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2.27.02
Las Vegas Mustangs Idle This Weekend, As...
CALIFORNIA ICE TEAMS IN AA CAHA PLAYOFFS!!!
Las Vegas -- Rest up, stitch up the gear, sharpen the blades. That's what Rob Pallin's Las Vegas Mustangs will be doing this weekend.
But it's now or never for eight AA California ice teams.
Eight teams hit the
CAHA playoffs, with only two to survive and advance to the Pacific Tier II regional tournament in Valencia, California beginning March 14.
All games will be at the Ice Town Arena in Riverside. The #1 seed, the 54-12-2
Long Beach Jr. Ice Dogs minors, actually are in a tough draw. The Dogs face the Desert Coyotes of Riverside (who beat Long Beach 4-1 in their last meeting) and the Ventura Mariners (on a hot 8-0-1 run).
The results are
ultra important for Las Vegas which will take on the winner of this tournament at the Tier II regionals.
Here's the big weekend schedule:
AA CAHA Playoffs
8 Teams in Field - Two to Advance
Friday
Long Beach Jr. Ice Dogs minors vs. Riverside Coyotes, 7:45 am
Ventura Mariners vs. Oakland Bears, 11:15 am
El Segundo Regents vs. Long Beach Jr. Ice Dogs majors, 2:45 pm
South Coast Sabers vs. Ontario Senators, 6:15 pm
Long Beach Jr. Ice Dogs minors vs. Ventura Mariners, 8:00 pm
Riverside Coyotes vs. Oakland Bears, 9:45 pm
Saturday
Long Beach Jr. Ice Dogs majors vs. South Coast Sabers, 6:00 am
El Segundo Regents vs. Ontario Senators, 9:30 am
Oakland Bears vs. Long Beach Jr. Ice Dogs minors, 1:00 pm
Riverside Coyotes vs. Ventura Mariners, 4:30 pm
Ontario Senators vs. Long Beach Jr. Ice Dogs majors, 8:00 pm
El Segundo Regents vs. South Coast Sabers, 9:45 pm
Sunday
Semi-Final Games, 9:30 a.m., 11:15 a.m.
Championship Game, 5:15 pm
TOP 10 WEST
Tier II Midgets
Pacific, Rockies
LAS VEGAS MUSTANGS - 52-10-3
1. AA Arvada, Colorado
2. San Jose Jr. Sharks
3. Phoenix Firebirds
4. Long Beach Jr. Ice Dogs minors - 54-12-2
5. Desert Coyotes, Riverside
6. El Segundo Regents
7. Ventura Mariners
8. Ontario Senators
9. Dallas Storm
10 Arapahoe, Col. Ice Warriors
JOSH JASEK'S 116 PTS. LEAD THE MUSTANGS
Josh Jasek's 116 is the single-season record at Las Vegas. Here
are the Mustang scoring leaders:
116-Josh Jasek 51/65
94- Adam Naglich 42/52
84- Eddie Samuels 36/48
46- Eddie Del Grosso 16/30
45- Travis Roseberry 19/26
44- J.C. Caron 16/28
43- Justin Grossman 16/27
32- Mike Sullivan 20/12
31- Sean Darby 16/15
29- Justin Johnson 6/23
26- Spike Neely 18/8
21- Josh Shiode 0/21
18- T.J. Craig 7/11
17- Sean Fox 7/10
12- Steve Novotny 3/9
12- Chris Anderson 0/12
Goalies
Cody Fulwiler 30-8-2, 1.74, 10 shutouts
Paul Lowden 22-2-1, 1.62, 5 shutouts
Weekend scoreboard:
AAA Midgets
Phoenix Polar Bear Jr. B 4, L.A. Kings majors 3
AA Midgets
Ventura Mariners 7, Bay Harbor Red Wings 0
Arvada 15, Hyland Hills 0
Arapahoe Ice Warriors 4, D.U. 1
Long Beach Jr. Ice Dogs 11, South Coast Sabers 2
Ventura Mariners 4, Long Beach Jr. Ice Dogs majors 2
Las Vegas Mustangs 6, El Segundo Regents 0
Las Vegas Mustangs 4, El Segundo Regents 3
Ontario Senators 5, Riverside Coyotes 2
From the Blue Line, Lee
edsamuels.com
2.24.02
MUSTANGS FINE-TUNE FOR REGIONALS,
BEAT AA EL SEGUNDO REGENTS, 6-0, 4-3
Las Vegas -- Now that was impressive. Rob Pallin's Las Vegas Mustangs outworked AA El Segundo Regents 6-0 on Saturday morning and then, just hours later, turned on late-game heat to pull one out, 4-3.
In the first game
the Las Vegas "red line" of Josh Jasek, Adam Naglich and Eddie Samuels darted about making fancy passes and tricky moves which resulted in some breath-taking scores.
Plus, winger Mike Sullivan popped in two,
including one off a faceoff. He went left into the slot area and drilled a beauty of a back-hand shot.
The second game took a wild 180-degree spin. El Segundo came out smoking, out-shooting the Mustangs, 14-3 in the
first period. All of a sudden it was 2-1 El Segundo which made it nerve-rattling for the Las Vegas bench coaches.
Heck, the 17-and-under Mustangs rarely lose at good old Santa Fe Stations Ice Arena.
Adam Naglich
scored twice to tie it 2-2, Eddie Samuels got the go-ahead goal and Justin Grossman got the game-clincher. El Segundo made it scary close, scoring to get within 4-3 in 4:28 left but couldn't get another one past Las Vegas
goalie Cody Fulwiler who got the win.
The victory raised Las Vegas' record to 52-10-3. A third game scheduled for Sunday was called off, as El Segundo's bench coaches said the team was beset with injuries.
Las
Vegas coach Rob Pallin was very understanding. He had three top skaters in the bleachers, including Spike Neely, Sean Fox and J.C. Caron. All three were unable to skate during the two-game series.
Here are the weekend scoring leaders for Las Vegas:
6-Eddie Samuels 4/2
4-Adam Naglich 2/2
2-Mike Sullivan 2/0
2-Sean Darby 1/1
2-Eddie Del Grosso 0/2
2-Josh Jasek 0/2
2-Travis Roseberry 0/2
1-Justin Grossman 1/0
ICE NOTEBOOK
-- The hockey sister, Jessica, work the CD booth and did the game music.....Jimmy Samuels, 4, came to the first game armed with sticks and plastic pucks.....
In second game, El Segundo out-shot Las Vegas in each period:
14-3, 10-6 and 10-6.....It's not certain if Las Vegas will play any more games before the Tier II Pacific regionals set for March 14-17 at Valencia, Calif....Instead, coach Pallin may elect to rest his injured and get the team
fired up for the playoffs.....For sure, Las Vegas expects El Segundo to be in the regionals. The Regents next week will be in the eight-team CAHA playoffs, with two surviving teams going to Valencia....
The weekend game summaries:
Game #1
AA El Segundo Regents............0 0 0 = 0
Las Vegas Mustangs..................3 1 2 = 6
LV - Eddie Samuels (Josh Jasek, Adam Naglich)
LV - Mike Sullivan (Josh Jasek)
LV - Sean Darby (Eddie Del Grosso)
LV - Eddie Samuels (Eddie Del Grosso)
LV - Eddie Samuels (Travis Roseberry)
LV - Mike Sullivan (Adam Naglich)
Shots: Las Vegas 27-25; Goalie - Paul Lowden
Game #2
AA El Segundo Regents.............2 0 1 = 3
Las Vegas Mustangs...................1 1 2 = 4
LV-Adam Naglich (Eddie Samuels)
LV-Adam Naglich (Eddie Samuels)
LV-Eddie Samuels
LV-Justin Grossman (Sean Darby, Travis Roseberry)
Shots: El Segundo 34-15; Goalie - Cody Fulwiler
Weekend Scoreboard
AA Midgets
Ventura Mariners
7, Bay Harbor Red Wings 0 // Ventura on a 7-0-1 streak, faces Long Beach Jr. Ice Dogs majors on Sunday.
Riverside Coyotes 5, Long Beach Jr. Ice Dogs majors 4 // Riverside arguably is the hottest team in SCAHA
From the Blue Line, Lee
edsamuels.com
2.21.02
Mustangs Hit Home Ice This Weekend, As...
TEST OF STRENGTH:
LAS VEGAS VS. EL SEGUNDO REGENTS!
Las Vegas -- They are the hottest AA ice team in Southern California and they are marching into the Santa Fe Stations Ice Arena this weekend.
The El Segundo Regents are taking on Rob Pallin's 50-10-3 Las Vegas
Mustangs who won gold medals at the Southwest League championships and at the Pikes Peak tournament the last two weekends.
And, Las Vegas is 14-2 on home ice this season.
No problem. That's what the bench coaches
at El Segundo said. For the first time in weeks, the Regents are re-energized, scoring goals, mixing it up, winning games, causing all sorts of havoc in their SCAHA league.
It should be a fiery three-game series and it
will be one of the last times Las Vegas will be on home ice before heading to the Pacific Tier II regionals in March.
Here's the weekend schedule, with all games at the Santa Fe Ice Arena:
Saturday, Feb. 23
Las Vegas Mustangs vs. El Segundo Regents, 10 a.m.
Las Vegas Mustangs vs. El Segundo Regents, 4:40 p.m.
