Tonight’s Matchup: The Jacks return home Friday for a pair of games against the Lone Star Brahmas for Shriners weekend after a five-game road trip in which they went 3-2-0. Odessa is 2-2-0 against Lone Star at home this year compared to a 1-5-0 on the road. Since the Brahmas joined the NAHL in 2013, Odessa is 6-19-3 all-time against their rival.
Last Time Out: The Odessa Jackalopes used three power play goals and Dean Shatzer stopped 46 shots to earn the Jacks a weekend sweep Saturday night over the Corpus Christi IceRays at the AmericanBank Center. Odessa took an opening period lead on a Pierce Pluemer goal at 9:59. Brad LeLievre tied it with less than a minute left in the first, but Odessa recaptured its advantage in the 2nd with goals by Hampus Sjodahl and Danny Kiraly. Mason Krueger scored at 15:16 of the 2nd but the Jacks held on for the 3-2 win.
Sjodahl Star: Jacks center-man Hampus Sjodahl extended his point streak to six games with another goal and assist last Saturday against Corpus (6-4-10). The Bemidji State (WCHA, D1) committed forward is tied for first in the NAHL in goals (35), with Fairbanks’ Todd Burgess (35), and is tied for third in points (66). Sjodahl has points in 17 of his last 18 games (16-11-26) with a plus-six rating. The Stockholm, Sweden, native had nine goals and six assists in 10 games in March including a hat-trick against Lone Star on March 11.
Brown’s Town: Jacks left-wing Derek Brown had a pair of assist last Saturday and now has points in 22 of his last 23 games (9-25-34). Brown’s 47 assists is a single-season franchise record for the Jacks, surpassing Kenny Hausinger’s 43 set last year. The Peoria, AZ native is tied for 5th in the NAHL in points (60) and his 16-game point streak he set earlier this year is both a league long and a franchise record. Brown currently is on a six-game point streak (2-9-11).
Piercing Hot: Air Force commit’ Pierce Pluemer scored Saturday again and in doing so he now has a four-game point streak (3-2-5). Pluemer, who failed to score in his first 17 games with Odessa, now has eight goals in his last 15 games (8-4-12). Pluemer recorded one goal and five assists in 20 games to begin the year with the Sioux City Musketeers (USHL).
Drevitch Dazzles: Brahmas forward Tyler Drevitch had a goal an assist in each game last weekend against the Amarillo Bulls. The Merrimack (Hockey East) commit earned Player of the Week honors in the South for the first time in his career and now has nine goals and nine assists with Lone Star in 28 games. Drevitch began the year with the Youngstown Phantoms (USHL) where he had one goal and four assists in 24 games.
Friday Night Fights: The last time the Jacks and Brahmas dueled a full line brawl broke out at 14:59 of the 3rd period on March 12 resulting in 168 minutes of penalties and four player suspensions for Odessa. Coach Greg Gatto was also suspended by the NAHL for what was deemed premeditated fight. Gatto’s suspension was later reduced from four games to two while the players stayed the same. On Friday, two of the four players suspended, Connor Wood and Matt Rypien, return to the Jacks lineup after a six-game suspension.
Jackalopes Broadcast: Join the voice of the Jacks’ Nick Nollenberger live for every game on the Jacks flagship station Classic Rock 102.1 FM and fasthockey.com.
