November Game Commentary
Bucs Win Second Shoot-out In A Row
Des Moines, IA (11.3.00): The Buccaneers won their second shoot-out in a row, beating the Chicago Steel 5-4. It was not an easy win as the Bucs battled back from a 2 goal, first period deficit. Andy Nelson scored 2 second period goals to tie the game at 2-2. Early in the third period, the Steel scored two quick goals to put the Bucs behind 4-2 . Things did not look good for the Bucs.
Mike Mantua makes the fourth save in the shoot-out to set up the Buccaneer win.
Midway through the third period the Doug Meyer converted on a 5 on 3 power play to make it 3-4. The Bucs turned up the pressure and with 5 minutes remaining in the period Arne Martensson scored his first goal of the year to tie the game and send it into overtime. The Bucs were aggressive in the OT, but were unable to score and the shoot-out began. Mike Mantua stopped all four Steel shooters, while Stefan Bjurstrom and Doug Meyer scored for the Bucs.
In the picture to the left, Mike Mantua makes the fourth save in the shoot-out to set up the Buccaneer win. Coach Carroll credited the leadership on the team for finding a way to win on a night when they were not playing their best.
Nelson (Campbell), Nelson (Campbell, Chiodo), Meyer (Klema, Jernberg), and Martensson (Bjurstrom) scored for the Bucs in regulation play. Bjurstrom and Meyer scored in the shoot-out. Mantua was in goal.
| Team | Score | Scoring | Shots | PIM | Powerplays | Winning Goalie (Saves-Shots) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DES MOINES | 5 (SO) | 0-2-2-1 | - | - | - | Mantua (31-35) |
| Chicago | 4 | 1-1-2-0 | - | - | - | Ackley (34-38) |
| DES MOINES: Nelson (2G), Martensson (G), Meyer (G,PP) | ||||||
| CHICAGO: Groslie (G,PP), McLean (G,PP), Greenlees (G), Scott (G) | ||||||
| Attendance: 2,500 | ||||||
David Klema is restrained after taking a Sioux City player to the ice.
Bucs Win In Overtime
Des Moines, IA (11.4.00): For the third game in a row the Bucs found themselves in an overtime situation, and again found a way to win - this time they did it before it got to a shoot-out winning in overtime.
From the first drop of the puck it was a hard-fought defensive game. How defensive? Neither team was able to score an even strength goal, all 5 goals were scored on power-plays. Whenever a hard-fought game like this is played, tempers are bound to flare-up, which is exactly what happened as two sets of players dropped their gloves. In the picture below, David Klema is restrained after taking a Sioux City player to the ice.
For the Bucs, Paul Morrissey was sharp in goal stopping 26 shots, while Andy Nelson continued his hot streak scoring another goal.
Nelson (PP) (Chiodo), Jernberg (PP) (Bennett, Klema) and (PP) Bennett (Jernberg) scored for the Bucs. Morrissey was in goal.
| Team | Score | Scoring | Shots | PIM | Powerplays | Winning Goalie (Saves-Shots) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DES MOINES | 3 (OT) | 0-2-0-1 | - | - | - | Morrissey (26-28) |
| Sioux City | 2 | 1-1-0-0 | - | - | - | Panik (19-22) |
| DES MOINES: Bennett (GW,A,PP), Jernberg (G,A,PP), Nelson (G,PP) | ||||||
| SIOUX CITY: Vychodil (G,PP), Thortsen (G,PP) | ||||||
| Attendance: 3,200 | ||||||
Bucs Win in Overtime - Again!
Green Bay, WI (11.10.00): At the sound of the buzzer, the Buccaneers found themselves in a familiar situation - overtime. In the previous three games the Bucs won two in shoot-outs and one in OT. Tonight, Ryan Bennett went top-shelf to beat the USHL league-leading goalie and make it 5 wins in a row for the Bucs, winning 4-3.
From the first drop of the puck, the Bucs came out strong, taking a two goal first period lead with goals from Ryan Kirchhoff and Mark Langdon. Green Bay tied it up in the second period, but Andy Nelson put the Bucs up 3-2 just before the end of the second period. Paul Morrissey was peppered with shots in the third period making 20 saves and giving up only one goal - a shorthander.
