Komets Subdue Mallards 4-1

The Fort Wayne Komets (24-13-0-2) welcomed back a fan-favorite and gave the unusually large crowd of 9359 something new to cheer about by overpowering the struggling Quad City Mallards (13-20-4-3) on Friday night in Fort Wayne, IN. Forward Mitch Woods rejoined the Komets line-up for the first time since the team's Turner Cup win in the spring of 2008, and he was greeted with a loud cheer the first time he stepped onto the ice. Woods had limited ice time, however, as his conditioning is still a work in progress. Despite that fact, he didn't look out of place during the time he did play, and even got an assist on the Komets first goal, which came at 16:07 of the opening frame. Forward Leo Thomas faked Quad City goalie Jared Kaufmann, then skated behind the net for a wraparound goal. Forward Konstantin Shafranov was also awarded an assist. Fans expecting to see Woods drop the gloves might have been disappointed, but a friend Woods made during his time in Cincinnati last season picked up the slack for him less than two minutes before the goal. Forward Matt Syroczynski took on Mallards defenseman Ryan Palmer at 14:21, surprising some in the crowd who had never seen that side of Syroczynski before. With Fort Wayne still nursing their 1-0 lead, Quad City found themselves with a 5-on-3 opportunity early in the second period when defensemen Guy Dupuis and Danko Mironovic took penalties -- interference at 0:30 and hooking at 1:03, respectively. But the Komets were able to successfully kill off the scoring chance, as well as an additional Quad City power play at 4:15 (Thomas for tripping), and found renewed focus in the aftermath. At 15:48, with Quad City forward Ryan Fultz in the box for hooking (4:40), Fort Wayne jumped out to a 2-0 lead when forward P.C. Drouin took a cross ice pass from forward Colin Chaulk and rifled a shot from across the crease past Kaufmann for the power play goal. Shafranov picked up the other assist. The Mallards halved the deficit just 22 seconds later at 16:10, when forward Joel Gasper got the puck past Komets goalie Nick Boucher on a rebound. Assists went to forwards Obi Oduba and Brandon Marino. But the Komets reclaimed their 2 goal edge at 19:35 when Lincoln Kaleigh Schrock jumped on a loose puck in the crease and whacked it under Kaufmann for a 3-1 lead. That score remained unchanged until the final minute of the final frame. With Kaufmann pulled for the extra attacker, Komets forward Brad MacMillan potted the empty net goal at 19:22 for a final count of 4-1. Syroczynski and forward Justin Chwedoruk got the assists on the play. Boucher made 33 saves on 34 shots for the victory. Kaufmann stopped 34 of 37 shots in absorbing the loss.

Notes: The Komets were 1-5 on the power play. Quad City went 0-5 with the man advantage. Fort Wayne defensemen Keith Rodger missed a third straight game following an eye injury he sustained in practice. The Komets placed forward Rick Varone on waivers to make room on the roster for Mitch Woods' return to the team. Varone was picked up by the Flint Generals, who immediately traded him to the Bloomington Prairie Thunder for future considerations. It was the Komets 6th consecutive home win. The Mallards have lost 7 of 8 games. Fort Wayne now leads the season series with Quad City 7-1.

Komets Fall to Icehawks 6-1

The Fort Wayne Komets (23-13-0-2) missed a golden opportunity to move closer to the league leaders in the standings Tuesday night, losing to the rival Port Huron Icehawks (28-9-0-3) in Port Huron, MI. In fact, it turned into the sort of game that couldn't end soon enough. Play in the first period was an ominous indication of what was to come as Port Huron rattled off three unanswered goals. At 10:39, forward Mickael Bedard put the puck between Komets goalie Tim Haun and the post after the puck was stolen from Fort Wayne's defense. Defenseman Jamie Lovell and forward Nick Lindberg picked up the assists. Then at 13:01, forward Derek Patrosso netted a rebound goal with Lovell earning his second assist, bringing the score to 2-0. Just 9 seconds later, Komets forward Kaleigh Schrock, probably hoping to spark his team, got into a fight with Port Huron defenseman Mike Gershon. In addition to the fighting majors, referee T.J. Luxmore slapped Gershon with a 2 minute minor for high sticking. But Fort Wayne's struggles to find the net continued. The power play went nowhere despite the Komets getting good scoring opportunities. Such was the story of the night. At 17:54, The Icehawks punctuated that fact by jamming up the goal crease and moving the puck seemingly at will until they found a favorable shot. Forward Pete Rouleau tallied to make it 3-0. Patrosso and Bedard got the assists. Late in the third, Port Huron goalie Larry Sterling went down following a play and was attended to by the team's trainer Kristie Hittle. Sterling stayed in the game, but did not return after the first intermission. If Fort Wayne was hoping his replacement, Adam Russo, would be any less sharp, they were sadly mistaken. But then, they weren't helping the situation much. At 6:11 of the middle frame, Icehawks defenseman Adam Maccarone put the puck past Haun to make it 4-0 after a confused play that included one Komets player losing his stick in front of the net. Lindberg and forward Brandon Kaleniecki were awarded the helpers. Fort Wayne defenseman Guy Dupuis finally got his team on the board at 14:03 with a shot from the right point on the power play. Lindberg had been sent to the box for hooking at 13:33 to give the Komets the man advantage. The goal was Dupuis' 118th with the Komets, breaking the team record for goals scored by a defenseman, previously held by Jim Burton. Assists went to forwards P.C. Drouin and Colin Chaulk. But Port Huron was undeterred, making the count 5-1 at 18:59 when Bedard put a hard snap shot from the left wall just under the crossbar on Haun's glove side. Patrosso picked up a helper on the play. That ended the night for Haun, as he finished out the second period but was relieved by back-up Nick Boucher for the third. The change did little to change the momentum of the game, however. At 5:33 of the final frame, Komets forward Justin Chwedoruk was whistled for interference, and at 5:56, Lovell cashed in on the resulting power play after Fort Wayne failed to control their defensive zone despite one Port Huron player breaking his stick. The goal capped the scoring at 6-1. Patrosso and Rouleau assisted. But The Komets still had some fight of the literal kind left in them. At 11:35, forward Brad MacMillan took on Icehawks forward Jason Kostadine. Then at 12:47, Komets defenseman Bobby Phillips had a go with Port Huron defenseman Rob Cowan. But for the remainder of the period, the 5 goal deficit proved too daunting, overcoming any spark the fights might have ignited. Haun made 15 saves on 20 shots. Boucher stopped 9 of 10 in relief. Sterling left the game a perfect 7 for 7, and Russo posted 18 saves on 19 shots.

