Monday, July 25, 2011
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Bombers Take Rubber Match with Red Dogs-Win Playoff Quarterfinal
Behind a solid game in net from Bobby Wolfe and timely scoring by Mark Bochner, John Zimnoch and Eric Hoyer the Bombers were able to take the rubber match against the Red Dogs by a 4-1 score. More importantly the storied franchise advances in the playoffs to play the Spartans on Wednesday at the Bridgewater Sports Arena.
After going down 1-0 with 2:40 remaining in the first, the Bombers fleet of foot sniper, Mark Bochner, took matters into his own hand stealing the puck from an unsuspecting Dog, scoring to tie the game a mere 8 seconds later. One more goal in the second and two in the third gave the Bombers a lead that would not be tested.
The Bombers welcome their high energy fan support for the semifinal game on Wednesday. Plenty of good seats still available.
State Electric Power Performers of the game:
1st Star:
Bobby Wolfe 21 saves on 22 shots
2nd Star:
John Zimnoch 2g
3rd Star:
Mark Bochner 1g
Bomber Box Score:
Goals:
Zimnoch (8,9)
Hoyer' (16)
M. Bochner (12)
Assists:
Junior
Bombers Lose Finale
The Bombers lost the final game of the spring season to the Red Dogs with a short bench. Score you say? 5-1. On the playoffs.
Monday, July 18, 2011
Bomber-7 Overcome Short Bench, Breakthrough in 3rd
by Junior Staff Reporter: J.R. Puphnstuph
On the heels of a dissapointing and shorthanded shootout loss to the Red Dogs just two nights earlier, the Bombers faced an equally daunting task, as they took to the ice versus the Smoke with just 7 skaters. Behind a stalwart defense, featuring Super Star John Zimnoch and Brian Kostrowski, the Bombers held the Smoke to just four goals despite being at a severe disadvantage in manpower. Josh Burke backstopped the Bombers to an impressive 7-4 victory.
Leading a balanced scoring effort, John Zimnoch tallied three goals, opening the scoring in the first and sealing the victory with an empty net goal to cap off his hat trick. Mark "Little Lupe" Poltorak chipped in two goals of his own, while both Jean Eric Hoyer and Mike Gilbert Jr. finished with a goal and two assists each.
The story of the game, though, was the resilient and all 'all hands on deck' attitude of the Bomber Hockey organization. Despite playing with just two extra skaters, the Bombers managed to dominate and out-hustle the Smoke for long stretches of the game. A clearly bewildered Smoke skater was heard saying, "They just have too much talent".
The Smoke went with the game plan of dump and chase, forcing the Bomber defenseman Zimnoch and Kostrowski to make long trips back to their zone. Clearly an attempt at tiring out the shorthanded Bombers, this method gave them an early advantage on a shot that appeared to catch Bomber goalie Josh Burke a bit flat-footetd. Skating to Burke's left, the Smoke player Hands O'Toolihan fired a shot that beat the Bomber keeper. This seemed to awaken Burke, though, and the Bombers' offense.
Taking a feed from Jr. Puff & Stuff, John Zimnoch tallied to even the score. Just minutes later, off a slick defensive maneuver in the neutral zone by Brian Kostrowski, the puck landed on the stick of Jean Eric Hoyer. In tight traffic, Hoyer was able to push the puck to Gilbert Jr., who fed the puck to a hustling Little Lupe. Just over the blue line, Poltorak drove a hard shot that eluded the Smoke goalie for a 2-1 Bomber lead.
Entering the second period, fatigue appeared to set in a bit for the Bombers, as the long shifts began to take their effect on the Bomber skaters. The Smoke tied the score midway through the period and then, off a missed shot, they took the lead as the puck caromed off the dasher board behind the goal, out front to a waiting Smoke player. Despite Josh Burke's efforts, the puck squirted through and gave the the Smoke their final lead of the evening at 3-2.
"At that point, we realized we were still very much in the game and needed to re-establish our game plan of outworking the Smoke", remarked Mark Poltorak, as he finished his post-game burrito. No further goals were scored in that second frame. A lengthy rest between the second and third periods seemed to help the Bombers, as the referees discussed nuclear physics near center ice. After agreeing to disagree - and after 8 minutes of discussion - play finally resumed.
