Fri Nov 23rd Game Report - Revised
Correction on the Thunder's second goal - it was Bourbonnais (Stenglein/Sofia)
The Greece Thunder Hockey team opened up their season on Friday, Nov 23rd, at the Blue Cross Arena, with a 4-2 loss to their east side nemesis, the Pittsford Panthers. After a scoreless first period, the Thunder got on the board early in the second, where it was Corey Karwowski netting the tip-in off a shot from the point. Steve Hebberect logged his first Varsity point and Jon Hostetter added an assist as well. A minute later Thunder had a defensive lapse, giving up several breakaways within 50 seconds and digging themselves into a 3-1 hole. Panthers added another goal later on in the second to widen their lead to 4-1. Thunder came storming back in the 3rd frame with a Powerplay goal by Riley Bourbonnais, assisted by JT Stenglein and Pat Sofia. Thunder would outshoot the Panthers by a 13-6 margin in the 3rd and final frame but unfortunately, they came up a couple of goals short. Parker Bonis turned in a respectable performance in the nets, making 22 saves in his first Varsity start. Come on out and support the boys of Thunder as they get back in the saddle this week...next up is Churchville-Chili, 6:30pm at Lakeshore on Wednesday, Nov 28 and then Spencerport, 8pm at Lakeshore on Thursday, Nov 29. GO THUNDER !!!
Wed Nov 28th Game Report
Seasons Greetings to all you Greece Athena/Odyssey Thunder Hockey fans and athletic supporters out there in cyberland. My apologies for the tardiness of this report, but I am just now recovering from acute carpal tunnel after documenting last weeks shooting gallery win over the Churchville-Chili Saints. Thunder lit the lamp 9 times to the Saints 6 on the eve of Wednesday, Nov 28th, at Lakeshore Hockey Arena (home of the bumper cars). Wendy Bonis was in the house to sing the national anthem, but the sound system on the east rink was in rare form cutting out every few seconds. One anonymous fan shouted out "spend some money bruce", but could not be reached for futher comment. Perhaps we have a candidate to take over the Thunder Corner Crew, which took a major hit when the 3 charter members' (Russell, Fitzy, and Slater) sons graduated last year leaving the corner quiet. Anyhow, let's get on with the game.
Four minutes into the first period, Phil "Bill" Lane picked off a Saints pass, walked it in and buried it to get things rolling. Two minutes later the Saints answered back with a shot from the point that got deflected in off a Thunder defenseman to tie things up at 1-1. Churchville went on the attack again late in the 1st period, converting on a 2 on 1 break to take the lead at 2-1 going into the second frame.
Thunder generated a lot of quality chances in the second period but could not seem to finish. Churchville tallied again late in the 2nd, widening their lead to 3-1, before giving up a 2-man advantage to the Thunder, who would cash in on both ends of the PP to get themselves back in the game. First up was Eric "Gunda" Gunderson with the slapper from the point, post and in, assisted by Riley Bourbonnais and Phil Lane. Then it was Phil Lane with the second Thunder PP goal, assisted by JT Stenglein and Eric Gunderson. Just when you thought it was safe to head for the snack shop, Churchville chipped a loose puck by the thunder defense and scored with only 5 seconds to go, making it 4-3 Saints, going into the second intermission. Freshman keeper Parker Bonis, did a nice job controlling the puck, giving up very few rebounds through the first 2 frames and making a total of 14 saves.
Sophomore tender Joe Ladd came in to relieve Bonis in net for the 3rd period. Five minutes into the final frame Stenglein found the back of the net, assisted by Lane (Phil) and Bourbonnais, to knot it at 4-4. A minute and a half later, Bourbonnais would go on a 90-second tear, netting a natural hat-trick and vaulting the Thunder to a 7-4 lead. His first was a PP goal assisted by Lane (Phil) and Stenglein. The second was a nifty backhand over the goalies shoulder, assisted by Corey Karwowski and Eric Gunderson. The third was a one-timer off the drop from Stenglein, also assisted by Gunderson. And if that was not enough excitement for you, 23 seconds later it was #23-Brandon "Cheese" Cheeseman popping the Churchville-Keeper's water bottle off the net with a highlight-reel backhand roofer, assisted by Assistant Captain Pat Sofia, 8-4 Thunder. But Churchville refused to pack it in, scoring the next 2 goals of the nite, one on the PP and the other on a shorthanded 2 on 1 break, to close the gap. Capping the evening off, it was "the Cheese standing alone" in front of the net and tipping in a slapper from T (Taylor Weilert) at the point on the 4v3 powerplay, also assisted by Gunda, for a 9-6 final.
Shots were fairly even through the first 2 periods, 19-18 in Thunder's favor, although Thunder controlled the play in the 3rd outshooting the saints 13-9 for a three period total of 32-27. Joe Ladd got the relief win for the Thunder, making 7 saves in the 3rd. There was a bumper crop of multi-point getters in this contest: Riley Bourbonnais (3G/2A, natural hat-trick), Phil Lane (2G/3A), Eric Gunderson (1G/4A), and JT Stenglein (1G/3A). Way to go Thunder!
Thurs Nov 29th Game Report
Tonite was the second of a 2-game home stand and the Thunder continued their winning ways, defeating Spencerport 5-1 before a capacity crowd at Lakeshore Hockey Arena. Leading off for the Thunder, it was senior Corey Karwowski with the goal, assisted by Assistant Captain Joe Friga. Also logging an assist for his first varsity point on the Thunder's first goal was junior Jordan Grills. Next up was Phil Lane coming down the left side and putting the backhander away top-shelf off the feed from T. Rounding out the first period scoring was JT Stenglein banging home a rebound to make it 3-0 Thunder at the first break.
Second period action saw Lane (Phil) receiving from Stenglein, carrying it deep on the left and sliding it out front from the goal line to Bourbonnais, who then tapped it into the Ranger's gaping net for par - a well executed play. A few minutes later Bourbonnais would return the favor, setting up Lane on a 2 on 0 break for the goal, once again assisted by Stenglein. Spencerport managed to score off a face-off late in the period, to break the shut-out, but that was all she wrote.
With the game well in hand at 5-1, Webby let all the Thunder rookies see some third period action. Phil Lane and his 8th grade brother Matt almost connected on a few attempts. Senior Captain Jon Hostetter and his 9th grade brother Eric got to play together as well. When it was all said and done the third period was scoreless and the game ended at 5-1. Thunder outshot the Rangers 26-13, improving their record to 2-1. It was a festive atmosphere, with the Athena Cheerleaders dropping by after the Varsity Basketball game to lend support, but their "Thunder" was stolen by Jordan Grills' pint sized brother Eric, who was leading the fan participation all nite long... Greece..... Thun-Der, Greece..... Thun-Der!!!
Next game is Tues, Dec 4th at Brockport.
Sun Dec 2nd Pancake Breakfast Report
Due to the efforts of all the families and the hard work of the boys we made $979 from our pancake breakfast fundraiser at Applebees!
The boys just took over the dining room operation without any prodding. Throughout the morning and especially during the height of the frenzy, they displayed amazing teamwork and jumped in to do whatever was necessary. This is no exaggeration- I wish you could have seen what was going on in the kitchen, too!
Quotes from the kitchen, by Kim Cheeseman-Layton:
"To all of you.. Bob and I had the best jobs.....Listening to your boys put their customers priorities in place.....
Hey, No cutting in line, my customer has been waiting 20 minutes....Get it together, dude, what 's up with that? Go to the end of the line dude...... Wow, this is frantic. It's hot in this place. Do people really do this for a living.....where did all of these people come from.....you guys aren't doing your jobs...get with it. Who left the corner with 10,000 people with no drinks for 20 minutes. Where is the drink team.......
So much fun and so interesting to hear them boss each other around and keep it all together.
This was more than just schlepping pancakes guys, this was about team building in an entirely different light.
Go Thunder"
Special thanks to Kim Cheeseman-Layton and Bob McCubbin, for working in the trenches dishing out the food- on their feet for two hours straight and barraged by orders, and to Polly McCubbin for planning and organizing the whole event, but most importantly...
Thanks to all of the Greece Athena/Odyssey Thunder Hockey team supporters for participating!
* * *
Come on out and support the boys of Thunder as they take on Brockport at 5pm this evening,Tues Dec 4th, on the road at Tuttle Arena on the SUNY Brockport campus (http://www.arenamaps.com/view_arena.php?position=0&arena_name=tuttle&city=&state=NY&zip=&country=&id=654&sport=0), then back to Lakeshore 8pm on Thur Dec 6th, where they will face Irondequoit. Go Thunder !!!
* * *
Tues Dec 4th Game Report
The Thunderstruck Magic-Bus rolled into the Tuttle Arena parking lot of the SUNY Brockport campus on a cold and wintry Dec 4th nite, ready to rock... we've got some rockin' to do... for those about to rock, we....... sa........lute you! And so it was to be, that the Greece Athena/Odyssey Hockey School of Rock would Roll the Brockport Blue Devils, handing them a 6-1 decision in their own barn.
