In my continued effort to help my back account, here is my week 2 recap for the New Orleans Specters.

Just a reminder of where we were at the end of week one, after 15 games played.  The Specters were tied for third in the league with 22 points and a 10-3-2 record.  We were on top of the Central division, 4 points above the Chicago Syndicate. Our points leader was Scar Bealey with 22 points, he also led in assists with 18.  For goals, Blade Hunter led the team with 11.  We had 7 players averaging over a point per game, these players were:

Scar Bealey – 4G - 18A – 22P
Lester Oiduser – 7G – 12 A – 19P
Lyle Odelein IV – 9G – 9A – 18P
Blade Hunter – 11G – 7A – 19P
Dusty Rhodes – 7G – 10A – 17P
Luca Pane – 8G – 8A – 16P
Walt ‘Clyde’ Frazier – 5G – 11A – 16P

Now that you are all caught up, let’s get to the recap of this past weeks games!

Week number two’s first game, game #16 for the Specters, was against the Baltimore Platoon.  The Specters were hoping to bounce back from their loss to the Winnipeg Aurora that closed out the first week of sims.
The Platoon found the back on the net first and put the visitors up 1-0 in the first minute of the game.  Dusty Rhodes didn’t wait all that long before he tied up the game at 1-1.  Luca Pane gave the home team the lead just 7 seconds later and gave the home team the lead, which they did not give up for the rest of the game.  Scar Bealey scored NOLA’s 3rd goal of the period and that is how the period ended, with a score of 3-1 for New Orleans.

Baltimore made it a one goal game in the start of the second period, but Dusty Rhodes got their second of the game before the 2nd period horn blew.  The third period only had one goal scored and that was by New Orleans rookie, Nanashi Mumei.

For the three stars of the game, Nanashi Mumei received the first stat, with 1 goal and 2 assists, Dusty Rhodes got the second, with their 2 goal performance (and an assist to go along with the goals) and Darnell Mohamed Johnson Jr was named the third star, with 2 assists on the game.

The next team up for the Specters were the Calgary Dragons.  The Specters were at home again and Lyle Odelein IV scored the first goal of the game for the home fans 32 seconds into the game.  Nanashi Mumei did not waste anytime either, scoring again for the Specters, 11 seconds after the first goal.  The home side was up 2-0 before the first minute was played.  The Dragons got on the scoreboard in the second half of the period, but Walt ‘Clyde’ Frazier scored a 3rd goal for the Specters before the first period was over.

The second period had Scar Bealey scoring  early into the period, but Calgary came back with 2 goals of their own, and after two periods of play, the score was 4-3 for the New Orleans Specters.  Luca Pane stopped any hope of a comeback for the Dragons with a goal halfway through the period and Lyle Odelein IV added a very late empty netter, with only 1 second left on the game clock.

The three stars were all Specters again, led by Hugh Manius (2 assists), Blade Hunter (3 assists) and rounding out the three, Nanashi Mumei (1 goal, 1 assist).

Game #18 was in New Orleans for again, giving the Specters a nice little run on home ice.  This time, the Manhattan Rage were the visiting team  Billy Hill was the first goal scorer in the game and he was the only player on both teams to get a puck past the goalkeeper.

The second period was much more eventful, with both teams finding the back of the net a couple of times.  The Rage were the first to score, tying the game at 1-1.  Rookie sensation, Nanashi Mumei scored next in the period and Nash Topalo scored for the Specters second goal of the period.  The Rage got their second of the period after these two goals and the game was at 3-2 for the Specters after two periods.

The third period saw the Rage tie the game early in the period, making the score 3-3.  But Dusty Rhodes played the role of the hero for the home team, scoring the game winner with just under 7 minutes remaining in the game.
The game winner was named the first star of the game, Dusty Rhodes with a goal and an assist.  The third star was Darnell Mohamed Johnson Jr, who recorded an assist in the contest.

The next game was the second of a back to back against the Manhattan Rage, this time, the game was played in the Big Apple.  The Rage were looking for some redemption and they got it, with a three goal 1st period.  The Specters did not get onto the scoreboard until the second period, Lyle Odelein IV scoring he lone goal of the period.

