Thursday, January 3, 2008

December Power Rankings

1. Sioux City Musketeers (Prev. #2, +1)
  • Key Wins: vs Omaha, vs Waterloo.
  • Key Losses: vs Omaha.
  • December Record: 7-1-0.
  • GF: 29, GA: 22
  • Key Player in December: Travis Oleksuk.
  • Player to Watch in January: Stephane Da Costa.
2. Indiana Ice (Prev. #1, -1)
  • Key Wins: at Waterloo, at Omaha.
  • Key Losses: vs Waterloo, OTL vs Waterloo.
  • December Record: 6-1-2.
  • GF: 38 , GA: 30
  • Key Player in December: Gregory Squires.
  • Player to Watch in January: Brandon Blandina.
3. Cedar Rapids RoughRiders (Prev. #5, +2)
  • Key Wins: vs Sioux Falls, vs Waterloo.
  • Key Losses: at Sioux Falls, at Waterloo.
  • December Record: 5-2-0.
  • GF: 30, GA: 20
  • Key Player in December: Tyler Thompson.
  • Player to Watch in January: Nick Oddo.
4. Omaha Lancers (Prev. #3, -1)
  • Key Wins: vs Lincoln, at Sioux City.
  • Key Losses: vs Lincoln, OTL at Sioux City.
  • December Record: 5-2-2.
  • GF: 29, GA: 22
  • Key Player in December: Barry Almeida.
  • Player to Watch in January: Nico Sacchetti.
5. Waterloo Black Hawks (Prev. #4, -1)
  • Key Wins: at Indiana, at Indiana, vs Cedar Rapids.
  • Key Losses: at Cedar Rapids, at Sioux City.
  • December Record: 5-3-1.
  • GF: 26, GA: 29
  • Key Player in December: Blake Kessel.
  • Player to Watch in January: Brett Olson.
6. Chicago Steel (Prev. #7, +1)
  • Key Wins: at Sioux Falls, vs Lincoln.
  • Key Losses: vs Indiana, at Waterloo.
  • December Record: 5-4-0.
  • GF: 32, GA: 26
  • Key Player in December: Andy Miele.
  • Player to Watch in January: Luca Cunti.
7. Sioux Falls Stampede (Prev. #6, -1)
  • Key Wins: vs Cedar Rapids, at Omaha.
  • Key Losses: SOL vs Des Moines, vs Sioux City.
  • December Record: 4-3-2.
  • GF: 25, GA: 30
  • Key Player in December: Jake Hansen.
  • Player to Watch in January: Jake Hansen.
8. Lincoln Stars (Prev. #8, +0)
  • Key Wins: vs Omaha, vs Waterloo.
  • Key Losses: at Omaha, at Chicago.
  • December Record: 5-4-0.
  • GF: 20, GA: 18
  • Key Player in December: David Reekie.
  • Player to Watch in January: Chris Forfar.
9. Tri-City Storm (Prev. #10, +1)
  • Key Wins: vs Indiana.
  • Key Losses: vs Sioux City, vs Lincoln.
  • December Record: 4-3-1.
  • GF: 26, GA: 25
  • Key Player in December: Josh Berge.
  • Player to Watch in January: Phil Ginand.
10. Green Bay Gamblers (Prev. #9, -1)
  • Key Wins: vs Des Moines, at Des Moines.
  • Key Losses: at Cedar Rapids, vs Chicago.
  • December Record: 3-3-1.
  • GF: 25, GA: 27
  • Key Player in December: C.J. Lee
  • Player to Watch in January: Kyle Ensign.
11. Des Moines Buccaneers (Prev. #12, +1)
  • Key Wins: at Sioux Falls, vs Ohio.
  • Key Losses: vs Green Bay, SOL at Omaha.
  • December Record: 2-6-1.
  • GF: 20, GA: 32
  • Key Player in December: Locke Jillson.
  • Player to Watch in January: Michael Dorr.
12. Ohio Junior Blue Jackets (Prev. #11, -1)
  • Key Wins: None.
  • Key Losses: at Omaha, vs Cedar Rapids.
  • December Record: 0-7-1.
  • GF: 22, GA: 45
  • Key Player in December: Matt Leitner.
  • Player to Watch in January: Derek Roehl.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Good stuff Ryan!

Lets hope you are right in Omaha. You picked Nico Sacchetti as the player to watch, he has been a disappointment thus far. 8 points and -6 on one of the best teams in the league is not what we expected from the Virgina, MN native. Hopefully as the second half of the season gets underway we will see some of the skill that caused Dallas to pick him in the second round.

As for the Lancers, it appears that they will go as far as the Ameida, Thurber, Connely line will take them. All three are in the to top 11 in scoring, and I think will this unit will determine how far the Lancers go this season.

Anonymous said...

Got to agree with Ryan to a large extent. Might have to give Tri-City a little more love for what they did at the end of the month.

Agree with Nico Sacchetti needing to step up the point production. Right now the Thurber, Almedia, Connelly line is good for about two goals a game. The problem is that none of the other Lancers have been putting up points lately. Lancers fans (me included) have been really frustrated with the "D" making some late game mistakes that have cost the Lancers some games lately. That being said, if the offense only generates a couple a goals a night, you are going to be in alot of time games where little late game mistakes can be very costly. The Lancers really need guys like Sacchetti, Conboy, Novak, White, Arnt, and Lewadniuk to start putting up the points.

Great stuff Ryan.

Tom
Wahoo, NE

Anonymous said...

Maybe, being from Virginia MN gives a player too much credit. I have seen the same kind of pre-season hype and NHL pedigree turn into lack of production and average at best play from other players from Virginia. Maybe it is time to move Nico down the depth chart and give someone else an opportunity to succeed.

Anonymous said...

Probably why he has been skating on the 3rd and 4th lines