For the week of January 23 - 29, 2002

Winning streak improves to 19 for Suns (12-0)

7-1, 8-2 sweep sets franchise record

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The streak is alive. In fact, the two-season, 19-game winning streak of the unbeaten Sun Valley Suns has never been duplicated in 27 seasons of the Suns hockey franchise.

Busting open a close 2-2 game with authority, the Sun Valley Suns (12-0) scored six unanswered goals in the third period to beat Minneapolis Green Mill 8-2 Saturday night and complete a two-game sweep.

Suns center Jamie Ellison started the onslaught by taking a pass from goalie Matt Gershater and going coast-to-coast for the go-ahead goal three minutes into the third period.

Captain Chris Benson tallied two goals in the third period as the Suns continued their remarkable surge that dates back to last February.

The previous Suns record of 18 consecutive wins was established in 1980-81, all in one season. Attached to the new 19-game record is a Tiger Woods grand slam asterisk because it happened over two seasons.

But it doesn’t diminish the achievement. In fact, the Suns are now unbeaten in 20 straight games, which is approaching the franchise unbeaten streak record of 24 games set in both 1983 and 1989.

On Friday the Suns got shorthanded goals by Ellison and John Stevens, who scored two goals apiece, and trounced the outmatched Green Mill visitors 7-1.

 

Bucks are back Friday

The two-season, 19-game winning streak of the Sun Valley Suns will have its toughest challenge Friday, Jan. 25 and Saturday, Jan. 26 at Sun Valley Skating Center.

Returning to Sun Valley for the first time in five years is Bucks Unfinished Furniture from Bloomington, Minn.

The Bucks are the 2001 National Elite champions, having beaten New York St. Nicks 4-2 last April 1 in Fond du Lac, Wisc. to win the USA Hockey Senior Elite championship.

The last Bucks visit to Sun Valley was Jan. 24-25, 1997. The Suns swept the series 6-3 and 9-6 against a Bucks squad—at that time six-time national champs—that was playing shorthanded with 10 skaters.

Nonetheless the Bucks own an 11-6-1 advantage in nine visits to Sun Valley dating back to 1986. They’ve outscored the Suns 44-26 in the third period of those 18 meetings.

 

The Idaho Mountain Express is distributed free to residents and guests throughout the Sun Valley, Idaho resort area community. Subscribers to the Idaho Mountain Express will read these stories and others in this week's issue.