Jr. Blues Sweep Grand Rapids!

 

In dominating fashion the Jr. Blues defeated the Grand Rapids Jr. Owls 11-1.   Cory Spradling and Tim Jost scored early in the first period to get things started.  Each assisted on each others goals while Ryan Loach assisted on both goals.  Conor Nunnally then converted a perfect pass by David O'Connell on a break.  Charles Avery also assisted.  The second period started with the Jr. Blues 2 men short.  C.J. Chappell took the opening face-off and walked past the Grand Rapids defense and converted the breakaway just 7 seconds into the period.   C.J. Jung then scored an unassisted goal with a slick move.  Jung then set up Chappell for his second goal of the game with David Ulm also assisting.  Bill McMillen scored two goals early in the third period.  The first he converted a Phil Blackwood rebound with Andrew Kurlandski assisting.  Then McMillen knocked a Phil Blackwood pass out of mid-air on a 2 on 1 break.  Kurlandski also assisted on the goal.  Charles Avery joined the fun as he took a Conor Nunnally pass and drove the net and undressed the goaltender.  Then David O'Connell scored his first CSHL goal off a Conor Nunnally perfect feed on a 2 on 1.  Paul Puglisi set up the break.  In the closing minutes C.J. Chappell converted his hat-trick off a great cycling play by David Ulm and C.J. Jung.  Stuart Scott was strong in net making 20 saves on 21 shots.

 

BOX SCORE

Jr. Blues Sweep the Jr. Lumberjacks!

 

Jarrod Mermis gave the Jr. Blues the lead as he made a wrap around goal with Phil Blackwood assisting.  Ryan Loach then finished a perfect cycling play with Cory Spradling and Tim Jost assisting to make it 2-0.  With just 11 seconds remaining in the first period, Mermis scored a perfect give and go power play goal with Bill McMillen.  Phil Blackwood also assisted.  After the Jacks made it 3-1, J.J. McAtee scored with Conor Nunnally and Chuck Avery assisting.  Tim Jost then got in on the fun depositing his own rebound as Cory Spradling and Ryan Loach assisted.  With both teams two men short, Bill McMillen scored late in the second period to make it 6-1, beating the defenseman and goaltender on the play.  In the third period the Jr. Blues were on the power play and Mitch Galligan playing his first ever CSHL game scored to make it 7-1.  Cory Spradling finished the scoring for the Jr. Blues with Tim Jost and Ryan Loach assisting.  The Jr. Jacks scored two goals to make it an 8-3 final as Stuart Scott played well making 33 saves on 36 shots.

 

BOX SCORE

Jr. Blues Win Again in Shootout!

 

The Jr. Blues had never had a shootout before Saturday night's game but in just 14 hours later they were experiencing one again.  Much like Saturday's contest, Toledo scored the early goals.  Two late first period goals by Toledo gave them a 2-0 lead on a power play and even strength goal.  The Jr. Blues quickly turned things around in the second period as Bill McMillen scored on the power play to cut the lead.  Jarrod Mermis started the play with a shot and Phil Blackwood swatted the rebound across the crease where McMillen deposited the bouncing puck.  Later in the period, Chris Saracino blasted a power play shot past the goaltender with Cory Spradling and Tim Jost assisting.   With the score tied in the third period, Toledo scored a power play goal to once again take the lead.  But just like the night before, the Jr. Blues responded to the pressure.  David O'Connell found a loose puck behind the Toledo net on the forecheck.  O'Connell hit Cory Spradling in the slot and Sprads made no mistake to tie the score.  Once again the OT was scoreless so once again we were headed to a Shootout.

 

Stuart Scott stopped the first two attempts while Phil Blackwood and Cory Spradling were stopped also.  Toledo then scored on their first shot.  Tim Jost was the next Jr. Blues shooter and he made a remarkable goal to tie it.  After a Scott save and a Ryan Loach miss, Toledo's 5th shooter scored to give them the lead.  Defenseman Chris Saracino was Coach Jack Behan's choice to take the pressure filled 5th shot.  Saracino needed to score or Toledo would win the game. Saracino made great move and roofed the puck over the goaltender to keep the Shootout alive.  At this point it is sudden death in the Shootout.  Stuart Scott was a perfect 3 for 3 giving the Jr. Blues a shot to win it 3 consecutive times.  Bill McMillen was the first to miss.  Then C.J. Chappell.  So Coach Behan put the team's fate in the hands of his youngest player, Jarrod Mermis.  Mermis made an unbelievable move that stunned the Toledo goaltender and won the game for the Jr. Blues.   The youngster was mobbed by his joyful teammates as the Jr. Blues swept the Toledo Cherokee.  Stuart Scott won the Shootout and the game making 36 saves on 39 shots.

 

BOX SCORE

Jr. Blues Come Back and Win in Shootout!

The Jr. Blues were battling from behind all evening against the Toledo Cherokee.  Toledo scored the first goal of the game midway through the first period.  Ryan Loach tied it on the power play depositing a Tim Jost rebound.  The play was started by goaltender Ian Frenzel deep in his zone.  

Toledo scored two quick second period goals to take a 3-1 lead.  Cory Spradling then cut the lead on the power play, one timing a perfect back door pass from Scott Keeven.  Chris Saracino also assisted on the play.  With both teams short one player Chris Saracino took the puck behind the Toledo net and came out in front and sniped a perfect shot just under the bar on the short side to tie the game at three.  