Kirchhoff (Gauthier, Brolsma), Langdon (Jernberg, Bennett), Nelson (Bjurstrom, Irwin) and Bennett (Gauthier) scored for the Bucs. Morrissey was in goal.
| Team | Score | Scoring | Shots | PIM | Powerplays | Winning Goalie (Saves-Shots) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DES MOINES | 4 (OT) | 2-1-0-1 | - | - | - | Morrissey (40-43) |
| GREEN BAY | 3 | 0-2-1-0 | - | - | - | Penko (23-27) |
| DES MOINES: Bennett (GW,A), Nelson (G), Langdon (G), Kirchhoff (G) | ||||||
| GREEN BAY: Hartman (G,A), Stapleton (G,SH), Hammond (G) | ||||||
| Attendance: 3,632 | ||||||
Paul Morrissey, with two minutes remaining in the third period looks forward to his first shutout of the year.
Shutout for Morrissey
Des Moines, IA (11.11.00): Paul Morrissey picked up his first shutout of the year, stopping 31 shots for a 5-0 win over the Rochester Mustangs. Paul added another win to his record and remains undefeated, which has put him in the stats as one of the top 5 goalies in the USHL.
In the picture above, Mike Mantua makes the fourth save in the shoot-out to set up the Buccaneer win. Coach Carroll credited the leadership on the team for finding a way to win on a night when they were not playing their best.
Nelson (Campbell), Nelson (Campbell, Chiodo), Meyer (Klema, Jernberg), and Martensson (Bjurstrom) scored for the Bucs in regulation play. Bjurstrom and Meyer scored in the shoot-out. Morrissey was in goal.
| Team | Score | Scoring | Shots | PIM | Powerplays | Winning Goalie (Saves-Shots) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DES MOINES | 5 | 3-0-2 | - | - | - | Morrissey (23-23) |
| Rochester | 0 | 0-0-0 | - | - | - | Daigneau (36-41) |
| DES MOINES: Carlson (GW,A), Kirchhoff (G,2A), Bennett (2G), Brolsma (G) | ||||||
| ROCHESTER: | ||||||
| Attendance: 2,867 | ||||||
Bucs Winning Streak Ends
Des Moines, IA (11.17.00): The Buccaneer six game winning streak came to an abrupt end Friday night as the Tri-city Storm beat the Buccaneers 5-1.
Tri-city scored a minute and a half into the game and never looked back as they held a 2-1 lead at the end of the first period, and a 4-1 lead at the end of the second. The Buccaneers seemed to be a half-step off and this combined with good defense and a hot goaltender shut the Bucs down.
The Buccaneers face a tough battle tomorrow night as they face the Storm in their home opener. Bennett (PP) (Meyer) scored for the Bucs. Morrissey was in goal for the Bucs.
| Team | Score | Scoring | Shots | PIM | Powerplays | Winning Goalie (Saves-Shots) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tri-City | 5 | 2-2-1 | - | - | - | Zaniboni (35-36) |
| DES MOINES | 1 | 1-0-0 | - | - | - | Morrissey (31-36) |
| TRI-CITY: Hart (GW,2A), Schmidt (2G,A,PP), Pohl (G,2A), Reeder (G,A) | ||||||
| DES MOINES: Bennett (G,PP) | ||||||
| Attendance: 3,077 | ||||||
Bucs Open New Rink With Win
Kearney, NE (11.18.00): The Buccaneers spoiled the opening of Tri-City's new arena with 4 third period goals, winning 4-3. It did not come easy...
The Twin City Vulcans moved to Kearney, Nebraska this year and have been without a home rink until tonight. Was it a good move? One only needs to read Trevor Grimm's article on the Vulcans to understand the team nobody knew about. (go to the 1999-2000 Articles page). Everything has changed now. Kearney has embraced their new hockey team and so many people were trying to get to the opening game that their was a huge traffic jam which delayed the start of the game. Fireworks and other festivities opened the arena and we were ready for hockey. I can't wait until the Bucs get their new arena!
Tri-city took a 2-0 lead and the fans had every reason to believe they would beat the Bucs like last night and open their rink with a victory.
