September-October 1997-98 Game Commentaries

Walker Robbed of Shut Out in Home Opener

Date: 9/20/97
Opponent: Dubuque Fighting Saints

Pre-game rattle

I awoke Saturday morning to a cool, crisp, beautiful day. During the week, all I heard was the hype about the Iowa VS Iowa State football game. Not being from Iowa, it is hard to understand; in any case, I knew something much more exciting was about to take place. I went outside and as I walked down our road, I noticed the tell-tale signs: the sumac was turning red and the leaves were beginning to change. O yeah, it was hockey night tonight!

Welcome to the 1997-98 season! My name is Steve and I will be doing the rants this year. Sarah is off to college and will be doing the rants for the UNO Maverick division I hockey team.

We arrived at the arena and parked - dodging the roller hockey players and tail-gater's. We bought a new program and awaited the laser-and-smoke big intro. During the warm-ups, we got a good look at the players. Several years ago Sarah caused quite a stir when she commented on Mike Nooyen's hair. Far be it from me to comment on hair, but I do have to say that Pete Fregoe looks much better clean shaven and properly trimmed - I didn't even recognize him!

The arena was filling up, but was not full. The Buc's had sold-out for the 114th straight game. I suppose many season ticket holders were burned-out from the Iowa VS Iowa State football game or attending high school football games. The music started with the beginning drum solo of "We will rock you" played over and over, very loud. The lasers flashed over the ice and the smoke began to fill the arena. Maxwell began with something like this: "Ladies and gentlemen. This summer 88 players tried out for a spot on the best team in the USHL, 26 were chosen. Introducing your 1997-98 Des Moines Buccaneers!" The crowd went crazy! One by one the players skated to center ice and were introduced. They were suited up in the new away uniforms, and man do they look good! The Buc's skated back to the locker room to a spontaneous, thunderous, "Let's Go Buc's!"

Period 1

The starting line-up for the Buc's was announced: Jon Walker in goal, Jim Jackson and Bill Birrenkott on D, Nick Parillo, Pete Fregoe (captain) and Fred Seagrave up front. The puck was dropped and less than a minute into the game an altercation occurred near Dubuque's, resulting in a penalty to #25 David Brien from Dubuque. The Buc's looked very good on this and all of their power-play attempts. They passed well and were not afraid to take shots. However, they were unable to score.

Halfway through the period Antzoulatos was called for (a very obvious) interference. The Buc's were very aggressive and Eric Strand picked off a pass and put a shot on Blackburn that almost went in. Again the Buc's intercepted a pass and Dubuque took a holding penalty rather than allow a breakaway.

At 6:06, right after a penalty was killed off, Jake Searles skated in and let loose a wrist shot to the glove side that beat Blackburn and stretched the back of the net (assists to Nightingale and Vokes).

The Buc's were pumped and less than a minute later Nightingale on a breakaway made it 2-0 (Vokes, Basile) The period ended with 9 shots on goal for Des Moines, 6 for Dubuque.

Period 2

The Buc's opened the period with a lot of pressure, but Dubuque made several odd-man rushes that would have resulted in goals had it not been for the excellent play of our netminder, Jon Walker. Dubuque's #13, Scott Deopere looked very good, putting on some moves that are illegal in most states.

With as minute and a half left in the period Jason Basile picked up Erik Maksimenko's rebound and scored, only to have it waved off. We had a player in the crease.

This just made the Buc's mad and with 41 seconds left, Jake Searles got his second goal of the night, assisted by Nightingale and Strand. The period ended with 7 shots on goal for Des Moines, 5 for Dubuque.

Period 3

The Buc's began the period with 1:24 left on Pete Fregoe's slashing penalty. The Buc's penalty killing unit looked very good. They were always in the right spot and cleared the puck with ease.

The period progressed with Des Moines and Dubuque exchanging a variety of penalties. At one point, Mark Krueger taunted Dubuque's Tom Rouleau by blowing him kisses as he headed for the penalty box.

Chris Antzoulatos slid the puck under Blackburn's stick after Maksimenko had come in on a break-away and narrowly missed (assist to Josh Flynn). The Buc's led 4-0.

Dubuque did not want a shut-out and were really putting the pressure on. Walker stopped Dubuque's Evan Stensrud on a break away, and other well placed shots by various team members. With 2:18 left, Dubuque caught our D with a 2 on 0 breakaway and Walker did not have a chance. Ron D'Angelo scored with the assist to Stensrud and Rotariu to spoil the shut out.

The game ended and the Buc's mobbed Walker. The team then skated to center ice and saluted the crowd by raising their sticks. Written by Steve Bendy.

Des Moines 4 - Dubuque 1

Buc Win Streak At Three

Date: 9/27/97
Opponent: Sioux City Musketeers

Pre-game rattle

Not even the inevitable bottlenecks and outages of America On Line e-mail delivery could prevent the onslaught of e-mail I received this week concerning two subjects: Prompt updates on the web site and Buccaneer fan conduct. The late web site updates this week are easy to explain - computer problems on the web site. I do apologize for the technical problems...

