Dallas Native & Wenatchee WIld Goaltender Robert Nichols named NAHL Goaltender of the Month for January

Just a couple of weeks after Robert Nichols was named the NAHL Player of the Week on January 17th. The Wild Goaltender who has an impressive 7 Shutouts and a 1.49 Goals Against Average (Both League Leaders) has been named the Goaltender of the Month for January as he has helped the Wild move up to 3rd Place in the NAHL West Division after starting the season.

He hopes to bring the Wild back into the NAHL Robertson Cup Tournament when it comes to Frisco in May after making the League's Championship Event in both 2009 & 2010. The team's biggest year came in 2009 when the Wild got to the Robertson Cup Championship Game before losing to the St. Louis Bandits, 3-2, in OT.

However, one of the big surprises so far this season is that he was left off the NAHL Top Prospects Game that will be taking place later this month in Troy, Michigan.

Prior to his time with the Wenatchee Wild, he spent his time playing AAA Hockey with the Colorado Thunderbirds who currently compete in the Tier 1 Elite Hockey League (Same League as the Dallas Stars Elites) who have turned into one of Colorado's Strongest AAA Teams which included their U16AAA Team winning a National Championship back in 2010. 

His time came with the Thunderbirds during the 2010-2011 season where he played for their U18AAA Team and was also called up to play 7 games with the Wild last season and also played a single game for the Bulls while he was looking to assert himself in the North American Hockey League.

He also has won this for the 2nd time the Wenatchee Wild has won the Goaltender of the Month Award. Back in October, Greg Lewis, also took home the League Honors during the early portion of the regular season.

Robert Nichols has been one of the best Goaltenders in the NAHL All Season. Photo Courtesy of both the North American Hockey League & Wenatchee Wild

NAHL Press Release

The North American Hockey League has announced that Wenatchee Wild Goaltender Robert Nichols has been named the Brian's Custom Sports NAHL NAHL Goaltender of the Month for January. Nichols, 19, posted a 4-2-0 record in six games played during the month of January. Nichols (5'11"/180) also posted three shutouts during the month and stopped 129 of a possible 136 shots, which was good for a .949 Save Percentage and a goals against average of just 1.18.

"Our goaltending has been a big factor in our success this year and Robbie has been a big part of that," said Wenatchee Wild Head Coach John Becanic. "He Consistently gives us a chance to win every game and his competitiveness is something that is a huge asset for him. His work ethic and drive is based on one thing, winning. That is something you love to see and what separates good goalies from great goalies."

Nichols posted three shutouts in a span of four starts. He posted Shutouts in back-to-back starts in Dawson Creek back on January 13th and 15th, earning him the NAHL's #1 Star that week. He then posted a shutout in his final start in January back on January 28th, a 2-0 win over the Kenai River Brown Bears. Those three shutouts during the month moved Nichols into a 1st place tie in NAHL Shutouts with seven so far this season.

"I think it's more a reflection of the team then it is an individual," said Nichols. "My teammates allow me the opportunity to be successful on the ice because there is such attention to detail, especially defensively. We don't give up a lot of chances, so I just try and remained focused make sure I am keeping us in the game."

Nichols allowed just three goals in each of his two losses during the month and he hasn't allowed more then four goals in a game this season. It is a big reason why Nichols currently leads the NAHL in both goals against average (1.49) and save percentage (.942) this season. Half of Nichols 14 wins this season have been shutouts and despite splitting time with fellow Wild Goaltender Greg Lewis (who previously won October's NAHL goalie of the month), Nichols has managed to post an impressive 14-3-3 record so far this season.

Becanic made it clear at the start of the season he would platoon both Nichols and Lewis, with each starting every other game. True to his word, that Trent has continued all season long and and one that he plans to continue into the 2012 Robertson Cup Playoffs. "It makes it really easy on a coach when both goalies of Robbie (Nichols) and Greg (Lewis) caliber and both are capable of winning us a game on any given night," said Becanic. "Both push each other to be better every day in games and in practice, and that type of competition and respect among teammates is something that fuels them."

Nichols sees it the same way as his coach, "It is easier on us knowing we only usually play one game per weekend. It allows us to prepare better and have the proper mindset going into each game," said Nichols. "It is also good for the team because they know that either one of us can win the game, so it doesn't matter who starts in goal."

Nichols came to the Wild after playing the last two seasons for the Colorado Thunderbirds Midget Major Tier 1 team. He signed a tender with the Wild last season, which ultimately lead to his spot this season. Prior to playing in Colorado, Nichols was born and grew up playing hockey in Dallas, Texas.

