Riding 7-1 start to the season, KC Mavericks approaching their 500th franchise win
The Kansas City Mavericks are one of the hottest teams in the ECHL in the early part of the season. They’ve won seven of their first eight games, including going 2-1 this past week.
On Halloween night, the Mavericks were back at Cable Dahmer Arena for a special themed evening. Prior to the game, local vendors lined the arena concourse to pass out candy to costumed trick-or-treaters who spent the holiday with the Mavericks. That fun from the concourse carried over into a 3-2 Mavs victory.
For the fourth time in the season’s first six games, the Mavericks’ opposition got on the scoreboard first, with the Rapid City Rush scoring the game’s first goal less than three minutes in. As has been the case throughout the first month, Kansas City answered right back.
Seattle Kraken draft pick Kyle Jackson found the back of the net for his third goal of the season. Then, as the clock was winding down in the first period, forward Jake Jaremko scored his first goal of the season. The Mavericks went into first intermission with a 2-1 lead.
A Rapid City Rush goal in the second period tied the score at 2-2, setting up an eventful finish.
With overtime looming, the Mavericks pulled out some late heroics. Returning forward Cole Coskey scored his team-leading fifth goal with under five minutes to play in regulation. Kansas City left Halloween night with a 3-2 win.
After helping the Mavericks to a 6-0-0 start — including his performance on October 31, when he stopped 20 of 22 shots faced — Mavericks goaltender Cale Morris was named October’s ECHL Goaltender of the Month.
Morris, a former Big Ten Player of the Year at Notre Dame, is in his first season with the Mavericks. He finished the month of October with a 3-0 record and a 2.00 goals-against average.
Kansas City and Rapid City met again on Friday night in front of more than 3,000 fans at Cable Dahmer Arena. The game turned into one of the best of the Mavericks’ young season.
A back-and-forth first period was capped off by a goal from Mavericks rookie Max Andreev. The Cornell alum scored a breakaway goal with just six seconds remaining in the first period. That ended up being all the offense the Mavericks would need.
Goals from AHL-affiliated forward Patrick Curry and newly named team captain Jaremko helped the Mavericks to a 3-0 victory.
Even with the offense, goaltender Jack LaFontaine was the highlight of Friday’s game while making his club debut. The goaltender, with experience in the NHL and AHL, stopped all 28 shots on goal for the Mavericks’ first shutout of the season. KC improved to 7-0-0 entering last Saturday, when it attempted to tie the best start in club history.
However, the final game of the five-game set did not go Kansas City’s way. An offensive explosion from Rapid City led to an 8-4 KC loss.
Kansas City’s 7-1-0 start is the club’s best start to a season in a decade. Through eight games, the Mavericks currently sit in first place in the Mountain Division.
As KC gets into the groove of a 72-game ECHL season, the Mavericks are sitting at 497 total franchise victories, just three games away from a milestone win.
Rookies impressing
After notching a goal and four assists in the three games this week, AHL-affiliated rookie Max Andreev has at least one point in all eight games this season, the longest such streak in the ECHL. The Moscow native also leads the Mavericks with 10 total assists on the season to go along with his two goals.
Up next for KC
Before hitting the road this weekend for a two-week road trip, Kansas City is back at Cable Dahmer Arena on Tuesday morning for the team’s annual Kids Day Game. More than 4,000 elementary school students from around the metro area will pack the arena for a 10:30 a.m. puck drop.
The Mavericks are partnering with Science City and KSHB’s meteorologists to add some educational elements to the action-packed day of hockey.
Mavericks single-game and multi-game ticket plans are still available at kcmavericks.com or via the Mavericks ticket office at 816-252-7825.