A Look Ahead at the Upcoming Week in Springfield Jr. Blues Hockey -TC

(Monday, December 17th through Sunday, December 23rd)

Springfield Jr. Blues (11-17-2, 24 Points) ----- 7th Place in the North Division
Janesville Jets (12-14-5, 29 Points) ----- 6th Place in the North Division

Monday, December 17th
-No Game (off day) -- Practice at Nelson Center from 3pm to 5pm

Tuesday, December 18th
-No Game (off day) -- Practice at Nelson Center from 3pm to 5pm

Wednesday, December 19th
-No Game (off day) -- Practice at Nelson Center from 3pm to 5pm

Thursday, December 20th
-No Game (off day) -- Practice at Nelson Center from 3pm to 5pm

Friday, December 21st
-Jr. Blues @ Janesville Jets (7:05 pm inside the Janesville Ice Arena)

Saturday, December 22nd
-Jr. Blues @ Janesville Jets (7:05 pm inside the Janesville Ice Arena)

Sunday, December 23rd
-No Game (off day) No practice and No game

Jr. Blues drop heated battle against Kalamazoo on Saturday 3-2

The Springfield Jr. Blues battled hard and fought all the way until the final horn sounded on Saturday night, but lost to the Kalamazoo Jr. K-Wings 3 to 2 inside the Nelson Center in a North American Hockey League regular season divisional matchup.

After falling behind after the first 20 minutes following Kalamazoo goals from both Davis Dekorte and Taylor Burden, the Jr. Blues continued the trend as they evened it up after two periods following two goals of their own. Mike Fazio netted his eighth goal of the season on an assist from Brett Skibba -- then Skibba padded his team lead in goals with number 15, as he added the game-tying goal. Mike Fazio and Terry Leabo assisted Fazio on the goal, which was also the games only power-play goal as well.

The contest had a total of just seven power-plays. Kalamazoo capitalized without the help though as they went 0 for 2 for the game; while the Jr. Blues got the goal from Skibba to tie it at two and finished the game 1 for 5.

With the Nelson Center amped up and energized to start the third period tied at two apiece, the 850 faithful Springfield fans certainly made their voices heard; it was probably the loudest that I have heard the Nellie get this season aside from the end of the dramatic win against Topeka last Saturday night that ended with an all-out, every player brawl. Just 2:08 into the start of the third and final period though, Kalamazoo's Patrick Spellacy scored on a nice pass from Luc Boby in what turned out to be game-winning goal.

The goalies for both teams played excellent games. In all reality, neither deserved to be charged with a loss either. Matt Leon saved 25 of 28 Wings' shot attempts, while Marcus Due-Boje converted saves on 27 of the Jr. Blues' 29 shot attempts. Leon fell to 7-9-2 for the season and has now lost a season-high six straight games. On the other side, Due-Boje made his eighth start of the season; and he made it count. He improved his record to 5-3-0 and has allowed just 23 goals on 263 shot attempts (.913 save percentage); and he is now 2-0 against Springfield this season as he defeated them on November 25th when he allowed one goal on 35 shots as they won 2-1 at home.

The Jr. Blues out shot Kalamazoo 29 to 28 for the contest as the K-Wings had just one of the three periods with more shots on goal. Springfield, who was led in shot attempts by Brett Skibba with 5, won the battle 12 to 7 in the second and 11 to 9 in the third; they were out shot 12 to 6 in the opening period of the game.

Following the lost, the Jr. Blues fell to 11-17-2 (24 points) overall on the season, and are now leading Michigan by just three points as they try to get out of the eighth spot in the North division. Also, the team is now under the .500 mark at home inside the Nellie as they are 8-9-1 overall. Springfield will hit the road though next week as they will take on Janesville at 7 pm on both Friday and Saturday nights.

Official Scoring Summary --- From the official website of the NAHL
First-(KAL) Davis Dekorte (Luc Boby, Patrick Spellacy) 15:41; (KAL) Taylor Burden (Cole Pierce, Matt Wurst) 19:30
Second-(SPR) Mike Fazio (Brett Skibba) 9:49; (SPR) Brett Skibba (PP) (Mike Fazio, Terry Leabo) 19:43
Third-(KAL) Patrick Spellacy (Luc Boby) 2:08

Three Stars of the Game --- From the official website of the NAHL
1. Patrick Spellacy (Kalamazoo)
2. Luc Boby (Kalamazoo)
3. Brett Skibba (Springfield

Click here to view the official boxscore from the Nelson Center (NAHL's official website).

Jr. Blues look to find their winning ways again later tonight (AM Rant)

(PHOTO CREDITS TO: Jeff Coons) Check Him Out.

One weekend after the Jr. Blues huge victory over the Topeka Roadrunners in the final minute of regulation that was fueled by a huge goal from Mike Fazio with 29 seconds remaining, the Jr. Blues proved tonight that good things could possibly be on the way.

Despite the final score ending in a final of 5 to 3 in favor of the visiting Jr. K-Wings from Kalamazoo, the Jr. Blues out hustled and out played their opponents, as well as played with more heart. Springfield outshot Kalamazoo by 17 more shots as they put up 46 compared to the K-Wings only having 29.

The home team had many more chances to score on the visiting goalie, Alex Okicki, but they just couldn't cash in. Their were numerous times that some passes on the five scoreless power-play opportunities that just didn't have enough power on them -- or being it went the opposite way with their being too much power under them. The chances were certainly their, and although when it's coming down to the difference of making the playoffs or not making them, moral victories certainly don't mean a single thing -- but the sign that they got at it like they did is a very good thing to see for such a young squad.

The Jr. Blues fell to the .500 mark at home inside the Nelson Center in the state-capital of Illinois (Springfield) for the first time in two months, as they are now 8-8-1 through 17 games in the first season under new head coach Tony Zawaoswki and assistant coach Mike Janda.

The obvious plan that the new management has is obviously to get better through building up the youth foundation of the team. Coach Zasowski and Janda both won championships while coaching inside the state of California, and right now the team is slowly starting to show impressively large strides of improvement. They certainly know what they are doing and are confident in the plan -- so the Springfield faithful should be confident with it as well, but also be rather patient.

I felt as if the team may be turning the corner following last Saturday night's dramatic win, and this performance despite recieving a lost haven't changed my mind. The team played a good game and has nothing to be ashamed of or putting their heads down about as they are still in the rather learning stages as a team. It isn't easy to adjust as a returning player from the past season to a whole new system and a lot of new comers -- but everybody has handled the situation well. A team that is willing to learn it themselves and play with determination and is fully focused is a hard team to beat, and that is what this team is.

Is this team really beginning to turn the corner? That question has an answer to it that only time will be able to tell us. Tonight's game could be another big step though as the team will hit the road starting next weekend for four games. They travel to Janesville next weekend for two games, then travel to Topeka the following weekend for two on Friday and Saturday night.

Jr. Blues miss plenty of opportunities; Kalamazoo wins 5 to 3 on Friday

On a night where head coach Tony Zawoswki seen his team out shoot the opposing team 46 to 29, Cole Pierce and his Kalamazoo Jr. K-Wings defeated the Springfield Jr. Blues 5-3 inside the Nelson Center in Springfield for a North American Hockey League regular season contest.

Pierce finished the night as the number one star of the game with his performance, in which he finished with two points from both scoring a goal -- as well as chipping in an assist as well. He scored the games first goal just 5:38 into the game, as it was listed as an unassisted score.

The K-Wings entered the first intermission with an impressive 2-1 lead after being outshot by the Jr. Blues by seven shots (16-9). Theo Tydingco scored to tie the game up at one each -- and then Kyle Gattelaro scored on a sick pass from Trevor Boyd with less than five minutes remaining, giving the visitors the lead.

Once the second period began though, Kalamazoo came out and got two quick goals to put the score at 4 to 1. Brennan Sanford and Danny Hamburg both scored within the first 5 1/2 minutes and took all of the air out of the 520 faithful fans inside the Nellie. Once it hit 4 to 1, Springfield continued to play a hard fought game, but the K-Wings survived a lot of scoring opportunities and had complete control the rest of the way through.

The third period started with Kalamazoo leading 4-2, and having a lot of momentum. Through the first 16 minutes of the period, both teams were physical and kept each other shut out from impressive performances from both Matt Leon of the Jr. Blues and Alex Okicki of the K-Wings inbetween the pipes. The period ended with a shot total of 14-10 in favor of Springfield -- and one goal from each team scored in the final 3 1/2 minutes, as both Robbie Payne of Kalamazoo and Alex Baskakov of the Jr. Blues each netted one between the pipes.

Springfield and Kalamazoo both had six power-play opportunties tonight as the Jr. Blues finished 1 for 6 with the advantage as Mike Fazio scored one on assists from Ryan Atkinson and Brett Skibba assisted him -- and the K-Wings finished scoreless with a stat line of 0-6.