Notes: Announced attendance was 1150. The Komets were 1 for 5 on the power play, while the Icehawks went 1-3. With the win, Port Huron moved into a tie with the Muskegon Lumberjacks for first place in the IHL. It was Fort Wayne's second loss in a row. It was Haun's first game in Port Huron since his suspension for taking a swing with his stick at Patrosso in a 2-0 shutout by the Icehawks on December 12. Komets defenseman Keith Rodger missed a second game due an eye injury he sustained in practice. Rodger was scheduled to have additional testing on an orbital bone the following day. Hittle is currently the only female athletic trainer employed by an IHL team.

Hunter Sosenheimer to Appear on "Fans in the Stands"

Hunter Sosenheimer joins Wendy Bartle for this week's "Fans in the Stands" interview on the Komets Game of the Week. Hunter, one of three "Sosenheimer Boys", is well known my many Komets fans. He and his entire family are afflicted with a rare genetic disorder known as Arnold-Chiari malformation, a condition that affects the brain and brain stem and often requires surgery (sometimes several surgeries) to treat. Hunter will talk about the enduring friendships his family has formed with a number of Komets players, past and present, and some of the special team-related activities to which he has been treated. He will also discuss and share pictures of his recently redecorated bedroom, which puts the Komets "Hall of Fame" website to shame. Remember to tune in to Comcast 55 or Verizon Fios 25 on Wednesday, January 27 at 8 PM or Thursday, January 28 at 4 AM or Noon to find out more about this remarkable little boy and his love for the Fort Wayne Komets -- a love rivaled only by his boundless courage.

One Goal Rules Them All as Muskegon Defeats Komets

The Fort Wayne Komets (23-12-0-3) saw their 6 game winning streak snapped in Muskegon, MI on Friday night as they fell 1-0 to the first place Muskegon Lumberjacks (27-9-0-3) in what was essentially a goaltending duel. At 5:28 of the first period, Fort Wayne forward Konstantin Shafranov received the first penalty of the game -- a rare slashing call for one of the league's most sportamanlike players -- and Muskegon took advantage of the Komets tendency to get a slow start in games by capitalizing on the resulting power play. At 7:05, defenseman Matt Krug tallied with a shot from the left point after being set up by forward Todd Robinson for the 1-0 lead. After that, Muskegon goalie Sebastien Centomo shut the door. It wasn't that Fort Wayne didn't have it's chances, though. At one point, Shafranov missed an open net with a shot. At another, forward Matt Syroczynski sent the puck sailing over the crossbar. Such occurrences are to be expected in the course of a game, but in a contest such as this with the score so close, each near miss looms especially large. On the other end of the ice, Komets goalie Nick Boucher was nearly flawless in his own performance, making several remarkable saves. Unfortunately, without any additional scoring, it wasn't enough. At 5:08 of the second period, Fort Wayne had a 5 on 3 power play for 55 seconds when Lumberjacks forwards John DiPace and Robin Bouchard were in the box for high sticking and hooking, respectively, but the Komets failed to convert. At 16:13 of the final frame, a fight broke out between Fort Wayne defenseman Bobby Phillips and Muskegon forward Matt Robertson. Komets defenseman Danko Mironovic and Lumberjacks forward Brian Bicek were sent off with roughing minors, as well. At 17:24, Muskegon forward J.T. Dahlinger was called for slashing, giving Fort Wayne one final chance to tie things up, but once again, the score stood. Boucher, who was not pulled by the Komets as time ran out, made 35 saves on 36 shots. Centomo was a perfect 30 for 30 in the victory.

