2001-02 Cupertino Cougars Bantam A - Regular Season Archives

Cupertino Cougars
Bantam-A 2001/2002 Ice Hockey Team

Game Archives

Click Here for Preseason Archive

2001-2002 Regular Season Schedule
Date Day Time Location Opponent Game # Result

7-Oct-2001 Sunday 1:15PM Belmont Belmont 065TM1 W, 4-2

13-Oct-2001 Saturday 4:40PM San Mateo Tri-Valley 074HP1 W, 4-2

20-Oct-2001 Saturday 6:20PM San Mateo Santa Clara 084HR1 W, 4-3

21-Oct-2001 Sunday 2:30PM Oakland Oakland 085ON1 T, 2-2

3-Nov-2001 Saturday 6:20PM San Mateo Tri-Valley 104HR1 L, 5-3

10-Nov-2001 Saturday 11:20AM San Mateo Stockton 114HK1 T, 0-0

18-Nov-2001 Sunday 2:00PM San Jose San Jose 125JN1 L, 5-0

1-Dec-2001 Saturday 4:40PM San Mateo High Sierra 144HP1 L, 4-1

9-Dec-2001 Sunday 9:30AM Fremont Santa Clara 155MI1 W, 4-2

5-Jan-2002 Saturday 11:25AM San Mateo Belmont 194HK1 T, 3-3

12-Jan-2002 Saturday 6:00PM Stockton Stockton 204NR1 L, 2-1

19-Jan-2002 Saturday 11:25AM San Mateo High Sierra 214HK1 W, 7-2

26-Jan-2002 Saturday 5:45PM Fremont Santa Clara 224MQ1 W, 5-2

2-Feb-2002 Saturday 11:25AM San Mateo Stockton 234HK1 W, 4-0

9-Feb-2002 Saturday 3:15PM Oakland Oakland 244OO1 L, 5-1

10-Feb-2002 Sunday 11:30AM Belmont Belmont 245TK1 L, 6-2

23-Feb-2002 Saturday 6:20PM San Mateo San Jose 264HR1 L, 3-1

24-Feb-2002 Sunday 11:15AM Oakland Tri-Valley 265OK2 W, 6-4

2-Mar-2002 Saturday 11:25AM San Mateo Oakland 274HK1 W, 4-3

2-Mar-2002 Saturday 11:25AM San Mateo Oakland 274HK1 W, 4-3

9-Mar-2002 Saturday 3:30PM Reno High Sierra 284UO1 T, 4-4

16-Mar-2002 Saturday 4:40PM San Mateo Belmont 294HP1 L, 6-0

17-Mar-2002 Sunday 2:00PM San Jose San Jose 295JN1 L, 3-1

***2001-2002 Regular Season Schedule***
Date	Day	Time	Location	Opponent	Game #	Result
7-Oct-2001	Sunday	1:15PM	Belmont	Belmont	065TM1	W, 4-2
13-Oct-2001	Saturday	4:40PM	San Mateo	Tri-Valley	074HP1	W, 4-2
20-Oct-2001	Saturday	6:20PM	San Mateo	Santa Clara	084HR1	W, 4-3
21-Oct-2001	Sunday	2:30PM	Oakland	Oakland	085ON1	T, 2-2
3-Nov-2001	Saturday	6:20PM	San Mateo	Tri-Valley	104HR1	L, 5-3
10-Nov-2001	Saturday	11:20AM	San Mateo	Stockton	114HK1	T, 0-0
18-Nov-2001	Sunday	2:00PM	San Jose	San Jose	125JN1	L, 5-0
1-Dec-2001	Saturday	4:40PM	San Mateo	High Sierra	144HP1	L, 4-1
9-Dec-2001	Sunday	9:30AM	Fremont	Santa Clara	155MI1	W, 4-2
5-Jan-2002	Saturday	11:25AM	San Mateo	Belmont	194HK1	T, 3-3
12-Jan-2002	Saturday	6:00PM	Stockton	Stockton	204NR1	L, 2-1
19-Jan-2002	Saturday	11:25AM	San Mateo	High Sierra	214HK1	W, 7-2
26-Jan-2002	Saturday	5:45PM	Fremont	Santa Clara	224MQ1	W, 5-2
2-Feb-2002	Saturday	11:25AM	San Mateo	Stockton	234HK1	W, 4-0
9-Feb-2002	Saturday	3:15PM	Oakland	Oakland	244OO1	L, 5-1
10-Feb-2002	Sunday	11:30AM	Belmont	Belmont	245TK1	L, 6-2
23-Feb-2002	Saturday	6:20PM	San Mateo	San Jose	264HR1	L, 3-1
24-Feb-2002	Sunday	11:15AM	Oakland	Tri-Valley	265OK2	W, 6-4
2-Mar-2002	Saturday	11:25AM	San Mateo	Oakland	274HK1	W, 4-3
2-Mar-2002	Saturday	11:25AM	San Mateo	Oakland	274HK1	W, 4-3
9-Mar-2002	Saturday	3:30PM	Reno	High Sierra	284UO1	T, 4-4
16-Mar-2002	Saturday	4:40PM	San Mateo	Belmont	294HP1	L, 6-0
17-Mar-2002	Sunday	2:00PM	San Jose	San Jose	295JN1	L, 3-1