Not so easy to explain are the two points of view concerning the conduct of Buccaneer fans. It all started when a very thoughtful letter was written by a Sioux City fan pointing out that not all Buc fans are civil towards visiting fans. The Buc favorite, "Sioux City Sucks" was mentioned. Her letter brought about a flurry of e-mails; some fans supporting her view, others not. Unfortunately I could not post all the e-mails, but a sampling are posted in the Mail Bag - take the time to read them, they are good.

I am not sure I want to comment, especially when I remember the stir Sarah caused when she made a comment about Mike Nooyen's hair (for the record, I agreed with Sarah, Mike's hair needed some attention - even if "chick's dug it". However, I may slip and mention something...

Period 1

It was a Saturday night and there were empty seats, but the regular crowd was there and were ready for hockey. The starting line-up for the Buc's was announced: Jon Walker in goal, Jim Jackson and Bill Birrenkott on D, Jake Searles, Erik Maksimenko, and Jeremy Vokes up front. It is fun to watch Jim and Bill work the ice. They work well together and will be leaders in the USHL. The puck was dropped and Sioux City came out checking. This year we have some real skaters and Sioux City was doing a lot of clutch and grab to try to slow the play down.

Erik Maksimenko was looking good. I still remember him standing out in the try-out camps several years ago - even the rants from then gave him two thumbs up. Both teams were skating well, but it was Jason Nightingale who scored first with a savvy backhand to the goalie's glove side (assists to Linna and Antzoulatos) at 5:50. The Buc's led, 1 - 0. Sioux City was playing physical and I began wondering who would get frustrated first and retaliate, Antzoulatos or Parillo. Heck, maybe they would fight each other for kicks like in the evaluation camp...

After some tremendous pressure in front of the net, Vincent "Frenchy" Bachet almost scored. Sioux City was charged with two penalties giving the Buc's a 2 man advantage. It was for naught, as Sioux City was up to the challenge and killed the penalties off - despite some great plays by the Buc's.

Then, in one of the prettiest plays I have seen in a long time, Garrett Stafford took the puck coast to coast and skated in on net and scored cleanly (assists to Vokes and Jackson). Hey, isn't Stafford a defenseman?

Near the end of the period, Vokes almost scored on a breakaway, but was robbed. The period ended with 11 shots on goal for Des Moines, 7 for Dubuque.

Period 2

The second period started with Sioux City down a man. However, you would not have known it. The play was in the Buc end, and Sioux City got several quality shots. This must have riled up the Buc's, cause the next 5 minutes the Buc's really put on the pressure. It was all Sioux City could do to loft the puck in the air and clear the puck.

The second period Krueger, Linna, and Strand were playing especially well. Krueger seems to really be improving every game.

Peter Capouch put on a great personal effort that led to the Buc's third goal by Erik Maksimenko (Capouch).

Nick Parillo began playing like a mad-man. He was everywhere - Fore checking, shooting, picking up his own re-bounds, etc. Sioux City had enough and began to tie him up. Nick did not take kindly to it and the fight began. Nick began hitting back with the same fury that he attacks the puck. Then it began, in unison, as if planned, "Sioux City Sucks!, Sioux City Sucks! And it was loud! I held my tongue.

I began to think back to the 1994-95 Ethan Philpott (Buc's) VS Jeff Edwards (Lancers) fight. How Philpott never would fight - until he had to. How he pounded Edwards and turned the momentum of the playoff game, resulting in a Buc victory. How when he came out of the locker room (after being ejected) he got a standing ovation.

Then back to 1963 when fans threw beer at Omaha Knights bad-boy Boom-Boom. He climbed over the chain link fence after them.

I began to think why hockey was so different from other sports and why I love it so much. I began to chant with my wife and son, "Sioux City Sucks!, Sioux City Sucks". Nothing at all against Sioux City or the fans - it's just hockey!

Parillo was tossed and the Buc's were down for the next 5 minutes. Walker came up with several miraculous saves. The second period ended with 13 saves for Sioux City and 8 for Des Moines.

Period 3

The period started and it was all Sioux City. However, the real action was in our section. A puck flew over the glass and hit a gal's full glass of beer that she was holding. It splashed all over my wife! Adding insult to injury, another puck flew over and hit my wife in the side of the head! The rink staff was right there with a bag of ice and offers to help in any way.

Sioux City spoiled the shut-out with a goal by #19 (assists to Paolini and Unklesbay). A Buc "Super-fan" began waving the Buc flag in front of a section where some Sioux City fans were sitting - coincidence?

At 15:41 Jeremy Vokes broke done the ice, deked several times and faked the goalie out of his - pads - and scored, making the score 4 - 1 (assist to Linna and Stafford).

The third period ended with 8 (32 total) saves for Sioux City and 5 (total 20) for Des Moines. The team then skated to center ice and saluted the crowd by raising their sticks. Written by Steve Bendy.

Des Moines 4 - Sioux City 1

Victory Over Lincoln Extends Win Streak To Four

Date: 10/4/97
Opponent: Lincoln Stars

Pre-game rattle

Some may say that the record high temperatures in Des Moines this week were caused by El Nino, but judging by the e-mail I received this week, the heat may well have been caused by the Chris Antzoulatos trade to Fargo. Regardless of the circumstances surrounding this event, one can only point to the case of Mikhail Saliyenko, who was traded to Dubuque, caught fire, and got a full-ride scholarship to Wisconsin - Stevens Point. We wish the best of luck to Chris wherever he lands!

