Hooters Nana wins second straight as Sport Corner Titanium brings Aware back to earth

In the first game of week four action in the SHL Hooters Nana set out to avenge their week one shoot-out loss to the Sukhumvit Spitfires. Making their season debuts for Hooters would be star players Andy Brine and David Blomquist, who would make a tremendous difference on the blue-line, especially Brine, who zig-zags across the ice like a yo-yo on skates. Sure enough, both players scored in their SHL debut, dominating the play when they were on the ice and controlling the traffic every time they jumped over the boards as Hooters Nana won 4-3. Brine suffered a cut above the eye in late scuffle with Ernesto Bauer, but he was checked out and cleared at a local hospital. Also scoring for Hooters on the night was Stephen Sproule (who ranks second in the SHL scoring race with six points) and Jantaphong “Moo” Tengsakul,         

Down 4-1, at the end of the second-period, Sukhumvit did a gut-check and came out more focused and more determined at the beginning of the third. Marcel Bouwens quickly scored making it 4-2, Sukhumvit then kept the pressure on all period pulling goalie Jason Cotsmire in the final minutes, and Adrian Myers scored with 6.7 seconds remaining in the game to allow them to pull within one. After calling a time-out to discuss strategy, the Spitfires forced the play from the face-off and winger Harrison Oztemel, who scored earlier in the game, raced down the right side banking a shot off the end boards but time expired before any of the Sukumvit players could capitalize on the rebound.

When it was all skated and done, the Spitfires threw more rubber at Neng, who made 29 saves, replacing Dream in the Hooters Nana net. But Hooters took advantage of the opportunities handed them to even their season series with Sukhumvit at one win apiece. Credit should be given to Sukhumvit goalie Cotsmire for stopping 19 shots while playing through a nagging injury in a losing cause.

Sukhumvit captain Brad Wilson, with two assists on the night, was the Rolling Stone Pizza player of the game for inspiring his team in the comeback effort. Arnupap (Ob) Charoenrak also had two assists on the night.

In the second game, just when it looked like Aware was going to run away with the league after consecutive wins of 7-2 and 7-0, Sport Corner-Titanium led by John Schachnovsky’s hat-trick and assist beat them for the second time this season by a score of 4-2. Captain Zak Garofolo displayed some nifty stick work for SC-Titanium on the night, adding a goal and assist in the win. Rob Taylor, playing in his second game as a substitute for Aware scored as did Brandon Vick (his third of the season) in a losing squad.

With the hat-trick Schachnovsky, the Rolling Stone Pizza player-of-game for the contest, became the SHL’s leading scorer heading into the holiday break with six goals and four assists.  

Lance Parker, substituted for Yves Gaboriault for the second straight game, and after recording a shut-out the previous week, Lance proved he was human after all, letting in 4 goals, while stopping 15 shots, yet still maintaining a very healthy 2.0 GAA.  Gabor Toth bounced back with 23 saves after last week’s loss to Hooters Nana; the outspoken and emotional netminder that often draws Ilya-Bryzgalof-resembling comparisons claims that a strategic coaching decision is the key to The Sport Corner Titanium’s recent success and it remains to be seen if the other teams can adjust accordingly, to stop the league leading white and black squad.

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