Bucs to open playoffs at Bloomington
Des Moines Tribune
Wednesday, 3-10-82
By Don Clasen
Despite finishing in sixth place during the regular season, the Des Moines Buccaneers are so "gung-ho" about their chances in the United States Hockey League's playoffs that they departed early for tonight's opener in Bloomington, Minnesota.
"Everyone's gung-ho," said Coach Ivan Prediger before the team boarded a bus Tuesday afternoon for tonight's 8' o'clock date against the Junior Stars. The Bucs have beaten them only once at Bloomington in two years.
Normally the Bucs bus to games the same day, usually arriving about an hour before game time.
"We're in good shape and if we could win tonight's opener and win again at home Saturday night against Sioux City, we'd be in better shape," Prediger said.
"With a 3-2 record, we could end up in the finals and a 4-1 mark would definitely get us there."
Saturday night's foe, Sioux City, won the regular-season title last weekend.
The Bucs have a March 17 date at the Ice Arena against second-place Dubuque before they hit the road for the final first-round road game at Austin, Minn., the next night.
The Bucs will wind up the opening round March 20 at home against St. Paul.
The two teams with the best records in Round 1 meet in a best-of-five series to determine the playoff champion.
The Bucs will be out for revenge at Bloomington, where the Junior Stars defeated them, 12-7, on March 3. At that time, Des Moines was down to 12 skaters and two goalies because of injuries.
Since then, forwards Jeff Strandell and Tom Miller have returned to action. Strandell showed that he was ready by bagging four goals in Saturday night's 12-10 finale against Waterloo.
The Bucs have won once at Bloomington - on Feb. 2, 1981.
This season, Des Moines split eight games with the Junior Stars, who finished in third place. Bloomington played six games in Des Moines.
The Bucs go into playoff action with the regular-season scoring leader, Myles Hart. He had slipped a point behind Dubuque's Jerry Bolstad last week, but finished strong to go six points past Bolstad on the final weekend of the regular season.
Des Moines' captain and center wound up with 110 points on 32 goals and 78 assists.
The Bucs had two other top USHL scorers. Scott Rupp finished eighth with 88 points on 34 goals and 54 assists and teammate Bill Ries was 12th with 74 points on 28 goals and 46 assists.
Hart also led the league with five short-handed goals.
Tickets for Saturday's game and the other two playoff contests here are now on sale at the Ice Arena at regular-season prices.
USHL Final Standings |
||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TEAM | W | L | T | GF | GA | PTS |
| Sioux City | 29 | 16 | 3 | 281 | 226 | 61 |
| Dubuque | 29 | 19 | 0 | 274 | 232 | 58 |
| Bloomington | 28 | 20 | 0 | 302 | 233 | 56 |
| St. Paul | 26 | 21 | 1 | 263 | 251 | 53 |
| Austin | 26 | 24 | 0 | 234 | 252 | 48 |
| Des Moines | 18 | 29 | 1 | 265 | 314 | 37 |
| Waterloo | 11 | 36 | 1 | 179 | 290 | 23 |
TONIGHT'S GAME
Des Moines at Bloomington
FRIDAY NIGHT'S GAME
Bloomington a! Dubuque
SATURDAY NIGHT'S GAME
Sioux City at Des Moines