Troy Bruins Hockey Team - Troy, Ohio

 
 
Troy, OH- The regularly scheduled NJHL games between the Troy Bruins and Philadelphia Thunder this weekend have been postponed. Rescheduled dates and times are TBA.

Check www.TroyBruins.com regularly for updates.
 
 
Beavercreek hockey all-star takes his shot
By Greg Billing, Dayton Daily News Staff Writer
1:25 AM Sunday, January 17, 2010

Watching from the stands at the Savings Bank Arena in Jamestown, N.Y., Beavercreek’s Lee McClure was scouting the competition and feeling a little nervous about today’s game.

No, not the Northern Junior Hockey League All-Star game. McClure was getting a look at the Russian team his Troy Bruins face in an exhibition prior to that all-star game.

“My first priority is a tough game against a Russian travel team,” the 20-year-old McClure said. “I’m just worried about that. They’re a little bit younger than we are but they’re definitely quick.”

The Bruins play the Russian team at 10 a.m. today, Jan. 17, at Savings Bank Arena. The all-star game is 3 p.m.

This is McClure’s first all-star appearance. His 61 points are fifth best in the league. He’s also third in goals (32) and seventh in assists (29) for the Bruins (20-11), who enter the all-star game in second place.

“I’m more fast than I am quick,” McClure said of his skills. “It’s more body position. ... I feel like I get lucky, I get breaks with my shots on net. Sometimes everything just goes right.”

McClure played at Beavercreek High School for three seasons but left to play for the NAHL’s Youngstown Phantoms his senior year.

His goal is to play professionally next season, perhaps at the level of the ECHL.

Today’s game could give his chances a boost with a variety of scouts in the stands.

“I try not to think about it when I play,” McClure said. “If you do start thinking about it then it’ll be there the rest of the game. ... But just having the chance to make some money would be nice.”

Overall, it’s been a good hockey season for the McClure family. His brother Kevin coaches Beavercreek’s high school team, which is having one of its best seasons, and younger brother Kyle is the Beavers’ goalie.

• The Bruins, meanwhile, fared well at the all-star skills competition Saturday. Troy goalie Allan Dowler won the shootout competition. He was the only goalie to stop every shot facing off against the NJHL’s top shooters.

Corey Evelyn was second in the fastest skater competition and Leonid Kovalev tied for third in shooting accuracy.
 
 
Jamestown, NY - The Troy Bruins continued play in the 2010 NJHL All Star Showcase, hosted by the Jamestown Jets, with a thrilling 6-5 shootout victory over a Russian traveling team in exhibition play Saturday afternoon.

Local hockey fans in Jamestown got their moneys worth early, with an impressive showcase of hockey talent and skill from both the Bruins, in their second game of the weekend, and Team Russia who had traveled from Moscow to face the NJHL's best. Bruins netminder Allan Dowler, who had won the 2010 Skills Competition as best goaltender the previous night, played solid between the pipes for the first twenty minutes, turning aside all Russian chances. Both teams would skate into the first intermission scoreless.

After spending the first stanza "feeling out" the opponent, both clubs offenses kicked into gear, with Team Russia capitalizing on a turnover in the slot for the game's first goal at the 13:07 mark. Troy's Aaron Huber would lead the charge for the Bruins on the K's Hamburger Shop powerplay with a setup feed that lit the lamp less than two minutes later at 11:29 to tie the game at one. Both teams would settle until Bruins defenseman Manny Lopez picked off an errant centering pass in the defensive zone and rushed the puck up the ice before bouncing his shot off the goaltender and in the net, taking the 2-1 lead with 5:43 to go in the middle period, and lead his club into the second intermission on top.

Like an efficient machine, Team Russia retied the game at 2-2 with a goal less than two minutes into the third period with a textbook executed powerplay. Once more, Huber stepped up to the challenge and sniped a pass from Derek McPherson past the Russian netminder just :54 later, this time propelling his team ahead 3-2 with 18:02 to go. Despite being an exhibition contest that is not counted in the standings, both teams intensified as the third period wore on, trading goals the remainder. A big rebound in front of Dowler would tie the game at 3-3 before Gleb Luchnikov advanced the puck up ice, set up Egor Pogodin-Alexeev before he slid it right back to Luchnikov crashing the net for the score at the 13:44 mark to recapture the lead. Bruins All Star captain Lee McClure would provide his team their first two goal lead of the game, with a whipping wrist shot past the goalies shoulder at 8:02, but as if mimicking the Bruins, Team Russia blasted a similar shot past Dowler to cut the lead back to one before a defensive lapse in the Bruins end led to Team Russia's tying goal with just 2:05 to go.

