FORT WAYNE, Ind. (December 29, 2014) - Pearce Eviston- who broke a 5-5 third period tie- Todd Fiddler and Mario Lamoureux scored two goals apiece as the Quad City Mallards (15-10-5) ripped off three unanswered goals in the third on the way to a wild 7-5 victory over the host Fort Wayne Komets (21-6-1) Monday night.

Eviston delivered the game winner by pouncing on a rebound just a minute and seven seconds after Fiddler broke in alone to even the score at five at 6:54 of the third.  Lamoureux's empty net goal finished off the Komets with just five seconds left in the contest.

The Komets took the lead into the third after Shawn Szydlowski cut into the slot and fired his second goal of the night into the top corner to put Fort Wayne on top 5-4 with just 1:39 left in the second period.  The Mallards had erased a 4-2 deficit with back-to-back goals from Joe Perry and Lamoureux in the second.  Perry's shot from the top of the left wing circle broke between Fort Wayne goaltender Roman Will's pads and narrowed the margin to a single goal at 14:29 of the middle frame.  Just over a minute and a half later Lamoureux jammed in the tying goal from the doorstep.

The Komets had seemingly taken control in the first period by roaring back with four straight goals after falling behind 2-0.  The Mallards were on the power play when Eviston opened the scoring from the left wing circle at 2:29 of the first.  Fiddler buried Evan Haney's centering pass to double the lead at 6:25, but that strike seemed to awaken the Komets, who responded just nine seconds later with Eric Faille's breakaway goal.  A mere 14 seconds after that, Gabriel Beaupre's long range drive tied the game.  At 14:42 Szydlowski swooped around a checker and snapped home the tie breaker from the slot.  Brett Perlini's one timer stretched the Komet lead to 4-2 a minute and two seconds later.

The Mallards earlier Monday signed Larkin Saalfrank as an emergency back-up goaltender.  Saalfrank, 23, played one game last season for the Komets.  The 6' 0", 185-pound Fort Wayne native arrived after Mallard goaltender Parker Milner signed a professional tryout agreement with the American Hockey League's Iowa Wild Monday.

The Mallards return to action Wednesday night on the road against the Evansville IceMen. The Mallards next play at home Friday evening at 7:05 p.m. against the Missouri Mavericks.  Friday also brings the return of $1 Dog/$1 Beer Night presented by 97X and MetroLINK.  Fans can enjoy $1 hot dogs and beers from iWireless Center concession stands during all Friday home games.  97X will follow in the spirit of the evening by presenting hot dog-themed intermission entertainment.

MOLINE, Ill. (December 27, 2014) - Logan Nelson scored twice, Jeff Lee provided what proved to be the game winning goal in the third period and Parker Milner made 29 saves as the host Quad City Mallards (14-9-5) defeated the Brampton Beast (8-15-1) 4-3 Saturday night.

Lee scored from the left wing circle at 8:59 of the third to expand what had been a one-goal Mallard lead to 4-2 and trigger the replacement of Brampton starting goaltender Trevor Cann by Grant Rollheiser.  Lee's goal loomed even larger after Calin Wild one timed Stephon Thorne's centering feed past Milner and cut the gap to 4-3 with just over four minutes remaining, but the Mallards would hold off Brampton the rest of the way- even after the Beast pulled Rollheiser for an extra attacker.

Nelson twice gave the Mallards the lead in the first period.  Nelson's blast from the top of the right wing circle opened the scoring just two minutes and 12 seconds into the game.  Tyler Donati cut in front of the Mallard net alone to even the score at 12:28 of the first.  Nelson put the Mallards back on top with a another drive from the right wing circle at 16:40.

At 10:31 of the second period Pearce Eviston gave the Mallards a two-goal lead for the first time by swooping through the right wing circle and firing the puck home on the short side.  Mathew Maione's rising backhander trimmed the Quad City advantage to 3-2 at 15:58 of the second but the Beast never could produce an equalizer.

MOLINE, Ill. (December 28, 2014) - Chad Painchaud scored twice and added an assist, Calin Wild provided what proved to be the game winning goal in the third period and Grant Rollheiser made 32 saves as the Brampton Beast (9-15-1) survived the host Quad City Mallards' (14-10-5) comeback bid to claim a 4-3 victory Sunday night.

Wild jammed the puck in from the doorstep at 3:49 of the third to give Brampton a 4-1 lead.  Wild's goal proved vital after the Mallards scored twice in 14 seconds to cut the gap to 4-3.  Jeff Lee crashed the net and scored the Mallards' second goal on the power play at 4:48.  At 5:02 Mario Lamoureux's wrist shot from the left wing circle narrowed the Brampton lead to one, but the Mallards were unable to complete the rally

The Beast took control with three straight second period goals after the Mallards' Nicholas Rioux opened the scoring by rifling in a power play goal from the left wing circle at 5:03 of the second.  Painchaud tipped in the equalizer at 7:02 and scored the tie breaker just 30 seconds later from the slot.  Tyson Fawcett's wrist shot from the right wing circle stretched the margin to 3-1 at the 12:24 mark and led to Parker Milner replacing Evan Mosher in goal for the Mallards.

