Weekend Preview vs Topeka Roadrunners

Oct 27, 2017

Topeka Roadrunners at Springfield Jr. Blues | Oct. 27th & 28th | The Nelson Center

 

PREVIEW

The Springfield Jr. Blues are well-rested and ready to get back into game action this Friday and Saturday night at The Nelson Center in Springfield. In Springfield’s most recent action, they came away with a 1-1-1 record against the Minnesota Magicians in Richfield, MN on October 12th-14th.

Springfield had a rare weekend off, which was both good and bad for the team. The bad being that, while idle, the Magicians swept the Fairbanks Ice Dogs and jumped Springfield in the standings. Springfield currently sits in 4th place in the Midwest division.

The good was that they were able to get out in the community and participate in the American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk this past Saturday. The team debuted their pink breast cancer awareness jerseys that they will be wearing Friday night. The jerseys will be auctioned off throughout the game and all proceeds will go to Coach Tyler’s Real Men Making Strides Campaign to help the fight against breast cancer.

Not only that, the Springfield Jr. Blues will be turning the ice pink for the game to honor all the brave individuals who have fought breast cancer. Doors open at 6:05pm and puck drops at 7:05pm.

On Saturday night, it will be Springfield annual Halloween Costume Bash! All children ages 12 & under that wear their halloween costume to the game will receive FREE admission! The team will also have a costume contest during the first intermission on the ice. Fans, be sure to stay after the game, where you will be able to skate on the ice in your costume with the Springfield Jr. Blues players and trick-or-treat on the ice as well! Doors open at 5:05pm and puck drops at 6:05pm.

TOPEKA ROADRUNNERS

 

Tale Of The Tape:

 

Record: 6-9-0-0, 12 Pts. (5th in South)

Goals Per Game: 2.46/Game

Goals Against Average: 3.60/Game

Scoring Leaders: Nick Granowicz, F (15 GP, 6 Goals-10 Assist-16 Points), Will Schlagenhauf D (15 GP, 3 Goal-9 Assists-12 Points), Nigel Nelson (15 GP, 4 Goals-3 Assists-7 Points)

Forward To Watch:

 

Nick GranowiczAfter having a successful rookie campaign in the NAHL, forward Nick Granowicz has taken his game to the next level. In 15 games he has 16 points (6G and 10A) and is on pace for 64 points this season, which is 40 more than he had all of last season. Contributing to roughly 40% of Topeka’s goals, Springfield knows who to watch for when on the defense.

Manning the Blue Line:

 

Sam Martel: The rookie from Bolingbrook, IL is off to an impressive rookie campaign. The 18 year old leads Topeka defensemen in points with 7 (1G and 6A). Although he is efficient offensively, he currently carries a -6 +/- rating. When he is on the ice, that would be the best time for Springfield to jump on the attack.

Between The Pipes:

 

Emil Gransoe: Last season in a brief stint with Topeka, Emil Gransoe looked like a small fish in a big pond, posting a 1-0-1 record with a 4.19 GAA in 3 games. Now that he has taken over as the full time goaltender this season, the Denmark native has posted a 4-6-0 record with a healthy 2.92 GAA and .924 save percentage. However, Gransoe has lost his last 2 contests and hopefully Springfield can get the puck past him early and often this weekend.

 

SPRINGFIELD JR. BLUES

 


Tale Of The Tape:

 

Record: 5-5-1-1, 12 Pts. (4th in Midwest)

Goals Per Game: 2.33/Game

Goals Against Average: 3.41/Game

Top Scorers: Jordan Muzzillo (9 GP, 4 G-5 A-9 Pts.), Nikita Kozyrev (12 GP, 5 G-3 A-8 Pts.), Ethan Stewart (12 GP, 4 G-3 A-7 Pts.)

Forward To Watch:

 

Giovanni CarabelliSpringfield fans, welcome your newest member of the Springfield Jr. Blues…Giovanni Carabelli! Picked up in a trade with the Shreveport Mudbugs, Carabelli had 5 points in 10 games for Shreveport this season, with ironically his lone goal coming against Springfield at the NAHL showcase. Be sure to give “Gino” a big Springfield welcome this weekend!

Manning The Blue Line:

 

Max Osborne: Through Springfield’s first 10 games, Max Osborne was only able to crack the lineup 6 times. After his play in Minnesota, fans should expect to see more of the 18 year old defenseman. Osborne scored his first 2 NAHL goals in a 4-3 OT win vs the Magicians, including a game-tying goal with less than 4 minutes to play. He is not the biggest guy on the ice, but has proven he can play big in the big moments.

Between The Pipes:

 

Juraj Ovecka: Springfield has won 5 games all season, and Juraj Ovecka has started all of them. The Slovakia native won his only start in Minnesota on the last road trip, a 4-3 victory in overtime. His record now sits at 5-2-1 with a 2.28 GAA and a .935 save percentage. The play of Ovecka has been great, and if he can keep up the good play this weekend, Springfield should feel confident.