Other Goaltenders nominated were (Alphabetical): Gabe Antoni, Springfield Jr. Blues - Tommy Burke, Bismarck Bobcats - Alex Fons, Fairbanks Ice Dogs - Connor Hellebuyck, Odessa Jackalopes - Tony Kujava, Janesville Jets - Ken MacLean, Kalamazoo Jr. K-Wings - Jacob Meyers, Alexandria Blizzard - Anthony Stolarz, Corpus Christi Icerays - Mike Taffe, Amarillo Bulls - Peter Traber, Topeka Roadrunners

Previous 2011-2012 Brians NAHL Goaltender of the Month winners - September 2011, Tony Kujava, Janesville Jets - October 2011, Greg Lewis, Wenatchee Wild - November 2011, Jacob Meyers, Alexandria Blizzard - December 2011, Peter Traber, Topeka Roadrunners.

About Brian Custom Sports

The official goaltending Equipment Supplier of the NAHL, Brian's has been a leading Canadian Supplier of custom built goal equipment since 1984. The factory is located in Kingsville, Ontario near the Southern tip of Canada with ready access to supplying the North American Market. As one of the original and remaining custom goal equipment manufacturers Brian's remains committed to continuing to lead the industry with exceptional design and quality. visit Brian's online here

NAHL 3 Stars of the Weeks has a Southwest Flavor

All the NAHL Stars of the week has a Southwest Flavor which includes Dallas Native & Wenatchee Wild Goalie Robert Nichols who was named the Top Star of the week. In addition to being named the Top Star of the Week, he's been among the league's top goaltenders all season long with an impressive 1.48 GAA and a strong 13-2-3 record and an impressive 6 Shutouts this season.

He's a '92 birth year and would still have one more season of Junior Egilibity remaining after this season. But he's also hot on the tail when it comes down to being looked by NCAA Teams. At this rate, I wouldn't be surprised if he announces a NCAA Commitment at some point this season

In addition, Corpus Christi Icerays Goalie Anthony Stolarz continued an impressive run after being ranked in the NHL Draft Rankings. He was named the #2 Star of the week after he looks to continue his dominate run and help carry the Ice Rays to the Playoffs for the 1st time in the NAHL Era. While New Mexico Mustangs Forward & the team's scoring leader Adam Chapie was the #3 Star of the week as well in one of the team's better weekends of the season.

NAHL 3 Stars of the Week Press Release

By NAHL Staff: The North American Hockey League (NAHL) announced the Three Stars of the Week ending January 15, 2012. The Three Stars of the Week is a weekly feature during the 2011-2012 regular season that honors the top performing players of the regular season nominated by their respective teams.

1st Star: Robert Nichols, Wenatchee Wild Goaltender: Having already earned 3rd star honors back on September 27th, Wenatchee Goaltender Robert Nichols, 19, put together a perfect weekend in goal as he was able to post shutouts in back-to-back starts and help the Wild to a three game road sweep of the Dawson Creek Rage. On Friday, the Dallas, Texas native stopped all 27 shots in a 2-0 win. On Sunday, he made 13 saves in a 3-0 win over the Rage. Nichols (5'11" 180) set a new individual single-season Wenatchee Record for shutouts with his sixth of the season, Nichols surpassed Brandon Jaeger, who recorded five shutouts last season.

For the week, Nichols was perfect stopping all 40 shots he saw. Nichols continues to have a record breaking season. He currently leads in the NAHL in both goals against average (GAA) and save percentage (94.3%). "It makes it easier for the entire team when Robert is playing like he is. He is a smart goalie and can play the puck as well as anyone I have ever seen." said Wild Head Coach John Becanic. "To have the goalie tandem like we do really sheds some light on how well these guys are playing in goal and hopefully it leads to some NCAA Division 1 Opportunities."

2nd Star: Anthony Stolarz, Corpus Christi Icerays Goalie: Corpus Christi netminder Anthony Stolarz, 17, who recently committed to the University of Nebraska-Omaha in the WCHA, arguably had his best weekend of the year as he helped the Ice Rays to three wins over the weekend to continue their current winning streak and keep a firm grip on a playoff spot in the South Division. On Friday, the Jackson, New Jersey Native allowed just one goal on 30 shots as the 'Rays beat Odessa 2-1 in a shootout. The next night, Stolarz (6'5" 200) stopped all 40 shots that came his way as Corpus Christi shutout the Jackalopes, 3-0.

On Sunday, Stolarz started his 9th consecutive game and made 33 saves in a 4-1 defeat of the Texas Tornado. For the weekend, Stolarz stopped an amazing 102 of 104 shots good for a 98.1 save % for the week and 0.64 GAA. "He delivered a complete weekend for us and continues to give us a chance to win each game," said Ice Rays head Coach Justin Quenneville. "Since his commitment to Nebraska-Omaha he has been playing his best hockey of the season. "I think he is still out to prove he is the best goalie in the country at this level."

3rd Star: Adam Chapie, New Mexico Mustangs Forward: University of Massachusetts-Lowell recruit Adam Chapie, helped the New Mexico Mustangs to their first weekend sweep since late November as the forward from Oxford, Michigan recorded five points (3G 2A) in a two game home-and-home sweep against the Wichita Falls Wildcats. On Saturday, Chapie (6'1 175) recorded a goal and two assists as the Mustangs picked up a big 5-2 road win in Wichita Falls. On Sunday, Chapie recorded two more goals, including the game-winner as New Mexico swept the Wildcats with a 7-4 win in New Mexico.