Okicki finished the night with a victory as he made 43 saves for the K-Wings. Ryan Kellenberger made the start for Springfield on Friday night, but was replaced by Matt Leon who recieved the loss but made 14 saves. Okicki improved his record to 11-6-1 and extended his winning streak to six games now. Leon fell below .500 for the first time this season desite having a pretty good game. His record is now 7-8-2 and hes lost five straight decisions between the pipes.

There were eight players tossed and ejected from this game on Friday, for misconduct penalties, with both teams getting four players each. The Jr. Blues' Brett Skibba, Jeff MacFarland, Parker Johnson, and Alex Jaeckle all were tossed; while the K-Wings seen Sam Johnson, Taylor Burden, Christian George, and Danny Hamburg all get tossed.

The Jr. Blues and K-Wings will both be back inside the Nelson Center on Saturday night as Springfield will look to salvage this weekends series with a 1-1 series split. The puck will be dropping at 7 pm with the doors opening up at 6 pm.

Official Scoring Summary (from the NAHL's website)
First-(KAL) Cole Pierce (unassisted) 5:38; (SPR) Theo Tydingco (Brett Skibba) 13:25; (KAL) Kyle Gattelaro (Trevor Boyd) 15:31;
Second-(KAL) Brennan Sanford (Brendan Vetter, Cole Pierce) 3:53; (KAL) Danny Hamburg (Kyle Gattelaro, Taylor Burden) 5:17; (SPR) Mike Fazio (PP) (Ryan Atkinson, Brett Skibba) 7:26
Third-(KAL) Robbie Payne (Trevor Boyd, Mark Esshaki) 16:34; (SPR) Alex Baskakov (Nate Chasteen, Mitch Rogge) 19:56

Three Stars of the Game (from the official boxscore from the NAHL official website)
1. Cole Pierce --- (Kalamazoo)
2. Kyle Gattelaro --- (Kalamazoo)
3. Danny Hamburg --- (Kalamazoo)

Click the link to view the official boxscore/game stats for this game from the official website of the North American Hockey League (NAHL.com).

Jr. Blues host Kalamazoo Jr. K-Wings for two games (Weekend Preview)

Springfield Jr. Blues -- (11-15-2, 24 Points) -- Seventh Place in North division

Kalamazoo Jr. K-Wings -- (17-10-1, 35 Points) -- Third Place in North division

Two Games -- Friday, December 14th and Saturday, December 15th

Both games inside the Nelson Center; puck will drop at 7:05 pm Central Time

Season Series---8 Head-to-Head Matchups in 2012-2013
(Kalamazoo leads season series 2 games to 0 games after two games)
-Game 1: Kalamazoo Jr. K-Wings 2, Jr. Blues 1 (November 24th) Inside West-Borgess
-Game 2: Kalamazoo Jr. K-Wings 2, Jr. Blues 1 (November 25th) Inside West Borgess
-Game 3: Kalamazoo at Springfield (December 14th) Nelson Center in Springfield
-Game 4: Kalamazoo at Springfield (December 15th) Nelson Center in Springfield
-Game 5: Springfield at Kalmazoo (February 9th) West Borgess in Michigan
-Game 6: Springfield at Kalmazoo (February 10th) West Borgess in Michigan
-Game 7: Kalamazoo at Springfield (March 29th) Nelson Center in Springfield
-Game 8: Kalamazoo at Springfield (March 30th) Nelson Center in Springfield

Last Weekends Results (Jr. Blues and Jr. K-Wings)
-The Jr. Blues split at home with the Topeka Roadrunners one game-to-one game.
-The Jr. K-Wings split at home with the Soo Eagles one game-to-one game.

The Big Story Inside the Nelson Center this Weekend
Their are a lot of folks interested in what happens inside the Nelson Center this weekend from around the North American Hockey League following the dramatic victory against Topeka last Saturday night that started up some fireworks. How will the Springfield Jr. Blues respond following the end of the five game losing skid? The direction of this teams season will be on display when these two division-foes have the puck dropped at 7:05 on Friday night.

Team Scopes

Springfield Jr. Blues-The Jr. Blues enter this weekends series against Kalamazoo with some much-needed motivation and confidence. After getting blown off the ice on Friday night, the team responded by Mike Fazio scoring with 29 seconds left to break a 2-2 tie. After the game ended, an all-out brawl broke out between all of the players on both teams. Before capturing the victory though, the Jr. Blues had lost five straight games, which was Saturday's dramatic finish away from being swept in three straight weekend series. They are 8-7-1 through sixteen games at home inside the Nellie this season. The team is led by the scoring combination of Brett Skibba (14) and Nate Chasteen (8), who have combined for a total of 22 goals. A key to winning this weekend will hinge on the performances of both goalies. Matt Leon seems to be regaining his confidence back, and Ryan Kellenberger was an honorable mention for 'Star of the Week'. Head Coach Tony Zasowski has the team hopefully reaching their peak as they seem pumped up and ready to go after the conclusion of the Topeka series. The special teams will play a huge factor this weekend as well as the team is 14th (15.2%) in the NAHL on the advantage; and 17th (82.2%) in the NAHL on the penalty kill.

Kalamazoo Jr. K-Wings-Kalamazoo enters the Nelson Center this weekend as the third place team in the North division, good enough to be 11 points and four spots ahead of the home team. The Jr. K-Wings are 6-6-1 through 13 games on the road this season, and are at the .500 mark as of right now. Head Coach Marc Fakler has done a fine job coaching this season, and has the Jr. K-Wings tenth (17.3%) in the league on the powerplay -- and twelveth (83.6%)  in the league on the penalty kill. Kalamazoo is lead by Robbie Payne and Josh Dangel, who are threats to score anytime they get the puck. Payne leads the team with 27 points and 14 goals -- and Dangel has 21 points total and leads the team with 16 assists. Defenseman Sam Johnson and forward Christian George combined for +14 on the ice together, as Johnson is +8 for the season, himself. Alex Okicki is the teams number one goalie, and through 17 starts, he is 10-6-1 between the pipes. Marcus Due-Boje is the number two option, and he is 4-3-0 through seven starts. Kalamazoo split last weekend against the Soo Eagles at home in Michigan as they won their last game 5 to 2 on Saturday night.

A look ahead at the upcoming week in Springfield Jr. Blues hockey

(Monday, December 10th, through Sunday, December 16th)

Springfield Jr. Blues -- (11-15-2, 24 Pts) -- 7th in North Division
Kalamazoo Jr. K-Wings -- (17-10-1, 35 pts) -- 3rd in North Division

Monday, December 10th
-No Game (off day) -- Practice at Nelson Center from 3pm to 5pm

Tuesday, December 11th
-No Game (off day) -- Practice at Nelson Center from 3pm to 5pm

Wednesday, December 12th
-No Game (off day) -- Practice at Nelson Center from 3pm to 5pm

Thursday, December 13th
-No Game (off day) -- Practice at Nelson Center from 3pm to 5pm

Friday, December 14th
-Jr. Blues vs. Kalamazoo Junior K-Wings (7:05 pm inside the Nelson Center)

Saturday, December 15th
-Jr. Blues vs. Kalamazoo Junior K-Wings (7:05 pm inside the Nelson Center)

Sunday, December 16th
-No Game (off day) No practice and No game

Jr. Blues dramatic win Saturday night may be what was needed

(**Photo Credits go to Jeff Coons**)

The dramatic finish to the Jr.Blues victory on Saturday night over the Topeka Roadrunners inside the Nelson Center may be exactly what first-year head coach Tony Zasowski and his young-and-hungry squad needed as the second-half of the schedule for this season is approaching us.

Mike Fazio netted home a goal at the 19:31 mark of the third and final period when the game was tied up at two goals each. The Springfield crowd of 635 inside the Nellie lit up and were in a loud and crazy uproar as Fazio's sixth goal of the season ended the teams five game losing streak and evened the season-series against division rival Topeka at three games each, instead of the Roadrunners leading it with four wins.

The game-ending fight that abrubted as the time had expired on the Jr. Blues' 3-2 win also may have lit some fire under this team. They brought it on the ice for the entire 60 minute game -- then came back as the clock had ran out and put in some overtime. Every player got in on defending one another, just as an organization and family of atheltes and teammates should do when in that situation.

The fight that occured was one of the biggest, craziest, and most bizarre endings to a hockey game at any and at all of the levels that I have seen. According to the North American Hockey League statisticals on the leagues official website, 33 penalties were attributed in the fight, amounting out to 255 minutes inside the penalty box. The Jr. Blues were handed out 10 penalties for 75 minutes -- Topeka recieved 23 penalties for 180 minutes.

The Jr. Blues entered the game on Saturday with five consecutive losses; and were on the verge of being swept for their third straight weekend in a row. Before the two games this past weekend against Topeka, Springfield played on the road for four straight games against both Kalamazoo and the Soo Eagles.