Sunday, Feb. 24
Las Vegas Mustangs vs. El Segundo Regents, 9:40 a.m.
El Segundo was on a roll last fall when its top scorer, Jimmy Houck, left the team and signed with the L.A. Kings midget majors team.
It was a
devastating hit to the Regents lineup as Houck was a high-powered skater, team leader and who led El Segundo in scoring.
The Regents searched for a replacement, came up with a hotshot skater from an AAA bantam team.
Then, the Regents were rocked with injuries and its top goalie was among the ones hurt and on the bench.
However, with the exception of one defenseman who is not making the trip, the Regents will be at full strenght this
weekend.
Here's how the Regents have done in their last five starts:
1-0 over AAA L.A. Kings midget minors
5-3 over AAA Colorado Outlaws
5-4 over AAA California Wave
5-4 over AA Phoenix Firebirds
0-1 vs. AA Phoenix Firebirds
16 goals/12 against
Here's how Las Vegas has done in its last five:
6-2 over AA Seattle Sno-Kings
3-1 over AA Dallas Storm
2-4 to AA Omaha Jr. Lancers
8-5 over AA Palm Beach, Fla. Panthers
3-1 over AA Philadelphia Jr. Flyers
22 goals/13 against
ICE NOTEBOOK
-- The Regents have good size and move the puck well....It looks like Las Vegas winger Spike Neely, who didn't skate last weekend, may suit up for the Mustangs against El Segundo....Also, winger J.C. Caron says his shoulder feels stronger. He had a good skate in practice on Wednesday eve....Pete Ricciardo's Las Vegas Mustangs midget A team went 5-0 last weekend. For the season, the Mustangs A's are 31-13-4........
TOP 10 WEST
Tier II Midgets
Pacific, Rockies
LAS VEGAS MUSTANGS - 50-10-3
1. AA Arvada, Colorado - 51-10-3
2. San Jose Jr. Sharks - 37-9-3
3. Phoenix Firebirds
4. Long Beach Jr. Ice Dogs minors - 53-12-2
5. Desert Coyotes, Riverside
6. El Segundo Regents
7. Ventura Mariners - on 6-0-1 streak
8. Arapahoe, Col. Ice Warriors
9. Utah Stars
10 Ontario Senators
Thanks everyone, Lee
edsamuels.com
2.18.02
Eddie Samuels Nails 2 Power Play Goals;
Las Vegas Beats Philadelphia Jr. Flyers, As....
MUSTANGS WIN COLORADO GOLD!!!!!
Pikes Peak, Colorado -- It took five days, five games and a 4-1 record. But, at last, Rob Pallin's Las Vegas Mustangs got the gold on Monday.
Eddie Samuels nailed two power play goals, Sean Darby added the game-clincher and goalie Cody Fulwiler was in top form as the 50-10-3 Las Vegas Mustangs beat the super-tough Philadelphia Jr. Flyers, 3-1.
Las Vegas won the Midget AA 17-and-under title at the 25th annual President's Day Tournament.
This was a super-sweet one too. Here's how the Mustangs did it:
6-2 over Seattle Sno-Kings
3-1 over Dallas Storm
2-4 to Omaha Jr. Lancers
8-5 over Palm Beach, Fla. Panthers
3-1 over Philadelphia Jr. Flyers
It was Philadelphia's first loss in the tournament. The Jr. Flyers came into the game 4-0-1, beating the Dallas Storm 5-4 in a semi-final.
In the championship game Las Vegas scored twice early, both on power play goals
from Eddie Samuels. Justin Johnson assisted on the first goal, Adam Naglich ripped in a pass for the second.
Then, Darby scored the game-clincher. Josh Shiode got the assist.
Fulwiler got the start in one of his
biggest games this season. He closed out the semi-final game vs. Palm Beach Panthers, working the last 12 minutes in an 8-5 win.
Fulwiler made spectacular saves in the Palm Beach game and as a result, Las Vegas bench
coaches selected Fulwiler for the gold medal game.
Las Vegas winger J.C. Caron, bothered all week with a sore shoulder, skated in this one. He is one of the Mustangs' top skaters, although he has been nagged with
injuries the last several weeks.
Naglich had an incredible tournament, with six goals, five assists for 11 points. Josh Jasek, who holds all of Las Vegas' single-season scoring records, scored five times this week.
Samuels' two scores in the title game gives him 17 power play goals to lead the Mustangs.
The Mustangs return home Monday eve, then get set for the 'Big Show' games next weekend. The El Segundo Regents, L.A. Jr. Kings
minors and the AAA California Wave are heading to the Santa Fe Stations Ice Arena. Las Vegas takes on El Segundo on Friday eve, 6:30 pm faceoff.
Monday Game Summary:
At Pikes Peak, for the Midget AA President's Day Championship
Las Vegas Mustangs 51-10-3......2 1 0 = 3
Phila. Jr. Flyers...........................1 0 0 = 1
LV-Eddie Samuels 32nd (Justin Johnson)
LV-Eddie Samuels 33rd (Adam Naglich)
LV-Sean Darby 15th (Josh Shiode)
Goalie - Cody Fulwiler
LV MUSTANGS MIDGET A's WIN GOLD AT WINTERFEST!
Pete Ricciardo's Las Vegas Mustangs won all five games including a thrilling 2-1 OT win over the Littleton Hawks to win the Winterfest tournament title Monday at the Glacial Gardens in Lakewood.
Littleton went ahead 1-0,
then in the third period Demetrius Amore rammed in a shot from close range with about 6:00 to play in regulation.
In overtime, Las Vegas' Jason Allen dumped the puck in a far corner. Peter Ricciardo got control of the
puck, then passed it to Alex Redmond who snapped off a mid-range low shot and scored.
It was a big tournament win for the Mustangs, who knocked off top Southern California teams all weekend.
Also:
In AA consolation game at Pikes Peak, Dallas Storm beat Palm Beach, 4-3.....Late Sunday eve in Lakewood, Calif., the AA Long Beach Jr. Ice Dogs minors defeated the AAA Colorado Outlaws, 6-1. Long Beach went 2-2 at the Winterfest for AA midget teams, making its season record 53-12-2.
From the Blue Line, Lee
edsamuels.com
2.18.02
Gold Medal Game:
Las Vegas Takes On Philadelphia Jr. Flyers!!!!
JASEK AND NAGLICH LEAD MUSTANGS
TO PIKES PEAK CHAMPIONSHIP GAME!!!
Pikes Peak, Colorado -- It was a wild shootout and Las Vegas coach Rob Pallin had more snipers on his side.
Hard-skating winger Adam Naglich banged in three goals,
including two electrfying short-handed ones, dealt three assists and Josh Jasek scored his 49th, 50th and 51st goals of the season as the Mustangs beat the Palm Beach Panthers, 8-5.
It was quite an effort for 49-10-3
Las Vegas which is now in the championship game at the 25th annual Pikes Peak President's Day Tournament. On Monday, Las Vegas will take on the Philadelphia Jr. Flyers which scored with 0:05 left to beat the Dallas Storm, 5-4.
The Mustangs had to sweat out the win over Palm Beach, too. Las Vegas led by only 6-5 in the third period when Naglich scored his third goal of the game.
There was 11:48 to play.
Jasek, getting a pass from
Naglich, scored to make it 7-5 with about three minutes to go. When Palm Beach pulled its goalie, Pallin shipped his "red line" over the wall -- Jasek, Naglich and left winger Eddie Samuels. They worked the puck down
the ice, with Jasek getting the empty-net goal in the final seconds.
Las Vegas is 3-1 here, but is taking on a powerful Philadelphia team which is 3-0-1 and which has scored 21 goals.
The Sunday game summary:
Las Vegas Mustangs 49-10-3.........4 1 3 = 8
Palm Beach, Fla. Panthers...........2 2 1 = 5
LV-Justin Johnson (Eddie Samuels)
LV-Adam Naglich (unassisted)
LV-Adam Naglich (Mike Sullivan)
LV-Josh Jasek (Adam Naglich)
LV-Mike Sullivan (Travis Roseberry, Josh Shiode)
LV-Adam Naglich (T.J. Craig)
LV-Josh Jasek (Adam Naglich)
LV-Josh Jasek (Adam Naglich, Eddie Samuels)
Goalies - Paul Lowden, Cody Fulwiler
Las Vegas' leading scorers in this tournament:
10-Adam Naglich 6/4
8-Josh Jasek 5/3
6-Eddie Samuels 1/5
4-Mike Sullivan 2/2
2-Justin Johnson 2/0
2-T.J. Craig 1/1
2-Justin Grossman 1/1
2-Travis Roseberry 1/1
2-Josh Shiode 0/2
1-Chris Anderson 0/1
1-J.C. Caron 0/1
1-Sean Darby 0/1
1-Sean Fox 0/1
1-Steve Novotny 0/1
Las Vegas Midget A's, Littleton Hawks in Title Game
Pete Ricciardo's Las Vegas Mustangs midget A's won their fourth straight, beating El Segundo 4-3 on Sunday. Demetrius Amore, Alex Redmond and Jason Allen scored the
goals for Las Vegas which takes on the Littleton Hawks on Monday in the Winterfest championship game.