The third period was a wild one with Toledo scoring an even strength goal and their second power play goal of the game to take a 5-3 lead.  With the game clock under 4 minutes and both team being a man short, the Jr. Blues gambled using 3 forwards and one defenseman on the 4 on 4 situation.  The gamble paid off as Cory Spradling cut the lead to 5-4.  Ryan Loach and Tim Jost assisted on the tally.  With their goaltender pulled and on the power play the Jr. Blues had a 6 on 4 player advantage in the final minute.  Chris Saracino kept the puck in at the blue line and Bill McMillen moved it to Tim Jost on the half board.  Jost attempted a centering pass to Cory Spradling who was all alone in the slot.  The pass deflected in the air but Spradling calmly gathered the puck and let a quick shot go just under the bar on the short side to tie the game at 5.  

After a wild 5 minute 4 on 4 OT in which Spradling was once again alone in the slot about to win the game and was hooked off the puck, the Jr. Blues were unable to cash in on the resulting power play.  The Jr. Blues had 6 shots but were unable to win it in OT.  Now off to the Shootout, the first Shootout in the Jr. Blues history.  After an Ian Frenzel save, Phil Blackwood made a nifty shot on the backhand to give the Jr. Blues a 1-0 lead.  Frenzel then stopped the next two shooters while Cory Spradling was foiled on the other end.  Then, Tim Jost made the move of the weekend as he momentarily lost the puck then made a quick move to give the Jr. Blues a 2-0 lead after 3 shooters.  Toledo needed to score on their last two attempts but Ian Frenzel stopped the Toledo fourth shot and the Jr. Blues won the Shootout and the game. 

Jr. Blues Take 3 of 4 in CSHL Showcase!

 

Jr. Blues 5, Toledo Cherokee 0

 

The rematch of last season's National Championship Game was clearly the game of the day at the CSHL Showcase.  The Jr. Blues and the Toledo Cherokee fought through the first period with the same intensity of the 2006 National Championship Game.   Cory Spradling scored with just 18 seconds remaining in the period to give the Jr. Blues a 1-0 lead.  Paul Puglisi and Scott Keeven assisted on the goal.    Early in the second period Tim Jost converted pretty passing play from Spradling and Ryan Loach to give the Jr. Blues a 2-0 lead.  Then the Jr. Blues line of Ryan Divito, J.J. McAtee and David Ulm scored twice in one shift to give the Jr. Blues a huge 4-0 lead just 4 minutes into the second period.  Divito scored and McAtee scored in the flurry.  Cory Spradling put a little icing on the cake in the third period to make the final 5-0.  Ian Frenzel was terrific in net as he made 36 saves to record his first CSHL shut-out. 

GAME SCORE RECAP

Jr. Blues 7, Motor City Chiefs 3

 

With the Jr. Blues still smarting from last weekend's loss to the Chiefs the Jr. Blues had plenty of motivation for this game.  It obviously showed as they exploded for 4 first period goals.  Cory Spradling led the way with two goals with Ryan Loach and C.J. Chappell also scoring.  In the second period, Scott Keeven scored the first of his two goals to make it 5-0.  After a Motor City goal Keeven scored again to make it 6-1.  Cory Spradling completed his hat-trick with a third period goal as the final was 7-3.   Stuart Scott was steady in nets making 23 saves on 26 shots.  Ryan Loach (1 goal, 4 assists) and Cory Spradling (3 goals, 2 assists) led the Jr. Blues with 5 points apiece. 

 

GAME SCORE RECAP

Jr. Blues 11, Michigan Ice Dogs 2

 

The Jr. Blues exploded for 11 goals as the Jr. Blues dominated the Ice Dogs.  The line of Cory Spradling, Tim Jost and Ryan Loach combined for 7 goals and 10 assists.  Spradling and Loach each had the hat-trick and recorded 3 assists for 6 points.  Jost had a goal and 4 assists.  Other goal scorers were Paul Puglisi, Phil Blackwood, C.J. Chappell, and Conor Nunnally.  Stuart Scott was strong in nets making 25 saves on 27 shots. 

 

GAME SCORE RECAPS

Flint Jr. Generals 3, Jr. Blues 1

 

The Jr. Blues seemed to have used up all their goals the day before as they were shut-out until Phil Blackwood scored with 2 minutes to play to cut the Flint lead to 2-1.   With the goaltender pulled and the Jr. Blues applying pressure Flint cleared the zone with a long dump that rolled into the empty net to make the final 3-1.  Ian Frenzel played well making 30 saves on 32 shots. 

 

BOX SCORE

Jr. Blues Sneak Past Chiefs 3-2!

 

The Jr. Blues still showing the signs of an inexperience team struggled again on Sunday but this time found a way to get the victory.  Bill McMillen opened the scoring on the power play on a great shot with Phil Blackwood and Jarrod Mermis assisting.  Just 30 seconds later Paul Puglisi banged home a rebound off a Grant Boyd shot.  CJ Chappell also assisted.  The Chiefs countered with two goals in the second period to set the stage for the third period tied 2-2.  Bill McMillen again tallied on the power play early in the period with Blackwood and Mermis assisting.  The goal stood up for the rest of the play as Ian Frenzel made several big saves in the final moments.  The Jr. Blues killed 2 penalties in the final 4 minutes and withstood an extra attacker onslaught.  

 

The Jr. Blues now head to Taylor Michigan for the CSHL Showcase.  The weekend starts with a rematch of last season's Hurster Cup and National Championship games against the East Division first place Toledo Cherokee.  The Jr. Blues then have a rematch with the Motor City Chiefs followed by games against the Michigan Ice Dogs and the Flint Jr. Generals.  The Showcase is attended by numerous Jr. A and collegiate scouts and traditionally has been a weekend has proven big for numerous Jr. Blues players who have advanced their careers because of their play at the Showcase.

 

BOX SCORE