More than halfway through the 2007 hockey season, the Sun Valley Suns are still undefeated after taking a pair of tough games last weekend from the visiting Seattle Indians.
Suns fans were treated to a 7-3 home victory Friday and a harder-to-get 8-6 win on Saturday. The victories boosted the Suns' season record to 14-0-0—the best start for a Sun Valley hockey team in five years.
The boards took a beating at the Sun Valley Skating Center as the larger Indians tried to use brute strength to beat the wily hometown team. But the Suns weren't intimidated. They out-skated, out-passed, out-shot and outscored the Indians in two fiercely contested battles.
"It's part of the game," said Suns coach Chris Benson afterward. "Some teams are going to hit more than others. We've kind of got the ability to deal with it and use our speed to our advantage. They were definitely a much larger team than we are."
There were lots of penalties and shoving matches—one led to a fight and the ejection of both participants.
The series went well on the attack. Two Suns, Jamie Ellison and Adam Swain, scored three-goal hat tricks on Saturday, and the Suns forward line of center Ellison, Ryan Enrico and Vilnis Nikolaisons recorded 15 points for the weekend.
Suns goalie Colin Zulianello had to leave Saturday's game in the third period after getting hit just below the neck with a high-powered puck fired at close range.
"He's a little sore, but as far as I know nothing's broken," Benson said Monday about the goalie. "Since we don't play this week, he's got a couple of weeks to recuperate."
Sun Valley 7, Seattle 3
With their physical style of play, the Indians tried to dominate the Suns early, but Sun Valley goalie Ryan Thomson blocked all eight of their shots that period and the only first frame score came from Suns defenseman Eric Demment. He connected with a power play goal.
Indians forward Kris Wilson equalized 1-1 on a power play in the second period. The tie was short-lived. The Suns went on a scoring rampage, connecting on three within a span of less than four minutes on shots by forward Jon Duval, Ellison and defenseman Jami James.
The Indians scored on another power play on a solid outside shot by forward Doug Kirton. The period ended with the Suns up 4-2.
Seattle edged to within a goal just over a minute into the third period when forward Shawn Miller chipped one past Suns goalie Thomson.
A few minutes later, the Suns got back their two-goal lead on an extraordinary shot by Sun Valley native Ryan McDonald. Taking a pass on a breakaway from wing Adam Swain, McDonald fired from the Indians blue line. Not quite ready for the shot, Seattle goalie Dazzin Campbell reacted a split second too late and the puck rocketed past his left leg and into the net.
One minute later Nikolaisons made it 6-3 on the power play. For the weekend the teams tallied nine power-play goals, six by the Suns.
Friday's next attraction was a fight between Suns forward Trevor Thomas and Indian defenseman Jason Burke. They got into a shoving match behind the Indian net. Pushing gave way to fists in a fight that the referees allowed to continue briefly. Both got five for fighting, were ejected from the game and suspended from Saturday's contest.
Defenseman Paul Baranzelli got the final goal for the Suns, who ou-shot the Indians 50-37 and made it six wins in the last seven meetings with the Seattle visitors.
Sun Valley 8, Seattle 6
The Suns wasted no time getting on the scoreboard Saturday.
Swain hit the first of his three goals with only 34 seconds off the clock. Ellison drilled the first of his three but Seattle evened it up 2-2.
Early in the second Swain broke the tie on an unassisted breakaway goal. But Seattle scored four of the next five goals for a 6-4 lead early in the third and final period of play.
Nikolaisons gave the Suns some hope with his sixth goal, from linemates Ellison and Enrico. Ellison scored his second and third goals at 5:19 and 6:44, both power plays, to give the Suns a 7-6 advantage.
With the lead in hand, the Suns changed their formation to a more defensive posture. It kept the Indians off balance and unable to score again.
Swain secured his hat trick on an empty net with 26 seconds remaining on the clock. But the goal was earned nonetheless as he stole the puck on an Indian pass and raced down the ice for the unassisted shot.
The Suns next play the Jackson Hole Moose in Sun Valley Friday and Saturday, Feb. 9-10. Game time each night is 7 p.m. Check this week's Express Web site for a hockey summary and Jon Duval's Notes from the Locker Room.
Senior Hockey update
League-leading Morgan's Fine Finishes (6-2) barely survived a tough Senior Hockey League thriller with SV.com/SV Wi-Fi (4-6) Thursday night on resort ice.
Rian Timmons scored the game winner with 90 seconds on the clock lifting Morgan's past SV.com 4-3. Blake Jenson, who scored twice for SV.com, looked like he scored the equalizer with 30 seconds remaining, but it was disallowed because Jenson was ruled in the crease.
Jami James scored two goals for Morgan's and Jim Laski had the other goal. Assists for Morgan's went to Dave Hennessy, Timmons, John Heinrich and John Ellison Jr.
Bob Crosby had the other SV.com goal. SV.com assists went to Mike Punnett, John Kearney Jr. and John Burke.
Monday night, SV.com/Wi-Fi nipped Grumpy's/SV Auto Club (3-6) by a score of 5-4. Jon Honza (3 goals) led the way for the winners with John Kearney Jr. and Rob Pruett adding singles. Frank Salvoni (2 goals), Mark Stone and Harry Weekes lit the light for Grumpy's.
Next games: On Thursday, Feb. 1 at 9:30 p.m., Yoga College of India (5-4); and on Monday, Feb. 5 at 8:45 p.m., Morgan's vs. Grumpy's/SV Auto Club.
Ryan Enrico, who had a five-point weekend, same as linemates Jamie Ellison and Vilnis Nikolaisons, creates yet another scoring opportunity against the Seattle Indians. Photo by Willy Cook
