Ellison shoots for
scoring mark
Center closes in on D’Andrea
You’ve got to be good. And lucky. Sheer determination is
essential. And it helps to have a couple of good linemates. Plus, it’s
important to stay out of the penalty box.
Well, forget that last part about Sun Valley Suns
fifth-year center Jamie Ellison, who leads the Suns in penalty minutes
with 88.5 and has never seen an opposing bench he is unwilling to
challenge.
But all the rest is true about the tough, little fire
hydrant of a skater who is poised to blow a hole in one of the team’s
most coveted records.
Ellison, with two games to play this coming weekend, is
ready to break Tom D’Andrea’s single-season Suns scoring mark of 29
goals and 44 assists for 73 points, established in 24 games of the 1991
season.
In 23 games, Ellison has 23 goals and 44 assists for 67
points. His three assists against the Fairfield County Flying Tarpons last
weekend brought Ellison into a tie with D’Andrea for most single-season
assists.
Ellison can break that assists mark with one assist and
pass D’Andrea with seven points against the St. Paul (Minn.) Turtles
this weeekend. Not in sight is Dave Reichel’s franchise record of 36
goals set in 1982.
His main co-conspirators have been wings Luke Smith and
Vilnis Nikolaisons. Together they have put together some of the prettiest
passing plays ever seen on Sun Valley ice.
The trio has achieved scoring highs not seen at Sun Valley
since 1983, when Reichel (29-34 for 63), Bobby Noyes (22-28 for 50) and
Kurt Wenzell (23-24 for 47) amassed 160 points in 32 games at the top of
the Suns scoring list.
Already, in just 23 games, Ellison, Smith (43 points) and
Nikolaisons (62 points) have totaled 172 points, or 41% of the team’s
points.
For updated Suns season statistics, check this week’s
Express website.
