Game Number Opponent Date Location Result
1 Springboro Nov. 23, 2007 Kettering Rec. (Frozen Creek) W 6-1
2 Athens Nov. 23, 2007 Kettering Rec. (Frozen Creek) L 2-4
3 Oakville Nov. 24, 2007 Kettering Rec. (Frozen Creek) L 0-5
4 Troy Nov. 25, 2007 Kettering Rec. (Frozen Creek) L 3-4
5 Whitmer Dec. 1, 2007 Toledo Ice House L 1-3
6 Start Dec. 2, 2007 Toledo Ice House W 7-4
7 HSE "C" Dec. 8, 2007 Louisville Iceland W 6-0
8 Trinity Dec. 9, 2007 Louisville Iceland T 4-4
9 Coffman Dec. 14, 2007 Chiller North L 1-6
10 Maumee Dec 15, 2007 Dublin Chiller L 2-3 SO
11 Gahanna Sunday, Dec 16 Dublin Chiller 2  Lost 1-4
12 Alter Thursday, Dec 20 South Metro Lost 2-4
13 Sycamore Friday, Dec 21 KRC  Lost 0-3
14 St. Xavier Saturday, Dec 22 KRC  Lost 1-3
15 Springboro Friday, Dec. 28 KRC  Lost 1-4
16 Troy Saturday, Dec 29 KRC Tie 2-2
17 Centerville Sunday, Dec 30 KRC Won 5-2
18 Lexington Catholic Friday, Jan 4, 2008 KRC Won 4-1
19 Trinity Saturday, Jan 5, 2008 KRC Won 4-3
20 Talawanda Friday, Jan 11, 2008 Oxford - Miami University L 0-5
21 Troy Saturday, Jan 12, 2008 Hobart Arena W 2-0
22 Gahanna Friday, Jan 18, 2008 Strongsville - Ehrnfelt Tourney L 2-4
23 Maumee Saturday, Jan 19, 2008 Strongsville - Ehrnfelt Tourney L 1-3
24 Olentangy Liberty Sunday, Jan 20, 2008 Strongsville - Ehrnfelt Tourney W 3-2
25 Upper Arlington Monday, Jan 21, 2008 Strongsville - Ehrnfelt Tourney T 3-3
26 Alter Friday, Jan 25, 2008 KRC W 5-4
27 Moeller Saturday, Jan 26, 2008 KRC L 1-2
28 Springboro Friday, February 1 South Metro W 6-0
29 Centerville Saturday, February 2 South Metro L 3-6
30 Alter (SWOHSHL Tourney) Thursday, February 8 South Metro L 3-6
31 Dublin Coffman (District Tourney) Saturday, February 16 Dispatch Ice Haus L 0-3

Click on a hyperlink (i.e. the blue underlined text) to go straight to that game re-cap.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Mazza Hat Trick Powers Creek of Springboro
Beavercreek opened their Regular Season at the Kettering Recreation Center on November 23, 2007 against Springboro in the Opening Round of the 11th Annual Frozen Creek Invitational Hockey Tournament.  Creek struck first blood 3 minutes thirty-six seconds into the game when Sean Denny hit a slapshot from the top of the face-off circle that beat the Panther netminder low on the stick side.  Good work in the offensive side by Mike Mazza earned him the assist on the goal.  The Beavers Penalty Kill metal was tested shortly after the goal when a hooking penalty put them a man down.  Matt Green and Adam Baldwin proved true to the task by providing key clears.  Green and Kyle Stout combined to get a good short-handed scoring chance.  Just after the successful penalty kill, Beau Slater hit Mazza with a pass in the offensive zone.  Mazza hit a wrist shot from the face-off dot that found the back of the Panther net to put Creek up 2-0 with 6:38 expired in the 1st Period.  Springboro attempted to get back in the game, but Denny provide some good defense to stymie their attack and Stout showed some physical play to keep the Panthers off balance.  Late in the 1st period, Stout hustled to a loose puck in the Springboro zone and sent it back out to Baldwin at the point.  Baldwin hit a slapshot the Green tipped into the Panther net to give the Beavers a 3-0 lead 11:55 into the 1st.  On the ensuing face-off the Beavers were able to control the puck and get it into the Springboro zone.  Tony Pugnale picked the puck off the boards and centered  as pass to Mazza at the left side of the net.  Mazza one-timed the pass between the Panther netminder's pads and the pat for the 4-0 lead with 2:55 remaining in the 1st.   The Beavers out-shot the Panthers 8-6 in the 1st period.  An early penalty by Creek put the Panthers on the Power Play just fifty-one seconds into the 2nd period.  An offside and a clear by Baldwin kept Springboro at bay initially, but they were able to penetrate the Creek zone and setup a successful screen in front of the Creek net.  A slapshot from the point gave Springboro a goal one minute forty-one seconds into the second period.  Just twenty-seven seconds later Creek would commit another penalty to put the Panthers back on the Power Play.  Creek Netminder Anthony Dann made two nice saves to fend off the Springboro attack.  After the successful penalty kill, the Creek offense went back to work in the Panther zone.  Stout earned his second assist of the game by digging the puck out deep in the zone and feeding Baldwin at the point twice. Baldwin found the twine on the second slapshot from the point to put the Beavers up 5-1 with 5:48 expired in the 2nd Period.  Springboro gave the Beavers a golden opportunity to win the period when they took a tripping penalty to put Creek on the Power Play.  The Panthers turned the tables on Creek with a good shorthanded scoring chanced the Creek Goalie Dann turned away.  The Creek Power Play managed some good puck movement in the Panther zone but did not connect.  The Power Play was cut short by a Creek Penalty with 6:08 remaining in the 2nd.  After a short 4 on 4, the Panthers went on the Power Play.  Dann made a good save and Pavi Kullar provided a key clear to kill the penalty.  Stout and Baldwin tried to renew their connection late in the period, but could not find pay-dirt.  Dann made three late period saves to keep the Panther scorers on ice.  The Creek offense fell victim to two offside calls that stopped offensive rushes in their tracks.  The Panthers out-shot Creek 10-5 in the 2nd Period, but steady Goaltending by Dann enabled Creek to take a 5-1 lead into the locker room.  Creek started aggressively in the 3rd Period but the anxiousness led to a Too Many Men penalty just eight seconds into the third period.  Dann continued his excellent play in net and Creek was able to clear the puck out of the zone several times.  Late in the Penalty Kill Mazza chased down one the clears behind the Panther net and backhanded the puck looking for Slater in front of the net.  The Panther goalie and a defenseman tied each other up a the edge of the crease and allowed the puck to carom off them into the net.  Credit Mazza with the hustle play to earn an unassisted goal and the hat trick two minutes fifty-four seconds into the 3rd period.  Forty seconds later Creek put the Panthers back on the Power Play with a hooking penalty.  Mazza had a shorthanded breakaway that the Panther goalie made a nice save to thwart.  Baldwin and Kullar provided key defensive plays to clear the puck and Dann made several saves to kill the penalty.  Five consecutive face-offs in the Beaver zone provided the Panthers with opportunities to get back in the game but Creek Neteminder Dann continued to turn away their scoring attempts.  About half way through the 3rd Period the Creek offense showed some spark and controlled the puck for about two minutes, but could not score.  Two Springboro penalties in the final four minutes eliminated any chance the Panthers would have of mounting any serious offense.  Mazza and Slater had good scoring chances late in the 3rd period for Creek.  Third period shots on goal were even at nine.  Totals for the game were Springboro 25 and Creek 22.  Despite being out-shot, Creek dominated the scoring for a 6-1 win.  More importantly, they took 4 1/2 out of 5 tournament points.
 

