The Elmira College Soaring Eagles took on their first Division I opponent in
two years last weekend, hosting the University of Alaska-Fairbanks Nanooks
for a pair of games. Friday night, Elmira surprised the Nanooks, skating
with them the entire game and earning a 5-5 tie. The next night, however,
Alaska-Fairbanks bounced back in a big way, pasting their Division III foe
by an 11-2 count. Boxes and some notes on the two games below:
Alaska-Fairbanks 5, Elmira 5 (OT)
Alaska-Fairbanks 2 3 0 0 -- 5
Elmira 2 3 0 0 -- 5
First period -- Scoring:
E Russ Bitely (Pete Romeo, Randy Murphy), 3:51 0-1
AF Dean Fedorchuk (Travis MacMillan, Dallas Ferguson),
8:17 (PP) 1-1
AF Fred Scott (Warren Carter, Kyle Armstrong), 8:42 2-1
E Vic Fidler (Jeremy Baker, Kyle Kirkpatrick), 12:48 (PP) 2-2
Penalties:
E Dave Perrotta (interference), 0:31; E Kayne Beaudry (hooking), 7:12;
AF MacMillan (interference), 12:05; AF Armstrong (high-sticking),
12:05; AF Don Lester (hooking), 14:22
Second period -- Scoring:
E Baker (Perrotta, Bitely), 0:26 2-3
AF Greg Milles (Cody Bowtell, Chris Hodges), 7:31 3-3
AF Jason Eckel (Mark Cotter), 11:59 4-3
E Bitely (Murphy), 14:13 4-4
AF Ferguson (Pat Williams), 16:37 (PP) 5-4
E Murphy (Kirkpatrick), 18:25 (PP) 5-5
Penalties:
E Tim Johnson (holding), 3:22; AF Brian Fish (interference, served by
Eckel), 8:39; AF Williams (roughing), 12:47; E Johnson (roughing),
12:47; E Rich Rerrie (interference), 15:50; AF Eckel (slashing major),
17:18
Third period -- Penalties:
E Rerrie (high-sticking), 5:09; AF MacMillan (interference), 7:06;
AF Scott Keyes (checking from behind), 13:10; AF Lorne Kanigan
(holding), 14:22; AF Fedorchuk (slashing), 18:44; E Brad Shaver
(slashing), 18:44; E Kirkpatrick (interference), 19:05
Overtime -- Penalties:
AF Carter (roughing), 2:16; E Laudato (roughing, served by Bitely),
2:16
Shots on goal: Alaska-Fairbanks 13-18-8-7 -- 46, Elmira 12-8-5-1 -- 26
Power plays: Alaska-Fairbanks 2 of 6, Elmira 2 of 9
Goaltending:
AF Brian Fish (26 shots, 21 saves)
E Dave Laudato (46 shots, 41 saves)
Notes:
This was one of the few Elmira games I was able to see live, and while
the Soaring Eagles did a creditable job of staying with Alaska-
Fairbanks and not letting the Nanooks get untracked, I'd have to say
that this was not a particularly good game. Both teams had numerous
opportunities to win this one, and while Alaska-Fairbanks generally had
the better of the play, the Soaring Eagles definitely missed some
chances to put the game away. For whatever reason, Elmira seemed to
play considerably better when they were behind, overcoming one-goal
deficits three times, than when they were tied or had the lead. The
star of the game was easy to pick -- without goaltender Dave Laudato's
outstanding performance (he was an absolute wall during the third
period and overtime), Elmira would have been picked apart.
The Soaring Eagles' aggressiveness caught the Nanooks by surprise early
on, and they grabbed the lead just 3:51 into the contest, when Pete
Romeo's centering pass from behind the net rolled through a clump of
Fairbanks players onto the stick of Russ Bitely, who snapped a shot
past goalie Brian Fish. UAF's ubiquitous Dean Fedorchuk made his
presence felt soon after that, as he took a long pass and steamed up
the ice on a breakaway, with an Elmira defender in hot pursuit. Only a
brilliant leg save by Laudato kept Fedorchuk from tying the game up.
Alaska-Fairbanks looked a little lost for part of the first period, but
they quickly recovered thanks in part to a questionable call on
Elmira's Kayne Beaudry for hooking at the 7:12 mark. It looked more to
me like UAF's Travis MacMillan had tripped over the Elmira net, but at
any rate, the Nanooks lost little time in converting this opportunity.
Dallas Ferguson rifled a pass to MacMillan at the right post, and as
Laudato slid to block the expected shot, MacMillan spotted an onrushing
Fedorchuk and centered the puck for him. Fedorchuk merely had to flip
a shot into the open net to tie the game at 8:17 of the first. Just 25
seconds later, Alaska-Fairbanks had the lead, thanks to Mark Cotter and
Fred Scott working a 2-on-1. Scott's blast from the slot eluded
Laudato to the glove side.