As part of the All Star Showcase, and much to the pleasure of the crowd in the seats, the game progressed into a shootout, with Troy scoring four times out of five rounds, including McClure's second goal of the game, and Huber's "hat trick" earning third goal, to win the game 6-5.

The Bruins finish up the 2010 NJHL All Star Weekend in Jamestown, NY with the All Star Game set for Sunday afternoon at 3:00, with seven Bruins named to the All Star roster.
 
 
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Jamestown, NY - Bruins netminder Allan Dowler didn't intend on receiving a lot of attention on Saturday, but after coming into the Bruins battle against the Grrrowl earlier in the afternoon, Dowler was mentally and physically prepared to wow the crowd at the Jamestown Savings Bank Arena with his flawless performance between the pipes, winning the NJHL Shootout Competition without letting in a single goal.

For the event, goalies from around the league were tested by the best shooters the NJHL has to offer, including Troy's Trent Iffland and Justin Dornhecker, with Dowler the only netminder to not let in a single goal after all the shooters had given their best.

The Bruins fared well in the other events as well, with Scarborough, Ontario, Canada native Corey Evelyn taking second place in the "Fastest Skater" competition with a time of just over fourteen seconds for a lap around the rink, and Leonoid Kovalev tying for third in the "Accuracy Shooting" contest, hitting all four strategic targets on the goal.

"All around our guys did very well out there tonight" noted Bruins President & General Manager after the contest had concluded, most notably proud of former Oxford-Talawanda high school standout Allan Dowler's development and progress in technique over the past few months of the season.

Seven Bruins will represent their town in the 2010 NJHL All Star Game, set for Sunday, January 17 at 3pm, broadcast live over the internet at www.MiamiCountyPost.com.
 
 
Dornhecker earns Hat Trick, Battle To Final Horn

Jamestown, NY - The Troy Bruins (21-12-1) found themselves in the heat of battle with in-state rival Findlay Grrrowl early and often, eventually leading to a last-shot-wins nail biting victory for the Grrrowl Saturday afternoon as part of the 2010 NJHL All Star Weekend & Showcase.

Findlay shot out of the gates early, setting the tempo for the rest of the afternoon with a bounced tip-in goal just over sixty seconds into the game to grab the early lead. Shaken, but not stirred, Shane Hicke's Troy Bruins got down to work after the early opposing score, with the hard work of Gleb Luchnikov picking off an errant Findlay centering pass through neutral ice, and rushing past the Grrrowl defense for a shorthanded breakaway goal to tie the game at one at the 13:06 mark. The "Russian connection" would continue to bless the Bruins offense, this time allowing Troy to take their first lead of the contest at the 10:01 mark, thanks to Luchnikov's setup of fellow Russian native Egor Pogodin-Alexeev. Not to be outdone, Danville, California native Derek McPherson saw an opportunity off an attacking zone faceoff, walking in on the Findlay netminder to blast a wrist shot top shelf, jumping to a two goal lead with 7:39 left in the opener. Despite chances on both ends, it would be Findlay's execution on the Powerplay that would allow the score to slide back to one with a heartbreaking Grrrowl goal with just 27.0 showing on the scoreboard, sending the Bruins into the dressing room after twenty minutes ahead 3-2.

Without missing a beat, the Grrrowl would skate into the middle period with a purpose, this time adding the tying tally just :22 in, before adding the go-ahead goal just over two minutes later to recapture the lead, this time 4-3. Findlay's second lead would be short lived however, as Beavercreek native Aaron Huber would capitalize on a pass from Leonoid Kovalev at the 16:45 mark to even the game at four, before the Grrrowl lit the lamp with a blast through the legs of Bruins netminder Alex Kuzmenko to adjust the scoreboard once more. Again, efficient powerplays propelled Findlay in the second, with their sixth goal scored with the man advantage at the 11:26 mark, and a seventh added at even strength approaching the midway mark of the game. After the goal, Hicke would send Bruins backup goalie Allan Dowler to replace Kuzmenko for what would become the remainder of the game. Things ended on a positive note for the Bruins in the second, as with just a pocketful of seconds remaining in the frame, Justin Dornhecker capitalized on a 4 on 4 odd man rush into the Grrrowl zone to reduce the deficit to two after forty minutes.

