GREEN BAY, WI — The Green Bay Gamblers finished dead last winning only 13 games in the United States Hockey League (USHL) last season. They completed a total reversal of their previous season Sunday evening to win the 2008-09 regular season title, the Anderson Cup, with a 6-4 win over the Des Moines Buccaneers in the league’s final regular season game. The Gamblers leapfrogged the Cedar Rapids Rough Riders and won the cup by one point with their win. The Gamblers finished the regular season with a record of 39-17-4 for 82 points. Last season Green Bay finished with a record of 13-41-6 for 32 points. A suddenly loud and festive Resch Center crowd of 4,517 family day attendees came to life after watching with anxiety as the Gamblers trailed the undermanned Buccaneers for almost the most entire game. The Gamblers who were hit with a number of suspensions after a late game melee at home on Friday against the Waterloo Blackhawks, skated with a very short bench. The home crowd came alive when the Gamblers, who were in a must win situation in order to capture the trophy, scored three times in the last two minutes and fifteen seconds of the game to go ahead for the first time in the game, including an empty net goal to ensure the victory. Anthony Hayes tied the game 4-4 at the 17:45 mark, Reed Seckel got the game winner at 18:29, and Nick Jensen got the empty net goal at 19:17 to seal the win.
Green_Bay captain C.J. Lee (%2322) celebrates winning the Anderson Cup with his teammates (photo courtesy of R.J. Meyer)
C.J. Lee, who had scored twice to help keep the Gamblers earlier in the game, provided the assist on the game winning goal on a nice pass that sprung Seckel who shot the puck first, then got his own rebound for the score. William Rapuzzi also scored for the Gamblers late in the second period. Steve Summerhays was in goal for Green Bay and stopped 19 of the 23 shots he faced. Des Moines goaltender Michael Houser, and his undermanned teammates, faced 46 shots on the night. Des Moines goals came from Mike Fink, H.T. Lenz, a shorthanded strike, Matt White, and Ryan Walters. Gamblers Head Coach/GM Jon Cooper was recently named the JLG Architects’ USHL General Manager
of the Year for the
Gambler’s turn around in his first season at the helm for Green Bay. In his post game remarks, Cooper said that “Championships never get old,” I know there’s another one to go (Clark Cup), and our goal is focusing on winning in the playoffs, but to play in the best junior hockey league in the United States and to be able to say after a 60-game season that we’re the best, is something I’ll never forget and neither will these kids.” The league could not ask for a better finish to a tremendous regular season,” stated Skip Prince, USHL Commissioner who was on hand to present the Cup, went on to say that “It was only fitting that the champion was not determined until the 360th game on the schedule.” The win also gives Green Bay the top seed overall in the Clark Cup playoffs and home ice advantage throughout post season play. The battle for the Clark Cup begins Thursday night April 9 in Green Bay when the Gamblers host the Waterloo Blackhawks in the first two games of the series Thursday and Saturday nights. All the other series open on Friday April 10
th. Contact the author at
Phil.Brand@prohockeynews.com Related
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