The Arizona Icecats (3-8) finally captured their first home win of the season last Saturday and hope to tack on a few more this weekend when they host Colorado State at the Tucson Convention Center.
“”We’ve got to build on what we did on Saturday,”” said head coach Leo Golembiewski. “”We anticipate it to be a physical game and we’ve got to be ready to play.””
With some newfound confidence and no longer bearing the burden of their five-game losing streak, Golembiewski’s squad needs to ensure that last Saturday’s 2-1 win against Colorado is more than just a one-hit-wonder.
“”It’s good to get the weight off of the shoulders,”” said freshman forward Scotty Willson. “”Hopefully we can string a couple of wins together and get some sweeps.””
If the Icecats hope to garner their first sweep of the season, it is imperative that their offensive attack finally scores some goals.
The Icecats’ offense looked like their strength through the first six games, netting an impressive 25 goals. But during their last five games, the offense has been non-existent — scoring a lackluster 1.4 goals per contest.
“”Our goal scorers need to score,”” Willson added. “”Once we get that clicking, we should be alright.””
The offensive attack seems to be the missing link for an Icecats team that was defensively stellar last Saturday. Freshman goaltender Dave Herman gave the team a much-needed lift, stopping 55 of 56 Colorado shot attempts — good for a .982 save-percentage.
The defensive unit in front of Herman was equally as impressive. Their chemistry is only improving as the season progresses, and the Icecats expect to see a similar performance out of the defense this weekend.
“”I think the defense is getting a lot stronger,”” said 18-year-old defenseman Nick Stolz. “”We’re getting really good at getting the puck out of the zone and not trying to be to fancy.””
In contrast with the first half of the season, in recent games the offense has struggled and the defense has flourished. If the Icecats hope to succeed in their journey back to .500, they must be effective on both sides of the ice and build off of their first home victory.
“”We need to play like we did on Saturday and be tougher in all aspects of the game, from the goalie all of the way to the forwards,”” Willson said. “”We just have to keep battling and take it one game at a time.””
Injury Report
Freshman defenseman Sean MacLachlan is expected to miss the game due to a wrist injury.
Forwards Jordan Schupan and Jeff Back missed some practice time during the week with injuries, but are expecting to play come Friday.