First period action saw Thunder get on the board early with Riley Bourbonnais cycling the puck out to the point, Ben McCubbin putting it on net and JT Stenglein banging it home, 1-0 Thunder. I believe that was McCubbin's first Varsity point. Several minutes later, the foreshadowing of the previous game became reality as "Bill-Jason" Lane went on the attack setting up his brother Matt on a 2 on 1 break for Matt's first Varsity goal, 2-0 Thunder. Closing out the first period was Pat Sofia, banging home the rebound off Brandon Cheeseman's blast, which was set up by a pass from Jon Hostetter out of the corner, 3-0 Thunder.
Second frame was all Thunder as well, with the familiar LBS connection materializing midway through the period. Lane kept the puck in the zone getting it to Bourbonnais who cleared it in front of the net, where Stenglein would bat it out of the air and into the back of the net, 4-0 Thunder. Before the end of the 2nd, Lane fed Bourbonnais again, and Bourbonnais drove the net to make it 5-0 Thunder going into the dressing room.
Thunder continued to dominate the play in the 3rd period and at one point it looked like they were running a 5 on 5 powerplay around the perimiter. Five minutes in, Bourbonnais was lugging the mail down the left side of the ice and he slid it over to "Bill-Jason" for the one-touch putaway, 6-0 Thunder. Brockport scrambled to eke a goal out a minute later, spoiling the shut-out, and from that point forward things got a little chippy. JT Stenglein turned in a 2-goal performance, while both "Bill-Jason" and "Bourbon-bum" recorded a goal and 3 assists apiece, and Joe Ladd got the win. No haymakers were thrown but all's well that ends well with another W for the Thunder, bringing their record to 3-1.
Next game is 8pm on Thurs Dec 6th at Lakeshore vs Irondequoit. Be there... or be somewhere else, missing all the action!
* * *
Thurs Dec 6th Game Report
Thursday nite's late start at Lakeshore, after the 6pm Geneva-Waterloo vs BK-EI game went into OT, made ours feel like a west coast game, but the boys of Thunder still came out flying and took a commanding lead, before a packed house, over a well revered Irondequoit squad. Leading off for the Thunder, five minutes into the first period and on the powerplay, it was Phil Lane picking up the puck in the neutral zone, strolling through the Eagles defense like swiss cheese, and beating their goaltender with a backhander low and stick-side, 1-0 Thunder. Fast forward to the end of the period and Lane was back on another walkabout, this time sliding one in short side on the ice, 2-0 Thunder. Shots were 7-4 in favor of Thunder in the first.
Midway through the second period, Thunder would advance their lead to 3-0, as Joe Friga let one go through traffic and into the back of the net, assisted by Corey "Carwash" Karwowski. At the end of the period, Thunder would find themselves on the short end of an extended 5 on 3 situation, but they managed to hold Irondequoit at bay going into the break. The Eagles fans tried taunting the Thunder fans walking by, but one of our Thunder fans smartly reminded the Eagles fans of the score and that pretty much quieted them down. Shots were even at 8 apiece in the second.
Thunder managed to kill off the extended 5 on 3 that carried over into the third period, and then a few minutes later Phil Lane came out of the corner, ripping one on net and banking it in off the Eagles tender's right pad, for the hat! Lane's 3rd goal (assisted by Bourbonnais & Stenglein) advanced the Thunder's lead to 4-0. As the game was winding down, Thunder found themselves in the box killing off yet another 5 on 3. The Eagles desperation showed as they got a bit more physical and the intensity of their play really started picking up. They somehow managed to slip one in on the back door and their fans erupted like it was their first goal all season. Thunder took a deep breath and carried on with their game plan but the Eagles could smell blood in the water and would not give up. They managed to get another one by with only a minute and a half to go, but it was only a small whimper and a little too late as the game ended quietly at 4-2 Thunder. Shots in the third were 11-7 in favor of the Eagles, for a 3 period total of Thunder-22 to Eagles-23. Joe Ladd made 21 saves for his 4th consecutive win. Good nite to all and to all a good nite!
Next game is 6:30pm on Wed Dec 12th at Lakeshore vs Aquinas. Be there... or be somewhere else, missing all the action and 50/50 raffle, and of course you never know when President Bush or Magic Johnson or J-Mac or one of the corner crew alumni might resurface - there was indeed a Dave Russell sighting at tonite's game - but if Maynard Ferguson or Elvis appears, you will never be able to forgive yourself for missing it!
* * *
Wed Dec 12th Game Report
It was the battle of the west undefeateds at Lakeshore last nite, with the Greece Thunder in purple visiting Aquinas Little Irish in white, both coming into the game with a 4-0 league record. Ticket line was out the door in anticipation of a really good matchup. The first period was reminiscent of the first round of a boxing match where both teams were essentially feeling one another out, but no significant punches were landed. The officials did a nice job of controlling the game as intensity was high and things were a bit chippy from the first drop of the puck. First period ended scoreless with shots 12-7 in favor of Thunder.
Joe Friga busted loose on a breakaway, putting rubber on net to open up the second period, but the play got whistled down as not one, not two, but three AQ players dove at the net, making certain it came off its moorings and averting any possible chance of a Thunder rebound. Then Phil Lane went for a walk, muscling his way to the front of the net, taking a shot and chipping his own rebound past the AQ goaltender for a shawty that would put Thunder on the board, 1-0, despite a repeated attempt by AQ to knock the net off. Thunder maintained their momentum generating a number of quality scoring chances over the next few minutes, including T's interception of an errant AQ pass, which he then cranked off the crossbar, sending the puck sailing over the net in the direction of News8Now on the bridge. But the Thunder's momentum would soon shift in the other direction as AQ picked up a turnover in the neutral zone and went on a 4 on 0 jailbreak, while Thunder was on a late change. The play ended with the puck in the back of the Thunder's net and the score tied at 1-1. Five minutes later one of the AQ forwards walked out of the corner on the PP beating eaveryone to take the lead, 2-1 AQ.
Thunder came out of the break bound and determined to get the equalizer, which they did, just 4 minutes in on a 5v3 PP. It was Gunda feeding Steve Lane (that's right, Phil can add Steve to his long list of aliases, e.g. Bill, Jason), for the one-timer and JT Stenglein banged home the rebound to tie things up at 2-2. Another four minutes go by and things took a turn for the worse, as AQ capitalized on a Thunder turnover in their own end, making it 3-2 AQ. A minute later AQ calls a T.O. to draw up a plan for their 5 on 3 advantage. Thunder was succesful at killing off the 5 on 3 and ready to go get the next goal.
Unfortunately, AQ beat them to it netting a fluke double-defelection with only 2 minutes remaining in the contest, 4-2 AQ. Thunder took their T.O. next to regroup and figure out how they were going make up the 2-goal deficit. It must have been a really good plan b/c Greg Ryan scored just 14 seconds later to draw near, 4-3 AQ. This game was Greg Ryan's debut appearance of the season coming off the DL and adding some much appreciated speed and tenacity to the Thunder lineup. Both Ryan and T bulled their way through on the post timeout face-off forcing the puck deep, and grinding it out until it was in the net. Nice work boys. Thunder kept the full court press on going down to the wire but AQ iced the puck and it was a no-call leaving Thunder deep in their own end trying to mount a late charge to tie the game. It was all for naught though as AQ scored with 53 seconds to go to seal the deal at 5-3 AQ.
Thunder's record now sits at 4-1 league and 4-2 overall as they anxiously await a January 29th rematch with Aquinas. Next game is 7:00pm on Sat Dec 15th at Lakeshore vs Greece Arcadia/Olympia Lightning. Be there... or be somewhere else, missing all the action! BTW - In case you miss the Dec 15th game, it will be broadcast on WBGT-TV Rochester Channel 18 "My18 Sports Broadcast", at 6pm on Sun Dec 16th. Enjoy!
* * *
Sat Dec 15th Game Report
While this was not the official "storm" game, it was a storm game of sorts with a winter storm watch in effect on everyone's mind. Yet somewhere over the rainbow dreams would come true for the Thunder as they eked out a 3-2 win over the Lightning in OT at Lakeshore last nite. First period was spirited but otherwise nondescript, with shots 6-5 in favor of Thunder. Fast forward to the ten minute mark of the second period, where JT Stenglein got the ball rolling for the Thunder, banging home Phil Lane's rebound off Riley Bourbonnais' shot from the high slot. Next up to the plate was Brandon Cheeseman crashing the net hard and finishing off an attempt by Pat Sofia a minute later. Cheese said he got lucky, but I just say it's hard work. Lightning had their chances but were unable to convert as the second period came to a close with the shots even at 8 apiece. Lightning exacted their revenge with a pair of goals in the third to tie the game. Their second goal was a power play squibber that found its way in with only 2 minutes to go in the contest off a scrum in front of the Thunder crease. As the last seconds ticked off the clock, there were echos from the crowd chanting "we're gooooooooooooooin' to over-time!"