Late Sunday Scoreboard:
AAA Midgets
At Chicago
San Diego Gulls 4, Chicago Mission 4
AA Midgets
at Pikes Peak
Las Vegas Mustangs 8, Palm Beach Panthers 5
Philadelphia Jr. Flyers 5, Dallas Storm 4
At Glacial Gardens, Lakewood, Calif.
El Segundo Regents 5, Phoenix Firebirds 4
Midget A
Las Vegas Mustangs 4, El Segundo Regents 3
Littleton Hawks 5, San Diego Jr. Gulls 2
Bantam A
at Sport Park on Rampart
San Diego Gulls 5, Las Vegas Mustangs 4
Monday schedule:
AAA Midgets
at Pikes Peak
Championship Game
Chicago Flames vs. Mid-South Storm, 3:00 pm
Consolation Game
Pikes Peak Miners vs. Pittsburgh Vipers, 12:45 p.m.
AA Midgets
at Pikes Peak
Championship Game
Las Vegas Mustangs vs. Philadelphia Jr. Flyers, 2:30 pm
Consolation Game
Palm Beach Panthers vs. Dallas Storm, 2:30 pm
AA Midgets
at Glacial Gardens, Lakewood, Calif.
Winterfest Championship Game
El Segundo Regents vs. Phoenix Firebirds, 1:00 pm
Midget A
at Glacial Gardens in Lakewood, Calif.
Winterfest Championship Game
Las Vegas Mustangs vs. Littleton Hawks, 10:30 a.m.
Thanks to all....Lee
edsamuels.com
2.17.02
Dallas Storm Upsets Omaha, So......
MUSTANGS VS. PALM BEACH
IN PIKES PEAK FINAL FOUR!!!
Pikes Peak, Colorado -- Turn it up.....
That's what Rob Pallin will tell his skaters Sunday night.
Pallin's 48-10-3 Mustangs are in the Final Four at the Pikes Peak tournament and will take on the Palm Beach, Fla. Panthers at the Air Force Academy's rink. Faceoff is scheduled for 9:15 p.m. local time.
In the other
bracket, the Philadelphia Jr. Flyers will take on the Dallas Storm at 7:15 p.m.
Dallas got to the Final Four the hard way, knuckling down and beating the Omaha Jr. Lancers 2-0 on Sunday morning.
Las Vegas won its
two first two games, then lost to Omaha 4-2 late Saturday night. Las Vegas took a 2-1 lead going into the third, but then found itself fighting off an Omaha 5-on-3.
Omaha scored to tie the game, popped in another and
then drilled an empty-net goal to clinch it.
Las Vegas faces an even tougher team in Palm Beach which has poured in 16 goals in three games.
Saturday night game summary, at Pikes Peak:
Las Vegas Mustangs 48-10-3......0 2 0 - 2
Omaha Jr. Lancers........................0 1 3 - 4
LV-Josh Jasek 48th (Adam Naglich)
LV-Eddie Samuels 31st (Josh Jasek)
Shots - Las Vegas 26-22 Goalie - Cody Fulwiler
AA Final Four at Pikes Peak:
Philadelphia Jr. Flyers (2-0-1)
6-0 over Pikes Peak Jr. Tigers
3-3 vs. Palm Beach Panthers
7-0 over Great Falls, Montana
Palm Beach, Fla. Panthers (2-0-1)
8-3 over Great Falls, Montana
3-3 vs. Philadelphia Jr. Flyers
5-2 over Pikes Peak Jr. Tigers
Las Vegas Mustangs (2-1)
6-2 over Seattle Sno-Kings
3-1 over Dallas Storm
2-4 to Omaha Jr. Lancers
Dallas Storm (2-1)
1-3 to Las Vegas Mustangs
2-1 over Seattle Sno-Kings
2-0 over Omaha Jr. Lancers
Mustang scoring leaders in Pikes Peak (3 games):
5-Josh Jasek 2/3
4-Adam Naglich 3/1
4-Eddie Samuels 1/3
2-Justin Grossman 1/1
2-Travis Roseberry 1/1
2-Mike Sullivan 1/1
1-T.J. Craig 1/0
1-Justin Johnson 1/0
1-Chris Anderson 0/1
1-J.C. Caron 0/1
1-Sean Darby 0/1
1-Sean Fox 0/1
1-Steve Novotny 0/1
1-Josh Shiode 0/1
ICE NOTEBOOK
-- Mustangs spent Sunday getting blades re-taped, skates sharpened, jerseys ironed and pressed....Team Dad Neal Grossman was at the post, next to the big scoreboard at the Pikes Peak rink, when Final Four pairings were inked in.....
MUSTANGS MIDGET A'S WIN, REACH GOLD MEDAL GAME
Pete Ricciardo's Las Vegas midget A team won its third straight, 7-1 over the Long Beach Jr. Ice Dogs. That win clinched a spot in the Winterfest
championship game on Monday.
Stringfellow Swan scored twice, while teammates Demetrius Amore, Brandon Wilhem, Adam Ricciardo, Alex Redmond and Brandon Young also scored. Jason Allen dealt three assists in the win.
The Mustangs take on El Segundo midget A's tonight, then head for the championship game Monday, 10:30 a.m. at the Glacial Gardens.
AA PHOENIX FIREBIRDS, AA EL SEGUNDO REGENTS IN FINALS
In AA midgets at
the Winterfest, the Phoenix Firebirds and the El Segundo Regents will meet in the championship game on Monday, 1 pm at the Glacial Gardens in Lakewood. Phoenix beat the AAA Colorado Outlaws 3-2 to remain undefeated in the
tournament.
Sunday Scoreboard:
AAA Midgets
Gold Medal Classic at Madison, Wisocnsin
Championship game
Shattuck Prep 3, Culver Academy 2
Consolation game
Honeybaked 3, Philadelphia Jr. Flyers 2
AA Midgets
At Pikes Peak Tournament
Dallas Storm 2, Omaha Jr. Lancers 0
At Winterfest Tournament, Lakewood, Calif.
Colorado Outlaws 3, Westminster Wave 2 (OT)
Phoenix Firebirds 4, Colorado Outlaws 2
L.A. Jr. Kings minors 3, Long Beach Jr. Ice Dogs minors 1
Midget A
At Winterfest Tournament, Lakewood, Calif.
Las Vegas Mustangs 7, Long Beach Jr. Ice Dogs 1
Sunday Schedule:
AA Midgets, at Pikes Peak
Final Four
Philadelphia Jr. Flyers vs. Dallas Storm, 7:15 pm
Las Vegas Mustangs vs. Palm Beach Panthers, 9:15 pm
Consolation games
Omaha Jr. Lancers vs. Pikes Peak Jr. Tigers, 9:00 pm
Great Falls Montana vs. Seattle Sno Kings, 9:00 pm
Midget A
Winterfest, at Glacial Gardens, Lakewood, Calif.
Las Vegas Mustangs midget A vs. El Segundo Regents, 8:00 pm
Thanks everyone....Lee
edsamuels.com
2.16.02
MUSTANGS LOOKING TO
BOUNCE BACK ON SUNDAY!!!!
Pikes Peak, Colorado -- Rob Pallin's Las Vegas Mustangs skated to a 2-1 going into the third period, but it just wasn't enough to hold off the powerful Omaha Jr. Lancers. The two-time
defending tournament champions tied the game, went ahead and then knocked in an empty-net goal to win 4-2 at the Sertich rink Saturday night.
It was Las Vegas' first loss here. The 48-10-3 Mustangs are expected to
advance to the Final Four, but pairings will not be announced until Omaha and the Dallas Storm play on Sunday morning.
For sure, however, the Philadelphia Jr. Flyers and the Palm Beach, Fla. Panthers will go into the
Final Four.
After three days of action, here are the standings at the Pikes Peak President's Day Tournament:
Midget AA
Four teams, two from each division, will advance
National Division
Omaha Jr. Lancers 2-0............6/3
Las Vegas Mustangs 2-1..........11/7
Dallas Storm 1-1........................3/4
Seattle Sno-Kings 0-3................4/10
American Division
Philadelphia Jr. Flyers 2-0-1.....16/3
Palm Beach Panthers 2-0-1......16/8
Pikes Peak Jr. Tigers 1-2..........7/14
Great Falls, Montana 0-3...........6/20
Sunday Schedule
Dallas vs. Omaha, 9:45 a.m.
Final Four Playoffs
#1 American vs. #2 National, 7:15 p.m.
#1 National vs. #2 American, 9:15 p.m.
Monday Schedule
Consolation Game -- Third Place, 2:30 p.m.
Championship Game, 2:30 p.m.
Here's how the Las Vegas has done so far:
6-2 over Seattle Sno-Kings
3-1 over Dallas Storm
2-4 to Omaha Jr. Lancers
Elsewhere: 43-4-3 Shattuck Prep, which has not lost to
an AAA midget team all season, was stunned by AAA Philadelphia Jr. Flyers 3-2 in OT at the Gold Medal Classic in Madison, Wisconsin....Talk about firepower: Shattuck had more shots, 42-9 during the loss....
AAA L.A.
Kings majors, which won their first game, went out of the Gold Medal Classic with two losses -- first to Philadelphia (6-4), then to Honeybaked (8-3).......
