Lucky No. 13 for Express’ Adams on Owatonna

Owatonna’s Schyler Adams (8) slides across the ice after scoring his first goal of the season against North Iowa’s Keegan Asmundsen (35) and Mike McDonald (2) in the first period Friday at the Four Seasons Centre. Owatonna won 3-1.
Ian Stauffer

OWATONNA — Schyler Adams never thought it would take this long.

After he finished his senior season at New Prague as the 11th leading scorer in the state last year, Adams wasn’t used to finishing many games without a goal.

He finally scored his first as a member of the Owatonna Express on Friday in his 13th game of the season. It was the first score in Owatonna’s 3-1 victory over the North Iowa Outlaws on Friday; Owatonna’s second win over North Iowa in as many days.

“I didn’t think it would take this long,” said Adams, who has one goal and two assists on the season. “It was a big relief, especially because I’m one of the younger guys. Any time we can chip in on the scoring, it’s pretty fun.”

It sure looked fun. Adams took a pass from Jason McAloon while skating up the slot, knocked the puck off his skate and his stick before diving and getting enough of the puck to slip it past North Iowa goaltender Keegan Asmundsen.

“They got the puck to me in the middle,” Adams said. “I got it on my backhand, somehow got it through the defense and dove to shoot. I was lucky enough to get it in.”

Dan Cecka scored the game winner with 7:04 left in the third period, his eighth of the season and third in two games. Brian McGinty dumped a pass behind him to Jake Sloat, who sent it across the ice. The pass was right on Cecka’s tape, and the forward ripped a shot past Asmundsen.

Owatonna nearly took a 3-1 lead less then a minute later when Zach Vierling appeared to score a power-play goal, but the score was waved off because Asmundsen had inadvertently knocked the net off moments earlier. Owatonna’s Chris Darnell and Sloat argued the call to no avail.

Jake Youso finished the scoring for Owatonna with a power-play goal, his seventh score of the season, with 2:21 to go. Jake Suter and Chris Bournazos had assists on the goal.

Mike Shibrowski made 22 saves to get his third consecutive win and 13th overall. The Edina native is 13-2-1 this season, including four victories against the Outlaws.

“It doesn’t really matter to me who the other team is,” Shibrowski said. “A puck’s a puck. We match up well with those guys, and the defense played well in front of me.”

Owatonna had several opportunities to extend its lead in the second period. The Express’ best chance came when North Iowa was called for back-to-back penalties two minutes apart, giving Owatonna a nearly four-minute power play. The Express, who went into the game seventh in the league with a 16.7-percent power-play conversion rate, only had five shots during the stretch and did not score.

Not long after the power play ended, Cory Thorson and Cecka forced a turnover in the neutral zone and skated in on a two-on-one. Thorson’s pass to Cecka was a moment too late, however, and the chance was wasted.

Owatonna is scheduled to play Albert Lea at 7 p.m. Saturday at the Four Seasons Centre. The Thunder are in serious trouble with the NAHL right now and their owners faced a midnight deadline Friday night to pay a $400,000 fine for making players pay to be on the team, according to a report in the Albert Lea Tribune.

It was not clear what would happen if the team did not pay its fine, but the Tribune reported that the league could either take over the team and run it, or fold it completely.

Express 3, Outlaws 1
North Iowa 0 0 1 — 1
Owatonna 1 0 2 — 3
First period—1, Owa, Schyler Adams (Jason McAloon, Marian Fiala) 3:57. Penalties—Dan Cecka, Owatonna (hooking) 1:14; Mike McDonald, North Iowa (tripping) 5:35; Jake Youso, Owatonna (hooking) 9:32; Micky Knox, North Iowa (diving) 9:32; Knox, North Iowa (interference) 13:42; Nick Widing, Owatonna (hooking) 19:42.
Second period—No scoring. Penalties—Lucas Dillon, North Iowa (hooking) 7:49; McDonald, North Iowa (checking from behind) 11:44; Connor Gaarder, North Iowa (interference) 13:40; Dan Cecka, Owatonna (holding) 17:33.
Third period—2, NI, John O’Neill (Ryan Bohrer) :27; 3, Owa, Cecka (Jacob Sloat, Brian McGinty) 12:56; 4, Owa, Jake Youso (Chris Bournazos, Jake Suter) 17:39 (pp). Penalties—Cecka, Owatonna (hooking) 4:29; Derek Loisel, North Iowa (hooking) 5:34; David Mylrea, North Iowa (holding) 13:28; Matt Blomquist, North Iowa (tripping) 16:24; Cecka, Owatonna (hooking) 17:59.
Shots on goal—North Iowa 8-7-8—23; Owatonna 7-10-11—28.
Power-play opportunities—North Iowa 0 of 5; Owatonna 1 of 8.
Goalies—North Iowa, Keegan Asmundsen (28 shots-25 saves); Owatonna, Mike Shibrowski (23-22).

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