Chapie was also +5 on the weekend and scored his team leading fourth game-winning goal. Chapie leads the Mustangs in scoring with 35 points (19 Goals, 16 Assists) in 37 games played. "It has been a great year for Adam and he seems to be consistently producing every weekend," said Mustangs Head Coach Jason Kersner. "He has done a lot for the team in his two years and has stuck through it to make us feel we have the pieces in place to be a playoff contender this year."

Other players nominated were (Alphabetical): Gabe Antoni, Springfield Jr. Blues Goaltender -  Tyler Bruggeman, Austin Bruins Goaltender - Mike Fazio, Chicago Hitmen forward -  Alex Fons, Fairbanks Ice Dogs Goaltender -  Christan George, Kalamazoo Jr. K-Wings Forward -  Jake Hebda, Minot Minotauros Goaltender - Logan Lemirande, Pt. Huron Fighting Falcons Forward - Zach Lindsay, Corpus Christi Icerays Forward - Jake Lynes, Topeka Roadrunners Forward - Ken MacLean, Kalamazoo Jr. K-Wings Goaltender - Darren McCormick, Janesville Jets Forward - Ian Miller, Pt. Huron Fighting Falcons Forward - JT Osborn, Fairbanks Ice Dogs Forward - Shawn Pauly, Wenatchee Wild Forward - Jimmy Peplinski, New Mexico Mustangs Forward - Sean Reynolds, Chicago Hitmen Forward - Tyler Richter, Bismarck Bobcats Forward - TJ Sarcona, Amarillo Bulls Forward - Chris Sitler, Springfield Jr. Blues Forward - Castan Sommer, Bismarck Bobcats Forward - Trace Strahie, Topeka Roadrunners Defensemen





Wenatchee Wild acquire Tyler Hope

Garavaglia, Wildcats shutout 2 Time West Division Champions

It was a much different game then the season opener against the Chicago Hitmen, but a great shutout performance by goalie Eric Garavaglia.

As well late goals by Dakota Klecha and Chris Leone both scored in the final four minutes of the game to shutout the 2 Time West Division Champion Wenatchee Wild 2-0 to-go-to 2-0 in the Showcase. And have temporally taken over the top spot in the league's South Division.

It was a shutout performance from the defense as the Wildcats to just 26 shots and didn't allow double digit shot totals in all the periods of play.

Wenatchee Goalie Marcuz Zelzer had a strong performance as well by stopping 27 of 29 Wichita Falls Shots and were able to neutralize players like Michael Di Puma and Zach Frye who are spouse to 2 of the team's biggest offensive weapons this season as the Wild will look to win a third straight West Division Title this season, while the Wildcats look to rebound after finishing 5th in the South Division and didn't make the playoffs last year.

Next up for the Wichita Falls Wildcats is Friday Afternoon at 1:15 PM as they will take on the defending Robertson Cup Champion Bismarck Bobcats in what will be the strongest test for the Wildcats this week.

If they can play well and maybe even pull off an upset, this will be a statement game for the Wildcats that they could be a major player in the South Division this season.

In addition to yesterday's Game Summary, here's a story from Greg Rajan about the Wichita Falls Wildcats New Head Coach.

Late Coaching Change doesn't hurt Wildcats

From Greg Rajan of the Wichita Falls Times Record News

Wenatchee Wild 0 Wichita Falls Wildcats 2 (0-0, 0-0, 0-2)

From Blaine, Minnesota: Unlike their opener, there wasn't a gusher of goals for the Wichita Falls Wildcats on Thursday. However, there likely was a more rewarding feeling when they skated off the ice.

In a tight defensive battle, Wichita Falls edged the Wenatchee Wild 2-0 on the second day of the North American Hockey League Showcase Tournament at the Schwan Super Rink.

The Wildcats (2-0, 4 PTS) were buoyed by a 26 save shutout from Goalie Eric Garavaglia, who made his first start in the Wichita Falls Net and put up a stellar performance.

"What can you say when your goalie gets a shutout? He was definitely on top of his game," Wildcats head coach Mark Lerose said. "I was very happy with our goaltending."

"This win is definitely more satisfying. It's great to win a game 8-1 (on Wednesday over Chicago), but with a 0-0 game going late in the third period, it was very rewarding to come out with a 2-0 victory."

The match was evenly played until the Wildcats broke out the ice with a few minutes a spare. With 4:07 left in the third period, Wenatchee Defensemen Geoff Ferguson was sent off for checking from behind, giving the Wildcats a late power play.

Wichita Falls set up in the offensive zone, with Drew Allen, near the faceoff dot, sending a cross ice pass to Dakota Klechia in the right circle. Klechia, with a half open net facing him, buried the feed pass goalie Marcuz Zelzer at 16:10 for the games first goal.

"I just saw the puck and looked at the net and saw it was wide open," said Klecha, who scored twice in Wednesday Opener. "I just tried to get it there and I did. It was an awesome feeling.