Lightning edged Thunder in shots 7-5 for a 3 period total of 20-19 at the end of regulation, but it was Thunder who would enjoy sudden victory as Greg Ryan cashed in the GWG for the Thunder just 59 seconds into the extra period. It was one of those fluke goals that surely broke the Lightning's hearts, nonetheless as coach Web commented, "a win's a win". Ok, so just how did the puck go in you ask? Well, reportedly Bourbonnais sent the puck up to Lane (Phil), who overskated it and then Ryan dropped by to take a whack at it, but the Lightning defender got a stick on it deflecting the puck high in the air with a rainbow-like trajectory, which would hit the ice behind the goaltender and slide into the net - that's one magic biscuit. All's well that ends well with Thunder winning 3-2 in OT and improving their record to 5-1 league and 5-2 overall as the snow began to fly. Joe Ladd made 18 saves for the win.
Next game is 6:00pm on Tues Dec 18th at Lakeshore vs Hilton. Be there... or be somewhere else, missing all the action! BTW - In case you missed this game, it will be broadcast on WBGT-TV Rochester Channel 18 "My18 Sports Broadcast", at 6pm on Sun Dec 16th. Enjoy!
* * *
Tues Dec 18th Game Report
Thunder put on a clinic for Hilton, dominating the play and outshooting them by a margin of 41-15 (13-3, 16-6, 12-6), but just barely got by with a 3-2 victory at Lakeshore Hockey Arena Tuesday nite. Hilton's keeper (Hurlimann) saw more rubber than goodyear, yet managed to turn away 38 of the 41 shots that Thunder fired on him to save Rizzo's fire sale from putting the Pro Shop under. More on that later. First period action was essentially a perpetual 5 on 5 powerplay as Thunder passed the puck around the perimeter while Hilton collapsed 5 guys around their net. An occasional Cadet rush into Thunder's end was short-lived as Hilton was unable to sustain any sort of extended pressure. The lone goal in the first was a shortie 5 minutes in, where Phil Lane picked off a D to D attempt on the Cadets' powerplay, stormed down the ice, warded off a backchecker or two and eventually backhanded it by Hurlimann 5-hole, 1-0 Thunder.
Second period was sponsored in part by Bruce Rizzo as he came over the loudspeaker proclaiming that whatever the score read at the end of the second period, that was going to be the discount everyone would receive off everything in the pro-shop. Bruce must have made a deal with the goalies as the second period was scoreless, until the 0.00 mark that is, where Hilton scored on the PP at the horn to tie it at 1-1. Enter Rizzo with another announcement that he would add the 2 goals together to make it 20% off in the pro shop - must be the new math!
Thunder would regain the lead (2-1) in the 3rd frame, where it was Stenglein banging home the rebound after Gunda (1A) received a pass from Bourbonnais (1A), walked into the slot and let it go. A few minutes later Stenglein (1G/1A) was on the forecheck, forcing a turnover and getting it to Phil Lane (2G) who would take it to the net, deking Hurlimann to make it 3-1 Thunder. But as they say, a two goal lead is the hardest to keep in Hockey. This truth was evidenced when a D-D pass down low in Thunder's end kicked out front to an open man in the slot who swiftly fired it into the gaping net with only 26 seconds to go in the contest. Freshman Parker Bonis was in the nets for the Thunder, making 13 saves and holding on for the 3-2 win, the first of his varsity career. Thunder's record improved to 6-1 league and 6-2 overall.
Next game is 5:00pm on Sat Dec 22nd at Thomas Creek vs Pittsford. Bring your quarters as they charge for heat in the stands out there on the east side... or bring a blanket or a friend to cuddle with or maybe one of those free-standing fire-pits like people have on their decks so we can roast marshmallows (among other things) between periods!
* * *
Sat Dec 22nd Game Report
After dropping the first game of the season to Pittsford at the BCA over Thanksgiving, Thunder had a second crack on the road at Thomas Creek last nite, but once again Thunder would come up short, this time losing 3-2. First period was all Pittsford as they outshot Thunder 11-5 and buried two late chances. The first was a shot from the blueline that went in clean on the ice and the second was a pretty give-go on the PP making it 2-0 Panthers at the end of one.
Thunder came back hitting hard in the second with Carwash leading the charge to rally the Thunder bench. Enter Phil Lane who would get Thunder on the board 5 minutes in on the PP with a top-shelf-snipe from the back door. Ryan and Eeeeeeeeeerik (Gunda) got the helpers on the Thunder's first goal. But Pittsford would answer back 5 mins later on the PP with another blast from the point to reinstate their 2-goal lead at 3-1. The second period closed with Pittsford going to the box.
Just 19 seconds into the third frame, Lane (2G) cashed in the first half of the Panther's double minor with another roofer, assisted by Sofia and Gunda (2A) this time, to make it a 1-goal game. Despite enjoying a 7+ minute extended powerplay stretch bridging the second and third period, and outshooting the Panther's 28-19 overall (5-11, 14-6, 9-2), Thunder was unable to solve the hot Panther's netminder for the equalizer. Joe Ladd made 16 saves for the Thunder as their record slid to 6-3 overall.
Next up is the Annual Greece Thunder Christmas Tournament, Wed Dec 26 through Thurs Dec 27 @ Lakeshore Hockey Arena. Oh come all ye hockey faithful and see some great hockey action with an added bonus - check out the schedule below. Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas to all and to all a good-nite !!!
Wed Dec 26 @ 6pm - Irondeqouit Eagles vs Rush Henrietta Comets
Wed Dec 26 @ 8pm - Greece Thunder vs Kenmore East
Wed Dec 26 @ 10pm - Greece Thunder Alumni Game
Thurs Dec 27 @ 6pm - Kenmore East vs Irondeqouit Eagles
Thurs Dec 27 @ 8pm - Greece Thunder vs Rush Henrietta Comets
* * *
Wed Dec 26th Game Report
Thunder's first victim at the 2007 Greece Thunder Christmas Tournament was Kenmore East, as Thunder handed them a 6-3 decision on opening nite. Shots were pretty even through the first 2 periods but Thunder finished strong in the third outshooting the Bulldogs 29-21 (9-8, 7-7, 13-6). Joe Ladd made 18 saves and there were six different goal scorers pitching in for the Thunder.
First period action saw Greg Ryan launching one on net from the boards and somehow finding the back of the net. Scoresheet showed T with the sole helper, although a quick straw poll in the stands suggested it was 21-17-36. Webby will have to go to the tape on that one! Then it was Phil Lane finishing off a string of six or so consectutive passes, orginating back in our end, to make it 2-0 Thunder. JT Stenglein and Corey Karwowski assisted on Thunder's second goal of the evening. KME answered back 35 seconds later to keep things interesting, but Thunder would tally again before the period was out and this time it was Brandon Cheeseman posting up in the slot and going upstairs with a turnaround roofer to make it 3-1 Thunder. Carwash (Karwowski) had a great keep at the blueline to set up the goal, which was also assisted by Pat Sofia.
Much of the second frame was like a fencing match with the puck changing hands numerous times in the neutral zone. Riley Bourbonnais tallied for the eventual game winner late in the period, assisted by Lane and Ryan. But KME would rally just 34 seconds later on the PP to keep themselves alive and it was 4-2 Thunder going into the ice cut.
Bulldogs drew first blood half-way into the third off a breakaway. But Thunder would answer the call a minute later when there was a scramble for the puck just inside the KME blueline. Lane came up with the puck and went 2 on 0 with Stenglein who put it away to reinstate the two goal margin at 5-3 Thunder. KME's remaining attempts were futile as Thunder shut the game down with a two minute-warning melon drive by Gunda that hit the KME keeper's mask, dropped to the ice, and was swept in by Pat Sofia, putting a bow on the game at 6-3 and advancing Thunder's record to 7 wins and 3 losses.
Many a thunder supporter hung around for the nite-cap, featuring the first annual Thunder Alumni Game, brought to you in part by Lakeshore Hockey Arena - home of the bumper cars and also made possible by past president Mary Fitzgerald, Linda Sofia, Jeannine Ryan and Coach Webb. While at times it seemed like a disney on ice production with all the different jersey colors out there mixing it up, it was great to see former players and their families reconnecting on and off the ice and sharing stories of their post Thunder travels and exploits.
* * *
Thurs Dec 27th Game Report
Thunder's second and final victim of the 2007 Greece Thunder Christmas Tournament was Rush Henrietta. Their fans were forced to accept a 6-1 loss, despite all their ranting and raving (well not all of them, just a few RH fans who most likely have never ref'd a game before). Bourbonnais (4G-2A-6pts) and Stenglein (2G-3A-5pts) were enfuego, connecting for 5 tallies on the nite. Joe Ladd made 23 saves for the win, as Thunder's record improved to 8-3.
First up was Stenglein (or was it Spenglein?) , walking in and beating the RH tender with a forehand deke and back-hand goal. It was set up by a well-executed cross ice headman by Bourbonnais, and also assisted by Joe Friga. A couple of minnows later Stenglein returned the favor, setting up Bourbonnais, who would score with a nice deke as well. Later in the period, Bourbonnais got his second goal of the nite, tapping in a rebound off Stenglein's shot, fed by Greg Ryan. The final goal of the period was Stenglein (assisted by Bourbonnais) making a nice move on the RH defenseman, slipping the puck by him and taking it in for another deke-backhand goal, 4-0 Thunder. See a pattern here?