And so, we move on. Last year, we were not able to beat Lincoln in regular season play. It's hard to be upset with Lincoln - they have such great fans, and support hockey as if it was the only sport in town. Go Big Red! So, would our young team continue our dubious tradition? As we arrived, the parking lot was awash with activity - tail-gaters enjoying the beautiful weather. Life is good.

Period 1

The starting line was announced: Jon Walker in goal, Bill Rosseau and Garrett Stafford on D, Eric Maksimenko, Pete Fregoe, and Fred Seagrave up front. The puck was dropped and the Bucs and the fans came out smoking. Nightingale was playing well, forechecking and putting some good shots on net. It was over 7 minutes before Lincoln got a shot on net.

The Bucs on the other hand were hot. Five minutes into the period, Clarke and Linna teamed up for try that should have lit the light, but were foiled. Lincoln's Spiller was the only "Star" that was shining, and had it not been for the excellent play of Walker, Lincoln would have scored in the first period. The honor of scoring was to go to a Buc. At 13:21, with 21 seconds left on a Lincoln penalty, Maksimenko took the puck on a face-off at the blue-line, skated in alone, deked, and scored! (unassisted). The crowd went wild! By the way, this goal is captured as a quicktime movie in our new area, The Treasure Chest. Be sure and check out all the great action shots (thanks Mark Hall!). The Bucs had several other great chances, Jeremy Vokes just narrowly missing on a break. Another play of note occurred late in the period; Lincoln had a 2 on 1 break and Fred Seagrave came skating down like a madman to break up the play. With 2 seconds left in the period, Walker demonstrated why he is the top goaltender in the USHL, stopping a point-blank one timer, robbing Lincoln of a power-play goal. The period ended with 10 saves for Lincoln and 7 for Des Moines.

Period 2

The second period started with the Bucs down a man. The Bucs were able to kill the penalty off handily, Linna even got a semi-break but was tied up by the D. The Stars were playing much better at the start of the period, and kept it up for about 4 minutes. However, the Bucs scored again at 15:32 on a great personal effort by Jason Nightingale (unassisted), who raced to a dumped puck amid 2 defenders, got control of the puck, came around the net and put it in from a 90 degree angle to the net. Lincoln's goalie, Tim Peters, must have wondered how the heck he did that - I know we did.

At 7:46, Lincoln's D mishandled the puck at their blue-line, Capouch took the puck in and passed it to Maksimenko who puckered the twine and made the red light shine! (Assisted by Capouch and Searles). The score was now 3 - 0 in favor of the good guys. The third goal really took the shine of the Stars as the Bucs put the pressure on. Several minutes later Bill Birrenkott and Lincoln's Andy Lundbohm laid the gloves on the ice and went at it. Both were tossed. Lincoln's Brendon Hodge was carried off the ice - we hope it was not serious. With less than a minute left, Lincoln's Rob Kellogg surprised Walker with a shot that spoiled the shut-out (assists to Trent Clark and Chris Fournier). Lincoln's Tim Schneider and Fred Seagrave vented their emotions with less than 30 seconds left and were tossed for fighting - Seagrave was charged with instigation. Just before the end of the period, Bachet gave up the body to stop a slap shot - ouch! that's gotta hurt! The period ended with 9 saves for Lincoln and 6 for Des Moines.

Period 3

The Bucs started the period down a man, and it was over three minutes before the Bucs even got a shot. Walker was up to the task, and it is a good thing, because the Stars were playing hard. The only Buc that seemed to be able to get anything going was Linna.

Six minutes into the period, the east and west sections began a contest to see who could yell the B - U - C - S cheer the loudest. The winner were the Bucs who scored at 13:46 on a beauty by Jeremy Vokes (Nightingale, Stafford). Tim Peters had stopped a shot and in the pile-up in front of the net, did not see the puck sitting on the ice in front of him. Vokes did. The score was now 4 - 1, and Lincoln just let-down. Maksimenko was playing very well and almost scored a hat trick, but it was not to be. The game ended and the Bucs had ended the losing streak to Lincoln, and extended their record to 4 and 0 - the best in the USHL. Written by Steve Bendy.

Des Moines 4 - Lincoln 1

Canadiens Fall, Giving Bucs A Five Game Win Streak

Date: 10/11/97
Opponent: Thunder Bay Flyers

Pre-game rattle

First, I need to explain the lack of e-mails in the Mail Bag concerning the Chris Antzoulatos trade. There were a lot of fans that wrote me asking for an explanation, or venting, or both. I understand. He was well liked. I will miss seeing him at Burger King and at Terry's Auto. I just felt it was best to leave the feelings private and concentrate on the future. Coach Owens is smart. Chris is a good hockey player. Let's not make judgments in this one, OK?

On to the game. It's always good to play the Flyers, eh? Looking at their roster, it is inspiring to see that most come from Thunder Bay. They must play a lot of hockey up there, eh?