It also eased the pressure considerably on Garavaglia at the other end.

"In my mind, it was stay relaxed and keep doing the same thing I was doing," he said. "Don't change anything and don't get too excited - just stay calm.

"It was a big relief (when Klecha scored). I knew we could keep the puck out of the net for (the final 3:50). I knew I could with the kind of game I was playing and my mindset."

Defensemen Chris Leone gave the Wildcats some insurance by beating Zelzer with a right wing circle wrist shot at 18:51.

The Wildcats wouldn't have been in position to win if not for the work of Garavaglia, with two critical saves waving sticking out.

Late in the 2nd period, a bad Wichita Falls line change gave Wenatchee a two-on-none rush, but Garavaglia somehow made a toe save with his left skate.

Then about six-and-a-half minutes into the third period, he denied the Wild's Nathan Sliwinski on what appeared to be an open-net rebound at the right post.

"He kept us in it throughout the whole game," Klecha said. "And a lot of them were good scoring opportunities."

"This was a lot more exciting then Wednesday. Wenatchee is a very good team and we beat them, so everybody's talking about us and how good we are."

NAHL Robertson Cup Day 3

Here's a look at how Day 3 of the Robertson Cup Round Robin. Bismarck is looking strong towards a championship. While the Wenatchee Wild are becoming the tournament's big surprise as the Ice Dogs have beaten both top seeds as the Ice Dogs will look to take advantage of the wins as they will play the red-hot Bobcats today.

Traverse City North Stars VS. Bismarck Bobcats

The Bismarck Bobcats went to 2-0 and are starting to look be a very dangerous Robertson Cup Contender after 5 unanswered goals put the Bobcats up 5-0 before Bismarck eventually won 6-1. To lead the Bobcats with a goal and 2 assists was Casey Kleisinger which takes his total to 4 PTS (1G 3A) for this tournament and 12 points overall for the playoffs.

Other's that had great games included Dan Weissenhofer who scored his first playoff point and Sam Rendle's 2 assists takes him to 6 points in this tournament following his hat trick in the tournament opener against St. Louis back on Tuesday.

With Wenatchee having problems by losing 2 one goal games, a win against the host Wild could be enough for them to clinch a spot in Sunday's League Championship Game.

Traverse City's only goal of the game came in the 2nd period from as Doug Clifford scored late in the 2nd period to prevent the team from getting shutout. Things got worse as Paliafito couldn't find a way to keep his momentum going when they beat the Wild 5-4 on the opening day.

With a 1-2-0 record with just one game left against Fairbanks on Friday, the North Stars are in a very tough spot to advance to the Championship Game in their first trip to the Robertson Cup.

Game Boxscore

Traverse City North Stars 1 Bismarck Bobcats 6 (0-3, 1-2, 0-1)

0-1 BIM: Dan Weissenhofer (PP) (Rendle) 2:12 1st

0-2 BIM: Gavin Hartzog (Unassisted) 8:43 1st

0-3 BIM: Ryan Jacobsen (Danford) 16:02 1st

0-4 BIM: Nick Jensen (PP) (Kleisinger) 4:52 2nd

0-5 BIM: Jason Fabian (PP) (Rendle, Kleisinger) 14:13 2nd

1-5 TRC: Doug Clifford (Jean) 15:49 2nd

1-6 BIM: Casey Kleisinger (Mckenzie, Mccarthy) 12:38 3rd


Game Stats

PP: TRC 0/6 BIM 3/6

SOG: TRC 21 BIM 30

PIM: TRC 14 Minutes on 7 Penalties BIM 24 Minutes on 8 Penalties

Goalies: TRC Chris Paliafito 24 SVS on 30 Shots BIM Ryan Faragher 20 SVS on 21 Shots

ATT: 1170

3rd Star: Ryan Faragher (BIM)

2nd Star: Sam Rendle (BIM)

1st Star: Casey Kleisinger (BIM)


Fairbanks Ice Dogs VS. St. Louis Bandits

Another close win for the Icedogs was the result of a back-and-fourth game as neither team was able to gain total control of the game as the game was tied at 1-1 at the 1st intermission. Then in the 2nd period as Tyler Voigt scored the first of two goals in the game as he also scored the game decider 8 minutes into the 3rd period.

For Fairbanks this puts them with a chance to be this year's big surprise in the Robertson Cup Championship as a win over 1-2-0 Traverse City could put them in the Championship Game on Sunday. After an impressive win over Wenatchee on the opening day, the North Stars have struggled by getting out-scored 10-2 against both Bismarck and Wenatchee the last 2 games.

Wenatchee is in trouble as the Wild are 0-2 with just 2 games left against the toughest teams left in the tournament as they will play the Bobcats & Ice Dogs in the 2nd half of the Round Robin Portion of the tournament as the tournament has just 2 days left in the Round-Robin.