After a mostly docile first eighteen minutes of the third period, the game began to grow into a barnburner in the final two minutes. With time winding down in regulation, the Bruins opted to pull Dowler while on a powerplay, giving Troy a rare 6 on 4 man advantage, to which Justin Dornhecker answered the call once again, notching his second consecutive goal to dial up a 7-6 game with just 1:47 left. Yet, with the advantage of the empty net comes its liability when Findlay bounced a long clearing shot two hundred feet down the ice into the Bruins empty net to take an 8-6 lead with just 76 seconds to go. In true "edge of your seat" anticipation, Dornhecker secured the "hat trick" with his third goal with just 22.6 to go in regulation to bring the Bruins back within striking distance, and with the opportunity at the game's last shot with time winding down, Troy would be unable to muster any further goals after sixty minutes, falling to the Grrrowl for only the second time this season, 8-7.

With the loss, the Bruins record now stands at 21-12-1, for 43 points and sole possession of second place in the NJHL. The Bruins continue Showcase action with an exhibition game against the Russian Touring Team at 10:00am on Sunday before concluding the weekend with the 2010 NJHL All Star Game on Sunday at 3:00pm, with seven Bruins featured. Both events on Sunday will be broadcast live and for free by MCP TV by logging onto www.TroyBruins.com and clicking on the "Watch Live Games" button on the left hand side.


 
 
The Northern Junior Hockey League has released its 2010 All Star Rosters for the upcoming 2010 NJHL Showcase & All Star Weekend, on Saturday, January 16 and Sunday, January 17 at the Jamestown Savings Bank Arena in Jamestown, New York.

For the event, seven Bruins were named All Stars to participate in the 2010 NJHL All Star Game on Sunday, January 17 at 3:00pm.

Forward -  Lee McClure #15

Forward -  Gleb Luchnikov #9

Forward -  Josh Tucker #8

Forward -  Aaron Huber #19

Defense. -  Manny Lopez #24

Defense. -  Erik Levin #14

Goal -  Alexander Kuzmenko #33

Additionally, eight other Bruins players have been selected to participate in the 2010 NJHL Skills Competition, held on Saturday night.

FASTEST SKATER COMPETITION
Corey Evelyn #20
Justin Locante #7

HARDEST SHOT COMPETITION
Trent Iffland #5
Egor Pogodin-Alexeev #17

ACCURATE SHOT COMPETITION
Derek McPherson #22
Leonoid Kovalev #11

SHOOTOUT COMPETITION
Goaltender- Allan Dowler #31
Shooter - Justin Dornhecker #27

As part of the 2010 NJHL All Star Showcase and All Star Weekend, most teams, including the Bruins, will also play exhibition games during the weekend, in an effort to showcase the leagues best teams and players to the hockey world. The Bruins will play two exhibition games, which will not count in the regular season standings; first on Saturday afternoon at 3:30pm against the Findlay Grrrowl, and second on Sunday morning at 10am against a Russian touring team, sure to be an exciting test for the second place Bruins.

Despite the events occurring in Jamestown, New York, fans can tune in to watch both Bruins exhibition games, as well as the 2010 NJHL Skills Competition and All Star Game live and for free by visiting www.TroyBruins.com and clicking on the "Watch Live Games" button. Bruins play-by-play broadcaster JT Szabo will call all the exciting action from Jamestown, named one of the official All Star Game broadcasters along with Jamestown Jets broadcaster David Olesky.

The Troy Bruins return home to the historic Hobart Arena in downtown Troy on Saturday, February 6 at 8pm and Sunday, February 7 at 1:30pm to host the third place Jamestown Jets for the first time in franchise history. Tickets are still available for just $7 by visiting TroyBruins.com or calling (937) 985-PUCK. Fans can also register to win FREE TICKETS to the remaining 2010 Bruins home games by visiting www.tdn-net.com or www.dailycall.com, sponsored by I-75 Newspapers & the Troy Bruins.
 
