February Game Commentary
Seven-in-a-row For The Bucs
Sioux Falls, SD (2.2.01): The Buccaneers won their seventh game-in-a-row, beating the USHL powerhouse Sioux Falls, 5-4. Sioux Falls is currently in second place in the USHL. The Bucs beat the first place Lincoln Stars last week.
The Bucs battled back from a one goal first period defecit with three unanswered goals from Gus Groslie, David Klema, and Jeff Yurecko to make it 3-1 Bucs.
Sioux Falls battled back with three straight goals of their own to retake the lead, 4-3. The Bucs never gave up, and Gus Groslie tied it at 4-4 in the third period. Wade Chiodo setup Luke Irwin with just six minutes left to play to take a 5-4 lead. Sioux Falls pulled their goalie with a minute and a half to play and battled to the last second, but Mike Mantua and the defense stood the test to give the Bucs the victory. Coach Carroll said before the game that the team has gelled and the chemistry is right. It is obvious by the way they are playing.
Groslie (Klema, Reimers), Klema (Groslie), Yurecko (Bennett, Scatchell), Groslie (Klema) and Irwin (Chiodo, Nelson) scored for the Bucs. Mantua was in goal and faced 41 shots.
| Team | Score | Scoring | Shots | PIM | Powerplays | Winning Goalie (Saves-Shots) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Des Moines | 5 | 0-3-2 | 29 | 12 | 0-1 | Mantua (37-41) |
| SIOUX FALLS | 4 | 1-1-2 | 41 | 4 | 1-6 | Sikich (9-11) |
| DES MOINES: Groslie (2G,A), Klema (G,3A), Irwin (GW), Yurecko (G) | ||||||
| SIOUX FALLS: Werner (G,PP), Corey (G), Funk (G), Zaleski (G) | ||||||
| Attendance: 4,491 | ||||||
Dave raises his Wayne Gretzke stick in triumph just moments after winning a brand new Jeep from Bud Mulcahy's Jeep.
Feibo Wins Jeep!
Des Moines, IA (2.3.01): The Bucs lost the game tonight, but Dave Feibo of Pella, Iowa was the big winner as he shot the puck through that tiny hole to win a new Jeep, courtesy of Bud Mulcahy's Jeep in Des Moines. The "Jeep Shoot" is a regular feature between the second and third period, and two Jeeps have been given away in the last three seasons. Congratulations Dave!
Coach Carroll said that fatigue and heads-up play by the USA-under 18 team combined to break the Bucs seven game winning streak.
Yurecko (PP) (Chiodo, Campbell) and Chiodo (PP) (Yurecko, Groslie) scored for the Bucs. Mantua was in goal and faced 17 shots.
Bucs Dominate Dubuque
Des Moines, IA (2.10.01): The Buccaneer faithful braved the icey streets to pack Metro Ice Sports Arena to watch the Bucs beat Dubuque 8-2.
After the game Coach Carroll commented that he was very pleased with the effort and speed of the team and the play of the special teams. Doug Meyer got 2 powerplay goals and Jeff Yurecko picked up 1 as the Bucs went 3-5 on the night. David Klema also got a shorthanded goal.
Groslie (Yurecko, Klema), Campbell (Kirchhoff), Klema (SH) (Nelson), Bennett (Kirchhoff, Meyer), Nelson (Langdon, Chiodo), Yurecko (PP) (Groslie, Reimers), Meyer (PP) (Reimers), Meyer (PP) (Unassisted). Mantua was in goal and faced 26 shots.
Bucs Slip Past Chicago
Chicago, IL (2.11.01): The Buccaneers faced a tough, hard-working defensive Chicago team Sunday afternoon, but rose to the challenge to come away with a 3-1 win.
Chicago took a 1-0 lead in the first period, holding off the tenacious Buc offense with a hot goal-tender and defensive hustle. In the middle of the second period Jim Scatchell scored his first goal as a Buccaneer on a powerplay to tie the game at 1-1. Five minutes later Jeff Yurecko gave the Bucs a 2-1 lead - and what was to be the game-winning goal.
Chicago did not give up and the Bucs found themselves down a man with 2 minutes left to play when Chicago challenged the curve on Irwin's stick. Brown made several tough saves before Doug Meyer flicked a back-hander into the empty net to give the Bucs the 3-1 win.
