The feel-good storylines continue to resonate out of Topeka, as the RoadRunners, who moved to Kansas’ capital this season after playing three seasons in Santa Fe, N.M., locked up their first-ever NAHL South Division regular-season title last weekend.
“The growth and development of this year’s team has been fun to watch,” said RoadRunners coach-GM Scott Langer, whose club finished the regular season with a 39-11-8 mark.
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“We started this season on a bit of a roller coaster and ended as the winningest team in franchise history.”
Topeka wrapped up its regular season with a pair of wins in Texas, starting with a 5-3 triumph over the Tornado on Friday. Reed Seckel tallied two goals and an assist in the win, while Corey Jendras added a goal and two assists. Between the pipes, goaltender Bryce Merriam made 18 saves.
Eriah Hayes’ third hat trick of the season lifted the RoadRunners to a 4-1 win over the Wichita Falls Wildcats on Saturday. Josh Kamrass connected for the other Topeka marker, and goaltender Lyle Rocker steered aside 27 shots.
“We lost a lot of key players from last year’s team, and to have the first-year players and veteran leadership that we do is what’s taken us a long way,” said Langer.
So has the local support. With a 22-4-1 mark at the Kansas Expocentre this season and an average attendance of over 1,500 a game, there’s no question the fans have played a major role in the team’s good fortunes.
“The local fan base has been phenomenal,” said RoadRunners director of media relations-broadcasting Arch Ecker. “Our guys get a measurable charge out of playing for this town. The fans have really been a seventh man when we play at home.”
Langer recalls a late October weekend as a turning point in the season. After dropping a frustrating 3-2 decision to the Wildcats on a Friday, Topeka rebounded with a 2-1 win the next night, kicking off a six-game winning streak.
“That night I truly believe was the point in the season where this group never looked back,” said Langer. “These players have been on a mission ever since and now we’re looking forward to heading into the playoffs.
“There’s no doubt we know the playoffs are a whole new beast, but if we continue to battle and work the way we ended the year, success will follow.”
Langer credits all of his first-year players for rising to the occasion this season, as well as veterans like Kamrass, Jendras, Merriam, John Stoddard and Aaron Gens.
“They’ve all evolved into the leaders this team lacked a year ago,” said Langer. “Our success this season is directly related to these players’ ability to live and learn from the past and lead this team day in and day out. They’re exceptional at making everyone feel part of our family.”
Merriam, for one, has made marked strides. Now in his third NAHL season – he began his junior career with the Mahoning Valley Phantoms - the 20-year-old from Pittsburgh finished the regular season as one of the league’s top goaltenders.
“Bryce has been one of the hardest-working goaltenders I’ve had here,” praised Langer. “He continues to improve everyday. He’s matured into a very solid goaltender with a ton of upside.
“What I like about him is that he cares more about the wins than the rest of his numbers. He brings experience in the nets and we’ll look for that in the next few weeks.”
The RoadRunners’ on-ice success is also leading to good news on the college front. With Eric Artman (Air Force), Gens (Alaska-Fairbanks) and Jendras (Connecticut) already committed, a number of other RoadRunners are weighing their options for next season.
“Without getting too specific, I can say that yes, we have players in discussions with schools and have visits and financial considerations being examined,” said Langer. “Some players have turned down offers in anticipation of better ones.
“We have a young team, and we feel comfortable that the majority of our players will achieve their personal educational goals.”
Regardless of what the RoadRunners do in the postseason, Langer is nothing short of proud of what his charges have accomplished this year.
“Our season has been a success, no matter the finish,” said the coach. “These players are winners and that's the biggest thing to me.”
Not that he’s counting out a trip to the Robertson Cup Championship, which crowns the NAHL champion and USA Hockey’s Tier 2 Junior A national champion.
“There’s no doubt this team is capable of big things and we believe St. Louis is a possibility,” said Langer, whose team finished the regular season on a 9-0-1 run. “One thing we’ve been good at as a team is not looking ahead; we take everything one game at a time. We won't change a thing.”
