Troy Bruins Hockey Team - Troy, Ohio

 
 
Troy, OH - It only seems fitting that the Bruins would sweep the Findlay Grrrowl with an 8-7 sudden death shootout win on Sunday afternoon, the identical score that the Grrrowl employed to defeat the Bruins in their last meeting prior to Saturday night's 5-2 Bruins win in front of a record crowd of 1,217 inside the historic Hobart Arena as part of Deaf Awareness Night and Hits 105.5 Night.

After the record-size crowd pleaser on Saturday night, the Bruins struggled early to begin the Sunday afternoon matinee rematch, with Findlay finding their stride to cash in on a quick goal to start the game less than five minutes in. For Shane Hicke's Bruins club, it would take a K's Hamburger Shop powerplay to shake off the rust, as Danville, California native Derek McPherson connected on a pass from Aaron Huber to even the score 1-1 at the 5:58 mark. Yet, the Grrrowl found success on their powerplay chances as well, scoring their second go-ahead goal of the game on the man advantage with 3:33 to go in the period, before a surging Corey Evelyn would bang in a setup feed from Lee McClure to once again force the tie just :33 later at the three minute mark. In a first period marred with defending zone giveaways, the Bruins would turnover the puck into the slot for the third Grrrowl goal with just 10.4 showing on the clock, sending Troy into the first intermission trailing 3-2. Findlay would lead in shots 17-10 after twenty minutes.

History would repeat itself early in the second, with the Grrrowl bouncing in a rebound past starting netminder Alexander Kuzmenko to take a two goal lead, but the Bruins regrouped and refocused, ultimately leading to Justin Dornhecker's end to end rush towards the Grrrowl net, stuffing the puck to light the lamp and cut the lead back to one at the 14:17 mark. In what seemed to be hockey's equivalent to a "swap meet", it was then the Grrrowl's turn to score at the 13:33 mark to reclaim the double point lead. Despite chances in the attacking zone, the Bruins would be unable to chip away at the Findlay lead until nearing the midway point in the game, when Flint, Michigan native and Hobart Welding institute student John Rubel capitalized on a centering pass from Russia natives Egor Pogodin-Alexeev and Gleb Luchnikov at 10:53. While Kuzmenko would blank the Grrrowl for the remainder of the period, the Bruins would add the tying goal just less than a minute later at the 10:54 mark with fellow European Leonid Kovalev dekeing the Findlay netminder and plowing the puck to the back of the net, assisted by Rubel and Erik Levin. After forty minutes, both clubs headed into the second intermission deadlocked at 5, with Findlay out shooting the Bruins 29-21.

Findlay would continue to control the flow of the game into the first half of the third period, with the Grrrowl breaking the tie at the 13:40 mark before extending the lead back to two with only 4:16 to go in regulation. A controversial hit away from the play knocked Rubel from his feet, colliding violently with the boards after he was blatantly hit from behind, eventually being taken by the medical staff into the dressing room for evaluation, despite no penalty called on the play. Trailing an opponent with time closing in for one of the first times this season at home, Bruins bench boss Shane Hicke called his one and only timeout of the game to regroup his players and recharge for their comeback attempt. Stepping onto the ice, already with a round of fisticuffs under his belt earlier in the game, Bruins forward Sean Hagerty lead the charge for the Bruins with help out of the zone by Aaron Huber and newcomer Jordan Carpender to crash the net and bang home a rebound off the end boards, shaving the lead to one with 3:23 to go in regulation. Fans would enjoy end to end action as both teams secured but could not capitalize on several chances, but would grow increasingly anxious as time continued to tick away on the scoreboard. Trailing by one, and facing a rapidly dwindling window of opportunity, the Bruins last charge up the ice would be set up by Luchnikov out of the neutral zone to a waiting Erik Levin, who would propel a blistering shot past the Findlay goaltender to tie the game with 14.1 to go in regulation. After a full sixty minutes of regulation, both teams would remain tied 7-7, with the Grrrowl out shooting the Bruins 36-32.

As per NJHL rules, the game proceeded immediately to a five round shootout, and after both teams scored twice each after the fifth round to keep the game alive. Sudden death would only last two rounds, as injured Bruins forward John Rubel made his triumphant return to the ice, sneaking the puck past the legs of the Grrrowl netminder for the game winner.