Scoring Woes Continue in 5-0 Loss to San Jose
November 18, 2001

The Cupertino Cougars scoreless streak was extended to 92:52 after the team was unable to cash in on any of their 16 shots Sunday in a 5-0 loss to the undefeated San Jose Jr. Sharks. The Cougars fell behind early, first allowing a power play goal on a deflection off a Cougars defender just 2:34 into the game, and then coughing up two more goals before the period ended. While the team's play improved over the final two periods, it was not enough to light the lamp, much less erase the deficit.
For the fourth time in seven regular season games, the Cougars took a penalty less than three minutes into the game. Despite a strong penalty kill shift from Michelle Chee who twice iced the puck for the Cougars, the Jr. Sharks would eventually cash in on the opportunity. A strong snapshot from a Jr. Sharks blueliner banged off the post and then rebounded off a Cougars defender and back into the net. In a game that allowed little margin for error, the Cougars were already down 2-0 in the error department and 1-0 on the scoreboard. San Jose continued to control the action beyond the midway point of the period. Addison Lee managed to keep the game close with another solid effort between the pipes. At 5:20, the Cupertino forward line of Zack Hitchcock, Michelle Chee, and Kelli Howe generated the first serious offensive threat, taking a couple of whacks at the net from inside the faceoff circle. But not long thereafter, a turnover in their own zone led to the Jr. Sharks second goal, a wicked slapshot hammered home from close range. 42 seconds later, San Jose made it 3-0, scoring on a textbook one-timer feed from behind the net. At 2:20, Hitchcock generated the best scoring chance of the period for Cupertino when he took a pass from Chee and sent a wrister on goal. The shot was stopped thanks to a nice save, leaving San Jose with the 3-0 lead after one period.
The visiting Cougars came out and played much better from the moment the puck dropped to open the second period. After regaining the puck off an initial San Jose rush, Devin Ernst moved into San Jose's zone and generated a shot on goal. On the second shift of the period, Ben Dines had a good scoring chance, ripping off a short slapshot that was collected by the netminder. At 10:25, Derek Fredericks got a piece of a bouncing centering pass, whacking it out of the air but right into the goaltender. At 7:50, Cupertino nearly connected on a deflection attempt by Kelli Howe of an Eric Blumenthal slapshot. At 6:07, Ben Dines got iron but no net when he sent a pass out to Tarra Chibidakis, who immediately sent a shot back toward the net that Dines gathered in and tried to backhand into the corner. Defensively, the team was playing much better as well. Blumenthal delivered the hit of the game at 5:48, breaking up a possible 2-on-1 in the process. After more than ten minutes of inspired play however, it would be San Jose that would net the only goal of the period. This one came off a high shot through traffic that goaltender Addison Lee never saw until he fished it out of the back of the net. Despite having their first power play chance of the game at 3:59, the Cougars were unable to mount any further threat in the period. Dustin Thomas did stop a potential San Jose breakaway at 0:06 when he raced in from behind to disrupt a scoring chance. As the period expired, Cupertino committed a penalty of their own, and this one would cost them.
San Jose's fifth goal, and second with the man-advantage, would come off another behind-the-net feed and one-timer shot. While that score would be the last of the day, it wasn't the final scoring chance for either team. At 12:35, Tarra Chibidakis made a nice play to break up a 1-on-1 rush. The forward line of Daniel Willenborg, Nathan Zebrowski, and Ben Dines skated a couple of very solid shifts for the Cougars, moving the puck well at both ends of the ice. Jordan Yindiphol got good wood on a slapshot at 10:37 that was stopped. At 6:36, Addison Lee made an outstanding save on another attempt at a one-timer coming off a pass from behind the net. He followed that effort up by stopping another one-timer at 6:06 that came off a drop pass from inside the faceoff dot. At 5:32, Eric Blumenthal rode a Jr. Shark off the puck, stopping a rapidly developing 2-on-2 chance. After allowing goals on San Jose's first two power plays, the Cougars stopped the next two opportunities, which both came late in the game. Michelle Chee, Tarra Chibidakis, and Derek Fredericks all made heads-up plays to kill the first of those two penalties. At 1:47, Fredericks picked up an errant pass and broke-in for a shorthanded chance with a lone defender on his tail. His wrister was stopped and so were the Cougars' last chances of breaking out of their scoring drought.
The Cougars will head to Anaheim over the Thanksgiving Holiday hoping to put a few pucks in the SCAHA nets. When they return home, the team will face off against High Sierra and Santa Clara before taking a break until the new year.

0, San Jose, 5

BOX SCORE

1st 2nd 3rd TOTAL
Cupertino 0 0 0 0
San Jose 3 1 1 5

Scoring Summary

First Period
Scoring: 1, San Jose, Drake (Sanchez, Wright), 12:26 (pp). 2, San Jose, Drake (unassisted), 4:36. 3, San Jose, McIntosh (Barclay), 3:54. Penalties: Lee, Cupertino (tripping), 12:34.

Second Period
Scoring: 4, San Jose, Drake (Krcik), 4:27. Penalties: Thomas, Cupertino (slashing), 15:00; Rhodes, San Jose (roughing), 3:59.
Third Period
Scoring: 5, San Jose, Sanchez (Greene, Wright), 14:08 (pp). Penalties: Greene, San Jose (roughing), 11:22; Thomas, Cupertino (2:00 elbowing and 10:00 misconduct), 5:11; Lee, Cupertino (roughing), 3:17.
Plus/Minus: even (Ernst, Fredericks, Brown, Hitchcock, Blumenthal, Chibidakis); -1 (Howe, Chee, Dines, Willenborg, Zebrowski, Hopper, Thomas); -2 (Ady); -3 (McCarthy, Yindiphol). DNP (Ocampo).
Hits: 2(Ernst, Yindiphol); 1(Thomas, Blumenthal, Chibidakis).
SHOTS ON GOAL
Cupertino 4 6 6 --16
San Jose 13 7 11 --31

Power-play Conversions: Cupertino - 0 of 2; San Jose - 2 of 4. Goalies: Cupertino, Lee (31 shots, 26 saves; record 3-2-2). San Jose, Zukov (16 shots, 16 saves).

Three Stars Of the Game
Michelle Chee - Started a few scoring chances & was solid on the p-kill. Plus/minus of -1.

Ben Dines - Dines' line moved the puck well. Good scoring chance & a plus/minus of -1.

Eric Blumenthal - Solid defensively & set-up best scoring chance of the game. Even plus/minus.

