OMR defense jams the ice for Roch and Guzman ground attack

OMR Brewing topped off their ERHL regular season play with a 6-4 victory over Eagle River Alehouse Sunday evening at the MAC. Bolstered by a strong OMR defense, David Roch led the offense with a hat trick and Alfonzo Guzman also crowded the stats column with a goal and two assists. Michael Tencza broke the ice for OMR when he snuck the puck in from the left post assisted by Guzman at 11:34 in the first period. On a near breakaway, OMR’s Jason Novotny stormed down the ice, going high left on the cage for a 2-0 score at 5:23. Alehouse answered back 2-1 when Karl Greninger, assisted by Steve Truesdell, put on a well-coordinated attack from the right side at 3:45.  OMR’s Guzman scored unassisted in a melee scrum inside the crease to close out the first period 3-1 in OMR’s favor. In the second period, Roch scored 4-1 from the right off a nicely placed backhand assist by Tencza from the opposite side at 16:50. Roch found the back of the cage again off a well-executed assist from Guzman at 4:38 in the second to put OMR up 5-1. In the final period, Alehouse scoring came alive with three goals. Greninger tossed in some loose change just inside the left post off a Cody Pittman assist and the opportunely angled right pad of OMR goalie Jon Maroney who had 20 saves on 24 shots in the net. Pittman, assisted by Truesdell, capitalized on a break down in front the OMR net to cut the score 5-3 for Alehouse with 9:57 remaining.  Roch capped off his hat trick unassisted at 6:47 putting OMR up 6-3. Alehouse goalie Mike Allen recorded 13 saves on 19 shots. Chad Lammers was hungry for the net all night for Alehouse and finally scored pay dirt on a backhanded shot with Ryan Weaver and Alan Skaggs assisting. The loss knocked Alehouse (13-8-3) out of first place in the AA Division, where they now trail Shines Sushi who stands atop the league at 15-8-1 heading into the playoffs. OMR (11-9-4) now sits in fourth place in the AA Division.

Shines Sushi vs Stellar Designs

Shines win the 24 week cage match

In the second game of the night, Shines Sushi clinched first place in the AA regular season standings, defeating Stellar Designs 5-4.  The first period was a back and forth slug fest with each team trading scores. Shines Russell Miller lit the lamp first when he ripped a long distance shot from the far right, unassisted, ringing the top left shelf at 13:49.  Ty Johnston answered back for Stellar to make it 1-1, assisted by John Blodgett and Blasé Andromeda-Focht at 10:59. The Shine trio of Nicholas Bennett, Charles Bahn and Lucas Takao teamed up a minute later with Bennett netting the score 2-1.  Benjamin Hallowell equalized the score 2-2 for Stellar assisted by Kevin Blanchette and Blodgett to close out the first period scoring effort. The second period played itself into a hard-fought game of gridlock. Bennett finally broke the stalemate with just six seconds remaining in the second period, putting Shines up 3-2. In the final period, Stellar answered back when Blodgett scored at 11:36 tying up the match once again at 3-3. But Shines took the lead for good off Bennett’s solo hat trick goal at 9:58 in the third. Bennett attacked up the middle of the crease, finding daylight after several deflections in front of the net for the 4-3 lead. Bahn provided the 5-3 security goal for Shines when he went coast to coast for the unassisted score with 8:00 remaining.  Todd Dudinsky scored in close quarters at the net to put Stellar within one at 5-4 with 6:17 remaining. Shines goalie Nick Koleznicof tallied 15 stops on 19 shots. Stellar goalie Chris Harrington recorded 13 saves on 18 shots. Despite Stellar pulling Harrington in the final minutes of play, Shines (15-8-1) was able to maintain order for the win, while also securing the go ahead win atop the AA Division standings. Stellar wraps up their regular season play, finishing sixth in the AA Division at 5-16-3.

Cubs Painting vs Play It Again Sports

The final match of the night Cubs Painting won a forfeit against Play It Again Sports (7-15-2) on account of PIA not having a full squad. Several players from the previous games jumped in to make a late-night go of it.  Cubs won the matchup 3-0. Scoring for the Cubs were Garret Staudinger with two goals and Nate Curnow. Staudinger and Greg Jernstrom each tallied an assist as well. The Cubs are in third place (12-7-5) while PIA holds onto fifth place (7-15-2) in the AA.

For full AA standings, check: https://scheduler.leaguelobster.com/289519/aa/2017-2018/#