The Saline Reporter
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Hornets mercy rule Lincoln 10-2
Saline goes over .500 mark again after third-period explosion
By Jerry Hinnen, Staff Writer
PUBLISHED: January 17, 2008
The Saline ice hockey team's schedule hasn't done the Hornets any favors as they look to get back into a groove following their holiday layoff. Fortunately for Saline, it doesn't look like they've needed the help.
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The Hornets earned their first eight-goal mercy-rule victory of the season Saturday against Lincoln, exploding for four goals in the first five minutes of the third period for a 10-2 decision.
"It was nice to see us score this many goals," said Saline head coach Drew Denzin. "We've got all our guys back, all hands on deck. The guys were hungry to play."
The win moved Saline's overall record back over .500 to 7-6 and preserved their perfect 5-0 record against Southeastern Conference opponents.
It was only the Hornets' second contest since Dec. 22 and first since a match the previous Saturday. Denzin called the long gaps in the schedule a "double-edged sword," noting that the Hornets still had plenty of "gas left in the tank" come the start of the third, but that they started the game sluggishly.
"Coming out against Lincoln, you understand there's going to be some extra time and you can use it to either accelerate your play or to take a breather," Denzin said, "We didn't start the game using it to play faster."
The result was that sophomore goalie Nick Colarossi, getting the start in place of usual starter Brad Perino, was called on to make a pair of sharp saves in the game's first four minutes.
But skating on their home ice at the Arctic Coliseum, Saline had nonetheless seized control of the game by the end of the first period. Daniel Filipsson opened the scoring with 10:37 to play after assists from David Dager and Ryan Luke.
It would prove to be only the first of four assists on the night for Luke, who grabbed his second helper on Scott Peck's goal from the left slot with 5:56 to play in the first and his third on a Dager tally with 13.6 seconds left in the period. Defenseman Brandon Neeb also recorded his third assist of the season on the Dager goal, which put Saline ahead 3-0 entering the second.
The lead ballooned to 6-0 less than halfway through the next period. Patrick O'Donohue and Dager scored Saline's fourth and fifth of the night just 11 seconds apart at the 12:17 and 12:06 mark on assists by Cory Corker and Luke, respectively.
O'Donohue notched his second with 7:40 left in the second period, with Randy Schilke and Alex Stowe picking up assists and it looked like the Hornets would reach the eight-goal mark even before the second intermission.
The Railsplitters had other ideas, holding Saline scoreless for the rest of the period and scoring twice in the space of a minute — once shorthanded with 1:56 to play and again with 1:16 left — to peg the Hornets back to 6-2 entering the third.
Denzin admitted the Saline coaches offered a few choice words for the team during the intermission regarding the lapses, and it produced immediate results on the restart. Sean MacNeil scored just 71 seconds in following a Corker pass, opening the floodgates.
Frankie Rutkowski scored with 12:10 to play on Stowe and Justin Owen assists, Corker and Schilke assists helped O'Donohue complete his hat trick a minute later, and with 10:19 left Corker ended the game after a pass from MacNeil.
"They came out in the third period and proved something to themselves and to their coaches. It was good to see them come out focused and take it to them like that," Denzin said. "It was also great to see Patrick O'Donohue get his hat trick. He's worked hard all year and it's paid off."
Denzin also praised the work of Colarossi, who came up with 12 saves on Lincoln's 14 shots.
Saline will take the ice again 7:15 p.m. Saturday against Dexter.
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