Period 1

The Metro Sports Ice Arena was sold out as usual, and tonight the place was packed - standing room only. The music was really loud - too loud for many, but the place was rocking. The starting line-up for the Bucs were Jon Walker in goal, Garrett Stafford and Peter Capouch on D, and Jake Searles, Jason Nightingale, and Jeremy "Hollywood" Vokes up front. Thunder Bay went with . As the Flyers were skating onto the ice Jean-Paul Nault seemed to enjoy the "Barney" song - not quite as much as "Tortarella" did when he danced to the Buc song (for those newbies, Andrew Tortarella palyed for Waterloo and then Omaha. he had quite an on-ice personality. You had to love him. He now plays for UNO, and I am sure Sarah will have more to say after the first game.

The Flyers came into the game with a record of 3 and 1, but have not done well on the road.

The Bucs first goal at 1:56, was the result of some very good play by Troy Linna, who took a shot that ended up as a rebound in front of the net. Noah Clarke wasted no time in cranking off a slap-shot the beat Darryl Tinney clean (assists to Troy Linna and Mark Krueger). The Bucs played well and seemed to control the flow of the game. Even during the Bucs first penalty (to Fregoe), the Flyers were unable to get a shot on goal. During the penalty kill, Troy Linna slapped a shot on net from the red line that could be heard through-out the arena - SMACK! The Bucs first power play was just as bad, as we did not even manage a shot on goal, while TB had a semi-break. Minnesota native Dan Donnette and Mark Krueger were turning in some good shifts. Thunder Bay had 10 saves, Des Moines had 5.

Period 2

The Bucs second goal at 2:04, was the result of a hard shot by Fred Seagrave that bounced off the goalies pad, picked up and shot again by Maksimenko, and finally by Pete Fregoe who put upstairs to the glove side to score (assists to Seagrave and Maksimenko). I completely missed the third goal less than 30 seconds later - my view being blocked by a nacho-with-cheese, several drinks fan. Jeremy Vokes (Searles) got credit for the red light.

Viva la France! Vincent Bachet showing the offensive side of his defense, skated over the blue line, passed to Vokes, picked up the puck again and put it away with 13:52 left in the period. I swear this guy is a forward (assists to Jason Basile and Jeremy Vokes). Bucs 4, Thunder Bay 0. Thunder Bay took a time-out, and it did some good, as they came out fighting. Seagrave was called for a penalty for playing without the proper equipment (helmet) - give me a break! He was trying to get to his helmet and the puck hit him! The Flyer finally got on the board on a 4 on 4. With 10:18 left in the period, the Bucs were trying to clear and were intercepted - Derrick McIver took the puck and beat Walker big time (assist to Ian Sgambelluri). Thunder Bay had 8 saves, Des Moines had 3. Just a side-note: the puck came over the glass and landed two seats from my wife AGAIN! Hey, we are in the front row, what is the deal?

Period 3

The start of the period saw both teams skating even. With 14 minutes left in the period, Pete Fregoe dumped the puck in on the left side of the net, it went around the back of the net, and in one fluid movement Erik Maksimenko picked up the puck and directed it to the back of the net, causing that wonderful red glow to light the fans faces. It was now 5 to 1.

Des Moines native Mark Krueger scored his first goal of the season at 8:20 when he took a pass from Noah Clarke, skated by a defender, and shot it high to the glove side. Half way through the period the Flyers were really putting on the pressure, and Walker came up big several times, robbing the shooters every time.

Last week I made a comment about the lack of a Joe Blake (a past Buc on D with a killer shot from the point). As a fan next to me remarked, Seagrave may be that guy. He took several shots during a power play that were rockets! Strand and Donnette had some great shifts near the end and almost scored, but the game ended and the Bucs remained undefeated. Thunder Bay had 4 saves for a game total of 22; Des Moines had 8 saves for a game total of 16. Written by Steve Bendy.

Des Moines 6 - Thunder Bay 1

Win Streak Ends For Bucs

Date: 10/18/97
Opponent: Twin Cities Vulcans

Pre-Game Rattle

This rattle may seem like it has nothing to do with the Bucs or the game, but if you bear with me, you will see how it fits...

This was the week of the "Wonder Years Marathon" on Nick At Night, and I watched every episode. Such a massive intake of nostalgia had to have some effect on the other events occurring in my life. The events were the UNO Maverick inaugural hockey game, under 12 roller hockey, and the Buc games (in that order).

I took Friday off to take in the tailgate party, pre-game festivities and the inaugural game of UNO's (University of Nebraska at Omaha) Maverick hockey team. For those unfamiliar, this is a monumental event in this area. Omaha (Nebraska) was going to have a division I hockey team, and the people and media are absolutely crazy about it! So crazy, that they rebuilt the 8,200 seat ice arena into a state-of-the-art palace for hockey. So crazy that they sold all season tickets 1 year before the games were even to start, before their was even a schedule!

As we entered the ice arena, it was obvious that this was the big-time. Everybody was wearing something with a Maverick logo on it. The pep band was playing and the cheerleaders were cheering. The media was there and 8,000+ people. Entering the arena, my breath was taken away - it was beautiful. Before the game, there was a multimedia show, fireworks, lasers, good music, funnel cakes, and division I hockey.