Game Summary

 

1st Period

2nd Period

3rd Period

Total
Creek 4 1 1 6
Springboro 0 1 0 1

 

Beavercreek Scoring Summary

Period

Goal

1st Assist

2nd Assist

 

 
1 Denny Mazza   Even  
1 Mazza Slater   Even  
1 Green Baldwin Stout Even  
1 Mazza Pugnale   Even  
2 Baldwin Stout   Even

 
3 Mazza Slater   Even  

 

Goaltending Summary 

 

SOG

Saves

Save %

 

 
Dann 25 24 96.0

 

 
Springboro 22 16 72.7

 

 

________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Big 2nd Period Nets Bobcats Win Over Creek
The second round of the Frozen Creek Tournament pitted the Beavercreek Beavers against the Athens Bobcats for a Friday Evening, November 23, 2007 contest.  The Bobcat offense started strong earning consecutive face-offs in the Beaver zone.  Creek Netminder Eddie Davis made three solid saves in the first two minutes of action.  After an icing call put another face-off in the Beaver zone, Creek spring to life.  Matt Green won the face-off over to Kyle Stout on the wing.  Stout skated the puck out of the Beaver zone and hit Green streaking across center ice with a pass.  Green penetrated the Athens zone and sniped the Bobcat goalie high on the glove side to put the Beavers up 1-0 two minutes thirty-two seconds into the contest.  Thirty seconds later a Beaver holding penalty would give Athens a chance to even the game.  Stout and Beau Slater provided good clears during the penalty clear and Ben Steinhauer showed some physical play with a big hit. The Athens Power Play expired without a significant threat.  Mike Mazza forced a turnover in the Athens zone that resulted in a good scoring opportunity.  The effort led to a Bobcat  crosschecking penalty with seven minutes fourteen seconds expired in the first period.  Unfortunately, the Creek Power Play was unable to get organized and establish any serious threat.  Another Bobcat penalty at 9:05 of the 1st period gave Creek a ten second 5 on 3 and extended the Power Play deep into the 1st period.  Despite the extended man advantage, the Creek Power Play resembled a power outage.  After killing the penalties, Athens penetrated the Creek zone several times late in the 1st. Creek Netminder Davis to sealed the period win by keeping the net clear of Bobcat pucks.  Athens out-shot Beavercreek 8-4 in the 1st . The Bobcats took control of the opening face-off in the 2nd period, marched into the Beaver zone, and promptly scored in just twelve seconds. The goal came after Davis made the initial save but was unable to cover the rebound.  Athens continued to pressure the Beavers, but Creek Goalie Davis was able to thwart a 2 on 1 rush with a save.  Creek was able to muster some modest offense when the 1st line penetrated the Bobcats zone.  Consecutive icing calls on Athens allowed Matt Green to get a good shot on goal but could not find the back of the Bobcat net.  Creek thwarted another 2 on 1 rush with good defense from Adam Baldwin and a save by Davis.  The 2nd line turned the tables on Athens with three consecutive shots, but again, the Bobcat Netminder rejected all of them.  At seven minutes fifteen seconds expired in the 2nd, a costly mental mistake resulted in the second Athens goal.  A Creek Defenseman made an ill-advised pass into the slot that was intercepted by a Bobcat and drilled deep into the Creek net to put Athens up 2-1.  Just twenty-five seconds later, a second mistake in the slot would give Athens their third goal of the period.  Bobcat fore-checking resulted in a turnover and a shot from the slot that put Athens up 3-1 with 7:40 expired in the 2nd.  Creek survived a close call when Davis rejected several shots with a flurry of activity in his crease.  Back to back Athens penalties at 9:28 and 10:22 gave Creek a 5 on 3 Power Play for 67 seconds.  A Power Outage ensued as Creek was unable to generate any sort of scoring opportunity in the 5 on 3 or the ensuing man-up advantage.  Two simultaneous Creek Penalties with one minute thirty five seconds remaining gave Athens a 5 on 3 of their own.  The Creek Penalty Kill team had some initial success when Davis made the save and Green cleared the rebound, but Athens kept the pressure with a good break-out into the  Creek zone.  After some good puck movement, the Bobcats put the puck on net and Davis made the initial save, but the Athens attackers crashed the net and jammed one of the rebounds past the Creek goalie with thirty-six seconds remaining in the 2nd.  Athens four unanswered goals allowed them to take a 4-1 lead into the locker room.  The Bobcat offensive attack out-shot Creek 17-4 in the 2nd period.  The third period opened with Athens on a short twenty-five second power play. Creek was able to kill the penalty, but Athens continued to put pressure on the Creek defenders during the first eight minutes of the third period.  An Athens penalty with 8:12 expired in the 3rd gave Creek a great opportunity to get back in the game.  The Creek Power Play showed some organization with good puck movement, but were not able to convert the rotation into shots on goal.  After killing the penalty, the Athens offense sprung to life over the next several minutes but Creek netminder Davis rejected their scoring chances.  A Creek penalty with 2:59 remaining put Athens on the Power Play.  Davis made two consecutive saves off face-offs.  Aggressive play by the Creek Penalty Kill team forced the Bobcats to take a interference penalty with 1:25 remaining in the game.  A twenty-seven second 4 on 4 yielded resulted in a lot of back and forth but not scoring opporunities.  With thirty-three seconds remaining and Creek on the Power Play, Mike Mazza grabbed the puck and skated into the Bobcat zone.  Mazza cut across the slot and backhanded the puck into the Bobcat net to close the margin.  The game ended with Athens up 4-2 an out-shooting the Beavers 37-11.
 

