Time to Focus on Valencia

To basically sum Sunday's game up lightly, let's just say this match up did not go the way the Maulers would have liked it to. At all. With an 8-1 win on home ice, the Salt Lake City Moose will continue to sit comfortably with 40 points in third place and move on to a 2 game series versus the first place Idaho Jr. Steelheads. In the Maulers' case, they will have a 5 day break before they are back at things in Valencia, California facing off against the Flyers in a 3 game series. Now typically I would try to say something about what the Maulers should do to better their game against the next opponent but I think for a change I won't. They know what they need to do and if they simply won't do it well, I can't help that. If they are having any questions at all about why they aren't winning, the team needs to look at why they are losing instead. In my opinion, if you want to win, play like a team because playing separately will get them no where. On the ice they need to act like a team because to quote Herb Brooks lightly, "you don't have enough talent to win on talent alone." Now I am not saying that these boys are not talented because they are, especially the tendys, but they have to work together if they want to win that is the end of the conversation. Work together and stick to each other during periods and you will get the two points, work alone and try to become a star yourself and you will end up with another loss in the statistics column. And if they can't simply play for that play for each other instead of the jersey because nothing seems like it can stick. Work together, that's all I am going to say really because this is getting out of hand. This is basically how I feel right now, "When you pull on that jersey, you represent yourself and your teammates. And the name on the front is a hell of a lot more important than the one on the back ! Get that through your head!" also , "We move forward starting right now. We start becoming a team RIGHT NOW! Skating. Passing. Flow and creativity. That is what this team is all about, gentlemen..." - Herb Brooks. You might want to be considering this philosophy a little more than you have in the past.

There was no scoring in the first 20 minutes of the game.

Adam Kresl, who would go on to score a hat trick and 4 out of the 8 goals, started his amazing play at an impressive 0:28 into the second period. This was unassisted. His next goal came at 0:37, a wicked 9 seconds later, assisted by Pat Dwyer and Matthew Morse. Pat Dwyer was the next one to put a point on the board for the Moose at 5:19 when Adam Kresl assisted on his goal. Tyler Keturi made it 4-0 Salt Lake City at 10:40 when Viktors Ponatovskis and Jurijs Moiseicenko were able to help Keturi slid the biscuit past Mcdaniel. Adam Kresl completed his 2nd period hat trick at 17:14 when the Moose went up 5-0 and Matrin Tolkner and Daniel Coley recorded assists.

Tyler Zandhuisen scored the lone Maulers goal at 3:27 on a power play to spark even just the tiniest bit of hope into the boys. Tanner Todd and Jordan Wheatly picked up assists. SLC recorded another point to make it 6-1 at 4:10. Viktors Ponatovskis was credited the goal while Martin Tolkner was given an assist. At 11:41,  Adam Kresl scored his 4th goal of the game on a power play. Apples were given to the great line of Martin Tolkner and Daniel Coley. The final goal of the game was scored at 18:56 making it 8-1 Moose when Jurijs Moiseicenko beat Mcdaniel for the final point. Pat Dwyer was given the assist.

Statistics:

PENALTIES:

Period 1:

Missoula Maulers - Corey Schafer (Tripping) 2 Minutes, 8:08

Salt Lake City - Alex Pommerville (Slashing) 2 Minutes, 10:18

Salt Lake City - Alex Pommerville (High Sticking) (Double Minor) 4 Minutes, 16:18

Period 2:

Salt Lake City - Anthony Mancini (Slashing) 2 Minutes, 3:09

Missoula Maulers - Jordan Wheatly (Unsportsmanlike Conduct) 2 Minutes, 6:19

Missoula Maulers - Tanner Todd (Unsportsmanlike Conduct) 2 Minutes, 10:59

Salt Lake City - Martin Tolkner (Elbowing) 2 minutes, 19:35

Salt Lake City - Martin Tolkner (Unsportsmanlike Conduct) 2 Minutes, 19:35

Period 3:

Salt Lake City - Hank Parra (Slashing) 2 Minutes, 0:20

Salt Lake City - Pat Dwyer (Roughing) 2 Minutes, 6:07

Missoula Maulers - Corey Schafer (Holding) 2 Minutes, 6:07

Salt Lake City - Cole Corson (Roughing) 2 Minutes, 7:49

Missoula Maulers - Derek Griffin (Roughing) 2 Minutes, 7:49

Missoula Maulers - Joey Porco (Cross Checking) 2 Minutes, 7:49

Salt Lake City - Bryan Giorgi (Unsportsmanlike Conduct) (Misconduct) 10 Minutes, 9:35

Missoula Maulers - Corey Schafer (Head Contact) 2 Minutes, 10:17

Salt Lake City - Bryan Giorgi (Obscene Gestures) (Game Ejection) 10 Minutes, 10:17

Missoula Maulers - Joey Porco (Elbowing) 2 Minutes, 12:31

SHOTS ON GOAL:

Missoula Maulers - 26 total

Salt Lake City Moose - 44 total

POWER PLAYS:

Missoula Maulers - 1 for 7

Salt Lake City Moose - 1 for 6

GOALTENDERS:

#30 Michael Mcdaniel for Missoula Maulers: 60 Minutes played, 44 shots on goal 36 saves

#30 Ryan Gasparovic for Salt Lake City Moose: 60 Minutes played, 26 shots on goal 25 saves