First up for the RoadRunners is a divisional semifinals series date with the Tornado, which finished fourth in the South Division this season.
“Texas is a deep team,” said Langer. “We’ll need to play a very energetic disciplined game.
“I expect this series to be pretty tight every game.”
FINAL REGULAR-SEASON STANDINGS/LEADERS
North Division
TEAM GP W-L-OTL PTS PCT GF GA
zSt. Louis 58 47-9-2 96 .828 250 149
xMahoning Valley 58 36-18-4 76 .655 227 173
xAlpena 58 30-23-5 65 .560 184 177
xUSNTDP 58 28-26-4 60 .517 177 186
Traverse City 58 23-23-12 58 .500 176 203
Marquette 58 26-29-3 55 .474 186 216
South Division
TEAM GP W-L-OTL PTS PCT GF GA
yTopeka 58 39-11-8 86 .741 242 137
xFairbanks 58 39-15-4 82 .707 183 129
xWichita Falls 58 38-18-2 78 .672 221 181
xTexas 58 20-33-5 45 .388 165 201
Alaska 58 16-38-4 36 .310 158 270
Kenai River 58 12-38-8 32 .276 144 257
Central Division
TEAM GP W-L-OTL PTS PCT GF GA
yNorth Iowa 58 38-16-4 80 .690 195 137
xSo. Minnesota 58 29-21-8 66 .569 203 229
xAlexandria 58 29-25-4 62 .534 222 223
xSpringfield 58 27-26-5 59 .509 190 190
Fargo-Moorhead 58 25-30-3 53 .457 201 199
Bismarck 58 20-32-6 46 .397 148 215
x - clinched playoff berth y - clinched division title z - clinched league title
LEADING SCORERS
PLAYER TEAM P GP G A PTS
Cardwell, Adam WIC F 56 32 59 91
Salazar, Luke WIC F 58 41 46 87
Walters, Shea NIO F 57 24 60 84
Nesper, Luke ALX F 57 26 55 81
Lickteig, Mikael ALX F 58 34 40 74
Warda, Ben STL F 58 31 43 74
Graham, Derek MVY F 57 30 42 72
Peterson, Erik ALP F 56 24 47 71
(three players tied with 69)
LEADING GOALTENDERS
PLAYER TEAM GPI MINS W-L-OTL GAA SPCT
Moss, Robby NIO 41 2389:57 28-7-4 1.91 .940
Reichard, Cody FBX 51 2991:05 33-15-2 2.05 .935
Merriam, Bryce TPK 44 2662:22 26-11-7 2.23 .900
Heeter, Cal STL 34 1972:00 25-6-1 2.43 .917
Johnson, Mike STL 26 1522:57 21-3-1 2.56 .909
GOALS
PLAYER TEAM P GP G Salazar, Luke WIC F 58 41
O’Kane, Kyle STL F 52 40
ASSISTS
PLAYER TEAM POS GP A
Walters, Shea NIO F 57 60
Cardwell, Adam WIC F 56 59
PLUS/MINUS
PLAYER TEAM POS GP +/-
Gens, Aaron TPK D 53 +41
Nesper, Luke ALX F 57 +34
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
North Division: Kory Kaunisto - Traverse City North Stars
Traverse City forward Kory Kaunisto struck for three goals and an assist last weekend as the North Stars skated to a two-game sweep over Marquette. On Friday, the 18-year-old notched a goal in a 2-1 triumph. The next night, the Northern Michigan University recruit from Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., tallied two more goals and assisted on Kyle Bonis’ game-winner in a 7-5 victory over the Rangers. With the wins, the North Stars claimed the SmithBarney Challenge Cup, awarded to the Traverse City-Marquette season-series winner.
"Kory was a tremendous force for us all weekend, and not just with the goal-scoring," said Stars coach-GM Anthony Palumbo. "He's a big part of everything we do - power play, penalty kill, you name it. He had a great weekend and helped us close the season on a very positive note."