I cheered on my favorite players (Tortarella) and enjoyed the events and game. Still, I had a feeling that I had missed something.

The next morning I watched my nephew (7) and niece (11) play roller hockey at the YMCA, as my brother-in-law coached. What a contrast to last night - still, when their games ended and I did NOT feel like I missed anything.

We drove back to Des Moines and rolled into the ice arena for the game. People were tailgating in the parking lot, but their were no cameras, lights, pep-bands, cheerleaders, big-screen monitors, fireworks inside, or lasers. As we walked into the ice arena I noticed that it was kind of dingy compared to UNO's brand-new million dollar barn. I noticed how small it was. I thought about how years ago the transplanted Canadians working in Des Moines were so starved for hockey that they built this grand-old barn. I wonder what festivities marked that event? The game ended and I knew I had not missed anything.

Why?

Was it because we were comfortable here? Maybe. We like saying hi to the people that take our tickets and the guy we pay for parking. We like seeing familiar faces, even if we do not know them very well. We like knowing that these young adults are working their tails off in pursuit of a dream; for some, this will be as far as they go in hockey. It doesn't matter to us (the fans), we cheer them all on.

For all these reasons and more, Junior hockey is special. I was glad to be at the Bucs game. The game started and we yelled and pounded the glass. We hoped that "Crazy Larry" would start the B-U-C-S chant soon. The game ended, and I knew that I had not missed a thing.

On to the game: Twin Cities had beaten the Bucs the night before despite over 50 shots on goal by the Bucs. Birrenkott and Jensen were still nursing injuries. We will be getting a new player by this weekend, a Russian.

First Period

The starting line-up for the Bucs was announced: Willie Raderschadt in goal, Bachet and Capouch on D, and Parillo, Seagrave, and Clarke up front.

The game was a sell-out as usual. The crowd was jacked-up and ready to rumble. How would the Bucs respond? It took 37 seconds to find out. The Bucs came out hard and put tremendous pressure on the Vulcans. Seagrave had the puck on the left side of the rink at the circle. He had an open man to the right and it looked to all of us as if he was going to pass - the goalie looked to the open man and Fred Seagrave put the puck in the net with a quick wrist shot (assists to Clarke and Basile).

Erik Strand and Nick Parillo were working hard and both narrowly missed scoring. It was good to see Nick back and working hard - now, if he can only control his temper and stay out of fights. The Bucs took a penalty and Raderschadt had to come up with some big saves.

The Bucs killed the penalty, and Parillo was on the warpath again. Seagrave took a shot and the rebound just laid in front of the net. It seemed to lie there for an eternity, until Nick Parillo skated in and put it home (Seagrave and Clarke). Time of the goal 6:46.

The Vulcans took another penalty to save a breakaway. The Vulcans were doing a great job on the kill, but near the end of the penalty, Stafford took the puck at his own blue line and instead of doing something fancy, he put a shot on net. Nightingale picked up the rebound and shot again. The third time is the charm as Jeremy "Hollywood" Vokes stuffed it in (Nightingale, Stafford) at the 8:49 mark. Near the end of the period the Vulcans were on the powerplay, but Strand and Searles teamed up for several short-handed shots that narrowly missed. The period ended with 15 saves for Twin Cities and 4 for Des Moines.

Second Period

The Bucs started the second period with 47 seconds to kill on a penalty. They did, and Krueger was really showing some hustle. Man, has he improved or what? The Bucs fourth goal was scored at 5:32 right off the face-off when Pete Fregoe won the drop of the puck, passed it back to Basile who shot it from the top of the circle and skipped it into the net. Twin Cities had a goal waved off as the net had been dis-lodged before the puck crossed the line. Erik Wendell was asked to sit out for 10 minutes when he argued a little to aggressively.

The fifth goal came about when Jackson took a slap-shot, was picked up by Fregoe, and finally put in the net by Maksimenko top-side when Birmingham went down in a panic (17:20). Less than a minute later, the Bucs were caught out of gas and on a line change - Mike Walsh wasted no time in scoring the Vulcans first goal (assists to Otten and Alt). The period ended with 11 saves for Twin Cities and 9 for Des Moines.

Third Period

Twin Cities scored their second goal at 3:27 when Walsh came down the right side and passed to #22, who beat Raderschadt cleanly. The Bucs scored less than a minute later when after the face-off, Strand took the puck diagonally across the ice, fought off a defender, fed it to Mark Krueger who slammed it home (assists to Strand and Searles). The Bucs now led 6 - 2.

Twin Cities scored again at 11:12 when Walsh put it in amid a scramble in front of the net (assists to Possin and #22). the Bucs seventh and final goal was the result of some real hustle by Donnette and Maksimenko. The last couple of minutes of play the Bucs were down 2 men, and Capouch really showed some grit, staying of the onslaught. At the end, Walsh almost scored again, but was thwarted by Raderschadt. Twin Cities had 9 saves for a game total of 35; Bucs, 11 for a total of 24. Written by Steve Bendy.