Cougars, Colts Battle to 0-0 Standoff
November 10, 2001

In a battle of defenses, goaltenders, and close calls, the Cupertino Cougars skated to a 0-0 tie in a contest pitting two of the teams battling for second place in the NORCAL Bantam-A division. It was a game where Cupertino appeared to have the edge in the first period, Stockton in the second, and where each teams had their chances in the final 15 minutes. Both goalies were sharp, particularly the Cougars' Addison Lee who stopped 39 shots including a handful of excellent scoring opportunities. The Cougars played well defensively, but were unable to convert at the offensive end despite a few solid chances of their own. The tie gives Cupertino a 3-1-2 record heading into next weekend's contest against the undefeated San Jose Jr. Sharks.
It didn't take the Cougars long to generate a good scoring chance. Nathan Zebrowski's steal led to a shot on goal that was stopped at 14:01. Meanwhile, the Cougars defense was doing an admirable job controlling the neutral zone. A good recovery and poke check by Eric Blumenthal prevented a scoring chance by the Colts in early action. The first penalty of the game came at 10:04 and it was whistled against the Cougars. Blumenthal, Michelle Chee, and Devin Ernst each made nice plays to ice the puck or clear the zone during the penalty kill. Kelli Howe twice iced the puck, allowing Addison Lee to face only one power play shot, which he gloved and held. Cupertino got their first chance with the man-advantage at 6:26. At 4:48, Cupertino nearly connected on what might have been their best chance to score of the game. Eric Blumenthal sent a slapshot toward the net that Zack Hitchcock redirected. Stockton's goalie managed to make the kick-save just in time to prevent the Cougars from cashing in on the power play. At 2:00, Jordan Yindiphol took a drop pass from Hitchcock and rifled a shot toward the upper corner of the net. While the shot was hard and well-directed, the Colts' goalie had a good look at it and he made the save look easy. Cupertino had another great scoring chance as the clock wound down to 0:12. Yindiphol sent a pass ahead to Ian Brown who moved into Stockton's zone and sent a centering pass to Hitchcock. The pass found Hitchcock with plenty of room to maneuver, and he wristed a strong shot from close range that the Colts' goaltender snatched out of the air.
Most of the second period belonged to the visiting Colts. At 13:26, Addison Lee was tested from close range and he made the tough save. The closest call of the game came during a 13 second stretch that started at 11:50. With Stockton applying pressure, Lee made one save and then at least two more before everyone jumped into the melee in front of the net. Eventually, the referee raised the right arm to signal a delayed penalty against Cupertino. About the same time he blew the whistle, Stockton thought that they had scored. After a discussion between the officials, they ruled no goal and Cupertino breathed a sigh of relief. Stockton continued to control play during this penalty kill, requiring Lee to come up with two more big saves at 10:45 and 10:22. In another scrum in front of the net coming at 10:22, three players, including two from the Cougars, were sent to the sin bin for engaging in a little extracurricular activity after the whistle. As a result, Stockton had a 5-on-3 advantage for 45 seconds. Zack Hitchcock twice iced the puck for the Cougars during the 5-on-3. Michelle Chee deflected the puck out of the zone during one sequence and then came up with a nice steal that led to the Colts taking a penalty of their own just after Cupertino had successfully killed both of their penalties. Cupertino ended up with 20 seconds of 5-on-3 action of their own, but the home team was unable to connect. Daniel McCarthy generated the best chance for Cupertino, but his hard slap shot was stopped. Stockton had a 2-on-1 opportunity at 3:42, but a nice nice dive by the backchecking Derek Fredericks helped to disrupt the shot. Cupertino picked it up during the final three minutes of the period and began skating with more intensity. In the final shift of the period, Fredericks sent a strong slap shot on goal that was set aside. After regaining control of the puck, Fredericks sent a centering pass to Devin Ernst, who was rejected from close range on what turned out to be the Cougars best scoring chance of the period.
Cupertino picked up a two-minute minor penalty at the close of the second period, which put the team back on the penalty kill to open the third. Eric Blumenthal nearly scored shorthanded, and did manage to end the power play by drawing a penalty at 14:41, after stealing the puck and rushing in on what looked to be a breakaway opportunity. But Blumenthal was tripped up on what was probably a smart penalty before he could get off the shot. At 12:46, the Cougars had a close call when the puck deflected off one of the Cougars skates to an open Colt near the Cougars' faceoff dot. The player took the backhand shot, but Addison Lee had already moved into perfect position to make the save. Just fourteen seconds later, a Cupertino giveaway in their own zone led to a short breakaway for the Colts. Lee went for the pokecheck, and while he wasn't successful, he was still positioned perfectly to block the resulting shot on goal. At 6:27, Daniel McCarthy raced up the ice with the puck, venturing deep into the Colts' zone. McCarthy sent the puck toward the net where Nathan Zebrowski was waiting, but Zebrowski was not able to stuff the puck home. Eric Blumenthal had his rising slapshot stopped at 6:10. Zack Hitchcock had the Cougars' best two scoring chances down the stretch. At 3:23, Hitchcock was thwarted on his wraparound attempt. The next near-goal came at the other end, and it only missed by a matter of inches. At 1:36, with another scramble for possession going on deep in the Cougars' zone, a Colts' player got enough wood on the puck to send a harmless shot toward the net that would have been harmless had it not deflected off of Tarra Chibidakis' skate. The redirect skidded just wide of the Lee's blockerside post and out of harm's way. Cupertino had one last chance to win it at 0:38, and it was their best chance of the period. Kelli Howe's perfect feed found Hitchcock open near the Colts' faceoff circle. Hitchcock got the shot off clean but it was fittingly stopped by the Colts goalie in a game that belonged to the netminders.
0, Stockton, 0

BOX SCORE

1st 2nd 3rd TOTAL
Stockton 0 0 0 0
Cupertino 0 0 0 0

Scoring Summary

First Period
Scoring: None. Penalties: Hopper, Cupertino (roughing), 10:04; Tong, Stockton (roughing), 6:26.

Second Period
Scoring: None. Penalties: Hopper, Cupertino (roughing), 11:37; Lee, Cupertino (roughing), 10:22; Yindiphol, Cupertino (roughing), 10:22; Colon, Stockton (roughing), 10:22; Sweet, Stockton (hooking), 8:14; Calhoun, Stockton (slashing); Brown, Cupertino (interference), 0:00.
Third Period
Scoring: None. Penalties: Tong, Stockton (tripping), 14:41; Moore, Stockton (slashing), 6:27; Zebrowski, Cupertino (roughing), 6:27.
Plus/Minus: even (Hopper, McCarthy, Thomas, Hitchcock, Zebrowski, Chee, Brown, Ernst, Yindiphol, Blumenthal, Howe, Dines, Fredericks, Chibidakis). DNP (Ocampo, Ady, Willenborg).
Hits: 4(Hitchcock); 3(Yindiphol, Fredericks); 2(Ernst, Brown); 1(McCarthy, Blumenthal, Chee, Zebrowski, Chibidakis, Dines).
SHOTS ON GOAL
Stockton 7 24 8 --39
Cupertino 15 6 7 --28

Power-play Conversions: Cupertino - 0 of 4; Stockton - 0 of 4. Goalies: Cupertino, Lee (39 shots, 39 saves; record 3-1-2). Stockton, Matthews (28 shots, 28 saves).

Three Stars Of the Game
Addison Lee - 39 saves including a half-dozen game-saving stops. Second shutout this season.

Zack Hitchcock - 4 excellent scoring chances and great special teams play on the p-kill.

Kelli Howe - Solid penalty-kill effort and a key set-up that nearly resulted in a goal.

