The Idaho Junior Steelheads and Fresno Monsters, both undefeated and leading their
respective divisions in the Western States Hockey League, will renew their fierce rivalry
in a three game series in Fresno this coming weekend.
The Junior Steelheads, atop the Mountain Conference with a 7-0 record after their 6-
1 win over the Ogden Mustangs in Ogden on Saturday night, will play the Monsters at
Selland Arena at 3:30 PM Friday afternoon (Oct. 28), 3:30 PM Saturday, and 10:30 AM
Sunday morning.
The series is the first home series of the season for the Monsters, 9-0 in the Western
Conference after three game sweeps of the San Diego Gulls, Texas Brahmas, and
Phoenix Knights on the road.
During their first two seasons, when both teams were in the Western Division of the
WSHL, the Junior Steelheads and Monsters battled hard for supremacy.
In the 2009-2010 campaign, Fresno won the division, with Idaho a close second.
In 2010-11, the Junior Steelheads won the division, then claimed the WSHL League
Championship, and finished third in the nation.
In both years, the Monsters anticipated going deep into the playoffs, but could not get
past the Phoenix Polar Bears (now named Phoenix Knights).
There were a number of classic games during the first two years of the heated rivalry,
many filled with penalties in addition to competitive scoring.
For the Junior Steelheads, the line of Vance Bridgman, Justin Videen, and Mark
Montelius will lead Coach John Olver’s club into Fresno.
Bridgman has amassed 19 points in the team’s first seven games. Team Captain Videen
has 18, and Montelius has scored 14.
For the Monsters of Coach Bryce Dale, Nick McKee has 13 points in their nine games.
Justin Plate has 11, and Stanton Turner has 10.
Videen leads a group of returning Junior Steelheads into the rivalry renewal. Players
coming back from last year include Connor Tedstrom, Austin Parle, Sean Van Eysden,
Kevin Lassen, Tyler Kruenegel, Ivo Crhak, and Tyler Smith.
For Fresno, returning players are McKee, Don Coyle, Zach Alvarez, Tyler Lazarek,
Marcus Harbison, Jason Beisinger, Cameron Coburn, Ethan Carlson, Josiah Nikkel,
David Kann, Kyle Baker, Gunner White, Vinnie Ciaglo, and Ricky Wolf.
The Steelheads-Monsters clashes this weekend will all precede games between the
NAHL Fresno Monsters and the Kenai River Brown Bears. Those games will be Friday
and Saturday nights and Sunday afternoon.
The Junior Steelheads will be able to see former teammate, Skyler McKnight, play for the
Kenai River team.
This season in the NAHL, McKnight, who is from Castle Rock, Colorado, has 1 goal and
5 assists in 13 games. The winger scored the game winning shootout goal for the Brown
Bears against the NAHL Monsters on October 8.
Forward Ben Hanus made his debut for the Junior Steelheads in the Ogden win. Hanus,
born in New Kensington, Pennsylvania, earned an assist on the Steelies’ third goal
against the Mustangs on Saturday.
Hanus started the season by playing two games with the Corpus Christi Ice Rays in the
NAHL, a teammate of former Steelhead co-captain Greg Chapman.
In the previous two seasons, Hanus played in the Pittsburgh Jr. Penguins program
in the NA3HL league, totaling 59 goals and 66 assists for 125 points in 86 games,
including playoffs.
Hanus was the highest scoring ’93 age-level player in the NA3HL league this past
season.
He was chosen for the Empire League “Best of the Rest” All-Star team in 2009-2010.
The 5’10”, 185 lb. winger graduated from Plum High School this spring, having played
for his high school team before this last NA3HL season.
Submitted by Dick Dorfman – Jr. Steelheads Play-by-play – (208) 514-5419