Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Suns split with Pioneers, prepare for St. Nicks

Men’s ice hockey returns Friday to resort ice


The Sun Valley Suns senior men’s hockey team is back in action Friday and Saturday, Feb. 15-16 on resort ice hosting one of the country’s best elite squads—New York St. Nicks—featuring a roster full of skilled former Division 1 skaters.

Coach Steve Morcone’s Suns (7-9) are coming off a series split against the Park City (Utah) Pioneers last weekend and are eager to stretch their legs and line up shots before home fans in a two-game benefit for Camp Rainbow Gold.

Opening faceoffs are 7 p.m. at Sun Valley Skating Center.

St. Nicks last visited Sun Valley on the same Presidents’ Day weekend in 2007. Although short-benched, the New York skaters entered that series having won four of the last six USA Hockey Elite Full-Check national titles. But the Suns won 3-2 and 9-4 en route to a 23-1-0 season. Ryan Enrico scored the game winner in the 3-2 game.

In January, St. Nicks brought the same goalie it used six years ago in Sun Valley, 2005 Yale University graduate Pete Cohen, when the Big Apple boys visited Jackson Hole for a two-game series against the Moose. The Moose (13-3) won the first game 7-6 in shootout and St. Nicks gained a split 7-3 in the Saturday night affair.

Last weekend at Park City, the Suns won the Friday game 5-2 behind goalie Ryan Thomson (41 saves) and getting two goals apiece from Chad Levitan and from Rebels of Salt Lake pick-up Brandon Henricksen. Besides five Rebels pick-ups, the Suns also started 47-year-old former NHL pro Jeff Norton, the University of Michigan defenseman from Acton, Mass.

The win ended a three game Suns losing skid. Park City (7-8) won 8-2 Saturday and thus split the season series 2-2. The Pioneers broke open a 2-2 game with five unanswered goals in the second stanza, two of them in shorthanded situations.

In Saturday’s game Park City out-shot Sun Valley 47-28, and the Pioneers shooting advantage was 43-38 Friday.

Suns Hockey Summary

 

SUNS 5, PIONEERS 2

FRIday, FEBRUARY 8

Sun Valley Suns2125

Park City Pioneers1102

 

FIRST PERIOD—(1) SV, Brandon Henricksen (Rustin Hocker, Weston Nash), 12:20. (2) SV, Jon Duval 8 (Ryan Enrico), 18:47. (3) Park City, Tom Gatta 10 (Aaron Burrell), 19:37.

SECOND PERIOD—(4) SV, Chad Levitan 7 (unassisted), 8:57. (5) Park City, A.J. Sanders 9 (unassisted), 18:34, power play goal.

THIRD PERIOD—(6) SV, Henricksen (Hocker, Jeff Norton), 5:46. (7) SV, Chad Levitan 8 (Todd Potemba, Norton), 7:08.

SHOTS ON GOAL—Sun Valley 38; Park City 43.

GOALIES—Sun Valley, Ryan Thomson (41 saves, 2-3-0 record); Park City, Kyle Gover (33 saves).

 

PIONEERS 8, suns 2

saturday, FEBRUARY 9

Sun Valley Suns2002

Park City Pioneers2518

 

FIRST PERIOD—(1) SV, Weston Nash (Ryan Enrico, Tim Monell), 2:21. (2) Park City, Michael Spawton (Rob Christie, Mikey Diersen), 3:16. (3) SV, Monell (Nash, Kyle Becci), 10:56. (4) Park City, Brian Babbitt (Bobby Ward, A.J. Sanders), 11:01.

SECOND PERIOD—(5) Park City, David Imonti 4 (Sean Baron), 4:06, shorthanded goal. (6) Park City, Babbitt 9 (Sanders, Ward), 7:08. (7) Park City, Sanders 10 (P.J. Nelson), 7:58. (8) Park City, Tommy Rupp 8 (Nick Liotta, Ken Anctil), 10:14, shorthanded goal. (9) Park City, Tom Gatta 11 (Sanders, Ward), 10:50. 

THIRD PERIOD—(10) Park City, Rupp 9 (Liotta, Scotty John), 3:20. 

SHOTS ON GOAL—Sun Valley 11-8-9 for 28; Park City 19-20-8 for 47.

GOALIES—Sun Valley, Ryan Thomson (first 31 minutes, 36 shots, 29 saves, 2-4-0 record) and Cody Levitan (final 29 minutes, 11 shots, 10 saves); Park City, Eric Moldenhauer (26 saves).

 

 




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