Alaska-Fairbanks was beginning to move a bit faster, but the momentum
generated by the two quick scores died at the 12:05 mark on a monu-
mentally stupid penalty by MacMillan, who, after teammate Kyle Arm-
strong was called for high-sticking, took it upon himself to shove an
Elmira player. The ensuing call for interference gave the Soaring
Eagles a two-minute 5 on 3, which took them only 43 seconds to convert.
Vic Fidler flipped home a pass from Jeremy Baker to tie the game at two
apiece. Elmira took their second lead of the night 26 seconds into the
middle period. Baker and Dave Perrotta attempted to convert a 2-on-1
break, but Perrotta flubbed the shot, sending a soft roller toward the
net. Fish easily blocked it, but made the mistake of not covering up
the puck, and Baker wrapped around the net and stuffed it home.
Most of the next three or four minutes was played in the Elmira zone,
as Alaska-Fairbanks kept up some incredible pressure on offense.
Laudato remained unfazed, however, turning aside several flurries.
Finally, though, the Nanooks broke through at the 7:31 mark, when Cody
Bowtell found Greg Milles alone in the slot, and Milles slapped the
puck home. Elmira nearly took the lead again a few minutes later on an
outstanding individual effort by one of their forwards (didn't catch
the number), who somehow skated through a clump of three UAF players in
the Nanook zone. Before he could get a shot off, however, he either
lost an edge (I thought) or was knocked down by one of the Nanooks (the
opinion of the vast majority of Elmira fans).
Just seconds later, at the 11:59 mark, UAF took the lead, thanks to
Jason Eckel's blistering shot from the right circle. Bitely's second
of the game, a hard wrister from near the crease, tied the game at 4-4
with 5:47 left in the second, but Alaska-Fairbanks regained the lead at
the 16:37 mark, when Ferguson fired a wrister that bounced in off the
pad of a screened Laudato. Eckel turned goon at the 17:18 mark, when
he appeared to spear Elmira's Pete Feola, who crumpled to the ice in a
heap and stayed there for several minutes. He was able to get up and
was OK afterward, and while Eckel was not tossed from the game, he did
get hit with a slashing major. Randy Murphy tied the game for the
Soaring Eagles with a tough angle shot from the left side with 1:35
left in the second.
The stage was set for a dramatic and exciting third period -- which un-
fortunately never materialized, as the two teams played some desultory
hockey during the last 20 minutes of regulation. Fedorchuk came close
to yet another breakaway (and a short-handed one at that) with a minute
gone in the third, but Laudato raced out of the net and beat him to the
puck. Other than that, the third period was mainly taken up by the two
teams exchanging horrible power play opportunities, and the two goal-
tenders making the necessary saves on those relatively rare occasions
when somebody actually got off a half-decent shot. There was also an
exchange of pleasantries between Elmira's Rich Rerrie and UAF's Trent
Schachle, who had jawed with each other after Eckel's spear/slash
earlier.
The overtime was dominated by Alaska-Fairbanks, as they outshot the
Soaring Eagles by a 7-1 count, but Laudato kept the game even with some
great saves. Even so, he may have cost Elmira a chance to win the
game. With 2:44 left in OT, Laudato moved away from the crease to play
the puck, and Warren Carter belted him one while he was in the pro-
tected area. The ref was right there and immediately raised his hand,
meaning that the Soaring Eagles would have wound up with the power
play, but that wasn't enough for Laudato. He retaliated, and coinci-
dental roughing minors were called.
Anyway, it was a solid effort by the Soaring Eagles to at least stay
with a bigger and faster Nanook team, who didn't play all that badly
themselves. Fish didn't have a particularly good game for Alaska-
Fairbanks, but he did make 21 saves. Laudato finished with 41.
