Wednesday, March 22, 2006

Suns turn over a lucky Stone for St. Pattys' Day

Sun Valley wins 5-4, loses 4-3


By MICHAEL AMES
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Stunned twice by the Jackson Hole Moose March 10-11, the Sun Valley Suns (14-6) bounced back with a 5-4 home win over the Seattle Indians Friday and ended up splitting the two-game series with the Indians, who won 4-3 Saturday at Sun Valley Skating Center.

Getting two goals from forward Ryan Enrico, the Suns could also thank longtime goalie David Stone for Friday's narrow victory. Stone came on in relief of injured starting goalie Colin Zulianello and provided a stabilizing presence, stopping 39 of 42 shots.

Sun Valley Junior Hockey product Stone, 37, has played on-and-off for the Suns since 1986. In portions of 16 seasons he has a 33-16-5 record and goals-against average of 4.24. After Friday night's 5-4 victory, Stone announced he is hanging up his skates.

"This was a good game to go out on," said Stone afterwards.

While Stone conceded that he will remain available for emergencies, he said he couldn't imagine that the Suns would be needing him around any longer. But Sun Valley certainly needed him Friday.

On Friday night, the Indians struck with lightning quickness, opening the scoring just six seconds into the game.

"I don't mind getting scored on early. It helps me focus," Zulianello said. Zulianello (7-2-0 on the season) would stop a few more. But in the early action he aggravated a groin injury and pulled himself out 10 minutes through the 20-minute first period, allowing back-up Stone to step in and step up.

Even though the Suns would rally from the early deficit to a 5-2 lead by the end of the second period, Seattle kept a steady barrage of shots coming at Stone until the final horn. In the third period, Stone faced 19 Seattle shots and turned aside several scoring chances.

"He got us the win. We were shaky and he came up huge," said Suns coach Chris Benson of Stone.

For Benson, whose St. Patrick's Day birthday had him decked out in a green blazer and orange hat, Stone was all the luck he needed.

Saturday night, the Suns lost a chippy 4-3 game despite playing some of their best power-play hockey of the year.

With the game tied 3-3 halfway through the third period, the Suns found themselves with a man advantage and utilized it with textbook power-play passing. As they encircled the Seattle net, defenseman Eric Demment streaked in with a hard shot from just inside the circle. Top Suns scorer Vilnis Nikolaisons (11 goals, 21 assists for 32 points) batted in the rebound for his second goal.

But Seattle's Shaun Miller tallied his second goal of the tight game with seven minutes left, and Indian goalie Darrin Campbell (37 saves) did the rest. He stopped 18 of the 20 Suns shots in the third period.

Lamenting the situation afterward, Benson saw his team save its best hockey for when it was already too late.

"I don't know why it takes being down 4-3 before the guys start moving their feet," he said. "But their goalie played well and that was the game."

The Suns play their final home series this weekend against the Portland (Ore.) All Stars. Game times are 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, March 24-25. Saturday's game is a benefit for the Sun Valley Midget hockey team's trip to regionals.

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SUNS 5, INDIANS 4
Friday, March 17

Seattle Indians 1 1 2 4
Sun Valley Suns 3 2 0 5

FIRST PERIOD—(1) Seattle, Kris Wilson (Tony Neville, Riley McTaggart), 0:06. (2) SV, Ryan Enrico 5 (Ryan McDonald), 11:04. (3) SV, McDonald 7 (Enrico, Paul Baranzelli), 11:27. (4) SV, Jamie Ellison 10 (John Stevens, Vilnis Nikolaisons), 15:22.

SECOND PERIOD—(5) SV, D.W. Cook 4 (Eric Demment), 4:14. (6) Seattle, Jeremy Shannahan (Scott Reynolds, Jonas Rucintango), 9:20. (7) SV, Enrico 6 (Scott Winkler, McDonald), 10:51.

THIRD PERIOD—(8) Seattle, Neville (Wilson, Brian Bruininks), 13:59, power play goal. (9) Seattle, Rob Marion (Otto Visvader, Chris Cameron), 15:32.

SHOTS ON GOAL—Seattle 9-18-19 for 46; Sun Valley 11-11-13 for 35.

GOALIES—Seattle, Shawn Martlock (30 saves); SV, Colin Zulianello (first period, 3 saves, 1 goal) and David Stone (most of first period, rest of game, 39 saves, 3 goals, 1-0-0 record).

OFFICIALS—Referee, John Olson; linesmen, Eric Wingard and Dave Patrie.

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Indians 4, Suns 3
Saturday, March 18

Seattle Indians 0 3 1 4
Sun Valley Suns 1 0 2 3

FIRST PERIOD—(1) SV, Vilnis Nikolaisons 10 (Kris Webster), 14:21.

SECOND PERIOD—(2) Seattle, Tony Neville (unassisted), 2:04. (3) Seattle, Shaun Miller (Scott Reynolds, Dan Rusler), 10:26, power play goal. (4) Seattle, Jeremy Shannahan (Quentin Ray, Jonas Rucintango), 12:45.

THIRD PERIOD—(5) SV, Ryan McDonald 8 (Scott Winkler), 6:48. (6) SV, Nikolaisons 11 (Eric Demment), 11:02, power play goal. (7) Seattle, Miller (Ray), 12:45, game-winning goal.

SHOTS ON GOAL—Seattle 14-12-8 for 34; Sun Valley 10-10-20 for 40.