Notes: Announced attendance was 2656. Muskegon was 1-7 on the power play. The Komets were 0-6. The Lumberjacks extended their winning streak to 5 games, with their last loss having been to the Komets on January 9, 2010. Komets forward P.C. Drouin's 6 game point streak and 4 game goal scoring streak ended as did the five game point streak of Shafranov. Komets defenseman Keith Rodger missed the game due to an eye injury suffered during practice. Fort Wayne was outshot (36-30) for the fifth time in 6 games. The Lumberjacks lead the season series with the Komets 4-3.

Komets Outlast Mallards 5-3

The Fort Wayne Komets (23-11-0-2) capped another successful weekend by downing the Quad City Mallards (12-16-4-3)on Sunday evening, thanks largely to timely goals by forwards P.C. Drouin and Colin Chaulk. The game got off to a bewildering start when Fort Wayne goalie Tim Haun was run over by a sliding Mallards player. Haun fell to his back, unable to get up immediately, yet referee Dan Rankin allowed play to continue. A few seconds later at the 2:45 mark, with Haun still on his back, Quad City defenseman Kyryll Katrych shot the puck into the undefended net for an unassisted goal, putting the Mallards up 1-0. The Komets were incensed as were the home team's fans, and when another Quad City player nearly slid into Haun again shortly thereafter in the exactly the same manner, tensions were clearly beginning to mount. Fort Wayne evened the score at 5:33 when forward Colin Chaulk collected a rebound and passed the puck to forward Konstantin Shafranov, who was wide open. Forward Matt Syroczynski also picked up an assist. Before that goal had even finished being announced, Komets forward P.C. Drouin gave his team a 2-1 lead with a tap in tally after taking a pass from forward Leo Thomas. Forward Sean O'Connor was awarded the other assist. The Mallards, looking a bit shellshocked to see the momentum of the game shift against them so quickly, fought back -- literally -- with two fights breaking out in less than a minute of each other. At 8:17, defenseman Jason Goulet took on Fort Wayne forward Brad MacMillan. And at 8:55, Katrych dropped the gloves with Komets forward Lincoln Kaleigh Schrock, after a play that resulted in O'Connor being sent to the box for tripping. In the second period, the teams split a pair of power play goals. With Quad City forward Patrick Levesque off for roughing, Drouin netted his second goal of the evening to make the score 3-1. Assists went to Chaulk and defenseman Guy Dupuis. The Mallards countered at 11:13 after Dupuis was called for a slashing penalty. Forward Justin White got a shot past Haun to cut the Komets lead 3-2. Defenseman Shane Lovedahl and forward Juris Stals assisted on the play. For most of the final frame, it seemed as if that was destined to be the final score, but at 15:56 Quad City broke through when Stals took a shot off the boards and put it into the net to tie the game up at 3-3. White and forward Brandon Marino picked up the helpers. With the Komets pressing to regain the lead, Chaulk tipped a shot by Dupuis at 19:08 to make the score 4-3. Syroczynski got the other assist. The Mallards pulled goalie Jerad Haufmann in response, but wound up paying the price when Chaulk found the empty net at 19:59 for his second goal of the night. Assists went to defenseman Danko Mironovic and Syroczynski, his third of the evening. In one final display of message sending, Goulet dropped the gloves with Fort Wayne defenseman Kevin Bertram even as time expired and the win was being announced over the P.A. System. In addition, Levesque was called for roughing after taking out his frustration on Chaulk following the goal. The time of the penalties was later adjusted from 20:00 to 19:59. It took the officals a few minutes to clear the ice afterwards, and there was a clear sense that it might not be the end of hostilities between the two teams. Haun made 34 saves on 37 shots for the victory. Kaufmann stopped 37 of the 41 he faced in absorbing the loss.

Notes: Announced attendance was 8437. The Komets outshot their opponents in all three periods and 42-37 overall. Fort Wayne went 1-4 on the power play while Quad City was 1-3 with the man advantage. The Komets extended their unbeaten in regulation streak to 9 games and claimed their sixth win in a row. It was the third loss in a row for the Mallards after having a 5 game winning streak snapped.