The refs put their whistles away in the second period and let the kids play. RH started taking liberties, most likely due to their frustration with having a goose egg on the board. Fast forward to the third and final frame, where RH would score their first and only goal of the contest. Then it was Bourbonnais (from Stenglein and Gunda) walking another RH defenseman, and sniping one high stick side, 5-0 Thunder. But Bourbonnais was not done until bagging his 4th goal and 6th point on the evening with a highlight reel behind the back shot that walked in 5-hole, 6-0 Thunder. Shots were fairly even at 27-24 (14-10, 5-7, 8-7) in favor of Thunder. Congratulations to Eric Gunderson and Pat Sofia who were both selected for All-Tournament Team honors along with Riley Bourbonnais who was named Tournament MVP.
See you all at the next game, Sat Jan 5th, 3:00pm at Scottsville vs Spencerport. Be there or be somewhere else missing all the heart-pounding action!
* * *
Sat Jan 5th Game Report (brought to you in part by staff assistant, Bob McCubbin)
Thunder blanked Spencerport 4-0 before a quiet crowd at Scottsville Ice Arena this evening to sweep the home-home series with the Rangers. The jaws of those brave enough to sit in the stands (rather than the bar or second floor warm room) were probably frozen shut. Shots were 25-21 ( 16-4 / 5-9 / 4-8 ) in favor of the Thunder, with a plethora of good plays just missing the mark by a hair (bouncing off the goal post, etc.), but 3 markers in the first and an early one in the second were enough to get the job done. Spencerport got physical in the third, clearly showing some frustration, and unfortunately, 8th grader Matt Lane was on the receiving end of that frustration, sustaining a yet to be determined upper body injury.
Phil Lane (1G/1A) broke the seal just under 4 minutes in, scoring Thunder's first goal of the game, assisted by his brother Matt (1G/1A) and junior Eric Gunderson (2A). Then Thunder would go on a 3-goals in 51-seconds tear, rallying twice in the final minute of the first frame and again off the opening face-off of the second frame, to make it 4-0 Thunder. Thunder's second and third goals were recorded by Cheeseman (Stenglein-Gunderson) and Sofia (Bourbonnais, Ryan). Thunder's fourth and final tally was scored in 12 seconds by #12. It was a 2 on 1 break off the drop, with Phil and Matt filling their "Lanes", Phil receiving a pass from Friga, sliding it over to his brother and then Matt sniping it top shelf!
Joe Ladd made 21 saves for the shut-out as Thunder's record improved to 7-1 league, 9-3 overall with tonites win. But the "Friga Financial Save of the Game" goes to none other than Joe Friga himself. Do we have a clip? No? OK, well, "Ladd moved out of the net to fend off a shot, Spencerport got the rebound and the puck was just about to cross the goal line, before Friga stepped in and knocked it out, keeping Spencerport off the board."
See you all at the next game, Tues Jan 8th, 7:30pm at Thomas Creek vs Fairport. I smell revenge or wait, maybe it's another garbage plate. Be there or be somewhere else missing out on the privilege of being Thunderstruck!* * *
* * *
Tues Jan 8th Game Report
No matter which route you travel, it always seems to take about 32 minutes to get from Greece to Thomas Creek, but it was well worth the drive to catch this, the second garbage plate inspired road game of the season, for this time out they managed to git-r-dun. Save a pair of 2-goal lapses at the end of the 2nd and 3rd periods, Thunder essentially controlled the play from beginning to end. They outshot the red raiders 29-24 (11-10, 7-8, 11-6) and skated off with a 6-4 victory. That'l do pig. That'l do.
Phil Lane recorded a career high 4-goals on the nite, while Riley Bourbonnais turned in 4 assists to lead the charge for the Thunder. Just 40 seconds in, on Thunder's opening rush, Lane accepted a neutral zone dish from Bourbonnais, walked in and roofed it over the Fairport tender's shoulder, 1-0 Thunder. Joe Friga logged the secondhand assist on Thunder's first goal of the evening. Later on in the period JT Stenglein was camped out in the slot roasting marshmallows, when Bourbonnais dropped by, hit him on the tape and Stenglein banged it home to make it 2-0. Log an assist for #18... at the Carwash, yeah... who btw has really come into his own as a blueliner this year and just keeps getting stronger and stronger every game.
On we go to the second frame, where Bourbonnais would spring Lane at the midway point. Lane bulled his way to the net, finishing 5-hole to make it 3-0 Thunder. Two minutes later Thunder rallied on the PP with Friga hitting Bourbs on the post and Bourbs sliding it over to Lane for the one-timer on the back door. Then came Thunder's first mental lapse of the evening. Fairport capitalized, cashing in on a 2 on 1 break with 2.5 mins remaining and then again off the face-off in Thunder's end with only 25 seconds to go in the period. It was 4-2 Thunder going into the break and time to go outside and cool off, or should I say warm up?
Brandon Cheeseman came to play in the 3rd as he set up Pat Sofia for the one-timer in the high-slot, widening Thunder's lead to 5-2. Thunder's 6th and final tally of the evening came 4 minutes later and was a blue-collar goal, scored by Phil Lane and assisted by the big Cheeeeeeeese who was like Visa (everywhere you need him to be). Fairport hung in there with a faint glimmer of hope as they managed a shortie and a squeaker in the final few minutes of the game, but it was a little too little, a little too late, as the game ended 6-4 in favor of the Thunder. Joe Ladd made 20 saves for the win and came up big for Thunder in the nets tonite, as their record improved to 10-3.
I was going to say "see you all at the next game, Sat Jan 12th, 3:00pm at Lakeshore vs Irondequoit", but I am writing this recap on Sun Jan 13th so on with the next game...
* * *
Sat Jan 12th Game Report
It was senior nite for Irondequoit, although Thunder had their own senior moment leaving the back door wide open and giving up the first goal of the game just 5 minutes in. After that Thunder tightened up the screws and went to work, netting the next 3 goals. First Thunder goal was a change-up that slid in 1-hole after Phil Lane wound up and his shot was partially blocked/deflected by his check's stick. Corey Karwowski logged the lone assist on the goal and continues to impress as he earns his stripes on D.
Second period action saw Thunder on the powerplay early and it was senior captain Jon Hostetter going hard to the net and banging home the rebound, off Greg Ryan's baseline drive, for Hots' long awaited first goal of the season. Then with only a minute to go in the period, Ryan (1G/1A) came screaming down the left wing and deftly saucered a pass to Bourbonnais on the fly in the slot for the one-timer, 3-1 Thunder.
But the Eagles wouldn't fly away home as they rallied on the PP early in the third, with a slapper from the point that deflected into the top of the Thunder net to make it a 1-goal game. A solid period of team defense and that was all she wrote as Thunder shut it down, winning 3-2 and advancing their league record to 8-1 (11-3 overall). Shots were actually 25-23 in favor of Irondequoit, but Joe Ladd came out and challenged the Eagles all nite, making a total of 23 saves.
See you all at the next game, Tues Jan 15th, 6:00pm at Lakeshore vs Brockport. Be there or be somewhere else missing out on all the culinary delights in the snack shop - c'mon, you know you love that Lakeshore pizza!* * *
* * *
Sat Jan 15th Game Report
Alas, I have finally made my way to the keyboard, after spending a week recovering from Thunder's ice-tilting win at home over Brockport last Tuesday nite. You see, my neck was rather sore from watching this game as the play was in the Blue Devils zone all nite long. Thunder put up a snowman (8) to Brockport's goose egg (0), outshot them 41-23 and improved their record to 9-1 in the league (12-3 overall). On with the show...
Riley Bourbonnais cracked the seal 30 seconds into the game, after several whacks in the crease, to make it 1-0 Thunder. JT Stenglein and Joe Friga recorded the helpers. Four minutes later Brandon Cheeseman put away the rebound off Bourbonnais' shot, 2-0 Thunder. Friga got the second-hand assist. Next up to the plate was Greg Ryan who went short-side and upstairs for Thunder's 3rd goal of the game. Senior captain Jon Hostetter assisted along with... yes, you guessed it... Friga. Ryan came right back, scoring Thunder's fifth (his second) goal of the game on the back door, assisted by Stenglein and Cheese. And with less than a minute to go in the first period, Ryan threw the puck on net from the top of the circle and it managed to find its way in. Andy Sherry logged his first varsity point with an assist on the goal and Pat Sofia picked up the second-hand assist. Brockport changed out their goalie at the period break as their starter gave up 5 of 13 in the first.
Second period action saw more of the same and half way in it was Phil Lane batting one by the fresh BP tender during a scrum in front of the Blue Devils net, assisted by Taylor "will-ert" Weilert, 6-0 Thunder. With just over 2 mins to go in the period Ryan sprung recently promoted freshman manager, now player, Eric "mini-hots" Hotstetter, with the headman up the middle and mini-hots sniped the wrister 3-hole for his first varsity goal, 7-0 Thunder. Add an asist for his bro, the original hot-stuff, Jon Hotstetter, to make the memory complete for mom and dad.