Going into the final period with the Rage leading 3-1, they practically closed out the game with an early third period goal, putting the game out of reach at 4-1.  Darnell Mohamed Johnson Jr did score again for the Specters late in the third, but the Rage answered right back with another goal for the home team, making the score 5-2, which is how the game ended. No Specters earned any of the games three star spots.

The Specters were back at home for their next game, and were looking to get back in the win column.  They were matched up against their divisional rivals, the Texas Renegades.  Luca Pane scored and goal early in the first period and Lester Oiduser scored at the end of the period, giving the Specters a 2-0 lead to start the second period.  Texas scored their first goal of the game and the first of the second period, but Blade Hunter and Mikkel Enevolden each scored for the Specters, giving them a 4-1 advantage after two periods.

The two divisional rivals each scored another goal in the final period, Scar Bealey scoring for the Specters.  The three stars were all Specters this time, with Lyle Odelein IV (3 assists), Billy Hill (2 assists) and Blade Hunter (1 goal, 1 assist).

Minnesota Monarchs were the next team up against the Specters, another game played in New Orleans.  The home team came out very strong, with the first goals of the game, 4 of them to be exact.  Walt ‘Clyde’ Frazier, Lyle Odelein IV, Scar Bealey and Darnell Mohamed Johnson Jr all scoring in the first 13 minutes of the game.  The Monarchs did make it on the scoreboard, but New Orleans’ Lester Oiduser scored another before the first period ended, making the score 5-1 for the Specters.

Scar Bealey continued their strong game, scoring another two goals to complete the hattrick!  The Monarchs got one goal back before the end of the period, which turned out to be the final goal of the game, with no goals being scored in the final period.  Final score, 7-2 for the New Orleans Specters.  The three stars were all Specters again, Scar Bealey with their 3 goals and 1 assist, Hugh Manius with 2 assists and Lyle Odelein IV with a goal and an assist.

The next game up was against the Seattle Argonauts, in Seattle.  This wasn’t a game the Specters will want to remember.  They were shut out for the first time this season.  So that’s that…

The following game was not much better than the last.  Matched up against the Winnipeg Auroras, both teams played to a scoreless first period.  The Aurors were the first team to score, over halfway through the second period, and they added another goal before the period ended.  Winnipeg had a 2-0 lead going into the third period, and the Specters had been outscored 6-0 in their last 6 periods.

The third period wasn’t any better for the Specters, the Aurora scored another 2 goals making the score a very familiar, 4-0.  But Nanashi Mumei made sure the Specters weren’t shut out again, scoring the final goal of the game, giving the Aurora a 4-1 win over the Specters.

The Specters wanted to end this skid, and they would have to do it against the Argonauts who had just shut them out two games ago.  Walt ‘Clyde’ Frazier scored the first goal of the game, but the Argos answered back, tying the game at 1 goal each.  Dusty Rhodes broke the tie before the first period was over.

Seattle took control of the game in the second period, scoring the only goals of the period, 2 of them to be precise.  The score was 3-2 for Seattle going into the final period.  Determined not to lose three games in a row, the Specters came out strong. Scar Bealey (x2), Hugh Manius, Mikkel Enevolden scored four unanswered goals in the third period, getting the Specters back into the win column.

The three starts of the game were the two of those players just mentioned, Mikkel Enevoldsen (1 goal, 2 assists) and Scar Bealey (2 goals) and the Specters’ Artturi Lappalainen (2 assists) got the other spot.

Next up, were the Tampa Bay Barracudas, who were visiting the Big Easy to take on the Specters.  Mikkel Enevoldsen opening the scoring in the first period, and Scar Bealey, just like the previous game, scored back to back goals, giving the Specters a 3-0 lead in the first 7 minutes of the game.  The Barracudas fought back though, scoring two of their own before the first period horn blew, with the Specters leading 3-2.

Lyle Odelein IV gave the Specters a little breathing room scoring the only goal of the second period, giving the Specters a 4-2 lead going into the final period.  Luca Pane gave the Specters their fifth goal of the game halfway through the third period and the Barracudas did try to mount a comeback, getting back 2 goals in the back half of the third period, but that was as far as they got.  Final score 5-4 for the home side.

The three stars that were named after the game were Scar Bealey (2 goals, 1 assists) and Blade Hunter (2 assists) and the other was a Tampa Bay player.