Komets Trample Prairie Thunder 6-2

The Fort Wayne Komets (22-11-0-2) extended their winning streak to 5 games, defeating the Bloomington Prairie Thunder (14-14-2-4) on Saturday night in Bloomington, IL. The Komets drew first blood when forward Colin Chaulk got his own rebound and put it past Bloomington goalie Sebastian Dahm for a 1-0 lead. Forward Konstantin Shafranov and defenseman Brandon Warner were credited with the assists. Fort Wayne doubled its lead to 2-0 just 1:57 into the middle frame when Lincoln Kaleigh Schrock found the net after coming off the right wing. Defenseman Frankie DeAngelis picked up an assist on the play. At 6:02 of the second, a fight broke out between Komets forward Brad MacMillan and Prairie Thunder defenseman Justin Sawyer when Komets defenseman Matt Woodard was whistled for slashing. The altercation did little to motivate Bloomington's bench, however, and at 10:03 Fort Wayne forward a shot by Fort Wayne forward P.C. Drouin hit the twine to stretch the lead to 3-0. Helpers were awarded to forward Leo Thomas and defenseman Kevin Bertram. The Prairie Thuder finally got on the board at 13:37 with a shot from forward Craig MacDonald, cutting the Komets lead to 3-1. Defensemen Matt Frick and Jason Lepine assisted. But Fort Wayne restored their 3 point lead at 18:17 when Shafranov potted a goal to make the count 4-1. Chaulk and DeAngelis picked up the assists. The Komets continued to roll in the third period, as Schrock scored his second goal of the evening at the 1:53 mark with assistance from Warner and Bertram to make the lead 5-1. Thomas extended that to 6-1 at 7:17 with assists going to Drouin and defenseman Guy Dupuis. Bloomington managed to tally once more at 8:40 after Shafranov had the puck taken away from him. Forward Bill Bagron's shot beat Fort Wayne goalie Nick Boucher to cap the scoring at 6-2. Defenseman Noel Coultice and forward Nick Peluso picked up the assists. There was a fight at 11:09, as Peluso took on Bertram. Both picked up fighting majors, but the incident had little effect on the remainder of the game. Fort Wayne players were whistled for three penalties in the second half of the final frame, including forward Matt Syroczynski being sent to the box at 17:51 for unwhittingly playing with a broken stick, but the Prairie Thunder were unable to capitalize on any of the resulting man advantages. Boucher had 41 saves on 43 shots for the victory. Dahm stopped 26 of 32 for the loss.

Notes: Announced attendance was 3073. Fort Wayne went 0-3 on the power play. Bloomington was 0-7. The Komets were outshoot 21-12 in the third period and 43-32 overall. It was the fouth game in a row in which Fort Wayne was outshot by their opponent. With the win, the Komets were unbeaten in regulation for an 8 game stretch. The Prairie Thunder extended their losing steak to 9 games.

Scott Kerns to Appear on "Fans in the Stands"

Longtime Komets fan Scott Kerns will be Wendy Bartle's guest for the next edition of "Fans in the Stands" on the Komets Game of the Week broadcast. Kerns will discuss his memories of the Memorial Coliseum and the Komets from going to games in his childhood, his opinions on the team today, and his experiences at Game 7 of the 2007-2008 triple-overtime championship game against Port Huron, a night has quickly become the stuff of legend. His two young children, Dylan and Cheyenne, will also be on hand to provide supporting mischief and silliness. Remember to tune in to Comcast 55 or Verizon Fios 25 at 8 PM on Wednesday, January 20 or on Thursday, January 21 at 4 AM or Noon for the fun with Scott and Wendy.

Komets Get Shutout Win Over Hapless Generals

The Fort Wayne Komets (21-11-0-2) got their second shutout in as many games on Friday night, this time over the last place Flint Generals (11-21-1-4), who seemed unable to do much of anything right all evening. The Komets got on the board first at 9:35 of the opening frame with a goal by forward Matt Syrocynski who returned earlier in the week from his call-up to the AHL's Norfolk Admirals. Fellow forwards Konstantin Shafranov and Colin Chaulk picked up the assists on the play. There was a scary moment later in the period when Fort Wayne forward Justin Chwedoruk slammed awkwardly into the boards and had to be assisted off the ice. He later returned to the game. The second period was fruitless for both teams, with the Komets making a number of mistakes that the Generals never managed to capitalize on. Fort Wayne finally took control in the final frame, outshooting their opponents 16 to 8 to close out the game. And it paid off. At 2:25, forward P.C. Drouin found the net for a 2-0 edge with assists going to forward Leo Thomas and defenseman Keith Rodger. Then at 3:45, the Komets struck again, with Lincoln Kaleigh Schrock putting the puck past Flint goalie Rob Nolan to stretch the lead to 3-0. Chwedoruk was credited with the assist. At 15:54, a fight broke out between Generals forward Nathan Ward and Rodger, with both picking up 5 minute majors for fighting. Komets defenseman Kevin Bertram was also whistled for a minor roughing penalty, giving Flint the first of two chances in the final 4 minutes of the game to pull Nolan for a two man advantage. Thomas was also sent to the box at 18:21 on a slashing call. But neither advantage panned out for the hapless Generals, who were shut out for the fourth game in a row. Nolan made 32 saves on 35 shots in the loss. Fort Wayne goalie Tim Haun stopped all 38 shots he faced for the shutout.

Notes: Announced attendance was 7741. Haun had also shutout the Dayton Gems 3-0 the previous Sunday. Flint lost 1-0 to the Muskegon Lumberjacks the previous Friday, 3-0 to Dayton the previous Saturday, and 8-0 to Muskegon the previous Sunday. The Komets were outshot 17-11 in the first period and 13-8 in the second. Despite outshooting their opponents in the third, they were still outshot overall (38-35) for the third game in a row. Fort Wayne was 0-4 on the power play. Flint was 0-9. The Komets lead the season series against the Generals 4-2. A moment of silence was observed before the game for longtime Komets fan Mike Nichols, a good friend of team captain Guy Dupuis. Nichols passed away recently after a 20 year battle with cancer.

