West Bend looks to remain unbeaten in regulation with matchups against Peoria and St. Louis
The West Bend Power will look to keep their momentum rolling as they hit the road for another action-packed weekend of NA3HL Central Division hockey. The Power will face the Peoria Mustangs on Friday before traveling to St. Louis for a two-game series against the Jr. Blues on Saturday and Sunday.
Coming off a dominant weekend in which the Power outscored their opponents 13-1 in victories over the Fox Cities Forge and Wisconsin Woodsmen, West Bend will look to carry that offensive firepower and strong defensive play into three games in three days.
Power looks to continue success against Peoria
The weekend opens Friday night with a 7:00 PM matchup against the Peoria Mustangs at the Owens Center.
The Power have already enjoyed success against Peoria this season, sweeping the Mustangs in a September road series. West Bend earned a 6-3 victory in the opening game before shutting out Peoria 4-0 in the series finale. The Power will look to build on those performances as the teams meet for the third time this season.
Peoria enters the weekend with an 8-6-0-0 record and 16 points, sitting in fourth place in the Central Division.
First meetings with St. Louis
Following Friday’s contest, the Power will travel to Affton, Missouri, for their first two meetings of the season with the St. Louis Jr. Blues.
St. Louis enters the weekend with a 4-7-3-0 record and 11 points, placing fifth in the Central Division. The Jr. Blues are coming off a weekend split with Peoria, falling 7-4 on Saturday before bouncing back with a 6-2 victory on Sunday.
The Power will look to make a strong first impression against St. Louis as they close out the road trip with back-to-back games at Affton Ice Arena.
Central Division Standing
West Bend enters the weekend atop the Central Division standings with an impressive 9-0-0-1 record and 19 points, remaining unbeaten in regulation through its first 10 games.
The Mustangs sit in fourth place with 16 points, while the Jr. Blues occupy fifth place with 11 points. With valuable divisional points on the line, the weekend presents another opportunity for the Power to strengthen their position at the top of the standings.
Offensive Leaders
The Power continue to showcase a balanced offensive attack, led by Shaun Paulson with 18 points, followed by Adam Sexton with 16 points and Josh Graves with 13 points.
Peoria is led by Brenden Miller, who has recorded an impressive 27 points, followed by Zach Staelgraeve with 19 points and Breyon Maroney with 15 points.
For St. Louis, Robert Kelly and Jack Vahle lead the offensive charge with 13 points each.
Special teams could be a difference
Special teams have been a major strength for the Power this season, with both their power play and penalty kill ranking among the top five in the NA3HL.
West Bend’s power play is operating at an impressive 27.27%, compared to Peoria’s 25.45% and St. Louis’ 25.71%.
The Power hold an even more significant advantage on the penalty kill, successfully killing off 90.91% of opponents’ power-play opportunities. Peoria enters the weekend with a 68.09% penalty kill, while St. Louis stands at 73.68%.
The Power will look to capitalize on their special teams advantage while maintaining the disciplined defensive play that has contributed to their early-season success.
With three games in three days, the Power will face a demanding road test as they look to maintain their winning momentum, remain unbeaten in regulation and continue collecting valuable points in the Central Division standings.
WEEKEND SCHEDULE
Friday, October 30
- West Bend Power at Peoria Mustangs
- 7:00 PM | Owens Center, Peoria, IL
Saturday, October 31
- West Bend Power at St. Louis Jr. Blues
- 5:45 PM | Affton Ice Arena, Affton, MO
Sunday, November 1
- West Bend Power at St. Louis Jr. Blues
- 2:00 PM | Affton Ice Arena, Affton, MO
Fans can catch all three games live on NAHLtv and follow the Power on social media for updates throughout the weekend.
NEXT UP:SALUTE TO VETERANS /MILITARY APPRECIATION NIGHT & HALLOWEEN FUN AT KMIC
Following the three-game road trip, the Power return home to Kettle Moraine Ice Center on Friday, November 6, at 7:30 PM to host the Fox Cities Forge, sponsored by Titletown Brewery..
The evening will feature Salute to Veterans/Military Appreciation Night, along with a rescheduled Halloween Costume Contest and Trick-or-Treating at the Rink.
Fans are encouraged to come out, honor our veterans and military members, enjoy some Halloween fun and cheer on the Power as they return to home ice!