Cupertino Cougars
Bantam-A 2001/2002 Ice Hockey Team

Desert Coyotes
President's Day Tournament
Icetown Arena - Riverside
February November 16-18, 2002

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Slow Start, Bad Finish to Cougars Last Game
            February 17, 2002

The Desert Coyotes jumped on the Cupertino Cougars in their semi-final match-up, scoring twice in the first 2:02, and then holding on to win, 3-1.  Cupertino recovered from their slow start and outplayed the Coyotes over the balance of the period, narrowing the gap to 2-1 on James Ady's third goal of the tournament.  But penalty trouble and some undisciplined hockey got in the way of the comeback, allowing the Coyotes to score a power play goal in the third period to seal the victory.  The Cougars committed five penalties after the Coyotes' third goal, effectively wiping out any chance of a comeback.  Nonetheless, the Cougars did play some great hockey in Riverside, and they return home knowing that they certainly have the ability to secure one of the NORCAL playoff spots.

After Ben Dines' strong slapshot deflected off a skate at 13:16 just missing the net, the Coyotes zipped up the ice the other way, getting around the Cougars backcheckers.  The shot was perfectly placed on the short side of the net, and the Coyotes led, 1-0 at 13:06.  Eight seconds later, it was 2-0.  Once again, speed killed the Cougars on an outside rush around the defense.  This time it was a nifty little backhand move that finished the play.  At that point, Cupertino turned the tide and began to play some solid Cougars hockey.  Ben Dines rapped another slapshot that was deflected and then pounced on just before crossing over the goal line.  Jordan Yindiphol's slapshot was covered at 9:10.  A couple of shifts later, Eric Blumenthal sent a strong slapper on net that the goaltender was unable to hold.  James Ady took a whack at the rebound and Matt Hopper had a couple of good chances, but the netminder was finally able to cover the puck and stop play.  At 1:57, Zack Hitchcock and Derek Fredericks broke in on a 2-on-2 and Hitchcock's slapshot was stopped and held with Fredericks camped at the doorstep.  Cupertino's hard work paid off at 1:34 when Dustin Thomas won a battle behind the net and sent a perfectly-placed pass in front of the net and on the tape of James Ady's stick. Ady deposited a backhander between the legs of the goalie to make it 2-1.  The period ended that way after a nice block by Blumenthal at 1:20 on a short 2-on-1.

The Cougars were on fire coming out of the gate in the second period. James Ady broke in at 14:38 and delivered a tough wrister that the goalie went down on in an effort to stop. Matt Hopper pounced on the rebound and flipped it over the goalie to the open part of the net, but the netminder made the save of the game, reaching up to snatch it out of the air with glovehand, robbing Hopper. Hopper delivered again at 11:14, zipping a shot into the goaltender's pads. Eric Blumenthal racked one on net off the next faceoff.  Again, the Coyotes' goaltender was ready.  At 7:38 of the second period, the Cougars picked up their first penalty of the game.  There would be seven more to follow.  While the first penalty was innocent, it signified the beginning of the end for the Cougars.  They successfully killed the penalty, thanks to solid penalty-kill work from Ashley Ocampo and Derek Fredericks, and a save through traffic at 6:48 by Addison Lee.  At 5:05, the Coyotes clanked one off the post.  The Cougars nearly scored the equalizer at 3:12 when Fredericks reached to tip a centering pass and the resulting shot slid wide of the net.  At 2:14, the Cougars were forced to take a penalty at the end of a long shift when a Coyote slipped loose on a breakaway and Jordan Yindiphol made the smart play to trip-up the player before he could deliver the shot.  Again, the special teams play was solid, led by Dustin Thomas and Ian Brown.  Brown delivered a shorthanded shot during his stint on the ice.  Michelle Chee blocked a shot out of the zone and Daniel McCarthy twice iced the puck during their shifts on the penalty kill.  At 1:03, Addison Lee pounced on a good wraparound attempt.  With twelve seconds left on the clock and two seconds left on the Coyotes power play, Cupertino took yet another penalty and this one would end up costing them.

Right off the opening shift of the third period, the Coyotes rushed in and delivered a shot that was wide, but it deflected off the boards back in front of the net.  With Addison Lee out of position, a wide open net was ready for the taking.  But the Coyotes somehow shot it wide and the Cougars breathed a sigh of relief.  After two nice penalty-kill plays by Eric Blumenthal and a steal & ice by Michelle Chee, the Coyotes cashed in.  The play was similar to the near-score earlier in the period, but this time the initial shot was deflected wide of the net, leaving the backside of the goal exposed.  The Coyotes didn't miss this time, backhanding it in for the score.  The Cougars didn't have much to offer from that point forward.  They were back in the penalty box just 1:27 after the Coyotes' goal.  Jordan Yindiphol and Ashley Ocampo were the keys to that successful penalty kill.  From that point forward, most of the play was in the neutral zone.  Daniel  Willenborg delivered a solid shot that the goaltender gloved up high at 4:04.  At 2:32, Daniel McCarthy's strong slapshot was grabbed and held.  Cupertino pulled the goaltender at 1:30 for the extra skater, and they had a 2-man advantage when the Cougars ended up on the power play after four penalties were called at 1:18.  But the Coyotes successfully killed the clock to claim the 3-1 victory and a spot in the finals vs. the San Jose Jr. Sharks. 