Fast forward to the six minute mark of the 3rd where Greg Ryan showed us all what he does best as he went on the forecheck, kicking in that "extra gear", stick-checking the opponent, and taking it to the hole for Thunder's 8th (his 4th) and final tally of the evening.
The Ryan Homes first star of the game goes to Greg Ryan for turning in a five-point performance that included a natural hat-trick plus an extra goal and assist, not to mention his relentless forecheck, backcheck, and hard-hitting all over the ice. Second star of the game goes to Ian Cumming, the eighth-grade manager, who got the unexpected nod and wowed everyone between the pipes as he made 23 saves and recorded a shut-out win in this his first career start for the Thunder. The medics were closely monitoring his dad's blood pressure in the stands as some stranger nearby with a clipboard was taking notes all game long. When asked if he noticed there were scouts in the stands, Jim Cumming replied, "of course, I had them over for dinner before the game!" And the 3rd star of the game was senior assistant captain Joe Friga logging an assist on the first 3 goals of the game to earn himself a natural playmaker.
See you all on the road to the 'cuse, where Thunder will face Lancaster for the opener of the Liverpool Tournament, Fri Jan 25th, 6:00pm at the Coca-Cola Coliseum. Consolation game is 2:30pm on Saturday, but how about we skip that and go to the Championship at 5:00pm. Be there or be somewhere else missing out on the fair!
* * *
Fri Jan 25th Game Report
Thunder defeated Lancaster 5-4 in the opener of the Liverpool Warriors Winter Classic @ the NYS Fairgrounds Coca-Cola Coliseum, 6pm friday nite, outshooting Lancaster 46-34 and improving their record to 13-3. The only difference between this winter classic and the one New Years Day at the Ralph, is that this building had a roof on it - we still froze our axxes off! Let's all play chuck-a-puck to stay warm and hey, ya never know, you might win thirteen dollars!
Thunder came out flat as Phil Leotardo's face and with the intensity of a milquetoast, giving up two goals in the first frame. First one was a rebound goal, 4 minutes in on the Lancaster powerplay. Second goal was a wrister from the top of the circle with only a minute and a half to go. But Greg Ryan (Bourbonnais, Gunderson) would answer back at the one minute mark with a wide angle slapper that had eyes. This was just what the doctor ordered to get the Thunder bench (and fans) all fired up. Thunder finished the period down by a goal, 2-1, but they managed to outshoot their opponent 15-12 and were able to carry that momentum forward.
Two minutes into the second period, Carwash picked up an errant Lancaster pass on the PK, lugged the mail down the left wing and connected with Greg Ryan for a textbook 2 on 1 shortie to tie the game at 2-2. Another two minutes later, Hostetter set up Sofia for a 2 on 1.5 break and Sofia finished to take the lead, 3-2 Thunder. Eventually, Thunder's newly waxing intensity started to wane as evidenced by yet another rebound goal for Lancaster with 4 minutes remaining in the period. Nonetheless, Thunder outshot Lancaster 15-8 for a running total of 30-20 going into the third.
Cards were close to the vest for much of the third, before Dan Vyverberg found Riley Bourbonnais streaking through the neutral zone at the 5.5 minute mark and feathered a pass to him on the tape. Bourbonnais would continue on with the puck, zigging, zagging, and finally beating the keeper for the go-ahead goal, 4-3 Thunder. Less than a minute later Sofia cashed his one-timer on a pass to the slot from Phil Lane. With the 2-goal lead all that was required was 5 minutes of team defense for Thunder to shut the game down, but Lancaster would not quit. They pulled their goalie and managed to draw near with a shot from the outside, that went in with only 21 seconds left in the game. With the extra attacker still out on the ice Lancaster managed to buzz the Thunder tower a few times, but Thunder weathered the storm and came out victorious with a hard-earned 5-4 win over the #6 ranked team in the state. Shots in the third were 16-14 in favor of Thunder. Joe Ladd made 30 saves. Jon Hostetter received MVP of the game honors.
The Doan Dodge first star of the game goes to Pat Sofia who scored 2 goals, including the game winner. Second star of the game goes to Greg "Wheels" Ryan who scored the first two goals to prime the pump for the Thunder. Third star of the game goes to Dan "Viper" Vyverberg who returned to the lineup this evening, after an eight-week hiatas on the DL, to log an assist and hold down the fort on defence against Lancaster.
Back to the hotel for pot-luck dinner and of course, "Lisa did say we should party!" See you all back at the ice-box for the Campionship game, 3pm on Saturday, Jan 26. Be there or be somewhere else missing out on the opportunity to see your breath indoors!* * *
* * *
Sat Jan 26th Game Report
Reportedly there were some post-pot-luck-dinner exploits in the wee hours at the hotel friday nite, complete with a 2:00 am pizza delivery, but I suppose that comes with the territory, and not unlike Vegas, what happens in the 'cuse stays in the 'cuse so we'll leave that one alone. Rise and shine early Saturday morning for team breakfast and eventually back on the bus to the "ice-box" for a 3pm, or at least so we thought, showdown with the #2 state ranked Suffern Mounties. The Liverpool / Lancaster consi-game went into OT and then 10+ deep into a shootout before Liverpool won the decision to claim third place in the tourney.
The Campionship game finally got underway around 4:30pm, but for some odd reason the refs found it necessary to explain every other call they made to the players and both benches alike. At this point, I would have preferred the refs call the game, the players play the game, the coaches coach the game and us fans watch the game, but that just wasn't meant to be, so we all hunkered down for a 3-hour tour... a 3-hour tour. I digress.
By this point in everyone's hockey career, I am sure we have all run into a hot goalie or the proverbial "he played like he had a horseshoe up his axx", but in this game Thunder faced senior Tom Natoli, the alleged number one netminder in the state, and he was good, scarey good, as he turned away all 46 shots he faced to shut Thunder out 4-0 and win the '08 Warriors Winter Classic. That's right, Thunder outshot the Mounties 46-22, but could not find the back of the net, not even once, despite numerous quality scoring chances they generated. Hats off to Suffern's D as well, who cleared the front of the net all day preventing any Thunder rebound attempts.
Suffern scored 5 minutes in when Thunder failed to clear the zone and left two Suffern forwards tripping over each other as they walked in 2-on-0 against Ladd. They scored again on the PP early on in the second with a blast from the point that got deflected, 2-0 Suffern. Suffern's 3rd goal came early in the 3rd frame when Ladd mad a nice pad save deflecting the puck wide but with nobody home Suffern quickly put it away. Suffern's 4th and final tally came on the PP with 6 minutes to go, as a shot from the dot to the left of Thunder net found its way in. Joe Ladd played well making 22 saves as the Thunder's record slipped to 13-4. Greg Ryan earned the MVP honors with another great effort - he never takes a shift off. Captains Hostetter, Sofia, and Friga accepted the Warriors Winter Classic second place Trophy on behalf of the entire Greece Athena/Odyssey Thunder Hockey Team. Way to go Thunder... who knows, you just might get another crack at Suffern in the State Championship in March!
Before we go, let's check-in with the Thunder-DL:
- Parker Bonis remains out with an undisclosed upper body injury, although i thought i saw his arm in a sling.
- Mattie Lane is still out with a broken humorous, and I don't care what anyone says, that's not funny.
- JT Stenglein is out for at least 4 weeks with a recently severed tendon in his foot. Time to order some steel-toe'd shower sandals for the boys.
- Dan Vyverberg is back to full-strength and ready to go against AQ after a solid performance at this weekend's Warrior's tournament.
- Joe Friga went down at the tail-end of the Suffern game and did not return - his status has not yet been released.
Well, that's a wrap. Tell all your families, friends, doctors, dentists, lawyers, hairdressers, therapists, hygienists, (and your enemies as well) to come on down to Lakeshore Hockey Arena this coming Tuesday evening, Jan 29th, for a pivotal 8:00pm conference game with Aquinas. You never know when the School Brass might be in attendence (not the band, b/c Section V doesn't like music), but you might see Richard Snyder or Susan Meier there. AD Josh Lacy has been a regular fixture at our games this year and we certainly do appreciate the support. Be there or be somewhere else missing out on the opportunity to receive your very own die-cast replicas of the "coach cars", available for a limited time only, in your Lakeshore Snack Shop Happy Meal, while supplies last. Ah yes, just picture that shiny red webby-jeep and metallic gray kramer-jeep sitting on the shelf at home, next to your favorite precious moments! * * *
* * *
Tues Jan 29th Game Report
What can I say, other than this was one of those games that everyone in the Thunder camp would soon like to forget. Spraining his ankle and making an early exit on his birthday, while dumping one 9-3 to AQ, was not exactly how senior assistant captain Joe Friga expected his evening to play out, after listening to our national anthem so powerfully delivered by Athena vocalist Jordan Gately (42nd street). But let's look on the bright side, 50/50 sales were brisk due to a packed house of lingering fans from the Hilton/Lightning game. Hilton came from behind 3-2 to get the equalizer at the end of the 3rd and then went on to win it with 44 seconds to go in OT. Pretty exciting stuff, but not nearly as exciting as Bruce's latest money making scheme, Vendor Dude in the stands. Popcorn... Peanuts... get your Pepsi hee-ah! That's right, one of his employees drew the short straw and was relegated to schlepping snacks and drinks in the stands before a rowdy high school hockey crowd tuesday nite. Brilliant, I say. Brilliant. Now the zweigles hat was a nice touch, but unless you can read lips you would not have heard him coming. He was a bit of a low talker!