Drouin, Komets Dull Gems in Shutout

The Fort Wayne Komets (20-11-0-2) capped a stretch of three games in three nights on Sunday evening with a convincing shutout victory over the expansion Dayton Gems (15-16-3-1) in Dayton, OH. The Komets got on the board just past the halfway point in the opening frame with their 8th shot on goal. Forward Brad MacMillan scored off a rebound of a shot by forward Leo Thomas at 12:20. Forward P.C. Drouin also assisted on the tally. At 3:46 of the second period, Fort Wayne forward Colin Chaulk was jumped by Gems' forward Pierce Norton following a play. Chaulk and Norton received only roughing penalties for the altercation, however, with Fort Wayne forward Lincoln Kaleigh Schrock picking up an additional cross checking penalty for his actions in defense of Chaulk. The delay did little to dampen the Komets resolve, as they scored again at 10:11 of the second. This time, Leo Thomas put the puck past Dayton goalie David MacIntyre for a 2-0 lead. Drouin and forward Konstantin Shafranov were awarded the assists. Fort Wayne took a 3-0 lead to complete the scoring just 1:36 into the third period on a shot by Drouin. Forward Sean O'Connor and defenseman Frankie DeAngelis picked up the helpers on the play. Komets goalie Tim Haun stopped all 30 shots he faced for the shutout. MacIntyre made 24 saves on 27 shots in absorbing the loss.

Notes: Announced attendance at Hara Arena was 917. The Komets picked up the victory despite being outshot for the second game in a row. Dayton was coming off a 3-0 shutout victory of their own the night before against the Flint Generals in Flint, MI. Neither team found the net on the power play. The Komets were 0-4 while Dayton went 0-7 with the man advantage. Fort Wayne now leads the season series with the Gems 4-2. The Komets are 5-0-0-1 over their last six games and are on a 3 game winning streak. Congruently, P.C. Drouin holds a three game point scoring streak, with 1 goal and 4 assists.

Komets Chop into Lumberjacks' Lead with 4-2 Victory

While the Fort Wayne Komets (19-11-0-2) did defeat one of their keenest rivals, the Muskegon Lumberjacks (22-9-0-3) on Saturday night, it wasn't quite the rematch many had been hoping for ever since a brawl-filled Komets victory on October 31 resulted in legthy suspensions to enforcers from both teams. Muskegon forward Jason Lawmaster was missing from his team's line-up due to a violent but clean check that resulted in surgery to remove his spleen. Meanwhile Lumberjacks' forward Robin Big Snake had reportedly demanded a trade and was also not in attendance. But there were a couple of fights to placate the lovers of hockey's more physical aspects. The game got off to a quick start, as Fort Wayne tallied its first goal just 18 seconds into the contest when a shot by forward Colin Chaulk found the net, extending his point scoring streak to a team-high seven games. Assists went to forward Lincoln Kaleigh Schrock and defenseman Bobby Phillips. Schrock was forced into a fight by Muskegon defenseman Russ Smith at the 2:48 mark, following a check into the boards by Schrock. Both were sent off with fighting majors. At 12:13, Komets defenseman Guy Dupuis was sent off for holding, and Muskegon took full advantage of the extra man. At 13:14 forward Robin Bouchard got the puck past Komets goalie Tim Haun, tying the score at 1-1. Assists went to defenseman Matt Krug and forward Todd Robinson. The first period was drawing to a close when another fight broke out, this time between Komets forward Brad MacMillan and Smith. Muskegon defenseman Adam Welch was whistled for tripping while MacMillan picked up a roughing call in additon to his fighting major. At 14:22 of the middle frame, Fort Wayne regained the lead on a power play when a shot from Chaulk got past Lumberjacks' goalie Sebastien Centomo, bringing the score to 2-1. Muskegon's Damian Surma had been sent to the box at 13:03 for holding to give the Komets the man advantage. Forward Konstantin Shafranov and Dupuis were awarded the helpers. In the third period, Fort Wayne stretched the lead to 3-1 when Shafranov found the net with assistance from phillips and Schrock. The Lumberjacks crept back within a goal when forward J.T. Dahlinger slipped the puck past Haun. Surma and Krug assisted. But the injury-ravaged Lumberjacks, who outshot Fort Wayne in every period of the contest, could draw no closer. Frustration was clearly in evidence on their bench, with the recently-signed Michel Beausoleil frequently seen slamming his stick in fits of anger. Muskegon pulled goalie Centomo in the final minute in hopes of sending the game to overtime, but instead it was the Komets who tallied. Lincoln Kaleigh Schrock, after receiving a pass from forward P.C. Drouin, got the empty net goal and the Gordie Howe Hat Trick at 19:38 to cap the scoring at 4-2 and seal the victory. Haun made 41 saves on 43 shots for the win. Centomo stopped 24 of the 27 he faced.

Notes: Announced attendance was 8222. Fort Wayne was 1-6 on the power play. Muskegon went 1-5 with the extra man. Bobby Phillps father, Bob Phillips -- a former Komets player himself -- was in attendance celebrating his 51st birthday. With the victory, the Komets evened the season series with Muskegon at 3 games apiece. In their last meeting the day after Christmas, Fort Wayne defeated the Lumberjacks 7-2 in Muskegon. The win pulled them within 7 points of the second place Lumberjacks in the IHL standings.

