The McCall Mountaineers will probably remember the spanking they took last year. And the Sun Valley Suns will be looking to equalize things on their home ice in Sun Valley.
The Suns will entertain their McCall friends and rivals tonight and Saturday at Sun Valley Skating Center for what promises to be an eventful New Year's weekend series of men's hockey.
"We expect a full barn both nights," said Suns coach Chris Benson. "It should be quality hockey. They have about a half dozen former Idaho Steelheads. They'll have the usual cast of characters and we never take these guys lightly. They'll be shooting for us."
Opening faceoffs are 7 p.m.
It will be the only meeting of the 2007-08 winter season for the Suns and Mountaineers because McCall doesn't have a home ice schedule this winter. Benson said, "They've still been skating on different teams in their league in Boise so they should be ready for us."
Sun Valley swept the Mountaineers for the first time last winter, winning 3-1 twice at McCall and 11-7 and 4-3 on the Sun Valley sheet. Still, the Mountaineers hold a 13-10-1 advantage in the four-year series. They are 7-5 on Sun Valley ice, so the Suns (2-0) can square that record with a pair of wins.
Because of the holiday, Benson doesn't expect to have the services of goalie Colin Zulianello or defensemen Chris Warrington and Ivars Muzis. Center Jamie Ellison isn't expected to skate. But collegians Ryan McDonald (University of Idaho) and Blake Jenson (Quinnipiac) will lace them up while on holiday break from school.
Jenson may play in Suns games during January, he said.
Goalie Ryan Thomson will get the call tonight and back-up Billy Cook, a Ketchum native, will be Saturday's goalie.
Among the Mountaineer stars are two former University of Maine Black Bears. They are British Columbia-born 35-year-old goalie Blair Allison (Maine 1993-96 and Steelheads (2001-07) along with Massachusetts-born Cal Ingraham, 37. Ingraham had 46 goals for Maine's first national title team that compiled an amazing 42-1-2 record in 1993. Another Mountaineer is ex-Air Force Academy netminder (1988-92) Mark Liebich.