 
Jamestown, NY - The Troy Bruins (now 21-11-1, 2nd NJHL) withstood a physical battle with the Jamestown Jets on the road to stick out an exciting 5-4 win, clinching the weekend sweep, and earning the Bruins their twenty-first win of the season.

With Friday night's Bruins win fresh on their minds, the Jets came out on Saturday and wasted little time scoring the first goal of the game just :21 in to take a very early 1-0 lead on the Bruins. Head coach Shane Hicke allowed his players to shake off the early deficit, and with a noticeable upswing in offensive tempo, the Bruins tied the game at one with Friday night's unsung hero Justin Dornhecker providing a great setup in front of Jets netminder Ethan Adamczyk for Leonid Kovalev to bang in the tying score at the 17:06 mark. Controversy ensued just minutes later as the Jets transitioned off a successful penalty kill to amass a three on one breakaway, eventually kicking in the goal past Bruins netminder Alexander Kuzmenko. Despite the outcry from the Bruins bench, and a lengthy discussion from all three officials on the ice the original goal call stood, with Jamestown reclaiming the one goal lead at 14:21. Bruins leading scorer Josh Tucker lent a helping hand to the cause as a scramble in front of the Jets net allowed him to roof in the tying goal at the 5:07 mark, before the fans in Jamestown were treated to yet another Tucker goal, this time a blast from the blueline with 3:38 to go in the period, to lead his Bruins into the dressing room after twenty minutes ahead 3-2.

Much the same way as on Friday night, the second period would focus more on physicality on both ends, including a round of fisticuffs by Gleb Luchnikov, while the Jets and Bruins would trade goals. The Bruins extended their lead to two with a beautiful centering pass in the slot from Luchnikov to Ontario, Canada native Corey Evelyn at the 10:44 mark, before the Jets notched a low angle shot on Kuzmenko at 7:44. Penalties and the occasional sprawling save by Kuzmenko would await the fans for the remainder of the second period, with the Bruins in the lead 4-3 after forty minutes of play.

Both teams would trade goals in the third as well, with Troy's Corey Evelyn notching his second goal of the game, assisted by Dornhecker, at the 7:55 mark to take a 5-3 lead, and with time beginning to wind down in regulation, Jamestown would manage a sloppy rebound goal in front of Kuzmenko to cut the lead back down to one with just four minutes remaining. Facing the deficit, Jamestown became noticeably panic-ridden with heated tempers in the closing minutes of the game, utilizing any and all tactics to get back into the game including instigating the Bruins at every opportunity, with their head coach even trying to instigate the Bruins from the bench. Despite their last minute antics, the Bruins would once again get the best of the Jets with an exciting 5-4 final score.

With the Saturday win and the weekend sweep, the Bruins record now advances to 21-11-1 and pull three games ahead of the Jets for sole dominance of second place in the NJHL. Fans are reminded to join the Bruins for the weekly Troy Bruins Coaches Show live from Buffalo Wild Wings in Troy at 7:00pm on Monday evening, for a causal discussion on the weekend wins, as well as autograph opportunities and more.
 
 
Bruins Beat Jets In Third Period, 7-3 - Pick Up 20th Win Of The Season

Jamestown, NY - The second place Troy Bruins (20-11-1) notched another milestone in their inaugural season, with their twentieth win on the road Friday night at the Jamestown Savings Bank Arena in Jamestown, New York, as they defeat the third place Jamestown Jets by a final score of 7-3.

Both teams stepped onto the ice in the first period knowing the close proximity in the NJHL standings between Troy and Jamestown, with the tempo of play noticeably upbeat from the opening puck drop. Despite the Jets pressuring for the first offensive chances of the night in front of Bruins starting netminder Alexander Kuzmenko, it would in fact be an odd man rush through neutral ice that allowed Troy veteran captain Lee McClure to slide a pass to line mate Derek McPherson before he bounced it to Serov, Russia native Gleb Luchnikov to put away with a blistering slapshot from the high slot with 13:42 to go in the opening stanza. Unfortunately for the Jets, Luchnikov's shot ended up injuring Jamestown starting goalie Rick Hennard, who would be replaced by backup keeper Lorne Shotwell for the remainder of the game. Despite several chances for each club, the Bruins would skate into the first intermission leading 1-0.