During the losing streak of five games, the team was outscored by a total of 11 goals as the opponents scored 18 goals compared to the Jr. Blues' seven. Both of the goalies -- Matt Leon and Ryan Kellenberger --played bad at all, but just seven goals scored through five full games isn't going to lead you to many wins.

The goal-scoring combo of Brett Skibba and Nate Chasteen certainly needs to wake up. The two have combined for 22 goals this season as Skibba has scored 14 goals and Chasteen has scored eight. Atkinson has scored seven goals, and Fazio's scored his sixth of the year on Saturday.

Most people around the North American Hockey League aren't really considering it a very big win at the moment, which is quite understandable. For now, it is what it is -- which in reality is just the teams eleventh of the season through 28 so far. If you saw the game in person though, I believe you would have a completely different opinion.

The Jr. Blues have the opportunity to make this game a huge stepping stone. What I saw in this team following Saturday nights game was a team that had been woken up from a huge sleep walking session. One thing can't be denied, this team has some major talent. The youth I feel has been in their learning stage, but they are growing in front of our eyes. If they can play the way that they did at the end of the game Saturday, and continue to back up one another such as they did as the clocked ticked to 0:00 and after.

For all we know, it could turn out to be "just another game", but then again, the Roadrunners also may have awoke a sleeping giant.

Mike Fazio lifts Jr. Blues past Topeka in a wild thriller on Saturday

(Photo Credits go to Samie Nichols)

Less than 24 hours later following the teams five-goal loss on Friday night, Mike Fazio and his Springfield Jr. Blues responded in a big way as they defeated the Topeka Roadrunners 3 to 2 on Saturday night inside the Nelson Center in a North American Hockey League regular season contest.

With the scored tied up at two goals each with just 29 seconds remaining in regulation, Fazio lit up the lamp with the game-winning goal on a nice duo of passes coming from both Brett Skibba and Ryan Atkinson. The goal was Fazio's third game-winner on the season so far, and was his sixth of the season. It caused an eruption of happiness all around inside the Nellie -- but it lit a fire under the Roadrunners.

As the time expired and the horn sounded off on the Jr. Blues victory, things got nasty and vicious as an all-out brawl broke out. according to the statical summary on the NAHL's official website, the fight proved to be a combined 33 penalties related to fighting. The Jr. Blues recieved ten penalties for 75-minutes, while the Roadrunners conducted 23 penalties for 180 minutes. It was certainly one of the craziest endings that the North American Hockey League has seen in some time.

Springfield out-shot Topeka 22 to 21 for the game, and luckily enough that one goal proved to be the difference in the entire contest. The two teams combined to go 0 for 5 on the man-advantage on the night as the Roadrunners went 0-for-4 as a team -- making the Jr. Blues 0-for-1.

Topeka got off to the first lead of the game as Tyler Andrew scored on an assist from Sean Gaffney that proved as the only goal of the opening period. Springfield got to work though and scored two goals in the second period and took a 2-1 lead heading into the second intermission. Terry Leabo and Atkinson scored in a span of three minutes for the lead.

(Photo Credits go to Samie Nichols)

As it was scoreless in the third period through the first 14:59 though, Mick Bruce scored on an assist from Kyle Sharkley to tie the game up. This is what set up one of the most exciting finishes inside the Nellie in a long, long while. For a crowd compiled of 635 people, that place was rocking.

Ryan Kellenberger got the start in the net for Springfield and proved to be a game changer in this performance. As he picked up his first win in his last four starts, he saved 19 of 21 and picked up his fourth win in between the pipes for the season.

Mackenzie Sawyer got the loss for Topeka in the end as his record fell to 6-4-3. Sawyer saved 19 of 22 Jr. Blues shots and has now lost two of his last three starts.

The Jr. Blues picked up their 23rd and 24th points with this huge win and are now 11-15-2 through 28 games in 2012 and will be back at home inside the Nellie on both Friday and Saturday nights as they will be playing host to the Kalamazoo Jr. K-Wings. Both games will have the puck dropping at 7:05 pm.

Official Game Scoring Summary
First-(TOP) Tyler Andrew (Sean Gaffney) 11:20
Second-(SPR) Terry Leabo (Mike Severson, Dallas Crum) 8:58; (SPR) Ryan Atkinson (Extra Attacker) (Brett Skibba, Jon Carkeek) 11:48
Third-(TOP) Mick Bruce (Kyle Sharkley) 14:59; (SPR) Mike Fazio (Brett Skibba, Ryan Atkinson) 19:31

Three Stars of the Game (Official from Stadium Box-Score)
1. Ryan Kellenberger (Springfield)
2. Mike Fazio (Springfield)
3. Brett Skibba (Springfield)

To view all of the photos of this insane Jr. Blues victory, click on the link. All photo credits go out to my photographer, Samie Nichols.

Roadrunners defeat Jr. Blues 7-2 on Friday, losing streak now at five

(Photo Credits go to Samie Nichols)

The Springfield Jr. Blues returned home on Friday night following twenty straight days of no hockey inside the Nelson Center -- and to say the very least, the return home didn't go anywhere close to expected. It was nothing short of scary before turning into a disappointment.

The team witnessed first year teammate Devin Mitchell having to be rushed to the hospital during the game, and then they proceeded to be defeated by a score of 7 to 2 in the first game of the two-game weekend series inside the Nellie to the Topeka Roadrunners in a North American Hockey League regular season contest.

At the 13:33 mark of the second period, Mitchell took a puck to the face off a stick of a Topeka player, and was immediately rushed to the hospital. There was a delay in the game as ice had to be cleaned up before the game could resume as a puddle of blood leaked onto the ice following the incident. Reports were surfaced that he lost some teeth, as well as the result of the possibility of a broken jaw.

It was an extra-especially scary moment for everybody that was in the attendance to see the incident live, and is one of the scariest things to happen in the sport of hockey -- and in any sports for that matter.

Topeka certainly took advantage of the heavy hearts of his teammates on this very night though. The Roadrunners got the scoring clinic started just three minutes into the contest, and they never trailed from that moment on. Tyler Poulsen scored the first goal at the 3:22 mark, and then just under five minutes later, Jerad Tafoya netted one of his own to make it 2-0. Parker Johnson scored an unassisted powerplay goal for Springfield with just under four minutes remaining, but Luke Veich scored with just 25 seconds left in the period, giving Topeka a 3-1 lead after 20 minutes.

The Jr. Blues scored the only goal of the second period, as Ryan Atkinson netted one between the pipes on a nice assist from Simon Koscielski against the Roadrunners' goalie Spencer Viele and put Springfield as close as they would get in the contest.

Topeka scored four goals in the third and final period in the route, as Viele shut the Jr. Blues out for the final 37 minutes of the game. Kyle Sharkley scored the Roadrunners only powerplay goal to start it up. Jake Kamarass and Codey Hansen both scored as well, and Jerad Tafoya finished it off as he finished the game with two goals at the finish.

(Photo Credits go to Samie Nichols)

The Jr. Blues were outshot 37-36 for the game, as this was one of the rare games that starting goalie Matt Leon has struggled in this season. He allowed seven goals on 37 Topeka shots and seen his overall record fall to 7-7-2 for the season. Viele finished the night off proving once again why many consider him the best goalie in the entire league. He saved 34 of 36 Springfield shots and improved his record to 13-2-1 on the season and has his best goals against average (.939) and saves percentage (.939) in his NAHL career.

The Jr. Blues dropped their fifth straight game in a row with this loss, and fell to 10-15-2 overall for the season. Topeka stayed in first place as well as both Texas and Amarillo won tonight too. The Roadrunners are 19-5-4 for the season and currently own the best record in the entire North American Hockey League.

The Roadrunners took the season series lead 3-2 with the win tonight, but if the other two weekend series' have shown us anything when these two teams meet up on the ice, the team that wins the first game of the series proceeds to lose the finale. The two teams will be back at it again on Saturday night as the puck will drop at 7:05 inside the Nelson Center.

Official Scoring Summary
First-(TOP) Tyler Poulsen (Mick Bruce, Drew Karioflies) 3:22; (TOP) Jerad Tafoya (Peter Halash, Kyle Sharkley) 8:20; (SPR) Parker Johnson (PP) (unassisted) 16:16; (TOP) Luke Veitch (Sean Gaffney) 19:35
Second-(SPR) Ryan Atkinson (Simon Koscielski) 3:04
Third-(TOP) Kyle Sharkley (PP) (unassisted) 7:47; (TOP) Jake Kamrass (Codey Hansen) 8:53; (TOP) Jerad Tafoya (Dan Dupell, Peter Halash) 12:24; (TOP) Codey Hansen (Drew Karioflies) 13:38

Three Stars of the Game (Official from the Stadium)
1. Jerad Tafoya --- Topeka Roadrunners
2. Codey Hansen --- Topeka Roadrunners
3. Luke Veitch --- Topeka Roadrunners

To view all of the photos taken during this game, please click on the link. All of the photo credits go to my photographer, Samie Nichols.

