Wednesday, March 7, 2012

3/6 Recap: Lieuwen takes loss; Schiestel reassigned

In Tuesday WHL action, Nathan Lieuwen allowed four goals on 30 shots as Kootenay was defeated by Swift Current, 4-3. Adam Rossignol ('12), who the Broncos acquired from the ICE at the trade deadline, beat Lieuwen for the game winner with just under five minutes to play. The 6'5 netminder has lost five of his last seven starts while allowing four or more goals four times.

Colin Jacobs (+2) earned an assist as Seattle defeated Prince George, 3-1. The helper was Jacobs' first point in seven games.

In Finland, Joel Armia was -2 in 15:43 of work as Assat dropped a 5-2 decision to the Pelicans. The Aces have lost four of their last five, slipping to 6th place in the SM-liiga standings with four games left on the schedule. The 6'3 wing ranks third on the team with 36 points in 50 games. His 17 goals are 14th best in the league.

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In other news, the Rochester Americans announced Tuesday that Drew Schiestel has been reassigned to the Texas Stars of the American Hockey League.

An AHL All-Star a season ago, the 6'2 defender suffered his second knee injury in a span of 10 months in the Amerks season opener. Schiestel had a hard time getting into a groove upon his return, compiling two goals and 12 points while platooning at times as a forward due to injuries and recalls.

The loan to Texas places Schiestel in a situation to play regularly as part of a clear day roster, and more importantly, affords him an opportunity to re-gain his confidence down the stretch in the final year of his entry-level contract.