Chalk One up to Parity, Cougars Lose, 5-3
November 3, 2001

Even before the regular season began, it was evident that the competition in the Bantam-A division was going to be close all season. Sure, San Jose looks like the team to beat - but after that, anybody can beat anyone else on any given day. Well, Saturday was one of those any given days, as the Tri-Valley Blue Devils picked up their first regular season win, dumping the previously undefeated Cupertino Cougars, 5-3. Though Cupertino made a valiant comeback attempt, the contest wasn't as close as the score might indicate. Tri-Valley jumped to a 5-0 lead and then the Cougars rallied thanks to three power play goals, two on 2-man advantages, to the narrow the gap at the end. Cupertino's goals were scored by Michelle Chee, Ben Dines, and Dustin Thomas.
Early action actually seemed to favor Cupertino. The Cougars generated the first scoring chance when Ian Brown took a pass from Ashley Ocampo and fired a shot on goal during the first rush up the ice. The first three minutes passed without the Cougars taking a penalty, which had been an achilles heel in recent games. Then, at 11:11, Nathan Zebrowski delivered a crushing open-ice check that appeared to send the message that the home team was ready to play. But it was the Blue Devils that produced the first message that appeared on the scoreboard, when they converted from close range off a nice feed from behind the net at 10:08. At 7:02, the Cougars went on their first of seven power plays. The Devils executed a textbook penalty kill and followed that up with their second goal just 20 seconds later. Douglas Lee took a pass one-half step ahead of the defense and he was able to keep enough separation to get good wood on a close-range backhand shot that he whipped into the net. Cupertino nearly got one back at 4:30, when Zebrowski just missed wide off a one-timer pass from Zack Hitchcock. Tri-Valley added their third goal at 3:18. Again, the play started from behind the Cougars' net. The Devils' first shot was stopped by Cupertino goalie Addison Lee, but the rebound connected to extend Tri-Valley's lead to 3-0.
The first scoring chance of the second period also belonged to Cupertino. Eric Blumenthal ripped a slapshot at 13:41 that trickled past the goaltender, but just wide of the post. On the Cougars next rush, James Ady fired a slapshot that went just wide. The Blue Devils gathered in the loose puck and with a nice deke around one Cougars' defender, Tri-Valley was off on a 2-on-1. Once again, the Devils showed deft execution, waiting until the last second before passing to the open skater for the score. The Cougars picked up their first penalty at 12:42. Eric Blumenthal and Jordan Yindiphol helped Cupertino kill the first minute, but the second minute belonged to Tri-Valley. The Devils moved the puck well with the man-advantage, generating two solid shots on goal that required a quick glove save and then a stick save by Addison Lee. 24 seconds after the successful penalty kill, Tri-Valley notched their fifth and final goal, this one coming after the Cougars coughed up the puck in their own zone. The Cougars managed to kill a second penalty that came at 7:58. Again, Tri-Valley handled the puck well during the power play, but Blumenthal twice iced the puck to help the Cougars escape unscathed. At 5:49 of the second period, Tri-Valley picked up their first of what would be five minor penalties in a 3:16 span. Those penalties would end up giving Cupertino a 2-man advantage for 3:48, the amount of time it took for the Cougars to record their first power play goal of the season. Michelle Chee scored after Dustin Thomas drew a defender and then, just before getting hit, he tipped a pass to Chee who was zipping through the slot. Chee wristed a shot into the back of the mesh to make it 5-1. With Cupertino still skating on a 5-on-4 power play, they connected again with just one tick left on the second period clock. Ben Dines took an outlet pass from Jordan Yindiphol, sped into the Devils' zone with the puck, and sent a medium-range snapshot past the goalie for the score.
The teams would combine for only nine third period shots, six by the Cougars. At 8:01, a Cupertino giveaway led to a short Tri-Valley breakaway. Addison Lee went for the pokecheck and got a piece of the shot, but it took quick reflexes with the pads to kick the shot wide before it landed in the net. Cupertino's Nathan Zebrowski had two good scoring chances stopped after generating some space for a slapshot at 6:42, following that up immediately with a close-range backhander that was gathered in by the goalie. The Cougars went on their final power play at 3:18. The team elected to pull the goaltender for a two-man advantage and the strategy paid off when Dustin Thomas connected on a powerful slapshot at 2:52 that was slowed, but not stopped by the goaltender. Ashley Ocampo and Ian Brown tallied the assists. Tri-Valley managed to run out the rest of the clock without further damage, sending the Cougars to their first defeat of the regular season.
Cupertino will hope to rebound next weekend when they meet the tough Stockton Colts. Stockton slipped past Cupertino, 3-1 when they met in the final preseason game for both teams.

3, Tri-Valley, 5

BOX SCORE

1st 2nd 3rd TOTAL
Tri-Valley 3 2 0 5
Cupertino 0 2 1 3

Scoring Summary
First Period
Scoring: 1, Tri-Valley, Carey (Forster, Noble), 10:08. 2, Tri-Valley, Lee (Perna, O'Brien), 4:42. 3, Tri-Valley, Noble (Forster, Carey), 3:18. Penalties: O'Brien, Tri-Valley (roughing), 7:02.

Second Period
Scoring: 4, Tri-Valley, Forster (Carey), 12:53. 5, Tri-Valley, Wheeler (Lee, Perna), 10:18. 6, Cougars, Chee 1 (Thomas), 0:45 (pp). 7, Cougars, Dines 2 (Yindiphol), 0:01 (pp). Penalties: Thomas, Cupertino (interference), 12:42; Yindiphol, Cupertino (hooking), 7:58; Montes, Tri-Valley (elbowing), 5:49; Wesolek, Tri-Valley (2:00 checking from behind & 10:00 misconduct), 4:33; Kurbatsky, Tri-Valley (elbowing), 3:48; Lee, Tri-Valley (tripping), 3:31; O'Brien, Tri-Valley (2:00 checking from behind & 10:00 misconduct), 2:33.
Third Period
Scoring: 7, Cougars, Thomas 1 (Ocampo, Brown), 2:52 (pp). Penalties: Thomas, Oakland (elbowing), 11:15; Hitchcock, Cupertino (holding), 10:09; Wesolek, Tri-Valley (boarding), 3:18.
Plus/Minus: -1 (Hopper, McCarthy, Thomas, Hitchcock, Zebrowski, Chee, Brown, Ernst, Ocampo, Yindiphol); -2 (Blumenthal, Ady, Howe); -3 (Dines, Fredericks, Chibidakis); DNP (Willenborg).
Hits: 2(Zebrowski, Yindiphol); 1(Thomas, Hitchcock, Hopper).
SHOTS ON GOAL
Tri-Valley 11 11 3 --25
Cupertino 2 8 6 --16

Power-play Conversions: Cupertino - 3 of 7; Tri-Valley - 0 of 2. Goalies: Cupertino, Lee (25 shots, 20 saves; record 3-1-1). Tri-Valley, Slattery (16 shots, 13 saves).

Three Stars Of the Game
Nathan Zebrowski - Several scoring chances. Huge hit in first period - Plus/minus of -1.

Michelle Chee - 1 goal on a perfectly-exefcuted 1-tmer. 1 point & a plus/minus of -1.

Zack Hitchcock - Solid defense, good playmaking led to scoring chances. Plus/minus of -1.