St. Louis is having problems of their own at 1-2-0 with the hopes of winning a 4th straight Championship are slipping away. With just one game left on Saturday, they will need a win and get some help from Traverse City & Bismarck as a possible tie for 2nd may be their only hope of advancing to Sunday's Championship.

Game Boxscore

Fairbanks Ice Dogs 4 St. Louis Bandits 3 (1-1, 2-2, 1-0)

1-0 FBX: Brock Carlston (Waggoner) 2:11 1st

1-1 STL: Craig Kitto (Olszewski, Kalisz) 19:12 1st

1-2 STL: Joe Kalisz (Unassisted) 0:42 2nd

2-2 FBX: Tyler Voigt (Aide) 16:57 2nd

3-2 STL: Chris Ciotti (PP) (Raley, Sheehan) 18:07 2nd

3-3 FBX: Jared Larson (Michlke) 19:59 2nd

3-4 FBX: Tyler Voigt (PP) (Politz) 7:56 3rd


Game Stats

PP: FBX 1/3 STL 1/5

SOG: FBX 22 STL 26

PIM: FBX 10 Minutes on 5 Penalties STL 6 Minutes on 3 Penalties

Goalies: FBX Joe Phillippi 23 SVS on 26 Shots STL 18 SVS on 22 Shots

ATT: 1072

3rd Star: Craig Kitto (STL)

2nd Star: Joe Philippi (FBX)

1st Star: Tyler Voigt (FBX)


Tournament Standings after Day 3

1. Bismarck 2-0-0 4 PTS 11-4

2. Fairbanks 2-0-0 4 PTS 7-5

3. St. Louis 1-2-0 2 PTS 10-10

4. Traverse City 1-2-0 2 PTS 6-13

5. Wenatchee 0-2-0 0 PTS 6-8


Day 4 Schedule

Fairbanks Ice Dogs VS. Traverse City North Stars 2:35 PM PDT

Bismarck Bobcats VS. Wenatchee Wild 7:05 PM PDT

Bismarck & Traverse City are big winners on Robertson Cup Opening Day

The opening day of the 2010 Robertson Cup Championship saw the Bismarck Bobcats & Traverse City North Stars win some close games on the opening day.

Bismarck despite the win was expected to give the Bandits a tough push as the Bandits begin their quest for a 4th straight League Championship, while Bismarck is looking to rebound after a bad showing from last year. With the #2 VS. #3 Seeds playing each other on Day 1, the Bobcats have taken a huge step towards the team's first league Championship. A strong PP and a hat Trick by Sam Rendle put the Bobcats to 1-0 in the tournament.

In the Traverse City VS. Wenatchee, huge expectations for the Wild after winning the West Division for the 2nd straight year and having them as hosts will mean big crowds supporting the Wild. It was a very close and back-and-Fourth game. It looked like we would have had OT but a goal in the final minute by Chris Heinemann gave the North Stars the Robertson Cup Opening Win and put a set-back in the Wild's Championship Hopes.


Bismarck Bobcats VS. St. Louis Bandits

This year's tournament opener saw a very fast start to this game as both teams were firing shots from all over the ice as everybody will be looking to knock off the St. Louis Bandits who have won the NAHL Robertson Cup the last 3 years.

Bismarck's Sean Mckenzie who scored his 4th of the playoffs to make it 1-0 Bobcats. Just 6 minutes later, the Bandits power-play fired right back with Craig Kitto to make it 1-1 midway through the 1st period. Both teams continued to pepper shots at the goalie but the 1st period would end at 1-1. Both teams ended the 1st period with 11 SOG as it had the looks of a high scoring game between the Central & South Division Champions.

The 2nd period made the difference for Bismarck and one player in particularly Sam Rendle took over the game with 2 goals in just 5 minutes to give the Bobcats a 3-1 lead. He would later score again in the 3rd period to basically put the game away in the 3rd period to get him a hat trick in the game. The strong 2nd period by Rendle and a power play that scored 3 times in the game made a huge difference as the Bobcats made a huge step towards making the Robertson Cup Championship Game on Sunday for the first time since 2004 when they lost to the Texas Tornado.

Despite several penalties that hurt the Bandits momentum when they were down 4-1. St. Louis made a strong effort to get back in the game as Craig Kitto scored on a great set-up play by Stouffer to make it 4-2 Bobcats midway through the 2nd period. But costly penalties that killed the momentum eventually lead to Sam Rendle's 3rd goal on the power-play to make it 5-2 Bobcats to win this year's Tournament Opener. St. Louis did make it 5-3 in the final minute, but by then, it was to little to late for the Bandits.

Going into Day 2, the Bobcats will have their off day then will return on Thursday to play the Traverse City North Stars. While the Bandits will look to get back in the tournament as they will play the Traverse City North Stars.

