For the week of December 18 - 23, 2002

This year’s Suns. Front, from left, Scott Winkler, Kit Hughes, Tom Forti, Ben Stauffer, captain Chris Benson, Jamie Ellison, Vilnis Nikolaisons, John Stevens and John Miller. Second row, from left, Frank Salvoni, Eric Demment, J.J. Hanley, Matt O’Hare, Mike Selhay, Caleb Baukol, Paul Baranzelli, Scott Carmack, Ivars Muzis, Ben Niemela, Perry Smiley, Bryan Wiskow and Rohan Verplank. Back row, from left, goalies James Moskos and Matt Gershater. Express photo by Willy Cook

Younger, deeper Suns debut against Boise

21-game campaign opens 
weekend in Sun Valley

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Eight newcomers have joined the Sun Valley Suns men’s hockey team, which debuts its 28th season of competition this weekend against the Boise Blades on resort ice.

"We’ve got good depth this season," said head coach and captain Chris Benson, 35, the winger who is entering his 13th season with the Sun Valley program (460-169-28).

The Suns play the Boise Blades Friday and Saturday, Dec. 20-21 at 7 p.m. at Sun Valley Skating Center. It’s the first of four consecutive home weekend series for the Suns.

Having two veteran goaltenders and 16 returning players from last year’s record-setting 28-2 team that won 23 of its 24 home games are certainly pluses for the Suns.

But the rink situation at Sun Valley isn’t ideal, because the company needs to use the indoor rink for conventions in February and March. Accordingly, the Suns schedule has been sliced to just 21 games.

So it’s more important than ever for Suns fans to come out and support the team for the succession of seven two-game weekend home series from Dec. 20 and through Feb. 8.

The Boise Blades should provide an early challenge.

Last weekend in Boise, the Suns and Blades played two exhibition games that were won by the Blades 8-1 and 8-3. Several former Idaho Steelheads players skated for Boise.

"Boise was pretty solid. I don’t think all of them will be coming up here this weekend. The games gave us a chance to get our feet wet and see where we are," said Benson.

Although he’s nursing a shoulder injury, eighth-year center Jamie Ellison (59 points last winter) is back. Ellison (185 points in 76 games from 2000-02) became the first three-time Suns scoring king since Benson a decade ago.

Jamie’s running mate Vilnis Nikolaisons (57 points) is back for a fifth year. Nikolaisons, the 1999 Suns scoring champ, has been the scoring runner-up the past three winters.

John Stevens (45 points) and Tom Forti (33) will bring experience to the corps of forwards, while Paul Baranzelli (37 points) and Kris Webster will control the Suns blue line with noses for the net.

Goalies Matt Gershater, 24, and James Moskos, 24, performed admirably sharing the net duty last winter, each posting 14-1 records for their stints. Both return in 2002-03.

The oldest Suns rookie this winter is Frank Salvoni, 34, a 5-11, 195-pound left shot from Natick, Mass. and Lake Forest College. Salvoni, engaged to be married next summer to Janet Salvi, came out to visit Sunsets player Wendy Speth last winter and liked the resort.

Salvoni and the other new players agreed that they like the camaraderie among Suns players and are looking forward to a good winter.

Two new left-shooting defensemen are big Ben Niemela, 26, a 6-3, 230-pounder from Cokato, Minn., and Eric Demment, 25, a 6-0, 190-pounder who played at Williams College and in France. Both like to move the puck and mix it up.

Younger legs at forward include Perry Smiley, 23, who played three years at Hamline in Minnesota; Matt O’Hare, 24, a 2001 Harvard graduate who played lacrosse there, hockey at Middlesex School and will teach skiing for Sun Valley;

Mike Selhay, 29, a 5-11, 195-pound blue-collar Anchorage type who played Division III college hockey in Wisconsin and juniors in Saskatchewan; and Rohan Verplank, 25, from Crested Butte and the Univ. of Colorado.

Although he was born in Anchorage, 22-year-old J.J. Hanley played in the Sun Valley Junior Hockey program and ski raced at Williams College. A forward with a right-hand shot, he’s on the team.

"I watched in high school and it always seemed like a fun program," said Hanley about the Suns.

Not returning from last year’s team are Jon Bender, Tim Tracy, Chas Riopel, Brian Watts, John McGuone, Cam Bennett and Joe Lawson.

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Sun Valley Suns
Roster for 2002-03

Listed are player names, ages, years with the 2002-03 Sun Valley Suns team, hometowns and previous hockey teams. Average age of this year's team is 27.3, one year younger than last year.