Des Moines 7 - Twin Cities 3

Dube Goal Averts Shut Out

Date: 10/24/97
Opponent: North Iowa Huskies

Pre-Game Rattle

The week flew by and before I realized it, it was Friday. Andrea (the Buccaneer Marketing Director) had e-mailed me about the new player who will be wearing number 10 , Gino Kourilin. He is a 6'1", 170 pound forward from Minsk, Russia. The new player was made possible by the Chris Antzoulatos trade to Fargo Ice Sharks.

For those that like to keep track of the players, we had a new goalie warming up, Nate Zienski. Troy Linna was nowhere to be seen, on or off the ice.

First Period

The starting line-up for the Bucs was announced: Willie Raderschadt in goal, Stafford and Capouch on D; and (like last week) Parillo, Seagrave, and Clarke up front. For North Iowa: Naumenko in goal, Lawson and Medvecz on D; Nelson, Winkler, and Cullen up front.

The game was a sell-out as usual. We would be playing an experienced, talented Huskie team that Coach Owens thinks may be the best team in the USHL. As the Huskies skated onto the ice, Rob Lettington played the inspiring "I love you, you love me..." song from Barney. The puck was dropped and both teams were skating well. Each team was able to break it out of their zone and get a shot off. Then the D would pick it up and the play would go back the other way.

North Iowa almost scored first when a shot hit the crossbar and bounced out. But it was the Bucs who would break the ice - at 13:21, the Bucs visibly increased the tempo of play - Erik Strand fighting off an attacker to pass it to Chris Dube who beat Naumenko cleanly (assists to Strand and Krueger).

Less than 2 minutes later on a Huskie power play, Syasana Phrkoakham (from Winnipeg, Manitoba) picked up a loose rebound and put it up and over Walker to tie the game at 1 each (assist to DiCasmiro). The period ended with 6 saves for North Iowa and 8 for Des Moines.

Second Period

The second period the Huskies really showed their experience as the play was constantly in front of Walker, who played brilliantly, stopping 15 shots and keeping the Bucs in the game. Chris Dube, Nick Parillo, and Nick Krueger were really hustling, but the period belonged to the Huskies, who had shots on goal even when short-handed. Walker came up big every time. The Bucs only had 5 shots on goal.

Just some side notes: Note #1: Hey, Nate DiCasmiro - I saw you holding Vincent Bachet's stick! Come on now, you would not want to create bad feelings between France and the US would you? Note #2: Rob played the Safety Dance by Men Without Hats during a break in the action. You gotta love it.

Third Period

North Iowa came out on fire and scored at 1:07 on a give-away in front of the net, Nate DiCasmiro scoring unassisted. Ten seconds later Nate DiCasmiro scored again as he deked and scored (assists to Anderson and Sauer). All of a sudden, North Iowa led 3 - 1. Nailing the lid on the coffin, Shaun Walker centered the puck from behind the net and Jon Cullen one-timed it past Walker (assists to Walker and Nelson).

The Bucs did not give up, but they were not able to put much together. Their passing was off, and had trouble with the North Iowa forwards.

Near the end of the game, North Iowa's Dave Almquist lost his stick and decided to share Erik Strand's. Erik began complaining to the linesman - or maybe he was suggesting a good restaurant in the Mall Of the America - seeing as their are 14 players from Minnesota on the Huskie team.

The game ended, and the Bucs would need to regroup for tomorrow night when they take on the Green Bay Gamblers. North Iowa had a total of 20 saves; the Bucs had a total of 32. Written by Steve Bendy.

North Iowa 4 - Des Moines 1

Fregoe Gets Hat-Trick In OT Win

Date: 10/25/97
Opponent: Green Bay Gamblers

Pre-Game Rattle

I am finally back on-line, our electricity having finally been restored. For those of you in warmer climates, Colorado, Nebraska, Kansas and Iowa got buried in an unexpected heavy snow that downed tree limbs and with them the power lines. This global warming THEORY, has got to be the most hyped drivel in years. After Des Moines got socked with the worst October snowstorm on record, after over 8" of snow (9 billion pounds of snow in Des Moines alone) left thousands without power (most of which still do not have power several days later), I actually heard someone blame this on global warming. Luckily, Saturday, the day before the snow hit, was much better.

Having to work an occasional Saturday is good. I can complain about how hard I work while wearing a sweatshirt and jeans. I decided to wear my UNM (U-Northern Michigan) Wildcat hockey sweatshirt. Yea, I was feeling good. Two of the best Macintosh publishing techs I have ever known took me to lunch at Palmer's Deli, and who did we run into? Garrett Stafford's parents! They are really nice people. It got me all excited about the Buc game just hours away. After last night's loss, I needed a boost.

First Period

The starting line-up for the Bucs was announced: Willie Raderschadt in goal, Jackson and Birrenkott on D; and Fregoe, Vokes, and Clarke up front. For Green Bay: Braun (played so well for Lincoln last year) in goal, Finger and Christiansen on D; Priessing, Reimann, and Steward up front.