With the win, the second place Bruins improve their record to 29-12-1 and sweep the fifth place Grrrowl, who still fight to clinch the league's final playoff berth. Troy returns home for one final weekend series this season on Saturday, March 13 at 8pm and Sunday, March 14 at 1:30 in a rematch with the Findlay Grrrowl. For more information, call 985-PUCK or visit www.TroyBruins.com.
 
 
Troy, Ohio - For the tenth and eleventh times in history, the Troy Bruins will battle in-state rival Findlay Grrrowl in NJHL regular season play, set for this weekend inside the historic Hobart Arena in downtown Troy.

After clinching second place with a pair of road wins last weekend in Philadelphia, the Bruins (27-12-1) return home to the comfy confines of the historic Hobart Arena for their second to last home weekend series of their inaugural season, this time to host I-75 rival Findlay Grrrowl on Saturday at 8pm and Sunday at 1:30pm. Findlay makes their return to Hobart for the first time since September, when the Grrrowl played spoiler to the Bruins home opener, then fell to a vengeful Bruins club the following day. Currently in fifth place in the NJHL, the Grrrowl cling to the final playoff spot, distancing themselves from basement dweller Philadelphia, and can officially punch their playoff ticket with a pair of wins this weekend. Yet for the surging Bruins, the eagerly awaited return home will provide the biggest challenge to the Grrrowl all season.

After making several personnel adjustments prior to the February 10 trading deadline and roster lock, Bruins head coach Shane Hicke believes that the pieces are finally together to begin their chase for an inaugural season championship. Of the newest Bruins, forward Willie Boyle made an immediate impact against Philadelphia for his debut in a Troy uniform, scoring on both days of the series, and made his name heard throughout the league. Additionally, Flint, Michigan native and former captain of the CSHL's Flint Generals John Rubel has added depth to the Bruins offense and defense, despite still wearing a loaned pair of skates. Rubel's story is unique in a way only hockey could provide, as after leaving hockey at the end of last season, Rubel relocated to Troy last fall to attend the Hobart Welding Institute and pursue a career outside of the game. It wasn't long before Rubel found himself wandering through Hobart Arena during a Bruins afternoon skate, and was approached about getting back into the sport, and is happy to finish his newly extended hockey career as one of the original "new" Troy Bruins.

Last Time Around
No one can argue the dominance the Bruins have exhibited on NJHL foes in the past several weeks, yet for Hicke, the thought of the last meeting between the Bruins and Grrrowl is still fresh in his mind.

Flashback to January 16, a snowy afternoon inside the Jamestown Savings Bank Arena as part of the 2010 NJHL All Star Showcase, a neutral site regular season game between the two Ohio rivals in an otherwise exhibition weekend of hockey featured arguably the best two and a half hours of hockey the fans in Jamestown would see all weekend. Fighting right down to the final buzzer, the Grrrowl outlasted the Bruins with a nail biting 8-7 win, in true barnburner fashion, the last goal won.

The lesson to be learned is simple for the Bruins: never underestimate your opponent. Hicke has been utilizing this and relaying it to his players in a simple but effective "play like we're facing Wooster", focusing as if playing the league's #1 team each game. Fans inside Hobart will see this theory first hand this weekend, as the Bruins put it to the test against an unpredictable Findlay team trying to salvage their season.

A Big Weekend
Fans attending Saturday night's home game against Findlay will be treated to the biggest event in the Bruins short history. Highlighting the even are two high profile promotions: Deaf Awareness Night, featuring a special elementary school performance of the National Anthem in sign language; as well as Hits 105.5 Night, rescheduled from earlier in the season due to weather concerns and featuring live broadcasts outside the Arena's main plaza as well as a souvenir giveaway to the first 500 fans. Bruins VP JT Szabo noted that as the team continues to establish itself on and off the ice, being able to properly plan for and execute large-scale events around each home game has finally become a reality. As for what's in store next, Szabo added "fans should look forward to more of this type of added Bruins family entertainment and promotions on a regular basis next season."

On The Air
Both games this weekend will be televised on delay in high definition on Channel 5 in Miami County, sending Troy Bruins hockey to nearly 45,000 living rooms around the area, as well as being broadcast live on MiamiCountyPost.com and accessible anywhere in world for free. The "voice of the Bruins" JT Szabo will handle the simulcast call presented by Fox's Pizza Den and Lee's Famous Recipe Chicken.

