OCTOBER 28, 2016 - The Steele County Blades will have their work cut out for them this weekend, taking on the division leading Wisconsin Rapids Riverkings in Wisconsin Rapids, WI. The Blades and Riverkings will faceoff at the South Wood County Recreation Center on October 28th and 29th, with both games scheduled for puck drop at 7:30 PM.
The Riverkings have posted an impressive record of 10-1-0, with their only loss coming at the hands of the Forest Lake Lakers. The Riverkings have averaged 5.82 goals per game, posting 64 goals total. Their defense has been stellar, allowing in 1.36 goals per game. Forward Reed Kaiser leads the Riverkings with 20 points, followed by Ryan Mantz with 18 points.
The Blades are out for revenge as the Riverkings got the best of the Blades last season, winning two out of their three meetings. The Blades, an impressive 6-1-1 on the season, look forward to the challenge in front of them. “The Riverkings are obviously a pretty tough opponent when you look at the stats and standings," said Blades forward Griffin Water. "We, as a team, believe we have the power and preparation to beat them in their building. We want to come out of the weekend with four more points in the standings.”
Each team have similar special teams statistics on special teams with the Blades having an edge in both PP and PK opportunities. On the PP, the Blades have converted 27.7% while the Riverkings have converted 24.4%. Meanwhile, the Blades have a stellar 89.7% success rate on the PK compared to the Riverkings 87.9%.
The coaching staff admits that special teams could be the difference maker in both games. “The Riverkings are a team that produces a lot of goals," said Assistant Coach Bobby Solari. "One of the best ways to try and limit quality chances is to stay out of the box. Hopefully, we can stay out of penalty trouble and capitalize on our opportunities if and when we are on the power-play. This should be a pretty exciting weekend of hockey for everyone watching."
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