BREAKING NEWS: Jr. Blues' Devin Mitchell rushed to hospital in 2nd

As I write this post I would like to send out my prayers and condolances to the close friends and family; and especially to the man himself, Devin Mitchell--who is a member of our Springfield Jr. Blues of the North American Hockey League.

The 6-3, 202 pounder from Lenexa, Kansas was rushed to the hospital during tonight's contest after he was struck in the face with a puck at the 13:33 mark of the second period. The 17 year-old reportedly lost five teeth and their was a delay in the game as blood had to be scraped off of the ice for a number of minutes.

A few reports have surfaced to me that he possibly had broken his jaw in two different spots, but none of this has been confirmed to me for sure--at least at this moment and time.

There was no call made following the incident as it occured on a play off of a Topeka Roadrunners' players stick, but it certainly did take all of the air out of the home crowd inside the Nellie. Topeka lead the contest 3-2 at the time of the incident.

No other information has been sent to me yet but I will certainly send all of the details out as they are informed to me. Mitchell tallied one shot in tonight's contest during the teams' 7-to-2 lost, making it their fifth consecutive game resulting without a victory.

This is Mitchell's first season playing in the North American Hockey League as he started out the year in Austin before being sent here to Springfield. He has contributed for three points in thirteen games with the Jr. Blues this season as he has scored two goals on 15 shots and has one assist. He also has scored a game-winning goal this season as he did it against this same Topeka contest on October 19th as the team won 2-0 inside the Kansas Expo.

Please just take a moment out of your time and give a prayer for the kid, as this was a very scary incident. I will send out more information as it comes along, for breaking news immediately as I hear it, follow me on twitter at @tcobb1990. The Jr. Blues family, as well as the entire North American Hockey League, is praying for you Devin. Here is to a quick and successful recovery!

WAKE UP SPRINGFIELD, the Jr. Blues are back at home! (JR.BLUES.com)

The Springfield Jr. Blues return home this weekend after spending the last two weekends on the road. The Jr. Blues were 0-4 in those games, losing 3 of the games 2-1. Defense and goaltending have been strong for the Jr. Blues as they continue to look for ways to find offense.

The Jr. Blues take on the Topeka RoadRunners for the second straight weekend series at the Nelson Center. Topeka comes into Springfield in first place in the South Division, winners of 4 of their last 6 games. The 'Runners and the Jr. Blues have squared off 4 times already this season, with both teams winning 2 games. 2 weekends ago, the Jr. Blues defeated Topeka in a shootout Friday night, only to fall the next night.

Brett Skibba continues to lead the Jr. Blues offense, scoring 2 more goals last weekend in the Soo. Oliver Takacsi-Nagy has 2 goals in the last 4 games as well to help the offense.

Games this weekend are Friday and Saturday night starting at 7 PM. This weekend is the last weekend to bring in canned food items to receive $1 off an adult ticket, up to $3 per ticket. It is also Guns N' Hoses appreciation Friday night only, fans who attended the Guns N' Hoses game last weekend will receive $5 off a Jr. Blues adult ticket with their ticket stub from last weekends game!

WHO IS READY FOR HOCKEY NIGHT BACK AT THE NELLIE?!?!?!

Click Here for the official article from the Jr. Blues official website. (All credits to them).

Jr. Blues host Roadrunners for two games (Weekend Preview)

Springfield Jr. Blues (10-14-2, 22 points) vs. Topeka Roadrunners (18-5-4, 40 points)

Two Games -- Friday, November 7th and Saturday, November 8th

Both games inside the Nelson Center; puck will drop at 7:05 pm Central Time

Season Series----8 Head-to-Head Matchups in 2012-2013
(Series tied 2-2 through 4-of-8 total meetings for the season)
Game 1-Jr. Blues 2, Roadrunners 0 (October 19th) Kansas Expo in Kansas
Game 2-Roadrunners 1, Jr. Blues 0 (October 20th) Kansas Expo in Kansas
Game 3-Jr. Blues 3, Roadrunners 2 (November 16th) Nelson Center in Springfield
Game 4-Roadrunners 5, Jr. Blues 2 (November 17th) Nelson Center in Springfield
Game 5-Roadrunners vs. Jr. Blues (December 7th) Nelson Center (7:05 pm)
Game 6-Roadrunners vs. Jr. Blues (December 8th) Nelson Center (7:05 pm)
Game 7-Jr. Blues vs. Roadrunners (December 28th) Kansas Expo (7:05 pm)
Game 8-Jr. Blues vs. Roadrunners (December 29th) Kansas Expo (7:05 pm)

Last Weekends Results (Jr. Blues and Roadrunners)
-The Jr. Blues were swept in two games by Soo on the road. (5-2 Friday, 2-1 Saturday)
-The Roadrunners split two games 1-1 with Wichita Falls at home. (4-3 L Fri., 5-3 W Sat.)

Team Scopes

Springfield Jr. Blues-The Jr. Blues enter the weekend series against the visiting Roadrunners from Topeka on a bit of a slide. Since winning six straight games just a little over a month ago, the team has lost four consecutive games and five of their last six games overall. They were swept by Kalamazoo two weeks ago and followed it up by getting swept again last week against Soo as they lost 5-2 in the opener on Friday, then 2-1 in the finale on Saturday. The team will be looking for a spark this weekend and while Topeka has one of the best records in the North American Hockey League, Springfield has managed to split with them through the first four head-to-head meetings--including a 1-1 split at home inside the Nelson Center.

Topeka Roadrunners-The Roadrunners enter the Nelson Center this weekend as the current leader of the South division by the slimmest of margins as both Texas and Amarillo are tied for second with 39 points each. They split their series against Wichita Falls last weekend at home inside the Kansas Expo as they lost in overtime 4-3 in overtime on Friday and then responded on Saturday with a 5-3 win to salvage a split. Topeka has won 3 of their last five games and in their only trip to Springfield this season, they managed to split the two games as both teams won one game each. The Roadrunners have one of the best goalies between the pipes in Spencer Viele, who has an overall record of 12-2-1 on the season and is 2-0-1 against the Jr. Blues this season.

Big Second Period fuels Soo past Jr. Blues 5-2 on Friday night

Following a good start from Brett Skibba and his Springfield Jr. Blues, Jared WanWormer and the Soo Sault Marie Eagles took advantage following a huge second period as they defeated the Jr. Blues 5-to-2 in a North American Hockey League regular season contest inside Pullar Stadium on Friday night.

Despite Springfield outshooting Soo 13-to-5 in the first 20-minutes of hockey, neither team scored as the second period started with a 0-0 tie game -- that didn't last for very long though.

27 seconds following the second-period's opening faceoff, Robin Hoglund scored the games first goal on a shot assisted by both Eric Rivard and VanWormer. Skibba got into the act a little later as Mike Fazio and Nate Chasteen assisted his goal at the 12:12 mark of the period to even the game up at one a piece.

Less than one minute later though, at the 13:11 mark, VanWormer scored a goal of his own, giving the Eagles a 2-1 advantage and him his second point of the game. Rivard scored a powerplay goal two minutes later as well -- and Alexander Taulien scored a dagger two minutes following his. Soo held a nice advantage of 4-1 heading into the final period.

The third period was a change of pace following the five goal second period that featured four coming on the Jr. Blues starting goalie Matt Leon--who has now lost three straight starts after he seen his six game winning streak come to an end on November 16th against Topeka. Leon saved 37 of 42 Soo shots and seen his record fall to 7-6-2 overall for the year.

At the 17:01 mark of the final period, Oliver Takacsi-Nagy scored for the visitors as he made it 4-2 with just under three minutes remaining. 51 seconds later the Eagles netted their fifth and final goal as Kyle Loridon got in on the action and broke the game open, giving the Eagles the 5-2 final score for the victory.

Tyler Marble saved 35 of 37 Jr. Blues shots, ending his two game losing streak between the pipes and improving his record on the season to 10-3-2 overall.

The same two teams will be back at it again on Saturday night as the Jr. Blues will look to split the weekend series of two games before heading back home next weekend to host the Topeka Roadrunners inside the Nellie on both Friday and Saturday nights at 7:05 pm.