Scatchell (PP) (Unassisted), Yurecko (Groslie) and Meyer (EN) (SH) (Kirchhoff) scored for the Bucs. Brown was in goal.
Late Start, Penalties, Beat Bucs
Sioux Falls, SD (2.15.01): To beat Sioux Falls you need to stay out of the penalty box, play hard from the first drop of the puck, and score early. Tonight the Bucs racked up over 70 minutes of penalties and did not score until the third period. As a result, the Bucs ended up on the short side of a 6-3 score.
The Bucs did not get on the board until the third period when David Klema scored a powerplay goal when the Bucs had a 5 0n 3 advantage. Wade Chiodo scored to bring the Bucs within 2 goals, but it was too little, too late as Sioux Falls kept up the pressure - scoring an empty-net goal to make the final score 6-3.
Klema (PP) (Bennett, Reimers), Chiodo (Nelson, Langdon) and Bennett (Meyers, Reimers) scored for the Bucs. Mantua was in goal and faced 46 shots.
Tri-city 3, Bucs 1
Des Moines, IA (2.17.01): Coach Carroll credited the determined play of Tri-city and lack of discipline by the Bucs for the 3-1 loss Saturday night. "We were playing well and I was confident we were going to win, but we took some ill-timed penalties and failed to play our type of game".
The Bucs were in control during the first period, outshooting the Storm 14-5. Their goaltender was hot and the period ended scoreless. As the game wore on, the Storm gathered momentum and took the lead on a powerplay goal. The Storm were 1 for 5 on the night, while the Bucs were 0-5. The Bucs were unable to score and Tri-City added a third period insurance goal with 4 minutes left to win the game. The Bucs have 12 more games before the playoffs start.
Carlson (Bjurstrom) scored for the Bucs. Mantua was in goal and faced 29 shots.
Bucs Sweep Chicago
Des Moines, IA (2.23.01): The Buccaneers ended their 4 game series with Chicago with a 5-1 win. The Bucs won all four regular season games, sweeping the series. The coach was pleased with the win, especially the powerplay effort, where the Bucs went 2 for 4 on the night. He also cited the goaltending of Brown, who was sharp in goal.
Yurecko (Unassisted), Meyer (Bennett), Bennett (PP) (Meyer, Klema), Scatchell (Yurecko) and Yurecko (PP) (Groslie) scored for the Bucs. Brown was in goal and faced 24 shots.
Groslie scores another goal.
Bucs Knock Off League Leader
Des Moines, IA (2.24.01): The Buccaneers battled back from a 2-0 first period defecit to hand the league leading Stampede a 4-3 loss. Coach Carroll credited the Bucs play in the neutral zone - something they knew they would have to do to beat Sioux Falls.
Gus Groslie scored back-to-back goals to give the Bucs a 3-2 lead midway through the third period. Four minutes later Wade Chiodo blasted one into the back of the net to make it 4-2. The Bucs took a penalty with 1:32 remaining in the game and the Stampede scored their third powerplay goal of the night with a 6 on 4 advantage. Mike held tough for the next 50 seconds and the Bucs had the 4-3 win.
Yurecko (Klema), Groslie (Yurecko), Groslie (Klema), Chiodo (unassisted) scored for the Bucs. Mantua was in goal and faced 28 shots.
Bucs Take Sioux City
Sioux City, IA (2.25.01): The Buccaneers ended a three game weekend with a 3-2 win over Sioux City. The Bucs won all three games, picking up 6 crucial points in the battle for playoff position.
The Buccaneers took the lead in the first period and never trailed, but it took a goal by Doug Meyer with just three minutes left to win the game. The Bucs were not pleased with their special teams as they went 0-8 on the powerplay and gave up a shorthanded goal. However, for the second night in a row they were not lacking in shots on goal - getting 40 shots on Sioux City.
Schwan (unassisted), Klema (Groslie, Yurecko) and Meyer (Kirchhoff) scored for the Bucs. Brown was in goal and faced 30 shots.
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Disclaimer
This is a game summary and commentary from a Buccaneer fan's point of view, and the viewpoints expressed in this column DO NOT necessarily reflect those of the Des Moines Buccaneer's organization.