MASON CITY, Iowa – North Iowa Bulls forward Carson Jones will be the first to tell you he isn’t satisfied with how last weekend turned out for his team.
The Bulls got only three of the six points they were looking for going into last weekend, but Jones’s impact on North Iowa’s performance in their three games simply can’t be overstated.
With that in mind, Jones can be more than satisfied with how his personal week wrapped up, with the North American Tier 3 Hockey League’s Bauer Hockey West Division Star of the Week Award. It’s the sixth time a Bulls player has locked up the West Division Star of the Week honor, and the first since Sota Isogai brought home the hardware on February 9.
Jones finished with six points on the weekend, including assists on two go-ahead goals in last Friday’s 4-3 shootout win over the Granite City Lumberjacks. The Eden Prairie, Minnesota native made a sensational pass to Isogai for the opening goal in the final minute of the first period, and also assisted on Cal Nauss’s power play goal with 2:37 remaining.
On Saturday, Jones himself started the scoring just seven minutes into a 3-2 shootout loss to the Lumberjacks, but he saved his best for last in a Sunday matinee at the New Ulm Steel. Jones scored two goals, including a game-tying goal with 5:51 left in the first period. His assist on Nauss’s power play tally halfway through the second period helped to push his scoring haul to a half-dozen points for the weekend.
That extra effort has also vaulted him firmly into the team’s scoring lead with nine games remaining, with 18 goals and 15 assists. His 33 points currently has him three points clear of Nauss, and seven points above the rest of the field as North Iowa enters a pivotal three-game weekend against the Willmar WarHawks. Any two wins would give the Bulls home-ice advantage in the opening round of the Fraser Cup West Division playoffs in April.
The Bulls get back on home ice on Thursday in the first of those three games, with the opening puck drop scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on “Thirsty Thursday” at the Mason City Multipurpose Arena. Live streaming coverage of Thursday’s game is available on HockeyTV, with free audio streaming on Mixlr. To purchase tickets to that game or any upcoming home game, click here.
Updated news and information on the North Iowa Bulls’ 10th Anniversary season are always available at www.northiowabulls.com, and by following the team’s social media platforms on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.