General admission tickets for each game this weekend are only $7, with a special $1 discount available for students, seniors and military at the Hobart box office game days. For more information, call 985-PUCK or visit www.TroyBruins.com.
 
 
Troy, OH – Nearly fifty Deaf and hearing elementary school students from Fairborn Intermediate School and Forest Elementary School in Troy will present a special performance of the National Anthem entirely in Sign Language prior to this Saturday night’s Troy Bruins hockey game at Hobart Arena as part of the Bruins “Deaf Awareness Night” festivities.

Students participating in “sign language clubs” at both Fairborn Intermediate and Forrest in Troy have been learning basic sign language skills throughout the school year, and for the past several weeks have been rehearsing the American National Anthem in preparation for Saturday’s Troy Bruins hockey game at the historic Hobart Arena. 

In addition to the special performance of the National Anthem prior to the opening faceoff, the Bruins have invited the Deaf community throughout the Miami Valley as well as local area college students enrolled in sign language courses to bring awareness to Deaf culture. The Bruins have also taken steps to make the event accessible for all, hearing and Deaf, with special captions on the large overhead video screen during the game along with other features intended to educate everyone in attendance about Deaf culture.

Putting the event together in conjunction with the Bruins staff is Fairborn Intermediate School Sign Language Interpreter and Troy resident Jamie Stockslager, who also founded the “sign language club” at Fairborn Intermediate School. “This event is a wonderful way to celebrate Deaf culture, as well as educate our neighbors, in a fun and exciting way” noted Stockslager on the event. “Our kids have been practicing for weeks, with both hearing and Deaf students eager to showcase their hard work. Our students are very excited to have this wonderful opportunity and cannot wait to perform.” Teaming up with Stockslager for the event is Forest Elementary School Title1 teacher Courtney Carpenter and Jennifer Hewitt. Hewitt noted that during a recent snow day, several parents and students called in hoping that the sign language club would still meet, showing their eagerness and excitement for the event.

For the Bruins, this special event highlights their inaugural season of providing affordable family entertainment to the Miami Valley, while giving back to their community. Saturday night’s 8:00pm game features the return of in-state rival Findlay Grrrowl, with doors opening to the public at 7:00pm. Bruins general admission tickets are just $7, with students, seniors and military receiving a $1 discount at the box office. For more information, call the Bruins office at 985-PUCK or visit www.TroyBruins.com.

 
 
Elkins Park, PA -  In a game that would stretch into early Sunday morning, the Troy Bruins found their legs in the second period to propel a 4-0 road win over the Philadelphia Thunder late Saturday night.

The game, originally scheduled for February 6, was postponed until Saturday night due to transportation issues, while the late starting time of 10:30pm was the first of several adversity challenges the Bruins would face during the contest. After the lengthy ten hour bus ride, the Bruins players would find less than desirable ice conditions in Philadelphia before arena officials mended repairs to the surface, pushing the start time to 10:30pm. Yet, despite the delay along with the long day on the road, Shane Hicke's Bruins club would focus on the rematch with the Thunder.

The first period would be a challenge for the Bruins, struggling to find their tempo, and as one player described "shaking off the bus legs". Both teams would trade powerplays in the opener, yet neither team could capitalize on chances on either end, with Bruins starting netminder Allan Dowler making 11 saves, leading his team into the first intermission deadlocked in a scoreless tie with the Thunder after twenty minutes of play.

Perhaps the Bruins simply needed a longer pregame warmup, as a noticeably more alive Bruins team skated onto the patched up ice to start the second period. With Dowler keeping the defensive side of the ice under control, it would be Serov, Russia native Gleb Luchnikov to lead the charge, intercepting a pass from linemate Leonoid Kovalev to light the lamp with a smooth wrist shot past the shoulder of Thunder goalie Alex DiFazio at the 13:03 mark of the second. With the control of the flow, the Bruins would once again receive a K's Hamburger Shop Powerplay, and it would be forward Justin Dornhecker to cash in with a shot from the slot at 11:56 to extend the 2-0 Bruins lead, ultimately skating into the second intermission with the two goal lead.