HONORABLE MENTION: Mahoning Valley defenseman Trent Bonnett
Central Division: Mikael Lickteig - Alexandria Blizzard
Alexandria forward Mikael Lickteig tallied two goals and three assists last weekend as the Blizzard skated to a 2-0-1 record. On Friday, the 20-year-old scored a goal and an assist in a 3-2 victory over North Iowa. The next night, the Little Falls, Minn., native recorded an assist as the Blizzard fell to the Outlaws in a shootout, 4-3. Lickteig ended his week with a one-goal, one-assist performance in a 6-4 triumph over Fargo-Moorhead on Sunday. He was also a plus-1 for the week.
“Licky brings it every game for us and last weekend was no different,” said Blizzard coach-GM Brad Willner. “Whatever Division I team lands Mikael will be thrilled. He's a great hockey player and a great guy.”
HONORABLE MENTION: Fargo-Moorhead forward Marc Harrie and defenseman Brandon Bukowski
South Division: Peter Kavaya - Fairbanks Ice Dogs
Fairbanks defenseman Peter Kavaya rang up a goal and three assists last weekend as the Ice Dogs wrapped up their regular season with two wins over Alaska. On Friday, the 21-year-old recorded an assist in a 5-2 triumph. The next night, the Western Michigan University recruit from San Clemente, Calif., connected for a goal and two assists in another 5-2 Ice Dogs win. He was also a plus-3 for the weekend.
“Peter’s performance last weekend was outstanding and we’re expecting him to play a big role for us as we enter the playoffs,” said Ice Dogs assistant coach Josh Hauge. "He's a talented player at both ends of the ice."
LAST WEEK'S SCORES/HIGHLIGHTS
Tuesday, March 25
Springfield 1 @ St. Louis 4 (STL: Warda, GWG, A, +2)
Friday, March 28
North Iowa 2 @ Alexandria 3 (ALX: Nesper-Lickteig, G, A, +1)
Springfield 1 @ Bismarck 2 (SO) (BIS: Grogan, 31 saves)
Alaska 2 @ Fairbanks 5 (FBX: Carlson, G, 2A)
Southern Minnesota 0 @ Fargo-Moorhead 8 (FM: Buegler, 29 saves)
USNTDP 2 @ Mahoning Valley 3 (MV: Winter, G, GWG)
Traverse City 2 @ Marquette 1 (TC: Paliafito, 24 saves)
Topeka 5 @ Texas 3 (TOP; Seckel, 2G, A)
Saturday, March 29
North Iowa 4 @ Alexandria 3 (SO) (NI: Harcharik, SOG, A)
Springfield 0 @ Bismarck 1 (BIS: Kremer 49 saves)
Alaska 2 @ Fairbanks 5 (FBX: Kavaya, G, 2A, +3)
Southern Minnesota 4 @ Fargo-Moorhead 6 (FM: Harrison, G, A)
USNTDP 2 @ Mahoning Valley 5 (MV: Moser, G, A)
Traverse City 7 @ Marquette 5 (TC: Bonis, G, GWG, A, +3)
Topeka 4 @ Wichita Falls 1 (TOP: Hayes, 2G, GWG, +3)
Sunday, March 30
Fargo-Moorhead 4 @ Alexandria 6 (ALX: Kincaid, G, GWG, +1)
AROUND THE NAHL
PLAYOFF SCHEDULE ANNOUNCED: The NAHL has announced the schedule of the best-of-five divisional semifinals series of the Robertson Cup Playoffs. See the complete schedule at nahl.com.
KAVAYA HEADED TO WESTERN MICHIGAN: Fairbanks defenseman Peter Kavaya, 21, has committed to Western Michigan University (CCHA) for next year. Now in his third NAHL season, Kavaya, from San Clemente, Calif., finished the regular season with six goals for 27 points in 56 games.
MOSS TIES NAHL RECORD: North Iowa goaltender Robby Moss, 20, tied an NAHL record for highest save percentage in a regular season (.940). Bozeman Icedogs netminder Matt Dalton fashioned the same mark in 2005-06.