Now back to the game report. AQ scored 3 quick ones in the first before Ian Cummings came in to relieve Joe Ladd. That's an awful lot of pressure to put on an 8th grade manager - tough opponent, down 3-0, big crowd. AQ scored again and then Thunder finally got on the board. It was Phil Lane tipping in Joe Friga's shot from the point, assisted by Greg Ryan, but AQ would have the last word in the period scoring at the 2 minute warning, 5-1 AQ. On to the second frame where Thunder caught their stride, scoring at 30 seconds in (another shot by Friga, Ryan put away the rebound) and then 3 minutes in (Cheeseman banked it off Lane's bucket from behind the net, assisted by Bourbonnais) to close the gap, 5-3 AQ. But that was all she wrote for Thunder, as AQ would rack up four more for a convincing 9-3 final. Shots were 33-27 in favor of AQ. Joe Ladd had the start and made 2 saves, while Ian Cumming had 13, and Daniel Schuster recorded 9, in this his first ever varsity game appearance. Schuster closed out the final 12+ minutes of the game, giving up just one goal out of 10 shots he faced. Nice job Daniel.
Thunder's league record slides to 9-2 (13-5 overall), and as they say... that's a wrap! Come on down to Lakeshore Hockey Arena this coming Thursday evening, Jan 31st, for an 8:00pm tilt with Hilton. Be there or be somewhere else missing out on Vendor Dude's thursday nite specials. Enjoy!
* * *
Thurs Jan 31st Game Report
Where have all the fans gone? In stark contrast to the crowd for the Thunder/AQ game earlier in the week, attendance was paltry for Thunder's 7-1 beat-down over Hilton Thursday nite (and no sign of Vendor Dude either). Maybe they were all home bracing for the storm... or, could it be they were resting up for the Storm Game on tap for Saturday nite? Anywho, their loss, the missing fans that is, as Wendy Bonis kicked things off doing the honors with our national anthem - she's got range - was it live or memorex? Idk.
The only thing missing in the first period was Fred Costello and his organ (da-da-da-dum-da-dum.... Chaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrge), given the slow pace was like watching a baseball game (or watching paint dry for that matter). As Hilton lulled us to sleep with their single shot on net, Thunder managed nine shots but no biscuits in the basket. Having adjusted to the slower pace in the first, Thunder woke up and produced 4 goals in a ten minute stretch to open up the second frame. First up was Phil Lane with his patented wrister under the cross-bar, assisted by Greg Ryan and "T" Weilert. Two minutes later Lane found Pat Sofia with a second-effort drop pass to the slot after attempting to take it to the hole himself and momentarily losing the handle. Sofia put 'er away with authority to make it 2-0 Thunder. Six minutes later #6 (Andy Sherry) muscled his first varsity goal by the Cadets' keeper with a wide-angle shot that had some mustard on it - well done Andy. Mark down an assist for Riley Bourbonnais who set Sherry free with a crisp pass on the fly through the neutral zone. Buck and a half later, Vyverberg banked a pass off the boards to Lane who then returned the favor to Ryan setting him up for Thunder's 4th goal of the evening. Then something unexpected happened. Hilton fought back, scoring on a well-placed wrister from the high-slot that hit both posts and went in with 1.21 to go in the period. That was one of only 2 shots they managed all period, but they made it count. Thunder logged 11 shots, for a 2-period total of 20-3 over Hilton.
Back from the second intermission, and it was Schuster warming up in the crease as he once again received the nod from Webby to bring it home. Daniel dutifully answered the call with another solid performance between the pipes, turning away all 8 of the shots recorded by Hilton in the 3rd and final frame, for his first varsity win. Way to go Daniel. Continuing on with our frenzy of firsts, we give you none other than Ben "THE-CUBAN" McCubbin, who ripped one on net from the blue line half way into the 3rd, beating the Hilton tender 4-hole, for his first varsity goal, assisted by Lane and Sofia. And I thought he was still on the DL for passing out and hitting his head during school earlier in the week. Must be that fall knocked some sense into him, but I am not recommending anyone try this at home.
Fast forward another 2 minutes on the PK with the Thunder-D moving the puck around like they owned it, before setting Lane and Bourbonnais free on a 2-on-1 break. Lane flips it to Bourbs who dekes left and then right and backhands it into the gaping net for Thunders 6th goal of the game. Everyone loves a shortie! By this point, with only 5 minutes remaining, everyone is thinking about warming-up the bus, but don't leave just yet, or yur guna miss the final goal (25-19-3) of the game, with only .06 to go. That's 3 with the Tic, 19 with the Tac and 25 with the Toe. For those numerically challenged, that's Gunderson, from Sofia and Fagan. Now I had to dig into the archives a bit on this one, but I believe that was Nick Fagan's first varsity point. Nick has had several almost goals this year and I get the feeling he will cash one before the season's out. Shots were 16-8 Thunder in the 3rd for a 3-period total of 36-11. Very niiiiiiiiice!
And now for your Lane Heating and Cooling Stars of the Game. First Star goes to Phil Lane who led the way with 1 goal and 4 assists for a solid 5 point performance. Second Star goes to Pat Sofia, who has certainly picked his game up of late, turning in a goal and 3 assists for 4 points. Third Star goes to Riley Bourbonnais and Greg Ryan who rounded out the field of multi-point getters with a goal and an assist each. All told there were 7 different goal scorers for Thunder that evening, a nice distribution!
Other notable moments from this evening's contest included watching mini-hots toe-dragging down the right wing; Thunder's 3rd line of Grills, Sherry and Briganti working the puck around the horn several times with great poise; Viper's last minute glove-snare to keep Hilton's line-drive clear alive, dangling around 2 cadets and feeding the puck to McNeil, who was camped out in the slot, you guessed it - making smores - then McNeil's shot just barely missing wide right; Houck hitting the scoresheet for hitting a cadet in the corner. Did I miss anyone? Thunder's league record improves to 10-2 (14-5 overall), and as they say... that's a wrap!
In closing, just a heads up and reminder to all you Thunder Hockey fans, that there is a STORM watch in effect for Sat Nite, starting around 5pm in the vacinity of Lakeshore Hockey Arena. That's right, the 8th annual Storm Game, featuring 3-year reigning champs, your very own Greece Athena/Odyssey Thunder, will face-off against their rival, the Greece Arcadia/Olympia Lightning. Here's a look back on how last year's storm game unfolded. Enjoy!
======================================================================================
1/9/07: The Greece Thunder Hockey Team managed to hang onto the coveted Storm Trophy for yet another year, after defefating the Lightning by a score of 3-1, before a capacity crowd at Lakeshore last nite (1/9/07) in the 7th annual "STORM" game. That marks Thunder's 3rd consecutive Storm game victory giving them the edge over Lightning with a 3-2-2 storm game record over the last seven years. Now on with the highlights of the game... despite numerous quality chances in the first period, Thunder could not get by the Lightning keeper who was stellar. Thunder kept bringing it with waves of attacks in the second that eventually led to a power play goal by Vincent Masters, assisted by Riley Bourbonnais and Eric "Gunda" Gunderson. Then a few minutes into the third Michael Conderman scored what would prove to be the eventual GWG, assisted by Riley Bourbonnais and Phil Lane. Thunder continued pounding away unable to get the 3-goal lead and as they went to the box, Lightning took advantage to make it a 1-goal game with only 2:20 to go in the contest. While Thunder outshot the Lightning by a margin of 39-7, the 1-goal lead was a little too close for comfort. At the final minute mark, Michael Conderman took it below the Lightning's goal line and played keep-away for a good 30 seconds. But Lightning was able to get their 6th attacker out and Thunder found themselves in their own end trying to clear it out as the finals seconds of the game were winding down. Phil Lane would eventually break free at the end directing a backhand clear down the ice and into the empty net with only 1 second left on the clock.
======================================================================================
* * *
Sat Feb 2nd Game Report
Greetings Thunder Fans and thank you for your patience. I have to apologize for my tardiness with this game report, but I am just finally digging out from under now that the STORM has passed (at work that is). Too bad I can't say the same for my cold which has been lingering since New Years Day. Anyhow, it appears that the D&C Staff Writer has scooped me with a detailed account of the 8th Annual Storm Game, but just where did he get all those details from? Don't worry, I held a few ditties back for my own report. The weatherman was slightly off with his winter storm watch. Nonetheless, Thunder continued their "reign" with a fourth straight STORM game victory over the Lightning at Lakeshore Hockey Arena on Sat Feb 2. It was like groundhog day all over again and Punksatoni-Webb saw his shadow, so that means another 5 weeks of Hockey, or so we hope!
