This is news about ice hockey.
Honkey Kong did to the Squirrels what the Squirrels routinely did to them the last three years on Tuesday. They blew them out, 7-0.
Greg Wenograd, Chris Long, Matt Borlik, Ben Sumner, Adam Hughes, Desmond Richelson, Drew Thiemann, Juan Canchasto and Charles Wolstein played for the Squirrels, who lost their tenth game in a row.
The next game is Sunday, July 31 at 9:10 against the Panic.
With only one substitute Sunday, the Squirrels didn’t have the endurance to match Panic. And Panic didn’t even have a goaltender. Playing five against six skaters and an empty net proved to be a disadvantage as the Squirrels had difficulty getting it past a third defenseman. The game ended near the end of the second period when Panic went up 11-1. At that point, the Squirrels had no substitutes because of excessive penalties.
The Squirrels only had one official shot on goal because shots are only counted when they go in if the opposing team doesn’t have a goaltender. The Squirrels used a substitute goaltender, who plays for the Dead Kings. Matt Borlik, Charles Wolstein, Sergio Balatan, Ben Sumner, Adam Hughes and Desmond Richelson played for the Squirrels.
The next game is Tuesday, at 10:45 against Honkey Kong.
In three games so far this season, the undefeated Volcanoes have outscored the Squirrels 30-3, the latest a 10-0 game on Sunday night. Two more games remain between the teams later in August, and the Squirrels have shown few signs that they’re about to turn it around against this team.
While the Ice Gardens has in the past rearranged leagues midway through the season based on skill level, there has been no sign of it happening as of yet., despite a huge gap in the standings between the Volcanoes and Dead Kings, and the Panic, Squirrels and Honkey Kong.
Drew Thiemann, Matt Borlik, Chris Long, Adam Hughes, Sergio Balatan, Charles Wolstein, Juan Canchasto and Ben Sumner suited up for the Squirrels.
The next game is Sunday, July 24 against the Panic at 9:10.
If there was any consolation to Sunday’s 10-5 loss to the Dead Kings, it was the the Squirrels put up their highest goal total in almost two months, and they did it with only two substitutes on the bench.
Ben Sumner scored the first two goals for the Squirrels, and Greg Wenograd sailed in a shot with three seconds remaining in the second period. Sumner scored again in the third, and Matt Borlik got the Squirrels’ fifth goal between the goaltender’s legs.
No. 71 on the Dead Kings had eight points – five goals and three assists – and has several more points on the season than the Squirrels’ goal total.
Drew Thiemann made 26 saves for the Squirrels. The last goal was an empty-netter. Chris Long, Desi Richelson, Charles Wolstein and Adam Hughes also played. The next game is Sunday, July 17, at 10:30 against the unbeaten Volcanoes.
The most noticeable thing about the Screaming Squirrels-Panic game Sunday night was the bench. There were only three players sitting on it at any given time, no where close to the recommended 10 subs per team. The Squirrels only had one sub, and the Panic had two. The Squirrels would like to think that made the difference in their 12-2 loss.
Matt Borlik scored the first goal of the game for the Squirrels, who held the lead up until two minutes remained in the first period. Then Panic started scoring. Three in the final minutes of the first period, four in the second, and five in the third. Goaltender Drew Thiemann faced 45 shots, saving 34 of them. Panic’s final goal was a short-handed empty netter as the Squirrels pulled the goaltender for one final flurry. The Squirrels only had eight shots in the first two periods, and 11 in the third. Ben Sumner scored the second goal for the Squirrels midway through the third period.
Besides Sumner, Borlik and Thiemann, Desi Richelson, Adam Hughes, Chris Long, and Greg Wenograd showed up for the Squirrels. The teams, both shorthanded, were supposed to play on the smaller Logsdon rink. Without warning, The Gardens Ice House moved the game to the much larger Resor rink, though Logsdon was not being used at the time.
The Squirrels now have a long layoff. They’ll return to the ice July 10, at 9 p.m. against the Dead Kings.
