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).

Springfield Goals against Johnstown (Credits to Nalkil Productions)

The Springfield Jr. Blues swept the two game weekend series on the road against their division-foe, the Johnstown Tomahawks, as they extended their winning-streak to a season high four straight wins.

The Jr. Blues defeated the Tomahawks 4-to-3 in overtime on Saturday night, and followed it up with a 6-to-4 come-from-behind victory on Sunday afternoon as both victories were inside the Cambria County War Memorial in Johnstown, Pennslyvania; about 900 miles away from home.

Saturday night's 4-3 win came in overtime and was highlighted by Ryan Atkinson and his three goal performance--which was the first of his young career. Starting goalie Matt Leon continued his impressive run as he now as won four straight starts between the pipes.

It was a little different on Sunday--but still led to the same result; a win. The Jr. Blues scored four goals in the final 20 minutes and won 6-4 after trailing 4-2 following three goals from the Tomahawks in the second period. Mike Fazio put Springfield up 5-4 with 1:50 remaining in the contest after the Jr. Blues stormed back to tie it up at 4 midway through the third period. Nate Chasteen scored an empty-net goal with 1:02 remaining in the game and put the final score at 6-4.

Thanks to Nalkil Productions, the video featured in the post is highlights of all ten goals that the team scored this weekend. For more videos from them, please click here.

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

(Monday, November 5th through Sunday, November 12th)

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

Tuesday, November 6th
-No Game (off day) -- Practice at Nelson Center from 3pm to 5pm

Wednesday, November 7th
-No Game (off day) -- Practice at Nelson Center from 3pm to 5pm

Thursday, November 8th
-No Game (off day) -- Practice at Nelson Center from 3pm to 5pm

Friday, November 9th
-Jr. Blues vs. Soo Eagles (7:05 pm inside the Nelson Center)

Saturday, November 10th
-Jr. Blues vs. Soo Eagles (7:05 pm inside the Nelson Center)

Sunday, Novermber 11th
-No Game (off day) No practice and No game

Fazio, Jr. Blues rally late to defeat Johnstown 6-4, win 4th straight

On an afternoon where the road team looked to be very hard to read, Mike Fazio and his Springfield Jr. Blues once again defeated adversity--as well as the Johnstown Tomahawks.

Fazio scored the game-winning goal with just under two minutes remaining, Ryan Kellenberger played a perfect third-period inbetween the pipes, and the visiting team capped off a two-goal deficit with four goals in the final twenty minutes of the contest to mark the Jr. Blues' fourth straight win with a 6-4 victory over division-foe Johnstown in a North American Hockey League regular season game inside the Cambria County War Memorial on Sunday afternoon.

The Jr. Blues got off to a 2-1 lead following the first twenty minutes of the game as both Ryan Atkinson (James McGing-14:06) and Trevor Stone (Mike Fazio, Terry Leabo-14:25) lit up the scoring lamp after Andrew McDonald (Connor Wright, Zack Wallace-4:52) scored the games first goal of the contest just under five minutes in.

Johnstown wasn't intimidated though as they showed it in the second period. Trailing 2-1 to start the second, the Tomahawks netted three goals and held the visiting Jr. Blues scoreless. Connor Wright scored two goals of his own in the period while Mitch Kontny added one of his own--giving Johnstown a 4-2 lead heading into the second intermission.

As the Jr. Blues trailed by two goals heading into the third and had their three-game winning streak hanging in the balance, nothing has been proven to phase these guys when adversity is in their face. The team answered it with four goals in the period, as Mike Severson scored at the 9:19 mark to make it 4-3. Less than three minutes later, Devin Mitchell tied it up at 4 each as he scored on a one-timer off sticks of both Oliver Takasci-Nagy and Severson at the 12:08 mark.

With the game tied and two minutes remaining, Fazio found the back of the net as both Nate Chasteen and Terry Leabo assisted him. The goal came at the 18:10 mark and presumably led the team to their fourth straight win. Chasteen followed it up with an empty-net goal of his own with 1:02 remaining, giving Springfield a 6-4 lead and ultimately our final score for the game.

The Jr. Blues out-shot the Tomahawks 27-25 and are starting to make a climb in the North division standings as they have now won four straight games in a row.

Starting goalie Ryan Kellenberger recieved the win as he saved 21-of-25 Johnstown shots and improved his record to 3-5-0 in eight starts. As for Collin Brennan, who started in net for the home team, stopped 21-of-26 shots but seen his record fall to 2-2-1 in five appearances.

