Feb 5, 2006 – Stephen Leypoldt of Las Vegas scored a goal and dealt an assist for the Butte Roughriders Jr. B who, while playing for the fourth straight day, battled hard in an 8-6 loss to the Tri-City Titans Jr. B. Stephen found out about life on the road too: the Roughriders, in Spokane on Saturday night, got home at 4 am and then had to be on the ice vs. Tri-City by 10:30 am today.

//Kurt Long of Las Vegas scored both of the goals for the Laconia, N.H. Leafs Jr. Elite who lost 4-2 to Conrad Trimbath and the Northern Mass. Cyclones Jr. A. Kurt now has 6 goals, 4 assists this season.

//Jeff Hajner of Las Vegas blasted in three goals — his second hat trick this week — and he became the leading scorer in the league as the hot Melfort Mustangs Jr. A beat the Flin Flon Bombers 6-4 before 1,261 squeezed into the Northern Lights Palace. Hajner’s 36 goals, 38 assist for 74 points leads all scorers in the Saskatchewan League.

//Eddie Del Grosso had one goal, two assists for the USHL Indiana Ice Jr. A who got a big 5-2 win over the Chicago Steel Jr. A. It was an important win for Indiana which is battling for a playoff position.

//Stephen Leypoldt dealt his 7th assist of the season for the Butte Roughriders Jr. B. He scorched a wrist shot which went off the goalie’s blocker and linemate Brady Downs, Butte’s leading scorer, knocked in the rebound vs. the Spokane Flyers. Butte is playing without its head coach, Joe Liquori who has left the team to be with his critically ill mother. GM Mike Fink is now on the bench for the Roughriders.

//Micah Sanford, the all-time goal scorer from Las Vegas, hammered in a power play goal to help the U of Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks crush visiting Lake Superior 8-0 on Friday night. Totalled, in Junior A and college hockey, Micah has scored 103 goals – the next best from Las Vegas are Adam Naglich with 68 and Jeff Hajner, 68.

Also on Friday night:

//Adam Naglich dealt an assist – making a scoring pass to Kyle Greentree on a 4 on 3 power play – to help the U of Alaska-Fairbanks Nanooks beat the U of Miami, 4-3.

//Jeff Hajner dealt an assist as the Melfort Mustangs Jr. A stayed hot, beating the visiting Flin Flon Bombers 6-3 before one of the largest home crowds in several weeks, 1,006 packed into the Northern Lights Palace Arena.

//Eddie Del Grosso’s USHL Indiana Ice Jr. A broke to an early lead, but lost 4-2 to the visiting Green Bay Gamblers Jr. A.

//Eddie Samuels and the NAHL Billings Bulls Jr. A have a rare off weekend. Billings returns to action on Friday, Feb. 10.

//Jeff Hajner had one of his biggest nights in Junior A hockey – he scored his 31st, 32nd and 33rd goals as the Melfort Mustangs Jr. A beat Humboldt 4-2 in a brutally tough game. After Hajner scored his 3rd goal, a Humboldt player speared Jeff’s teammate Jordan Morgan to ignite an all-out line brawl before 761 frenzed fans at Melfort’s home rink.