Monday, Nov. 30, 2009 | 4 p.m.
Sauer
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Expanded hockey coverage
The Las Vegas Wranglers, who are mired in a seven-game losing streak, are going to try out a new goalie Tuesday night in an attempt to snap that woeful skid.
The Wranglers announced Monday they received goaltender Billy Sauer on loan from the Lake Erie Monsters of the American Hockey League.
Sauer, a 21-year-old Rochester native, has bounced around the ECHL this year in his first professional season after a stellar career at the University of Michigan.
In seven games with the Charlotte Checkers and Toledo Walleye Sauer is 2-2-1 with a 4.58 goals against average and a .873 save percentage prior to moving up to the AHL.
"I have heard nothing but great things about Billy. He had a very successful collegiate career and earned an AHL contract," said Wranglers general manager and head coach Ryan Mougenel. "He hasn't had the opportunity to play as much as he deserves and I look forward to giving him that opportunity as soon as possible."
The Colorado Avalanche drafted Sauer in the seventh round (No. 201) of the 2006 NHL Entry Draft following his freshman season at Michigan.
The 6-foot-2, 185-pound goalie appeared in 114 games for the Wolverines, where he finished ranked third among Michigan's all-time goaltending leaders in save percentage (.908), fourth in goals against average (2.56) and fifth in total wins (71).
Sauer helped lead the Wolverines to the 2008 Frozen Four with a 30-4-3 record as junior.
"He definitely comes from a talented college program and he was high on my recruiting list this off season," Mougenel said.
Sauer is expected to start Tuesday against the Victoria Salmon Kings because regular netminder Michael Ouzas is returning home on bereavement leave.
Ouzas is 6-10-1 this season, starting all but two games. When Ouzas returns he will compete with Sauer for the starting job while Joel Gistedt remains in the backup role.
The Wranglers (6-12-1) host the Salmon Kings (6-11-1) at 7:05 p.m. at the Orleans Arena Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.
The Orleans Arena, a Boyd Gaming facility located just west of the Las Vegas Strip, is one of the nation’s leading mid-sized arenas, and was recently ranked No. 1 in the United States and No. 5 internationally among venues of similar size by Venues Today Magazine.
The Arena hosts more than 200 events each year, including concerts by top names like Carrie Underwood, Daughtry, Van Halen, Brooks & Dunn, Black Eyed Peas, Akon and Rihanna; family favorites like The Harlem Globetrotters and Circus Spectacular; and a wide variety of sporting events, including NCAA basketball tournaments, the West Coast Conference and Western Athletic Conference Basketball Championships, mixed martial arts with Superior Cage Combat, and major motorsports events.
The arena serves as home to the Las Vegas Wranglers professional ECHL hockey team, the Las Vegas Legends professional indoor soccer team, and the Lingerie Football League’s Las Vegas Sin. Stay connected to the Orleans Arena on Facebook (www.facebook.com/orleansarena) and on Twitter (@orleansarena).
Steve Silver can be reached at 948-7822 or [email protected].
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