Bears Rally for Tie on Late Power Play Goal
October 21, 2001

With the goalie pulled for the extra skater, the Oakland Bears scored their second power play goal of the game with only ten seconds remaining to escape with a 2-2 tie in Sunday's contest against the Cougars. Special teams were the key to the gamw with Oakland connecting on two of eight power plays while the Cougars failed to score on any of their seven opportunities. Including preseason, the Cougars have now failed to score on any of their 24 power plays this year. Cupertino built a 2-0 lead on the strength of goals by Devin Ernst and Ashley Ocampo on the first two shifts of the second period. But the Bears rallied for a power play goal late in the second period and then tallied the back-breaker on a short breakaway at the worst possible time. The tie cost the Cougars a chance to remain even with the 4-0 San Jose Jr. Sharks, knocking the team into second place in early season action.
As has been the case in three of the first four games for the Cougars, they took a penalty before the game even hit the 3-minute mark. But the special teams unit responded with a solid penalty kill. Michelle Chee, Jordan Yindiphol, and Ian Brown each made plays to get the puck out of the Cougars' zone. Daniel McCarthy connected on a strong check, allowing Devin Ernst to gain control of the puck and ice it on another occasion. With Cupertino shorthanded again beginning at 9:44, it was goalie Addison Lee who keyed the kill. Lee made back-to-back, acrobatic saves at 9:12 and 8:54 to keep the Bears off the board. Cupertino had three power plays of their own in the period, but they weren't able to get much going on any of them. The Cougars' best scoring chances of the period came at even strength, on two shots from Dustin Thomas at 2:45 and 2:39. The period ended with the teams locked in a scoreless tie.
The first period suggested that this game would be a tough, defensive struggle. After 35 seconds had expired in the second period, the Cougars had bagged two goals and it looked like they might run away with it. Devin Ernst scored the first goal for the Cougars, taking a late, perfect pass from Ian Brown and one-timing it into the net for the 1-0 lead. Ashley Ocampo added the second assist on the play. After the ensuing faceoff moved into the Bears' defensive zone, Brown made a nice play, sending another perfect feed, this time to Ocampo, who nailed the puck into the upper half of the back of the net to make it 2-0. Little did the Cougars know at that time, but they were done scoring for the day. At 12:15, Zack Hitchcock broke up a breakaway opportunity, racing in from behind and lifting the Bears' player's stick as he moved in for the shot. Cupertino picked up their one and only penalty of the second period at 3:28, but it was a costly one. On Oakland's first two efforts into the Cougars' zone, Daniel Willenborg and Derek Fredericks each made plays to clear the puck out of the zone. But Oakland kept up the pressure and finally scored on a rebound shot at 2:58. With the Cougars' lead cut in half, it promised to be an exciting third period.
The Cougars nearly scored on their first shift of the third period. Kelli Howe sent a pass to Zack Hitchcock who was camped out in front of the net. Hitchcock was covered but he still got wood on it, tipping the puck just wide of the net. Tarra Chibidakis followed that effort up with a slapshot at 13:20 that was just wide. With intensity increasing, the checking picked up as well. Devin Ernst flattened a Bear at 13:20, with Chibidakis pounding a Bear of her own at 10:55 during a penalty kill. In between, Cupertino missed another golden scoring opportunity when Jordan Yindiphol raced deep into the Oakland zone, sending a pass toward center that Dustin Thomas tipped just wide of the net. At 10:09, Cupertino found itself at the short end of a 5-on-3 for 54 seconds. They managed to kill it but not without some excitement. Eric Blumenthal blocked a pass and cleared the zone during the first penetration by Oakland. Addison Lee made two huge saves at 9:30 and 9:19. On the first, he closed the 5-hole just in time, and on the second he got in front of a wicked one-timer, and covered up the puck. Derek Fredericks cleanly won the ensuing faceoff and Jordan Yindiphol sent the puck the length of the rink to kill off the first penalty. Ian Brown later iced the puck to help kill off the balance of the second Cougars' penalty. While the penalty kill was successful, the shorthanded time prevented the Cougars from mustering any offense. The next two penalties went against Oakland however, giving Cupertino a chance to put this game away. Instead it was Oakland that generated the best scoring chance, when a short breakaway was stopped only because of a great save by Lee, with an assist to Yindiphol who got a piece of the shooter on the late backcheck. At 1:31, Cupertino picked up another penalty, giving the Bears one last opportunity to tie it up. Fredericks and Yindiphol executed a repeat of their performance earlier in the period and Yindiphol again sent the puck the length of the ice after the clean faceoff win by Fredericks. On the return trip, Oakland pulled their goaltender, giving them a 6-on-4 advantage. With the teams scrambling in front of the net, Lee covered the loose puck to force a draw at 0:48. Off the next faceoff, a Tarra Chibidakis check shook the puck loose and she sent it out of the zone. On the next return trip, the Bears caught the Cougars pinching and Marcel Bordeaux slipped behind the defense, scoring on a short breakaway at 0:10. The goal left the Bears feeling like they had won the game and the Cougars feeling like they had let one slip away.
Cupertino has next weekend off before returning to action on November 3rd to host the Tri-Valley Blue Devils.

2, Oakland, 2

BOX SCORE

1st 2nd 3rd TOTAL
Cupertino 0 2 0 2
Oakland 0 1 1 2

Scoring Summary
First Period
Scoring: None. Penalties: Hitchcock, Cupertino (2:00 checking from behind and 10:00 misconduct), 13:55; Chibidakis, Cupertino (tripping), 9:44; Saxton, Oakland (roughing), 8:54; Tan, Oakland (high sticking), 8:16; Thomas, Cupertino (interference), 7:11; Albedi, Oakland (high sticking), 2:16.

Second Period
Scoring: 1, Cougars, Ernst 2 (Brown, Ocampo), 14:48. 2, Cougars, Ocampo 3 (Brown), 14:25. 3, Oakland, Bordeaux (Tan, Corby), 2:58 (pp). Penalties: Tan, Oakland (charging), 8:34; Thomas, Cupertino (interference), 3:28; Tan, Oakland (tripping), 0:59.
Third Period
Scoring: 4, Oakland, Bordeaux (Tan, Champi), 0:10 (pp). Penalties: Thomas, Oakland (elbowing), 11:15; Hitchcock, Cupertino (holding), 10:09; Reiss, Oakland (roughing), 8:09; Corby, Oakland (tripping), 5:32; Ernst, Cupertino (hooking), 1:31; Chibidakis, Cupertino (hooking), 0:10.
Plus/Minus: +2 (Brown, Ocampo, Howe, Yindiphol, Ernst); even (McCarthy, Thomas, Blumenthal, Fredericks, Willenborg, Dines, Chibidakis, Ady, Hopper, Hitchcock, Chee, Zebrowski).
Hits: 4 (Yindiphol); 3 (Ernst); 2 (Ady, McCarthy); 1 (Chibidakis, Fredericks, Hitchcock, Dines, Thomas).
SHOTS ON GOAL
Cupertino 5 9 5 --19
Oakland 6 6 6 --18

Power-play Conversions: Cupertino - 0 of 7; Oakland - 2 of 8. Goalies: Cupertino, Lee (18 shots, 16 saves; record 3-0-1). Oakland, Bradley (19 shots, 17 saves).

Three Stars Of the Game
Ian Brown - Two great helpers led to both Cougars' goals - 2 points & a plus/minus of +2.

Ashley Ocampo - 1 goal and 1 assist during second period flurry - 2 point & a plus/minus of +2.

Tarra Chibidakis - Solid defense, good penalty-kill work, and one huge hit - plus/minus of even.