Game Boxscore

Bismarck Bobcats 5 St. Louis Bandits 3 (1-1, 3-0, 1-2)

1-0 BIM: Sean Mackenzie (PP) (Kleisinger) 5:58 1st

1-1 STL: Craig Kitto (PP) (Bertsch) 11:37 1st

2-1 BIM: Sam Rendle (Klein) 3:59 2nd

3-1 BIM: Sam Rendle (Unassisted) 8:42 2nd

4-1 BIM: Dominic Panetta (PP) (Mckenzie) 18:48 2nd

4-2 STL: Craik Kitto (Stoffer) 5:09 3rd

5-2 BIM: Sam Rendle (PP) (Fabian) 16:18 3rd

5-3 STL: Cody Gonchar (Quakenbush, Gettinger) 19:25 3rd


Game Stats

SOG: BIM 33 STL 29

PP: BIM 3/9 STL 1/4

PIM: BIM 8 Minutes on 4 Penalties STL 18 Minutes on 9 Penalties

Goalies: BIM Ryan Faragher 26 SVS on 29 Shots STL Tyler Bruggeman 28 SVS on 33 Shots

ATT: 1007

3rd Star: Ryan Faragher (BIM)

2nd Star: Craig Kitto (STL)

1st Star: Sam Rendle (BIM)


Traverse City North Stars VS. Wenatchee Wild

You don't have to look long for the main storyline in this game. The Power-Play was a big difference as the North Stars scored 3 times to help the North Stars comeback to tie it at 1-1, 2-2, and 3-3 in this game. For Wenatchee, the Tournament Hosts and the Favorites to win the Championship this season by some went an embarrassing 0/8 in a game where they were 14 power play chances combined.

With Wenatchee out-shooting the Traverse City North Stars 39-27 in this game, the Wild would have had this game won if they could have converted on any of their 8 power-play chances. For Traverse City, 3 power play goals came at huge times as the North Stars came back from 1-1 and 2-2 went up 3-2 where the North Stars never trailed again in this one.

The SOG were flying all around in this game as both teams were able to get double digit SOG in every period excpt for Traverse City in the 3rd period. It took just 5 minutes to make it 1-1, Wenatchee forward Mark Miller scored his 2nd goal of the playoffs just 4 minutes into the game that put the home crowd into a frenzy. But just 90 seconds later, it was big Andy Huff who's more known for his hitting then his scoring, despite scoring 22 goals in the regular season.

Nathan Sliwinski and Garrett Thompson each traded goals later in the period to make it 2-2. Thompson has been very big in the playoffs with 10 points (Including 6 Goals) as he scored the first of 3 power play goals on the night.

Traverse City finally took the first lead of the night when Eric Mclintock scored just 58 seconds into the 2nd period on the power-play to give the North Stars their first lead of the night at 3-2. After stunning the Wild crowd early in the 2nd period, unlike the 1st period, both teams used a more cautios approach and the Wild were looking to rev up the pressure. Despite 4 penalties in succession for the Bandits, the PK held firm by killing off all the North Stars PP chances.

Traverse City Goalie Drew Strandberg who has played every minute for the North Stars in this year's playoffs. However after giving up Dajon Mingo's goal to tie the game at 3-3. the goal at 14:25 made the North Stars switch goalies. And put in backup Chris Paliafito who hasn't played since the Regular Season Finale on March 26 played very well, by stopping 13 of 14 shots in the 2nd half of the game.

The 3rd period saw the Wild take over the game by out-shooting the North Stars 13-5, but it was Dan Radke who scored the team's 3rd power play goal of the night to make it 4-3 with assists from Thompson and Clifford midway through the 3rd period.

After that goal it looked like the North Stars would be able to fend off the Wild peppering the defense and goalie Paliafito. However, Michael Di Puma scored with 2 and a half minutes left. It looked like that OT would decide this game until defensemen Chris Heinmann scored with just 34 seconds to make it 5-4 and help the North Stars win their first Robertson Cup Game in Team History.

Traverse City is looking to continue their great start on Wednesday against St. Louis.While Wenatchee will be playing the tournament long-shot in the Fairbanks Ice Dogs


Game Boxscore

Traverse City North Stars 5 St. Louis Bandits 4 (2-2, 1-1, 2-1)

0-1 WEN: Mark Miller (Mckenzie, Jubinville) 4:08 1st

1-1 TRC: Andy Huff (Mclintock) 5:33 1st

1-2 WEN: Nathan Sliwinski (Mckellar, Mckenzie) 8:23 1st

2-2 TRC: Garrett Thompson (PP) (Clifford, Heinmann) 13:14 1st

3-2 TRC: Eric Mclintock (PP) (Hugg, Shkreli) 0:58 2nd

3-3 WEN: Dijon Magon (Di Puma) 14:25 2nd

3-4 TRC: Dan Randke (PP) (Thompson, Clifford) 10:34 3rd

4-4 WEN: Michael Di Puma (Miller) 17:37 3rd

4-5 TRC: Chris Heinemann (Opie) 19:26 3rd


Game Stats

PP: TRC 3/6 WEN 0/8

SOG: TRC 27 WEN 39

PIM: TRC 22 Minutes on 11 Penalties WEN 18 Minutes on 9 Penalties

Goalies: TRC Drew Strandberg 22 SVS on 25 Shots Chris Paliafito 13 SVS on 14 Shots WEN Brandon Jeager 22 SVS on 27 Shots

