The Saline Reporter
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Hornets blank Rats
Saline a win away from claiming league title after 5-0 shutout
By Jerry Hinnen, Staff Writer
PUBLISHED: February 21, 2008
The Saline ice hockey team picked a good time to play arguably their best game of the season.
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Chasing a Southeastern Conference Red division title and with only two SEC games remaining on the schedule, the Hornets smoked SEC Red rival Ann Arbor Huron 5-0 Friday in the team's first shutout of the season.
After improving to 7-1 in league play, Saline needed only a win in Wednesday's home contest against Ann Arbor Pioneer to clinch the 2008 Red division championship.
"I think the kids realize that these are must-win games for us," Saline head coach Drew Denzin said afterward. "Every game down the stretch has been one that's tested us, and I think we're ready for Wednesday and for Bedford (in Saline's Monday playoff opener)."
The Hornets got all the offense they would need in a four-goal second period explosion, but the story of the game was goalkeeper Brad Perino and the Saline penalty kill, holding the Rats scoreless despite a 4-1 Huron edge in power play opportunities.
"It can't get any better," said a thrilled Perino, who was playing his first game back in goal after knee surgery. "Our penalty kill was unstoppable today. We really held strong. The whole team was back-checking and working hard. Everything was clicking."
"I'm proud of him," Deznin said. "Sometimes it can be hard to keep focused when you're not facing a lot of shots but he did. We're glad to have him back.
"Our penalty kill today was outstanding. We're fortunate that we have five or six guys who are able to do it. We did a good job of stopping them before they got into our zone and they never really got settled."
The first period ended scoreless with neither team dominating play, but from there it was all Hornets. Senior Cory Corker opened the scoring 4 1/2 minutes into the period on assists from defensemen Scott Peck and Brandon Neeb. The Hornet lead was doubled less with 7:36 to play in the period when David Dager's wraparound effort was stabbed home by Ryan Luke.
David Spallina would put Saline up 3-0 just 16 seconds later, when passes from Luke and Dager found the senior for a hard shot from the left slot. The Hornets would then close out the period up four on a Randy Schilke goal following helpers from Daniel Filipsson and Corker with just 23.8 seconds left before the second intermission.
The four-goal cushion was far more than Perino and the Hornet defense would need, but Dager would nonetheless make it 5-0 midway through the third after Luke (recording his team-high 17th assist of the season) and Schilke worked the puck into the crease following a scramble.
"The second period was a big one for us," Denzin said. "We did a good job of working the puck to the front of the net. We're starting to make more plays; our opportunities are starting to increase."
Saline will hope that trend continues when the Hornets host Bedford 7:30 p.m. Monday at the Arctic Coliseum in a pre-regional semifinal.
Wyandotte 4, Saline 3
In a Metro League home game Saturday, the Hornets got a goal and assist from Corker but it wasn't enough to catch the Bears as Saline fell to 12-10-1 overall on the season.
Also scoring for Saline were MacNeil and Schilke, while Doug Mitchell and Peck each added an assist.
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