Cougars Win, But it Sure Wasn't Pretty
October 20, 2001

Although the Cupertino Cougars dressed their full compliment of skaters for the first time Saturday, most of them decided to take the day off anyway in a sloppy, and somewhat lucky, 4-3 win over the Santa Clara Blackhawks. The team will gladly take the victory, but they will need to put together a better effort to defeat a tough Oakland team on Sunday. Cupertino rallied for four unanswered goals after trailing 2-0 less than four minutes into the game. The Cougars' third and fourth goals were recorded on shots from just inside the blueline by Devin Ernst and Jordan Yindiphol. Yindiphol's shot was a rocket, but Ernst was simply trying to dump the puck into the Blackhawks' zone for a line change, when it bounced and trickled its way past the befuddled Hawks netminder. Derek Fredericks and Ashley Ocampo also scored for the Cougars, with Ian Brown and Dustin Thomas notching the only assists of the day. Addison Lee was once again solid between the pipes, playing his fourth consecutive game since the injury to fellow goaltender Sarsh Levine.
In a first period that was nearly identical to the first period played between these same two teams when they matched up in preseason, Santa Clara jumped to an early 2-0 lead. The Blackhawks' first goal came at 12:27 on the power play. Goaltender Addison Lee made two spectacular saves before Santa Clara made their third shot count. The key to the goal was Santa Clara's ability to maintain control of the puck after Lee's initial two saves. The Blackhawks connected again less than a minute later off of a poke check from Lee that found the wrong player's stick. Blackhawk Brian Ganz accepted the gift and wrapped it in a bow before wristing it into the back of the net for the 2-0 lead. Fortunately for the Cougars, Santa Clara would only score once more over the remaining 41:35 of this contest. Lee stepped up with some critical stops along the way, including a body save while sprawled out on the ice at 6:45, preventing the Hawks from adding to their two-goal lead. At 6:25, Ashley Ocampo and Ian Brown teamed up to get Cupertino on the board. Brown circled around the back of the net, found Ocampo in the slot, and she had enough time to load up and send a snapper into the mesh to make it 2-1. The Cougars then wasted little time evening the score. Speedster Dustin Thomas, starting from behind his own net, moved wide and began a coast-to-coast drag race on ice. Derek Fredericks took the center lane and went driving toward the crease. From a sharp angle, Thomas sent a backhander toward the net that Fredericks redirected through the five-hole for the score. At 3:21, Devin Ernst was rejected on a backhander after making a great move to find an opening in front of the Blackhawks' net. At 2:01, Zack Hitchcock tried a quick wraparound but his effort was foiled as well. The period ended with Santa Clara on the power play, but they would not score thanks to some solid defense from Jordan Yindiphol and a nice kick save from Lee at 0:07.
Neither team was able to get much going during the first several minutes of the second period. Both teams were having trouble connecting on passes and breaking out of their own zone. The contest turned into a game of dump & chase, and Santa Clara seemed to be getting the better of it. But at 8:27, Cupertino's Devin Ernst dumped the puck right past Santa Clara's goalie. While the rest of his teammates were heading off on a line change, Ernst sent a seemingly harmless shot toward the net. The shot handcuffed the Hawks' goaltender, who could not gain control, and the puck slid over the goal line, giving the Cougars their first lead, 3-2. Santa Clara missed a good scoring chance off the next faceoff. With the puck deep in Cupertino's zone, several players converged in front of the net in an effort to gain control. Santa Clara's players were whacking away at the ping-ponging puck, when James Ady finally was able to wrestle it loose and send it out of the danger zone. At 6:20, Cupertino netted the clincher, and again it came on a shot from just inside the blueline. This time, however, the shot was anything but harmless. Jordan Yindiphol carried the puck into the zone, loaded up and let a screaming slapshot fly. Santa Clara's goaltender got nothing but air and Cupertino was ahead 4-2. However, just when it looked like the Cougars might be able to breathe easy, Santa Clara showed that they weren't about to give up. Less than a minute after Yindiphol's goal, Santa Clara narrowed the gap to 4-3 on a rebound shot at 5:36. That would be the last goal of the period.
After allowing 24 shots in the first two periods, Cupertino would only allow seven in the final stanza. Meanwhile, it took a couple of good saves to prevent Cupertino from extending its lead. At 13:07, Nathan Zebrowski was unable to convert on a wrist shot that was launched with plenty of juice. At 4:23, Zack Hitchcock was denied on a one-timer from close range. The strongest shifts of the period were skated by Zack Hitchcock, Zebrowski, linemate Michelle Chee, and the blueline tandem of Jordan Yindiphol and Kelli Howe. But in the end, neither team was able to convert again, and Cupertino escaped with a narrow, 4-3 victory.
4, Santa Clara, 3

BOX SCORE

1st 2nd 3rd TOTAL
Santa Clara 2 1 0 3
Cupertino 2 2 0 4

Scoring Summary
First Period
Scoring: 1, Santa Clara, Castagna (Costa, Leonard), 12:27 (pp). 2, Santa Clara, Ganz (unassisted), 11:35. 3, Cougars, Ocampo 2 (Brown), 6:25. 4, Cougars, Fredericks 2 (Thomas), 5:00. Penalties: Thomas, Cupertino (roughing), 14:03; Yindiphol, Cupertino (roughing), 7:31; Wintgens, Santa Clara (roughing), 7:31; Thomas, Cupertino (crosschecking), 1:47.

Second Period
Scoring: 5, Cougars, Ernst 1 (unassisted), 8:27. 6, Cougars, Yindiphol 2 (unassisted), 6:20. 7, Santa Clara, Costa (Yedlicks), 5:36. Penalties: None.
Third Period
Scoring: None. Penalties: Lemmens, Santa Clara (2:00 charging and 2:00 unsportsmanlike conduct), 5:36.
Plus/Minus: +2 (Thomas, Fredericks, Willenborg); +1 (Blumenthal, Howe, Brown, Ocampo, Ernst, McCarthy, Yindiphol); even (Dines, Chibidakis, Ady, Hopper); -1 (Hitchcock, Chee, Zebrowski).
Hits: 6 (Thomas); 3 (Yindiphol); 2 (Hitchcock, Chibidakis); 1 (McCarthy, Hopper).
SHOTS ON GOAL
Santa Clara 12 12 7 --31
Cupertino 8 10 9 --27

Power-play Conversions: Cupertino - 0 of 1; Santa Clara - 1 of 2. Goalies: Cupertino, Lee (27 shots, 24 saves; record 3-0-0). Santa Clara, Begg (13 shots, 9 saves) and Grant @ 6:20 of the second period (14 shots, 14 saves).

Three Stars Of the Game
Jordan Yindiphol - Rocket slapshot proved to be game-winner - 1 point & a plus/minus of +1.

Devin Ernst - Strong all-around game a scored the go-ahead goal - 1 point & a plus/minus of +1.

Dustin Thomas - His speed set up Cougars' tying goal - 1 point and a plus/minus of +2.