Official Scoring Summary
First Period-No Scoring in Period
Second Period-(SOO) Robin Hoglund (Eric Rivard, Jared VanWormer) 0:27; (SPR) Brett Skibba (Nate Chasteen, Mike Fazio) 12:12; (SOO) Jared VanWormer (Robin Hoglund, Michael Lant) 13:11; (SOO) Eric Rivard (PP) (Robin Hoglund, Kyle Loridon) 15:20; (SOO) Alexander Taulien (Tyler Marble) 17:35;
Third Period-(SPR) Oliver Takacsi-Nagy (unnassisted) 17:01; (SOO) Kyle Loridon (unassisted) 17:52

Three Stars of the Game (official from the stadium)
1. Jared VanWormer (Soo)
2. Robin Hoglund (Soo)
3. Brett Skibba (Springfield)

Jr. Blues play hosts to Topeka over the weekend (Weekend Preview)

Springfield Jr. Blues (9-9-2, 20 Points) vs. Topeka Roadrunners (14-4-2, 30 Points)

Two Games -- Friday, November 16th and Saturday, November 17th

Both games inside the Nelson Center; puck will drop at 7:05 pm Central Time

Season Series (8 Head-to-Head Matchups in 2012-2013
(season series tied 1-1 through 2-of-8 total meetings)
Game 1-Jr. Blues 2, Roadrunners 0 (October 19th) Kansas Expo in Kansas
Game 2-Roadrunners 1, Jr. Blues 0 (October 20th) Kansas Expo in Kansas
Game 3-Roadrunners vs. Jr. Blues (November 16th) Nelson Center (7:05 pm)
Game 4-Roadrunners vs. Jr. Blues (November 17th) Nelson Center (7:05 pm)
Game 5-Roadrunners vs. Jr. Blues (December 7th) Nelson Center (7:05 pm)
Game 6-Roadrunners vs. Jr. Blues (December 8th) Nelson Center (7:05 pm)
Game 7-Jr. Blues vs. Roadrunners (December 28th) Kansas Expo (7:05 pm)
Game 8-Jr. Blues vs. Roadrunners (December 29th) Kansas Expo (7:05 pm)

Last Weekend Results (Jr. Blues and Roadrunners)
-The Jr. Blues went 1-1 against the Soo Eagles at home. (5-3 win Fri; 5-2 loss Sat)
-The Roadrunners went 1-1 against the Amarillo Bulls at home. (5-2 win Fri; 4-2 loss Sat.)

Big Story of the Weekend inside the Nelson Center
This weekend inside the Nelson Center will feature the Jr. Blues playing host to one of the top teams thus far in the North American Hockey League, the Topeka Roadrunners. Topeka enters the series in the state capital of Illinois having won 14 of their 20 games so far this season, and is a league best 8-1-1 away from their home ice. They are led by a phenominal dynamic combo of forwards in Sean Gaffney and Kyle Sharkley, as well as one of the leagues' best goalies in Spencer Viele. Gaffney has 30 points this season and has scored 16 goals. Sharkley has scored 13 goals and has the teams second most goals with 13. Spencer Viele has an overall record on the season of 10-1-0 in 11 starts between the pipes and shut out Springfield in his only start against them on October 20th in Topeka's 1-0 win inside the Kansas Expo.

The Jr. Blues enter with having won five of their last six games, and are looking to start a new winning streak following last Saturday night's 5-2 loss to the Soo Eagles inside the Nelson Center. Head coach Tony Zaoswski and assistant Mike Janda have their young and athletic club playing their best hockey of the season, and have a goalie in Matt Leon who has a win streak of his own still intact entering his start on Friday night. Leon has won five starts in a row and shut out the Roadrunners in his only start against Topeka in the Jr. Blues' 2-0 win on October 19th. This weekend presents a huge test for Brett Skibba and his Jr. Blues team, but if the team can overcome adversity -- and one of the top teams in the league -- we will most certainly know for sure or not if the Jr. Blues are turning the corner on this current season.

Team Scope

Springfield Jr. Blues-The Jr. Blues enter the series this weekend with five wins in their last six games, and have most certainly been playing their best stretch of hockey so far this season. They seen their season-high, five game win streak come to an end last Saturday but are ready to prove to the rest of the league that they are a lot better than how they began this season. Matt Leon enters the opener on Friday night with a five game win streak of his own between the pipes and shut Topeka out in his only start against them this season back on October 19th. Springfield is not only facing the Roadrunners this weekend, but also adversity as well. The way that you respond following a loss -- especially after a win streak -- tells a lot about the heart of a team. Brett Skibba and the Jr. Blues have a lot to prove to the rest of the North American Hockey League in these two games inside the Nellie this weekend.

Topeka Roadrunners-The Roadrunners enter this weekends two game series inside the Nelson Center with just about no weight on their shoulders. The team is a league-best 8-1-1 away from the Kansas Expo, and have one of the best goalies that the North American Hockey League has to offer. Spencer Viele has won six starts in a row between the pipes, and shut Springfield out in his only start against the Jr. Blues this season back on October 20th. The Roadrunners have two of the best forwards in the game in Sean Gaffney and Kyle Sharkley. Gaffney (16) and Sharkley (13) have combined for 29 goals this season and also are +22 combined on the ice. The team lost their last road game two weekends against the Amarillo Bulls, which will have them hungry entering the games this weekend. Topeka will have a lot of eyes on them this weekend as they are still looking to prove that they are one of the elite teams in the league as the Jr. Blues have been among one of the hottest teams in the NAHL.

Who is Hot Entering This Weekend's Series (Both Teams)

-Springfield Jr. Blues - The Jr. Blues enter this weekend with wins in five of their six games overall. The team has been playing their best stretch of hockey this season and has a lot to prove to the rest of the North American Hockey League in this weekends games at home.

-Topeka Roadrunners -The Roadrunners enter the series this weekend as the second best team in the South division, and have the best road record in the North American Hockey League. Despite losing their last game away from home against Amarillo, Topeka is 8-1-1.

-Matt Leon -The Jr. Blues game one goaltender has been one of the hottest between the pipes over the last month of the season and is a large part in the teams recent success. He is 6-3-2 overall on the season and entering his start on Friday, he owns a five game winning streak. In his only start this season against the Roadrunners, Leon shut Topeka out on 22 shots on Oct. 19th.

-Spencer Viele -The Roadrunners starting goaltender has been one of the best that the North American Hockey League has to offer between the pipes. Viele is 10-1-0 in 11 starts this season and owns a six game win streak himself. In his only start against the Jr. Blues this season, Spencer shut Springfield out as Topeka won 1-0 back on October 20th inside the Kansas Expo.

Series Preview from the North American Hockey League's official website. (click here)

Jr. Blues play hosts to Topeka over the weekend (Weekend Preview)

The Springfield Jr. Blues watched their season-high six game winning streak come to an end in their previous game last Saturday night, but starting this weekend against the Topeka Roadrunners, the team will look to start up another one as they are back at home inside the Nelson Center.

The two teams meet a total of eight times througout this season, but enter this weekend with the series evened up at one game a piece. Springfield won the first meeting 2-0 on October 19th -- then Topeka followed it up the next night with a 1-0 win of their own. The opening series was inside the Kansas Expo.

Topeka enters the two game set as the second place team in the South division, as they are 14-4-2 overall on the season. Even more impressive for the Roadrunners though, is their ability to win away from the Kansas Expo. They are 8-1-1 on the road so far this season, but they did lose their previous road game to the Amarillo Bulls -- which was their first loss in regulation during this seasons campaign.

The Jr. Blues enter as the sixth place team in the North division, as they own an overall record of 9-9-2 and are currently 6-5-1 at home inside the Nellie.

Special teams could certainly play a vital role this weekend for both teams. Topeka is currently the third best team on the power-play as they score 22.1 percent of the time on the man-advantage -- while the Jr. Blues are ranked ninth at 18.5 percent. Springfield is currently 15th in the penalty kill department with an 82.5 percent success rate -- and the Roadrunners are seventh themselves with a 85.4 percent success rate.

The Jr. Blues are led by a dynamic set of forwards as Brett Skibba, Nate Chasteen, and Mike Fazio are all guys that can light up the lamp any time they have the puck in their possession. Skibba leads the team in goals with eleven; while Chasteen has scored eight and Fazio has scored five.

The Roadrunners are led by two of the best in the North American Hockey League. Sean Gaffney leads the team in points with 30 as he has scored 14 goals and assisted 16 more. He is complimented very well by Kyle Sharkley as well as he is second on the team in points with 26 with 13 goals of his own and also assisted 13 more. Even more impressive with the two of them is their plus-minus numbers for the season as Gaffney is +15 on the ice and Sharkley is +8. Defenseman Michal Pastor is an impressive +10 on the ice for the team as well.

Matt Leon, who will be starting the series opener for the Jr. Blues on Friday night, has won five straight starts in a row in net and owns an overall record of 6-3-2 on the season. In his only start this season against Topeka, Leon shut the Roadrunners out in Springfield's 2-0 win on October 19th.

Spencer Viele, who is one of the leagues best goalies, is 10-1-0 in 11 starts this season. Viele has won six straight starts in a row in between the pipes and hasn't loss a game since October 5th when the team lost 3-2 to Odessa. In his only start this season against the Jr. Blues, Viele shut them out as he successfully saved all 22 shots Springfield's offensive attack could fire at him.