It looked that way until 19 seconds into the third period when Doug Meyer scored on a quick wrist shot. The score was now 2-1 and the fans were just a bit nervous. Since hockey is new to Kearney, not everyone is quite up to speed on the rules yet, so there were the usual cheers for icing, questions about off-sides, and how many periods are in game. They will learn and develop their traditions quickly. I am sure they will develop a road game following and be a bit obnoxious in the stands. Being a native Nebraskan myself, I can say that it is all in good fun and they will be great sports about it .
In any case, Doug Meyer's goal and the clock winding down must have inspired Ryan Bennett. Midway through the period Ryan Bennett scored two goals just 20 seconds apart to give the Bucs a 3-2 lead. Ryan has been on a goal-scoring streakl lately and is white-hot. This really deflated the crowd and encouraged the Buc fans.
The Storm did not give up. They brought the crowd to their feet with 4 minutes left in the game when they scored to tie the game. The Bucs did not give up either. Less than 30 seconds later Doug Meyer scored to take the lead, 4-3. The Storm pulled their goalie with one minute remaining, but the Buc defense held and the Bucs robbed the Storm of their first home victory.
Meyer (Irwin, Campbell) Bennett (Meyer), Bennett (Klema, Meyer), Meyer (Klema). Mantua was in goal.
| Team | Score | Scoring | Shots | PIM | Powerplays | Winning Goalie (Saves-Shots) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Des Moines | 4 | 0-0-4 | - | - | - | Mantua (47-50) |
| TRI-CITY | 3 | 1-1-1 | - | - | - | Zaniboni (33-37) |
| DES MOINES: Meyer (2G,GW,2A), Bennett (G,A), Flaig (G) | ||||||
| TRI-CITY: Schmidt (G,A), Thompson (G), Froehlich (G,PP) | ||||||
| Attendance: 4,757 | ||||||
Thriller Ends In Shoot-out
Des Moines, IA (11.22.00): Wednesday nights game against Cedar Rapids began and ended in excitement as the Buccaneers fell to the Rough Riders 5-4 in a shoot-out.
With just 6 seconds gone in the game the gloves came off as Doug Meyer and Chris Pedota squared off. Although Doug won the fight, CR scored just two minutes later and then opened up a 2-0 lead by the end of the first period. Cedar Rapids out-hustled the Bucs and their passing seemed to be crisper. In fact, the Bucs had only one or two quality shots on goal all period.
James Jernberg looks down on two Cedar Rapids players and I think would have taken them both on if they would have pushed the issue.
The second period also opened with a fight as Ryan Bennett took exception to the way he was being treated after crashing the net. Despite outshooting the RoughRiders 18-9 in the period, the Bucs were still down 3-1 when the buzzer ended the period.
Ryan Bennett scored just a minute into the third period to bring the Bucs within 1 goal, 3-2. Four minutes later Wade Chiodo scored his first goal of the season to tie the game at 3 each. The Bucs were playing much better now, but at times the defense would let down and leave goaltender Paul Morrissey in a situation where he could not make the save. That is just what happened midway through the period when Cedar Rapids took the lead, 4-3.
The Bucs fought back and Andy Nelson brought the crowd to their feet when he tied the game with four minutes to go in the game. The goal was a result of a pile-up in front of the net and Andy just kept working until the puck went in.
Paul had to make several difficult saves to keep the Bucs in the game as Cedar Rapids really put the pressure on until the final buzzer. The game went into overtime where both teams skated hard. Again, Cedar Rapids seemed to be in control as they got 4 quality shots to just one for the Bucs. The game ended and went into a shoot-out. The Bucs were only able to manage one goal in the shoot-out and the RoughRiders won the game. The Bucs continue their tough schedule this week with Lincoln Friday night and Omaha Saturday night.
Klema (Bennett), Bennett (Klema), Chiodo (Nelson), Nelson (Chiodo) scored in regulation time. Bjurstrom scored in the shoot-out. Morrissey was in goal.
| Team | Score | Scoring | Shots | PIM | Powerplays | Winning Goalie (Saves-Shots) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cedar Rapids | 5 (SO) | 2-1-1-1 | - | - | - | Goepfert (34-38) |
| DES MOINES | 4 | 0-1-3-0 | - | - | - | Morrissey (28-32) |
| CEDAR RAPIDS: Johnson (2G,PP), Mayhew (G,PP), Carpentier (G) | ||||||
| DES MOINES: Bennett (2G), Chiodo (G,A), Nelson (G) | ||||||
| Attendance: 3,096 | ||||||
Third Period Dooms Bucs
Des Moines, IA (11.24.00): The Buccaneers played excellent hockey for two periods, but it takes three when you play a team like Lincoln...