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GOALTENDERS

Matt Gershater, 24, 4th year Flagstaff, Arizona Great Falls Jrs/Univ. of Saint Thomas

James Moskos, 24, 2nd year Boston, Mass. Gulf Coast League

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DEFENSEMEN

Kris Webster, 29, 9th year Ketchum, Idaho S.V. Junior Hockey Association

Ivars Muzis, 29, 5th year Riga, Latvia Juniors Riga

Kit Hughes, 24, 2nd year Lexington, Mass. Bowdoin College

Paul Baranzelli, 22, 2nd year Virginia, Minn. Junior B, Minnesota

Scott Carmack, 23, 2nd year El Paso, Texas Westchester Univ. (Philadelphia)

Ben Niemela, 26, 1st year Cokato, Minn. Litchfield High School/Juniors

Eric Demment, 25, 1st year Etna, N.H. Williams College/France

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FORWARDS

Chris Benson, 35, 13th year Cottage Grove, Minn. Univ. of St. Thomas (St. Paul, Minn.)

John S. Miller, 39, 10th year Darien, Conn. New Hampton Academy

John Stevens, 30, 8th year Anchorage, Ak. Univ. of Scranton

Jamie Ellison, 30, 7th year Anchorage, Ak. Northern Arizona/Herferd Devils (Germ.)

Vilnis Nikolaisons, 28, 5th year Riga, Latvia Juniors Riga

Luke Smith, 36, 5th year Rye, N.Y. Dartmouth College

Caleb Baukol, 33, 4th year Great Falls/Missoula, Mt. Univ. of Montana/WSU

Scott Winkler, 21, 3rd year Sun Valley SV Jr. Hockey/SUNY-Brockport

Tom Forti, 24, 2nd year Hibbing, Minn. Univ. of St. Thomas (St. Paul, Minn.)

Ben Stauffer, 24, 2nd year Edina, Minn. Univ. of St. Thomas (St. Paul, Minn.)

Frank Salvoni, 34, 1st year Natick, Mass. Avon Old Farms/Lake Forest College

Mike Selhay, 29, 1st year Anchorage, Ak. Univ. of Eau-Claire (Wisc.)/Juniors

Rohan Verplank, 25, 1st year Crested Butte, Colo. Univ. of Colorado

Matt O’Hare, 24, 1st year Belmont, Mass. Middlesex School/Harvard

Perry Smiley, 23, 1st year Grand Rapids, Minn. Hamline (St. Paul) College

J.J. Hanley, 22, 1st year Anchorage, Ak. S.V. Junior Hockey Association/Williams

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BRAINTRUST

Head coach—Chris Benson. Assistant coach—John Ellison Sr.
General manager—John Stevens
Financial officer—Carolina Stevens
Director of Officials—Bobby Noyes
Team doctor—Dr. Frank Batcha
Security—Ketchum and Sun Valley fire departments
Merchandise—Sun Valley Sunsets and Fury
Captain—Chris Benson
Assistants—John Stevens, Jamie Ellison

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Sun Valley Suns 2002-03 Ice Hockey Schedule

Sun Valley's amateur men's hockey team, entering its 28th season of competition, has a 21-game schedule including 16 games on home ice and 1 game at Roberta McKercher Park in Hailey. All 2-game home series are played Friday and Saturday nights at Sun Valley Skating Center.

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DATES—OPPONENT

December 20-21 Boise Blades (Home)
December 27-28 Portland (Ore.) Czechs (Home)
January 3-4 Richtone (Minneapolis) Painting (Home)
January 10-11 Springfield (Mass.) Stars (Home)
January 17-18 Las Vegas Royals (Away)
January 24-25 St. Paul (Minn.) Turtles (Home)
January 31-February 1 Trail (B.C., Canada) Smoke Eaters (Home)
February 7-8 Minneapolis (Minn.) Green Mill (Home)
Saturday, February 15 Michigan Jets (Hailey)
February 21-22 Jackson (Wyo.) Moose (Away)
March 8-9 (TBA) Boise Blades (Away)
March 14-15 (TBA) Jackson (Wyo.) Moose (Home)

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NOTES--All home games at Sun Valley Skating Center begin at 7 p.m. There are three 20-minute periods. Games last about two-and-a-half hours. Ticket prices are $6 general admission, $3 for kids ages 5-12, free for children under age 5.

Spectators are asked not to bring alcoholic beverages into the arena. Refreshments and food are sold in the rink. Parking will be allowed in the two lots just to the western side of the rink, but no parking will be permitted on Dollar Road. In addition, spectators can park in the main Sun Valley parking lot by the village.

 

The Idaho Mountain Express is distributed free to residents and guests throughout the Sun Valley, Idaho resort area community. Subscribers to the Idaho Mountain Express will read these stories and others in this week's issue.