A perfect opener

The Ice extended their franchise-best winning streak to open the season by beating the Team USA U17 squad for the third straight time, winning 4-2 tonight at the Pepsi Coliseum.

A crowd of 4,406 flocked to the Coliseum to see the Ice score three power-play goals. The Ice power play -- which came into the night at a ridiculous 46 percent clip -- converted on 3 of 7 opportunities tonight. The first two Team USA penalties resulted in a 2-0 Ice lead, and it kept growing from there.

With Trevor Hamilton in the box for interference, Jacob Fallon scored on a feed from Daniil Tarasov to make it 1-0 just 4:55 into the contest.

Tarasov scored with 25 seconds left on a 4-on-3 power play at 17:23 of the first to make it a 2-0 lead. Twenty-five seconds remained on Tyler Motte's high-sticking minor atthe time of the goal. The Ice's Cody Bradley and USA's Trevor Hamilton were also both in the box for independent infractions. Fallon had the first assist on the goal.

Tarasov -- the Ice's leading scorer -- had two goals and an assist on the night and now has nine points on the year. Sean Kuraly had three assists, while Alex Barron had two. Fallon had a goal and an assist.

Drew Smolczynski made it 3-0 with 9:38 left in the second period on another power play goal. Tarasov'x second goal came with 3:03 left in the second and came just 1:39 after Luke Voltin scored for Team USA.

The Ice played tremendously in front of Jon Gillies, who made 19 saves in the victory. Gillies only had to make four saves in the third period.

As one might expect for two teams who played each other three times in eight days, the game did feature two fights -- Christian Hilbrich and USA's Michael McCarron tangled up with 7:17 left in the second. Tarasov tangled with USA's Connor Clifton with 7:42 left in the game -- Clifton also received a slashing minor, Tarasov a roughing minor in the skirmish -- and both received fighting misconduct penalties.

Three stars
1. Daniil Tarasov (2 goals, assist, +1, 4 shots. 4-5-9 points on the year)
2. Sean Kuraly (3 assists, +1, 6 shots, 2-6-8 points on the year)
3. Jon Gillies (19 saves, 1 GA, win, now 3-0-0 in net on the year)

USHL boxscore

Next five games
Friday, Oct. 21: at Tri-City, 8:05
Saturday, Oct. 22: at Lincoln, 8:05
Friday, Oct. 28: vs. Waterloo, 7:05
Saturday, Oct. 29: vs. Waterloo, 7:05 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 4: vs. Cedar Rapids, 7:05 p.m.

Tonight's game: Home opener: Ice vs. Team USA

The Ice play the USNDTP U17 for the third of three consecutive games tonight, and it's the home opener at Pepsi Coliseum. Cody Bradley's five-point effort last weekend against the U17s was enough to earn him USHL Offenisve Player of the Week honors. The puck drops at 7 p.m. at the Coliseum tonight.

The U17 team has a couple of familiar faces -- or names. Leading scorer Tyler Kelleher was drafted by the Ice earlier this year but opted to join the national team development program instead. New head coach Danton Cole is a former Indianapolis Ice player, suiting up for 32 games in 1995-96. The Ice's power play has been the envy of the USHL so far. We'll see if they can extend their best-in-team-history 3-0 start tonight!

Tonight's game
USNDTP U17 (1-2-1)
at

Indiana Ice (3-0-0) 
7 p.m., Pepsi Coliseum, Indianapolis.


Broadcast: ushl.fasthockey.com

Season series: Ice 2, USA 0 (vs. U17 ice 2-0)
Oct. 8 (at Ann Arbor): Ice 7, USA 4: Ice score five straight to erase early 3-2 deficit. Cody Bradley G/2A, Sean Kuraly, Robert Gawron, Robert Polosello G/A each. Dalton Izyk 24 saves in goal for W. Hudson Fasching G/A for USA.
Oct. 7 (at Ann Arbor): Ice 5, USA 3: The Ice score 3 in the 3rd to win. Robert Polosello 2G, Sean Kuraly G/A for Ice. Indy 3-5 on PP. Tyler Kelleher G/A for USA. Jon Gillies W in goal.


Tale of the Tape
Ice (3-0-0)
Head coach: Kyle Wallack
GF: 16 (t2nd). GA: 10 (t7th)
PP: 46.1% (1st). PK: 80.0% (11th)
Home record: 0-0-0
Leading scorers: Daniil Tarasov (2-4-6), Cody Bradley (2-4-6), Robert Polosello (4-1-5), Sean Kuraly (2-3-5), Alex Barron (0-4-4),
Leading +/-: Cody Bradley (+4), Christian Hilbrich (+4), Robert Polosello (+4), Alex Barron (+4)
Leading PIM: R.J. Boyd (19), Joe Fiala (14)
Leading goaltender: Jon Gillies (2-0-0, 2.93 GAA, .905sv%), Dalton Izyk (1-0-0, 4.00 GAA, .857 sv%)

Team USA (1-2-1)
Head coach: Danton Cole
GF: 19 (1st). GA: 18 (16th)
PP: 28.0% (3rd). PK: 70.0% (t13th)
Road record: 0-0-0
Leading scorers: Tyler Kelleher (4-1-5), Luke Voltin (2-3-5), J.T. Compher (3-1-4), Hudson Fasching (1-3-4), Tyler Motte (1-3-4), Michael McCarron (0-4-4), Anthony Louis (3-0-0)
Leading +/-: Connor Chatham (+3), Luke Voltin (+3)
Leading PIM: Scott Savage (10), Steven Santini (8)
Leading goaltender: Hunter Miska (1-1-0, 4.00 GAA, .846 sv%), Curtis Frye (0-1-1, 4.32 GAA, .866 sv%).

USA Hockey

Not Ice-related, but USHL-related.

The United States Under-18 national team -- which competes in the USHL -- is playing Canada today in the semifinals of the IIHF U18 World Championships. Team USA defeated Switzerland, Russia and Germany. The game is at 12:30 p.m. today. Live webcast

Also, the USA men's national team has been announced that will compete in the IIHF World Championships starting April 30 in Slovakia. This team will likely add a couple of players after the first round of the NHL Playoffs, but the 19-man roster includes nine USHL alumni.
Ty Conklin (Green Bay/St. Louis Blues)
Mike Komisarek (USNDTP/Toronto Maple Leafs)
Mark Stuart (Rochester, USNDTP/Atlanta Thrashers)
Andy Miele (Cedar Rapids, Chicago/2011 Hobey Baker winner at Miami University)
Chris Porter (Lincoln/St. Louis Blues)
Craig Smith (Waterloo/University of Wisconsin)
Tim Stapleton (Green Bay/Atlanta Thrashers)
Yan Stastny (Omaha/CSKA Moscow-KHL)
Blake Wheeler (Green Bay/Atlanta Thrashers)

Also, USA Hockey hockey operations director Jim Johannsen is a former Ice player from the IHL days.