The Des Moines Buccaneers played their fourth game of five in just an eight day period, and lost to Lincoln 5-2. For the first two periods it looked to be anyones game - It was the third period that doomed the Bucs as the Stars outshot the Bucs 18-9 and scored 3 goals in the process.
Rene Gauthier opened the scoring for the Bucs in the first period on assists from Luke Flaig and Mark Langdon. The Stars answered to end the period with a 1-1 tie.
Lincoln scored early in the first period to take a 2-1 lead, but the Bucs fought back as Ryan Kirchhoff scored to knot the game at 2 goals each.
When the third period started, it was obvious that Lincoln was determined to win this game. Mike Mantua was playing sharp, but time after time the Star forwards were left all alone in front of the net. Coach Carroll said that " we gave too many good scoring opportunities to LIncoln, and you can't do that or you are going to pay".
The Bucs now need to put this one behind them and focus on the Omaha game tomorrow night. "This isn't a game for the weak-minded. We need to come ready to go" said Coach Carroll.
Gauthier (Flaig, Langdon) and Kirchhoff (PP) (Brolsma) scored for the Bucs. Mantua was in goal.
| Team | Score | Scoring | Shots | PIM | Powerplays | Winning Goalie (Saves-Shots) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln | 5 | 1-1-3 | - | - | - | Fritz (26-28) |
| DES MOINES | 2 | 1-1-0 | - | - | - | Mantua (39-44) |
| LINCOLN: Peluso (2G,PP), Bochenski (G,A), Fournier (GW), Snowden (3A),Wavra (G,PP) | ||||||
| DES MOINES: Gauthier (G), Kirchhoff (G,PP) | ||||||
| Attendance: 3,411 | ||||||
The Agony of Defeat
Omaha, NE (11.25.00): Remember the skier that tumbled down the slope in the opening sequence of the Wide World of Sports to the voice over of "the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat"? I think the Bucs now all know exactly what that skier felt like, as they lost to the Omaha Lancers 10-2.
For the Buccaneers, it was one of their worst losses in club history.
Only twice in the last 10 years have the Buccaneers been beaten this badly. Last year the Bucs were torn apart by the Twin Cities Vulcans 10-1, and in March of 1996 when the Lancers beat the Bucs 10-2.
The Lancers got to work early, scoring 5 goals in the first period. The score was 7-0 before the Bucs finally scored in the middle of the second period. The Bucs got it to 7-2 before the Lancers ran it back up to 10-2, which is where the second period ended. What happened? Why did the Lancers score so many goals? The Bucs let the Lancers get the first shot and then two or three more until it went in - the goalies did not have a chance.
The third period the Bucs played for self-respect and held the Lancers scoreless. Compliments must also go out to Mike Hastings and the Lancers for their self-restraint - it looked as if they held back a bit in the third period to keep it from being REALLY ugly.
On a positive note, in 1996 the Bucs came back the next night and shut out the Lancers 3-0. This is a long season and the Bucs - and the fans - all need to put this one behind us.
Bjurstrom (Tomaino, Chiodo) and Langdon (Chiodo, Bjurstrom) scored for the Bucs. Mantua and Morrissey were in goal.
| Team | Score | Scoring | Shots | PIM | Powerplays | Winning Goalie (Saves-Shots) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OMAHA | 10 | 5-5-0 | - | - | - | Fraser (17-19) |
| Des Moines | 2 | 0-2-0 | - | - | - | Mantua (5-10) |
| OMAHA: Welch (HAT TRICK,GW,A,PP), Riddell (2G,A,SH), Fleming (G,2A),Krischuk (G,A), Hacker (G,A), Dahl (G,PP), Stastny (G) | ||||||
| DES MOINES: Bjurstrom (G,A,PP), Langdon (G) | ||||||
| Attendance: 4,826 | ||||||
| September-October Game Summaries | 2000-2001 Schedule | December Game Summaries |
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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.