Game Summary

 

1st Period

2nd Period

3rd Period

Total
Athens 0 4 0 4
Creek 1 4 1 2

 

Beavercreek Scoring Summary

Period

Goal

1st Assist

2nd Assist

 

 
1 Green Stout   Even  
3 Mazza     Power Play  

 

Goaltending Summary 

 

SOG

Saves

Save %

 

 
Athens 11 9 81.8

 

 
Davis 37 33 89.2

 

 

________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Oakville Turns Up The Heat In 3rd To Seal Victory
The third round of the Frozen Creek Tournament afforded the Beavercreek Beavers the opportunity to play the Oakville Trafalgar Red Devils from Ontario, Canada.  The first several minutes were spent in the Creek zone with Creek netminder Dann recording the first save. Consecutive Oakville penalties at 2:50 and 3:44 gave Creek a golden opportunity with a sixty-six second 5 on 3.  The Oakville Penalty Kill responded with consecutive clears that bled off the the remainder of the first penalty.  Some good puck movement from Josh Weideling to Matt Green freed up Adam Baldwin for a shot from the point, but the Red Devil goalie was able to make the save.  A clear off the ensuing face-off ended the Creek Power Play.   With the return to full strength, the Oakville offense went to work.  Creek manage to ice the puck while netminder Dann staved off several good shots from Red Devil attackers over three minutes in the middle of the 1st period.  The Creek Offense would turn the table on Oakville about eight minutes into the 1st when Beau Slater, Ben Steinhauer, and Mike Mazza would make a good rush down the ice into the Red Devil zone.  After a line change Kyle Cochran's hard work enabled him to feed Sean Denny at the blueline for a shot.  The Oakville netminder turned the attempt away and the Red Devils broke out of their zone.  Another Creek line change put fresh legs on the ice.  Kyle Stout moved the puck out of the zone onto the tape of Weideling's stick.  Weideling put a shot on goal that forced the Oakville netminder to cover the puck.  Creek was able to control the next face-off and get the puck out to Denny at the blueline.  His long shot was mishandled by the Oakville goalie, but no Creek attacker were near the net to scoop up the rebound.  An Oakville interference penalty with twenty-seven seconds left in the period gave Creek a late power play but the Beavers were unable to find the net.  The score was knotted 0-0 after the 1st with Oakville holding a 10-6 shot on goal advantage.  Creek opened the 2nd on the power play, but did not muster much of an attack.  Another Oakville penalty just one minute thirty-three seconds into the 2nd would extend the Creek power play.  Oakville sprung free into the Beaver zone, but Zack Noble provided good defense that resulted in a weak shorthanded attempt.  A Beaver hooking penalty 2:34 into the 2nd, ended the Creek power play to setup a fifty-six second 4 on 4 followed by an Oakville power play.  The next four minutes was all Red Devil offense.  Creek netminder Dann recorded at least seven saves during the onslaught.  A second Creek penalty, after the first expired, extended the Oakville power play.  Despite excellent puck movement on their power play, the Red Devils were unable to get the puck past Dann.  Pavi Kullar made a good poke check to stymie the Red Devil attack.  After successful back to back penalty kills, Creek managed a 2 on 1 when Brandon Sheffer moved the puck Green who moved into the Oakville zone with Stout.  Green's pass to Stout was a little too hot to handle, but their rush earned Creek a face-off in the Oakville zone.  Steinhauer and Mazza combined to get a good scoring attempt that rebounded off the Oakville goalie but was soon covered.  Oakville won the next face-off and broke-out of the zone.  A Red Devil attacked cut unchecked across the slot and hit a backhand shot high on the stick side into the Creek net to Oakville a 1-0 lead 8:21 into the 2nd period.  The goal sparked the Oakville offense, but Dann recovered and made several saves over the next three minutes.   The Red Devil momentum was killed with they were whistled for interference with 3:18 remaining, then at 2:44 remaining for hooking.  The penalties set Creek up with a one minute forty-nine second 5 on 3.  After an initial clear by the Red Devils,  Creek was able to setup in the Oakville zone and get long shots from the point by Denny and Adam Baldwin.  Both were rejected and the rebounds were cleared away from the net by Oakville defenders.  A Creek slashing penalty ended the 5 on 3.  The balance of the 2nd was played 4 on 4 with neither team mounting a threat.  Creek had to feel good going into the locker room having been out shot 13-3 in the 2nd, but being down only 1-0. Oakville started the 3rd on a one minute thirteen second power play.  The Red Devils took the game straight to the Beavers who had yet to get their legs back under them after returning from the locker room.  Creek managed to kill the penalty, but Oakville was still in the zone hammering the puck at netminder Dann.  After several rebounds were left in front of the net, the Red Devils finally managed to convert for the 2-0 lead just 1:36 into the 3rd period.  Creek showed some spark over the next three minutes.  Mazza made a good play to hold the puck in the Oakville zone.  Slater and Steinhauer followed his lead with some aggressive play.  Stout made a 1 on1 rush into the Oakville zone.  Unfortunately, Creek could not convert any of these opportunities into goals.  Oakville turned the puck around with a long pass out to center ice to hit a streaking attacker.  The Red Devil forward shredded the Creek Defense to get a clear breakaway and with some nice stickhandling put the puck into the Creek net for the 3-0 lead with eight minutes expired in the 3rd.  The Red Devils kept the pressure on, but Pavi Kullar played solid defense to take away a 2 on 1 less than a minute later.  Oakville kept on coming and their aggressive play paid off again when an attacker came free in close and sniped a shot high into the net for a 4-0 lead with 4:54 remaining in the 3rd.  The only answer the Beavers had was to ice the puck and rely on netminder Dann to make saves on consecutive scoring attempts by the Red Devils.  Good puck movement and an effective screen in front of the net allowed a slap shot from the high slot to find the back of the Creek net to put Oakville up 5-0 with 2:22 remaining.  Kullar managed a long shot on goal from outside the blueline to keep the Oakville netminder honest, but the Creek offense was unable to solve the Red Devil defense.  Shots on goal went to Oakville by a huge 37-11 margin.  
 