Scorekeeper Dennis Schebig to Appear on "Fans in the Stands"

Fort Wayne scorekeeper Dennis Schebig will join Wendy Bartle for the next Game of the Week "Fans in the Stands" interview. Schebig, a retired police officer and regular participant on the local newspapers' Komets blogs, technically doesn't sit in the stands at Komets home games, but he is a longtime supporter of the team who has arranged bus trips to opposing teams' arenas where he does take in the games from a more traditional viewing point. As scorekeeper, Schebig will discuss how he became an off-ice official and some of the more memorable moments that he has witnessed over the years. He will also bring up some of his ideas about how to improve the stability and financial viability of minor league hockey throughout the country. Remember to tune in to Comcast 55 or Verizon Fios 25 for this very special edition of "Fans in the Stands" with Wendy Bartle and Dennis Schebig on Wednesday, January 13 at 8 PM or on Thursday, January 14 at 4 AM or 12 Noon.

Komets Rebound from 2 Goal Deficit, Beat Bloomington in SO

On Friday, the Fort Wayne Komets (18-11-0-2) began a busy weekend of three games in three nights with a comeback shootout victory over the visiting Bloomington Prairie Thunder (14-12-2-3). Bloomington got on the board first with a power play goal at 4:40 of the opening frame when defenseman Matthew Spiller's shot from just inside the blue line sailed over Komets goalie Nick Boucher's outstretched glove. Fort Wayne forward Leo Thomas had been whistled for slashing 30 seconds earlier. Assists went to defenseman Jason Lepine and forward Matt McIlvane. Though there was no further scoring in the period, it remained eventful. At 7:07 there was some confusion when s buckle on Boucher's mask came loose after a hit and he tossed it to the ice, expecting play to be stopped. When referee Ryan Carroll allowed play to continue without a whistle, Boucher turned around and knocked his net off it's moorings in frustration. After a lengthy discussion with all parties involved, play continued with no penalties being issued. Later in the period, Fort Wayne forward David Hukalo slid to the ice, losing his helmet in the process, and was cut on the face by the skate of Bloomington defenseman Cole Ruwe. Hukalo was helped off the ice and did not return. It was later revealed that he also suffered a concussion on the play and would miss at least the next two games. Boucher was also injured injured at an unspecified point in the first period, having tweaked a groin muscle, and was replaced by back-up Tim Haun at the start of the second. The inury came on Fort Wayne's annual bobblehead giveaway night, with the 2009-2010 figure having been modeled to honor Boucher. Bloomington stretched their lead to 2-0 at 3:22 of the middle frame when forward Craig Macdonald beat Haun on the first shot he faced. On a breakaway, Macdonald blasted the puck just under the crossbar, with Ruwe picking up an assit on the tally. At 4:28, Prairie Thunder forward Zach Pearson was sent to the box for slashing, giving the Komets the extra man and 23 seconds later, they took advantage. Forward Colin Chaulk scored off a rebound of defenseman Guy Dupuis' shot to cut Bloomington's lead to 2-1. Forward P.C. Drouin was also awarded an assist. A fight broke out at 18:10 with Fort Wayne forward Brad MacMillan taking on Prairie Thunder defenseman Justin Sawyer and eventually tumbling on top of him to the ice. The Komets outshot their opponents 12 to 5 for the period. In the third, Fort Wayne defenseman Bobby Phillips put the puck past Bloomington goalie Paulo Colaiacovo for his first professional goal at the 4:15 mark, evening the score at 2-2. Regulation ended with the tie still intact sending the game to extra time. The Komets had the best opportunities in overtime, outshooting Bloomington 5-1 thanks in part to a tripping penalty called on Spiller at 1:11, but were unable to seal the victory. In the shootout, Fort Wayne forward Konstantin Shafranov and Dupuis both found the twine while forward Lincoln Kaleigh Schrock hit the right post. For Bloomington, Macdonald and Lepine scored while forward Jon Booras' attempt was snuffed. In the 4th round, Chaulk skated down the right side, snapping a shot into the far side of the net. Moments later, Haun stopped Jamie Carroll to claim the win and two points in the standings. During regulation and overtime, Haun stopped 16 of 17 shots. Boucher had 8 saves on 9 shots before leaving the game. Coloiacovo made 35 saves on 37 shots prior to the shootout.

Notes: It was Colin Chaulk's first game back after a four game absence to deal with the death of a family member. Forward Rick Varone was also back in the line-up after aggravating a knee injury. Announced attendance was 7632. Fort Wayne went 1-6 on the power play. Bloomington was 1-4 with the extra man. With the win, the Komets stretched their unbeaten in regulaton streak to four games. Bloomington was winless in six. The Komets also beat the Prairie Thunder in their previous meeting on New Year's Eve by a score of 5-1 and lead the season series 4-2.

