David Schulz spent two days driving from Winkler, Manitoba, to Johnstown.
The defenseman and his father shared time behind the wheel as the second-year pro prepared to join his new team, the ECHL’s Johnstown Chiefs.
The road trip wasn’t spent in a big RV or SUV, either.
“My dad is about the same size as me, 6-foot-3,” said Schulz, who is listed at 6-4, 210 pounds. “I actually have a Honda hatchback. It’s really good on gas. But it’s pretty funny watching the two of us get in there.”
Schulz made his preseason debut in the Chiefs’ 1-0 home loss to the Wheeling Nailers on Saturday at Cambria County War Memorial Arena.
He played a solid game only two days removed from the end of a trek that included 23 hours of driving time.
“Dave Schulz, driving all the way from Manitoba, I thought he was very steady on the back end,” Chiefs coach Ian Herbers said after his team closed the exhibition season (0-1-1) with a pair of one-goal setbacks.
Herbers acquired Schulz from the Ontario (Calif.) Reign in a trade that sent defenseman Andrew Martens to the West Coast.
Last season, Schulz had eight goals and 20 points for the Texas Wildcatters.
In addition to 49 ECHL games, Schulz had a one-game call-up to the Manitoba Moose in the AHL. He began this season in training camp with the Moose.
“I played one game with the Moose last year and it was a really good experience,” Schulz said. “I went back to their camp this year. Things went well. They had quite a few defensemen. They sent me down here. I’m happy to be here. I’m going to try to help this team out however I can.”
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Oh my, Darling: Wheeling goaltender Curtis Darling turned aside all 39 shots against the Chiefs.
“When you’re going against a goalie who is playing well you’ve just got to keep getting pucks there and bodies there,” Herbers said. “You’ve got to make it difficult for him and get that dirty goal.”
Johnstown had seven power-play opportunities, including a 1:03 5-on-3 and a late power play with an extra skater after goalie Ian Keserich was pulled.
Keserich stopped 30 of 31 shots, allowing Jon Grecu’s goal with 3:11 left after a Chiefs miscue in the zone.
“Keserich played well,” Herbers said. “He was sharp and ready to go.”
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College connection: Robert Morris University had a strong presence on Saturday night.
Chiefs forwards Joey Olson and Joel Gasper each played at Robert Morris.
Wheeling’s Sean Berkstresser also played at Robert Morris last season.
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Fight card: There were three fights in the final period.
Chiefs defenseman Mike Knight got the better of Wheeling’s Andrew Lord at 2:46. Only 13 seconds later, the Nailers’ Berkstresser and Johnstown’s Brock Wilson fought.
Wheeling’s Todd Spencer and Johnstown’s Mark McCutcheon mixed it up at 10:08.
Chiefs
Schulz strong in Chiefs’ loss
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Slapshot Cup expands to 18 teams in second year
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Former players rally to help ‘Ziggy'
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Johnstown sufferes an epic loss
The final seconds ticked down in the Johnstown Chiefs’ ECHL existence on Saturday night, and even though the hometown team trailed by four goals, a standing-room-only crowd began chanting, “Let’s go Chiefs.”
That chant would be nothing out of the ordinary on most nights. But this game was the last game.
Twenty-two ECHL seasons and thousands of memories came to a conclusion when the Chiefs dropped a 5-3 contest to Elmira at Cambria County War Memorial Arena. -
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So, this is it.
Twenty-two ECHL seasons and 1,518 regular-season games.
It ends tonight at a sold-out Cambria County War Memorial Arena. -
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The Johnstown Chiefs dropped the final road game in team history on Friday night, falling behind early and failing to catch up to the Cincinnati Cyclones in a 5-1 loss in front of more than 10,000 fans at U.S. Bank Arena.
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From goalies to grinders to scorers, the Chiefs have seen it all
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