Game Summary

 

1st Period

2nd Period

3rd Period

Total
Oakville 0 1 4 5
Creek 0 0 0 0

 

Beavercreek Scoring Summary

Period

Goal

1st Assist

2nd Assist

 

 

 None
 

Goaltending Summary 

 

SOG

Saves

Save %

 

 
Oakville 11 11 100.0

 

 
Dann 37 32 86.5

 

 

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Seesaw Battle Ends in Troy Favor

Beavercreek found themselves in the Fifth Place Consolation Game by virtue of losing the tiebreaker to Athens on head-to-head competition.  The game would pit Creek against a familiar SWOHSHL foe Troy for the early Sunday morning battle.  Troy waster no time penetrating the Creek zone and getting a shot on goal from the point that Creek Netminder Eddie Davis turned away.  Creek managed to turn the puck around after the face-off and get an opportunity of their own in the Troy zone.  The action went back and forth for the first half of the 1st period. A Troy penalty at 6:22 of the 1st put Creek on the power play.  Pavi Kullar and Mike Mazza put shots on goal during the power play, but could not convert into goals.  Just after the power play expired, Troy missed a golden scoring opportunity when Davis stoned a Trojan attacker on a breakaway.  A second Troy penalty at 8:59 of the 2nd put the Beavers back on the power play.  Unfortunately, Creek was unable to get the offense going and the man advantage was ultimately cut short by a Creek penalty for holding.  When the Troy penalty expired, Creek was forced into penalty kill mode and netminder Davis responded with a nice save.  A Beaver slashing penalty at 11:43 provided Troy with a fifty-four second 5 on 3.  Creek made a clear off the initial face-off to buy some time.  Troy penetrated the Creek zone with a 1 on 1, but Davis turned away the shot.  Sean Denny made a good clear to kill time off the 5 on 4 advantage. Following the clear, Troy was able to setup in the Creek zone and move the puck around with a well organized power play.  Davis made a fine save after a Troy attacker received the puck right in front of his crease.  The Creek offense had one good rush stymied by offsides.  Creek netminder Davis made two saves in the final ten seconds to hold the game scoreless after the 1st.  Troy maintained a lopsided shots on goal advantage of 12-2 after the 1st.  An early 2nd period breakaway by a Creek forward was stoned by the Troy netminder.  The attempt gave Creek the early 2nd period momentum, but they were not able to mount a credible scoring threat.  Troy regained their composure to keep the game on a even ground.  The back and forth play continued until about ten minutes left in the  2nd.  Troy penetrated the Creek zone with a 2 on 1 and converted when a good pass allowed the 2nd Troy attacker to put the puck into the Creek net high on the stick side with 5:05 expired in the 2nd.  Creek stepped up the physical play when Denny made big check to thwart the a Trojan attacker.   Jacob Stone  and Kyle Stout combined to work the puck to get Creek a scoring opportunity.  Stone hit a slapshot from the high slot that the Troy netminder was bale to control.  Troy had some good opportunities of their own.  A breakaway was thwarted when Davis covered just enough of the net and forced the Troy attacker to hit the post on the shot.  A Troy 1 on 1 was broken up with good defense by Denny.  With about six minutes remaining in the 2nd, Adam Baldwin and Kyle Cochran were able to move the puck into the Troy zone and get a shot on goal.  Troy turned the save back around to get a shot on goal of the own.  Matt Green won the ensuing face-off and Kullar started a successful break-out play.  Kyle Stout put the shot on goal that the Troy goalie did not cover.  Green put the rebound high into the Troy net on the stick side to tie the game 1-1 with 4:19 remaining in the 2nd period.  Credit Stout and Kullar with assists on the even strength goal.  The goal did not faze Troy as their offense went to work forcing Davis to make several saves over the next three minutes.  The pressure would pay off when a Troy attacker penetrated the Creek zone 1 on 1, cut across the slot, and sent a backhander low between the pads and the post to give Troy a 2-1 lead with just seventeen seconds left in the 2nd.  Creek managed to narrow the shots on goal margin in the 2nd, but were still out-shot 12-10 by Troy in the 2nd period.  The Creek offense seemed to start fast in the 3rd period by getting the first shot on goal within the first minute.  A Troy penalty with 1:41 expired gave Creek a power play.  The Creek attack had some trouble getting started but were eventually able to get a face-off in the Troy zone with fifty-nine seconds remaining in the power play.  Mazza won the face-off and Kullar held the puck in the Creek zone.  Kullar made the pass to his defensive partner Sean Denny who hit the slapshot from the point.  Mazza and Beau Slater provided a screen in front of the net that allowed Ben Steinhauer to put the rebound low inside the post on the glove side to even the game at 2-2 with 2:50 expired in the 3rd.  Credit the power play goal to Steinhauer from Denny and Kullar.  Creek kept the pressure on Troy when Mazza supplied a big hit on a Troy defender.  The Mazza-Slater-Steinhauer line was able to get a good shot.  The 1st line of Green-Stout-Weideling followed up with a good shift of their own and a scoring opportunity.  A 2nd line returned to the ice with a 3 on2 rush into the Troy zone.  This time Slater converted the Steinhauer pass into the go ahead goal to put Creek up 3-2 with 5:54 remaining in the game. The euphoria was short-lived.  Creek dodged the initial bullet when an apparent Troy goal was waived off as the Troy attackers pounced on the loose puck in front of the Creek net with 5:19 remaining.  Troy kept the pressure on and converted a rebound into the game tying goal with 4:51 remaining.  Creek was able to get a scoring opportunity when Denny held the puck in the Troy zone and Weideling made he pass to Green.  Kullar was able to get a shot on goal.  Troy sprung to life with a 2 on 1 during a line change.  Adam Baldwin provided the defense to force the Troy attack away from the crease, but the Troy forward was able to put a backhander on net.  Creek netminder Davis made a sprawling dive back across the crease to cover the puck before it reached the goal line.  It looked as though Creek had avoided disaster.  However, they were unable to control the ensuing face-off.  A Troy forward cut across the slot and hit his winger with a pass charging the net from behind.  The Troy winger one-timed the puck over the glove inside the post to put Troy up 4-3 with 2:43 remaining.  Two good scoring attempts by Creek in the final ninety seconds were rejected by the Troy goalie earning his team the win and the 5th Place in the Frozen Creek Tournament.  3rd period shots on goal were almost even:  Troy 13 Creek 11.  Total shots on goal for the game went to Troy on the basis of the big1st period  37-23.
 