The Mallards return to action tomorrow night on the road against the Fort Wayne Komets. The Mallards next play at home Friday evening at 7:05 p.m. against the Missouri Mavericks.  Friday also brings the return of $1 Dog/$1 Beer Night presented by 97X and MetroLINK.  Fans can enjoy $1 hot dogs and beers from iWireless Center concession stands during all Friday home games.  97X will follow in the spirit of the evening by presenting hot dog-themed intermission entertainment.

Tickets for all remaining Mallards regular season home games- including Friday night's contest- are on sale now at the iWireless Center box office, Ticketmaster outlets, ticketmaster.com and Ticketmaster charge-by-phone toll free at 1-800-745-3000.  The box office is open weekdays from 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and game days from 10:00 a.m. until the start of the second period.  Tickets are available for $10, $16, $20 and $28.

About the Quad City Mallards
A proud affiliate of the National Hockey League's Minnesota Wild and the American Hockey League's Iowa Wild, the Quad City Mallards are in the midst of their eighteenth season and their first in the ECHL.  One of the winningest teams in all of minor league hockey, the Mallards competed in the United Hockey League from 1995 through 2007; in the International Hockey League in 2009-10; and in the Central Hockey League from 2010 through 2014.  The Mallards' proud history has seen them capture the UHL's Colonial Cup Championship three times (1997, 1998, 2001) and secure that league's Tarry Cup four times (1998, 2000, 2001, 2002) for the best overall regular season record.  In 2001, the Mallards made professional hockey history, recording their sixth consecutive season with 50 or more wins, a feat that has yet to be matched.  The iWireless Center provides a unique environment for hockey and features one-of-a-kind seating areas such as the Nest for groups and functions and the exclusive Drake Club.  For more information on the Quad City Mallards or for Mallards tickets go to www.myqcmallards.net.  Fans can also follow the Mallards via Twitter at twitter.com/myqcmallards and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/qcmallards.

BETTENDORF, Iowa - The Girl Scouts of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois is celebrating one of the highest-attended fall program sessions on record.

In approximately 100 days, the council served more than 5,200 girls through its programs designed for girls to grow and develop leadership skills.

"Serving so many girls in just a few weeks proves that girls really want to experience new things in a fun environment," said Leadership Experience Manager Ashley Arnold of Bettendorf.

Arnold organizes and facilitates events in the Quad Cities area, and she's anticipating winter programs to be well-attended.

"We have so many fun events planned like camping at the Bettendorf Family Museum and learning how to be storm chasers at the Putnam Museum," she said.

"No doubt about it, we are going to have a blast this winter with our girls."

Council records indicate more than 5,200 girls attended nearly 160 programs organized by Girl Scouts of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois that were held within 106 days.

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New manager Josh Bonifay joins returning pitching coach Dave Borkowski, hitting coach Joel Chimelis

DAVENPORT, Iowa (December 19, 2014) - The Quad Cities River Bandits will have a new field manager in 2015, the Midwest League club announced in conjunction with the Houston Astros on Friday. Josh Bonifay will lead the field staff that also includes returning pitching coach Dave Borkowski and hitting coach Joel Chimelis, who were both on the 2013 Midwest League Championship staff and have been on the coaching staff each season of the River Bandits' current affiliation with the Astros.

Bonifay will be a manager in the Astros organization for a third straight season and become the 35th manager for the Quad Cities franchise since it joined the Midwest League in 1960. In his first two seasons as a manager, Bonifay led the Greeneville Astros in the rookie-level Appalachian League. He was the Appalachian League Manager of the Year in 2013, when he led the club to its second-best record in franchise history and the Appalachian League Championship Series. Bonifay's teams are a combined 70-64 in the regular season and 2-3 in the playoffs. A native of Asheville, N.C., Bonifay joined the Astros organization in 2011 as Greeneville's hitting coach and was the hitting coach for Class-A Lexington in 2012, when he was named to the South Atlantic League Postseason All-Star Team as a coach. Bonifay, 36, began his coaching career as a player/coach in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization from 2007 to 2009, following his eight seasons as a professional player. The son of former Pittsburgh Pirates general manager and current Reds special assistant to the general manager Cam Bonifay, Josh was selected by the Pirates out of the University of North Carolina-Wilmington in the 24th round of the June 1999 draft. He played in the Pirates organization from 1999 to 2005 and played his final season with Double-A Corpus Christi in the Astros organization in 2006. In 812 professional games - at every position except shortstop and catcher - Bonifay posted a .284 batting average with 133 home runs and 516 RBI in his career.

