January 16, 2021 – 7:10 p.m.
Runestone Community Center – Alexandria, Minn.
NORTH IOWA BULLS (11-3-0-0)
@ ALEXANDRIA BLIZZARD (5-6-1-0)
ROSTER: NORTH IOWA // ALEXANDRIA
STATISTICS: NORTH IOWA // ALEXANDRIA
ATTENDING THE GAME: MAP TO ARENA // BUY TICKETS ONLINE
COVERAGE: HockeyTV (video/$)
LIVE STATS: CLICK HERE
BULLS vs. ALEXANDRIA ALL-TIME: 36-6-3
NEXT HOME GAME: North Iowa returns to home ice on Friday, January 22 for “Together We Are Stronger” promotion against the Alexandria Blizzard, to benefit Mason City Youth Hockey. That game will include a bucket run and t-shirt sales to benefit Mason City Youth Hockey, and a scrimmage featuring Mason City Youth Hockey players during the first intermission. For a schedule of upcoming promotions, click here.
KEEP AT IT: The Bulls will take to the ice for their first official game in eight weeks, but North Iowa has done its best to stay active in the interim. North Iowa defeated the Carshield U18 team from St. Louis, 9-1, on December 4 before dropping a 5-4 overtime decision to the Rochester Grizzlies the following night. The December 10-13 weekend featured the Bulls’ first-ever Holiday Classic, a four-game affair against the Sheridan Hawks of the Frontier Division and the St. Louis Jr. Blues from the Central Division. The Bulls dropped a pair of two-goal decisions to the Jr. Blues (4-2, 3-1) but dominated the Hawks by 7-3 and 6-0 counts. Sheridan won both of its games against St. Louis, giving all three teams a 2-2 finish to the weekend. Max Savaloja had the top scoring total for the weekend, with eight points over the four games, including five goals.
AT LONG LAST: Tonight’s game marks the beginning for two North Iowa players who have both had steady runs in exhibition play – Caden Smith makes his Bulls debut, six weeks after his “other” first game with the Bulls, scoring a goal and an assist in the December 4 contest against Carshield U18. Smith made his junior debut earlier this season with the North American Hockey League’s Janesville Jets, while former Minnesota Wilderness blueliner Brendan Sloth had two assists of his own in that game.
LIGHT THE FIRE AGAIN: Several Bulls players will have a chance to re-ignite some torrid scoring runs tonight now that official games have resumed – Jack Campion has perhaps the most impressive streak going right now, with points in four straight and six of his last eight games as a Bull. Leading North Iowa scorer Cal Nauss has notched points in seven of his last nine outings and Garrett Freeman has posted points in five of his last six games entering the long break.
THE BLIZZ SHOW IS BACK: North Iowa’s hosts returned to action last night at Willmar, taking a 5-2 loss to the archrival WarHawks in their first game back. The WarHawks peppered the Blizzard net, putting five goals in against starting goaltender Bailey Rosch, who went to the bench down 5-1 just over halfway through the contest. Caleb Strong picked up two goals in the loss for the Blizzard, his third multi-goal game of the year.
MEDIA NOTES (click the arrow to expand):