Talk about rallies: In the Winterfest tournament AA Phoenix
Firebirds were down 4-1 late, then rattled in four quick goals to stun L.A. Kings minors 5-4 at the Glacial Gardens in Lakewood....And, AA El Segundo Regents came from far behind to beat AAA California Wave, 5-4. Regents scored
game-winner with 0:21 to play.
Phoenix opened the weekend with a 3-2 win over 50-game winner, the Long Beach Jr. Ice Dogs minors.....
Pete Ricciardo's Las Vegas Mustangs midget A won its second in a row, 5-3 over
the Tri-Valley Blue Devils at the Winterfest at the Glacial Gardens. Alex Redmond, Stringfellow Swan each scored twice and defenseman Jason Allen was named game MVP....Mustang A's take on Jr. Ice Dogs and El Segundo on
Sunday....
Over at the Sports Park rink on Rampart, Las Vegas Mustangs bantam A won a 3-2 thriller over a tough Desert Coyotes team from Riverside late Saturday eve (10:00 pm faceoff!). Billy Combs scored twice,
including a blistering long-range goal while on a dazzling break-a-way.....Goalie Timmy Douglas had a spectacular game....Mustang bantams are 2-0 in the hometown tournament....Jason Franke, Bill Burke are the coaches...
Saturday scoreboard:
AAA Midgets
At Gold Medal Classic, Madison, Wisc.
Shattuck Prep 4, St. Louis Sting 2
Philadelphia Jr. Flyers 6, L.A. Jr. Kings majors 4
Philadelphia Jr. Flyers 3, Shattuck Prep 2 (OT)
Honeybaked 8, L.A. Jr. Kings majors 3
Marquette Electricians 4, St. Louis Sting 4
Culver 8, Marquette Electricians 1
At Pikes Peak
Mid-South Storm 5, Pikes Peak Miners 2
Chicago Flames 7, Pittsburgh Vipers 0
Pittsburgh Vipers 7, Westpointe Academy of Vancouver 1
Chicago Flames 11, Portland Jr. Hawks 0
At Chicago
Chicago Young Americans 5, San Diego Jr. Gulls 4
Chicago Mission 6, San Diego Jr. Gulls 2
AA Midgets
At Pikes Peak Tournament
Philadelphia Jr. Flyers 7, Great Falls, Montana 0
Dallas Storm 2, Seattle Sno-Kings 1
Omaha Jr. Lancers 4, Las Vegas Mustangs 2
At Glacial Gardens, Lakewood, Calif.
AA Winterfest Tournament
Long Beach Jr. Ice Dogs minors 6, AAA California Wave 0
Phoenix Firebirds 3, Long Beach Jr. Ice Dogs minors 2
Phoenix Firebirds 5, L.A. Jr. Kings minors 4
El Segundo Regents 5, AAA California Wave 4
Midget A
At Glacial Gardens, Lakewood, Calif.
Las Vegas Mustangs midget A 5, Tri-Valley Blue Devils 3
Littleton Hawks 3, Jr. Ice Dogs 1
AAA Bantams
At Pikes Peak
Pikes Peak Jr. Tigers 7, Seattle Sno-Kings 0
L.A. Kings majors 5, Fairbanks, Alaska 2
Fairbanks, Alaska 4, Pikes Peak Tigers 3
L.A. Kings majors 1, Seattle Sno-Kings 1
Bantam A
at the Sport Park rink on Rampart
Las Vegas Mustangs 11, Boulder, Col. 1
Phoenix Firebirds 4, San Diego Jr. Gulls 2
Las Vegas Mustangs 3, Desert Coyotes, Riverside 2
From the Blue Line, Lee
edsamuels.com
2.15.02
Mustangs Hold Off Dallas, 3-1, But.....
LAS VEGAS VS. OMAHA JR. LANCERS
IN HUGE SATURDAY NIGHT SHOWDOWN!!!!!
Pikes Peak, Colorado -- Two games, two wins but here comes Omaha.
Big, bad, bruising Omaha, a team which likes to mix it up, bang a few skaters around. Las Vegas vs. Omaha is set for Saturday eve, 9:30 p.m. at the Sertich rink. Get there early, because the place is going to be packed.
"We got the word," is the way Rob Pallin put it. "Omaha is the team to beat."
That's what Pallin told his skaters after the Mustangs had to put the gearshift into overdrive in the third period on
Friday. A surprising Dallas Storm team went to the attack and it was 1-1 going into the third period.
Then, Las Vegas' red line of Josh Jasek, Adam Naglich and Eddie Samuels broke out on a 3-on-1.
Eddie passed to Josh who passed to Adam.....
"I got the puck, got behind the net, came out again and put the puck between my legs -- sort of Jagr-like," Naglich said. "I got to the left side and took the
shot....."
It was a mid-height close-range burner which went in to give Las Vegas a 2-1 lead with about 10 minutes to play.
With 0:47 left and the Dallas goalie on the bench, Samuels fed a pass to defenseman
Justin Johnson who uncorked a long one.
Johnson wound up and smoked a shot from his own red line, then watched as they puck went in and the red goal light was flicked on.
That made it 3-1 and gave 48-9-3 Las Vegas its second straight win here.
ICE NOTEBOOK
-- Omaha outworked Seattle, 2-1 in its game....Philadelphia Jr. Flyers tied Palm Beach Panthers 3-3..... Mike Sullivan got the first Las Vegas goal Friday. He nailed the puck right through the five-hole to tie the game 1-1.....Vegas GM Bob Roseberry on Dallas: "Real tough, rugged, disciplined -- they surprised a lot of people.".....Mustangs are 2-0 in the eight-team Midget AA division here at the 25th annual Pikes Peak President's Day Tournament.
At the Glacial Gardens in Lakewood, AA El Segundo Regents midgets beat the L.A. Kings minors 1-0.....Pete Ricciardo's Las Vegas Mustangs midget A team eased past San Diego, 6-0, to open the Winterfest
tournament......Demetrius Amore popped in two while Jason Allen, Peter Ricciardo, Adam Ricciardo and Alex Redmond also scored....
Las Vegas Mustangs............0 1 2 = 3
AA Dallas Storm..................1 1 0 = 1
LV-Mike Sullivan 17th (Josh Shiode)
LV-Adam Naglich 37th (Josh Jasek, Eddie Samuels)
LV-Justin Johnson 3rd (Eddie Samuels)
Shots - Dallas 25-24; LV goalie - Paul Lowden
Mustangs Leading Scorers after two games:
3-Adam Naglich 3/0
3-Josh Jasek 1/2
3-Eddie Samuels 0/3
2-Justin Grossman 1/1
2-Travis Roseberry 1/1
2-Mike Sullivan 1/1
1-T.J. Craig 1/0
1-Justin Johnson 1/0
1-Chris Anderson 0/1
1-Sean Darby 0/1
1-Sean Fox 0/1
1-Steve Novotny 0/1
1-Josh Shiode 0/1
Friday scoreboard:
AAA Midgets
Pikes Peak Tournament
Louisville Storm 10, Westpointe Academy, Vancouver 3
AA Midgets
Las Vegas Mustangs 3, Dallas Storm 1
Omaha Jr. Lancers 2, Seattle Sno-Kings 1
At Lakewood, Calif.
El Segundo Regents 1, L.A. Kings minors 0
Midget A
At Lakewood, Calif.
Las Vegas Mustangs midget A 6, San Diego Gulls 0
AAA Bantams
Seattle Sno-Kings 3, Fairbanks, Alaska 1
Fla. Jr. Panthers 3, Seattle Northwest Admirals 0
AA Bantams
South Coast Sabers 4, Pikes Peak Jr. Tigers 3
South Coast Sabers 5, Chicago Flames 1
From the Blue Line, Lee
edsamuels.com
2.14.02
Cody Fulwiler Big In the Net, As...
MUSTANGS BATTLE THRU SNOWSTORM,
THEN BEAT SEATTLE SNO-KINGS 6-2!!!!
Pikes Peak, Colorado -- Late in the afternoon, there were just a few drifting snowflakes. By twilight,
storm clouds moved in and the big stuff came down. Rob Pallin's skaters, in two team vans, went through the slush and the snow and had the headlights on high beam to get to the Air Force Academy ice rink Thursday night.
"One hour, 45 minutes from the hotel to the rink," Pallin said. "But it was worth the trip...."
Las Vegas goalie Cody Fulwiler blocked 15 shots in the first period, taking the steam out of a
hard-skating Seattle Sno-Kings ice team. Las Vegas won, 6-2, to open the 25th annual President's Day Tournament.
And when the Mustangs walked out of the rink, there was more snow coming down...
"I'm from
Minnesota and am used to the cold and the snow," said Pallin, "but for most of our guys, this is really something."
As the snow continues to come down, here's the schedule for the 47-9-3 Mustangs:
Friday, Feb. 15
vs. Dallas Storm, 1:00 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 16
vs. Omaha Jr. Lancers, 9:30 p.m.
Sunday, Feb. 17
Playoff eliminator games begin
The Mustangs need one more big
win to get into the Final Four of this eight-team tournament. Danger lurks in the opposite bracket, where the Philadelphia Jr. Flyers are expected to rip through its division.
Justin Grossman, who had a spectacular
tournament in the Southwest League championships last week, got the scoring started. He popped in a goal, getting assists from Mike Sullivan and Sean Darby.
