Diablos vs. Muskies Recap

Diablos Gaff The Muskies

Sunday, February 17, 2008.

Bloomington, MN. In an unprecedented display of offensive firepower the AHA D1 Diablos Hockey Club dominated a depleted Muskies team, skating without two of its top three scorers, at the Bloomington Ice Gardens Sunday night. Ironically, the Diablos did it minus their own top three scorers of C Ted Reiff, LW John Driscoll, and C Steve Nelson. The Diablos set club records for goals scored in a game with 8, goals scored in a period with 5 in the 3rd, shots on goal with 43, shots allowed with 9, points in a game for an individual player with RW Dean Groth's 4 (2g, 2a) and fewest penalty minutes in a game for the team with 0.

The game followed a team meeting brought on by a lackluster performance by the Diablos in an exhibition game against the TCGHA BG Moose White team the day before at Mariucci Arena. In that game the Diablos failed to control play and ended up out shot and out skated, lucky to escape with a 1-1 tie. In the team meeting Captain Todd Ewing exhorted the Diablos to move their feet, get open, pass the puck and shoot, shoot, shoot. Apparently the Diablos followed their captain's words with deeds.

On the opening shift of the game the Diablos took the puck deep into the Muskies zone and carried play hard to the net forcing Muskies sub-goalie Dave Homel (Renegades) to cover up. Homel had no idea where the puck was and only a quick whistle saved an early goal as the puck's momentum carried it slowly into the net behind Homel. It was a sign of things to come. At 14:23 of the 1st period D Andy Claypool single handedly carried the puck up the left side into the Muskies zone and fired a low shot on net beating Homel five-hole for Claypool's first AHA regular season goal. At 9:56 of the
period the Diablos added another tally when C Peter Sinesio fired home a pass from RW Dean Groth.

The second period opened with a sign the Muskies weren't out of it yet and proof that goaltending can be an adventure. Diablos goalie Justin Alderink skated out high in the zone to play a puck that had split the Diablos defenders. Alderink, normally the best, most reliable passer on the team, tried to move the puck up the right side, but instead fanned on the attempt. Muskies forward B. Hirano, that team's second leading scorer, was in on Alderink on the fore check and picked up the loose puck. The helpless goalie could only look to the heavens as Hirano buried the puck in the open net unassisted at 16:07. It was Alderink's second misadventure with the puck of the night, though the first he had to pay for, and his teammates demanded that he stay in the net for the remainder of the game. The Diablos got the goal back at 11:53 when Dean Groth scored his first of the game with an assist from Peter Sinesio.

The Diablos had dominated play for two periods, but the score was only 3-1 to begin the 3rd. Then the bottom fell out for the Muskies. The Diablos used their longer bench and more rested skaters to put the game away beginning with D Ryan Carroll's power play blast for an unassisted goal at 13:07. At 9:35 C Jarick Losey scored on a hardworking cycle in the neutral zone of LW Rocco Bonello to RW Mat Lindquist back to Bonello and over to Losey. Bonello and Lindquist picked up assists on the play. At 6:44 Dean Groth scored his second of the game on a feed from D Pieter VanZyl at the point. RW Monique Lindquist picked up an assist on the play along with VanZyl. At :34 C Todd Ewing and the top line were finally rewarded after skating hard all game when LW John Blasingame went into the corner to gather a loose puck. Blasingame fired hard to Ewing standing in front of the net and Ewing buried the puck high over Muskies goalie Homel. Scoring closed out much as it had begun when Peter Sinesio picked up is second of the game with an assist from Dean Groth.

In all, eleven of the fourteen Diablos skaters picked up at least a point in a game that was a total team effort. While RW Dave Christenson and D Greg Smith and Mike Monroe didn't factor on the official score sheet, they all factored unofficially with their strong play. The Diablos stayed out of the penalty box, skated hard, passed and shot the puck. Shots on goal for the Diablos 13-13-17 for 43; for the Muskies 1-5-3 for 9.

Stars of the game:

#1 RW Dean Groth
#2 C Peter Sinesio
#3 D Andy Claypool

Up Next:

The Diablos face their co-first-place team the Nemesis on Sunday 02-24-08 at 9:00p at Richfield East. - JB