Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin – The Springfield Jr. Blues were unable to figure out the Chippewa Steel this past weekend, losing Friday 4-2 and Saturday 7-2. The losses slip the Jr. Blues record to 4-5-1-0 and position us in 4th place in the Midwest Division.
Friday night started well for the Jr. Blues as Aaron Shaw netted his first goal of the season less than a minute into the game. Hunter Longhi and Jackson Salt each earned an assist on the goal. From there the Steel took control of the game, scoring moments later in the 1st period on a power play before taking a 2-1 lead late in the 2nd.
Danila Larionovs continued his strong play to start the season by scoring early in the 3rd period on the power play to tie the game 2-2. Trent DeNuccio and Adisen Brueck assisted on the goal. The Steel would score on a breakaway just a few minutes after the tying goal to take a 3-2 lead. An empty net goal would seal the Jr. Blues fate and the Steel would win the game 4-2. Alex Proctor started for the Jr. Blues and stopped 29 of 32 shots.
Saturday night once again started in the right direction as Carson Jones scored his first goal of the season on a feed from Gino Carabelli to give the Jr. Blues a 1-0 lead just seven minutes into the game. However, the Steel would rebound from the goal and would score the next four goals to lead 4-1 after two periods.
Larionovs, and stop us if this sounds familiar, scored early in the 3rd period to cut the deficit to 4-2 and give the Jr. Blues life late in the contest. Salt and Brueck assisted on the goal. The Steel would not be denied a sweep on home ice as they would score three more goals to take a decisive 7-2 victory. Ryan Wilson got the start in net and stopped 28 of 35 shots.
Jr. Blues Notes:
A Strong Start – The Jr. Blues scored in the opening minute on Friday night, marking the first time they achieved that feat since February 24th against the Kenai River Brown Bears. Last season the Jr. Blues scored 6 goals in the opening minute of a period and have scored 2 goals in that fashion this season.
Does This Sound Familiar? – Through the first three series of the 2019-20 season, the Jr. Blues have two splits (both at home) and have been swept once (on the road). To begin the 2018-19 season the Jr. Blues had an identical record after three series. Last year the Jr. Blues finished the month of October with a 2-5-2 record.
On the Right Track – Danila Larionovs scored in both games this past weekend bringing his total to 5 goals on the season so far. Since the end of the NAHL Showcase, Larionovs has goals in 5 of 6 games including the game winner against Shreveport on October 4th. With his 2 assists added in, Larionovs is currently tied with Adisen Brueck (4 goals, 3 assists) for the team lead in points.
Up Next:
The Jr. Blues will refocus on the Topeka Pilots as they come to town this weekend for two games. Friday’s game starts at 7:05 pm while Saturday’s game starts at 6:05 pm.