The Metro Ice Sports Arena was packed. As usual, it was sold-out, people were sitting and standing in every available aisle. For you fire marshals out there, I am sure no occupancy laws were broken. the period started and the Bucs were playing well - they were in position and keeping it in the Green Bay zone. Except of course, when the Bucs were on the power play. When they were, they were barely able to break it out of their own zone. I wonder, can a team decline a penalty like in football? Just a thought. The one bright spot was our new player, Gino, #10 from Russia. He showed some great speed and puck handling and almost scored on a break.

Green Bay scored first at 8:09 when Chris Lynch picked up a puck that Walker had covered and then lost, and put it in the open net. (assist to Baby). The next score came at 9:25 when Nicholas Anderson scored a power play goal with assists from Cormier and Noterman. Again, the goal was the result of a pile-up in front of the net and Walker was screened.

The crowd was not really into the game - there were no unified cheers or BUC chants. Finally, great individual effort by Eric Maksimenko put the Bucs on the board at 16:22. He started out on his own blue-line, skated down the right-side of the rink, eluded a defender, then faked Braun out of his jock. The period ended with 8 saves for Green bay and 9 for the Bucs.

Second Period

The Gamblers skated out on the ice and an obnoxious buc fan was yelling at the players. I noticed Tyler Sawchyn give him a wink, which shocked the fan. The Bucs were playing well, but Braun was really on his game. All of the lines were working well. First the line of Searles, Clarke, and Nightingale put the pressure on. Then Dube, Strand, and Krueger came out and kept the pressure up. With that, Green Bay called a time-out. Fregoe, Vokes, and Maksimenko continued the pressure. Parillo, Kourilin, and Seagrave also played hard.

An altercation occurred when a Green Bay player pinned Nightingale, bending him over the Bucs player bench, and began whaling on him. At first Jason did not fight back, but then he let loose. Equipment was flying all over the ice, and the fan cheered on the match. Finally the went down on the ice and the zebras stopped the fight. Both players were tossed.

The facial expression on the Bucs were positive. They were ready to play, and really put the pressure on. Green Bay felt the pressure and wisely took a penalty. Chris Line took the puck in and scored short-handed (assist to Chris Lynch). Did I already suggest we decline penalties?

At the very end of the period, Vokes and Finger decided to go, and they just laid into each other. Maybe Finger's breath was offensive? Since Ryan Saverine was tossed for cross-checking it probably wasn't his breath. Both were tossed, as they were, the crowd began a new chant, "Green Bay Sucks!, Green Bay Sucks!" Green Bay's Mario LeBlanc looked up at the crowd and smiled.

Third Period

Man, it is 3-1, and the good-guys were losing. To top it off, we had a 5 minute advantage! how many more short-handed goals would be scored by Green Bay. Well, it was not to be. Pete Fregoe scored the power play goal at 3:54 when Basile fed fregoe from behind the net assists to (Basile and Maksimenko).

The Gamblers scored again at 8:15 when Mike Perpich took a pass from Ed Hill and put it in the open net.

And then it began. With 4 minutes left in the period, the Bucs again put on the pressure. Green Bay took a penalty and called a time-out. The fans were screaming "Let's Go Bucs!, Let's Go Bucs!". After the face-off, the Bucs crashed the net and a pile-up ensued. No red light, but the ref was skating over to the penalty box/announcer/stat area. I saw Julie's (she runs the visitor penalty box) face brighten with excitement and I read her lips, PENALTY SHOT!

Erik Maksimenko skated out to the puck. He had a big grin on his face. He knew what he was going to do, and he was ready. The crowd was loud, really loud. He skated down the middle, and Braun stayed back. He shoots, he scores! Maksimenko does it again! No way were the Bucs going to loose now. You could feel it. You could see it. You could even smell it.

The Bucs were still on the power play. They came out crashing again. Less than a minute later Pete Fregoe took a pass from Basile and tied the game! Walker went into a little war dance all alone on his side of the ice. The last 2 minutes of the game were played out and we were into overtime.

Overtime

There would be a 5 minute overtime, if the game still was tied, it would be decided in a shoot-out. The first 2 minutes of overtime was ALL Bucs. Pete Fregoe, the Messena NY native took a pass from Searles (and Stafford) and got the hat trick and game winner! O - yea, it is hockey night in Des Moines! Written by Steve Bendy.

Des Moines 5 - Green Bay 4

Buc Win Sets Tone For Battle With Lancers

Date: 10/31/97
Opponent: Dubuque Fighting Saints

Pre-Game Rattle

First, I must apologize for several mistakes in my rants of last week. I wrote "UNM" when I should have written "NMU" for Northern Michigan University. Also, I said that Mario LeBlanc was grinning to the music, but, as a reader pointed out, he had been traded to Dubuque (If anyone knows who took Mario's number at Green Bay, let me know). And finally, I said that Walker came up with a big save when Raderschadt was in goal. Maybe my teachers were right, you need to proof-read your stuff.

A few tidbits - I neglected to explain why a penalty shot was called on Green Bay. The puck was in the crease when a Green Bay defenseman scooped the puck up with his glove and laid on top of it in the crease. I guess you can't do that. Pete Fregoe suffered a mild concussion tonight and may not play tomorrow. Nick Parillo is looking real good ever since he decided to cool the fighting thing. Erik Jensen, #21, will be playing tonight. Does anybody know why they call Vokes "Hollywood"?