Former major league pitcher Dave Borkowski will return for his third season as the River Bandits pitching coach and sixth as a coach in the Astros organization. Borkowski, 37, was the pitching coach of Lexington in 2011 and 2012, and the pitching coach of Greeneville in 2010. He also served as a pitching coach for Peoria in the Arizona Fall League during the fall of 2013, following a year in which the Quad Cities pitching staff issued the fewest walks (394) in the league and posted a 3.62 team ERA that was fourth-best among 16 teams to help lead the club to a Midwest League Championship. In 15 seasons (1995-2009) as a professional pitcher, Borkowski appeared in 181 Major League games (21 starts) and was 13-20 with one save and a 5.87 ERA in seven seasons with Detroit (1999-2001), Baltimore (2004), and Houston (2006-08). He had a career-high five wins with Houston in 2007. A native of Sterling Heights, Mich., Borkowski was selected in the 11th round of the June 1995 draft by Detroit, and he pitched in the Midwest League for the 1997 West Michigan Whitecaps.

Hitting coach Joel Chimelis will return for his third season with Quad Cities and 10th season as a hitting coach in the Astros organization. Last season, the River Bandits led the Midwest League in doubles (261), walks (510), on-base percentage (.340), slugging percentage (.408) and on-base plus slugging (.749). Chimelis, 47, will serve his 12th season overall as a minor league coach following a 14-season professional career. He has also coached in the Astros organization with short-season Class-A Tri-City (2006-10), Class-A Lexington (2011) and Double-A Corpus Christi (2012). Chimelis also won a championship with the Tri-City staff in 2010. He spent 2004 and 2005 with the Savannah Sand Gnats of the Washington Nationals (Montreal Expos in 2004) organization. A native of Brooklyn, N.Y., Chimelis played for Howard (Texas) Junior College and the University of Texas before being drafted by the Oakland Athletics in the 11th round of the 1988 Major League draft out of the University of Texas. He was a minor league infielder in the Athletics (1988-1991), San Francisco Giants (1991-1995) and New York Mets (1996) organizations and also played in Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Taiwan and Korea.

The River Bandits' new development specialist will be Tim Garland, who will focus on the development of the River Bandits outfielders, as well as the baserunning for all players on the club. He enters his third season in the Astros organization. He was the hitting coach for the Double-A Corpus Christi Hooks the past two seasons. Garland spent the first seven seasons as a minor league coach in the Oakland Athletics organization, debuting with the Midwest League's Kane County Cougars in 2006, before moving on to the Class-A Advanced Stockton Ports (2007-2010) and Double-A Midland RockHounds (2011-2012). Born in Baltimore, Md., Garland was selected by the New York Yankees in the 48th round of the 1989 Major League draft out of Pensacola (Fla.) Junior College. Garland went on to play 1,356 minor league games - primarily as an outfielder - across 15 seasons in the Yankees (1989-1992), San Francisco Giants (1996-1998), Baltimore Orioles (1998), and Oakland Athletics (1999) organizations, as well as independent teams in the Texas-Louisiana League, Atlantic League, Mexican League, Northern League and Central League.

Corey O'Brien enters his first season as the River Bandits' athletic trainer and fourth season with the Astros organization. He was the athletic trainer for Tri-City in 2014 and Greeneville in 2012 and 2013. Prior to joining the Astros, O'Brien was the athletic trainer for the Joliet (Ill.) Slammers, an Independent Professional Baseball team that won the Frontier League cup in the team's inaugural season of 2011. O'Brien earned his bachelor of science degree in athletic training at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and worked as an intern athletic trainer for the Rochester Honkers of the Northwoods League in 2008 and at the Minnesota Twins' Spring Training in 2009. He went on to earn his master's degree in education in health, physical education and recreation at Delta State (Miss.) University, where he was also a graduate assistant athletic trainer.

Dwayne Peterson enters his first season as the River Bandits' strength and conditioning coach after his first season in the Astros organization in 2014 with Greeneville. Prior to joining the Astros, Peterson completed strength and conditioning internships with Northern Kentucky University and the College of Mount St. Joseph (Ohio). He graduated with a bachelor of science degree in exercise science from Northern Kentucky University in 2013, and he is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) as well as a USA Weightlifting (USAW) Level 1 Sports Performance Coach.

The River Bandits open the 2015 Midwest League season Thursday, April 9, at 7 p.m. in Peoria and begin their home schedule with a 1:15 p.m. game against Clinton on Sunday, April 12, at Modern Woodmen Park. Eight of the Houston Astros' top 10 prospects, according to Baseball America, played for the River Bandits during the last two seasons.

UP NEXT: Save money and enjoy exclusive benefits as a ticket plan holder for the 2015 River Bandits season at Modern Woodmen Park. With a ticket plan of 12 to 70 games, receive free parking, merchandise discounts, guaranteed giveaways and more. Call 563-324-3000 to speak with a River Bandits account representative and lock in seats for the upcoming season.

ABOUT THE BANDITS: The River Bandits ownership in 2014 made one of the biggest improvements to Modern Woodmen Park since the ballpark was first built back in 1931! A new Ferris wheel, standing 105 feet over the playing field, opened May 24, Space Camp opened June 20; the new Drop'N Twist debuted in July; and the newly expanded 300-foot long zip line also reopened.

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