Game Summary

 

1st Period

2nd Period

3rd Period

Total
Troy 0 2 2 4
Creek 0 1 2 3

 

Beavercreek Scoring Summary

Period

Goal

1st Assist

2nd Assist

 

 
2 Green Stout Kullar Even  
3 Steinhauer Kullar Denny Power Play

 
3 Slater Steinhauer   Even  

 

Goaltending Summary 

 

SOG

Saves

Save %

 

 
Troy 23 20 87.0

 

 
Davis 37 33 89.2

 

 

________________________________________________________________________________________________

Whitmer Holds Creek Off for 3-1 Win

The Beavers squared off against Whitmer Panthers on December 1 at the Toledo Ice House for the first of two games on the road in Toledo.  The Panthers set the tone early by taking the opening face-off into the Creek zone and getting the first shot.  Creek responded with a penetration into the Whitmer zone but despite a diving attempt by Matt Green they could not record a shot on goal.   A line change later Creek worked the puck in the Beaver zone but still could not get a look at the net.  A Whitmer forward took control and skated end-to-end and took a shot the Creek netminder Dann blocked over the glass.  After a short clear out to center ice, the Panthers spent the next two minutes moving the puck around the Creek zone.  The Panthers continued to control the pace of the game earning consecutive face-offs in the Beaver zone during the first six minutes of the game.  Creek Goalie Dann recorded at least five solid saves.  A Whitmer penalty for interference at 6:33 of the 1st looked to kill their offensive momentum and marked the first face-off in the Whitmer zone in six minutes.  Following a Whitmer clear, their fore-checking team created a shorthanded 2 on 1 but the Panther fore-checker elected to shoot rather than pass.  Netminder Dann had a clear view of the puck and turned away the shot. The Creek power play expired without a serious threat to the Panther goal. An icing call on Creek put the face-off back in their zone.  Creek's 2nd line made a brief penetration into the Whitmer zone, but is was quickly cleared and play returned to the Creek zone.  Dann continued to play solid in net while Whitmer took shooting practice.  The Creek 1st line stepped up the energy when Matt Green put a good hit on a Panther along the boards and Zach Noble forced an errant pass that found the tape of Kyle Stout's stick.  Stout moved the puck end-to-end and put the on the Panther goal.  Green slid into the goalie in an attempt to create a loose puck.  Josh Weideling stepped up his physical play with a hit in the offensive zone. Creek seemed to be on the offensive, but Whitmer regained their legs and forced play in the Creek zone.  A Panther forward picked up a loose puck in the Whitmer zone, skated across center ice, and put a long shot on net that Dann turned away.  Creek was unable to clear the puck allowing the Panthers to get it deep into the Creek zone.  A shot from the Panthers just outside the crease resulted in a flurry in front of the Creek net forcing Dann to cover the puck.  Whitmer was able to control the face-off and get another good scoring chance from the slot.  Creek netminder Dann turned away the backhander and the Creek defense was able to clear the puck albeit for icing.  Pavi Kullar controlled the puck off the face-off and brought it out the Creek zone.  Whitmer was able to clear the puck back to center, but the Creek 1st line quickly returned it to the Panther zone.  Kyle Stout hit Green with a pass but Green's one-timer went wide of the net.  Kullar was able to hold the puck in the zone and Green corralled a loose puck near the boards.  He sent a sizzling pass to Stout at the back door, but the Panther keeper batted the puck away.  A Whitmer forward picked up the loose puck and skated into the Beaver zone with three defenders marking his way.  The initial shot attempt was blocked, but the Panther recovered the puck and sent a sharp angle shot at the Creek net that found its way between the Creek goalies skate and post to put Whitmer up 1-0 with 1:28 remaining in the 1st period.  The 2nd line made a effort to control the puck in the Whitmer zone, but the Panthers eventually broke the puck out and quickly skated the puck into the Beaver zone and put a shot on goal that netminder Dann gloved.  With thirty four seconds remaining, the 1st line returned to the ice, Sean Denny made two good defensive plays to break the puck out, but the offense could not connect.  The first period shots on goal were a lopsided 17-6 in favor of the Panthers.  Despite begin out-shot, superior goaltending allowed the Beavers to go to the locker room down only 1-0.   The Beavers needed to change the momentum of the game in the 2nd period, but the Panthers had a different idea.  The first two minutes were mostly played in the Creek zone with Dann forced to make some early saves on shots from in close.  The Panthers seemed content to keep shooting even if many of their shots would sail wide.  They used their speed and strength to get to loose pucks and move it back deep into the Beaver zone.  Denny continued to play solid defense breaking up plays with a poke-check of the puck on two occasions with a one minute span.  Kullar showed his speed & stick-handling by skating the puck out of the Creek zone across center ice and hitting it deep into the Panther zone.  Unfortunately, the Panthers tracked the puck down and broke it out of their zone with relative ease over the first five minutes of the 2nd period.  Dann made a good save on a pass backhanded into the slot then one-timed by a waiting Panther forward.  Noble broke up a pass into the slot with a nice poke check.  Creek goalie Dann showed his quick reactions by blocking a shot from the edge of the right face-off circle then sliding to the left post to cover a wraparound shot by the Panther attacker that tracking down the rebound.   With five minutes expired in the period, Whitmer had put at least five shots on goal while Creek had yet to test the Panther netminder.  The ensuing face-off spelled disaster for Creek.  Whitmer controlled the puck out to the left point, sent a pass across to the open left point, then hit slapshot on net that Dann blocked, but the rebound came out to the right and a Whitmer forward slapped it into the back of the net between the glove and the post.  