The third period would start out with a bang, as yet another K's Powerplay opportunity would bolster the Bruins lead 3-0, as veteran forward and the team's leading scorer Lee McClure sniped a slapshot from the point unassisted at the 15:08 mark of the third. For the Philadelphia fans who stayed into the early morning, the damage would be nearly complete, as less than a minute later the Bruins scored their final goal of the game, this time an even strength setup from the neutral zone by McClure as he connected with a streaking Corey Evelyn breaking down the wing to blast his shot at point blank range past DiFazio to make it 4-0 at 14:15. After a full sixty minutes of hockey, Dowler picked up the shutout win, the Bruins second shutout win against the Thunder in the past week to extend their second place record to an impressive 25-12-1. The Bruins and Thunder continue the makeup weekend series with the closer set for 8pm on Sunday night  before the Bruins return home to Hobart Arena for a weekend series against in-state rival Findlay Grrrowl on Saturday, February 27 at 8pm and Sunday, February 28 at 1:30pm. Tickets are only $7, and for more information call 985-PUCK or visit TroyBruins.com.
 
 
Bruins win in shootout
Dowler, Huber come up big

By Henry Conte, Troy Daily News Sports Editor

After a 13-0 drubbing of Philadelphia Saturday night at Hobart Arena, Troy was in for a bit of a closer contest Sunday afternoon.

The Bruins were able to escape with a 6-5 sudden-death shootout victory thanks to Allen Dowler and Aaron Huber.

After Dowler stopped the first five shots in the shootout - and the Bruins were stonewalled as well - Dowler stopped the first shot in sudden death and Huber made the Thunder pay for not converting by scoring the game winner.

Troy had a 5-2 lead in the third period, but goals by Philadelphia at the 6:51, 5:08 and 4:13 marks knotted the score and forced the shootout.

The Thunder got on the board early in the first period to take a 1-0 lead, but a goal by Derek McPherson, assisted by John Rubel and Justin Dornhecker, tied the score and Egor Pogodin-Alekseev gave Troy the lead at the 4:47 mark, assisted by Gleb Luchnikov. Troy's two goals were scored within 26 seconds of one another and Troy held a 2-1 lead at the end of the first period.

In the second, the Thunder tied the score five minutes in, but McPherson scored, assisted by Rubel and Lee McClure to make it 3-2 at the end of the second.

In the third, the Bruins went up 5-2 on goals by Willie Boyle - assisted by Luchnikov and McClure - and Luchnikov, unassisted.

Dowler finished the game with 34 saves, not including the six he made in the shootout. Troy outshot Philadelphia 48-39.

Troy, now 24-12-1, will travel to Philadelphia for a two-game series with the Thunder.
 
 
TROY, OH- Troy Sets Franchise Scoring Record in Saturday Night's 13-0 Shutout.

Saturday night saw the Troy Bruins facing off against the Philadelphia Thunder at home in Hobart Arena.  While the first period was exciting, it was no indication of what would come later. 

Troy took advantage early on some sloppy play by Philadelphia, snagging multiple stray passes and capitalizing with goals.  Troy started off with two shorthanded goals by Newly added Bruin #10 Willie Boyle and #20 Cory Evelyn, assisted by #23 Tyler Merritt.  Troy's would score once more in the first period at the 3:19 mark by #22 Derek McPherson, assisted by #6 John Ruble, ending the first period with a score of 3-0.

In the second period, Troy continued to press their lead by adding 7 more unanswered goals to extend their lead to 10-0.  #19 Aaron Huber would score first at the 13:47 mark.  Another new face to the Bruins, #6 John Ruble, assisted by #14 Erik Levin and #27 Justin Dornhecker, added goal number 5 of the night at 16:32.  #11 Leonid Kovalev, would add one more with a beautiful wrister from the top of the left wing circle at 16:16, assisted by #24 Manny Lopez and #20 Cory Evelyn.  Ruble would score on a well timed centering pass from #8 Lee McClure at 14:02.  Ruble would add another to the scoreboard at 13:06, assisted by Dornhecker and McPherson.  Goal number 9 on the night would come at 10:42 from #9 Gleb Luchnikov from Huber and Boyle.  Soon after, obvious frustration arose from the Philadelphia players, and they began to attack the puck with renewed vigor and aggression.  Unfortunately this change would not help Philadelphia's situation as they were continually outplayed through the rest of the game.  #17 Egor Pogodin-Alekseev would score his first goat of the night at 6:10, assisted by fellow Russian Kovalev.  The final two goals of the second period would come at 3:24 by Lopez from Huber; and at 3:06 by Luchnikov from Pogodin-Alekseev.  Near the end of the second period, tempers flared as minor checking exploded into all out fisticuffs earning each team several penalty minutes. 