Tempers and scoring chances would flare in the second period, with the intensity carrying over from the opening period, before Troy's Lee McClure would meander his way in front of the Jets net to blast in a snapshot just :44 into the frame, this time assisted by Luchnikov and defenseman Erik Levin to strike a quick 2-0 lead. The Bruins continued to dominate the early minutes of the period, this time as Josh Tucker's centering pass from the blue line connected to the stick of Justin Laconte who roofed in a point blank shot to light the red lamp at the 16:56 mark, giving the Bruins a 3-0 lead. Yet, just as the intensity at the start helped propel the Bruins offense machine, the intensity continued to heighten as the period wore along, this time allowing the Jets to bounce in a garbage rebound goal in front of Kuzmenko less than a minute after Laconte's tally, and a Jets powerplay goal to finish an action-packed middle period with Troy holding onto a 3-2 lead into the second intermission.

In the hostile environment on the road, the Bruins would skate onto the ice for the third period, and control the flow from the beginning, with rookie forward Egor Pogodin-Alexeev notching his first goal as a Bruin off a pass from fellow Russian Gleb Luchnikov at the 16:41 mark to take a two goal lead. In similar fashion to last Thursday's fluke goal against the Bruins in Wooster, Justin Laconte would wrist in a dump-in shot that looked to be headed wide of the net before it glanced off the catching glove of Jamestown's goalie to bounce past the goal line for the fifth Bruins tally, and stun the Jamestown crowd, all at the 10:12 mark of the third. Troy would only allow one Jets goal in the final period of regulation, a powerplay goal with 2:04 left, before the Bruins offense stepped back into gear to secure the team's twentieth victory of the season with two quick goals late; Josh Tucker from Laconte and Justin Dornhecker with 1:24 to go, and a bang-bang play in front of the Jamestown net by Pogodin-Alexeev with just 22.6 second showing on the scoreboard hanging above center ice. After a full sixty minutes of hockey, the Bruins would defeat the third place Jets by a final score of 7-3 and move two games ahead of Jamestown for sole possession of second place in the NJHL.

Both teams will return to the ice at the Jamestown Savings Bank Arena for a 4:00pm afternoon rematch. Catch the live game broadcast with the "voice of the Bruins" JT Szabo handling the call by logging onto www.TroyBruins.com and clicking on the "Watch live games" button.
 
 
The second place Troy Bruins will make the trek to the Jamestown Savings Bank Arena in downtown Jamestown, NY for a weekend series against third place Jamestown Jets starting on Friday, January 8 at 7:35pm and concluding with a special 4:00pm afternoon matinee the following day.

For only the second time in team history, the Bruins will battle the Jets in Jamestown, with the two clubs battling it out in the NJHL standings for second place. Currently the Bruins (now 19-11-1, 37pts) lead the Jets (17-13-1, 35pts) in the standings by a single game.

Friday night's matchup will also be the first for newly acquired Bruins forwards Leonid Kovalev and Egor Pogadin-Alexeev in a Troy uniform. The Bruins and the Jets split the one prior series in Jamestown, with Gleb Luchnikov scoring the game winner for Troy to secure the Sunday victory on December 13, 2009. With both clubs sporting a full roster, this weekend's battle for second place is sure to be a crowd pleaser.

Both games this weekend will be broadcast live and for free through the Troy Bruins Hockey Network, powered by Lee's Chicken and Fox's Pizza Den, with the fan favorite "Voice of the Bruins" JT Szabo handling the call at MiamiCountyPost.com and Flashback96 with the pregame show beginning ten minutes prior to faceoff.
 
 
The Troy Bruins are inviting all fans to spend dinner time with the team and Bucky this Tuesday and Wednesday evenings at the two Wendy's restaurant locations in Troy.

Enjoy good fun and great food at the Wendy's location on Main Street (next to HTM Credit Union) on Tuesday, January 5 from 5:00pm-7:30pm, and at the Archer Drive Wendy's location (SR55 & I-75) on Wednesday, January 6 from 5:00-7:30pm.

Fans can mingle with and obtain autographs from Bruins players and staff as well as enjoy quality food from official 2009-2010 season partner Wendy's.

For More information on this event, and how the Bruins can visit your business or organization, please call 985-PUCK.