The Panthers had a 2-0 lead with 5:05 expired in the 2nd period. After some end-end action that failed to yield any shots for Creek, Whitmer continued to play a similar game - control the puck in the Creek zone find and pass to the open man at the point, then shoot.  Fortunately for Creek, netminder Dann was on to their game and on his game - consistently trapping the shots for face-offs.  Creek finally seemed to get a break when the Panthers were whistled for cross-checking 6:43 into the 2nd period.   The first forty five seconds of the power play did not go well, but Creek kept working and Green broke free with the puck across center ice and into the Panther zone with Stout.  The Panther goalie made a nice play at the top of his crease to break-up the pass just as Stout arrived at the far post.  While the Beavers recorded their first shot on goal of the 2nd, a completed pass would most certainly have resulted in pay dirt.  Whitmer cleared the rebound into the Beavers zone.  The next rush into the Whitmer zone was broken up by a Panther defender laying on the ice blocking a close in shot from Beau Slater.   Kullar again showed his speed in getting the puck out of the Creek zone, across center ice, and into the Whitmer zone.   Whitmer was able to gain control, clear the zone, then get a face-off when Creek made an offsides pass.  Creek was able to win the face-off and get the puck into the Panther zone for the final fifteen seconds of the power play plus more.  Denny was able to get a hard slapshot on net from the top of the slot, but the Panther goalie blocked it.  Whitmer was able to clear the long rebound.  The small amount of Creek momentum was killed by a cross-checking penalty at 9:33 of the 2nd period.  The Panther power play put on an impressive display by holding the puck in the zone for one minute twenty seconds while recording six shot attempts with three making it on goal.  The Beaver penalty kill team was equal to the task by blocking three of the attempts and Dann turned away the rest in usual fashion. After the clear, Steinhauer and Slater momentarily held the Panthers up with some fore-checking, but when the Whitmer forward broke free he skated through the defense to go one on one with Dann.  The Creek netminder made a key pad save on the shot from right at the top of the crease. Whitmer was unfazed and moved the puck out to the point and returned a shot that Denny blocked before it reached Dann.  Slater was able to tie up the puck on the boards at the point to kill of the remaining penalty time.  The Panthers continued to pressure Creek in their zone forcing a turnover that resulted in another good scoring attempt averted by the goaltender's best friend - the post.  Creek was able to make a couple late period penetrations into the Whitmer zone, but did not get a real good look at the net.  A Creek penalty for interference put the Panthers on the power play for the last one minute fourteen seconds of the 2nd period.  The Creek penalty kill team held off the Whitmer attack to hold the deficit at 2-0 at the end of the second.  Creek was badly out shot 12-2 in the second period and 29-8 for the game.  Whitmer opened the 3rd period with a forty seven second power play.  The Panthers worked the puck into the Creek zone quickly and recorded their first shot on goal in the first fifteen seconds.  After a face-off, play continued in the Creek zone with the Panthers showing some good puck movement.  This action would pay-off as they picked up a loose puck behind the net and centered it to an open man standing in the slot for the on-timer into the net behind Dann.  Whitmer held a 3-0 lead just fifty five seconds into the third period.  A Creek penalty with 3:09 expired in the 3rd stymied any chance of mounting offense.  The penalty kill team and Netminder Dann held off the Panther power play for the third consecutive time. A Whitmer penalty 6:44 into the 3rd penalty gave Creek a big opportunity to get back in the game.  Green created a nice opportunity at the left edge of the creased, but missed high and right.  Kullar hit a slap shot from the top of the left face-off circle that was saved with the Creek attackers fighting for the rebound. Unfortunately, the power play team could not connect.  Whitmer's penetrations into the Creek zone were ineffective.  Kyle Cochran blocked a shot from the point and Brandon Sheffer put a body on an attacker skating across the slot.  Netminder Dann continued to do his part by covering the puck.  As the power play finished Eddie Davis was able to put a shot on goal that forced the Panther netminder to glove the puck.  The whistle also resulted in another Whitmer penalty with 4:12 remaining that sparked another ray for hope for the visiting Beavers.  A good power play offensive sequence followed.  Noble hit several shots from the point that provided some rebounds in front of the net. Again, the Creek attackers had tried, but just could not get a bounce to go their way.  Green put a backhand shot on net that rebounded off the Panther goalie.  Their aggressive play did force a third consecutive Whitmer penalty and Creek was awarded a forty-six second 5 on 3 with 2:57 remaining in the game. The 5 on 3 expired after several attempts to hold the puck in the Whitmer zone failed.   Baldwin made a nice poke check in a 1 on 1 duel with a Panther attacker.  The lone Creek goal would come late in the third period on the power play.  Baldwin took control of the puck in the Creek zone and hit Green with a pass as he neared center ice.  A burst of speed and a good move put Green past the Panther defender as he crossed the blue line.  Green hustled the puck down at the goal line and backhanded the puck into the slot.  Where a hard-charging Mazza one-timed the puck on the ice between the post and the pad of the sliding goaltender.  The goal was a well-earned treat that came as Creek rebounded for eleven shots in the 3rd to more than double their total for the previous two periods.  Creek played a solid third period even up with the Panthers.  In particular the offense garnered eleven shots on goal to the Panthers twelve.  Shots on goal for the game went to the Panthers in a lopsided margin of 42-19.
 

