Odessa Jackalopes (2-2-0-0, 4pts) vs. Wichita Falls Warriors (1-2-1-0, 3pts)
at Kay Yeager Coliseum in Wichita Falls, TX
Time: 7:05 p.m. CDT
Broadcast: (Away) HockeyTV
What You Need to Know:
Season Series: 0-0
Leading Scorers:
ODA: 6pts, Goode (4g-2a)
WFW: 4pts, Korpi (2g-2a)
On The Road Again:
Even though Odessa was technically the home team for two games during the NAHL Showcase, they will not play their first true home game at the Ector County Coliseum until Oct. 28th (vs. Lone Star). The Jacks will play their remaining 56 games against South Division teams. Odessa went 3-6-2-1 against the Warriors last season. Wichita is in their second year in the North American Hockey League. In their opening season last year, they were swept by the Shreveport Mudbugs in the Divisional Finals (0-3).
Special Teams:
The Jacks find themselves ranked 10th while on the man-advantage (28.6%, 2 for 7). As for the Warriors, they are the second-worst team when it comes to being on the power play (5.3%, 1 for 19). Odessa is still tied with the Maryland Black Bears for the most short-handed goals with two. When playing down a man, the Warriors have a penalty kill success rate of 73.7%. Making them 19th in the league in that category. Odessa has been shorthanded only eight times through their first four games, which is the third lowest amount in the NAHL. Their penalty kill puts them at 25th with a success rate of 62.5%.
Between The Pipes:
The Warriors have two rookie netminders guarding the cage for them this season. Matthew O’Donnell has currently seen the most action for the Warriors as he played in three games for them thus far (1-1-1, 7GA, 2.27GAA, .891SV%). O’Donnell was drafted #138 overall by the Youngstown Phantoms (USHL) in 2021. The other rookie goaltender is Daniel Duris (0-1, 6GA, .864SV%), who is playing in the USA for the first time after coming over from Martin, SVK. As for Odessa, they have rotated through three goalies during their opening four games at the Showcase. Alex Proctor leads all Jacks goalies with a 2-0 record (5GA, 2.50 GAA, .914SV%). Both Chris Brown (rookie) and Noah Rupprecht have an identical record of 0-1. They each have also seen only three pucks go past them after facing over 20 shots, respectively.
PLAYERS TO WATCH:
Jackalopes (F: #26 – Chris Duclair)
Duclair is in his first season in the NAHL and currently sits in second in points for the Jacks (3g-2a). His five points puts him 10th overall among rookies in the league. The 18-year-old is currently on a two-game point streak (2g-2a). The native of Dollard-des-Ormeaux, QC, CAN played 15 games last year for the Hampton Road Whalers (USPHL) recording 18 points (6g). From 2018-20, the left-handed forward played 81 games for the Lac St-Louis Lions (QMAAA) picking up 33 points (19g). Duclair is just one of two Jackalopes players to have scored in his NAHL debut (Emerson Goode).
Warriors (D: #4 – Jack Blanchett)
The Monroe, MI native is in his second season in the NAHL. The Lake Superior State University (NCAA, D1) commit played 42 games for the Warriors last year (6a). The 18-year-old picked up his first NAHL goal while at the NAHL Showcase against the Black Bears. Blanchett is currently ranked 10th for defensemen in points with four (1g-3a). The 5’11”-176lb. left-handed shooter won the HPHL 16U Championship in 2019-20 while with HoneyBaked 16U AAA (17gp, 3g, 6a).