Blair Stayzer Put on Waivers

On Wednesday, January 6, the Fort Wayne Komets announced that they had placed veteran defenseman Blair Stayzer on waivers. Stayzer, who was picked up from Kalamazoo in the dispersal draft last summer, had played in a total of 13 games for the Komets, netting 1 goal in that time and earning 34 penalty minutes. Relied upon largely to be an enforcer, Stayzer was also frequently used as a forward to screen goalies. Fans often criticized Stayzer's fighting prowess, as he frequently went down before the linesmen were fully aware that a brawl had broken out. Others gave him credit for at least trying to stand up for his teammates when others merely looked the other way. Stayzer had been on IR since December 4, 2009 with a cuncussion, but Komets representatives insisted that he is ready to play now, and that the move was entirely due to the roster space/numbers game. Here at "Komets with a 'K'", I'd like to wish Stayzer the very best of luck in finding a new team to showcase his talents.

Short-Handed Komets Lose to Flint in Shootout

The Fort Wayne Komets (17-11-0-2) wrapped up a stretch of 6 games in 8 nights with a loss to the Flint Generals (11-17-1-3) in Flint, MI on Saturday night, but still picked up a point in the standings to show for their efforts. The game was a back-and-forth, hard fought affair which began with the Komets getting on the scoreboard first thanks to a short-handed, unassisted goal by forward Leo Thomas. With forward Brad MacMillan in the box for holding, Thomas ripped a shot high, glove-side past Flint goalie Rob Nolan for a 1-0 lead. But the Generals fought back at 7:50 after a Fort Wayne defensive lapse resulted in forward John Ronan backhanding a rebound into the net to tie it up. Forward Pascal Rheaume picked up the assist. In the middle frame, The Komets took a 2-1 lead at 10:31 when forward Konstantin Shafranov scored from in front of the net on a well executed play set up by Thomas. At 18:19 of the period, Flint made it a brand new game once again by taking advantage of a Fort Wayne miscue just inside the blue line. Forward John Mori tucked in the rebound goal for the 2-2 tie. Assists went to former Komet defenseman Jake Pence and forward Ben Boudreau, son of Washington Capital's coach Bruce Boudreau. The third period was primarily a defensive battle, with Flint and Fort Wayne managing only 4 shots on goal a side, but the battle spilled over to an actual fight at 11:08 when MacMillan took on Generals defenseman Brandon Gentile. The game remained tied into a fruitless overtime, setting the stage for the shootout. After Ronan and Shafranov came up empty, Flnt forward Jamie Schaafsma put a shot past Komets goalie Tim Haun to give the Generals the edge. Thomas was thwarted on the next attempt, which allowed Rheume to seal the victory when he found the twine by going 5-hole. Haun stopped 27 of 29 shots prior to the shootout. Nolan made 30 saves on 32 shots plus 2 stops in the shootout for the victory. With the win, Flint has prevailed against the Komets in each of their last two meetings.

Notes: Announced attendance was 1935. Both the Komets and Generals were stymied on the power play, with Fort Wayne going 0-4 and Flint going 0-5. It was the first time in 4 games that the Komets did not have a power play goal. The Komets are 8-8-0-1 on the road this season. Fort Wayne was missing several players from their line-up, including forward and assistant coach Colin Chaulk, who had not yet returned from a trip to Toronto to attend the funeral of a family member. Also missing from the line-up were defenseman Brandon Warner (sick), forward Rick Varone (knee), and forward Blair Stayzer (concussion).

Staff Sgt. Mark Boner to Appear on "Fans in the Stands"

Wendy's guest for next week's "Fans in the Stands" Komets Game of the Week interview will be Staff Sgt. Mark Boner. Boner is a member of the Indiana National Guard and attended high school locally, graduating from Elmhurt here in Fort Wayne. He also played hockey himself as a teenager at McMillan Ice Arena. Boner attained notoriety amongst Komets fans when he made a video of himself raising the Komets flag while stationed in Iraq. The clip was first shown to fans in December of 2008. Boner was not able to see the last two championship games in person because of being overseas, but he was able to listen in live on the internet and watch recordings of the games. Like many fans, he is hoping for a three-peat, but with even more reason than most. Boner also took part in the "Komets Kare Package" program earlier this season and will discus it's current status. Remember to tune in to Comcast 55 or Verizon Fios 25 on Wednesday, January 6 at 8 PM or Thursday, January 7 at 4 AM or 12 noon to learn more about Boner and his experiences as a devoted Komets fan as well as a proud member of the Indiana National Guard.

