Thursday wrap: ex-Ice get some honors

A former Indiana Ice player and a former Indianapolis Ice coach (as well as ex-Checkers player) both received some honors today.

Brian Ferlin, a 2011 Ice alum and Boston Bruins draft pick, was named co-ECAC Player of the Month for his play at Cornell University. Ferlin, a freshman, has five goals and six assists so far in eight games.

Also, check out draft guru Kirk Luedeke's assessment of Ferlin's early-season play.

In other news, former Indianapolis Checker, former Indianapolis Ice head coach and current Fargo Force head coach John Marks learned today he is going to be inducted into the ECHL Hall of Fame. Marks coached for 15 years in the ECHL and won 491 regular-season games, winning championships in both 1996 and 2002.

Also getting inducted is Sheldon Gorski, a right wing who played three games for the Ice as a rookie in 1990-91, but played eight of his 10 pro seasons in the ECHL. He had 316 goals and 608 points as an ECHL player, and 376 goals and 718 points overall in 10 seasons, adding in a year in the CHL with San Antonio and another year in the UHL before retiring in 2000.

Game 17: Fargo at Ice (11/26)

The Indiana Ice's seven-game homestand continues with a second straight contest against a five-win Western Conference team. The Ice have been strong against the East so far, but Friday's 4-2 loss to Sioux City put them 2-4 against the West. The Ice are 7-1-2 against their own division.

Tonight brings the return of old friend John Marks, the former head coach of the IHL Indianapolis Ice from 1991-93 and a member of the Indianapolis Checkers in 1981-82. Marks was named Fargo's head coach this summer. Marks has also won two Kelly Cup championships as a coach in the ECHL. Another former CHL Ice player, Byron Pool, is on the Fargo coaching staff.

Also notable on the Fargo roster is goaltender Zane Gothberg, who was a Boston Bruins draft pick in 2010. He has pretty good numbers despite a 3-7-2 mark this season. Gothberg got the start against Youngstown on Friday, so it's unknown whether he or Reed Peters will get the start in Indy. The Ice will likely start Jon Gillies, as Dalton Izyk got the call on Friday.

The Sean Kuraly-Daniil Tarasov-Jacob Fallon line accounted for both Ice goals in Friday's loss to Sioux City. The highest-scoring line in the league, it's led by Tarasov's 22 points. Robbie Baillargeon will be trying to start a new point-scoring streak, as his run of seven straight games with a point was snapped on Friday. 


Fargo's offense has struggled recently, as the Force have only scored three goals in their last three games. The Force roster features one double-digit point-getter in 10-goal scorer Austin Farley. Expect a physical battle -- Fargo and Indiana are the second and third-most penalized teams in the USHL.

Tonight's game
Fargo Force (5-10-3)
at
Indiana Ice (9-5-2)
7:05 p.m., Pepsi Coliseum


Broadcast: ushl.fasthockey.com

Season series: First meeting


Tale of the Tape
Ice (9-5-2, 4th USHL East)
Head coach: Kyle Wallack
GF: 59 (2nd). GA: 48 (7th)
PP: 35.1% (1st). PK: 87.0 % (5th) PIM: 337 (14th)
OT record: 2-1 SO record: 1-1
Home record: 3-3-2
Leading scorers: Daniil Tarasov (9-13-22), Jacob Fallon (8-11-19), Robbie Baillargeon (7-8-15), Sean Kuraly (6-8-14).
Leading +/-: Daniil Tarasov (+9), Alex Barron (+7)
Leading PIM: Woody Hudson (51, will not dress), Daniil Tarasov (45), R.J. Boyd (43)
Leading goaltender: Jon Gillies (8-3-2, 2.48 GAA, .914sv%, 1 SHO), Dalton Izyk (1-2-0, 3.85 GAA, .875 sv%)
Last 5: 2-3-0. Last 10: 4-4-2
Last 5
11/25: vs. Sioux City (L 2-4)

11/23: at Green Bay (OTW 4-3)
11/19: at Waterloo (L 2-4)
11/18: at Cedar Rapids (SOW 3-2)
11/12: vs. Muskegon (L 4-5)

Force (5-10-3, 6th USHL West)
Head coach: John Marks 
GF: 43 (12th). GA: 60 (15th)
PP: 19.5% (6th). PK: 81.8% (9th). PIM: 342 (15th)
OT record: 0-2 SO record: 2-1
Road record: 3-4-2
Leading scorers: Austin Farley (10-5-15), Willie Corrin (1-8-9), Bryn Chzyzk (7-1-8) 
Leading +/-: Jordan Nelson (+6), Stanislav Dzakhov (+3)
Leading PIM: Austin Farley (43), Colton Hargrove (33).
Leading goaltender: Zane Gothberg (3-7-2, 2.53, .908 sv%, 1 SHO), Reed Peters (2-3-1, 3.79, .876 sv%)

Last 5: 1-3-1. Last 10: 2-6-2

Ice next 5 games
12/2: vs. Sioux Falls
12/3: vs. Green Bay
12/4: vs. Green Bay
12/10: vs. Dubuque
12/11: vs. Dubuque

Ex-Checker, Ice coach Marks takes on the Force

Another former Indianapolis Ice coach is headed behind the bench this summer, as John Marks was named the Fargo Force's head coach today.

Marks played for the Checkers in 1981-82, suiting up in 51 games in what would be his final full season. He split the year with the Chicago Blackhawks, a team for which he would play 657 NHL games. Marks had six goals and 20 assists as a Checker, playing for a team that would eventually win its first of back-to-back CHL championships.

Marks began coaching at the University of North Dakota the next season, assisted a Frozen Four team in 1984, and has been behind the bench virtually ever since. He became the Ice's head coach in 1991, and had a 59-75-14 record in a season and 66 games of the 1992-93 year. He went to the ECHL the following year, and has coached in the minor pro ranks every year since. He won ECHL titles with Charlotte in 1996, Greenville in 2002, and the SPHL title with Fayetteville in 2007. He was also SPHL Coach of the Year in 2007. His last pro assignment was a year with the IHL's Dayton Gems in 2009-10. He most recently coached the Winkler Flyers of the Manitoba Major Junior Hockey League.

Marks replaces Jason Herter, who took a position at the University of Minnesota-Duluth. Former Indianapolis Ice player Byron Pool was the Force's interim coach over the summer.

USHL.com story