Thunder 4, Churchville Chili 0 (Scottsville)

D&C Staff Reports 01/20/09

Greece Athena/Odyssey (13-0) scored three second period goals within a 1:30 by Eric Gunderson, Brandon Cheeseman and J.T. Stenglein. Greg Ryan scored the game's final goal in the third period. Greece Athena/Odyssey goalie Ian Cumming made 15 saves for the shutout and Churchville Chili goalie Dylan Niewiemski 33 saves.

Wes Vyverberg Reports

While millions of Americans were on a pilgrimage to the capitol to watch history in the making as the 44th president of the United States was inaugurated, the Thunder wagon train was headed to Scottsville for a road-game with the Churchville-Chili Saints. After a couple of failed attempts to get the party started, due to technical difficulties with the anthem (a recurring theme this year) it was time to drop the puck… or two, as at one point heads were shaking when there were two pucks on the ice. I know there have been a lot of rule changes to promote scoring within the game, but I thought the experimental 2-puck rule was left on the cutting room floor. I digress.

First period was scoreless, a rather slow start for the men in purple. About the only thing worth noting was when the refs cited Thunder for violation of USA Hockey Rule 110(a), e.g. Nonpenalized players and goalkeepers are not permitted to occupy the penalty bench, forcing Rotolo and Bonis to relinquish their “box” seats at the break.

Action picked up in the second period with three thunder tallies in a minute twenty-two span. Four minutes into the frame, as predicted by Phil Lane, Gunderson scored Thunder's first goal of the night (eventual game winner) on the rebound, assisted by Riley Bourbonnais and Greg Ryan. Forty-seven seconds later Dan Vyverberg sprung Matt Lane with a rink-wide pass, then Lane took it deep and centered it to Brandon Cheeseman who was crashing the Saints net for the goal, 2-0 Thunder. Add thirty-three more seconds and it was JT Stenglein picking up a loose puck on the half-wall, strolling across the top of the slot and burying a wrister, high stick-side, 3-0 Thunder.

The entire Thunder bench saw action in the third, save the extra keepers, and it was good to see the likes of Grills, Briganti, McNeil, Hostetter, Sherry, O'Brien, Coleman, Keough, and Grimshaw ripping it up out there. Six minutes into the period Greg Ryan netted Thunder's fourth and final goal of the game off a perfectly timed and well-executed drop by Pat Sofia at the goal line, also assisted by Jordan Grills.

Sofia Collision of the game goes to Vyper for crushing his check with an open ice hit in front of the Thunder bench. Heard a "yeahhhhhh Dan-eeeeeee" - it seems Jeannine is really branching out! Shots were 37-15 (10-3, 17-5, 10-7) in Thunder's favor. Freshman keeper Ian Cumming made 15 saves for the shut-out win, in his first start of the season. Not a ton of rubber, but Cumming showed his mettle as he remained focused and turned away numerous quality scoring chances with great poise. Thunder advanced their record to 13-0, with this 4-0 win over the Saints.

As the boys of thunder put their necks on the line breaking records every day on the road to a state title, who will be the next victim?