Game Summary

 

1st Period

2nd Period

3rd Period

Total
Creek 0 0 1 1
Whitmer 1 1 1 3

 

Beavercreek Scoring Summary

Period

Goal

1st Assist

2nd Assist

 

 
3 Mazza Green   Power Play  

 

Goaltending Summary 

 

SOG

Saves

Save %

 

 
Dann 42 39 92.9

 

 
Whitmer 19 18 94.7

 

 

________________________________________________________________________________________________

Creek Offensive Comes Alive for 7-4 Win Over Start

The second game of the Toledo road trip saw Creek face-off against Start High School Spartans on Sunday, December 2 at the Toledo Ice House.  A pleasant surprise was in store for the Faithful Creek Fans as a completely different Creek Offense would show up on the ice.  Creek was the aggressor from the outset getting their first shot on goal with the first thirty seconds of the game off the stick of Kyle Stout.  The 3rd line would get an early shot from Josh Hill off a break-out play from Sean Denny and Cody Leiher.  During the same shift, Adam Baldwin hit a slap shot from the point that Leiher re-directed towards the net, but an alert Spartan defender knocked puck away.  The Spartans would get their first shot on goal three minutes thirty seconds into the game from just outside the crease.  Creek goalie Eddie Davis turned the shot away with relative ease.  Creek fans tasted excitement early as Pavi Kullar fore-checked to trap the puck along the boards.  Mike Mazza came over to help out and kicked the puck out to center ice where Ben Steinhauer picked it up.  Steinhauer skated into the Start zone 2 on 1 with Mazza and made a sweet backhand drop to a trailing Mazza who put a wrist shot on goal.  A hustling Start defender knocked Mazza off his feet into the Start goal as Slater shot the loose puck high into the goal.  Unfortunately for Creek, the net had become dislodged and the goal was waived off.  Creek would get another good chance when Baldwin sent a pass to Defense partner Zach Noble who sent the puck to center ice for Josh Weideling.  Matt Green picked up the pass from Weideling and put a nice move on a Spartan defender to get loose in the Start zone and put the puck on net.  The Start goalie was able to cover the puck before Weideling could get to it.  Creek would get another shot on goal right off the face-off that the Start netminder gloved.  Davis would record his second save on shot from the left side just outside the crease.  A Spartan tripping penalty at 7:28 into the 1st gave Creek their first power play. Creek got off to a good start with Green centering a pass in front of the net but could not make the connection with Stout.  Noble received the puck at the point twice in a row the first shot was blocked by the defense, the second shot was on net.  Green picked up the loose puck at the left of the net, skated in to the top of the crease and put a shot on net.  Creek kept the puck in the zone and moved it around the zone looking for a shot but turned it over.  Creek recovered the puck puck and moved it back into the Start zone.  Noble received another pass from Green and shot the puck, Weideling tipped the puck wide of the net.   Green put a shot on goal near the end of the power play that the Spartan goalie covered.  The 2nd line came on for the final nine seconds of the man advantage.  Denny was able to get a shot from the point, but the Spartans were able to clear the puck and move up ice into the Creek zone.  Kullar blocked a long shot attempt by a Spartan.  Mazza hustled for the carom in the Creek zone and sent a pass into the slot, but could not connect with his linemates.  Baldwin skated the puck end to end working with the 3rd line.  The 4th line was able to get a scoring change when Denny broke the puck out from behind the net wit a pass to Kyle McClure who hit Tony Pugnale along the boards.  Pugnale skated the puck into the Spartan zone and put a shot on net that the goalie blocked but initially failed to cover, but then recovered and froze the puck.  The ensuing face-off was won by the 1st line but the rebound on the shot from the high slot was controlled by Start.  The Spartans moved the puck into the Beaver zone and setup their offense with some good puck movement.  Creek briefly seized control of the puck, but a Start takeaway lead to a pass out to the high slot.  With a good screen setup in front of the Creek goalie, the defenseman high a slap shot that found the back of the net to put Start up 1-0 with 2:56 remaining in the first.  Twenty seconds later Creek would answer back when Denny hit Beau Slater with a pass at the blueline but the Start fore-check broke up the play.  Joey Ives sent the puck into the Start zone where a Spartan defender controlled the puck.  Mazza stormed in and put a a hit on the defender, took the puck, skated in on the goalie and put a shot on net.  The puck rebounded off the Start goalie, but Mazza hit it again, and it rebound off the goalie.  The third (or fourth) attempt did the trick as Mazza was able to force the puck past the Start keeper to knot the game at one with 2:36 left in the 1st.  About a minute later Davis made a nice save on a shot from the left side to keep the game tied.  Creek looked for the go ahead goal in the last thirty seconds when Kullar and Green teamed up to get a shot, but could not find the net.  Creek peppered the Spartan goalie with fifteen shots in the 1st period while only allowing five shots on their goal.  The Beavers continued their aggressive played into the 2nd period.  The 1st line was able to penetrate the Start zone and get two good scoring opportunities on their first shift of the period.  The 2nd line and 3rd lines repeated their teammates success with forages into the Start zone and shots on goal, but could not put the puck away.  A Spartan penalty 4:22 into the 2nd period looked to give Creek the go ahead goal.  Right off the face-off Steinhauer was able to get the puck out to Kullar whose shot was a near miss but ended up ricocheting off the boards and ultimately out of the zone.   The Start Defense made a good play with a blocked shot and a clear.  the best scoring opportunity came when Green found Weideling in front of the net at the end of the advantage.  Weideling put the puck high, but just over the cross bar and it landed on top of the net.  The 3rd line came on and was able to get in and hold the Start zone.  Josh Hill hit a good shot that rebounded high of the goalie.  The 4th line came on and continued the pressure on the Spartan goal.  