ATT: 2870

3rd Star: Michael Di Puma (WEN)

2nd Star: Eric Mclintock (TRC)

1st Star: Chris Heinemann (TRC)


Robertson Cup Tournament Standings after Day 1

1. Bismarck 1-0-0 2 PTS 5-3

2. Traverse City 1-0-0 2 PTS 5-4

3. Fairbanks 0-0-0 0 PTS 0-0

4. Wenatchee 0-1-0 0 PTS 4-5

5. St. Louis 0-1-0 0 PTS 3-5


Robertson Cup Schedule for Day 2 (All Start Times are PDT)

Traverse City North Stars VS. St. Louis Bandits 2:05 PM

Fairbanks Ice Dogs VS. Wenatchee Wild 6:35 PM

Full NAHL Robertson Cup Schedule

With the St. Louis Bandits clinching the final spot for the NAHL Robertson Cup Championship Tournament last night. This year's Final 5 is all set and the schedule is all set with the 4 Division Champions plus the Wenatchee Wild who are hosting this year's tournament up in Wenatchee, Washington. It will be a Round Robin Format where each team playing 4 games. Then after the Round Robin comes to an end, it will be a single game between the top 2 seeds for the League Championship this year.

Last year the Wenatchee Wild finished 2nd in the Round Robin when they reached the Robertson Cup Championship. Then in the Championship ended badly as the team lost in OT to the St. Louis Bandits as they won they 3rd Robertson Cup Championship in a row. The St. Louis Bandits are going to be the hunted this year as the Wild will be looking get some revenge on their home ice and win the teams first ever Championship.

Joining the Wenatchee Wild & St. Louis Bandits who are expected to be the favorites again this year. The Bismarck Bobcats are back in the Robertson Cup after winning the Central Division for the 2nd straight year, but after the Bobcats poor showing where they only win came against North Iowa in Double Overtime, the Bobcats will be looking to players like Jason Fabian and Ryan Jacobsen who are among the playoff leaders in goals. While Dominic Panetta who has 11 assists as the Bobcats sweepet both the Albert Lea Thunder & Owatonna Express in the Central Division Playoffs.

Traverse City is the newcomer this year as the North Stars have won their first Division Title since joining the league 4 years ago. However the question is do they have the defense to keep up as the North Stars came out of a very balanced Division. But the North was thought as a weak division, the team will look to goalie David Strandberg who's played every minute of every game in the playoffs with a GAA of 1.00 and 2 shutouts in the playoffs as the North Stars have beaten the Janesville Jets & the Motor City Metal Jackets who themselves shocked the Top Seeded Marquette Rangers in the 1st Round.

Fairbanks is being seen as this year's long shot as the Icedogs are being the designated West Division Team with the Wild being Tournament Hosts. They will be the long-shot and be the 5th & Lowest Seeded Team in this year's Robertson Cup Tournament.

A tough schedule awaits them out the shoot as the Icedogs will have the first day off then will play the Wenatchee Wild & St. Louis Bandits back-to-back on May 5 & 6. If Fairbanks is going to need a strong team game from everybody, especially from the top players like Matt Millis and Mark Pustin for the Icedogs to have a shot this year.


Here's a look at how the 5 teams reached the NAHL Robertson Cup & how they seeded for this year's Tournament.

#1 Wenatchee Wild (West Division Champions & Tournament Hosts)

#2 St. Louis Bandits (South Division Champions)

#3 Bismarck Bobcats (Central Division Champions)

#4 Traverse City North Stars (North Division Champions)

#5 Fairbanks Ice Dogs (West Division Runner Up)



Wenatchee Wild Road to the NAHL Robertson Cup

Regular Season Record: 45-10-3 93 PTS, 219 GF 125 GA, Finished 1st in the West & Overall

DIV. Semifinals VS. Kenai River: Game 1 5-2 W, Game 2 5-2 W, Game 3 3-1 W

DIV. Finals VS. Fairbanks: Game 1 6-2 W, Game 2 6-2 W, Game 3 7-1 W

Wenatchee Wild Scoring Leaders
Ryan Tilmar 6 GP 8 PTS (6G 2A, +6)
Dajon Mingo 6 GP 8 PTS (2G 6A,+8)
Michael Di Puma 6 GP 7 PTS (3G 4A, +7)

Wenatchee Wild Goaltending
Brandon Jeager 5 GP 5-0 1.84 GAA .889 SV%
Brendan Jensen 1 GP 1-0 1.00 GAA .950 SV%

Full Wenatchee Wild Stats: http://nahl.stats.pointstreak.com/teamplayerstats.html?teamid=137690&seasonid=4578


St. Louis Bandits Road to the Robertson Cup

Regular Season Record: 44-11-3 91 PTS, 211 GF 125 GA, Finished 2nd in the West Division

