The Mustangs return to the Ice Sheet after a challenging series in Seattle. They play host to the Northern Colorado Eagles for the first time this season. The former divisional rival returns to Ogden after many historically intense battles between both clubs. There will be plenty of action ready for you this weekend in front of what will be a packed house at the Ice Sheet.
Game Notes are compiled by the Ogden Mustangs broadcasting and media Director, Steffen Bell. Catch the Mustangs live during the games via Black Dog Hockey.
Mustangs this Season
The Mustangs come into the weekend with a record of 29-3-1-1. The Mustangs still currently sport the best points percentage in the WSHL and 2nd in total points, trailing only the El Paso Rhinos. The Mustangs will play three of the next four series at home beginning with this weekend’s matchup. Head Coach Jake Laime has added some key additions in the past month and now touts one of the best-assembled rosters in recent years. Ogden is currently 1st in goals-for (238) and 2nd in goals-against (52) while also sporting the best all-around special teams unit in the WSHL.
Mustangs Historically
2019 is the ninth season of Mustangs hockey. Head Coach Jake Laime is in his eighth season. The Mustangs won division championships in 2014, 2015, 2018, and last season in 2019. Total points earned and team winning percentage increased each of the first six seasons. For the past seven seasons, the Mustangs have been considered in the top tier of teams in the WSHL, with deep runs in the playoffs each season, but are still looking for their first league title. The Mustangs have established themselves as the top producer of NCAA commitments in the WSHL. They had nine players commit from last season’s roster and have had 40+ overall, including Matus Spodniak’s NCAA DI commitment to American International College.
Eagles this Season
The Eagles come into the weekend with a record of 17-6-1-2. The Eagles begin their second half of the season with the trip to Ogden. They last played in the Las Vegas Showcase and defeating the Hinton Timberwolves (4-1) and Fresno Monsters (4-3 SO) before losing to the Ontario Avalance (2-1 OT) The Eagles are currently 5th in the WSHL with 58 goals against and eight of their contests being decided by a single goal. The Eagles are the second-least penalized team this season.
Eagles Historically
2019-20 is the seventh season of Northern Colorado Eagles hockey. After rebranding from the once Colorado Jr Eagles, this will be the sixth season in total for the franchise. Once a Mountain division rival, the Eagles now compete in the highly-competitive Mid-Western division in the WSHL. Last season, the Eagles finished with a 28-19-1-2 record before losing in the Divisional semifinals against the Oklahoma City Blazers in a decisive third game. The last time they beat the Mustangs was March 23, 2018, where they picked up a 3-1 victory in the opening contest of the three-game Divisional semifinals matchup. The Eagles best season came in 2015-16, where they accumulated a record of 43-7-0-2 but were ultimately defeated by the Idaho Jr Steelheads in the Thorne Cup Finals Championship by a score of 3-2. The Eagles are coached by Steve Haddon, who is now in his seventh season as coach.
All-time Series
Now in the sixth season of matchups, Tuesday will be the 38th all-time meeting between the Mustangs and this Northern Colorado Eagles franchise. The Mustangs lead the all-time series 25-9-0-3. The Mustangs have not faced the Eagles since last year, where the Mustangs swept the early season series and ending with double the amount of goals (16-8). In the 2017-18 season, the Mustangs faced the Eagles nine times and winning seven of them. In one of the most memorable series at the Ice Sheet, Ian Currie scored GWG with 1:08 left to send them onto a deciding third game where Matus Spodniak delivered an epic goal that eventually sealed the game and sent the Mustangs through to the divisional finals.
Players to Watch
For the Eagles, they feature a very tough and rugged lineup with plenty of size and speed. They are lead on offense by forward Jacob Elik. He has 12 goals and 29 assists in his fourth season of junior hockey in the WSHL. Next up is forward Brennan McFarland, who is second on the team with 33 points. Dawson Grebinski currently leads the Eagles with 14 goals scored in his first year of hockey in the WSHL. On defense, Kaden Whaley and John Campbell pace the scoring with 15 and 13 points, respectively. They also feature some giants in defenseman Evan Wammes and forward Banks Burkart that will look to disrupt play in both ends of the rink. Goaltender Marshall Murphy is the man in net for the Eagles with a record of 14-5-1 on the season. He currently sits at a .935 save % and 2.1 GAA. The back up is Tanner Ames and is 4-1-1 with a .927 save % and 2.16 GAA.
For the Mustangs, they now boast five players with 22 goals or more and nine players in double digits. Shane Gilbert (66 points), Bryson Bartell (56 points) and Zach Pires (55 points) are the top-3 scorers on the Mustangs this season. Lukas Vacin leads the Mustangs in goals scored with 28 in 26 games played. Gleb Krivoshpakin has 22 goals in 26 games played. Recent additions Emil Svartbro (43 points) and David Sudbrink 5 points in 6 games) are proving to increase the scoring depth of the Mustangs attack. The defense has plenty of scoring of its own with Johan Zollner (35 points), Ramil Talipov (35 points), Oliver Wieringa (33 points), and newly acquired Christoffer Juvas (30 points) all pitching in from the backend. Travis Allen remains as the #1 goaltender in net and has been nothing short of spectacular since joining this Ogden group. He now boasts a 9-3 record, .940 SV% and 1.50 GAA.
Team Stats/Statistics/Other Player Notes
Mustangs special teams statistics: Powerplay – 32/134 – 24% (2nd) Penalty kill – 138/153 – 90% (3rd) The Mustangs are No. 1 in the WSHL with 18 shorthanded goals this season
Eagles special teams statistics: Powerplay – 20/90 – 22% (7th) Penalty kill – 94/102 – 92% (1st)
WSHL Info
Northwest Division Standings
Ogden Mustangs – 90 points
Utah Outliers – 64 points
Seattle Totems - 40 points
Bellingham Blazers - 31 points
Southern Oregon Spartans – 11 points
West Sound Admirals – 0 points - Defunct
Overall WSHL Standings
El Paso Rhinos – 93 points
Ogden Mustangs – 90 points
Hinton Timberwolves – 70 points
Edson Aeros – 66 points
Fresno Monsters – 66 points
Utah Outliers – 64 points
Oklahoma City Blazers – 61 points
Northern Colorado Eagles – 55 points
Pueblo Bulls – 53 points
This week and weekend’s Northwest Division matchups
Northern Colorado Eagles @ Ogden Mustangs
Southern Oregon Vs. Seattle Totems
Keys to the Game:
Stick to Our Game
The Mustangs play their best when they control the puck and continue to keep pressure in the attacking zone. The defenseman do an excellent job of moving the puck quickly and not allow teams to have too much time-on-attack. During the Outliers and Totems contests, the Mustangs dictated much of each game but had sudden lapses that resulted in opposing goals. Such is life and the Mustangs are ready to move on.
Penalties
We talked with Coach Laime in regards to what would be a crucial part of the game moving forward in the season and it was clear: Either be better at killing penalties or stay out of the box. The Mustangs are dangerous in all facets of the game, but killing penalties too often can result in tough sledding as the game moves further along.
Go Mustangs!
#OMHockey | @Ogdenmustangs
Go Mustangs!
#OMHockey | @Ogdenmustangs