Alaska-Fairbanks 11, Elmira 2
Alaska-Fairbanks 1 3 7 -- 11
Elmira 2 0 0 -- 2
First period -- Scoring:
AF Dean Fedorchuk (Don Lester, Travis MacMillan), 6:03 (PP) 1-0
E Brad Shaver (Kyle Kirkpatrick), 9:09 1-1
E Vic Fidler (Paul Matheson, Pete Feola), 13:16 (PP) 1-2
Penalties:
E Robb Wilson (high-sticking), 4:45; AF Kirk Patton (high-sticking),
12:39; AF Lorne Kanigan (cross-checking), 13:16; E Russ Bitely
(roughing), 17:13
Second period -- Scoring:
AF Warren Carter (Jason Eckel), 6:55 2-2
AF Eckel (Lester), 11:55 (PP) 3-2
AF Pat Williams (Dallas Ferguson), 15:23 (PP) 4-2
Penalties:
E Kirkpatrick (roughing), 9:22; E Fidler (slashing), 11:44;
AF MacMillan (cross-checking), 14:54; AF Fedorchuk (roughing), 14:54;
E Shaver (roughing, high-sticking served by Tim Johnson), 14:54;
E Matheson (roughing), 14:54; AF Kanigan (hooking), 17:14; E Randy
Murphy (holding), 17:14; AF Williams (elbowing), 17:37; E Dave Laudato
(interference, served by Fidler), 18:36; AF Fedorchuk (roughing),
19:25; E Laudato (slashing, served by Mike Maxwell), 19:50; AF Trent
Schachle (roughing), 20:00; E Murphy (roughing), 20:00
Third period -- Scoring:
AF Fedorchuk (Ferguson, MacMillan), 3:52 (SH) 5-2
AF Fedorchuk (Lester, Bob Schwark), 4:49 6-2
AF Mark Cotter (Greg Milles), 9:31 7-2
AF Williams (Cotter), 9:41 8-2
AF Eckel (Fedorchuk), 12:43 (PP) 9-2
AF Eckel (Schachle, Lester), 16:19 (PP) 10-2
AF Corey Spring (Ferguson), 17:00 (PP) 11-2
Penalties:
AF Lester (tripping), 2:13; AF Kirk Patton (hooking), 5:04; E Rich
Rerrie (cross-checking), 10:44; AF Patton (cross-checking, roughing),
11:49; E Pete Feola (charging, roughing), 11:49; AF Bench (too many men
on ice, served by Carter), 12:43; E Jeremy Baker (slashing), 15:16;
E Kayne Beaudry (hooking), 16:00
Shots on goal: Alaska-Fairbanks 14-14-21 -- 49, Elmira 9-2-9 -- 20
Power plays: Alaska-Fairbanks 6 of 10, Elmira 1 of 6
Goaltending:
AF Larry Moberg (20 shots, 18 saves)
E Dave Laudato (40 shots, 32 saves), Jamie Cuff (in at 9:41 of third
period, 9 shots, 6 saves)
Notes:
Well, what a difference a day makes. The Soaring Eagles somehow kept
an angry Alaska-Fairbanks team under control in the first period and
came out with a 2-1 lead, prompting head coach Glenn Thomaris to remark
afterwards, "...after 90 minutes, we were one goal better than them."
Which was true enough, but Elmira's advantage vanished in the face of a
relentless Nanook attack (UAF outshot Elmira 35-11 over the last two
periods Saturday night) and a hail of Soaring Eagle penalties (six
Nanook goals came on the power play. Naturally, Dean Fedorchuk had a
hat trick -- in fact, he hit for the cycle with an even-strength goal,
one on the power play, and one short-handed. Jason Eckel also had
three goals.
Fedorchuk opened the scoring at 6:03 of the first, converting Alaska-
Fairbanks' first power play of the game by rifling a shot from the left
circle past Elmira goaltender Dave Laudato. The Soaring Eagles' Brad
Shaver responded just over three minutes later, stuffing the puck
behind Nanook goalie Larry Moberg, and Vic Fidler gave Elmira the lead
at the 13:16 mark. That would be all for the Soaring Eagles, however,
as Alaska-Fairbanks came out and dominated play in the second period,
holding Elmira without a shot on goal for the first 14 minutes. In
fact, Elmira wound up with only one faceoff in the Nanook zone for the
entire middle period.
Warren Carter poked home an Eckel rebound at the 6:55 mark to tie the
game, and by the time Eckel had gotten his first goal of the night, at
11:55 on a point-blank shot that Laudato couldn't stop, things had
started to get a little ugly. It all came to a head at 14:54 of the
second, when a nice little rumble broke out in the Elmira zone. Two
players from each team were sent to the penalty box, but the Nanooks
wound up with the power play, courtesy of a double minor on Tim Johnson
who had instigated the whole thing. Pat Williams lost little time in
converting, as he slapped one past a screened Laudato 29 seconds later.
Laudato had gotten a little rattled by this point, and he totally lost
his cool later in the second, getting called for two penalties just
over a minute apart. By the time the third period rolled around, Lau-
dato was ineffective, and the Nanooks picked him apart for four goals
in the first 9:41 of the period, including a pair ten seconds apart
that finally prompted Thomaris to lift him. Into the game came backup
goaltender Jamie Cuff, who didn't fare much better. Alaska-Fairbanks
ended the game with three straight power-play goals, including a
5-on-3.
A big win for the Nanooks, especially after the previous night's some-
what embarrassing performance. As for Elmira, this is almost assuredly
the best team they will play this season, and hopefully the Soaring
Eagles learned some things -- like perhaps how stupid it is to keep
handing a good team power-play opportunities, especially one with a
conversion rate of about 33% going into the weekend. Dave Laudato
wound up stopping 32 of 40 shots Saturday night, while Cuff had 6
saves; Moberg had a good night for Alaska-Fairbanks with 18.
--
Bill Fenwick | Send your HOCKEY-L poll responses to:
Cornell '86 and probably '94 | [log in to unmask]
LET'S GO RED!!
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