Guess-who-just-got-back in town... Amanda Sherry, Athena alum and sister of Thunder forward Andrew Sherry, who kicked things off with a rousing rendition of our national anthem. Thunder was home in White, with the mom's donning their son's freshly-laundered purple sweaters. And away we go... quote of the evening goes to Mr. Webb who commented in the stands "boy, that red paint's thick" as one of the refs hit the deck while passing over the red line in front of the scorekeepers suite in the opening minutes of the game. Lightning drew first blood, a little over 4 minutes in, with a slapper from the blue line in the waning seconds of their first powerplay, 1-0 Lightning. Remain calm, all is well, as Thunder would answer back 3 minutes later to even things up. Freshman Michael Briganti started the play by digging the puck out of Thunder's zone and headmanning it to his linemates. Briganti used his speed to join the rush and was rewarded for the effort with his first varsity goal, assisted by Andrew Sherry and Jordan Grills.
On to the second period, where Riley Bourbonnais would net the game winner 4 and a half minutes in. It was a well-executed give-go with Phil Lane driving wide left and then sliding it back to Bourbonnais for the one-timer, 2-1 Thunder. Things got pretty chippy as time went on, but the boys of Thunder held their own and kept their cool, while keeping the Lightning in check. Joe Ladd made some big saves down the stretch as Lightning pulled their goalie to get a 6th attacker out for the final minute of play. Thunder battoned down the hatches, clearing the zone several times and ultimately holding on for the win. This was the closest Storm game ever. Hats off to the Lightning for "bringing it" all game, as they outshot us 29-17. Kudos to the entire Thunder squad for playing solid team defense!
The LADD Industries First Star of the game goes out to Joe Ladd for a stellar performance between the pipes, making 28 saves for the "W". Second Star goes out to Riley Bourbonnais for the game winner. And the Third Star goes out to our biggest fan (not in stature, but in spirit)... Eric Grills, for leading the Thunder cheers in the stands all nite. With this win, Thunder's Storm Game Record improves to 4-2-2, their league record is now 11-2, and their overall record is 15-5. And so the evening ends, with the Greece Athena/Odyssey Thunder Hockey team hanging onto the coveted Storm Trophy for yet another year.
Stay tuned for the senior nite game report, recapping Thunder's 2-1 win over Gates Chili, in their final home game of the season, held Tues, Feb 5th @ Lakeshore.
* * *
Tues Feb 5th Game Report
Oh yes it's senior nite, and there's balloons in site, oh yes it's senior nite, oh what a, ohhhhhhhhh what a nite! Can you believe it. Senior nite already. Where did the season go? IDK, but let's get on with the show. EmCee-Miller was up in the hizziller with the curtain call for the Greece Thunder Senior Class of 2008. One by one they made their way across the ice for a Kodak moment on the blue carpet, while greeting and honoring their families for all their love and support throughout the years and thanking everyone in the thunder family for the experience of a lifetime. First up was #3, Nick Fagan, who plans to attend the "Heeeeeermeeee, why weren't you at elf practice" School of Dentistry at UB in the fall. Next we have #15, Joey "bag a donuts" Friga, who will be giving Fagan the business and possibly collecting taxes, while earning a Business degree from UB. Then there's #7, Captain Jonathon "Bonzo" "Hotstuff" Hostetter, who will be jamming with the corner crew at the Ritter as he pursues a degree in Industrial Engineering from RIT. Last but not least, I give you #18, blueliner Corey "workin' at the car-wash, yeah" Karwowski, who plans to hit the ground running at Alfred State and someday own his own construction company. Helmets off to our graduating class of 2008, and best wishes for a bright future. Continuing on with our Thunder Idol series, Athena freshman vocalist Austin Pelletier belted out the anthem and rumor has it he's goin' to hollywood, as Randy Jackson commented "Yo dawg, you did your thing!" OK, I know, enuf already with the pre-game show, but not much to write about and hence the phil-o-buster.
Thunder got by Gates with a 2-1 decision at Lakeshore tuesday nite, in this their final home game of the season. After a scoreless first period, Gates took the lead with a rebound goal a little over 5 minutes into the second period. Not even 2 minutes later, Thunder got the equalizer, as Gunda was serving in a forward area on the PP and left the puck for Bourbonnais, who then cycled it out front to Phil Lane for the one-timer. This is how we do it - a well executed play! Fast forward to the third frame, where "T" would snipe a wrister by the Gates-Keeper for the winner, from the left hand face-off circle, assisted by Bourbonnais and Vyverberg. Not much else to say other than a round of applause for Thunder's hard work, effort and commitment to team defense this evening. Gunda laid a nice hip-check on one of the Gates forwards who was trying to penetrate the Thunder zone, dee-nied. Gates outshot us 20-19, but hey, that's OK, cuz we got the dublavay (french for W). Joe Ladd made 19 saves for the win as Thunder's record improves to 16-5 (11-2 league).
Stay tuned for the final game report of the regular season, recapping Thunder's 4-3 OT win over Churchville-Chili, held Sat, Feb 9th @ Scotsville.* * *
* * *
Sat Feb 9th Game Report
Once again I have to apologize for the delay in getting this out, but this cold has me in a cobra-clutch and just doesn't seem to wanna let go. Thunder wrapped up their regular season last weekend with a 4-3 OT win over the Churchville-Chili Saints on the road at Scottsville Ice Arena. It was senior nite for the Saints and they had a dozen candidates to honor as we Thunder fans waited patiently and tried to keep ourselves warm. No heat in the stands, but a little Chili-chili from the snack shop did the trick along with the complimentary blankets in the stands (thanks Mrs-G :), and hey, at least on the west side you don't have to pay for heat in the stands! One of the CV-Chili seniors commented that he was going into Sports Marketing and was planning to make a fortune selling Garrett McMullen action figures, lol (he's a freshman who scored most of their goals the past 2 seasons). Know any good blonde jokes? When the thunder boys eventually took the ice, it was a sight to behold, what with all the golden locks flowing in the breeze. It was a toss-up between Sherry and Gunda for best hair. I personally have opted for the traditional playoff beard, in lieu of going blonde, as Thunder prepares for post season play. Game on!
Play was pretty even in the opening frame with action at both ends of the rink, but it was the Saints who would throw the first elbow. Receiving for Thunder was Michael Briganti who was struck in the head coming through the neutral zone, but no call, as the ref missed it. Saints ended up scoring with just under 2 minutes to go in the period (nevermind that the guy was 3 feet offsides). Now we all know that the most import shifts in a hockey game are the first and last minute of each period, as that is where momentum changes typically occur. Thunder took full advantage of this phenomenon in the final minute of the first period, as Joe Ladd came out of the paint to shut down a Saints breakaway and then Thunder transitioned back down to the other end of the rink, where Pat Sofia would tie the game with 5.6 seconds left on the clock. Sofia tapped in the loose puck that squirted out of a scrum in front of the Saints crease, assisted by Phil Lane and Riley Bourbonnais. Shots were 7-5 in favor of Thunder.
Churchville rallied back with a wrister from the top of the right circle at the 8:20 mark of the second period, to regain the lead. Thunder charged back 3 minutes later on the powerplay to even the score once again, as Gunderson walked in and blasted one wide, but managed to get his own rebound down low, leaving it for Lane who was cruising by. Lane circled out front and fired on net with just enuf heat to get it past the Saints keeper as he tried to squeeze it between his arm and body. If there is such a thing as 6-hole or 7-hole, then that was a 7-hole goal. Thunder got the go-ahead goal 90 seconds later as Lane took a pass from Sofia, went in 1 on 0, and then freshman forward Mike McNeil arrived on the scene to bang home Lane's rebound for his first varsity goal, at the 13:01 mark. Did not get the actual shots for this period, but suspect it was again in Thunder's favor.
Back from the break and we saw Parker Bonis making an appearance in net, after a long sabbatical on the Thunder-DL. Saints got the equalizer on a powerplay deflection with a little over 5 minutes to go in the contest and Bonis made several key saves down the stretch to ensure that we were gooooooooooooooooooooooiiiiinnnnnnnn to over-timmmmmmmmme! Churchville won the third period outshooting Thunder by a margin of 12-5, but the Saints were not able to steal anyones thunder, as the men in purple claimed it for themselves, rallying for sudden victory at the 2:55 mark in OT. Phil Lane got the winner, assisted by Eric Gunderson, and it was a sweet play. Gunda, again serving in a forward area, passed the puck out to Lane from below the Saints goal line, Lane fakes the slapper and then slides it by the Churchville keeper short-side on the ice. Joe Ladd and Parker Bonis combined for the win to solidify Thunder's league record at 12-2 (overall 17-5). As Jeannine Ryan would say, "Yeaaaaaah thun-dRRRRRR"!
The Lane Heating and Cooling first star of the game honors go to Phil Lane with 2 goals and 2 assists for 4pts, including the game winner. Second star goes to Eric Gunderson who had 2 assists, one being on the winner in OT. Third star goes to Pat Sofia who turned in a respectable performance with a goal and an assist.
