DECEMBER 15, 2016 - After over two weeks without a game, the Steele County Blades will face off against the River Falls Renegades Thursday night at Wildcat Centre.
While sitting idle in for a few weekends, the Blades have dropped to fifth place in the standings, just one slot ahead of the Renegades. The Renegades have collected 18 points in the standings with a record of 9-14-0 while the Blades still have a record of 11-5-2, with 24 points in 18 games.
These two teams have only seen each other one time this season on November 5th. The Blades got the best of the Renegades, winning by a score of 5-1. The was certainly no lack of animosity in the last game, which had 66 minutes in penalties on 21 infractions.
Since then, the Blades have a record of 5-3 along the way. It is safe to say the Renegades will look to even the season series and right the ship in the process. River Falls has played 11 games since the teams last meeting and has lost seven of those games, including four in a row.
The Thursday night matchup will be Josh Gouin’s first game back with the Blades. Gouin has played 33 games for Steele County in parts of the last two seasons. After 12 games with the Fort Frances Lakers of the SIJHL, he is excited to be back in Owatonna. “I am looking forward to my first game back with the guys," said Gouin. "The transition is definitely easier when there are a lot of familiar faces and friends in the locker room.” When asked about the upcoming game, Gouin added, “I know this team has been playing well this year and I hope we can continue the trend Thursday. After this long of a break, having a good start is key.”
Head Coach Nick Adamek agreed with Gouin in regards to the start of the game, recognizing the Renegades physical play. “The Renegades are a team that can really apply pressure and smother the puck. We need to apply some pressure of our own right away; we can’t afford to take our time getting into the swing of things, especially after an extended break.”
The Thursday night game will serve as a bit of a tune up for the Blades. The Blades will play four games in three days from January 18th to the 21st for the USPHL Midwest Showcase in Chicago. These will be the last five games of the year for Steele County in 2016.
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