DIV. Semifinals VS. Texas: Game 1 2-3 L, Game 2 1-3 L, Game 3 1-0 W, Game 4 3-2 OTW, Game 5 3-2 OTW

DIV. Finals VS. Topeka: Game 1 2-1 W, Game 2 6-2 W, Game 3 1-4 L, Game 4 4-1 W, Game 5 5-0 W


St. Louis Bandits Scoring Leaders
Patrick Sheehan 10 GP 9 PTS (0G 9A, +2)
Ryan Belonger 9 GP 6 PTS (3G 3A, +3)
Craig Kitto 10 GP 6 PTS (1G 5A, E)

St. Louis Bandits Goaltending
Tyler Bruggeman 9 GP 6-3 1.65 GAA .933 SV%
CJ Groh 2 GP 0-1 3.05 GAA .852 SV%

Full St. Louis Bandits Stats: http://nahl.stats.pointstreak.com/teamplayerstats.html?teamid=13177&seasonid=4578



Bismarck Bobcats Road to the Robertson Cup

Regular Season Record: 39-11-8 86 PTS, 195 GF 130 GA, Finished 1st in the Central Divison.

DIV. Semifinals VS. Albert Lea: Game 1 4-2 W, Game 2 8-2 W, Game 3 6-1 W

DIV. Finals VS. Alexandria: Game 1 9-1 W, Game 2 5-2 W, Game 3 3-1 W


Bismarck Bobcats Scoring Leaders
Dominic Panetta 6 GP 16 PTS (5G 11A, +10)
Jason Fabian 6 GP 11 PTS (4G 7A, +4)
San Rendle 6 GP 9 PTS (2G 7A, +3)

Bismarck Bobcats Goaltending
Jake Williams 4 GP 4-0 1.75 GAA .930 SV%
Ryan Faragher 2 GP 2-0 1.00 GAA .974 SV%

Bismarck Bobcats Full Stats: http://nahl.stats.pointstreak.com/teamplayerstats.html?teamid=13184&seasonid=4578


Traverse City North Stars Road to the Robertson Cup

Regular Season Record: 33-20-5 71 PTS, 217 GF 172 GA, Finished 2nd in the North Division

DIV. Semifinals VS. Janesville: Game 1 7-1 W, Game 2 4-0 W, Game 3 2-0 W

DIV. Finals VS. Motor City: Game 1 4-1 W, Game 2 5-1 W, Game 3 5-3 W


Traverse City North Stars Scoring Leaders
Garrett Thompson 6 GP 8 PTS (5G 3A, +4)
Doug Clifford 6 GP 8 PTS (1G 7A, +3)
Tim Opie 6 GP 7 PTS (3G 4A, +6)

Traverse City North Stars Goaltending Leaders
Drew Strandberg 6 GP 6-0 1.00 GAA .958 SV%

Full Traverse City North Stars Stats: http://nahl.stats.pointstreak.com/teamplayerstats.html?teamid=36621&seasonid=4578


Fairbanks Ice Dogs Road to the Robertson Cup

Regular Season Record: 32-22-4 68 PTS, 203 GF 182 GA, Finished 3rd in the West Division.

DIV. Semifinals VS. Alaska: Game 1 2-1 W, Game 2 6-4 W, Game 3 4-2 W

DIV. Finals VS. Wenatchee: Game 1 6-2 W, Game 2 6-2 W, Game 3 7-1 W


Fairbanks Ice Dogs Scoring Leaders
Matt Millis 6 GP 5 PTS (4G 1A, -4)
Mark Pustin 6 GP 5 PTS (3G 2A, -4)
Zach Tolkinen 6 GP 4 PTS (1G 3A, -6)

Fairbanks Ice Dogs Goaltending
Joe Phillippi 5 GP 3-2 4.02 GAA .868 SV%
Mike Taffe 3 GP 0-1 4.23 GAA .897 SV%

Full Fairbanks Ice Dogs Stats: http://nahl.stats.pointstreak.com/teamplayerstats.html?teamid=13174&seasonid=4578


Here's the Full Schedule of Games for the NAHL Robertson Cup which begins on May 4. (All Start Times are at PDT)

May 4

Bismarck Bobcats VS. St. Louis Bandits 2:05 PM

Traverse City North Stars VS. Wenatchee Wild 6:35 PM


May 5

Traverse City North Stars VS. St. Louis Bandits 2:05 PM

Fairbanks Ice Dogs VS. Wenatchee Wild 6:35 PM


May 6

Fairbanks Ice Dogs VS. St. Louis Bandits 2:05 PM

Traverse City North Stars VS. Bismarck Bobcats 7:05 PM


May 7

Fairbanks Ice Dogs VS. Traverse City North Stars 2:35 PM

Bismarck Bobcats VS. Wenatchee Wild 7:05 PM


May 8

Fairbanks Ice Dogs VS. Bismarck Bobcats 2:35 PM

St. Louis Bandits VS. Wenatchee Wild 7:05 PM


May 9 (Championship Game)

#1 Seed VS. #2 Seed 5:05 PM