NAHL Weekend Preview

February 21, 2014

It is a short week for many players in the NAHL coming off the two games at the NAHL Top Prospects Tournament, which was surrounded by several days of travel in most instances. The Division’s are still up for grabs and here is a look at this weekend’s match-ups:

 

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Aberdeen @ Austin – Thanks to Austin’s recent slide and Aberdeen’s success, the Wings are just two points behind the Bruins in the standings. Austin has controlled the season series to date, winning four of the six match-ups.

 

Bismarck vs. Brookings (home and home) – The Central Division-leading Bobcats look to rebound from being swept last weekend with a series against the Blizzard. The Blizzard have lost their last four and 8 of their last 10 games and have just two wins in 10 games against the Bobcats this season.

 

Minnesota Magicians vs. Coulee Region (home and home) – The Magicians are playing some of the best hockey of the their season and face-off against the Chill, who are in 3rd place in the Midwest. The Chill have dominated the season series to date, holding a 6-1 edge in the seven games.

 

Kenai River @ Fairbanks – With the rate the Ice Dogs are going, it seems like a formality that they are on their way to another division title as they host the Brown Bears this weekend during military weekend in Fairbanks. The Ice Dogs are an astounding 9-1 against Kenai River this season.

 

Michigan @ Springfield – The Jr. Blues are tied for the fourth and final playoff spot in the North, while the Warriors have a one point lead for 2nd place.  The Warriors had their season-high eight game winning streak snapped last weekend in Johnstown. Each team has three wins to date in the season series between Michigan and Springfield.

 

Janesville @ Soo (Fri) – Janesville has just one regulation loss in their last six and are just two points behind Soo and Springfield for the 4th and final playoff spot. The Eagles have controlled the season series to date, winning five of the seven games.

 

Janesville @ Port Huron (Sat-Sun) – The Fighting Falcons lead in the division is back up to six points thanks to a weekend home sweep of Springfield last weekend. The Fighting Falcons have won four of the six match-ups this year against the Jets, however, the Jets swept a weekend series two weeks ago in Janesville.

 

Wichita Falls @ Odessa – Although the Wildcats are seven points ahead for the 4th and final playoff spot in the South, they have gone through a rough stretch recently, winning just two of their last 11 games.  The Wildcats are 5-1 against the Jackalopes this season.

 

Topeka @ Lone Star – In the six-game series to date, each team has three wins this season, but Topeka still has a shot of catching Amarillo for the top spot in the South. The RoadRunners are one of the NAHL’s hottest teams, having lost just one game in regulation in the last 16 games.

 

Amarillo @ Corpus Christi – The Bulls have a seven point lead in the South and have had a lot of success this season against the IceRays, going a perfect 6-0 to date. The IceRays are seven points behind 4th place Wichita Falls with just 11 games to go and need all the points they can get if they want to make a playoff run.

 

Rio Grande Valley @ Odessa (Sun) – The Killer Bees are hot on the heels of Topeka for 2nd place in the South and their lone game of the weekend is Sunday in Odessa. The Killer Bees, who are 6-1 against the Jacks this year, swept Odessa two weeks ago in the Rio Grande Valley.

 

Wenatchee @ Johnstown – It is an important series for both clubs as they are currently both in the playoff picture. Johnstown is riding high with their weekend sweep of Michigan, while the Wild swept the Soo Eagles last weekend. Each team has a 3-2-1 record in six games against one another this season.

 

Minnesota Wilderness @ Minot – The Minotauros have a chance to close in on the Central’s 4th and final playoff spot with two games this weekend at home against the Wilderness. Minot has lost five of their last six and were swept by the Wilderness in their only other series against the Wilderness back on October 18-19.