Burke All Sorts of Good in Win over Shamrocks

Josh Burke earned his 149 career Bomber win on Sunday and as teammate Tony D'anna put it "I think that was the best game of his Bomber career."  Burke made one highlight save after another to secure the win for the storied franchise and punch their ticket to the Holiday Smashup Tournament finals to be played on Tuesday.  One of Burke's key saves were when flashed some serious glove against Shamrock sniper Brian Balamucki with less than ten seconds remaining in period.  The most amazing stop was when 29 was in the prone position on the ice after a netmouth scramble.  With the puck on the stick of the Shamrock ringer with an open net in front of him,  Burke laid the paddle of his stick on the ice to stop the puck from entering the net.  That potential goal would have tied the game and perhaps provided a different outcome for the evening.

Jean Eric Hoyer' scored 2 more goals and 1 more assist in the evening tilt lifting his tournament total to seven points in three games.  Rob Pelligrino notched his first career Bomber goal with an empty netter to clinch the victory.

Next up for the Bombers a rematch with the Buzzlars in the Holiday Smashup Tournment finals.

State Electric Power Performers of the Game:

1st Star:  Josh Burke:  A-Maz-Ing

2nd Star:  JEH  2g 1a

3rd Star:  Dave Smith  -Marathon Man-again

BOMBERS HUMBUGISH IN LOSS TO BUZZLARS

The 2014 AIAHL Holiday Smashup tournament started with a bit of scrooge for the Bombers as they fell to the Buzzlars 3-1.  The Bomber Militia of Kappemeier, Hoyer and Smith were the only players on the scoresheet as Hoyer scored with assists from Smith and Kappmeier.  Smith also had the only penalty on the evening.

Rob Pelligrino looked good in his Bomber debut and was proud to don the colors of the storied franchise.  Pelligrino and Smith were forced into iron man action.  Both players manned the blueline for nearly the entire game.  Smith got a spell with the penalty and Kappmeier gave Pelligrino a shift off in the third.

The Bomber will need to regroup quickly as they play the Smoke in a rare back to back.

FALL 14 SEASON ENDING STAT LEADERS

POINTS:


















22: Jean Eric Hoyer'   (11g, 11a) 
21: Bill Auld (8g, 13a)
16: Eric Silverman (6g 10a)
13: John Zimnoch  (3g, 10a)
11: Tony D'anna (5g, 6a)
11: Greg Russotti (5g,6a)
 9:  Mike Gilbert, Jr (1g, 8a)
 9:  Kyle Kappmeier (5g, 4a)
 8:  Scott Lundeen (5g 3a)
 6:  Drew Campbel (3g, 3a)
 4:  Tim Tracy (1g, 3a)
 1:  Dave Bochner (1g, 0a)


GOALS:


















11:  Jean Eric Hoyer
 8:   Bill Auld
 6:   Eric Silverman
 5:   Tony D'anna,  Greg Russotti, Scott Lundeen


ASSISTS:

13:  Bill Auld
11:  Jean Eric Hoyer'
10:  Eric Silverman, John Zimnoch
 8:   Mike Gilbert, Jr


PIMS:

14:  Drew Campbell
10:  Tim Tracy,  Bill Auld
 8:   John Zimnoch
 4:   4 tied

LATE GOAL HELPS BOMBERS PICK-OFF PRIMATES

Well, that was an interesting last minute of regulation play.  The Bombers were knotted up with the Primates at 3 goals apiece in a game destined for overtime.  But a slight miscue by Junior (well, let's just call what it was, a sweet pass to the other team in front his own net) allowed the Primates to gain a 4-3 advantage with just 54 seconds remaining.  To most outsiders, all looked lost in this game for the storied franchise.  But the players still had a little left in the tank and promised Junior that all would end well.  After a Bomber timeout the decision to put Josh Burke on the bench in favor of an extra attacker worked just like you hear about.  With 9 seconds remaining Bill Auld, perched on the weak side crease, scored into a vacant net off a Eric Hoyer' shot/pass . The goal tied the game forcing overtime and eventually a shootout won by the Bombers for the dramatic 5-4 victory. 

STATE ELECTRIC POWER PERFORMERS OF THE GAME:

1ST STAR: JUNIOR -  2 A AND THE PLAY THE PROVIDED US WITH ALL THE DRAMA

2ND STAR: BILL AULD- 2 G ,  SO WINNER

3RD STAR: TIM TRACY - NO PIMS, CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?

Suck It the Sequel

The Bombers sandwiched a 3-1 loss to the Shamrocks between two big wins against the Flying Aces to sweep the season series and retain the treasured AS Cup for the first time. There is always potential for a barnstormer type of game when the aviator monikered clubs get together. This most recent episode did not buck that trend as 14 goals were scored in the Bombers 8-6 victory. 