Period three surprisingly passed very quickly with only a few penalties and one fight breaking out, seemingly due to the large amount of action in the previous period.  Ruble would score Troy's final goal at the 10:46 mark, his fourth of the night, a Texas Hat-Trick.

Troy will rematch Philadelphia Sunday afternoon at 1:30 p.m. at Hobart Arena. 
 
 
Bruins Leading Scorer Josh Tucker Called Up To AAHL's Evansville IceMen

Troy, OH - The Troy Bruins are proud to announce that veteran forward Josh Tucker has been called up to the Evansville IceMen of the All American Pro Hockey League, and will make his debut for the IceMen this weekend as part of the IHL FutureStars Game at the Allen County Coliseum in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

For the twenty year old Tucker, a native of suburban Columbus, this opportunity to advance his career to the next level has been his focus all season. At the time of his leaving for Evansville late last Monday night, Tucker continued his reign as the Bruins leading goal scorer, lighting the lamp an impressive 36 times; and shared the points total with recently returned captain Lee McClure with a whopping 64 points in 34 games in a Troy uniform. 

Yet, as his hockey career takes him up the ladder, he will be met with familiar faces in Evansville, just to show how small the hockey world can indeed be. The IceMen's starting netminder Jon Smarsh spent last season with Tucker on the Findlay Grrrowl, while Evansville head coach Jack Collins has made a handful of scouting trips to Hobart Arena this season after spending the past decade as assistant coach of the now defunct Dayton Bombers of the ECHL working alongside current Bruins broadcaster JT Szabo , then the radio broadcaster for the Bombers.

With the departure of Tucker, the Bruins have made some acquisitions prior to last Wednesday's 5pm trading deadline, including the signing of forward John Rubel from Flint, Michigan as well as Forward Willie Boyle from Winter Garden, Florida. For Rubel, hockey was behind him...or so he thought. After hanging up the skates, he moved to Troy in the fall to attend the Hobart Welding Institute, but happened to have the hockey bug bite him once more, deciding to finish his hockey career as a Troy Bruin.

With the acquisitions of Boyle and Rubel, as well as the return of veteran captains Lee McClure and Manny Lopez from the NAHL, the Bruins will boast a full roster as they host the Philadelphia Thunder inside the historic Hobart Arena on Saturday at 8pm and Sunday at 1:30pm. As always, general admission tickets are only $7, with students, seniors, military and firefighter/EMS receiving $1 off at the Hobart Box Office. For more information, call the Bruins at 985-PUCK or visit TroyBruins.com.

MORE ABOUT THE IHL FUTURESTARS GAME - Release By The AAHL

FutureStars of the IHL, Battle Creek Revolution vs. Evansville Ice Men @ Ft. Wayne, Indiana

  Battle Creek, MI-Friday, February 12th, 2010, 8 p.m. EST time, the Battle Creek Revolution, single A affiliate of the IHL Muskegon Lumberjacks, and the Evansville Ice Men, single A affiliate of the IHL Ft. Wayne Komets will try and set class A professional hockey's minor league attendance record at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum, Ft. Wayne, Indiana (Home of the Ft. Wayne Komets of the International Hockey League) in a AAHL regular season contest.   "This is a great opportunity for our teams and our league, as a whole", IceMen GM Chip Rossetti said. "Our players are going to get a chance to showcase themselves and our organizations are getting the chance to showcase themselves to the fans and teams at a higher level. We are very grateful to the Ft. Wayne Komets and the IHL for providing this fantastic facility to play this game."   "This may be a once in a lifetime opportunity for some players and fans to be a part of something spectacular. This game is good for the teams involved and for making fans outside of the AAHL to see what our league is all about." stated Bobby Clouston, BC Revolution head coach, when asked about the February 12th Future Stars of the IHL game at Fort Wayne.
 