Josh Jasek then blasted in his 47th, Travis Roseberry added
another and by the time T.J. Craig scored it was Las Vegas 4-0 going into the third period. Adam Naglich clinched it, scoring twice in the third period.
"Cody plays tough in the first period, gets 15 saves and we
get out with a 2-0 lead," Pallin said. "That's what got us sparked."
Mustang goalie Paul Lowden is expected to start vs. Dallas on Thursday, leaving the big Omaha game to Cody.
ICE NOTEBOOK
-- Mustangs defenseman Justin Johnson arrives on Friday for the Dallas game....Winger Spike Neely is in Las Vegas, getting surgery Friday for his fractured left thumb.....AAA Pikes Peak Miners opened with 14-0 win over Westpointe Academy of Vancouver.....Evan Zucker played his heart out for AAA Pikes Peak bantams who lost 3-2 to one of the best bantam teams in the nation, the L.A. Jr. Kings majors...
Las Vegas Mustangs (47-9-3).............2 2 2 = 6
Seattle Sno-Kings...............................0 0 2 = 2
LV-Justin Grossman 15th (Mike Sullivan, Sean Darby)
LV-Josh Jasek 47th (Justin Grossman, Steve Novotny)
LV-Travis Roseberry 19th (J.C. Caron, Sean Fox)
LV-T.J. Craig 7th (Travis Roseberry)
LV-Adam Naglich 35th (Josh Jasek, Eddie Samuels)
LV-Adam Naglich 36th (Chris Anderson)
Shots - Seattle 26-24; LV goalie - Cody Fulwiler
MUSTANGS OPEN 'BIG SHOW' FRIDAY, FEB. 22 AT SANTA FE
Las Vegas coach Rob Pallin said today the Mustangs
will open the four-team 'Big Show' tournament vs. the El Segundo Regents Friday, Feb. 22 at the Santa Fe Stations Ice Arena.
Here is the schedule
The Big Show
Santa Fe Station Ice Arena, Las Vegas
Friday, Feb. 22
Las Vegas Mustangs vs. El Segundo Regents, 6:45 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 23
El Segundo Regents vs. L.A. Kings midget minors, 8:30 a.m.
Las Vegas Mustangs vs. AAA California Wave, 10:10 a.m.
Las Vegas Mustangs vs. L.A. Kings midget minors, 4:00 p.m.
AAA California Wave vs. El Segundo Regents, 5:45 p.m.
Sunday, Feb. 24
AAA California Wave vs. L.A. Kings midget minors, 9:40 a.m.
Las Vegas Mustangs vs. El Segundo Regents, 11:20 a.m.
Today's Pikes Peak President's Day Tournament Results:
AAA Midgets
Pikes Peak Miners 14, Westpointe Academy, Vancouver Island 0
Louisville Storm 11, Portland Jr. Hawks 0
AA Midgets
Las Vegas Mustangs 6, Seattle Sno-Kings 2
Pikes Peak Tigers 5, Great Falls, Montana 3
AAA Bantams
L.A. Kings majors 3, Pikes Peak Jr. Tigers 2
AA Bantams
Pikes Peak Tigers 3, Coral Springs, Fla. Jr. Panthers 2
Oklahoma City Jr. Blazers 3, Phoenix Firebirds 0
From the Blue Line, Lee
edsamuels.com
2.13.02
For the 25th Annual Pikes Peak President's Day Tournament.....
IT'S OFF TO ICY COLORADO FOR THE 46-9-3 MUSTANGS!!!
Pikes Peak, Colorado -- Get in the rental car, put the defrosters on real high. Pass around the paper cup, the one with steaming hot chocolate. Who's got the
windshield scraper? Pull on the hat, the one with the earflaps......
Hey, we're in the Rocky Mountains and it's ice cold outside.
Rob Pallin's AAA Las Vegas Mustangs heads to super-chilled Colorado to take on
cold-weather teams. The Great Falls, Montana, Beavers are here. So are the Philadelphia Jr. Flyers, the Omaha Jr. Lancers, the Seattle Sno-Kings at the 25th annual Pikes Peak President's Day Tournament.
It was
super-sweet winning the Southwest League title in balmy San Jose, California last weekend. Now it gets even more serious, taking on top teams from all parts of the USA.
Here's the Mustangs schedule as they head into the
Pikes Peak tournament which includes 99 teams from 20 states and provinces.
Las Vegas Mustangs schedule, with all games, we're told, at the Air Force Academy rink:
Thursday, Feb. 14
vs. Seattle Sno-Kings, 6:05 pm
Friday, Feb. 15
vs. Dallas Storm, 1:00 pm
Saturday, Feb. 16
vs. Omaha Jr. Lancers, 8:30 pm
Sunday, Feb. 17
Eliminator playoff games begin
Las Vegas should get
one more skater, Sean Fox, on the ice this weekend. Fox, a rugged veteran who likes to mix it up against the rougher teams, made the trip but didn't skate in any of the Southwest League championship games last week.
The
only starter not available will be Spike Neely, out with a fractured left thumb.
Here's how the Mustangs will line up this weekend.
MUSTANGS WEEKEND
LINEUP CARD
Red Line -
LW-Eddie Samuels 30/44
C-Josh Jasek 46/59
RW-Adam Naglich 34/41
Blue Line -
LW-J.C. Caron 16/27
C-Travis Roseberry 18/23
RW- Mike Sullivan 16/10
Gold Line -
LW-T.J. Craig 6/9
C-Justin Grossman 14/26
RW-Sean Darby 14/12
Also - Spike Neely 18/8, Sean Fox 7/9
Defenseman -
Eddie Del Grosso 16/27
Justin Johnson 4/22
Josh Shiode 0/19
Steve Novotny 3/8
Chris Anderson 0/10
Goalies -
Cody Fulwiler, Paul Lowden
TOP 10 WEST
Tier II Midgets Pacific, Rockies
LAS VEGAS MUSTANGS -- 46-9-3
1. AA Arvada, Colorado -- 51-10-3
2. San Jose Jr. Sharks -- 37-9-3
3. Long Beach Jr. Ice Dogs minors -- 50-10-2
4. Desert Coyotes, Riverside
5. Arapahoe, Col. Ice Warriors
6. Phoenix Firebirds
7. El Segundo Regents
8. Utah Stars
9. Ventura Mariners
10.Ontario Senators
ICE NOTEBOOK
-- Utah Stars are heading to an AA Littleton, Col. tournament this weekend....On Saturday, Utah takes on AA Arvada in what should be an intriguing matchup.....Arvada's #6, Steve Cook, is getting a hockey scholarship at Air Force Academy. Congratulations Steve from all the Mustangs skaters.....
Arvada's bench coaches figures our Mustangs will have toughest early-round game vs. Omaha Jr. Lancers who according to one report "have great size and will try to muscle you around."
It was #2 Teddy
Bancarz, the outstanding defenseman from the L.A. Jr. Kings midget majors, who led the charge for a 5-0 weekend and a Dallas Cup championship last weekend....Kings also got a super effort from #13, Archie Dessert......Ouch --
Kings beat Arvada twice last weekend, by 6-1 and 5-2...
Since losing to our Mustangs two out of three, AAA L.A. Kings majors are blazing on an 8-1 streak....
Also red-hot: AA Desert Coyotes of Riverside beat AAA
California Wave, 6-1 last weekend.....Ventura Mariners beat Coyotes, 5-4, but Coyote rink board parents said there was a "running clock in the third period when we were getting steamed up and coming right back at
them."....Coyotes were last team to beat Long Beach Jr. Ice Dogs minors....
Mustang winger Eddie Samuels had 31 goals, 41 assists for his AAA Vail bantam team last winter. That was a great season, but Eddie has 30
goals, 44 assists for the Mustangs 17-and-under team this year. At 15, he's the youngest on the roster.......
Mustang skaters and coaches will be looking for Las Vegas-based Evan Zucker who is in this tournament with the
AAA Pikes Peak Jr. Tigers 14-and-under bantam team.......The best bantam team in the nation: maybe the AAA L.A. Kings bantams majors who has been tearing apart AA midget teams in Southern California....
Pete Ricciardo's
Las Vegas Mustangs midget A team won Canyon States last week...and they did it the hard way, going to Tucson and winning 5-2 to clinch it. Stringfellow Swan popped in three goals while Joel Spurgeon got the big win in the
net.....Congratulations to Pete and all of the Mustangs....
Mustangs A's skaters hit I-15 South on Thursday night, heading to the Glacial Gardens in Lakewood to take on the San Diego Gulls Friday, 10 a.m. That game will
open the Winterfest tournament.....
Hey -- and thanks for all the 'hits' on edsamuels.com. We're breaking all page view records and we thank you....
From the Blue Line, Lee
edsamuels.com
2.11.02
Las Vegas Beats San Jose, 4-2
to Win Southwest League Title, As......
MUSTANGS TAKE THE GOLD!!!!!
San Jose, Calif. -- We've got our first banner to hang.
A big one.
It says in big bold letters 'Southwest League Champions.'
Rob Pallin's Las Vegas Mustangs won the big one on Sunday, defeating a powerful
San Jose Jr. Sharks team, 4-2, to capture the Southwest League 17-and-under ice championship. Three days, seven teams, with the Mustangs getting the gold.