The Bombers built 4-2, 5-3 and 7-5 leads at different points in the game but the Aces high powered offense would not defer scoring to close the gap to one on each of those leads. The Bombers again made it a two goal gap with 2:16 left and the Aces could not muster another push. Eric Hoyer was the star of the game netting a hat trick to go along with 2 assists. 

As mentioned, the Bombers were able, for the first time, to retain the Air Supremacy Cup trophy that is given out to the winner of any game the two clubs play.  Media coverage of this game was quite high for this game in part because the rivalry elevated once again after the intensity of the previous match up that escalated into a war of words in the hand shake line. Each club was missing a the key component of that storyline-the Bombers without sniper Tony D'anna and the Aces without goalie Nick "the Brick" Minarik. Several media outlets reported the two players were told by their clubs to forgo the game and instead have a private dinner to talk things out in an effort to discuss any misunderstandings from the game prior. We hear that if that all was going well until D'anna suggested Minarik should not gulp his water but rather he should just suck it.  

State Electric Power Performers of the Game

First Star:  

ERIC HOYER  3 GOALS 2 ASSISTS

Second Star:  

Eric Silverman 2g 1a

Third Star:  

Johnny Z  2g 1a

D'ANNA ADDS NEW PHRASE TO ACES BOMBERS RIVALRY

Let's set the stage.
The AS CUP was up for grabs.
The Aces undefeated to this point had scored 31 goals and let up only 12.
The Bombers had a 1-2-1 record and needed to change course. 
The Aces roster was made up of equal parts B leaguers and C leaguers.
The Bombers were down 4-1 early.

Look like things were set in motion for the AS Cup not to exchange hands and instead remain with the Flying Aces.  

But that's why they play the games and that's why its always fun to have a D'anna on your side.  "A pet peeve of mine is B leaguers poaching a C league game." said Tony D'anna after the game (and countless times in the past).  But his team is of course known as the storied franchise.  And the storied franchise has seen its share of comebacks.  (Some of them of course were teams coming back on the Bombers, but I digress).   After the slow start the Bombers started to build energy from the stellar goaltending of Josh Burke. Slowly chipping away at the lead the Bombers somehow found themselves down by only one midway through the third. 

Then the good stuff happened.  With 5:34 remaining, Tony D'anna scored his second of the night knotting the game at 4 apiece. The goal was exciting enough on its own but D'anna's reaction was stuff of legend.  Before the puck even hit the twine a loud "SUCK IT" rang through the arena heard by all but directed to the B League poachers.  "The emotion of the moment really got D'anna going.  He is usually so mild mannered and soft spoken."  noted Bill Auld after the game.  

Regulation and OT proved to be not enough to determine a winner and the game was off to a shootout. Bomber sniper Jean Eric Hoyer' managed to light the lamp on the first salvo and the Aces were unable to do the same in their attempt resulting 5-4 victory for the good guys.

The intensity didn't stop there though.  A full 20 minutes of actual time had passed since the now famous D'anna catch phrase that has since swept the nation, was uttered.  But the Flying Aces netminder was still hot and was fueled by the fact he felt that the was the intended recipient of the barb.  He used handshake line to interrogate the victorious Bomber squad.  "WHO SAID THAT? . . .WAS IT YOUUUUUU?!!!"  was all the crazed keeper could muster.  "YEP, that was me" was obvious D'anna response which prompted a waffle board thrust to his chin.  A few clever yaps back in forth throughout the entire line ensued and one could see that this game would only add to the lore of the ever increasing Aces v Bombers rivalry.

An guess what-the two clubs get to do it all over again in 2 weeks. This time the Bombers will be the ones with the AS Cup tucked under their arms.  

State Electric Power Performers of the Game

1st Star:


















Was it you?  Yes it was- #33 Tony D'anna 2 goals 1a and 1 new catch phrase

2nd Star: 















#29 Josh Burke

3rd Star:  


















#77 Kyle Kappmeier.  1 goal-extending scoring streak to 5 games.

Livin' la Vida Lupe

With Lupe in the lineup the Bomber's opponent, Powertime, had little chance at a victory.  Back from parts unknown Mark the Slupe el Lupe Poltorak helped raise the spirits of the his club en route to a 6-3 win in the opening game of the season.

Scott Lundeen netted two goals to lead the Bombers in that category with Kyle Kap, Bill Auld, Eric Silverman and Tim Tracy providing the other tallies.  Josh Burke was solid in goal despite re-injuring his cranky ankle early in the first.  The injury most likely will keep Burke out for at least the Bomber's next game.

As is his way, Lupe' will depart as quickly as he arrived and head back to his safehouse somewhere on the western seaboard.  The Bombers will miss his presence and anxiously look forward to the next time he may surface.


State Electric Power Performers of the Game

1st Star:  Mark Lupe' Poltorak- 2pims
 (contractually obligated to give
 him first star as a condition of his playing)

2nd Star:  Scott "The Sublimater" Lundeen -2g

3rd Star: Josh "ooh my ankle!" Burke