GOALIES—Seattle, Darrin Campbell (37 saves); SV, John Bidon (30 saves, 4-3-0 record);

OFFICIALS—Referee, Dave Patrie; linesmen, John Olson and John Heinrich.

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2005-06 Sun Valley Suns Season statistics

(14-6-0 overall: 12-6-0 home, 2-0-0 away)

PLAYER GAMES GOALS AST. PTS. PMIN
Vilnis Nikolaisons 20 11 21 32 8.0
Ryan McDonald 18 8 15 23 8.0
Scott Winkler 20 10 11 21 0.0
Jamie Ellison 16 10 11 21 88.0
Chris Warrington 20 6 15 21 20.0
Eric Demment 16 5 12 17 26.0
Paul Baranzelli 18 8 7 15 30.0
Ivars Muzis 18 6 7 13 18.0
Ryan Enrico 11 6 7 13 18.0
John Stevens 16 5 7 12 2.0
John Miller 16 2 10 12 18.0
Frank Salvoni 19 7 4 11 8.0
Kris Webster 15 3 6 9 32.0
Caleb Baukol 19 3 4 7 24.0
D.W. Cook 16 4 1 5 19.0
John Bidon 15 0 4 4 15.0
Trevor Thomas 18 1 2 3 38.0
Charles Friedman 10 1 1 2 0.0
Kellen Chatterton 6 0 2 2 2.0
Josh Jacobson 20 1 0 1 18.0
Bryan Winkler 12 1 0 1 2.0
Ryan Thomson 3 0 1 1 0.0
Blake Jenson 2 0 1 1 0.0
Rian Timmons 10 0 0 0 2.0
Normunds Krepss 2 0 0 0 2.0
Chris King 2 0 0 0 0.0
Colin Zulianello 10 0 0 0 4.0
David Stone 2 0 0 0 0.0


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GOALTENDER GAMES GOALS W-L AVG.
Colin Zulianello 9 25 7-2-0 2.78
John Bidon 7 25 4-3-0 3.57
Ryan Thomson 3 12 2-1-0 4.00
David Stone 1 5 1-0-0 5.00


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Shots—Zulianello 329, Bidon 231, Thomson 118, Stone 48.
Saves—Zulianello 304, Bidon 206, Thomson 106, Stone 43.
Shootout saves—0.
Shootout goals allowed—0.
Shutouts—Zulianello 1.
Empty net goals—1.

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SCORE BY PERIODS 1ST 2ND 3RD OT TOT
Opposition 16 27 25 0 68, 3.4
Sun Valley 34 31 31 2 98, 4.9

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INDIVIDUAL MARKS

Two-goal games (12)—Vilnis Nikolaisons 3, Jamie Ellison 2, Scott Winkler 1, Chris Warrington 1, Paul Baranzelli 1, Ryan Enrico 1, Frank Salvoni 1, D.W. Cook 1, John Miller 1.

Hat tricks or more—Vilnis Nikolaisons 1, Ryan McDonald 1.

Game-winning goals—Ryan McDonald 2, Chris Warrington 2, Eric Demment 1, Frank Salvoni 1, Paul Baranzelli 1.

Power play goals (20-73, 27%)—Jamie Ellison 4, Vilnis Nikolaisons 4, Eric Demment 2, Chris Warrington 2, Scott Winkler 2, Paul Baranzelli 2, Kris Webster 1, Ryan Enrico 1, John Stevens 1, Frank Salvoni 1. Power play goals (opposition): 13-92, (14%).

Suns shorthanded goals (4)—Frank Salvoni 1, John Stevens 1, Jamie Ellison 1, Vilnis Nikolaisons 1. Shorthanded goals (opposition): 2.

Season penalty minutes: SV 408, opponents 325.

GAME RESULTS

Total record: 14-6-0
Record in 1-goal games: 6-4
Record in overtime: 2-0-0
Games scoring 9 or more goals: 2
Games scoring 7 or more goals: 4

December 9 (H) Sun Valley 7, Park City Generals 4
December 10 (H) Sun Valley 9, Park City Generals 2
December 30 (H) McCall Mountaineers 4, Sun Valley 3
December 31 (H) Sun Valley 4, McCall Mountaineers 0
January 6 (H) Sun Valley 5, Weyburn Devils 4 (OT)
January 7 (H) Sun Valley 3, Weyburn Devils 2
January 13 (H) N.Y. St. Nick's 9, Sun Valley 6
January 14 (H) N.Y. St. Nick's 5, Sun Valley 4
January 20 (H) Sun Valley 4, Boston ReMax Rangers 3
January 21 (H) Sun Valley 7, Boston ReMax Rangers 2
February 10 (H) Sun Valley 5, Philadelphia Independence 3
February 11 (H) Sun Valley 5, Philadelphia Independence 2
February 17 (H) Sun Valley 4, Minneapolis Gorillas 3 (OT)
February 18 (H) Sun Valley 9, Minneapolis Gorillas 2
February 24 (A) Sun Valley 5, Jackson Hole Moose 3
February 25 (A) Sun Valley 4, Jackson Hole Moose 3
March 10 (H) Jackson Hole Moose 4, Sun Valley 3
March 11 (H) Jackson Hole Moose 5, Sun Valley 3
March 17 (H) Sun Valley 5, Seattle Indians 4
March 18 (H) Seattle Indians 4, Sun Valley 3




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