TRI-CITY STORM NEWS & NOTES - WEEK 11
Storm start Hauge era this weekend against Des Moines, Tuesday vs. Sioux City
Friday, December 9, 2011
- Weekly News and Notes
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Print your rosters for Week 11:
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KEARNEY, Neb. – After a couple days of change, the Tri-City Storm will begin Friday with Josh Hauge as the General Manager/Head Coach against the Des Moines Buccaneers.
The Storm have made a few roster changes to add to the coaching staff change. Tri-City parted ways with C/LW Soren Jonzzon and D Greg Johnson, and called up RW Kyle Eastman for the weekend from the 1995 affiliate list.
Jonzzon, who was the Storm’s leading scorer last season (39 pts – 17g, 22a), was traded to the Youngstown Phantoms for a conditional 2012 USHL Entry Draft pick. This season, Jonzzon had just one goal and nine assists and is third in the USHL in shots (77) in 21 games.
Johnson has cleared waivers and is expected to play for the St. Louis Bandits (NAHL). He played in 16 games and registered his first-career USHL point with an assist on Nov. 19 against Team USA – U18 in Ann Arbor, Mich.
Eastman was drafted by the Storm in the third round (38th overall) of the 2011 USHL Futures Draft. He is playing for the Buffalo Jr. Sabres U18 this season and has posted 16 points (7g, 9a) and 26 penalty minutes in 22 games. Last season, Eastman played for the Buffalo Regals U16 where he posted 28 points (9g, 19a) and 32 penalty minutes in 35 games.
Eastman will wear No. 11 for Tri-City and could play in both games this weekend.
The Breeze 94.5 FM will air Friday’s game with the Viaero Wireless Pre-Game Show will starting at 6:45 p.m., while Fox-Nebraska will televise the game on Saturday afternoon at 3:00 p.m. The Breeze will air Tuesday’s game against Sioux City, as the pre-game show is set for 6:45 p.m.
Tri-City Notes:
Tri-City Storm – 6-12-0, 12 pts (8th in Western Conference)
- Last game – Dec. 6 – 3-1 loss @ Omaha Lancers
- The Storm are led in points and goals by C Nick Lappin – 20 points (12g, 8a)… Lappin also has a team-leading six power-play points (3PPG, 3PPA)
- Leading the setup is RW Kenny Brooks, who has 12 assists this season… Overall, Brooks has 16 points (4g, 12a) in 21 games this season… He is currently tied for 16th all-time in assists (40) with Jordan Willert (played 2005-08) and Ryan Dingle (2002-04)… Brooks is now tied for 19th all-time in points (60 – 20g, 40a), and still eight penalty minutes from being in the Top 20 in that category
- LW Trevor Moore and LW Brad Schierhorn are now tied for third on the team in scoring with 12 points each… Moore has seven goals, while Schierhorn has four goals on the season
- LW Thomas Nykopp and RW Michael Vecchione are ruled out for the weekend games due to injuries
- G Pheonix Copley (5-10-0) has a 2.96 GAA and .909 SV%… G Adam Wilcox (8-5-0) has a 2.57 GAA and .915 SV%…Wilcox was drafted by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 6th round (178th overall) of 2011 NHL Entry Draft
- The power play is ranked eighth in the USHL going 14-for-97 (14.4%)… the penalty kill is ranked 14th in the league at 80.2% (77-for-96)
Opponents Notes:
Friday, Dec. 9 vs. Des Moines Buccaneers – 9-8-1, 19 pts (4th in Western Conference)
Saturday, Dec. 10 vs. Des Moines Buccaneers
- Last game – Dec. 3 – 3-2 overtime win vs. Team USA – U17
- The Buccaneers lead the season series against the Storm 2-0-0
- RW Anthony Greco leads all Buccaneer players with 14 points (4g, 10a) in 18 games this season… Greco also has a plus-4 rating this season
- Six players have five or more goals on Des Moines – RW Kyle Irwin (6), LW Patrick Kirtland (6), C Gasper Kopitar (6), C Cal Decowski (5), LW Justin Hussar (5) and Trent Samuels-Thomas (5)
- LW Ray Pigozzi has a team-leading plus-8 rating with eight points (2g, 6a)
- G Jason Kasdorf (6-6-1), who was drafted in the 6th round (157th overall) by his hometown NHL team – Winnipeg Jets, has improved drastically from the start of the season, as his stats are among tops in the league with a 2.70 GAA and .916 SV%… He is committed to R.P.I. for next season
- Des Moines is ranked 12th in the USHL on the power play going 11-for-82 (13.4%)… The Buccaneers penalty kill is 63-for-78 (80.8%), which has them ranked 13th in the league
Tuesday, Dec. 13 vs. Sioux City – 9-11-0, 18 pts (5th in Western Conference)
- Last game – Dec. 3 – 4-3 win @ Lincoln Stars
- The Storm lead the season series against the Musketeers 2-1-0
- The Musketeers were last in the league at the end of October in goals for per game, but have climbed to sixth in the USHL at 3.25 GF/G
- LW Brad Robbins, who had an impressive 12 points (6g, 6a) in eight games in November, now is tied for the team lead in scoring with 20 points (12g, 8a) in only 17 games
- C David Goodwin is tied with Robbins in scoring with 20 points (9g, 11a) and has registered 10 points (5g, 5a) since joining Sioux City from the Green Bay Gamblers with D Andy Ryan and D Dan Molenaar for former Musketeer D Jordan Schmaltz
- D Andy Ryan is a plus-6 now on the season and is plus-9 playing for Sioux City
- G Matt Skoff (7-7-0), who is committed to Penn State Univ., has improved his numbers to 3.00 GAA and .909 SV%
- Sioux City’s power play is currently ranked seventh in the USHL at 17.7% (12-for-68)…the penalty kill is 71-for-86 (82.6%), which has them ranked ninth in the league