Healthy Cougars Help Turn Back the Devils
October 13, 2001

The Cupertino Cougars have been waiting all season to get all of their skaters healthy and on the ice together. While they still haven't quite had that luxury yet, two players who have spent much of the season injured helped lead the Cougars to their second victory of the regular season, a 4-2 defeat of the Tri-Valley Blue Devils. Ian Brown and James Ady each scored their first goals of the season for Cupertino. Both players were skating for only their third game of the year. Jordan Yindiphol and Derek Fredericks added the team's other goals as the Cougars avenged a preseason loss to these same Blue Devils. The victory gives Cupertino a 2-0 record in the young NORCAL season.
Neither team was able to score in a first period that featured strong play by both clubs. Cupertino exploded off the game's initial faceoff and Michelle Chee had a good scoring opportunity coming off a nice pass from Zack Hitchcock. Back the other way, Daniel McCarthy showed solid defensive play by first blocking a shot and then separating a Devil from the puck deep in Cupertino's own end at 14:00. Cupertino had an early penalty to kill at 12:30, and several players chipped in to help in the effort. Eric Blumenthal and Jordan Yindiphol both iced the puck during Tri-Valley's power play. Ben Dines generated a shorthanded shot on goal and Tarra Chibidakis had a nice steal as the penalty wound down. The Cougars earned their first power play at 7:33, generating a couple of shots but no solid scoring chances. At 2:12, McCarthy's backchecking again helped to ride a Devil off the puck in the Cougars' zone. Tri-Valley's best chance of the period came at 1:49 when a Cupertino giveaway led to a short, open breakaway for the Blue Devils. But the shot sailed high and over the net and the period ended with the teams still battling to be first on the scoreboard.
Early second period action favored the Cougars. Tarra Chibidakis made a heads-up play to hold the zone and she fired a laser on goal from just inside the blueline. That shot was stopped, but Cupertino would score on their next shift. James Ady gathered in the puck along the boards and sent a pass out to blueliner Jordan Yindiphol. Yindiphol sent a low screaming slapshot through a Derek Fredericks screen and the puck found its way to the back of the net to give the Cougars a 1-0 lead at 11:27. Daniel McCarthy also picked up an assist on the play. The goal seemed to inspire the Cougars and they nearly scored on four different occasions over the next three minutes. Michelle Chee just missed wide on another one-timer pass from Zack Hitchcock at 11:00. Hitchcock followed that up with a short breakaway at 10:40 that was rejected. Then, on a power play, Devin Ernst fired a strong shot from in tight that bounced off the goalie and back to Ernst. Ernst had time to load up on the rebound, but his backhander glanced off the post. At 8:45, Dustin Thomas took his turn, catapulting a strong backhander from close range, in traffic, that was also set aside. Those great efforts were followed up by a breakout breakdown by the Cougars that resulted in a steal and a quick slapshot through traffic to tie the score 1-1. At 7:45, Michelle Chee had her third one-timer opportunity in front and again the Blue Devils' goalie came up big. Cupertino goalie Addison Lee, who was rock-solid once again, made back-to-back saves on an odd-man rush at 6:21. Tri-Valley gained its second power play opportunity at 5:32 and the Cougars' special teams were successful once again, led by Nathan Zebrowski, Michelle Chee, Ashley Ocampo, and Michelle Chee. Just after the penalty expired, Ian Brown found some space and generated a close-range shot that was stopped. At 2:12, the Cougars were frustrated again when an Ocampo breakaway shot was stopped thanks to a quick glove save. Finally, Cupertino was rewarded for its hard work when Daniel McCarthy and James Ady teamed to steal an outlet pass and Ady quickly turned it into a short breakaway chance. Ady went to his backhand and connected to give the Cougars a 2-1 lead headed into the final period.
Cupertino's Devin Ernst took a one-timer pass from Ashley Ocampo at 13:32 of the final period and found a goalie wall. Tri-Valley's best chance to re-tie the game came during a power play that started at 13:09. After stopping one shot from point blank range, Addison Lee had to slide quickly across the crease to reject a crazily bouncing rebound chance at 12:31. Ben Dines, Eric Blumenthal, and Daniel McCarthy each iced the puck during that Devils' power play, to assist Lee's yeoman goaltending effort. At 9:53, Ian Brown's quick hands resulted in another steal and short breakaway chance. This time he fired just wide, missing a chance to extend the Cougars lead. Cupertino finally connected again at 6:13, giving themselves a little breathing room in this closely fought contest. Ben Dines picked up the assist that led to the goal, ripping a hard shot from inside the blueline that resulted in a juicy rebound. Derek Fredericks rapped it through the five-hole to give the home team a 3-1 advantage. One minute later, Ian Brown slammed the door on any Tri-Valley comeback hopes. Brown took a nifty lead pass just inside the Devils' zone from Ashley Ocampo, deked one defender and then went top shelf, blocker-side for the Cougars' fourth goal. Devin Ernst picked up the second assist on the play. Tri-Valley added a meaningless power play goal off a Cougars' giveaway at 1:07 to close out the scoring.
Off to a good start, Cupertino will be hoping to extend their record to 4-0 as they meet the Santa Clara Blackhawks and the Oakland Polars in NORCAL action next weekend.

4, Tri-Valley, 2

BOX SCORE

1st 2nd 3rd TOTAL
Tri-Valley 0 1 1 2
Cupertino 0 2 2 4

Scoring Summary
First Period
Scoring: None. Penalties: Thomas, Cupertino (hooking), 12:30; Kurbatsky, Tri-Valley (holding), 7:33; Hassler, Tri-Valley (high sticking), 0:50.

Second Period
Scoring: 1, Cougars, Yindiphol 1 (Ady, McCarthy), 11:27. 2, Tri-Valley, Slattery (Kurbatsky), 8:23. 3, Cougars, Ady 1 (McCarthy), 1:00. Penalties: Chibidakis, Cougars (roughing), 10:37; Montes, Tri-Valley (roughing), 10:37; Smallhoover, Tri-Valley (roughing), 10:37; Thomas, Cupertino (interference), 5:32.
Third Period
Scoring: 4, Cougars, Fredericks 1 (Dines), 6:13. 5, Cougars, Brown 1 (Ocampo, Ernst), 5:13. 6, Tri-Valley, Wesoler (Smallhoover, Montes), 1:05 (pp). Penalties: Brown, Cupertino (interference), 13:09; Thomas, Cupertino (holding), 2:25; Carey, Tri-Valley (slashing), 1:43; Lee, Cupertino (cross checking), 1:43.
Plus/Minus: +3 (McCarthy); +2 (Ady, Fredericks, Thomas, Chibidakis); +1 (Dines, Ocampo, Ernst, Brown); even (Yindiphol, Blumenthal, Chee, Hitchcock, Hopper, Zebrowski). DNP (Howe, Willenborg).
Hits: 3 (Thomas, Yindiphol); 2 (Ernst); 1 (Chee, Hopper, Zebrowski, Hitchcock, Brown, Chibidakis, Ocampo).
SHOTS ON GOAL
Tri-Valley 10 8 10 --28
Cupertino 9 12 11 --32

Power-play Conversions: Cupertino - 0 of 3; Tri-Valley - 1 of 4. Goalies: Cupertino, Lee (28 shots, 26 saves; record 2-0-0). Tri-Valley, Slattery (32 shots, 28 saves).

Three Stars Of the Game
Daniel McCarthy - Assists on first 2 goals. Solid defensive game - 2 points & a plus/minus of +3.

Ian Brown - Good offensive chances and defensiove takeaways - 1 goal & a plus/minus of +1.

James Ady - His spark helped set the pace. 1 goal/1 assist - 2 points and a plus/minus of +2.

