Feature Story
Minnesota
After dropping two in a row and finishing
January with a 4-4 record, the Minnesota Owls got their February off on the
right foot with a 6-2 victory over the Granite City Lumberjacks on Friday.
“That was a big win for us,” said Owls
coach Chad Kuznia, whose team improved to 23-18 on
the season. “Those are important points in the standings at this time of year.”
Zach Wohlers
and Justin Neis (game-winner) both rang up two goals
and two assists in the win over the Lumberjacks, while Chad Mars added three
assists. Between the pipes, Phil Poeschel turned
aside 31 shots.
“We got a good, all-around effort from
everyone,” said Kuznia, “and we’re going to need that
down the stretch as we get ready for the playoffs.”
With four power-play goals in the win
over the Lumberjacks, the Owls now have 19 goals with the man advantage in
their last 18 games.
“It’s clicking, that’s for sure,” Kuznia said of his power play. “We’ve got skilled guys who
work well together, and that combination usually leads to good things.”
Neis has been leading the Owls’ offensive charge for much of the
season. The 19-year-old from
“He’s a dynamic player, there’s no
question about it,” said Kuznia. “He’s played a big
role in our success this year and we’re going to need that to continue if we’re
going to do anything in the playoffs.”
With over 30 points apiece, Wohlers and Mars have also been contributing offensively
with regularity.
“These are good team guys and they’ve
been doing it all year for us,” said Kuznia.
Defensively, Reed Steinbauer
and Nick Roscoe have proved steady in their own end, with Chaz
Norrgard and Nick Haley chipping in offensively from
the blue line.
“We have a good, solid core back there,” Kuznia said of his defensive unit. “They’ve been getting
better and better all year and it’s shown here over the last month or so.”
And then there’s the resurrected career
of Phil Poeschel. After stopping pucks for the
Wisconsin Mustangs two seasons ago, the 20-year-old from White Bear Lake,
Minn., has found a home again between the Owls’ pipes, where he has 14 wins and
a save percentage north of .900.
“To not start the season with Phil and to
now have him as one of the best goaltenders in the league… we’re very lucky,”
said Kuznia. “He brings a strong veteran presence to
our team and the guys play with a lot of confidence in front of him.”
Stuck in a logjam in the middle of the
MJHL standings, where less than 10 points separates four teams, the Owls know
they can only control so much.
“We just need to take care of our own
business and hope to be playing our best hockey come March,” said Kuznia. “We know we have the talent and character here to
do some good things, we just have to keep working hard and believe in each
other.”
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