Games 19 & 20: Ice vs. Green Bay (Sat, 7 p.m.; Sun. 3 p.m.)

The Ice have a budding rivalry with the Green Bay Gamblers, and these two games at the Pepsi Coliseum will go a long way in determining the standings at the top of the Eastern Conference heading into the Christmas break. The Ice will play Green Bay twice this weekend, then face second-place Dubuque twice next season. Green Bay currently leads the Ice by seven points, and the Ice trail Dubuque and Cedar Rapids by less than one game for second and third.

The game pits the Ice's high-scoring offense and power play against Green Bay's stingy defense -- goaltender Ryan McKay leads the USHL in goals against average, while the Ice's Daniil Tarasov-Sean Kuraly-Jacob Fallon line is one of the deadliest in the league. Both teams have tremendous scoring, are loaded with defensemen -- Ryan Obuchowski and Alex Barron lead the Ice on the blueline, Jordan Schmaltz and Andy Welinski do the same for the Gamblers, and are extremely deep.

When the Ice and Gamblers meet, they're nearly always some of the most entertaining, well-played games of the year. Both of their previous meetings were won in overtime by a team trailing by two goals in the third. Should be a great weekend of games.


Tonight's game
Green Bay Gamblers (15-3-1)
at
Indiana Ice (11-5-2)
7:05 p.m., Pepsi Coliseum, Indianapolis, Ind. 
3:05 p.m. Sunday, Pepsi Coliseum, Indianapolis, Ind.

Broadcast: ushl.fasthockey.com

Season series: Tied 1-1
Nov. 23: Ice 4, Green Bay 3, OT (at Resch Center): Ryan Obuchowski GWG, 2G; Jacob Fallon & Robbie Baillargeon G, A each; Jon Gillies 33sv, win (Ice); Brandon Kirk & Sam Herr G, A each; Nolan LaPorte 2A; Ryan McKay 24 sv (Green Bay).
Nov. 11: Green Bay 5, Ice 4, OT (at Pepsi Coliseum): Robert Polosello G/2A; Jacob Fallon & Daniil Tarasov G/A each; Jon Gillies 27sv (Ice); Nicholas Shilkey 2G, Sheldon Dries G/2A, Markus Lauridsen G/A, GWG; Adam Wilcox 32sv, win (GB).


Tale of the Tape

Ice (11-5-2, 4th USHL East)
Head coach: Kyle Wallack
GF: 78 (2nd). GA: 52 (7th)
PP: 33.3% (1st). PK: 87.1 % (3rd) PIM: 358 (14th)
OT record: 2-1 SO record: 1-1
Home record: 5-3-1
Leading scorers: Daniil Tarasov (11-14-25), Jacob Fallon (8-13-21), Sean Kuraly (9-9-18), Robbie Baillargeon (7-8-15).
Leading +/-: Alex Barron (+14), Daniil Tarasov (+11), Ryan Obuchowski (+11)
Leading PIM: Woody Hudson (51), Daniil Tarasov (49), R.J. Boyd (45)
Leading goaltender: Jon Gillies (10-3-2, 2.41 GAA, .920sv%, 1 SHO), Dalton Izyk (1-2-0, 3.85 GAA, .875 sv%)
Last 5: 3-2-0. Last 10: 5-3-2
Last 5
12/2: vs. Sioux Falls (W 4-1)
11/26: vs. Fargo (W 5-3)
11/25: vs. Sioux City (L 2-4)
11/23: at Green Bay (OTW 4-3)
11/19: at Waterloo (L 2-4)


Gamblers (15-3-1, 1st USHL East)
Head coach: Derek Lalonde
GF: 76 (1st). GA: 40 (1st)
PP: 22.5% (3rd). PK: 88.9% (2nd). PIM: 291 (5th)
OT record: 1-1 SO record: 0-0
Road record: 9-1-0
Leading scorers: Nolan LaPorte (11-9-20), Kyle Novak (8-12-20), Alex Broadhurst (11-6-17), Andy Welinski (6-7-13)
Leading +/-: Andy Welinski (+15), Markus Lauridsen (+12), Nolan LaPorte (+12), Brandon Kirk (+12)
Leading PIM: Sheldon Drees (45), Dakota Mermis (30).
Leading goaltender: Ryan McKay (8-1-1, 1.69 GAA, .932sv%), Michael Rotolo (0-0-0, 2.49 GAA, .943sv%)
Last 5: 4-0-1. Last 10: 8-1-1

Ice next 5 games
12/10: vs. Dubuque
12/11: vs. Dubuque
12/16: at Chicago
12/17: at Chicago
12/18: at Muskegon