When it was time to present the gleaming Southwest Cup, coach
Pallin told his four senior skaters to head for center ice.
Justin Grossman, Sean Darby, Steve Novotny and Paul Lowden, members of a Mustangs ice team which was 4-31 two seasons ago, skated slowly to the Cup which is
presented to the Southwest League championship team.
"They skated for the Mustangs during the hard times," said Pallin. "I knew how much this meant to them."
"Honestly, I wish this season
would never end," said Justin's father, Neal. "We are enjoying every second of every game."
There was more good news: Mustangs goalie Cody Fulwiler, who is having a career-best season, was named the
Southwest League's Goalie of the Year.
The 46-9-3 Mustangs won four team golds earlier this season, but this is by far the biggest.
Here's how the Mustangs have done this season:
September
Santa Fe Fall Classic, Las Vegas.................................GOLD
November
Turkey Shoot at the Santa Fe.......................................GOLD
December
AA Silver Sticks Rocky Mountain Regionals.................SILVER
Christmas Tournament at the Santa Fe.........................GOLD
February
Southwest League Championships at San Jose............GOLD
Las Vegas Mustangs
2001-02 AAA Southwest YHL Champions
It wasn't easy beating San Jose, either. Pallin said it was a mid-game crunching check by Grossman on the Shark's star skater, B.J. Howe, which "turned the game around."
"We're a banged-up team so we couldn't go all-out early against San Jose," Pallin said. "We wanted to be patient, wait until the puck turned over,
then go to work. Even when San Jose scored the first goal, I told our skaters keep working hard and opportunities would come. Then, wow, Grossman made the big hit on Howe who I think is one of the best five
skaters in the West."
San Jose lead 1-0 going into the second when winger Eddie Samuels, getting a pass from Josh Jasek, made a rush to the right and crossed up the goalie by shooting left.
It was Eddie's fifth goal of the tournament and tied the game, 1-1.
Then T.J. Craig scored his biggest goal of the season on a power play. He took a pass from Travis Roseberry and ripped in a long one to give the
Mustangs a 2-1 lead.
The Sharks' Howe scored his second goal to tie the game 2-2 going into the third.
From close range, Samuels took a shot and in a wlld scramble in front of
the net Grossman popped in the rebound with 12:57 left to play.
That made it 3-2, Las Vegas.
With 1:12 left, the Sharks pulled their goalie.
That was fine, until bench coach Bob Roseberry spotted two San Jose skaters going over the wall and into the game.
"We all started screaming real loud," Roseberry. "I counted seven Sharks
on the ice and I wasn't the only one hollering. You should have heard the guys on our bench...."
It was a huge mistake and a big penalty for the Sharks. Moments later,
Pallin's red line of Jasek, Adam Naglich and Samuels knocked in the empty-net goal. Jasek took the shot, scoring his 46th of the season.
At the final horn, Mustangs skaters heaved their sticks into the air. There
was lots of hugging on the ice and among the Mustangs parents in the bleachers too.
"It was a pretty wild celebration," reported Mustangs stat-keeper Dan Shiode.
Pallin said there were all kinds of heroes during the game.
"T.J. Craig's goal was very big for us. That gave us our first lead."
"Chris Anderson was unbelievable on defense, a big influence on the ice, the way he handled the puck so well," Pallin said. "J.C. Caron and Eddie
Del Grosso were both banged up but gave it all they had. I was very proud of them.
It was the Mustangs 'D,' which includes Del Grosso, Justin Johnson,
Novotny, Josh Shiode and Anderson which stepped it up and provided the necessary late-game protection.
Or, as Pallin noted "...this was an excellent performance, something we
have working towards for a long time."
It was a huge weekend for Lowden, who won all four of his starts in the net. He is being recruited by many top Junior A teams for next season.
Mustangs scoring leaders for this tournament:
11-Eddie Samuels 5/6
11-Josh Jasek 4/7
4-Sean Darby 2/2
4-Eddie Del Grosso 2/2
4-Justin Johnson 2/2
4-Justin Grossman 1/3
3-Adam Naglich 1/2
2-T.J. Craig 2/0
2-Travis Roseberry 1/1
1-Mike Sullivan 1/0
1-J.C. Caron 0/1
1-Josh Shiode 0/1
Championship Game, at San Jose
Las Vegas Mustangs...........0 2 2 - 4
San Jose Jr. Sharks..........1 1 0 - 2
LV-Eddie Samuels (Josh Jasek)
LV-T.J. Craig (Travis Roseberry)
LV-Justin Grossman (Eddie Samuels)
LV-Josh Jasek (Adam Naglich, Eddie Samuels)
Shots - San Jose 28-20; Goalie - Paul Lowden
Weekend Scoreboard
AAA Dallas Cup Championship
L.A. Jr. Kings majors 5, AA Arvada 1
AAA Southwest League Championship
Las Vegas Mustangs 4, San Jose Jr. Sharks 2
AAA Midgets
San Diego Jr. Gulls 5, Surf Jr. B 4
San Diego Jr. Gulls 4, California Wave 3
NEXT ON THE MUSTANGS SCHEDULE
-- Well, we have new teams to sweat about. Rob Pallin's 46-9-3 Mustangs are off to the 25th annual President's Day Tournament Feb. 14-18 at Pikes Peak, Colorado. Mustangs
open Thursday vs. the AA Seattle Sno-Kings. Eight teams are in the AA midget tournament including the Philadelphia Jr. Flyers, Omaha Jr. Lancers, Palm Beach, Fla. Panthers and the Great Falls, Montana, Braves....
JOSH JASEK LEADS THE 'FAB FIVE' IN GOALS, ASSISTS
Here's an update on the scoring leaders, which include out of
state skaters.
'FAB FIVE' GOAL SCORERS
46- Josh Jasek, AAA Las Vegas Mustangs
40- Micah Sanford, Chilliwack Jr. A
34- Adam Naglich, AAA Las Vegas Mustangs
29- Eddie Samuels, AAA Las Vegas Mustangs
23- Evan Zucker, AAA Pikes Peak bantams
Next: Travis Roseberry 18, J.C. Caron 16, Eddie Del Grosso 16,
Mike Sullivan 16.
'FAB FIVE' ASSIST LEADERS
59- Josh Jasek, AAA Las Vegas Mustangs
45- Micah Sanford, Chilliwack Jr. A
44- Eddie Samuels, AAA Las Vegas Mustangs
41- Adam Naglich, AAA Las Vegas Mustangs
39- Evan Zucker, AAA Pikes Peak bantams
Next - J.C. Caron 27, Eddie Del Grosso 27, Justin Grossman 26
What a weekend -- Thanks to all, Lee
edsamuels.com
2.10.02
Josh Jasek Hits the '100' Point Total, As....
MUSTANGS GOING FOR CALIFORNIA GOLD TODAY!!!!!
San Jose, Calif. -- It's going to be a classic, Las Vegas vs. San Jose, for the Southwest League championship on Sunday.
Both teams worked through a seven-team field to reach the 17-and-under
gold medal game on San Jose's home ice.
Faceoff is scheduled at 1:00 p.m.
Rob Pallin's 45-9-3 Las Vegas Mustangs got here the hard way, getting his
team past the feisty Utah Stars, 4-1, on Sunday morning. On the other sheet of ice, San Jose eliminated the hard-skating, skilled Phoenix Firebirds, 3-2.
Las Vegas is 1-0-1 vs. San Jose this season, tying the Sharks 1-1 and then beating them 5-3. The Sharks are a long-time power in Northern California and rarely lose on home ice.
To skitter past Utah, Pallin held a skaters-only meeting at the big rink before the 7:00 a.m. faceoff. That probably explained why the Mustangs came out smoking in the first moments of the game.
It only took Las Vegas 27 seconds to score. Josh Jasek flicked a pass to defenseman Eddie Del Grosso who uncorked a low liner from the point area.
The puck blistered in and Mustangs skaters raised their sticks.
There was more good news on the way.
Del Grosso scored again from the point to make it 2-0 after one. Jasek and Josh Shiode got the assists on that one.
Utah scored in the second period to make it 2-1.
Then in the third period the 'gold line' of Justin Grossman, Sean Darby and Mike Sullivan went to work. Grossman and Darby got the puck to Sullivan who powdered a shot, then knocked in his own rebound at 12:44 of the third.
That made it, 3-1 Las Vegas.
The last goal was a beauty. The 'red line' of Jasek, Adam Naglich and Eddie Samuels blasted off on a 3-on-2 break. Jasek passed to Samuels who
angled into the slot area, veered to his right and as soon as the Utah goalie committed Samuels passed the puck to Naglich who was streaking in from the left.
Naglich pounded the puck into the empty net, making it 4-1.
"We really worked hard against Utah," said Travis Roseberry. "It was a game we really wanted."
Las Vegas had more shots 29-12 as goalie Paul Lowden won his third game in this tournament.
Plus, the three assists from Jasek raised his season scoring total to
45 goals, 58 assists for 103 points. He has all of the Mustangs single-season scoring records.
