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| Photo Credit: MJB Images |
STEEL: Fargo comes
into the weekend series losing seven of its last nine games. The Steel are entering tonight’s contest
after three solid road wins. How do you
keep the guys motivated and not take the Force lightly?
McConnell: There are really no off nights in the league this
season. We know we have to come out and play our game and stick to what we are
trying to do. Fargo has good goaltending
and a solid group of kids coming back from last season. Fargo possesses high end talent that can put
the puck in the back of the net if we give them opportunities. We have to stick to our system and play the
way we know how.
STEEL: The team has really
come together in the last month and the Steel currently stand 8-5-2. What has been the reason for the turnaround
after somewhat of a slow start to the 2014-15 season?
McConnell: It wasn’t necessarily a slow start, but it was
the fact that we were learning how to play as a team. Anytime you have a lot of
guys returning you expect that you are going to start the year a certain
way. However, we weren’t the same team
we were last year. We had to find out
who we were and what our identity was.
Over the course of the last three or four weeks, our guys have really
been coming together and understanding and believing in each other. Early on, we were on the wrong side of six, one-goal
hockey games and that’s just the testament of our character of a team trying to
feel itself out and learn how to win together.
STEEL: It was a special
week for goaltenders Cale Morris and John Lethemon. Morris was named to the U.S. Junior Select
Team and will compete in the World Junior A Challenge, while Lethemon made his
college commitment to Michigan State University. What does this say about the Steel’s ability
to find goaltenders and prepare them for a high level of play.
McConnell: Over the last several years we have had the fortunate
ability to find talented goaltenders and continue their path of
development. We have also had the luxury
of a guy returning from the season before and shouldering the load, but also
having a young talent arrive and push him.
As a result, both of them become better goaltenders. Cale and John are
just another tandem that have come in and allowed us to win games.
Our goaltending coach, Larry Clemens, does an excellent job
with our goalies. He knows how to work
with each athlete in their own style.
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