For the week of December 24 - 30, 2003

Suns bounce Checks twice in opener

Hockey team debuts with 10-2, 5-4 sweep

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By JEFF CORDES
Express Staff Writer

Talent up and down the roster and some welcome speed were supposed to be positives for the Sun Valley Suns men’s hockey team as it entered its 29th season of competition.

Ryan Enrico from Hoboken, N.J. lit a fire under the Sun Valley Suns in his first weekend series, scoring a goal in each game against Portland. Express photo by Willy Cook

The Suns, skating four lines and stocked with eight defensemen, displayed those attributes last weekend as they debuted with 10-2 and 5-4 home victories over the Portland (Ore.) Checks at Sun Valley Skating Center.

"Two wins—it doesn’t get any better than that," said first-year center Ryan Enrico, the lightning-quick 5-7, 160-pounder from Hoboken who fired up the second line all weekend. "They were two good team wins."

Enrico was the only Suns player who scored in each game, but everybody got into the action. In all, 16 different Suns scored points. For the weekend, the Suns outscored Portland 15-6, out-shot their opponents 84-40 and out-pointed them 33-10.

Said Enrico, "Everybody was pulling their weight. As for our line, we were just trying to get it going."

Saturday’s one-goal game was a night-and-day difference compared to Friday’s Suns rout, chiefly because Portland had two former Idaho Steelheads minor league hockey veterans on their bench Saturday night.

Frank Salvoni, senior skater on the Suns third line with Brian Watts and John Stevens, checks up the ice to make a pass in Friday’s Portland game on resort ice. Express photo by Willy Cook

They were Rob Dumas, 34, the well-traveled (14 teams in 19 minor league years) defenseman from Alberta, and John Hill. Dumas (2 goals) and Hill tallied three of the four Portland goals in Saturday’s close contest.

Suns coach John Ellison Sr. said after Saturday’s cliffhanger, "Those two made a huge difference for Portland. The team we played tonight was a good team. But it caused us to play better—and allowed us to look at where we have to improve."

Trailing 3-2 on a Dumas goal early in the second period, the Suns reeled off three unanswered goals. Enrico’s left wing Chris King from Rhode Island and Bowdoin College tied it 3-3, then Jamie Ellison tallied his first goal in two seasons for a 4-3 Suns lead.

Ellison, the eighth-year Suns center who is rapidly closing in on being ranked in the top-five all-time on the Suns scoring list, won a faceoff back to rookie defenseman Pat Finnegan early in the third period—and Finnegan buried a quick wrist shot while falling forward for the eventual winner.

First-year goalie Ryan Thomson made 25 saves and showed a quick glove in his first Suns win.

The Suns are planning a holiday exhibition game against a team of Senior Hockey League stars and ex-Suns Hall of Famers. It will be played Friday, Dec. 27 at 7 p.m. at Sun Valley Skating Center. Admission charge is $5.

Future Suns playing on the All-Stars will be Blake Jenson, Cody Lampl, Ryan McDonald, Justin Taylor, Tate Mills and Scott Winkler. They’ll join Hall of Famers like John Burke, Tim Jeneson, Harry Weekes, Dale Johnson, Phil Hebert, Bobby Noyes, Glenn Hunter, Dave Hutchinson and the All-Star line of Mats Wilander, Zac Crist and Pete Prekeges.

 

Senior League hockey

The Cellar (6-0) stayed unbeaten in Senior Hockey League action Monday night with a 6-5 victory over second-place Grumpy’s (4-2).

Cellar scorers were Josh Jacobson, Ryan Enrico, Luke Smith, Robin Sarchett, J.J. Hanley and Brad Stansberry. For Grumpy’s, John Stevens had a hat trick and Don Saver added two goals.

Whitehead/Yoga (2-4) cruised 11-1 over SV.com., although visiting SV.com goalie Billy Cook sparkled facing 60 shots. Ken Pratt scored the lone goal for winless SV.com.

Yoga scorers were Dave Hennessy 3 goals, Pete Whitehead 2, Kent Grimes 2, John Stevens 1, Zac Crist 1, Matt Mahoney 1, Shaun Mahoney 1.

After seven Mondays and 14 games, the standings are:

The Cellar 6-0 (46 goals for, 21 against). Grumpy’s 4-2 (36-22). AmeriTitle 2-3 (28-22). Whitehead/Yoga 2-4 (34-43). SV.com/SV Wi-Fi 0-5 (13-49).

