducks 4 @ Cincinnati Cyclones 3
This was the scariest game of the weekend for the Ducks as the Cyclones rolled into the event without a regulation win this season. Nobody wants to be the one that is the first victim in that scenario.
The Cyclones kept it close, but the Ducks, but goaltender Juan Aguilar closed and bolted the door at the right time. The Ducks never trailed in the contest but saw a comfortable 4-1 cushion turn into a narrow cushion early in the third before Aguilar took over.
Wisconsin Rapids based defender Keynan Miller opened the scoring the lone goal of the opening period before a pair from William Stornello and another off the stick of Alic Schuster widened the gap in the middle period.
Clausen and Reece Atkins both picked up a couple assists with others going to Austin Plumert and Scott.
Ducks 3 @ Chicago Crush 1
The timing was perfect for a return to the Ducks crease for Chris Mazurek who starred in goal for the team last season.
In his first game for the Ducks, Mazurek kicked out all but one of the 31 shots he faced but the Ducks played well in front of him with one of the best offensive shows so far this season.
Ducks’ shooters fired 37 shots the other way including a rare 11-10 edge in the opening period.
The only goal to get by Mazurek came late in the first period but was quickly wiped out as Ashot Davtyan found the mark 40 seconds from the end of the period with help from Purtill and Lucas Andruskiewicz.
Lucas Epperson put the Ducks in front to stay with the lone goal of the middle period, Austin Plumert and Atkins chipping in the assists.
Insurance came from Dells resident John Scott who fired his fifth of the season in the third period from Miller and Halling.
Duck Quacks – The performance in Detroit boosted the Ducks’ record for the month of November to 4-4 and they could wrap up their first north of .500-month Sunday afternoon when they travel to Owatonna, Minnesota for their third meeting of the month and fourth of the season against the Blades.
— Ducks share the wealth well when it comes to scoring. Jack Kopfstein leads the team with eight goals and 11 points but there are seven players with at least 10 points and several others that could join that club within the next few games.
— The Detroit Showcase was the second and final tournament of the season for the Ducks this season. In past seasons they have attended three Showcases which worked out perfectly with four meetings against each division opponent for a 44-game total. This season the Ducks will instead play four crossover games against the Nashville Spartans – two at home and two in the Country Western capital. The first two will be played Dec. 1-2 before a well-deserved weekend off, the team’s first since the season started in September.