This weekend's series features two good teams with a couple of very impressive streaks on the line. Both teams are coming off losses and will be looking to get revenge and take a season series lead. Both Friday and Saturday nights will have the puck dropping at 7:05 pm Central Time inside the Nelson Center in Springfield, Illinois.

An Unofficial Scouting Report on the Topeka RoadRunners (T-Cobb)

Springfield Jr. Blues (9-9-2, 20 Points) Sixth Place in the North Division
Topeka RoadRunners (14-4-2, 30 Points) Second Place in the South Division

Friday -- Topeka RoadRunners at Springfield Jr. Blues -- 7:05pm -- Nelson Center
Saturday -- Topeka RoadRunners at Springfield Jr. Blues -- 7:05pm -- Nelson Center

Springfield Jr. Blues vs. Topeka RoadRunners Head-to-Head
-The Springfield Jr. Blues are 6-5-1 at home through 12 games
-The Topeka RoadRunners are 8-1-1 on the road through 10 games

Head-to-Head Matchups this Season
(Season Series Tied 1-1) -- Eight Meetings during the 2012-2013 NAHL Regular Season
-Springfield Jr. Blues 2, Topeka RoadRunners 0 (October 19th) at Kansas Expo
-Topeka RoadRunners 1, Springfield Jr. Blues 0 (October 20th) at Kansas Expo
-Friday, November 16th. 7:05 pm Central Time. Nelson Center.
-Saturday, November 17th. 7:05 pm Central Time. Nelson Center.
-Friday, December 7th. 7:05 pm Central Time. Nelson Center.
-Saturday, December 8th. 7:05 pm Central Time. Nelson Center.
-Friday, December 28th. 7:05 pm Central Time. Kansas Expo.
-Saturday, December 29th. 7:05 pm Central Time. Kansas Expo.

Topeka RoadRunners Top 5 Points Leaders
1. Sean Gaffney (30 Points--14 Goals, 16 Assists)
2. Kyle Sharkey (26 Points--13 Goals, 13 Assists)
3. Michal Pastor (13 Points--3 Goals, 10 Assists)
4. Trace Strahle (13 Points--3 Goals, 10 Assists)
5. Tyler Poulsen (12 Points--3 Goals, 9 Assists)

Topeka RoadRunners Previous 5 Games (From Previous Down)
-Amarillo 4, Topeka 2 (November 10th) -- at Topeka
-Topeka 5, Amarillo 2 (November 9th) -- at Topeka
-Amarillo 4, Topeka 3 (November 3rd) -- at Amarillo
-Topeka 3, Amarillo 2 (November 2nd) -- at Amarillo
-Topeka 5, Odessa 4 (October 27th) -- at Odessa

Jr. Blues front office cuts first year rookie Forward Russell Jordan

Spreading its way around the wonderful world of social media through facebook and twitter today was the news that broke through in which the Springfield Jr. Blues cut first-year Forward Russell Jordan.

The 19 year-old rookie from Aurora, Illinois appeared in sixteen out of the teams twenty games this season, and though he wasn't exactly a star for the team, he brought a lot of energy and play-making ability to the table. When he was out on the ice, their was always a chance of something exciting happening.

The 6-1, 216 pounder scored three goals on 18 shots during his stay in Springfield, and finished with three points total. Also, he served 25 minutes in the penalty box and was -2 in the plus/minus category for the Jr. Blues.

After finding out about the move that the teams' front office had made, Jordan posted a tweet on twitter earlier this afternoon that stated the following:

"Home bound, it's been real springy."

The team hasn't released a statement following the move, but more news will follow as soon as it comes to me through the rest of the teams players and front office later on this week. On my behalf as a fellow fan of the kid, the fans here in Springfield wish you nothing but the best in anything you decide to do. You will be missed, RJ!

Springfield Goals against the Eagles (Credits to Nalkil Productions)

Thanks to the tremendous work by NALKIL PRODUCTIONS, the video that is posted above is a video that has all of the Springfield Jr. Blues goals scored against Soo Eagles from this past weekend.

The two teams split the series this weekend inside the Nelson Center. The Jr. Blues won the opener on Friday night by a score of 5 to 3, then the second-place Eagles responded with a 5 to 2 win in the second game on Saturday night.

Following the victory on Friday night, Springfield stretched their season-long win streak to six games before seeing it end on Saturday. Overall on the season, the Jr. Blues are 9-9-2 with 20 points -- and are 6-5-1 at home inside the Nelson Center in front of the Springfield faithful.

 Nate Chasteen scored twice in the teams lone victory in the series, then scored another one on Saturday night in the loss as well. Chasteen has scored eight goals on the season, which is the second most for the team. He is three goals behind Brett Skibba for the team lead as he has eleven, while they are both tied for the team lead in the points department with eighteen each.

The video will feature the two goals from Chasteen, as well as from Ryan Atkinson, James McGing, and Jack Sloan. Saturday night's game had just Chasteen's goal--as well as one from Alex Baskakov.

Friday Night's Goals (Jr. Blues 5-3 win)

• Ryan Atkinson (13:18 of first period; assisted by Mitch Rogge) 
• Nate Chasteen (16:45 of first period; assisted by Brett Skibba and Mike Fazio) 
• James McGing (9:29 of second period; assisted by Ryan Atkinson) 
• Jack Sloan (2:16 of third period; assisted by Trevor Stone) 
• Nate Chasteen (15:02 of third period; assisted by Brett Skibba and Mike Fazio; powerplay goal) 

Saturday Night's Goals (Soo Eagles 5-2 win)

• Nate Chasteen (3:14 of second period; assisted by Alex Baskov and Terry Leabo; powerplay goal) 
• Alex Baskakov (13:13 of third period; assisted by Nate Chasteen and Mike Fazio)

RoadRunners represent big challenge for Springfield this weekend

The Springfield Jr. Blues' five game winning streak came to an end on Saturday night as they were defeated by a North division foe, the Soo Eagles. Following the 5-2 loss inside the Nellie, the Topeka Roadrunners and the wonderful world of adversity is awaiting them.

The Jr. Blues have been turning up the heat over the last couple of weeks as they had swept two weekend series in a row; almost doing it for a third time in a row before they were defeated in the second game against Soo. Topeka enters the Nellie for the two game series this weekend as one of the North American Hockey League's best teams away from their own home ice -- while Springfield has been winning here on a consistent basis.

How will first year head coach Tony Zaowski and his Jr. Blues respond after having seen their longest win streak of the season come to an end in their previous game? This is what facing adversity is all about; seeing how you respond after a different result, especially against a team that is as good as just about any team in the North American Hockey League.

The RoadRunners are 8-1-1 away from Topeka this season, but Friday night will be their first visit to the Nelson Center out of four times total for the 2012-2013 regular season. These two teams met earlier this season as they split (2-0 Jr. Blues in game one; 1-0 Topeka in game two) the first two game series inside the Kansas Expo on October 19th and 20th.

This past weekend, as Springfield and Soo split their series, the RoadRunners did the same thing in their series against Amarillo. Topeka won 5-2 on Friday night, then the Bulls forced a split with a 4-2 win on Saturday in Kansas. The one bright side for Springfield entering the upcoming weekend though, is that the RoadRunners lost their last road game they played in which was against Amarillo as the two teams played a home-and-home series back to back weekends. The Bulls defeated Topeka 4-3 on November 3rd, giving them their only loss on the road in regulation all season long.

Springfield will be starting Matt Leon in between the pipes in the first game, which has to have the team feeling confident against anybody they face. Leon enters the contest with five straight wins and an overall record of 6-3-2 for the season. In his first start against Topeka, the 20 year old phenom shut them out as the Jr. Blues won the game 2-0. Ryan Kellenberger, who lost the game on Saturday night, will start the second game and will be looking to get revenge on Topeka as he lost his first start which was the night after Leon's shutout performance. The RoadRunners shutout Springfield in his start, 1 to 0. Despite getting the loss, it may have been the best start from Kellenberger so far this season through his nine starts.

Locking down forward Sean Gaffney will be a major factor this weekend for the home team to come away with a win or two. Gaffney, who is one of the most feared and athletic players in this league, has scored fourteen goals and assisted sixteen more as he leads his team in points with 30. Team captain Mike Fazio and company will need some role players to step up and play above their averages to make this a successful weekend inside Illinois' state capital.

Also, Topeka is third overall in the league on the man-advantage. They have scored 22.1 percent of the time on the power-play, while Springfield is sixteenth in the league short-handed at 82.5 percent.

Coach Zasowski and his Jr. Blues will have their hands full this weekend, but with an amped up Nellie crowd behind them, defeating another top tier team at home is very possible. Adversity will be starring them in the eye balls all weekend long; how is this young, enthused team going to handle it?