Mustangs scoring leaders in the Southwest League championships:
9-Josh Jasek 3/6
8-Eddie Samuels 4/4
4-Eddie Del Grosso 2/2
4-Sean Darby 2/2
4-Justin Johnson 2/2
3-Justin Grossman 0/3
2-Adam Naglich 1/1
1-T.J. Craig 1/0
1-Travis Roseberry 1.0
1-Mike Sullivan 1/0
1-J.C. Caron 0/1
Las Vegas Mustangs Championship Game
Lineup Card
Red Line -- '200 Pt. Line'
LW-Eddie Samuels 28/42
C-Josh Jasek 45/58
RW-Adam Naglich 34/40
Blue Line
LW-J.C. Caron 16/27
C-Travis Roseberry 18/22
RW-Mike Sullivan 16/10
Gold Line
LW-T.J. Craig 5/9
C-Justin Grossman 13/26
RW-Sean Darby 14/12
Not playing today -- Spike Neely 18/8, Sean Fox 7/9
Defensemen
Eddie Del Grosso 16/27
Justin Johnson 4/22
Josh Shiode 0/19
Steve Novotny 3/8
Chris Anderson 0/10
Sunday morning game summary:
Las Vegas Mustangs...............2 0 1 - 4
Utah Stars................................0 1 0 - 1
LV-Eddie Del Grosso (Josh Jasek)
LV-Eddie Del Grosso (Josh Jasek, Josh Shiode)
LV-Mike Sullivan (Justin Grossman, Sean Darby)
LV-Adam Naglich (Josh Jasek, Eddie Samuels)
Shots - Las Vegas 29-12; Goalie - Paul Lowden
Weekend scoreboard
AAA Dallas Cup
Dallas Jr. Stars 2, Pikes Peak Miners 1
AA Arvada 6, Thunder Bay 1
L.A. Jr. Kings majors 4, St. Louis Sting 1
Dallas Jr. Stars 4, Thunder Bay 1
L.A. Jr. Kings majors 4, Pikes Peak Miners 2
L.A. Jr. Kings majors 6, AA Arvada 2
AAA Midgets
Marquette Electricians 5, Compuware 1
Compuware 3, Marquette Electricians 0
Midget A
Chandler, Az. Polar Bear Ice 8, Las Vegas Mustangs midget A 2
Weekend schedule
Sunday
AAA Dallas Cup
Championship game, 2:50 pm local time
AAA Southwest League Championships at San Jose
Las Vegas Mustangs vs. San Jose Jr. Sharks, 1:00 pm
Midget A
Las Vegas Mustangs Midget A at Tucson Storm, 11:00 am
Thanks everyone, Lee
Edsamuels.com
2.10.02
Las Vegas Goes 3-1
In Opening-Round Games, As...
44-9-3 MUSTANGS HEADING INTO
SOUTHWEST LEAGUE 'FINAL FOUR'
San Jose, Calif. -- Now, the hard stuff starts. Rob Pallin's Las Vegas Mustangs won three out of four games and advanced into the Southwest League's 'Final Four' which begins Sunday morning. It's going to get rough real quick, as the best in the Southwest League are about to decide who
gets the gold medal.
The Mustangs won their first three, then eased up on the gas pedal in the final prelim game vs. the Utah Stars. All-time Mustangs midget scorer Travis
Roseberry, coming off knee surgery, didn't skate in the game. Tough winger Spike Neely was out, as the result of an injury (fractured thumb) in the previous game. Sean Fox didn't skate. J.C. Caron and some other
Mustangs, troubled with nagging injuries, had very short shifts.
"We knew we were already in the Final Four," said bench coach Bob Roseberry. "Coach (Rob Pallin) played it smart."
Here's how the initial games went for the Mustangs 17-and-under ice team:
Southwest League Championships
2-1 over L.A. Jr. Kings minors
5-2 over Long Beach Jr. Ice Dogs majors
6-2 over San Diego Gulls
0-5 to Utah Stars
Sunday at San Jose
Semi-Final games
7:00 a.m. - #1 seed vs. #4 seed
7:00 a.m. - #2 seed vs. #3 seed
Championship
1:00 p.m. - Gold Medal Game
Eddie Samuels (four goals) and Josh Jasek (three) on the 'red line' are the scoring leaders after two days. The red line has piled up 15 points so far. From the defense, Justin Johnson has two goals, two assists. Goalie Paul
Lowden has two wins; Cody Fulwiler is 1-1.
Here are the Mustangs point leaders here:
7-Eddie Samuels 4/3
7-Josh Jasek 3/4
4-Justin Johnson 2/2
3-Sean Darby 2/1
2-Eddie Del Grosso 0/2
2-Justin Grossman 0/2
1-T.J. Craig 1/0
1-Travis Roseberry 1/0
1-J.C. Caron 0/1
1-Adam Naglich 0/1
So far, only the Mustangs and the San Jose Jr. Sharks have advanced into
the 'Final Four' eliminator series. Two other teams will be added following Saturday night action. The Mustangs bench coaches are expecting to take on either the Phoenix Firebirds or the Utah Stars on Sunday.
ICE NOTEBOOK -- Defenseman T.J. Craig went to the offense, working on same line with Justin Grossman and Sean Darby. T.J. scored a spectacular goal while sprawled on the ice vs. the Gulls.....Grossman is skating, mixing
it up and working very hard....Darby has already popped in two key goals...Justin Johnson scored his two off the power play. His first was from the point area, a fiery shot which blazed in vs. Long Beach....Mustang skaters
said Cody Fulwiler "played his heart out" in the loss to Utah. The Stars had 39 shots, many of those rapid-fired from close range.....
With some key skaters banged up, Mustang bench coaches are at the
chalkboard, mulling over using two lines and rotating four skaters on the 'D' in the Final Four series....
Phoenix is the defending champion, beating the L.A. Jr. Kings midget
minors 3-2 on OT last year.....Kings minors figured to get into the Final Four this year, but got ambushed by #7 seed San Diego today....
At the Dallas Cup, AAA L.A. Jr. Kings majors opened with wins over the St.
Louis Sting, 4-1, and the Pikes Peak Miners, 2-1.....AA Arvada, also in Dallas, also won its first two games.
The Mustangs game summaries:
Southwest League Championships
Opening-Round Games
Game #1
Las Vegas Mustangs................0 1 1 - 2
L.A. Jr. Kings minors..............0 1 0 - 1
LV-Josh Jasek (Eddie Samuels, Justin Johnson)
LV-Eddie Samuels (unassisted)
Shots -- Kings 34-22 Goalie - Paul Lowden
Game #2
Las Vegas Mustangs.........................1 2 2 - 5
Long Beach Jr. Ice Dogs majors....1 1 0 - 2
LV-Justin Johnson (J.C. Caron)
LV-Justin Johnson (Josh Jasek)
LV-Sean Darby (Eddie Del Grosso, Justin Johnson)
LV-Travis Roseberry
LV-Eddie Samuels (Josh Jasek)
Shots - Las Vegas 25-20; Goalie - Cody Fulwiler
Game #3
Las Vegas Mustangs...................0 4 2 - 6
San Diego Jr. Gulls...................0 2 0 - 2
LV-Josh Jasek (Eddie Del Grosso)
LV-Eddie Samuels (Josh Jasek)
LV-Josh Jasek (Eddie Samuels)
LV-Sean Darby (Justin Grossman)
LV-T.J. Craig (Justin Grossman, Sean Darby)
LV-Eddie Samuels (Josh Jasek, Adam Naglich)
Shots - Las Vegas 50-15; Goalie - Paul Lowden
Game #4
Las Vegas Mustangs..................0 0 0 - 0
Utah Stars...................................1 0 4 - 5
Shots - Utah 39-16; Goalie - Cody Fulwiler
Thanks everyone, Lee
edsamuels.com
2.07.02
We're Heading to San Jose for the League Championships, So....
JUST IN CASE, 41-8-3 MUSTANGS
GET THE SHOOTOUT TEAM READY!!!
Las Vegas -- Tie game, clock ticks down to 0:00, final horn blasts…
Hey, we're not over yet.
Send the Mustangs shootout team over the wall.
That's the rules in the seven-team Southwest League championships this weekend in San Jose. In the first four game there will be no ties. Instead, five-man shootout teams will hit the ice and, one at a time, skaters will power in and take a blast on net.
"When the game is on the line, you send out the best snipers," said Rob Pallin, coach of the 41-8-3 Las Vegas Mustangs. "I'm looking for five who have quick hands and can score from very close range."
So who's on Pallin's metal clipboard? He's not saying for sure, but he's mulling over these choices as we approach the league championships Feb. 8-10…
Mustangs Shootout Team:
Josh Jasek, 42 goals -- He's broken ever single-season scoring record we've ever had in Las Vegas 17-and-under hockey. Jasek likes to power in at top speed and blast frightening-fast fiery shots from close range.
Adam Naglich, 33 goals -- Speed is his game. Adam is a high-energy skater who angles in, lures the goalie out of the net and rips a shot to either corner.
Eddie Samuels, 24 goals -- During games he patrols in shark waters around the blue crease area and looks to pick a corner or go five-hole. On a shootout, Eddie likes to come in, flick a shot over the goalie's right
shoulder. Or, he may cross over and crack a low back-hand.
Eddie Del Grosso, 14 goals -- The all-time Mustangs scorer from the defense. He attacks at a steady steely-eyed pace, keeps the puck in
control and at the last second, feints and slides in a tricky one. It looks so easy, but that's the way the good ones make it look.
Justin Johnson, two goals, but…Another defenseman who is armed, very
dangerous at close range. He skates hardest with a game on the line.
