May 7, 2009
Indiana captain Brent Gwidt and Fargo captain Luke Witkowski. (Robert J. Meyer/USHL Images)
Fargo Force Notes
Facing Adversity
The Fargo Force hit the ice for practice at the Urban Plains Center in preparation of Game Four of the USHL Clark Cup Finals. The club had a high-tempo skate that lasted about 45 minutes and looked very loose but focused on the task at hand.
"We feel pretty good considering the tough loss last night," stated Fargo captain Luke Witkowski. "We all know that we didn't have our best game, so we just have to look past it."
Adversity is nothing new for this team as Witkowski pointed out, "We have dealt with it all year, so it is not a big deal (trailing in the series)." The wins were hard to come by for this young squad early in the season and they had to play the first month of their schedule on the road while awaiting the completion of their home arena.
Welcome Back
One bit of positive news for the day was the return of the team's leading scorer Andy Taranto who missed Game Three due to illness.
"It's tough to have your leading goal-scorer out of the lineup," said Witkowski. "The guys were happy to see him out there and it is really good to have him back."
Motivating Words
When asked if the legendary coach Dean Blais delivered a special message during practice, Witkowski replied, "He just asked us if we still have it in us. There are only two games left in the season should we win Friday, so that was a real eye-opener to all of us that there isn't much time left."
Special Friend
The Fargo Force added a special friend to their locker room three months ago. That friend is a ball python named "Sheldon" that dwells in a glass case on a table in the front of the locker room. The idea for a team pet was brought up by a few of the team leaders so defenseman Grant Scott suggested a snake.
"I meant it more as a joke," said Scott, "but the guys took it seriously. Later that day, we went to the pet store and found a snake that looked pretty cool, so a couple days later we went back and got it."
The coaching staff allowed the team to make the decision of adding the reptile to their locker room as long as it received proper care and the team kept winning. Sheldon has brought some good luck to the team as Luke Witkowski said the club has won over 70% of their games since acquiring their new friend.
This day at the rink happened to be a "feeding" day for Sheldon, which consists of a live mouse placed in a box that the snake occupies for his meal. USHL.com was kindly invited to view feeding ritual, but was unable to attend the event.
Double Duty
Following the practice, there was still one player on the ice and he wasn't wearing skates. Fargo defenseman Jake Areshenko was behind the wheel of the Zamboni re-surfacing the ice in preparation for Indiana's practice.
Areshenko helps at the Urban Plains Center part-time and learned how to drive the machine just this season. "I was really scared the first time I drove it," said Areshenko with a chuckle. "I didn't get too close to the boards the first couple of weeks." He proudly points out, "I haven't crashed yet."
The only Canadian on the club looked very comfortable behind the wheel on this day and is really comfortable in Fargo despite living so many miles from his hometown of Port Coquitlam, British Columbia.
"My mom grew up in Grand Forks, North Dakota so I have a lot of family from there that make it to the games. It is sort of my second hometown."
Besides his extended family, Areshenko's parents are making their second trip of the season to Fargo in order to watch their son compete in the Clark Cup Finals.
Indiana Ice Notes
Keeping it Fun
The Indiana Ice also worked up a sweat with a short practice at the Urban Plains Center. The club was very confident and loose as they sit just one win away from capturing the first Clark Cup in the organization's history.
A lot of smiles could be seen in the productive practice that included some drills and fun time. "Coach tries to keep it loose sometimes in practice," said goaltender Brett Bennett. "We are a pretty mature bunch so when game time comes around, all sides of the room are serious."
Stick Boy
As many hockey teams do at the end of practice, the Ice played a game of "stick boy" where each player gets a breakaway chance against the goaltender. The last person to score in the game faces the "punishment" of picking up his teammates' sticks. On this day, Loren Barron had the duty of picking up the sticks that his teammates generously spread across the entire ice surface. He obliged to the rules of the game and gathered the sticks with a smile on his face.
Stanislav Galiev used an interesting tactic to convert on his attempt. While skating towards the goal, he tossed his gloves to distract goaltender Brett Bennett. The method worked as he slipped his shot past his teammate and got several laughs from the rest of his club.
He Almost Forgot
Ice goaltender Brett Bennett recorded his first playoff shutout, but said it was something that almost slipped his mind. "I kind of forgot about the shutout because the guys were celebrating and we were so happy about being one win away from clinching this series."
Bennett has been stellar in the playoffs but credits the guys in front of him for scoring plenty of goals. "It is much easier to play with the lead. It gives me the confidence that even if I give up a couple goals, I know my teammates have it in them to score at least three and win the game."
Running on Adrenaline
After a 60-game regular season and a grueling playoff run, both teams find themselves with their fair share of bumps and bruises. Indiana has played 12 playoff games to this point, but the players feel they have plenty left in the tank.
"Trust me, our bodies are feeling it," said forward Mike Cichy. "You see a lot of ice bags when we are sitting around the hotel, but that is playoff hockey. You don't feel the injuries during the game because it is a lot of adrenaline right now."
Captain Brent Gwidt credits the team and staff for adopting a good routine to keep their bodies fresh. "We take the right precautions throughout the season to be ready; stretching, good sleep, and good food. It is a battle so guys are beat up, but we are fighting through it and doing everything we can to win."
Who's the DJ?
Plenty of loud music can be heard coming from the Indiana Ice locker room. One of the favorite styles is techno music which Gwidt credits his California teammates for introducing to the team's stereo. "I haven't listened to it much, but have grown to like it more lately."
While Mike Cichy agrees that the techno music helps get the team fired up before the game, it wouldn't be his first music choice. "If I had it my way, it would be all country. But I am happy with whatever music gets the team going."
No Razors Right Now
A timeless hockey tradition has been for hockey players to put away their razors until the end of their playoff run. While many of the young players have little to show for their lack of shaving, some are displaying impressive growth.
"I would say 'Richie" (Brandon Richardson) has a good one," said Cichy. "(Garrett) Kennedy and (Jason) Bourgea are pretty solid and come in a close second, but I think 'Richie' has everyone beat."
The USHL is celebrating its 30th season of junior hockey in 2008-09. With nearly 170 players already committed to NCAA Division I schools and 16 NHL Draft picks that played in the league this season, the USHL is the nation's foremost producer of junior hockey talent. For more information, visit us on the web at www.ushl.com.