Topeka RoadRunners 14 wins, 4 losses, 2 OT losses -- 30 points

(Second Place in South division -- 1 point behind Texas)

Springfield Jr. Blues 9 wins, 9 losses, 2 OT losses -- 20 points

(Sixth Place in North division -- 12 points behind Jamestown)

Season Series between Springfield and Topeka is tied 1-1

Eight head-to-head meetings in 2012-2013

Four games in Springfield -- Four games in Topeka

Jr. Blues two-man goalie tandem carrying team in recent success

(**Photo Credits go to Joni Coons**)

Following a slow start for the team in the first month of the 2012-2013 North American Hockey League regular season, the Springfield Jr. Blues have gotten back on track and back into the thick of things in the North division thanks to very impressive play from their two-man goalie tandem over the last couple weeks.

After finishing the opening month of the season in September with just one win in eight contests, both Matt Leon and Ryan Kellenberger have done a great job at gaining some much needed confidence. Both have been shutting opponents down in clutch situations when the team needed them to do so to have a chance in some of the recent wins the team has come through to pull off.

Leon, who is the teams game one starter every weekend, is 6-3-2 so far for the season. In eleven starts, Matt has allowed 29 goals while making 343 saves. In 672 minutes between the pipes, the 20 year old from Charlotte, North Carolina has a 2.59 goals against average and a save percentage of 92.2.

He started out the season losing five out of his first six starts, but since his last loss on October 5th at Jamestown, Leon has won five straight starts and hasn't allowed more than three goals in one game since late September. Most impressively about his recent stretch of success, he has defeated all North division opponents during his five game winning streak--which is a huge reason why Springfield is beginning to make a run with other teams in the North.

Kellenberger, the 18 year old from Los Altos, California, has also been pretty impressive as the teams second game goalie this season--especially considering the kid is in his first season in the North American Hockey League.

He has made nine starts so far this season and seems to be getting better and better while gaining more confidence through every start he has made so far. Despite him only having a 3-6-0 record, he has won three out of his last five starts after starting out 0-4. He lost his last start against Soo as he allowed five goals in the game, but before that has won two in a row and three out of his previous four starts.

(**Photo Credits go to Joni Coons**)

During head coach Tony Zaoswki's first season as head coach in Springfield for the Jr. Blues, the season didn't start out as the young squad had hoped for--but they are certainly doing putting in their best effort to turn things around here. After a 1-6-1 start in the opening month, the team has done a great job at getting themselves back into the thick of things.

Following a weekend split inside the Nelson Center against the North divisions' second place Soo Eagles, the Jr. Blues currently have an overall record of 9-9-2 and 20 points. They have been clawing their way back into the thick of things, and with one-third of the season over with, they are in prime position to make a lot of noise with still 40 games remaining.

This seasons team is led by a great coach with a very impressive track record. With as much young talent as this team has on it, if the goalie tandem of Leon and Kellenberger can stay healthy and keep up with the recent success, the Jr. Blues cieling for this season alone is through the roof. Although it is all speculation at the moment, just know that anything is possible for what this young squad can do.

A look ahead at the upcoming week in Springfield Jr. Blues hockey

(Monday, November 12th through Sunday, November 18th)

Monday, November 12th
-No Game (off day) -- Practice at Nelson Center from 3pm to 5pm

Tuesday, November 13th
-No Game (off day) -- Practice at Nelson Center from 3pm to 5pm

Wednesday, November 14th
-No Game (off day) -- Practice at Nelson Center from 3pm to 5pm

Thursday, November 15th
-No Game (off day) -- Practice at Nelson Center from 3pm to 5pm

Friday, November 16th
-Jr. Blues vs. Topeka RoadRunners (7:05 pm inside the Nelson Center)

Saturday, November 17th
-Jr. Blues vs. Topeka RoadRunners (7:05 pm inside the Nelson Center)

Sunday, Novermber 18th
-No Game (off day) No practice and No game

Rivard, Eagles beat Jr. Blues 5-2; winning streak ends at six games

(**Photo Credits go to Samie Nichols**)

On what was a much anticipated night inside the Nelson Center for the Springfield Jr. Blues, the Soo Eagles responded well following the loss on Friday and forced a weekend split with a 5-2 win on Saturday in a North American Hockey League regular season contest.

Cody Von Rueden scored the first goal of the game just 45 seconds into the contest, and Alexander Taulien followed it up at the 17 minute mark as the second-place Eagles owned the first 20 minutes of the game.

In what was Springfield's attempt to stretch their season-high winning streak to six games, the Jr. Blues looked as tired as they had all season and the Eagles cashed in on hustling plays--as they outshot the home team by nine shots with 51 to the Jr. Blues' 42.

Nate Chasteen opened up the second period with a power play goal of his own at the 3:14 mark, which put Springfield behind just 2-1 at the time. Five minutes later, at the 8:19 mark, Eric Rivard netted one in and Kyle Loridon did as well at the 13:29 mark and expanded the lead to their biggest of the night, making it 4-1 Soo after two periods were in the books.

As the Jr. Blues couldn't find the nets on many opportunities, Alex Baskakov scored with just under seven to go and made it 4-2 with both Nate Chasteen and Mike Fazio assisting. Nothing else escalated for Springfield though and at the 15:28 mark of the third, Michael Lant ended all hope with a goal of his own and iced it with the score at 5-2.

Eagles goalie Zach Nagelvoort successfully saved 40-of-42 shots from Springfield and earned the win on the night. After starting out the season 0-3-1 in the net, the 19 year old from Holland, Michigan has now won four starts in a row and hasn't loss since his start at Port Huron on October 6th--which was a 3-2 overtime loss.

As for the Jr. Blues starter Ryan Kellenberger, he ended his win streak between the pipes at just two games and dropped to 3-6-0 on the season as he allowed five goals on 51 shots.

The Jr. Blues fell to 6-5-1 at home for the season and 9-9-2 overall. The team will be hosting the Topeka RoadRunners for two games next weekend on both Friday and Saturday night at 7:05 pm Central Time back inside the Nelson Center.

Official Scoring Summary
First Period-(SOO) Cody Von Rueden (Jared VanWormer, Eric Rivard) 0:45; (SOO) Alexander Taulien (Matt Menta, Michael Covach) 17:00
Second Period-(SPR) Nate Chasteen (PP) (Alex Baskakov, Terry Leabo) 3:14; (SOO) Eric Rivard (Jared VanWormer) 8:19; (SOO) Kyle Loridon (Denver Pierce) 13:29
Third Period-(SPR) Alex Baskakov (Nate Chasteen, Mike Fazio) 13:13; (SOO) Michael Lant (Eric Rivard) 15:28

Three Stars of the Game (official from stadium)
1. Eric Rivard (Soo)
2. Jared VanWormer (Soo)
3. Alex Baskakov (Springfield)

For photos of this game, click here. (photo credits go to Samie Nichols)

Jr. Blues look to extend win streak to six games tonight (Saturday)

(**Photo Credits go to Samie Nichols**)

Springfield Jr. Blues (9-8-2, 20 points) vs. Soo Eagles (12-5-3, 27 points)

Following last nights impressive 5-3 win, head coach Tony Zaowski and his Springfield Jr. Blues will be looking to sweep the weekend series against the Soo Eagles and extend their overall win streak to six.

Nate Chasteen scored twice in the victory and captured the games number one star for the night while Ryan Atkinson continued his hot play as of late as he scored for the fifth time in the last three games.

Matt Leon successfully saved 17-of-20 Soo shots and earned himself yet another win. It was Leon's fifth straight victory in a row, and as the starting goalie for every series opener, it has a lot to do with the teams success. He improved his record on the year to 6-3-2 and has allowed just 29 goals while making 343 saves.

Ryan Kellenberger will be looked upon as the starting goalie for tonight's game, and entering the contest, he has won two straight starts in the net himself as well as three out of his last four. This is his first start in the net against the second-place Eagles, but on the season Kellenberger is 3-5-0. In his latest previous start, which was last weekend at Johnstown, Ryan allowed four goals on 25 shots in the Jr. Blues 6-4 win.

The Jr. Blues have been one of the hottest teams in the entire North American Hockey League as of late, and with another win inside the Nellie tonight, the team would extend their overall win streak up to six games. The five wins in a row is the longest winning streak for the team this season and the longest under first-year head coach Zaowski.

The puck will drop at 7:05 pm Central Time once again tonight and will feature the Jr. Blues' game worn jerseys being auctioned off as they did last night, as well as there will be a special pregame ceremony for Veterans Appreciation Night. Also, the first 250 fans entering the Nellie for the game tonight will receive a rally towel. The doors will be opening up for fans at 6 pm.

Jr. Blues stay hot with 5-3 win over Soo Eagles in series opener

(**Photo Credits go to Samie Nichols**)

As both teams entered the Nelson Center on a roll on this beautiful Friday evening, the Springfield Jr. Blues continued to stay hot as they defeated the Soo Eagles 5-to-3 in the two-game series opener in a North American Hockey League regular season contest.