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Suns 10, Checks 2
Friday

Portland Checks 1 1 0 2
Sun Valley Suns 4 1 5 10

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FIRST PERIOD—(1) Portland, Bill Blackadar (Bobby Sloper), 5:46. (2) SV, John Stevens 1 (Kris Webster, goalie Matt Gershater), 13:42. (3) SV, Vilnis Nikolaisons 1 (Pat Finnegan), 15:30. (4) SV, Paul Baranzelli 1 (unassisted), 18:10. (5) SV, Webster 1 (Jamie Ellison, Nikolaisons), 19:57.

SECOND PERIOD—(6) Portland, J.J. Weakes (unassisted), 14:45. (7) SV, Luke Smith 1 (unassisted), 14:54.

THIRD PERIOD—(8) SV, Smith 2 (Nikolaisons), 0:24. (9) SV, Ryan Enrico 1 (Chris Warrington, John Miller), 8:19, shorthanded goal. (10) SV, Warrington 1 (Ellison), 11:38, shorthanded goal. (11) SV, Brian Watts 1 (Finnegan, Frank Salvoni), 13:50. (12) SV, Demment 1 (Ellison), 18:42, shorthanded goal.

SHOTS ON GOAL—For Portland 3-4-4 for 11; for Sun Valley 14-11-11 for 36.

GOALIES—Portland, Brian Spitulski (26 saves); SV, Matt Gershater (9 saves, 1-0-0 season record).

OFFICIALS—Referee, Bobby Noyes; linesmen, Curtis Martin and John Heinrich.

NOTES—The Suns had three shorthanded goals tonight. They only had four shorthanded goals all last season—all coming in the first two-game series against Portland….Penalty minutes were SV 20, Portland 4. Lacking a few skilled players, Portland was 0-8 on the power play….The Jamie Ellison line accounted for 8 of the Suns 22 points.

 

 

SV 5, Checks 4
Saturday

Portland Checks 2 1 1 4
Sun Valley Suns 2 2 1 5

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FIRST PERIOD—(1) Portland, Rob Dumas (Cody Proctor), 6:51. (2) SV, Ryan Enrico 2 (Chris King, Paul Baranzelli), 14:30. (3) SV, Frank Salvoni 1 (unassisted), 15:36. (4) Portland, Proctor (Bobby Sloper), 18:49.

SECOND PERIOD—(5) Portland, Dumas (unassisted), 4:54. (6) SV, King 1 (Enrico, Mike Selhay), 5:45. (7) SV, Jamie Ellison 1 (Vilnis Nikolaisons), 15:54.

THIRD PERIOD—(8) SV, Pat Finnegan 1 (Ellison), 3:52. (9) Portland, John Hill (Dumas), 16:20, power play goal.

SHOTS ON GOAL—For Portland 9-10-10 for 29; for Sun Valley 9-21-18 for 48.

GOALIES—Portland, Brian Spitulski (43 saves); SV, Ryan Thomson (25 saves, 1-0-0 season record).

OFFICIALS—Referee, Richard Winkler; linesmen, John Olson and Curtis Martin.

NOTES—Newcomer Chris King took care of business on both ends of the ice during his game-tying goal that made it 3-3. IN the Suns defensive zone, he knocked down a Portland player to the left of Suns goalie Ryan Thomson, then he finished a Suns break at the other end of the ice for his first goal….The Suns went with four two forward lines and three sets of defensemen. They were Vilnis Nikolaisons-Jamie Ellison-Luke Smith, Chris King-Ryan Enrico-John Miller, Frank Salvoni-Brian Watts-John Stevens, J.J. Hanley-Caleb Baukol-Rohan Verplank. Defensemen were Eric Demment-Chris Warrington, Pat Finnegan-Paul Baranzelli, Mike Selhay-Josh Jacobson. Taking the night off were defensemen Ivars Muzis and Kris Webster. "We have eight defensemen and I can only use six," said Suns coach John Ellison Sr…..Coach Ellison was very pleased with thee effort of the fourth line centered by Baukol. He said, "Their job is to raise havoc and not get scored upon. They are improving all the time. It’s a real plus for us to be able to go with four lines. In fact, all the new players contributed. They are assets to the overall team."….For the weekend, Portland (21 penalty minutes) was 1-11 on the power play, while the Suns (39 penalty minutes) were 0-3…..Sixteen different Suns scored points for the weekend topped by Ellison (1 goal, 4 assists) and Nikolaisons (1-3).

 

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