11/12: Ice vs. Muskegon

The good part about two-game weekends is that a team has the chance to ride the wave of a big victory by playing again 24 hours later ... or bounce back quickly from a tough defeat.

The Ice will be looking to do the latter as they welcome the Muskegon Lumberjacks to the Pepsi Coliseum for a 7 p.m. faceoff Saturday night. The Ice are fresh off a 5-4 overtime loss to the Green Bay Gamblers in which GB rallied from a two-goal deficit in the third period to take the game. The Ice are in the midst of their first losing streak of the year -- if you can call it that -- as they've dropped back-to-back games, but both were in overtime. The Ice are now 1-1-2 in their last four after a blistering 6-1-0 start.

Every game in the East is key, as virtually every top USHL team is there and the top of the standings is naturally crowded. The Clark Cup finalists from last year, Green Bay (18 points) and Dubuque (17 points) are 1-2, but the Ice and Cedar Rapids both lurk one game back with 16 points. With 14 points, Youngstown is in fifth. Muskegon, right now, is in sixth with 10.

Muskegon is much-improved from last year's expansion squad and is fresh off a 2-1 Friday-night road victory at Youngstown.  Ryan Lomborg (4th) and Joseph Cox (1st) scored the goals while netminder John Keeney made 25 saves for his first victory of the year.

This is the first matchup between the Ice and 'Jacks this year.

Tonight's game (Saturday, Nov. 12, 2011)
Muskegon Lumberjacks (5-6-0, T5th, USHL East)
at
Indiana Ice (7-2-2, T3rd, USHL East)
7:05 p.m., Pepsi Coliseum, Indianapolis, IN

Broadcast: ushl.fasthockey.com

Season series: First meeting


Tale of the Tape
Ice (7-2-2, t3rd USHL East)
Head coach: Kyle Wallack
GF: 44 (1st). GA: 30 (t3rd)
PP: 35.9% (1st). PK: 89.7 % (4th) PIM: 197 (11th)
Home record: 3-1-1
Leading scorers: Daniil Tarasov (8-11-19), Jacob Fallon (7-7-14), Alex Barron (1-10-11), Sean Kuraly (4-7-11, will not dress), Robbie Baillargeon (4-5-9, 4 points last 3 games)
Leading +/-: Daniil Tarasov (+10), Alex Barron (+9)
Leading PIM: Daniil Tarasov (27), R.J. Boyd (26)
Leading goaltender: Jon Gillies (6-1-2, 2.20 GAA, .921sv%, 1 SHO), Dalton Izyk (1-1-0, 4.20 GAA, .873 sv%)
Last 5: 2-1-2 Last 10: 6-2-2
Last 5
11/12: vs. Green Bay (OTL 4-5)
11/5: at Youngstown (SOL 3-4)
11/4: vs. Cedar Rapids (W 5-1)
10/29: vs. Waterloo (L 3-4)
10/28: vs. Waterloo (W 2-0)

Lumberjacks (5-7-0, t6th USHL East)
Head coach: Kevin Patrick

GF: 32 (11th). GA: 41 (14th)
PP: 14.2% (8th). PK: 82.5% (9th) PIM: 292 (16th)
Road record: 2-4-0
Leading scorers: Dakota Kletcha (7-2-9), Matt DeBlouw (3-5-8), John Padulo (2-6-8)
Leading +/-: Joshua Henke (+7), Dakota Kletcha (+6)
Leading PIM: Marc Yanis (50), Joshua Henke (33)
Leading goaltender: Paul Berrafato (4-2-0, 2.52 GAA, .910sv%)
Last 5: 4-1-0 Last 10: 5-5-0
Last 5
11/12 at Youngstown (W 2-1)
11/5 vs. Cedar Rapids (L 1-2)
11/4 vs. Youngstown (W 4-1)
10/30 vs. Waterloo (W 4-2)
10/29 vs. Chicago (W 5-1)

Ice next 5 games
11/18: at Cedar Rapids11/19: at Waterloo
11/23: at Green Bay
11/25: vs. Sioux City
11/26: vs. Fargo