GPCIHL Weekend #1
GPCIHL November 8th, 2007 at 7:30PM January 30th, 2008 6:16AM
Offense: Prior to the beginning of the season, the
Bears offense was in disarray. With the
loss of superstars Tommy Paskvan and Jim Jost, the outlook was glum. However, the Bears offense proved a force to
be reckoned with this weekend in the three wins. Led by the trio of Andrew Stern, Alex Tint, and Dan D’Amico, the
Bears put up 27 goals in just three games. The key test, however, will be their ability to put the puck in the net
against the higher ranked opponents: Truman State, Missouri State, SLU, and
SIU-Carbondale. On a lighter note, forwards Ryan Pliske, Mark Gatheman, and
David Ross showed much needed depth to the Bears lineup and created many
chances despite not finishing as readily. The two highlights of the weekend may
have occurred in the game against Southeast Missouri State with the Bears 4th
line. The Bears were engaged in a line change, trying to get the rest of the 4th
line out on the floor. In the midst of
the change, forward Gordon Johnston received a pass from Joe Tutro, undressed a
SEMO defender, and buried the puck in the back of the net. If that wasn’t enough, a short time later,
Josh Petersel found himself all alone in front of the net with the goalie down only to
put the puck over the empty net and fall to the floor in disbelief. It was a fun weekend to say the least.
Grade: B+
Defense: The offense was not the only place that
needed huge holes to be replaced. With the loss of Matt Riordan (now coach
Riordan) the defense lost a true veteran of the team. Combined with the loss of
the aforementioned Tommy Paskvan, it left only one member on the Bears that had
played defense (Doug Hyde). Doug, along
with his fellow defenders, John Harvey, Jonathan “Waldoâ€, Joe Tella, and Joe
“Toots†Tutro shut down the opposition, only yielding 2 goals in the three
games. One of the highlights in the
defense was John Harvey’s ability to jump in the play, putting up numerous
goals this weekend without sacrificing chances for the opposition. The Bears defense will truly be put the test
in weekend #2 when they faceoff against SLU and Truman State.
Grade: B
Goaltending: Craig Markovitz posted 2 shutouts in the
three games this weekend making some key saves in the first period of the
Western Kentucky game to ensure his team did not fall too far behind
early. Two out of three: almost an A.
Grade: A-
DII National Ranking: #8
-Joe Tella