GAME REPORT - NA3HL ST LOUIS JR BLUES VS NORTH IOWA BULLS
12.13.20 - NA3HL St Louis Jr Blues (3) vs North Iowa Bulls (1)
12.13.20 - NA3HL St Louis Jr Blues (3) vs North Iowa Bulls (1)
The North Iowa Bulls hosted the St. Louis Jr. Blues on Sunday afternoon in the 6th and final game of the Bulls Holiday Classic. North Iowa entered the game with a chance to finish the weekend with a showcase leading 3-1 record, while St. Louis was hoping for a win to notch all 3 teams at 2-2.
The first period of play was relatively quiet, with North Iowa holding the early advantage in shots and scoring chances. Both goalies were called on to make some big saves and each team looked to be playing to their strengths. The Bulls had some flurries of sustained pressure but were shut down by St. Louis’ goaltender Owen Carlson. While North Iowa headed to intermission up 14-8 in shots, the score remained deadlocked at zero.
The beginning of the 2nd period brought much of the same back and forth action. The seesaw continued until the 4:26 mark of the period when North Iowa capitalized on a turnover which allowed forward Hayden Fox to snipe a rebound goal after the St. Louis netminder stopped 2 previous shots from point-blank range. North Iowa kept pressing after scoring the goal, but despite outshooting St. Louis 16-4, they ended the 2nd period only up a goal.
St. Louis finally got on the board early in the 3rd period when newly signed forward Riley Howse took a puck off the cycle on the powerplay and weaved his way through the slot for the tying goal. The game remained notched at 1 for another 9 minutes until North Iowa’s D had a costly turnover deep in their zone which allowed St. Louis forward Mike Ivory to capitalize with the go-ahead score. Down a goal for the first time all game, North Iowa kept pressing but could not get anything past Carlson. The Jr. Blues capped off the game by scoring an empty net goal from the length of the ice in the final minutes of play, to secure the 3-1 victory.
Team Summaries
North Iowa Bulls
Despite the score, North Iowa looked to be the stronger team tonight, outshooting St. Louis 40-21. They have a lot of depth and can play a heavy controlled style that limits opponent’s chances. They are strong from the net out, and their big defensemen cover a lot of ice and wear teams down physically. If there is one knock on the Bulls, it’s that they lack a lot of dynamic firepower up front. They have strong forwards who work hard to get pucks to the net, but they don’t appear to have dynamic playmakers or that high-end goal scorer who can take over a game.
St. Louis Jr Blues
To St. Louis’ credit they played a very smart game today and leaned on their strengths in order to pull out a victory in a game where they were outshot nearly 2-1. They don’t have the depth or strength to play a possession game against a team like North Iowa, but what they do have is a lot of speed up front. They were patient and opportunistic today and they capitalized on mistakes to quickly transition pucks up ice. Because their forwards can play run-and-gun, they force D to either back off the line or make costly mistakes in the grey zone. When they get chances to score, they put pucks in the net, and their goaltending allows them to stay competitive deep into games.
Scouting Notes
Cal Nauss - ‘00 Defenseman - North Iowa Bulls
Nauss had another strong showing today. His game is poised and mature and he controls play from the back end of the ice. He’s a fluid puck distributor who makes strong reads and he hits his forwards in stride through the neutral zone. He has a heavy, low shot, and while he didn’t score today, he got a number of pucks through from the blueline. He fills a strong veteran presence on the back end for the Bulls, and his game should translate nicely to the college level.
Caleb Huffman – ‘02 Defenseman - North Iowa Bulls
Huffman is another North Iowa defenseman who has great size and good long-term upside. The Anchorage, AK native was drafted last year by the Kenai River Brown Bears, and recently signed a tender with the club for next season. His skating mechanics could use some work, but he has good mobility for his size and closes ice quickly at both ends. For a big D he likes to handle the puck and he had a few nice rushes today. He can however overhandle at times, so he needs to learn to distribute a bit quicker and play a little more of a pro-style game which will utilize his size and reach. He will likely need a few seasons of development in the NA, but if the pieces come together, he could have a good collegiate career ahead of him.
Sean Sullivan – ‘01 Defenseman - North Iowa Bulls
The Bulls captain had a solid game today. There is nothing flashy about his play and his skillset is not overly dynamic, but he plays a good heavy game, and just makes steady plays up and down the ice. His footwork could use some work as his first few steps can be heavy, but once he gets moving, he has a powerful stride. He plays within himself very well and makes good simple reads on the breakout, and consistently gets pucks deep coming through the neutral zone. His defensive decision making in the NZ can use some improvement, but he is strong down low in his end, and uses his grit and strength to win battles below the dots.
Max Savaloja – ‘02 Forward - North Iowa Bulls
Savaloja was one of the most noticeable players on the ice tonight and he seemed to constantly be around the play. He has a good balanced skillset and is strong on his edges which allow him to play a heavy and gritty game at both ends. He showed that he can manufacture offense both off the rush (where he flashed some playmaking ability) as well as in tight where he’s willing to drive through dirty areas in order to get pucks to the net. He works hard at both ends of the ice, and his special teams experience should give him some versatility within a collegiate lineup.
Carson Jones – ‘01 Forward - North Iowa Bulls
Jones had another strong game today for the Bulls and continues to show his strong vision and hockey IQ. He has a powerful stride and good edges which make him hard to knock off pucks in tight and also allow him to quickly close ice on the forecheck. His hockey IQ makes him effective as F3 because he can easily read and anticipate the play. Pucks have a habit of finding his stick in tight, and he does a good job of keeping himself in strong shooting positions around the net.
Owen Carlson – ‘01 Goaltender – St Louis Jr Blues
Without question Carlson was the difference-maker in the game today. He turned aside 39 of 40 shots including some in tight right after his team went down a goal. He has good size, and he comes out to challenge shooters and cut down angles. His feet are quick, and he does a good job taking away the bottom half of the net. His lateral movement is smooth, and fluid and he tracks pucks well in the zone. His rebound control is good, and his movement and anticipation allow him to quickly get into position to make second saves. He does look like he could improve his core strength so that he can get a stronger push across, and his hand position can be a bit low at times, but there are a lot of pieces to like in his game.
Vinny Servizzi – ‘01 Forward – St Louis Jr Blues
Servizzi is a dynamic undersized forward with a lot of offensive upside in his game. He is a very quick skater with a smooth stride and good acceleration off the rush. He shows smooth, quick hands in tight and the ability to walk through defenders in transition. He can overhandle the puck at times, so he needs to keep using his speed to take the ice that’s given, but he’s very dangerous when given any room to operate. He shows good vision off the rush and is able to vary his skating speed coming over the line in order to open up passing layers between the seams. He likes to play in transition so he’s less effective off the cycle, but his quick 1st step allows him to get in and out of space in all 3 zones.
Joey Solimando – ‘00 Forward – St Louis Jr Blues
Solimando was quiet at times, but overall he had a solid game. He’s a good-sized power-forward who shows some offensive skill off the rush, as well as the ability to make plays with his hands in tight. He’s a fairly well-rounded player who is strong on his edges and difficult to knock off pucks. He can make plays in transition and has good vision and ice-awareness coming over the blueline with the puck. His willingness to play gritty and heavy at both ends should give him some versatility at the next level, where he is likely going to fill a role as a secondary scorer or strong 2-way checking line forward.