FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Thursday September 19, 2013
JACKS GET CLIPPED BY WILDERNESS IN DAY ONE OF NAHL SHOWCASE
Jacks offensive struggles continue in 4-1 loss
BLAINE, MINNESOTA – After a 0-3 start to the 2013-14 season, the Jacks made the trip up to Blaine, Minnesota for the EASTON NAHL Showcase. Tonight, the Jacks would play the expansion Minnesota Wilderness, who competed in the SIJHL last season. Eric Hancock would make his second start in goal after recovering from a laceration on the inside of his right knee sustained in Saturday night’s 6-2 loss to the Wichita Falls Wildcats.
For the fourth straight game, the Jackalopes opponent would strike first. Johno May scored his first goal of the season at 6:55 of the first period after the original shot hit the right pad of Eric Hancock, May was standing alone in the left circle and fired the shot past the sprawling Hancock. The Wilderness would score just 22 seconds later as Brett Heikkila (HI-kill-uh) scored on a two-on-one break by sliding the puck underneath the pad of Eric Hancock. The Wilderness lead 2-0 after one.
In the second, the Wilderness wasted little time in adding to their lead. Zach Jordan scored at 1:46 of the second from behind the goal line. Jordan banked the puck off of Hancock as he was trying to get repositioned in his goal. The Wilderness gained a four goal lead at 16:44 when Zach Jordan fed a pass to Dan Litchke on another odd man rush for Minnesota. Litchke re-directed the puck passed Eric Hancock.
The Jacks scored their only goal in the third period when Drew Gannon made a silky smooth move around the Wilderness defenseman and beat Kasimir Kaskisuo (kas-UH-MIR) (KASS-kuh-SOO) on the blocker side. Gannon’s first career junior goal came at 2:34. The Jacks thought they had another when Jake Kreutzer’s shot from the left circled appeared to hit the back bar before ringing of both post, but the referee washed it out immediately saying the puck never crossed the goal line. The Jacks were shut down the rest of the way and have now lost their first four games of the season.
The Jacks take on the North Division’s Springfield Jr. Blues tomorrow at 4:30 from Blaine, MN. You can hear the game live on Classic Rock 102 and watch on FASTHockey.
In 2012-13, the Odessa Jackalopes completed their second season as a member of the North American Hockey League and 16th campaign in franchise history. Season ticket packages for the 2013-14 season of Jackalopes hockey are available now starting at just $179. To reserve your seats, contact the Jackalopes’ ticket office today at 432-552-7825 or log on to www.jackalopes.org for more information.
Be sure to follow the Jackalopes on Twitter @LetsGoJacks all year long and don’t forget to ‘Like’ the official “Odessa Jackalopes” fan page on Facebook.
— ODESSA JACKALOPES —
