Hornets Overpower Pioneers to Win First Game

Playing in front of their alumni, the Saline Varsity ice hockey team beat up on their conference rivals from Ann Arbor Pioneer, winning 5-1 at the Ann Arbor Ice Cube.

Five different Hornets tallied for Saline, which improved to 1-2 overall and 1-0 in the SEC.

“The Wednesday game before Thanksgiving is always a big game. We had seven or eight alumni here. This is the only game they’ll see this year, and our guys wanted to make a good impression,” said Saline head coach Drew Denzin.

Saline came out flying, using their speed to get the puck behind the Pioneer net and then cycling, skating and working for several early scoring chances.

The Hornets opened scoring early in the first, out working Pioneers behind their net. After a long cycle, co-captain James Olson brought it out front and scored on the wrap-around for a 1-0 lead. DJ Aben and Grant Ellis assisted on the goal.

Not even two minutes later, the Hornets added to the lead. Ryan McNulty sent senior Wyatt Ford in on a break away at full speed. Ford deked three times before stuffing it past the Ann Arbor goalie Spencer Peck.

“We came out flying. That first six or seven minutes was very impressive,” Denzin said.

Saline kept the pressure and seemed poised to add to the lead after Pioneer assessed a minor penalty. But Pioneer’s Jack Wissman broke up a pass, skated in alone on Saline goalie Neil Flavin and roofed a backhander into the goal.

The goal seemed to quell the Hornet attack. Even with a five-on-three man advantage late in the first, Saline struggled to find its early rhythm.

“Ann Arbor is a well-coached team. They trapped and we fell right into it,” Denzin said.

A minute into the second period, however, Saline broke the trap. Defenseman Dino Tzavaras sprung Antonio Diaz with a long pass. Diaz went in on a two-on-one with Trevor Carey. Diaz made a perfect pass to Carey, who redirected the pass beyond the diving Peck for a 3-1 lead.

Pioneer appeared to have cut into the lead with a goal a few minutes later, but officials waved it off, ruling that the puck had been illegally gloved into the goal.

About seven minutes into the period, the Hornets took a 4-1 lead. Defenseman Tyler Gross sent junior Ryan McNulty streaking up the right wing. McNulty fired a wrist shot that found its way through Peck.

Saline added to the lead in the third period. Tzavaras took control of the puck behind his own net, skated up to the blueline and dished to Aben, who flew up the left wing and wired a wristshot past Peck for a 5-1 lead.

“I’m proud of the way our team played today. We played well in spurts in our previous games. But today we played well for nearly the entire 54 minutes,” Denzin said.

Saline hosts Anderson at 7:20 p.m. Nov. 29.