Greece Thunder 4, Hilton 1 ( Lakeshore Hockey Arena)

D&C Staff Reports 01/10/09
Greece Thunder storms back to victory
Athena/Odyssey team scores four unanswered goals in defeating Hilton

VIDEO

PHOTOS

GREECE — The Hilton Cadets had the scenario they wanted after 15 minutes of hockey; ahead by a goal with junior goalie Dan Hurlimann to protect the lead. But assistant captain Greg Ryan gave the Greece Athena/Odyssey Thunder what it needed, a goal during the second period — the first of four unanswered for the state's No.1 ranked large-school team.

"It gave us a lot of confidence, and new energy," Ryan said after the Thunder went on to a 4-1 win at Lakeshore Hockey Arena. The Thunder put its streak at 11 consecutive wins to open this season, a team-record. Mike McNeil and captain Pat Sofia also scored in the second period to put Athena/Odyssey in control. Steve Hebberecht added an empty-net goal with 1 minute, 14 seconds remaining. The Thunder outshot Hilton 33-14. "We had a certain game plan," Athena/Odyssey defenseman and assistant captain Eric Gunderson said. "We stuck with it and that's why we got the win. "They (Hilton) are very opportunistic.

They get a chance, they usually score on it." The Cadets thrive on blocking shots to help Hurlimann, then turning loose pucks in the neutral zone into breakaways. Athena/Odyssey controlled play in the first period but it was Hilton that had the only goal after taking just four shots.

The Cadets capitalized on a power-play. Thunder goalie Parker Bonis was screened on a shot that came in from the point that was tipped. The puck hit Bonis and the crossbar before Brian Hurlimann slapped it into the net 5:54 into the game. "We knew we were going to have difficulty dealing with their speed up front," Hilton coach John Farnham said. "What we wanted to do was slow it down. We've always caved it in, a little. "We hoped to frustrate them." That didn't happen.

The Thunder were strong enough to skate through checks and savvy enough to make small plays that allowed them to keep possession of the puck. Athena/Odyssey also made sure to cut down on Hilton's breakaway chances. "We've been capitalizing on every opportunity we've had," Farnham said, as he explained how the Cadets (8-2-2) have improved on last year's four-win season. "Here we were again, hoping it would continue." Ryan instead, evened the score at 5:13 of the second, with the Thunder were on a power-play. Gunderson returned a pass to Ryan, who snapped a low shot past Dan Hurlimann's glove. McNeil scored 1:07 later to put the Thunder ahead 2-1. Sofia parked near the goalmouth and knocked in a pass from Brandon Cheeseman at 10:22 of the second period for Athena/Odyssey. The Cadets were then in a tough spot, down by two goals with a change in style needed on the fly to beat the No. 1 ranked team in the state.


Wes Vyverberg Reports

Game Report

Let's be clear, this was not the night that the lights went out in Georgia, but it was however the night that Thunder clinched their division. Shots were 33-14 in Thunder's favor and Parker Bonis made 13 saves for the win (his 8th on the year) as Thunder advanced their record to 11-0, with a 4-1 win over Hilton.

Before the game got underway, a small brass ensemble gathered on the Hilton bench and offered a taut rendition of the Star Spangled Banner. Donning black and red jackets, we all pegged them for Hilton horns, but as it turns out, this was yet another Wendy Bonis production, bringing in a group of players from the Prime Time Brass marching band to liven things up. It was a nice touch, although to be perfectly honest, we could have used a little more cowbell... where is Kramer when you need him?

Right from the get go it was readily apparent to even the most casual observer that Hilton was no match for the mighty Thunder. Save a too-many-men penalty in the first period, which Hilton capitalized on, Thunder essentially controlled the entire game, but it took them a period and change to get through the box+1 and past Hurlimann. Why? Well, because everytime Thunder was on the doorstep the net mysteriously came off its moorings, with a conservative estimate being ten times through three periods.

Just ask Rotolo and he will tell you - "that's ok, Greg made them pay for cheating", when he converted on a delay of game penalty that Hilton was finally assessed for knocking the net off so many times. It was a sweet give-go between Gundi and Ryan that came 5 minutes into the second period. A minute later Mike McNeil notched the eventual game winner on the rebound from Gunderson's back-hander, assisted by Ryan, 2-1 Thunder. Time for everyone to take a deep breath as Thunder had finally gained the lead. Cheese was like a train-truck a rollin', all nite long, wrecking anyone/everyone who dared to cross his path and his hard work down low paid off four minutes later, as he bumped one out front to Sofia who in turn banged it home, 3-1 Thunder.

Most would agree with the phrase "offense sells tickets but defense wins games". Have you thanked a defenseman today? Much like the national guard, our Thunder defense is always ready at a moment's notice. They were called upon frequently to hold down the fort as we spent the better part of the final frame in the sin bin. Strikes me as living a little too close to the edge when you have only a 2-goal lead, but our boys in uniform answered the call of duty with several big kills including a nail-biting 5 on 3 at the very end. Steven Hebberecht scored his first "official" varsity goal, when he gathered the puck from a face-off near the Thunder blue-line and cleared it down the ice into the empty net with only 1:14 to go in the game. When asked about the goal, Hebberecht indicated he got one last year, but it got credited to someone else. Not this time. This bud's for you Steve, although Gunderson did manage to record an assist on your shorthanded goal, which capped off the evening nicely.

Speaking of capping off the evening "nicely", you couldn't swing a dead cat without hitting a thunder parent at dinner after the game, and from what I understand Rotolo is chairman of the committee in search of a new post-game Thunder 'retreat'? Smiles everyone!