Kewadin Casino Indians drop shootout

Shootout games have not been kind to the Soo Kewadin Casino Indians this season. The Michigan Sault Indians, who have yet to lose a game in regulation this season in North American Hockey League play, have lost four of their eight games this season in a shootout, including a 1-0 defeat at the hands of the Springfield Jr. Blues on Saturday night at the Chi Mukwa Community Recreation Centre in Sault, Michigan. Similar to international hockey, the NAHL plays an overtime period and, if still tied after the overtime, a shootout. The Indians, whose record drops to 4-0-4 with the loss, have played well despite having very few returning players from last year's team, which competed in the Gold Cup national championship, held in Sault, Michigan, a tournament that saw the Indians finish second. Goaltending was the word of the day on this night at Derek MacIntyre of the Indians and Wes Russell of the Jr. Blues put on a clinic, turning back a number of quality offensive chances over the course of the game. MacIntyre entered the shootout having stopped 30 shots in being named the game's second star while Russell was equally impressive turning aside 29 Soo shots in being named the game's first star. In the shootout, the Jr. Blues took over. With the first shot Dan Reidel of the Blues, who was named the game's third star, beat MacIntyre 5-hole to put the visitors up 1-0. After a miss by newly acquired Veli-Antti Leinonen of the Indians, Hank Carisio put more pressure on Indians shooters by beating MacIntyre to give the Blues a 2-0-shootout lead. After Matt Buha missed for the Indians, Pat Lee of the Blues scored which meant that Derek Punches, the next shooter for the Indians had to score. Punches was then stopped by Russell to give the Jr. Blues the win and salvage a point from the weekend series. Following the game Indians coach Joe Shawhan said he was happy with his club's performance overall over the entire weekend and believes that his club is one that could contend for a league title this season. "They were two great games," Shawhan said. "There were two evenly matched teams. I thought in the third we controlled the tempo of the game." Shawhan said his teams only problem is finishing other teams off. He didn't rule out the possibility of going after another goal-scorer to compliment players like Logan Bittle and Stavros Paskaris, who are already looked for their offensive capabilities. "I thought this was a game we could have won," Shawhan said. "We've got to finish. We don't get timely goals when we need them. We'd love to pick up a guy who can score." Bittle, who is one of the North American League's top scorers this season with nine points in eight games, was thrown out of the game early in the third period when he was called for butt-ending, which meant a double minor plus a game misconduct. Shawhan felt that Bittle could have helped late in the game and in the shootout when the Indians needed a goal. "Definitely Bittle getting tossed for butt- ending didn't help," Shawhan said. "He's tops in the league, or close to it, in scoring and we could have used him out there." Shootouts have been the Indians nemesis early on this season and that is something that Shawhan is attempting to work on with his team, specifically his goaltenders, who seem to lose confidence early on. "We've been good in regulation," Shawhan said. "But we've got no confidence in shootouts. We're bad in shootouts. The problem is our goalies are getting scored on on the first shot and we lose confidence that way." The Indians now prepare for their longest road trip of the season, which kicks off next weekend when they make their first visit to Toledo, Ohio, to take on the Toledo Ice Diggers. Next regular season home action for the Indians is not until late November when the Springfield Jr Blues pay another visit to Sault, Michigan on November 21st and 22nd. The games will kick off a 6-game home stand for the Indians. Brad Coccimiglio