Nationals head to Wyoming for two

One of the hardest things to do in sports is stopping a losing streak, especially on the road. And after dropping four consecutive games that is exactly what the Glacier Nationals will try to do this weekend against the Yellowstone Quake.

Last weekend, the Nationals, who compete in the Frontier Division of the North American Tier 3 Hockey league, had a baptism by fire, dropping three straight games to Great Falls, Billings and Helena, the top three teams in the Frontier, by a combined score of 20-4.

Now, as the Nationals sit at 6-25-5 on the season and in last place in the Frontier standings, they will look to get back on track in back-to-back road games against the Yellowstone Quake starting tonight. The first puck will drop at 7:30 p.m. Then the two teams will meet again Saturday at the same time.

Two of Glacier’s six wins this season have come against the Quake with the most recent coming back on Jan. 10, when the Nationals earned a 3-2 win. It was also the last time the team tasted victory. The Nationals are once again led by their three most productive players on offense in Karson Frisk, as well as Joshua Larson and Tyler McMahon. Frisk and Larson are tied for the team lead in goals with 12 and overall points with 23 as each player has 11 assists to go along with their goals scored. McMahon only has five goals this season, but he does boast 15 assists, which makes him the only other player on the team with 20-plus points.

On the other side, the Quake, who come into the weekend with a 9-23-3 record have three players, who have scored more than 10 goals this season in Max Doner (14), Sawyer Scanlan (12) and Sean Pilet (11). Both teams have struggled to score this season but the Nationals have had even more problems finding the net than the Quake. Glacier is averaging just 1.8 goals per game, while the Quake are averaging 2.2.

Therefore, a big key for both teams is going to be the play of their goaltenders. The Nationals normally go with Ryan Lund in net, who has performed admirably this season despite having a record of 5-18-2. Lund has been the goalie for five of Glacier’s six wins and has a respectable goals against average of 3.99 to go along with a save percentage of 91.2 percent. Nolan Slager, who is 1-7-1 in 12 appearances for Glacier may also see playing time against Yellowstone.

The Quake will counter with a pair of their own goalies in Lance Knudson and Sean Leahy. While their numbers are very similar, Knudson owns the better record as he is 6-10-1 compared to the 3-13-2 record of Leahy. Knudson comes into the weekend against Glacier with a 4.06 goals against average and a save percentage of 91, while Leahy has a goals against average of 4.03 and a save percentage of 90.

At this point, neither team has a chance to make it into the Frontier playoffs, but with the 2014-15 season dwindling down, there is no question that both teams are looking to finish the year strong to ensure some positive momentum heading into next season. The Nationals and Quake will begin their two-game set tonight at Riley Arena in Cody, Wyoming. Both tonight’s game and Saturday’s game will begin at 7:30 p.m.