Feature Story
Springfield Jr. Blues hitting a high note
By Brian McDonough
For a team battling inconsistency through
the early part of the season, the Springfield Jr. Blues are slowly but surely
starting to find their groove.
The surging Jr. Blues have picked up
points in their last five contests (eight), including three last weekend
against the St. Louis Bandits.
“Anytime you play a team as good as St.
Louis and can get three of four points, you have to be happy with that,” said
Jr. Blues head coach Andy Maher, whose team improved to 10-8-4 on the season.
“Our division (South) is so tough week-in and week-out that there’s no time to
let points slip away.”
The Jr. Blues opened the weekend with a
4-2 victory on Friday. Kevin O’Donnell rang up two goals in the win, and Ross
Anderson connected for the game-winning marker and an assist. Between the
pipes, goaltender C.J. Groh turned back 22 shots.
“I feel like every weekend we’re getting
better,” said Maher. “It may only be in one area or another, but as long as we
continue to improve, that’s all we can expect as a staff.”
The weekend also generated a lot of buzz
around town, as the team welcomed over 1,000 a night in attendance, including
over 1,500 on Saturday.
“One thing we can always count on here in
Nick Curry, a second-year forward with
the Jr. Blues, agrees that playing in
“It’s a blast, from the team to the city
itself,” said the 20-year-old from
And it should only get better this season
once the Jr. Blues get well. The team has been without
the services of a few key players recently because of injuries, including Trent
Frey, Randy Cure, Kyle Forte and Ethan Scherer, all of whom are expected back
in the lineup in the coming weeks.
“We’re looking forward to getting a
healthy team back sometime in the near future,” said Maher.
Others players have stepped to the
forefront in the meantime. Hailing from
“That little town in
Maher is also confident with his main man
between the pipes in Groh. With his efforts last weekend, the University of
Alabama-Huntsville-bound goaltender evened his record to
“C.J. was solid again for us last
weekend, especially on Saturday,” said the coach. “When he’s at his best, we
feel he’s as good as anyone in the league.”
Speaking of good, the Jr. Blues also
sport one of the best offensive combos in the NAHL in Curry and Jared Rickord. The pair ranks Nos. 3-4 in league scoring, with
Curry at 30 points (nine goals) and Rickord at 27
(10).
Both players have their college plans
sealed as well, with Rickord, a 20-year-old from
“There’s good chemistry between the two
of them,” said Maher. “They always know where the other is at and, if we’re
going to have any success this year, we need those two guys to continue to
produce for us.”
With Cure also headed to Mercyhurst, the Jr. Blues have five players with Division I
commitments. Maher is confident that number will balloon with continued
success.
“It’s our goal to move on as many kids as
we can, and we’re extremely proud of all of our guys who move on to play
Division I hockey,” he said. “We expect there to be at least a few more D-I
commitments before the end of the year.”
In the meantime, the Jr. Blues know they
have a battle on their hands in the five-team South Division, where one team
will be looking from the outside in come the postseason.
“Our main focus is to continue to improve
every week, Monday through Thursday, and continue to get points Friday through
Sunday,” said Maher. “We have to play hard every night or we won’t make the
playoffs, and that’s not acceptable.”
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