Quad City Mallards defenseman Benjamin Dieude-Fauvel and the French national team tomorrow will play in the quarterfinals of the 2014 International Ice Hockey Federation World Championship against Russia in Minsk, Belarus.

 

The French, who have reached the quarters for the first time since 1995, will face off with the top seeded Russians at 9:00 a.m. Central Time tomorrow morning.  

 

Dieude-Fauvel, 27, played in each of France’s seven first round games as Les Bleus finished fourth in their eight-team group by winning twice in regulation, securing two shootout wins, suffering two regulation losses and enduring one shootout defeat.  

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Dieude-Fauvel this year set career highs in goals (11) assists (29) and points (40) while playing in all but one of the Mallards’ 66 regular season games.  The 6’ 2’, 220-pound native of Bordeaux finished seventh among Central Hockey League defensemen in points and assists and was tied for seventh among blue liners in goals.  In addition, Dieude-Fauvel finished second on the team in plus/minus rating (+17).  He went on to notch a goal  and an assist in 14 postseason games while helping the Mallards win a playoff series and advance to the semi-final round for the first time in 11 years.  

 

Dieude-Fauvel is the first player to compete in the world championships during the same season he skated for the Mallards since Juris Stals played for Latvia at the 2010 tournament after spending the 2009-10 campaign with the Mallards.

 

Over five years in North America, Dieude-Fauvel has produced 33 goals and 115 points in 296 games.  He reunited with Mallards coach and general manager Terry Ruskowski for the 2013-14 season after first playing for Ruskowski in 2009-10 and 2010-11 with the Laredo Bucks.  From the Bucks, Dieude-Fauvel moved on to spend two seasons with the ECHL’s Elmira Jackals.  

 

Dieude-Fauvel spent five-plus seasons playing in his homeland- for Amiens, Chamonix and Morzine-Avoriaz- before making the trip across the pond.  

 

2014-15 Mallards season tickets are now on sale.  Ticket packages are available to meet almost any budget.  A limited edition season ticket holder Mallard jersey, 12 additional ticket vouchers per seat and free parking are among a host of exclusive benefits available to season ticket holders.  For more season ticket information fans can call the Mallards’ business office at 309-277-1364.