Rich Davis hit Tony Pugnale with a pass, Pugnale skated into the Spartan zone and put a shot on goal, then scooped up the rebound and put it on net too.  Start took a penalty with 6:13 remaining in the 2nd, but was able to clear the zone on the face-off.  An icing call put the face-off back in the Creek aone with 1:36 reminaing in the penalty.  Green skated the puck into the Start zone and put a nice hard shot on net.  The rebound was controlled by Creek.  Baldwin controlled the puck at the blueline on a failed clearing attempt by Start.  Baldwin passed low to Green who centered the puck to Noble charging from the point to the far post for the one-timer into the net.  The power play goal came with 5:16 remaining in the 2nd to put the Beavers up 2-1.  On the following shift Mazza and Steinhauer both had scoring chances that were stopped by the Spartan goalie.  The 3rd line came on and looked to keep the pressure on.  Baldwin skated the puck end to end, cut across the slot and put it on net.  The rebound came out into the slot and the Start defense missed the clear.  Hill pounced on the rebound and put it over the prone Start goalie to give Creek the 3-1 lead with 3:53 remaining   Creek took a penalty ten seconds later to give Start a chance to get baclk in the game.  A failed clear gave Start a good scoring chance form the point that Davis stopped, then sprawled across to the far post to block the rebound. Mazza won the face-off back to Noble who hit the puck up the boards.  Mazza stole the puck at the blueline and had a clear breakaway but was hooked down just over the blueline, but inexplicable was not awarded a penalty shot.  The hooking penalty at 3:14 remaining setup a 4 on 4 for one minute thirty two seconds.  Creek controlled the puck for the first minute of the 4 on 4 and was bale to get two shots on goal.  Start made one penetration into the Creek zone and put a shot on net from the left edge of the right face-off circle that Davis blocked into the corner.   After a clear, the Spartans came right back into the Creek zone and were able to get a quality scoring chance from the left side at the top of the crease, but Creek netminder Davis stayed solid in net.  Start had gained the offensive momentum and made another foray into the Creek zone with under thirty seconds left in the 2nd.  Again, Davis stopped the Start shot, but Creek was whistled for interference with 9.3 seconds left.   Start won the face-off and got an immediate shot from the point that Davis covered with 5.8 seconds remaining.  The Start Coach made a bold move to pull the goalie in favor of the extra attacker. The move paid off as the Spartans won the face-off bacl to the point, the shot rebounded off Davis' pads and a waiting Start attacker put the puck into the Creek net to make the score 3-2 at the end of 2nd period.  Creek won the second period shots on goal battle 13-9.   Start came out in the 3rd period and immediately put pressure on Creek.  Davis covered the puck for face-off twenty-three seconds into period.  The Spartans won the face-off out to the high slot and hit a slapshot through traffic that went in the net between the post and the stick side with twenty-seven seconds expired in the 3rd.  Start's second unanswered goal within thirty five seconds tied the game at 3-3.  Creek needed a spark to get back in the game. The 4th line would provide the answer.  After a face-off in the Start zone, Pugnale chased the puck down behind the net, and dropped a pass to Rich Davis in the slot.  Davis shot rebounded off the goalie.  A flurry ensued in front of the net where Davis, Pugnale, and Kyle McClure would fight for the puck.  Ultimately, McClure seized control and made room at the far post with a toe drag to a flip shot into the net for his first varsity goal and a 4-3 Creek leave with 1:39 expired in the third.  Mazza had a good backhand on net from the top of the crease, but the Start goalie had a clear view and made a good save.  Noble hit a shot from the point that was blocked into the corner by the Start keeper.  The Spartans responded with a offensive rush that ended with a shot on goal covered by Davis for the face-off.   Kullar skated the puck into the Start zone and handed off to Stout.  As Stout went to the net, a Spartan defender tripped him to give Creek a power play 5:45 into the 3rd period.  The 2nd line came on and displayed good puck movement on the power play.  Mazza played the puck out of the corner to Noble at the point. Noble's shot was captured and redirected by Slater, but was blocked by a defender.  Slater recovered and wheeled around with a pass to Steinhauer waiting at the lower edge of the right face-off circle.  Steinhauer roofed the puck over the glove into Start net for the 5-3 lead with 6:13 expired in the 3rd.  A holding penalty with o Creek at 6:51 expired temporarily stifled the Creek momentum.  Davis made a sliding pad save when a Start attacker that was camped out in the slot received a pass a loose Spartan attacker allowed to skate behind the Creek net.   Just after the penalty expired, Stout picked the puck up along the boards and hit it out to center ice where Mazza picked it up and skated unchecked across the blueline.  Mazza lasered a snap shot from the right face-off dot through the five hole on the Start goalie for the 6-3 lead with 9:01 expired in the 3rd. Creek continued to pressure the Spartans.  Mazza dug the puck out along the boards and backhanded a pass to Kullar who skated it out of the zone across center ice and into the Start zone.  Meanwhile Mazza and Davis had beaten the defense down the ice to give Creek a 3-0 with three Spartans nipping at their heels.  Kullar passed the puck to Mazza in the slot who tipped the puck into the net for the 7-3 lead with 4:05 remaining in the game.  Mazza's goal gave him a hat trick and four points for the game.  Start would end the string of Creek goals with one of their own with 3:19 remaining to close the margin to 7-4.  Shots on goal for the 3rd period went to Creek 16-6 and 44-20 for the game.  The offensive burst and victory ended a four game slide for the Beavers.
 

Game Summary

 

1st Period

2nd Period

3rd Period

Total
Creek 1 2 4 7
Start 1 1 2 4

 

Beavercreek Scoring Summary

Period

Goal

1st Assist

2nd Assist

 

 
1 Mazza     Even  
2 Noble Green Stout Power Play  
2 Hill Leiher Cochran Even  
3 McClure Pugnale Davis, R Even  
3 Steinhauer Slater Mazza Power Play  
3 Mazza Stout   Even  
3 Mazza Kullar   Even  

 

Goaltending Summary 

 

SOG

Saves

Save %

 

 
Davis, E 20 16 80.0