It was "Beggar's Night" in Des Moines - we always called it Halloween, but in central Iowa, it is Beggar's night (does anybody know why?). As we pulled into the parking lot we were late; we noticed that the Dubuque players were just getting out of the bus - they were obviously late too. The official word was that the bus had a flat tire. My guess is that they were trick-or-treating along the way - what better costume than a hockey outfit? So, the game started about 30 minutes late. This only served to pump-up the crowd, many of whom were also late.

Period 1

The starting line-up for the Fighting Saints was announced: Josh Blackburn in goal, Travis Rotariu and Kris Harris on D, Evan Stensrud, Josh Kern, and Scott Deopere up front. Many of the fans yelled, "Who cares" after each name. I wonder if the opposing players like that? Does anyone know?

Now it was the Bucs turn. The house lights went out, and the smoke poured from the entrance onto the ice, and the lasers flashed. Maxwell, on PA, whipped the crowd into a frenzy: "...your Des Moines Buccaneers!" out they skated, the fog parting as they came. The crowd now on their feet, went wild. O-yeah, it's hockey night tonight!

The starting line-up for the Bucs: Jon Walker in goal, Garrett Stafford and Peter Capouch on D, Erik Maksimenko, Mark Krueger, and "Hat Trick" Pete Fregoe up front. Pete grinned big-time when he heard the announcer say "Hat Trick". The national anthem was played, and the puck was dropped. The bucs came out ready to play, and the play was all in Dubuque's zone. Both teams were skating hard, the action was fast, and they had come to play. Blackburn, came up big several times early, robbing Gino Kourilin (and others). Halfway through the period, it was obvious that Dubuque's #15, Phil Lewandoski was hot as he gave the Bucs fits. Did I mention he needs a hair cut?

At 10:38, Donnette passed to Jake Searles who was behind the net. Jake saw that Gino Kourilin was open, fed him, and Gino slammed it home past the partially screened Blackburn. Bucs 1, Dubuque 0. Kourilin (Searles, Donnette). Dubuque fought back, kicking the puck into the net - which doesn't count. Donnette was having some great shifts, as was Parillo.

Dubuque got on the board on a great effort by Josh Kern who fed Eavn Stensrud for the score at 16:14. This really tourqued the Bucs off, and just 23 seconds later Jason Nightingale one-timed it with assists from Vokes and Birrenkott. The period ended with 15 saves for Dubuque and 6 for Des Moines.

Period 2

At the start of the second period, Pete Fregoe took a hit on his blue-line that caused him to head right for the bench. He has a slight concussion and is doubtful for tomorrow's game with Omaha.

The first penalty of the game was called on Josh Kern of Dubuque. He was due - I saw him make several transgressions that should have been called. This time, he cross-checked Parillo as Parillo was down on the ice. The Bucs third goal was scored by Jeremy Vokes with an assist by Jason Nightingale at 1:37 on the power play. Fifteen, count them, 15 seconds later Dubuque came back with a goal by Phil Lewandowski (assists to Fletcher and Dudek). The Bucs led 3 to 2.

The Bucs fourth goal was a real beauty, eh? Searles hit Gino Kourilin, who fed Dan Donnette who was breaking up the middle at the Dubuque blue-line. With a great burst of speed, Dan split the defenders, went in alone, and went 5-hole on Blackburn. The red light went on, the air-horn blasted and the fans were on their feet. Bucs 4, Dubuque 2.

The Bucs scored again on the power play at 14:30 when Nick Parillo tipped a shot from the top of the circle by Jason Basile (assist to Kourilin). Dubuque came right back and put pressure on Walker, who made some spectacular saves. With 5 minutes to go in the period, the momentum turned again when Jensen, Strand, and Clarke had a shift that was just awesome. Each player putting shot after shot on Blackburn who robbed all of them. Peter Capouch, Garrett Stafford, and Jim Jackson were also having great shifts on D. The period ended with both teams making 11 saves.

Period 3

The Bucs were leading 5 - 2, and had Blackburn not been on his game, the score would have been much more lopsided. with 5 minutes gone in the period, Christian Fletcher took a 2 minute cross-checking and a 10 minute mis-conduct. The familiar "Whiner, Whiner" chant was heard as the Dubuque coach plead his case. In the resulting power-play, the Bucs did an excellent job, but Blackburn was not going to be scored upon.

The players were doing a lot more shoving and hitting this period, but there was no doubt that the Bucs were in control. They were unable to score however. That honor was given to Phil Lewandowski (assists to Landry and Zielinski) at the 11:48 mark. He batted down an airborne puck in front of the net then put it up and over Walker. The Bucs led 5 to 3, and that was the way the game would end. With 1:28 left in the game, Dubuque called a time out. This after Vokes and Clarke had peppered Blackburn with one-timers. Blackburn was pulled, but it was too little, too late. The game ended and the crowd went crazy. Tomorrow - the Lancers. Des Moines had 6 saves for a total of 23; Dubuque had 11 for a game total of 37. Written by Steve Bendy.

Des Moines 5 - Dubuque 3