BLOOMINGTON, IL- The fans in Bloomington finally have something to cheer about.  The Prairie Thunder are 4-2-0-0 in there first six games of the season which puts them tied for first place in the league with Port Huron and defending Turner Cup Champion Fort Wayne.  The team is much improved from last season when they finished near the bottom of the league with a 29-40-2-5 record.

The season got off to a rough start in Muskegon where the Thunder was dominated by the Lumberjacks in 9-3 defeat.  The game did have some positive points however.  Bloomington sent a message early that they were not going to get pushed around physically like they had so much last year.  In a game that recorded 108 PIM’s, 55 for the Thunder it displayed the physical additions of Robin Gomez, Russ Smith and Justin Sawyer.  Smith and Sawyer currently have 24 PIM’s for the season which puts them tied for 8^th in the IHL.

Bloomington has also improved in the net.  Paulo Colaiacovo has proven so far to be what Skalde went searching for in the off season.  He has played more minutes than any other goalie in the league racking up over 325 in 6 games.  He currently has a .910 save percentage and was rewarded with the Thunder’s first shut out of the season against the expansion Dayton Gems.

Another stand out on the roster is new comer Craig MacDonald; MacDonald is currently tied for the most points in the league with 8. From those 8, 7 are assists, which is why he is a perfect fit on the Thunder’s first line with sharp shooters, Jon Booras and Jamie Carroll.

Some other good news, The Thunder is currently number one in the IHL on the power play with a 26.67 power play percentage. As far as the fans go Bloomington ranks third in the league in attendance with an average of 3004.  Not a bad number considering 2 of the 3 home games were competing with the State High School Football Playoffs.

The Prairie Thunder has 4 games this week with the only home game being Wednesday against the Quad City Mallards. The Thunder are on the road all weekend with back to back games against the Port Huron Ice Hawks before traveling to Muskegon on Sunday to take on the Lumberjacks.

A reminder to fans, you can watch every Thunder away game at Six Strings in downtown Bloomington via the B2 Network.  Six Strings will have drink specials as well as food to help cheer on the Thunder when they are on the road.

 It is still early in the season, but anyone who has watch the Thunder for over a year can tell you this team looks to be much improved over previous years.  The team has a good combination of scoring power, grit, and toughness that can propel the Thunder into their first playoff birth in franchise history.

Contact justin.boyd@prohockeynews.com

Photo by Jennifer.sleeper@prohockeynews.com