2018-19 Weekend Preview: Games 11 & 12 vs. Breezy Point

Oct 19, 2018

THIS WEEKEND’S GAMES:

FRIDAY – Breezy Point @ North Iowa, 7:30 p.m.
SATURDAY – Breezy Point @ North Iowa, 7:30 p.m.

BREEZY POINT NORTH STARS, 2-7-1-0 (ROSTERSTATS)
@ NORTH IOWA BULLS, 5-5-0-0 (ROSTERSTATS)

 

COVERAGE: HockeyTV (video/$), Mixlr (audio/free, Saturday only)

BULLS VS. BREEZY POINT ALL-TIME: 28-1-0

THIS WEEK’S PROMOTIONS:The Bulls will host “Fire and Ice Night” on Friday, with free admission to area firefighters and half-price admission to their families. A hot-wing challenge will be held during the intermissions, with a firetruck bounce house for the younger fans. Saturday, law-enforcement officers will get their night on “Light it Up Night,” with the same admission discounts in effect for law enforcement and their families, and an intermission donut-eating contest. For a schedule of upcoming promotions, click the “Game Day Fun” link at NorthIowaBulls.com.

SPECIAL K: North Iowa alumnus Rihards Marenis is the Bulls’ latest professional success story, earning a call-up to the Kontinental Hockey League’s Dinamo Riga last weekend. Marenis, a Latvian native, scored four goals in seven games with Latvian professional side HK MOGO before earning his call to the KHL. Since then, he has played in three games for Dinamo Riga, registering a shot on goal in his debut.

RIGHT DOWN THE MIDDLE: The Bulls come into the weekend at .500 for the season – while Todd Sanden’s team has never won fewer than 29 regular season games, this is not the latest North Iowa has carried a .500 mark into a contest. The Bulls were 9-9-0-2 as late as Thanksgiving in that opening season in 2011-12 – after winning six of their next 11 games (including a shootout loss), the Bulls wrapped up their season on a 14-2-0-1 run on the way to a West Division semifinal berth.

PREVIOUSLY STARRING ELSEWHERE: Several players on the current Breezy Point roster are players who have come from nearby teams over the last month since these teams last saw each other. Cooper Hoheisel scored the only goal for New Ulm against North Iowa on September 22, the night after the most recent meeting between the Bulls and North Stars. Two others – Iowa natives James Curran and Corey Evers – actually started the season with the Bulls before joining DJ Vold’s team in late September.

RESET THE CIRCUIT BREAKERS: North Iowa improved its power-play mark slightly this past weekend, totaling up a 2-for-12 weekend against the Lumberjacks with the extra man. Ian Doner’s third-period goal on Friday night was a significant one, breaking a run of 27 straight unsuccessful power plays for the Bulls. The last power-play goal prior to Doner’s marker came off the stick of Peter Verstegen on September 22, with 1:24 remaining in a game at the New Ulm Steel.

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