BIG WEEKEND FOR BONNETT: Mahoning Valley defenseman Trent Bonnett, 20, picked up three assists last weekend as the Phantoms ended their regular season with a two-game sweep over the U.S. Under-17 Team. “Trent continues to come up huge for us defensively,” said Phantoms assistant coach Curtis Carr. “We always put him up against the opponent’s top line and he excels. He’s a big part of our team.”
NAHL, SHERWOOD EXTEND AGREEMENT: The NAHL has agreed to a two-year contract extension with Sherwood Hockey, the Official Equipment Supplier of the NAHL. As part of the agreement, Sherwood will be recognized as the title sponsor of the NAHL Showcase, Top Prospects Tournament and Futures events. It will also continue to sponsor the NAHL Player of the Week awards.
STRONG FINISH FOR KRAMER: Bismarck goaltender Jake Kremer, 19, ended his season with a 49-save shutout over Springfield on Saturday (1-0).
COOL HAND LUKE: Alexandria forward Luke Nesper, 20, has recorded points in his last 12 games (22). The Blizzard is 9-2-1 during that stretch.
AT IT A GENS: Topeka’s Aaron Gens, 21, finihsed as the NAHL’s top-scoring defenseman this year with 58 points.
THE WEEK AHEAD
U.S. Under-17 Team vs. St. Louis Bandits
Game 1: Friday, April 4 @ St. Louis, 7:15 p.m.
Game 2: Saturday, April 5 @ St. Louis, 7:15 p.m.
Game 3: Sunday, April 6 @ St. Louis, 5 p.m.
Game 4: Saturday, April 12 @ USA, 7 p.m.*
Game 5: Sunday, April 13 @ USA, TBD*
Alpena IceDiggers vs. Mahoning Valley Phantoms
Game 1: Friday, April 4 @ Mahoning Valley, 7:15 p.m.
Game 2: Saturday, April 5 @ Mahoning Valley, 7:15 p.m.
Game 3: Thursday, April 10 @ Alpena, 7 p.m.
Game 4: Friday, April 11 @ Alpena, 7 p.m.*
Game 5: Sunday, April 13 @ Mahoning Valley, 6 p.m.*
Springfield Jr. Blues vs. North Iowa Outlaws
Game 1: Friday, April 4 @ North Iowa, 7:30 p.m.
Game 2: Saturday, April 5 @ North Iowa, 7:30 p.m.
Game 3: Friday, April 11 @ Springfield, 7:30 p.m.
Game 4: Saturday, April 12 @ Springfield, 7:30 p.m.*
Game 5: Sunday, April 13 @ North Iowa, 7 p.m.*
Alexandria Blizzard vs. Southern Minnesota Express
Game 1: Saturday, April 5 @ Southern Minnesota, 7:30 p.m.#
Game 2: Sunday, April 6 @ Southern Minnesota, 7:30 p.m.#
Game 3: Friday, April 11 @ Alexandria, 7 p.m.
Game 4: Saturday, April 12 @ Alexandria, 7 p.m.*
Game 5: Sunday, April 13 @ Southern Minnesota, TBA#*
Texas Tornado vs. Topeka RoadRunners
Game 1: Saturday, April 5 @ Topeka, 7:05 p.m.
Game 2: Sunday, April 6 @ Topeka, 5:05 p.m.
Game 3: Friday, April 11 @ Texas, 8 p.m.
Game 4: Saturday, April 12 @ Texas, 2 p.m*
Game 5: @ Topeka, TBA*
Wichita Falls Wildcats vs. Fairbanks Ice Dogs
Game 1: Friday, April 4 @ Fairbanks, 7:30 p.m.
Game 2: Saturday, April 5 @ Fairbanks, 7:30 p.m.
Game 3: Friday, April 11 @ Wichita Falls, 7:05 p.m.
Game 4: Saturday, April 12 @ Wichita Falls, 7:05 p.m.*
Game 5: Sunday, April 13 @ Wichita Falls, 3:30 p.m.&*
* if necessary
# Kasson, MN
& Home game for Fairbanks
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