Category Archives: News

Squirrels 5, Tigers 4

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Entering the third period Sunday with a 4-1 lead, the Screaming Squirrels could feel it. Two months since their previous victory, they desperately needed a win in the newly aligned HNA divisions. They got it, holding on to beat the Tigers, 5-4, in the Wheaton Outdoor rink.

Ben Sumner got the scoring started with a quick wrist shot off of Matt Borlik’s centering pass in the first period. The Tigers later tied it with a floating shot from the point. In the second period, the Squirrels scored three goals in a 3 minute-25 second span. Oriana Senatore knocked in a rebound for her first goal of the year. Don Marks, playing forward for the first time this season, scored unassisted soon after. About a minute later, defenseman Chi Pham hit winger Greg Wenograd with a breakaway pass, and Wenograd knocked it by the Tigers’ substitute goaltender to put the Squirrels up by three after two periods.

The Tigers didn’t quit. They got two breakout goals in the third period û one on the power play û before Borlik scored to make it 5-3. The Tigers moved within one with 30 seconds remaining, but the Squirrels killed the remaining time and snapped a five-game losing streak.

Drew Thiemann made 31 saves in net behind a shortened-bench defense. The Squirrels skated without Jon Magi and Charles Wolstein. Forwards Chris Long and Robin Berlin also missed the game.

Pham skated his first game of the season for the Squirrels, subbing for the injured Joseph Wu. Wu injured his groin back in October and says he is about 80% cured.

The Squirrels next play the Green Hornets in the Wheaton Outdoor rink on Jan. 24 at 8:30 p.m.

D.C. Bulldogs 7, Squirrels 3

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The Screaming Squirrels returned from their holiday break Wednesday at Wells, and fell to the D.C. Bulldogs, 7-3. Down 5-0 in the second period, the Squirrels showed signs of life as Don Marks darted through the neutral zone and took it in for a power play goal. Later in the period, Wade Marks scored his team-leading sixth goal of the season. Late in the third period, Ben Sumner stole the puck from a defenseman, got around him, and scored right-side top corner.

The Squirrels put up 29 shots, the most in any loss this season. Drew Thiemann stopped 38 shots in net, including several highlight-real saves. The Squirrels’ next game has yet to be scheduled. It’ll be posted on the web site and e-mailed to the team as soon as Hockey North America posts it.

Lords 5, Squirrels 0

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The Screaming Squirrels’ ice team was shut out for the first time Monday, falling 5-0 to the very experienced Lords at Wells. Despite the lopsided scoreboard, the Squirrels did have their chances, posting 23 shots against the second-place team. The Squirrels had several shifts where they controlled the zone for an extended period of time, but couldn’t break through league commissioner Doug Updegrove’s goaltending. One of the Squirrels’ best chances at scoring came on Ben Sumner’s second-period breakaway, but his backhander was stopped with a pad save. Drew Thiemann made 27 saves in net for the Squirrels.

The next game is January 5 at Wells against the D.C. Bulldogs, at 9:15 p.m.

Quote of the game:
“I felt better before they took their helmets off”- Philip Van der Vossen

Panthers 4, Squirrels 1

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The Screaming Squirrels faced one of the league’s stingiest defenses Tuesday, falling 4-1 to the Panthers in Wheaton’s freezing outdoor rink. The Squirrels only managed 11 shots, their fewest in a game this season, while allowing a modest 25. Though the Squirrels showed signs of improvement, the Panthers took advantage of deep zone turnovers and lucky bounces around the net. Jon Magi put the Squirrels on the board in the first period, tying the game at 1-1 with a 5 on 3 power play goal, assisted by Chris Long and Sergio Balatan. The Squirrels play their final game of 2004 on Monday, 9:15 p.m. at Wells in College Park against the Lords.

Quote of the game:
“Is my shit getting smaller?” – Desi Richelsen, with his hands down his pants.
We think he was talking about his equipment.

Moose 7, Squirrels 3

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After more than two weeks off, the Screaming Squirrels showed some rust Tuesday, falling to the Moose, 7-3. However, the Squirrels did manage a solid first period, going up 2-1 before the Moose’s rapid-fire shots from the low post found the net in the second and third.

Dressed in their home yellows for the first time this season, the Squirrels took advantage of the Moose’s seemingly only weakness – fastbreaks. Wade Marks scored his team-leading fifth goal of the season, assisted by a breakout pass from Jon Magi. Moments after the Moose scored, Ben Sumner gave the Squirrels the lead again with an unassisted knuckler through a deep screen.

Drew Theimann made 34 saves for the Squirrels in what could have been a 14-3 game. The Squirrels managed 28 shots, the second most this season, but ran into stellar goaltending.

Playing his first game of the season, Matt Borlik scored a third-period shorthanded goal from Sergio Balatan’s neutral ice breakout pass.

The game marked the debut of Jared Genser’s scorekeeping career. Genser’s skate broke prior to the game, but Hockey North America had another job waiting for him. Genser accurately counted every goal scored, the most combined in any Squirrels game this season.

The Squirrels next play the Panthers on Monday at 10 p.m. in the Wheaton outdoor rink.

Quote of the game:
Desi Richelsen: “It’s rather docile in here.”
Oriana Senatore: “That’s a big word for you!”