Nate Chasteen scored two goals, starting goalie Matt Leon put together his fifth straight win in a row between the pipes, and the Jr. Blues rolled to their fifth straight victory in a row.

Following the Eagles getting off to a 1-0 lead with a powerplay goal from Eric Rivard, Springfield finished the opening period with two goals of their own off the sticks of Ryan Atkinson and Chasteen. Atkinson scored his goal at 13:18 of the period on an assist from Mitch Rogge, and Chasteen followed it up with one of his own at 16:45 with the assists coming from both Brett Skibba and Mike Fazio.

The second period was a role reversal though. With the Jr. Blues leading 2-1 entering the second, Dante Suffredeni and Chris Waterstreet both scored power play goals of their own to put the Eagles back up 3-to-2. Suffredini scored at the five minute mark with Jared VanWormer and Michael Lant both credited with the assists—and Waterstreet tacked his on at the 9:19 mark with passes from both Denver Pierce and Cody Von Rueden.

James McGing added in a goal ten seconds later on an assist from Ryan Atkinson and made the game tied up at three each heading into the third and final intermission on the night.

Springfield came out of the intermission fired up though, and responded to adversity once again. Jack Sloan put the Jr. Blues up 4-to-3 and respectively scored the game-winning goal as Trevor Stone made a nasty pass for the assist just 2:16 into the period, and the defense finished the game thriving to get that fifth win in a row over. Chasteen scored his second goal on the power play with Skibba and Fazio in with the assists at the 15:02 mark and made the final score 5-3 to end it.

The Eagles, who are the second place team in the North division, finished the night off 3-for-6 on the one-man advantage. The Jr. Blues were 1-for-3 on the power play themselves as Chasteen scored the games’ final goal with less than five minutes left with an Eagle in the box.

Matt Leon won his fifth straight start in a row between the pipes as he successfully saved 17-of-20 Soo shots. The win improved his overall record on the season to 6-3-2 and he now has allowed just 29 goals with 343 saves.

Tyler Marble, the Eagles starting goalie, entered the game tonight with an overall record between the pipes of 9-1-2 and had put together three shutouts in a row. In the Nellie though, Marble allowed a season-high five goals on 35 Jr. Blues shots and lost for just the second time all season in regulation.

Springfield improved their record to 9-8-2 (20 points) for the season with the win, while the Soo Eagles fell to 12-5-3 (27 points). The Jr. Blues tied themselves up with Johnstown for fifth in the North division while the Eagles continued to stay in second place. The same two teams will be at it tomorrow night at the same time inside the Nellie for the second and final game of the weekend series. The Jr. Blues will be looking for their sixth straight win and third consecutive weekend series sweep.

Official Scoring Summary

First Period (SOO) Eric Rivard (PP) (unassisted) 11:57; (SPR) Ryan Atkinson (Mitch Rogge) 13:18; (SPR) Nate Chasteen (Brett Skibba, Mike Fazio) 16:45

Second Period (SOO) Dante Suffredini (PP) (Jared VanWormer, Michael Lant) 5:00; (SOO) Chris Waterstreet (PP) (Denver Pierce, Cody Von Rueden) 9:19; (SPR) James McGing (Ryan Atkinson) 9:29

Third Period (SPR) Jack Sloan (Trevor Stone) 2:16; (SPR) Nate Chasteen (PP) (Brett Skibba, Mike Fazio) 15:02

Three Stars of the Game (official from the stadium)

1. Nate Chasteen (Springfield)

2. Jack Sloan (Springfield)

3. Ryan Atkinson (Springfield)

For photos from this game, click here. (photo credits go to Samie Nichols) 

Jr. Blues host Soo Eagles this weekend following four straight wins

Springfield Jr. Blues (8-8-2, 18 points) vs. Soo Eagles (12-4-3, 27 points)

Two Games -- Friday, November 9th and Saturday, November 10th
Both games inside the Nelson Center; will drop the puck at 7:05 pm

Season Series (4 Head-to-Head in 2012-2013)
Game 1-Friday, November 9th -- 7:05 p.m. (Nelson Center)
Game 2-Saturday, November 10th -- 7:05 p.m. (Nelson Center)
Game 3-Friday, February 22nd -- 7:05 p.m. (Nelson Center)
Game 4-Saturday, February 23rd -- 7:05 p.m. (Nelson Center)

Last Weekend Results (Jr. Blues and Eagles)
-The Jr. Blues swept the Johnstown Tomahawks. (4-3 in OT; 6-4)
-The Soo Eagles swept the Janesville Jets (4-1, 1-0)

Big Story of the Weekend Series inside the Nelson Center
Looking at the schedule for this weekends' North American Hockey League game slate, the Nelson Center will be featuring a premiere matchup with both the Soo Eagles and the Jr. Blues. Both teams are two of the hottest teams in the league--and with it being a North-division matchup, it will be entertaining no matter which way it goes. The Jr. Blues enter the series with four straight wins; including a dramatic come-from-behind victory over Johnstown last Sunday after which they scored four goals in the final period to win 6-4 after trailing 4-2 entering the final twenty minutes.

The Soo Eagles are the same way, and at the moment, are one point behind Jamestown for the top spot in the division. Entering this two game weekend series, the Eagles have won five in a row; and six of their last seven. To make it all even more impressive, all of their previous five wins have come on the road. Last weekend the Eagles swept the Jets in Janesville with a 1-0 win on Friday night and followed it up with a 4-1 win on Saturday night.

Team Scope

Springfield Jr. Blues-Head coach Tony Zaowski and his Springfield Jr. Blues enter this weekend inside the Nelson Center with four wins in a row and are looking to add on to it. The team has swept their last two series' as they defeated the Johnstown Tomahawks 4-3 in overtime on Saturday night; and followed it up with a come from behind win on Sunday afternoon by a score of 6-to-4. The Jr. Blues have been carried by role players stepping up in clutch situations--and excellent performances from the men inbetween the pipes. Matt Leon, who will get the nod on Friday night, has won four straight starts which is huge considering he starts the first game of every series. In them four starts, Leon has allowed just nine goals on 138 shot attempts. Ryan Kellenberger, who is the second game starter, has won two starts in a row and is 3-5-0 in eight starts between the pipes for the season.

Soo Eagles-The Eagles enter this weekend with five consecutive wins in a row; as well as seven out of their last eight total. Entering the Nelson Center for the two games this weekend, the Eagles own an overall record of 7-2-2 away from home and haven't lost a road game since they traveled to Johnstown on October 19th when they lost the opener of the series 3-2 in shootouts. Soo is just one point behind Jamestown for first place in the North division, and will be heading home next weekend to face the NAHL's worst team' record-wise in Michigan. Winning one or even better, both games this weekend inside the Nelson Center, would make this more than an electric eight game road trip as they are currently 5-0-1 through six games.

Who is Hot (Both teams in last five games)
-The Springfield Jr. Blues: The team has won four straight games and will be looking to continue their home cooking as they are now inside the Nelson Center for four straight games. After having just 12 points just a few weeks ago, the team has won four straight has climbed up above Janesville and now currently have 18 points and are just two points behind Johnstown for fifth place in the North.

-The Soo Eagles: Want to know who is hot? The Springfield faithful inside the Nelson Center this weekend will be looking at them. Soo is currently one point behind Jamestown for first place in the North and have won five straight games (all on the road). The Eagles own a road record of 7-2-2 for the season with their last loss coming on October 19th at Johnstown in their series opener.

-Ryan Atkinson: Atkinson is currently tied for second on the team with five goals on the season. He scored four of them last weekend as he recorded a hat trick on Saturday night in the series opening win at Johnstown; including one just twelve seconds into the game, as well as the game-winning goal in overtime to end it. Then on Sunday, Ryan added one more in the opening period as he was named the NAHL's second star of the weekend.

-Mike Fazio: Fazio was an honorable mention for the "NAHL Stars of the Week" as he played a major role in the two wins for the Jr. Blues at Johnstown last weekend. In the two games, the Jr. Blues captain scored the game winning goal in the 6-4 victory on Sunday and finished with three points. Also, he is now second on the team in points with 15 (5 goals, 10 assists).

-Matt Leon: Leon has won four straight starts in a row and will be looking for a career-high on Friday night. In his last four starts, he has given up nine goals on 138 shot attempts and has a shutout mixed in it. He allowed three goals in three of the starts; and a shut out as well. On the season, Leon is currently 5-3-2 in ten starts.

Special Teams Comparison (through November 8th)
Springfield -- PP: 17.8% (10th in NAHL); PK: 84.5% (10th in NAHL)
Soo -- PP: 14.5% (15th in NAHL); PK: 90.1% (4th in NAHL)

The official series preview from the NAHL website. (click here).