Back on the road, the Specters were up against the Calgary Dragons again.  The home team controlled the first and second period and scored a goal in each giving the Dragons a 2-0 lead going into the third period.  The Specters weren’t completely out of it yet though, Lyle Odelein IV put one past the Dragons keeper and then Nanashi Mumei did the same, tying the game at 2 goals a piece with just over 4 minutes to play.  The comeback was stopped though, when Literally Wizard scored for the Dragons. 

The only Specters player named to the three stars was Nanashi Mumei (1 goal), who tied up the game in the third for New Orleans.

Skipping over a couple of provinces, the Specters stayed on the Canadian roads and matched up against the Winnipeg Auroras in Winnipeg.  Mikkel Enevoldsen scored the first goal of the game at the start of the first period, but the Winnipeg tied it up a 1-1 before the first period ended.

The rest of the game was a different story, it was all Specters.  Lyle Odelein IV started it off early in the second.  His goal was followed by Dusty Rhodes, then Mikkel Enevoldsen’s second goal of the game late in the second period.  Lyle Odelein IV capped it all off with the only goal of the third period, giving the Specters a 5-1 victory over the Aurora.

Three stars for the contest were all Specters, Scar Bealey (3 assists), Lyle Odelein IV (2 goals and 1 assist) and Blade Hunter (1 assist).

The next game for the Specters, was the first against the back to back SHL Challenge Cup champions, the San Francisco Pride.  A win here could be a statement game for the Specters, who have been have a very solid season so far.  The Specters were on the road for this one and they seemed to be late for the game.  The first period was all San Fran, and gave them a 2-0 lead after the first frame.  They continued their dominace into the 2nd period, scoing within the first minute of the second.  Scar Bealey scored 59 seconds later, which seemed to just irratate the champions. They scored the other two goals of the 2nd, making the score going into the third, 5-1 for the home team, San Francisco Pride.

The Pride scored another in the third and the Specters' Dusty Rhodes added another goal before the game ended.  Final score, 6-2 for San Fran.  And no surprise to anyone, the three stars were all Pride players.  Not the game the Specters wanted to play.  

Still on the road, the Specters were in Edmonton to take on the Blizzard.  They were hoping to shake off the previous game and were able to get the first goal of the game.  Blade Hunter scored for NOLA, but Edmonton scored their first before the period ended, 1-1 after the first. Edmonton got the first one in the second, and Lyle Odelein IV answered, tying the game up again.  The Blizzard took the lead for the third time before the 2nd period was over.

Darnell Mohamed Johnson Jr tied the game up, yet again, and this was the only goal of the final period, sending this game to overtime.  Overtime proved nothing and the game went into the shootout.  The home team Edmonton Blizzard edged out the Specters in the shootout.  Blade Hunter was the only Specter named to the three stars of the game, scoring 1 goal and 1 assist.

Desprately wanting to get off this road trip, the Specters were the visitors again, this time in Baltimore.  Luca Pane struck first in this one, but the lead was wiped out at the end of the first period.  During the second period, the Platoon took the lead, with the only goal of the period.

The third started off quickly.  Darnell Mohamed Johnson Jr. found the back of the net within the first minite, tying the game at 2-2.  But th home team wasn't going down easily.  They scored about 5 minutes later, which was the last goal of the game.  Another loss for the Specters.  Not a great road trip.  Nanashi Mumei was the only Specter named one of the three stars, they had 1 assist in the game.

That catches us right up.  After 30 games in the SHL, the New Orleans Specters have a 18-9-3 for 39 points, and 7th overall in the league.  They have slipped to second in their division, behind the Texas Renegades, by 2 points, but the Specters do have 4 games in hand.

Scar Bealey still leads the team in points, with 15 goals and 26 assists.  Lyle Odelein IV, leads the team in goals, with 18 and the previously mentioned Bealey leads with those 26 assists.  Hugh Manius leads in shots blocked with 121.  For hits, Scar Bealey leads with 54. 

Bernard Lodge has a record of 12-8-3, a GAA of 3.48 and the save percentage of 0.888%.  Veteran goalie, Jon St. Ark has a 6-1 record, a 2.43 GAA and a 0.915 save percentage.



Tune in next week for the third week of the SHL recap for the New Orleans Specters.



Go Specters Go!!!


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