 
Troy, OH - The Troy Bruins (23-12-1) finished their snowy weekend series against the Jamestown Jets with a rough and tumble 5-3 victory on Sunday afternoon at the historic Hobart Arena.

Despite coming off a thrilling 8-2 win on Saturday night, the Bruins would find themselves trailing early, after the Jets capitalized on an errant centering pass less than three minutes into the game to score a shorthanded goal to take the 1-0 lead. The hero of the day would end up being Bruins forward Gleb Luchnikov, as he led the charge with the tying goal at the 9:59 mark, off a brilliant centering pass from Aaron Huber and Josh Tucker, before Luchnikov added his second of the afternoon at 12:21 to take the 2-1 lead, assisted by fellow Europeans Erik Levin and Leo Kovalev. After twenty minutes, the Bruins would skate into the dressing room ahead 2-1, despite being out-shot 12-9.

Just as at the start of the game, Jamestown would spoil the lead with a quick rush off the draw, catching Bruins netminder Allan Dowler off guard to tie the game 2-2 just :12 into the middle period. Shaken, the Bruins snapped back into control of the tempo, and would recapture the lead thanks to a Luchnokov clearing pass to Justin Dornhecker at the 3:03 mark. Troy would extend the lead to two with their second goal of the period, this time by Beavercreek, Ohio native Aaron Huber from Luchnokov and Tucker with less than nine minutes remaining in the period, to take the 4-2 lead into the locker room after forty minutes of hockey. Jamestown would again out-shoot the Bruins in the third, this time 15-9.

Physicality escalated in the third period, with Sean Hagerty engaging in fisticuffs for the second night in a row, and as a result of the altercation, allowed the Jets to receive a rare seven minute powerplay, before Hicke's special teams skills took over. After killing off the penalty, the Bruins would extend the lead to three with Luchnikov's third goal of the contest, earning the "hat trick" at the 17:07 mark of the third. Making it interesting, the Jets would muster their third goal of the game, but would be unable to gain any further momentum, securing the 5-3 Bruins win.

With the weekend sweep, the Bruins improve their record to 23-12-1 for 47 points and solid sole possession of second place in the NJHL. Troy returns home to the comfy confines of the historic Hobart Arena for a weekend series against the Philadelphia Thunder on Saturday, February 13 and Sunday, February 14. For more information, call the Bruins at 985-PUCK or visit TroyBruins.com.
 
 
Didn't miss a beat
Bruins show no rust in convincing 8-2 win
By Josh Brown
Troy Daily News Associate Sports Editor

More than two weeks off since last taking the ice?

Three players - including two captains - getting called up to play in a different league?

A massive snowmageddon outside putting a third of the country in a deep freeze?

The Troy Bruins let none of these things stop or even affect them Saturday night as they made their triumphant return to Hobart Arena, playing tough defense, cashing in chances and coasting to an 8-2 victory over the visiting Jamestown Jets.

"It's been a little over two weeks since we played, and this is only our second time at home in about the last 12 weeks," Troy coach Shane Hicke said. "It was a great opportunity to play in front of our home fans."

The Bruins had to play without captains Lee McClure and Manny Lopez, as well as Justin Locante, who were called up to the North American Hockey League.

Troy didn't seem to miss a beat.

"We talked about that all week," Hicke said. "Guys move up, and when that happens someone else has got to fill those roles. And with McClure and Lopez - our captains - that's a lot to fill."

But Josh Tucker and Justin Dornhecker, Bruin mainstays all season long, picked up the slack on the offensive end, scoring two goals apiece. And newcomer John Rubel added a goal and a pair of assists in his first game with the team.

Alexander Kuzmenko also had a strong game in net, stopping 33 shots as Troy outshot Jamestown 36-35.

Troy took over the game midway through the first period, with Tucker sticking in a one-timer from Aaron Huber on an impressive rush after a turnover. Huber drew the goalie to one side and managed to get the puck away to Tucker while being harassed by a Jet defender, and Tucker tapped it into the vacated side of the net with 11:47 to go in the period.

Defensive stopper Corey Evelyn then got on the board. He set up a screen for Leonid Kovalev, but the goalie made a blind stop on that shot. The puck bounced right to Evelyn, and it was 2-0 Troy. Derek McPherson added another goal one minute later, stuffing in another rebound chance after a shot by Rubel.