Komets Celebrate New Year's with a Bang, Beat Prairie Thunder 5-1

The Fort Wayne Komets (17-11-0-1) got an early start celebrating the New Year with an impressive display of much needed offense on Thursday night versus the Bloomington Prairie Thunder (14-10-2-2). Tensions flared early in the first period when Komets forward Lincoln Kaleigh Schrock got into a fight with Bloomington forward Jamie Carroll to energize the sold-out crowd of 10,454. At 5:18 Praire Thunder forward Chase Watson was whistled for high sticking for the first minor penalty of the evening, and Fort Wayne took the lead on the resulting power play. Komets defenseman Brandon Warner intercepted a clearing attempt and forward David Hukalo redirected Warner's shot from the blue line for a 1-0 score. Bloomington got the tying goal on a power play of their own after Fort Wayne forward P.C. Drouin was sent to the box for tripping. Just over a minute later at 11:08, Bloomington forward Craig MacDonald put a shot from the right circle past Komets goalie Tim Haun for a 1-1 tally. Defenseman Jason Lepine and forword Matt McIlvane picked up the assists. No scoring occurred in the second period, but 3 more altercations broke out. At 9:46, Fort Wayne forward Brad MacMillan took on Prairie Thunder forward Mike Liambas. Then at 17:44 Komets defenseman Keith Rodger tangled with Bloomington forward Brett Holmberg. Watson picked up a roughing penalty while Fort Wayne defenseman Kevin Bertram was hit with a double minor roughing penalty as a result of the fracas. But it was in the final frame that Fort Wayne's long-slumbering offense roared to life. Just 57 seconds in, Hukalo received a backhand pass from Warner, blasting a shot from 45 feet out which bounced off the glove of Bloomington goalie Andrew Martin and slid into the the net. The Komets cashed in on yet another power play opportunity when Bloomington was called for too many men on the ice at 3:34. A scrum in front of the net led to a rebound goal by Komets forward Sean O'Connor at 4:37, bringing Fort Wayne's lead to 3-1. Hukalo and forward Konstantin Shafranov assisted on the play. O'Connor found the twine again at the 13:26 mark with assistance from Drouin and defenseman Guy Dupuis, making the tally 4-1. Finally, at 16:48 Drouin capped the scoring at 5-1 on the power play. With Bloomington defenseman Justin Sawyer serving a penalty for tripping, Fort Wayne forward Leo Thomas took a shot at the net that hit the crossbar and bounced directly to Drouin's stick in front of the goal. Thomas and forward Justin Chwedoruk were awarded the assists. The Komets outshot their opponents 18-8 in the third period and 41-25 overall. Haun stopped 24 of 25 shots for the victory. Martin made 36 saves on 41 shots.

Notes: The Komets went 3-5 on the power play while Bloomington was 1-4 with the extra man. Fort Wayne is now 37-13-3 all-time in New Year's Eve games, and have won their last 8 in a row. With the win, Fort Wayne pulled 3 points ahead of Bloomington in the IHL standings, good enough for sole possession of 3rd place. Fort Wayne debuted their new "zoo inspired" tiger-stripe orange and blak jerseys to be worn for Wednesday games throughout the remainder of the 2009-2010 schedule. As a part of the zoo promotion, an owl accidentally got loose for a time in the stadium's lobby. The game was goalie Tim Haun's first appearance following a 7 game suspension. Komets forward and assistant coach Colin Chaulk missed the third of 3 games to attend the funeral of a family member in Toronto. Fort Wayne forward Rick Varone returned from a stint on IR for a knee injury only to re-injure his knee in the first period of play. It was announced earlier in the day that forward Tomas Klempa had been waived to make room on the roster for Varone.

Komets Avenge Loss to Gems with Win in Dayton

The Fort Wayne Komets (16-11-0-1) gutted out a victory against the Dayton Gems (13-15-3-1) in Dayton on Wednesday night, wrapping up their second game in two nights in a home and away series with the IHL newcomers. The tone was set for the game just 1 second into the first period when the Komets forward Lincoln Kaleigh Schrock dropped the gloves with Dayton defenseman Nathan Oke. At 12:57, more fisticuffs broke out when the Komets Justin Chwedoruk took on Gems' forward Derek Parker. In addition to a 5 minute fighting penalty, Parker picked up 2 minutes for boarding which set the stage for a Fort Wayne power play. It paid off for the Koemts at 13:20, when Fort Wayne forward David Hukalo gave the Komets a 1-0 lead. Assists went to forwards P.C. Drouin and Konstantin Shafranov. Defenseman Kevin Bertram doubled that lead to 2-0 at 1:30 of the second period. Forwards Sean O'Connor and Shafranov picked up the assists on the play. Dayton pulled within 1 goal at 2:17 of the middle frame. With Mike Vaskivuo in the box for high sticking, forward Jonathan Ornelas netted a short-handed goal, cutting the score to 2-1. Forward Sam Bloom and defenseman Preston Briggs were awarded the helpers. The Gems knotted the tally at 2-2 at 5:32 on forward Dan Lapointe's rebound goal. Forwards Matt Szypura and Parker got the assists. But the Komets responded at 6:47, regaining the lead thanks to a goal by defenseman Frankie DeAngelis off a pass from forward Leo Thomas. Defenseman Danko Mironovic and Thomas were creditted with the helpers. Having surrendered a number of leads in recent games, it was far from certain that the Komets would be able to protect their one goal lead against the speedy, opportunistic Gems, but in a show of newfound fortitude, Fort Wayne managed to do just that. No further scoring took place despite the Gems pulling goalie Derek MacIntyre at the end. Fort Wayne outshot the Gems in every period and 43-28 overall. MacIntyre stopped 40 of the 43 shots he faced in absorbing the loss. Komets goalie Nick Boucher made 26 saves on 28 shots for the win.

Notes: Announced attendance was 2117. The Komets went 1-6 on the power play. The Gems were 0-2 with the extra man. Komets back-up goalie Tim Haun served the final game in his 7 game suspension. Fort Wayne forward and assistant coach Colin Chaulk missed the second of 3 games due to a death in his family.