Mike Sullivan 15 goals -- Again, good quick hands at the net which usually spells big trouble for nerve-racked enemy goalies. He's coming off a
season-best effort vs. the L.A. Jr. Kings midget majors.
The good news: If the game is still knotted, Pallin can turn to sharpshooters like Travis Roseberry, J.C. Caron, T.J. Craig, Spike Neely,
Justin Grossman and Sean Darby who among the crew going over the wall in the next five-skater wave.
ROSEBERRY'S 56 GOALS LEAD MUSTANGS AFTER 2 SEASONS!!
All-time Mustang scorer Travis Roseberry, Pallin says, is super-strong in the slot area where he unloads blast-like shots from different ranges. Although Roseberry has missed 16 games this season due to knee surgery, he's
remains the all-time scorer in Mustangs 17-and-under hockey.
The good news: Roseberry is suited up for this weekend.
Here are the goal-scoring leaders, listed with total goals scored, then the
goals scored in the first and second seasons. Remember, Josh Jasek and Eddie Samuels are in their first season with Las Vegas.
MUSTANGS GOAL LEADERS
(two seasons - 2001, 2002)
56-Travis Roseberry 39, 17
48-Adam Naglich 15, 33
47-Spike Neely 29, 18
42-Josh Jasek xx, 42
41-Justin Grossman 28, 13
40-J.C. Caron 24, 16
28-Mike Sullivan 13, 15
24-Eddie Samuels xx, 24
23-Sean Darby 11, 12
13-Sean Fox 6, 7
11-T.J. Craig 7, 4
Mustangs Points leaders
(two seasons - 2001, 2002)
123-Travis Roseberry 39/45, 17/22
112-Adam Naglich 15/25, 33/39
96-J.C. Caron 24/30, 16/26
94-Josh Jasek xx, 42/52 - at AAA Riverside Jets in 2001
86-Justin Grossman 28/22, 13/23
79-Eddie Del Grosso 15/25, 14/25
78-Spike Neely 29/23, 18/8
62-Eddie Samuels xx, 24/38 -- at AAA Vail, Col. Bantams in 2001
56-Sean Darby 11/23, 12/10
45-Mike Sullivan 13/17, 15/10
34-T.J. Craig 7/14, 4/9
33-Josh Shiode 2/13, 0/18
25-Sean Fox 6/3, 7/9
22-Justin Johnson xx, 2/20 -- at AA Shattuck St. Mary's in 2001
22-Chris Anderson 0/12, 0/10
11-Steve Novotny xx, 3/8 -- at AA Team Las Vegas in 2001
MUSTANGS WEEKEND
LINEUP CARD
Red Line --
LW-Eddie Samuels 24/38
C-Josh Jasek 42/52
RW-Adam Naglich 33/39
Blue Line --
LW-J.C. Caron 16/26
C-Travis Roseberry 17/22
RW-Spike Neely 18/8
Gold Line --
LW-Sean Darby 12/10
C-Justin Grossman 13/23
RW-Mike Sullivan 15/10
Also: Sean Fox 7/9
Defensemen
Eddie Del Grosso 14/25
Justin Johnson 2/20
Josh Shiode 0/18
T.J. Craig 4/9
Steve Novotny 3/8
Chris Anderson 0/10
Goalies
Cody Fulwiler
2001- Las Vegas 17-12-1, 2.70
2002- Las Vegas 26-6-2, 1.57
Paul Lowden
2001 AA Shattuck
2002- Las Vegas 15-2-1, 1.58
TOURNAMENT NOTEBOOK -- Mustangs are seeded #1, San Jose Jr. Sharks #2, Phoenix Firebirds #3.....Action for Las Vegas begins Friday, 7 a.m. vs the L.A. Jr. Kings midget minors.....Four of the seven teams advance
to the semis, where the rules change: Sudden-death 10-minute OT periods will be used instead of a shootout....
From the Blue Line, Lee
Edsamuels.com
2.02.02
At San Jose, Feb. 8-10......
41-8-3 AAA MUSTANGS GETTING SET
FOR SOUTHWEST LEAGUE PLAYOFFS!!!
Las Vegas -- It's playoff time and we've got a clean slate, an 0-0 record.
That's what Rob Pallin, the Mustangs ice coach, says as the Southwest League championships loom Feb. 8-10 in San Jose.
"When you go into league championships, win-loss records don't count anymore," Pallin said at the big rink the other night.
Pallin contends the game changes when the league championship games
kick in. High-energy defensemen take over, attack flow lanes shut down, goalies go onto high alert.
So our 41-8-3 season record and our #1 seed in the Southwest tournament are on a deep back burner.
And expect a lot of breath-taking one, two or three goal games.
Here's the AAA Las Vegas schedule, as the Mustangs wind their way through the final practices to prepare for the championships:
AAA Southwest League Championships
All Games at San Jose, Calif.
Las Vegas Mustangs
Friday, Feb. 8
vs. L.A. Jr Kings minors, 7:00 am
vs. Long Beach Jr. Ice Dogs majors, 12:30 pm
Saturday, Feb. 9
vs. San Diego Gulls, 7:00 am
vs. Utah Stars, 12:30 pm
Sunday, Feb. 10
Semi-Finals
#1 seed vs. #4 seed, 7:00 am
#2 seed vs. #3 seed, 7:00 am
Championship game, 1:00 pm
Since Las Vegas is a #1 seed, the Mustangs will not take on #2 seed San Jose or #3 seed Phoenix in the initial rounds of play. All three of those teams are expected to get into the Final Four.
Pallin believes the Mustangs have the right mix to get into the gold medal game.
"At this time of the year it depends who is healthy and who works the
hardest on the ice -- those are the teams that advance," he said. "We want to make certain all of our top skaters are ready."
Those include Travis Roseberry, the Mustangs' all-time midget scorer with
56 goals the last two seasons. He's been out 16 games, recovering from knee surgery. He is hoping to get back in the lineup, put the 'blue line' back in order with wingers Spike Neely and J.C. Caron and also work on
the power play.
On Las Vegas' highly successful "all-around" power play, Roseberry is the one who snaps off the fiery shots from the slot area.
Eddie Samuels is coming off bruised ribs but appears ready for game action. There are other top skaters with aches and bruises but, as Pallin says, "that's kind of expected at this time of the season."
The Mustangs have had some fiery games against their Southwest League opponents in this league championship series. Here are the final standings and how the Mustangs did vs. each team this season:
AAA Southwest League
Final Standings
Las Vegas Mustangs 11-1-3
San Jose Jr. Sharks 11-2-2
Phoenix Firebirds 7-4-4
L.A. Jr. Kings minors 5-6-4
Long Beach Jr. Ice Dogs majors 6-9-0
Utah Stars 3-11-0
San Diego Jr. Gulls 2-12-1
Leading scorer:
#1 Mike Thomson, Long Beach 13/12, 25 pts.
Las Vegas league scorers:
#4 Josh Jasek 9/12, 21 pts.
#6 Eddie Samuels 6/14, 20 pts.
#12 Eddie Del Grosso 3/12, 15 pts.
#14 Adam Naglich 8/6, 14 pts.
#25 J.C. Caron 5/5, 10 pts.
Las Vegas Mustangs (3-0) vs. L.A. Jr. Kings minors
3-2 over L.A. Kings minors at Kearns, Utah
4-0 over L.A. Kings minors at Iceoplex, Escondido, Calif.
5-0 over L.A. Kings minors at Glacial Gardens, Lakewood, Ca.
Las Vegas Mustangs (4-1) vs. Long Beach Jr. Ice Dogs majors
3-4 to Long Beach majors at Glacial Gardens, Lakewood, Ca.
2-1 over Long Beach majors at Las Vegas
7-1 over Long Beach majors at Kearns, Utah
2-0 over Long Beach majors at Glacial Gardens, Lakewood, Ca.
4-2 over Long Beach majors at Glacial Gardens, Lakewood, Ca.
Las Vegas Mustangs (2-0-1) vs. San Diego Gulls
5-1 over San Diego at Kearns, Utah
2-0 over San Diego at Iceoplex, Escondido, Calf.
2-2 vs. San Diego at Glacial Gardens, Lakewood, Ca.
Las Vegas Mustangs (2-2) vs. Utah Stars
3-1 over Utah Stars at Kearns, Utah
1-2 vs. Utah Stars at Iceoplex, Escondido, Calif.
1-2 vs. Utah Stars at Las Vegas
8-3 over Utah Stars at Las Vegas
Las Vegas Mustangs (2-0-1) vs. Phoenix Firebirds
5-1 over Phoenix at Las Vegas
1-1 vs. Phoenix at Kearns, Utah
5-0 over Phoenix at Iceoplex, Escondido, Calif.
Las Vegas Mustangs (1-0-1) vs. San Jose Jr. Sharks
1-1 vs. San Jose at Iceoplex, Escondido, Calif.
5-3 over San Jose at Glacial Gardens, Lakewood, Calif.
ICE NOTEBOOK -- Best wishes to long-time Las Vegas skater Matt Moore who recently underwent knee surgery. Matt, one of the all-time scorers as
a young skater, is currently playing with AA Arvada's 17-and-under ice team in Colorado....
From the Blue Line, Lee
edsamuels.com
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