"We worked in practice with all three lines we set together on puck pursuit and playing good defense," Hicke said. "We created a lot of turnovers with our defense and beat them with our team speed. We've played these guys before, and they beat us the first time we did. We just had to learn how they played. I don't think they can match us three lines to three lines."

Jamestown got on the board 46 seconds into the second period, but the Bruins cashed in another turnover only four minutes later to retake the momentum. The Jet goalie made a stop and dumped it behind his net - only the player he dumped it to didn't notice. Rubel got to the puck and passed to McPherson, who hit Dornhecker to make it 4-1.

Rubel got a goal of his own with 7:34 to go in the second, jumping on a loose puck and putting it in on a two-man Troy power play.

"He's a welder over at the Hobart school, and he called us up and said he was interested in playing," Hicke said of Rubel. "He played really well tonight. Justin's been one of our unsung heroes all year long, and Corey is a defensive specialist that won the fastest skater competition during All-Star weekend. He was able to cause a lot of problems on their power play with his speed."

Which turned out to be crucial for Troy.

With Jamestown down 5-2 late in the second and early in the third, the Jets began to pick fights - including one massive all-out brawl with 11:04 to play in the game that stopped play for more than 10 minutes. Troy came out on the short end power play-wise, being forced to deal with three 5-on-3 situations throughout the game.

Jamestown not only didn't score on any of them, but Dornhecker scored a wild shorthanded goal to make it 6-2. Dornhecker passed the puck to Tucker all alone behind the Jets, and the Jamestown goalie came way out of the net to cut off the angle. Tucker ripped a shot that hit the post - and bounced right to a hustling Dornhecker, who fired it in and broke any hopes of comeback.

"This week on Thursday and Friday, we got extra time on the ice to work on penalty kills," Hicke said. "We only used two units on penalty kills tonight, and that left the guys more fresh."

Tucker added a goal soon after on a feed from Dornhecker, and Egor Pogodin-Alekseev ripped a slapshot home with 26 seconds left in the game to provide the exclamation point.

Still, the Bruins aren't done with their statement just yet.

"We had one of our best games tonight," Hicke said. "But we're going to try to get better every day. We don't want to be a plateau team - we want to keep going up."

Troy hosts Jamestown again today at 1:30 p.m.

 
 
Tipp City, OH - The Troy Bruins players, staff and of course Bucky the mascot, made a special visit to The Avenue in rural Tipp City on Thursday afternoon, spending time with The Clubhouse after school program and teaching the kids about hockey and sportsmanship.

The Clubhouse, an after school program operated through Ginghamsburg Church, is primarily targeted at underprivileged school children in the Troy, Tipp, West Milton and Inner City Dayton regions. As part of Clubhouse's "Winter Olympics" themed week, the Bruins were invited to showcase the game of hockey to the children, many of whom had never previously been exposed to the sport.  In addition to players wearing their jerseys, the Bruins mascot Bucky got into the action, at one point picking up a stick and puck to show off some skills to the delight of the kids swarming him.

"To be able to introduce our sport, and our game to kids who may have never been able to experience it, let alone be able to pick up a stick and shoot a puck, is such a rewarding experience" commented Bruins Vice President JT Szabo, who was involved in the Clubhouse program while in high school. "Giving back to the community is one of our primary goals, and this is a great way to do just that, all while having a lot of fun."

In addition to the visit on Thursday, the Bruins have now invited The Clubhouse to Hobart Arena for the Bruins next home game this Saturday night at 8pm, with the team donating a portion of that night's ticket proceeds directly back to The Clubhouse program as a fundraiser. Szabo added that "Ginghamsburg has been a great supporter of us being able to bring these kids to a hockey game, and have been gracious enough to donate tickets for the kids during the past few weekends, so this is a true community effort."

The Bruins return home to the Historic Hobart Arena in Troy to host the Jamestown Jets for the first time in team history this Saturday night at 8pm and Sunday afternoon at 1:30pm. Saturday is "Hits1055 Night" with the first 500 fans receiving a free souvenir courtesy of WMVR, as well as live pregame remotes, cornhole on the front terrace and more! Tickets are just $7, and for more information, call 985-PUCK or visit www.TroyBruins.com.