Quick Goals Lead to Quick Start and 4-2 Win
October 7, 2001

Cupertino scored goals shortly after the opening faceoff of each period Sunday, skating to a convincing 4-2 victory over the Belmont Rangers in the regular season opener for both teams. The Cougars' first goal came just 3:09 into the opening period. In rapid-fire succession, they added two goals in the first 2:23 of the second period. And the Cougars closed out their scoring with a tally just 2:14 into the final period. The season-opening victory was an important one for the Cougars, who skated without the services of four players not including injured goalie Sarsh Levine. Ashley Ocampo notched a breakaway goal and added two assists for the victorious Cougars. Zack Hitchcock, playing in his first game scored the first regular season goal for Cupertino. Ben Dines and Matt Hopper added the team's other goals, while Eric Blumenthal pitched in with two assists and stalwart defensive play.
The Cougars came out strong, nearly scoring on the first rush off the opening faceoff. Great passes by Eric Blumenthal and Nathan Zebrowski led to an excellent scoring chance for Zack Hitchcock that he fired just wide. The next time this forward line took the ice, they made it count. Hitchcock and Jordan Yindiphol sent pucks flying toward the net that sailed wide. Michelle Chee picked up the loose puck and fed Zebrowski who fired a shot on goal that was set aside. Hitchcock crashed the net and rammed the rebound home and the Cougars led 1-0 at 11:51 of the first period. Cupertino continued to force the action but Belmont found some open ice when they managed to get the puck out of their own zone. At 10:23, Daniel McCarthy made a nice defensive play to break up a 2-on-2 rush; then he followed that up with a blocked shot that was zeroing in on the net. About two minutes later Belmont missed on several excellent scoring opportunities, sending a couple of shots wide and having at least two others rejected by goaltender Addison Lee. The attack ended in a pile in front of the net with Lee clinging to the puck. At 7:12, Eric Blumenthal thwarted a 2-on-1 rush forcing the Rangers' player wide and separating him from the puck. At 6:42, Lee made another great stop on an open shot generated during a 2-on-1 rush. Cupertino controlled action during their lone power play of the game, which came at 4:13. But the Cougars were unable to connect and the period ended with the score stuck at 1-0.
This game was probably decided in the first 2:23 of the second period when the Cougars increased their lead to 3-0. Cupertino scored on their first shift of the period when Ben Dines banged in a rebound of a Eric Blumenthal shot from the point. Ashley Ocampo added the second assist on the play. At 13:51, Addison Lee made a spectacular save, rejecting a one-timer from point-blank range. The Cougars responded by scoring again. Blumenthal's excellent clearing pass found Ashley Ocampo alone ahead of the defense. Ocampo made a nice move on the breakaway, opening up the five-hole for the deposit and the 3-0 lead. At 11:25, Cupertino nearly made it 4-0. Zack Hitchcock found an opening and would have connected if it weren't for a sprawling save by the goaltender. Hitchcock followed his own rebound and sent a sharp-angle shot toward the open net, but a Rangers' defenseman got back just in time to stop the puck just before it trickled over the line. Belmont began to press the action and another flurry erupted in front of the Cougars' net at 9:13. This time the Rangers were awarded a penalty shot when one of the Cougars' skaters covered the puck while lying in a heap in the middle of the crease. Jake Hutt took the penalty shot for the Rangers and Addison Lee came up huge. Lee's aggressive poke check slowed the shot but he still needed to get down and cover what juice was left in the sliding puck. When play resumed, Cupertino found themselves again on the wrong end of an odd-man rush. This time it was Tarra Chibidakis breaking up the play. At 6:45, Daniel McCarthy chipped in with some solid defense, deflecting a one-timer pass as it zipped across the crease toward an open Ranger skater. Belmont finally got on the board at 5:56 when Cupertino was caught on a poor line change. Lee again went with the poke check and got a piece of it, but the puck still managed to find the net, cutting Cupertino's lead to 3-1. Belmont came right back with a 3-on-1 rush at 5:20, but Jordan Yindiphol intercepted a pass to break up the play. Belmont had one final shot to narrow the gap at 0:24, but Lee made another acrobatic save, this time on a clear breakaway.
The third period opened with yet another poke-check save by Addison Lee on another breakaway by the Rangers. While the Cougars seemed to be living dangerously whenever Belmont managed to break out of their own zone, most of the action continued to be played on the Rangers' defensive end of the ice. And that kind of action resulted in Cupertino's next tally. Derek Fredericks took the puck along the boards and sent a pass to Ashley Ocampo who was Ocampo'd behind the net. Her one-timer pass found Matt Hopper open in front, and Hopper didn't miss, hammering the puck into the net to make it 4-1 at 12:46. Ocampo nearly made it a 4-point game at 6:32, when she took a perfect breakaway feed from Hopper. But she was stymied this time and the score remained 4-1. Belmont made it interesting with a shorthanded goal at 3:24, but Cupertino held on the rest of the way. Belmont's best chance down the stretch came in the last 8 seconds of the game, but Nathan Zebrowski dove in front of a pass to break up a 2-on-1 rush.
Cupertino will be looking to avenge a sloppy 4-3 preseason loss to Tri-Valley, when they meet the Blue Devils in their second regular season game, and their home opener, next Saturday.
4, Belmont, 2

BOX SCORE

1st 2nd 3rd TOTAL
Cupertino 1 2 1 4
Belmont 0 1 1 2

Scoring Summary
First Period
Scoring: 1, Cougars, Hitchcock 1 (Zebrowski, Chee), 11:51. Penalties: Bench minor, Belmont (too many men on the ice), 4:13.

Second Period
Scoring: 2, Cougars, Dines 1 (Blumenthal, Ocampo), 14:31. 3, Cougars, Ocampo 1 (Blumenthal), 12:37. 4, Sedin, Belmont (Hutt, Stromberg), 5:56. Penalties: Fredericks, Cupertino (delay of game - resulted in unsuccesful penalty shot), 9:13; Zebrowski, Cupertino (high sticking), 4:02.
Third Period
Scoring: 5, Hopper, Cougars 1 (Ocampo, Fredericks), 12:46. 6, Glowniak, Belmont (unassisted), 3:24 (sh). Penalties: Sedin, Belmont (holding), 3:55.
Plus/Minus: +3 (Blumenthal, Ocampo); +2 (Fredericks); +1 (Zebrowski, Hopper, McCarthy, Hitchcock, Chee, Chibidakis); even (Dines); -1 (Ernst, Yindiphol,); -2 (Brown); DNP (Ady, Howe, Thomas, Willenborg).
Hits: 3 (Ernst, Hitchcock, Yindiphol); 2 (Fredericks); 1 (Blumenthal, Chibidakis, Zebrowski, Hopper, McCarthy).
SHOTS ON GOAL
Cougars 16 10 9 --35
Belmont 7 9 10 --26

Power-play Conversions: Cupertino - 0 of 2; Belmont - 0 of 1. Belmont - unsucessful penalty shot at 9:13 of the second period. Goalies: Cupertino, Lee (26 shots, 24 saves; record 1-0-0). Belmont, Drinnan (35 shots, 31 saves).

Three Stars Of the Game
Ashley Ocampo - Great breakaway goal & 2 assists - 3 points & a plus/minus of +3.

Matt Hopper - Scored third-period clincher on one-timer - 1 point & a plus/minus of +1.

Eric Blumenthal - Force on defense and contributed 2 assists - 2 points & a plus/minus of +3.

Hockey, Hockey, Hockey, Hockey, Hockey all the Time

Cougars Page NORCAL Youth Hockey USA Hockey ESPN Hockey SJ Sharks

Back to Bantam-A Home


*Cougars Page*	*NORCAL Youth Hockey*	*USA Hockey*	*ESPN Hockey*	*SJ Sharks*