The Jr. Blues improved their record to 8-8-2 (18 points) and jumped over Janesville for sixth in the North division. The team will head home next weekend to start a four-game home stand as they will host the second-place Soo Eagles on both Friday and Saturday night at 7 inside the Nelson Center.

Official Scoring Summary
First Period-(JHN) Andrew McDonald (Connor Wright, Zack Wallace) 4:52; (SPR) Ryan Atkinson (James McGing) 14:06; (SPR) Trevor Stone (Mike Fazio, Terry Leabo) 14:25
Second Period-(JHN) Connor Wright (Jesse Kessler) 10:27; Mitch Kontny (unassisted) 13:00; Connor Wright (unassisted) 19:09
Third Period-(SPR) Mike Severson (Oliver Takacsi-Nagy, Devin Mitchell) 9:19; (SPR) Devin Mitchell (Oliver Takacsi-Nagy, Mike Severson) 12:08; (SPR) Mike Fazio (Nate Chasteen, Terry Leabo) 18:10; (SPR) Nate Chasteen (empty-net) (Mike Fazio, Trevor Stone) 18:58

Three Stars of the Game (Official from the Stadium)
1. Mike Fazio (Springfield)
2. Connor Wright (Johnstown)
3. Nick Anderson (Springfield)

Atkinson's hat trick leads Jr. Blues to 4-3 win over Johnstown

Ryan Atkinson finished the night off recording his first career hat-trick, Matt Leon was once again impressive inbetween the pipes, and the Springfield Jr. Blues defeated the Johnstown Tomahawks 4-to-3 in a North American Hockey League regular season contest on Saturday night.

Atkinson scored two of his three goals in the first period, with his first coming just twelve seconds into the contest. Both Parker Johnson and James McGing were credited with assists on the goal, which made it 1-to-0 Springfield. At the 3:40 mark, following Atkinson's first goal, Casey Nelson tied the game up at one apiece as he scored a powerplay goal with Mitch Kontny and Brandon Reinholz getting assists. Less than a minute and a half later, in a 1-1 tie, Atkinson scored again at the 5:00 minute mark on a nasty shot with the passes coming off the sticks of Simon Koscielski and McGing again.

With the Jr. Blues leading 2-to-1 heading into the second period, Mitch Rogge (Tom Cooney, Nick Anderson) scored for Springfield on the powerplay and made it 3-1 at the 12:39 mark. It was the only goal scored in the period, and was the Jr. Blues' only powerplay goal scored as they went 1-for-5 on the man-advantage. The Tomahawks finished the night 1-for-4.

Entering the final twenty minutes of hockey, with Johnstown trailing 3-to-1, the Tomahawks got to work. Jordan Watt (Mitch Kontny, Casey Nelson) made it 3-2 with nine and a half minutes left. A minute later, at the 11:29 mark of the final period, Jeff Bergh (Joe Bender, Mike Sandor) tied it up at three and lit up the arena.

In the five-minute overtime period, at the 3:16 mark, Atkinson lit up the scoring lamp for the third and final time of the night as he recorded his first career three goal game--wrapping up the Jr. Blues third straight win in a row. Springfield was out-shot on the night 31-to-26.

Jr. Blues starting goalie Matt Leon won his fourth straight start in a row, as he gave up three goals on 31 shots. During his current four game win streak, he has allowed nine goals on 138 shots and now has an overall record of 5-3-2 in ten starts this season.

As for the Tomahawks, starting goalie Chris Truehl was pretty good as well. He allowed four goals on 26 Springfield shots but recorded the loss. In eight appearances and six starts, the nineteen year old from Stougton, Wisconsin has an overall record of 2-2-4.

Official Scoring Summary
First Period (SPR) Ryan Atkinson (Parker Johnson, James McGing) 0:12; (JHN) Casey Nelson (PP) (Mitch Kontny, Brandon Reinholz) 3:40; (SPR) Ryan Atkinson (James McGing, Simon Koscielski) 5:00
Second Period (SPR) Mitch Rogge (PP) (Tom Cooney, Nick Anderson) 12:39
Third Period (JHN) Jordan Watt (Mitch Kontny, Casey Nelson) 10:25; (JHN) Jeff Bergh (Joe Bender, Mike Sandor) 11:29
Overtime: Ryan Atkinson (Mitch Rogge, Joe Carkeek) 3:16

Three Stars of the Game (Official from the Stadium)
1. Ryan Atkinson (Springfield)
2. Jeff Bergh (Johnstown)
3. Jesse Kessler (Johnstown)