In what seemed like a set play, the Bombers took control off of the opening faceoff, as Mark Bochner used his superior speed to elude two Smoke defenseman, cutting wide to the left of the goalie. A slight mishandling of the puck seemed to catch the Smoke defenders off guard, as Bochner recovered and fired a low, hard shot at the net. The Smoke goaltender made the initial save, but Mike Gilbert Jr. was standing there to immediately backhand in the rebound, as the Smoke defender lagged behind. This tally came just 21 seconds into the period.
The Bombers would take the lead for good just moments later, as Super Star John Zimnoch tallied his second goal of the game on a play that was a result of his own effort. Stealing the puck at mid-ice in the midst of a Bomber line change, Zimnoch skated around the Smoke defenseman and fired a low shot that beat the Smoke goaltender. The Bombers took a 4-3 lead, a lead which they would not relinquish. The Bombers scored again to push the Smoke deficit to two goals, as Little Lupe Poltorak took a feed from Jean Eric Hoyer and beat the goalie for his second of the night.
The Smoke pushed back, cutting the deficit to one with 9 minutes to go in the game. This was the closest they'd get, though, as Jean Eric Hoyer buried a goal off of a pass from Brian Kostrowski to restore the two goal Bomber lead. The Bombers even managed to kill off a Kostrowski penalty with just 2 minutes left in the game, as the defenseman was whistled for a 'X' checking penalty on a play that saved a would-be Smoke goal. With just 15 seconds left, off of a steal, Zimnoch finished the scoring with his third goal of the game on a long shot from the Bombers' own blue line that slid into the Smoke's vacated goal.
A rousing Bomber victory, with just one more game to go before the playoffs begin.
Game notes:
Josh Burke was seen after the game drinking girl beer.
Bill Auld was not available to play in this game, as he was visiting Mickey Mouse and Pluto.
Tony D'Anna, stashed on the injured reserve has resumed Flan de Coco preparation. He hopes to have desserts available by the end of July, though no clear timetable has been established for his return to the Bombers.
Bombers 3-Stars of the Game:
1 - John Zimnoch:3 goals, tough defense, 43 minutes of ice time
2 - Brian Kostrowski - Tough defense, an assist and played nearly the entire game
3 - Mark 'Little Lupe' Poltorak - 2 goals, Encouraging words on the bench in Spanish
Goals:
Zimnoch - (5,6,7)
Lupe - (4,5)
Hoyer - (14)
Gilbert, Jr. - (5)
Assists:
Hoyer - 2
Gilbert, Jr. - 2
Bochner - 2
Kostrowski - 1
On the heels of a dissapointing and shorthanded shootout loss to the Red Dogs just two nights earlier, the Bombers faced an equally daunting task, as they took to the ice versus the Smoke with just 7 skaters. Behind a stalwart defense, featuring Super Star John Zimnoch and Brian Kostrowski, the Bombers held the Smoke to just four goals despite being at a severe disadvantage in manpower. Josh Burke backstopped the Bombers to an impressive 7-4 victory.
Leading a balanced scoring effort, John Zimnoch tallied three goals, opening the scoring in the first and sealing the victory with an empty net goal to cap off his hat trick. Mark "Little Lupe" Poltorak chipped in two goals of his own, while both Jean Eric Hoyer and Mike Gilbert Jr. finished with a goal and two assists each.
The story of the game, though, was the resilient and all 'all hands on deck' attitude of the Bomber Hockey organization. Despite playing with just two extra skaters, the Bombers managed to dominate and out-hustle the Smoke for long stretches of the game. A clearly bewildered Smoke skater was heard saying, "They just have too much talent".
The Smoke went with the game plan of dump and chase, forcing the Bomber defenseman Zimnoch and Kostrowski to make long trips back to their zone. Clearly an attempt at tiring out the shorthanded Bombers, this method gave them an early advantage on a shot that appeared to catch Bomber goalie Josh Burke a bit flat-footetd. Skating to Burke's left, the Smoke player Hands O'Toolihan fired a shot that beat the Bomber keeper. This seemed to awaken Burke, though, and the Bombers' offense.
Taking a feed from Jr. Puff & Stuff, John Zimnoch tallied to even the score. Just minutes later, off a slick defensive maneuver in the neutral zone by Brian Kostrowski, the puck landed on the stick of Jean Eric Hoyer. In tight traffic, Hoyer was able to push the puck to Gilbert Jr., who fed the puck to a hustling Little Lupe. Just over the blue line, Poltorak drove a hard shot that eluded the Smoke goalie for a 2-1 Bomber lead.