Thunder has captured the #2 seed in the section five playoffs and will face-off against Lightning (#7 seed), high-noon on Sat Feb 16 at the Lakeshore Hockey Arena. Bruce has really spruced things up with new rubber in the tunnels, homemade chili in the snack shop and a brand new sound system on the east rink, just in time for sectionals. So get off that sofa, love-seat, easy-chair or toilet-seat, and head on down to support your Greece Athena/Odyssey Thunder Hockey Team as they steamroll the Greece Arcadia-Olympia Lighting on their road to states. This run could be one for the books. I can picture it now on the shelf alongside the J-Mac story at Wegmans. Do you believe in Miracles?
* * *
Sat Feb 16th Game Report
Coming into the 2007-2008 NYS Section-V H.S. Hockey Tournament with the #2 seed in Class A, Greece Thunder faced the Greece Lightning (#7 seed ), in a quarter-final game, high noon at Lakeshore on Saturday, February 16th. This would be the third and final match of the season for the Storm rivals. Thunder solved veteran Lightning keeper Jacobe in the first two outings, but Saturday he was sidelined with mano. Opportunity knocked for eighth-grader Josh Opladen, who got the nod for Lightning between the pipes. Speaking of pipes, how about Amanda Sherry... Odyssey alum and sister of Thunder power-forward Andrew Sherry! Sherry belted out a patient yet sultry version of the anthem to set the mood for this sectional opener. Add to that, Bruce found his wallet and broke out for a new sound system on the east rink so there was audible musaac for the warmups and at stoppages of play. If offered a festive atmosphere, although several fans were questioning the song selections, "it was a bit of a disco-wedding track. Chicken Dance? Where's the Ozzie, Van Halen, Metallica, AC/DC?"
For a small keeper, Opladen covered a lot of area and made some amazing acrobatic saves, but in the end he was only able to keep Thunder at bay 30 of the 35 times he was Thunderstruck on the day. While shots were even at 8 apiece in the first frame, Thunder took control in the second, putting 15 on net to Lighning's 5 and then 12 to 3 in the third for a 3 period total of 35-16 in Thunder's favor. When all was said and done, Thunder ended Lightning's season, handing them a 5-1 decision. Coach Webb commented that he was "proud of the boys for bringing their best effort and being mentally prepared from start to finish".
Frist period action saw Viper hitting Bourbs on the tape with a long pass up the middle, Bourbs took it in and buried it... well, not in the net, but in the goalie! The puck basically disappeared inside Opladen's equipment and the refs had to go in after it. This prompted comments from the stands about getting a background check on the officials. Later on Riley blasted another shot that lifted Opladen off his skates, but that one kicked out on it's own. The period came to a close with Thunder having a 2-man advantage. Thunder gained the zone and set up after the opening face-off in the second, working the puck out to Gunderson at the point for a blast that went high and wide, then back out to Gunda for a hard wrister, this time on net, that bulled it's way through and across the goal line, just 31 seconds in. Bourbonnais and Lane both logged assists on the powerplay goal. A few minutes later, Lane came through the neutral zone, receiving a nicely feathered pass from Bourbonnais, finishing with his patented top-shelf wrister over the Lightning keeper's shoulder, 2-0 Thunder. Lightning's Ritzel tucked one in short-side on the ice at the 7 minute mark, to draw near at 2-1, but that was as close as they would get. Thunder went on a tear, never looking back, as they rallied with a minute and a half to go in the period and this time it was Jon "Hot-Stuff" Hostetter roofing the wrister, after Brandon "Cheese" Cheeseman carried it in, kept it in with a relentless forecheck and ultimately got the puck over to #7 for the tally. Greg Ryan, still not at 100%, contributed an assist on Thunder's third goal as well.
On to the third period, where it was Pat Sofia hitting the ice running early on, charging into the zone and roofing a loose puck just outside the paint, making it 4-1 Thunder. Lane and Weilert were in the mix down low and recorded the assists. Once again the Cheese stands alone as he showed many a Lghtning player to their seats and then later "drew the foul" in front of the Lightning net as Weber tried to have his way. With 3 minutes to go in the game, Bourbonnais scored the highlight reel goal of the day, capping things off for a 5-1 Thunder victory. It was Vyverberg to Weilert to Bourbonnais cruising through neutral, Bourbs turnstyle's the Lightning defender, putting the puck between his legs, walking around him, picking up the puck on the other side, deking Opladen, and putting it away. With the game well in hand, Miller, Mini-Hots, McNeil, Houck, Grills, Briganti, Fagan and Sherry all contributed with a solid forecheck working the puck around and keeping it in Lightning's end for the balance of the game.
Thunder's scoring distribution was good today with 9 different point getters in the contest, but there were 3 multi-point getters earning star of the game honors. First star was a split decision between Phil Lane and Riley Bourbonnais, each with a goal and 2 assists. Second star goes to Taylor Weilert with 2 assists. And the third star goes to Joe Ladd with 15 saves on 16 shots faced. With this first sectional win, Thunder's record advances to 18-5, and Thunder advances to the semi-final round on Thursday, Feb 21, 8:00pm @ ESL vs AQ. Will the third time be a charm?* * *
* * *
Thurs Feb 21st Game Report
It was a packed house at the ESL Sports Centre last nite as Thunder and AQ fans alike poured into the building to catch a glimpse of the final period of the Fairport/Pittsford Class A semi-final. Fairport led 2-0 going into the 3rd and while Pittsford managed several quality scoring chances they simply could not produce a goal. Fairport rallied 3 more times, coming away with a 5-0 upset over Pittsford who was ranked #2 in the state. As they say, any team, any day.
The west coast Class A semi-final was to follow, featuring Greece Athena/Odyssey Thunder and Aquinas Little Irish. Having lost twice to AQ during the regular season, the third time was a charm for Thunder, as they took care of business in their own end while popping in a pair of goals on the other end, shutting out AQ 2-0 and earning themselves a berth in the Class A finals. While Thunder out-shot AQ by a narrow margin of 27-21, solid goaltending and team defense proved to be the difference. Of the 21 shots faced by freshman stopper Parker Bonis, all 21 of them were either gloved, covered, or cleared, leaving little or no rebound chances for the little irish.
Not much to report from the scoreless first period, other than the fact that Thunder out-shot AQ 10-6. It was like Cheer Wars: Jeannine "pom-poms" Ryan vs the AQ class of '80 quartet in the stands. In preparation for this evening's tilt, Ryan went on record saying "I have some stray pom poms and cheering paraphenalia from back in the day. They only come out in sectionals. I will bring them and show you some of my Cardinal Mooney cheering skills." It was somewhat embarrassing to see that AQ was represented by a crew of middle-aged men with varying degrees of hair on the roof, doing the old "lets go AQ, clap, clap, clap-clap-clap". That was soon drowned out by the sounds of go greg-eee and yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeahhhhhhhhhhhhh thun-DERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!
Thunder cracked the seal 1:09 into the second frame as Riley Bourbonnais pitched the puck out to Phil Lane in the neutral zone and Lane was off to the races with an AQ back-checker draped on his left side trying to take him down as they approached the AQ net, yet Lane managed to keep the handle, reaching around the AQ tender and sliding it in on the right just before hitting the deck, 1-0 Thunder. Thunder spent a good deal of the second in the box and left themselves vulnerable giving up a 1, then 2-man advantage late in the period. As the first penalty was about to clear AQ fired on Bonis and he stopped the shot, but the biscuit landed in the paint behind him. And who was there in the right place at the right time to clear it out of the zone? None other than Joe Friggs, who earned the Friga Financial save of the game on that play. Davipernizer made a nice air-mail clear on the remaining 5v4 kill. As the period came to a close, shots were 10-7 in favor of AQ.
Thunder carried the momentum of that big kill into the 3rd and kept up the intensity, taking the body all over the ice. They sent several AQ players back to their bench hobbling and hurting and seemingly ready to raise the white flag, yet AQ would not roll over as they managed to get free on a couple of fast breaks. Bonis, however, was equal to the task. "He kind of made it look easy, even though some of the saves were not easy, just because of his positioning", coach Webb said. Then with 4:03 to go in the game, Lane netted a powerplay goal to clinch the game. It was a thing of beauty, as Eric Gunderson launched a pass from deep in Thunder's zone out to Bourbonnais at the far blue line who would then carry it in on the left and deftly saucer it over to Lane on the right for the one-timer, 2-0 Thunder. That was all she wrote, except for a trick play that AQ attempted in the final minute, bringing a player in one door and letting another out the other door to get him out behind the Thunder defense for the hail-gary. The refs whistled it down figuring there was something fishy and then after much delay and adieu about nothing time expired and Thunder was on their way to the finals, of course, after a brief stop at Rick's Prime Rib House for the Section-V finalist awards luncheon!
The Parker Brothers first star of the game honors go to Parker Bonis who was stellar in the nets, making 21 saves for the shut-out victory. Second star goes to Phil Lane with 2 goals, including the winner. Third star goes to Riley Bourbonnais for assisting on both goals. With this sectional semi-final win, Thunder's record advances to 19-5, and they also advance to the Class A finals on Sunday, Feb 24, 7:00pm @ ESL vs Fairport. Be there or be somewhere else missing out on whatever Thunder Booster Club president Kim Cheeseman has up her sleeves! * * *