Entering the second period, fatigue appeared to set in a bit for the Bombers, as the long shifts began to take their effect on the Bomber skaters. The Smoke tied the score midway through the period and then, off a missed shot, they took the lead as the puck caromed off the dasher board behind the goal, out front to a waiting Smoke player. Despite Josh Burke's efforts, the puck squirted through and gave the the Smoke their final lead of the evening at 3-2.
"At that point, we realized we were still very much in the game and needed to re-establish our game plan of outworking the Smoke", remarked Mark Poltorak, as he finished his post-game burrito. No further goals were scored in that second frame. A lengthy rest between the second and third periods seemed to help the Bombers, as the referees discussed nuclear physics near center ice. After agreeing to disagree - and after 8 minutes of discussion - play finally resumed.
In what seemed like a set play, the Bombers took control off of the opening faceoff, as Mark Bochner used his superior speed to elude two Smoke defenseman, cutting wide to the left of the goalie. A slight mishandling of the puck seemed to catch the Smoke defenders off guard, as Bochner recovered and fired a low, hard shot at the net. The Smoke goaltender made the initial save, but Mike Gilbert Jr. was standing there to immediately backhand in the rebound, as the Smoke defender lagged behind. This tally came just 21 seconds into the period.
The Bombers would take the lead for good just moments later, as Super Star John Zimnoch tallied his second goal of the game on a play that was a result of his own effort. Stealing the puck at mid-ice in the midst of a Bomber line change, Zimnoch skated around the Smoke defenseman and fired a low shot that beat the Smoke goaltender. The Bombers took a 4-3 lead, a lead which they would not relinquish. The Bombers scored again to push the Smoke deficit to two goals, as Little Lupe Poltorak took a feed from Jean Eric Hoyer and beat the goalie for his second of the night.
The Smoke pushed back, cutting the deficit to one with 9 minutes to go in the game. This was the closest they'd get, though, as Jean Eric Hoyer buried a goal off of a pass from Brian Kostrowski to restore the two goal Bomber lead. The Bombers even managed to kill off a Kostrowski penalty with just 2 minutes left in the game, as the defenseman was whistled for a 'X' checking penalty on a play that saved a would-be Smoke goal. With just 15 seconds left, off of a steal, Zimnoch finished the scoring with his third goal of the game on a long shot from the Bombers' own blue line that slid into the Smoke's vacated goal.
A rousing Bomber victory, with just one more game to go before the playoffs begin.
Game notes:
Josh Burke was seen after the game drinking girl beer.
Bill Auld was not available to play in this game, as he was visiting Mickey Mouse and Pluto.
Tony D'Anna, stashed on the injured reserve has resumed Flan de Coco preparation. He hopes to have desserts available by the end of July, though no clear timetable has been established for his return to the Bombers.
Bombers 3-Stars of the Game:
1 - John Zimnoch:3 goals, tough defense, 43 minutes of ice time
2 - Brian Kostrowski - Tough defense, an assist and played nearly the entire game
3 - Mark 'Little Lupe' Poltorak - 2 goals, Encouraging words on the bench in Spanish
Goals:
Zimnoch - (5,6,7)
Lupe - (4,5)
Hoyer - (14)
Gilbert, Jr. - (5)
Assists:
Hoyer - 2
Gilbert, Jr. - 2
Bochner - 2
Kostrowski - 1
Bombers drop second of home & home series to Red Dogs, in a 2-1 shootout loss
by Junior Staff Reporter J.R. Puphnstuph
What a difference once week makes! After the prior game's victory, the Bombers hoped to bring an equally balanced attack to the rink once again versus the Red Dogs. However, unlike the prior game, where the Bombers exploded for 6 goals, a more confident Red Dog goalie yielded just one goal, to Bomber centerman Dave Bochner. Fortunately for the Bombers, goalie Josh Burke was more than up to the task, despite selecting a decidedly off-kilter net to tend twice.
The teams traded second period goals, with the Bombers striking first on the goal by Bochner. Jimmy Lawson and Seargant Dave Smith aided in Bochner's tally. In a tight and physical game, the Bombers saw their lead evaporate not even 3 minutes later, as a loose rebound proved costly. No other tally was recorded for either side, as the game headed to the shootout after three periods of 1-1 hockey.
The Bombers, already with a depleted roster as many of their regulars were either tending to injuries, or attending town council meetings, found themselves even further depleted after a series of questionable calls on sniper Jimmy Lawson led to his early departure. The league mandated ejection occurred after Lawson defended himself from the 'Goons' of the Red Dogs. A clearly perturbed Lawson was sent to the showers after a particularly weak tripping call led to a skirmish and secondary roughing call and a 10 minute misconduct. After his fifth penalty, he was done. Hurtling an empty water bottle towards the ice, Lawson could be heard saying, "You're a joke" to the Red Dogs as he left the ice with a minute to go in the second period.
Despite playing down a man, the Bombers managed to keep the tie intact, though were unable to breakthrough on the Red Dog keeper in the final frame. Josh Burke was equally defiant and the Bombers headed to the shootout.
In what amounted to the longest shootout of their season, the Bombers had plenty of chances to take home a victory over the Red Dogs. Shooting first, Jean Eric Hoyer fired a rising wrist shot over the outstretched glove of the Red Dog goalie to give the Bombers an early 1-0 lead in the shootout. The Red Dogs responded with a goal of their own before a parade of players attempted their shootout chance. Bomber after Bomber skated in on the Red Dog goalie with no success. The Red Dogs goalie's success was matched through 6 rounds by Bomber Goalie Josh Burke. In the fateful 6th round, Burke yielded though, giving the Red Dogs a 2-1 victory.
Later, Burke remarked, "They were dekeing to my right all shoot out long. That last guy just surprised me." A dejected Mike Gilbert Jr. after the game took issue with the almost pool-like ice surface. "In the first, we benefited a bit from the puck stopping (in the non-frozen water) on their rushes as they entered our zone. During that shootout, I had the puck roll of my stick, even though I had the guy beat".
Statistics:
Goal - Dave Bochner (2)
Assists - Jimmy Lawson, Dave Smith
What a difference once week makes! After the prior game's victory, the Bombers hoped to bring an equally balanced attack to the rink once again versus the Red Dogs. However, unlike the prior game, where the Bombers exploded for 6 goals, a more confident Red Dog goalie yielded just one goal, to Bomber centerman Dave Bochner. Fortunately for the Bombers, goalie Josh Burke was more than up to the task, despite selecting a decidedly off-kilter net to tend twice.
The teams traded second period goals, with the Bombers striking first on the goal by Bochner. Jimmy Lawson and Seargant Dave Smith aided in Bochner's tally. In a tight and physical game, the Bombers saw their lead evaporate not even 3 minutes later, as a loose rebound proved costly. No other tally was recorded for either side, as the game headed to the shootout after three periods of 1-1 hockey.
The Bombers, already with a depleted roster as many of their regulars were either tending to injuries, or attending town council meetings, found themselves even further depleted after a series of questionable calls on sniper Jimmy Lawson led to his early departure. The league mandated ejection occurred after Lawson defended himself from the 'Goons' of the Red Dogs. A clearly perturbed Lawson was sent to the showers after a particularly weak tripping call led to a skirmish and secondary roughing call and a 10 minute misconduct. After his fifth penalty, he was done. Hurtling an empty water bottle towards the ice, Lawson could be heard saying, "You're a joke" to the Red Dogs as he left the ice with a minute to go in the second period.
Despite playing down a man, the Bombers managed to keep the tie intact, though were unable to breakthrough on the Red Dog keeper in the final frame. Josh Burke was equally defiant and the Bombers headed to the shootout.
In what amounted to the longest shootout of their season, the Bombers had plenty of chances to take home a victory over the Red Dogs. Shooting first, Jean Eric Hoyer fired a rising wrist shot over the outstretched glove of the Red Dog goalie to give the Bombers an early 1-0 lead in the shootout. The Red Dogs responded with a goal of their own before a parade of players attempted their shootout chance. Bomber after Bomber skated in on the Red Dog goalie with no success. The Red Dogs goalie's success was matched through 6 rounds by Bomber Goalie Josh Burke. In the fateful 6th round, Burke yielded though, giving the Red Dogs a 2-1 victory.
Later, Burke remarked, "They were dekeing to my right all shoot out long. That last guy just surprised me." A dejected Mike Gilbert Jr. after the game took issue with the almost pool-like ice surface. "In the first, we benefited a bit from the puck stopping (in the non-frozen water) on their rushes as they entered our zone. During that shootout, I had the puck roll of my stick, even though I had the guy beat".
Statistics:
Goal - Dave Bochner (2)
Assists - Jimmy Lawson, Dave Smith
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