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1, Desert Coyotes, 3

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BOX SCORE

	1st	2nd	3rd	TOTAL
Cupertino	1	0	0	1
Desert Coyotes	2	0	1	3

Scoring Summary

First Period
Scoring:  1, Coyotes, Sutro (Almoduvar), 13:06.  2, Coyotes, Schultz (Sutro), 12:58.  3, Cougars, Ady 3 (Thomas), 1:34.  Penalties:  Roughton, Coyotes (bench minor), 10:18.

Second Period
Scoring:  None.  Penalties:  Wenglare, Coyotes (roughing), 10:46;  McCarthy, Cupertino (interference), 7:38;  Yindiphol, Cupertino (tripping), 2:14;  Lee, Cupertino (interference), 0:12.

Third Period
Scoring:  4, Coyotes, Schultz (Bush, Curci), 13:49 (pp).  Penalties: Thomas, Cupertino (tripping), 12:22;  McCorry, Coyotes (roughing), 8:19;  Thomas, Cupertino (high-sticking), 8:19;  Ady, Cupertino (2:00 checking from behind and a 10:00 misconduct), 1:18;  Roughton, Coyotes (bench minor), 1:18;  Almoduvar, Coyotes (unsportsmanlike conduct), 1:18;  Ady, Cupertino (game misconduct), 0:00.

Plus/Minus:  even(Ady, Thomas, Hopper, Yindiphol, Brown, Chee, Willenborg, Fredericks, Hitchcock, Ernst); -1(Dines, Ocampo, Zebrowski, Blumenthal, McCarthy); DNP(Chibidakis, Howe).

Hits:  3(Brown); 2(Ady); 1(Thomas, Ocampo, Ernst).

SHOTS ON GOAL

Cupertino	8	9	7	--24
Coyotes	7	9	11	--27

Power-play Conversions:  Cupertino - 0 of 3;  Coyotes - 1 of 4.  Goalies:  Cupertino, Lee (30 shots, 27 saves; record 0-1-2).  Coyotes, Rapp (24 shots, 23 saves).

   Three Stars Of the Game

Matt Hopper - Robbed on at 2-3 scoring chances - solid play both ways & a plus/minus of +1

Ben Dines - Fired off several good shots from the blueline - good defense & a plus/minus of -1
 

Michelle Chee - Strong penalty kill work & solid play overall -  plus/minus of even

Cougars Claw their Way into Semis with 6-2 Win
            February 16, 2002

Determined play on both sides of the ice earned the Cupertino Cougars the third seed in the Desert Coyotes President's Day Tournament finals.  The balanced Cougars' attack netted six goals by six different players, including two on the power play, as Cupertino pounced on the La Jolla Jaguars by a 6-2 score.  The win all but clinches the third seed for the Cougars, although they could move up one slot if the Jaguars manage to upset the San Jose Jr. Sharks in a Sunday morning contest.  Cupertino's goals were scored by Nathan Zebrowski, Eric Blumenthal, Ian Brown, and by all three forwards on the James Ady, Matt Hopper, Dustin Thomas line.  Defensively, the Cougars were on top of their game, allowing only ten shots, although two resulted in breakaway goals.  Goaltender Sarsh Levine was solid between the pipes, picking up the victory in this "must-win" game.  The Cougars' likely opponent in the #2 vs. #3 game will be the host, Desert Coyotes, with the winner advancing to the Monday morning championship game.

This game was pretty much dominated by the Cougars from start to finish.  Cupertino generated the first good scoring chance at 12:21.  Jordan Yindiphol's blocked slapshot caromed out to James Ady who blasted  the loose puck off the post.  A short time later, Cougars' goaltender Sarsh Levine got in the act, sticking aside a tough shot at 9:40.  The Cougars got on the board at 7:37 on a play started by Ben Dines.  Dines picked the pocket of a Jaguar skater who was attempted to carry the puck out of the zone.  He fed the puck to Ashley Ocampo who attempted a wraparound that La Jolla's goaltender tried to pounce on.  With the goaltender sprawled out on the ice, and with no whistle sounding, the Cougars banged away at the goaltender in search of the elusive puck.  Nathan Zebrowski spotted it resting in the crease behind the goaltender and he tipped it in for the score.  As has been the case often this season, scoring first seemed to inspire the Cougars to step it up further.  At 4:30, Michelle Chee had her wraparound attempt stuffed.  But less than a minute later, the Cougars got on the board again.  James Ady got in front of a slapshot and blocked it back to center ice.  Ady turned on the afterburners, chasing down the loose puck and turning it into a breakaway.  With a nifty little move to the backhand, Adyschooled the goaltender to make it 2-0.  Ady nearly scored again off a nice touch pass from Dustin Thomas at 3:16.  Levine added another strong pad save at 2:42 to keep La Jolla off the scoreboard. The Jaguars prevented further damage thanks to a nice glove save off a strong shot from Eric Blumenthal, and then thanks to the goaltender's best friend, the post, on a Daniel McCarthy slapshot at 0:40.  At 0:07, the Jaguars picked up two penalties that would cost them in the second period.

Skating 5-on-3, Cupertino was looking for blood.  They immediately applied pressure in the La Jolla zone, and it paid off when Ben Dines rifled a mid-range slapshot that the goaltender couldn't hold. Matt Hopper found the loose puck and rammed it home to make it 3-0.  Dustin Thomas picked upthe second assist on the play.  Hopper's power play goal wiped out the balance of the first penalty, but the Cougars still had 58 seconds left on the second an-advantage.  After Ian Brown's backhander was stopped at 13:45, Ashley Ocampo controlled the loose puck, sending it out to Eric Blumenthal.  Blumenthal let loose a slapshot through screens by Ocampo and Devin Ernst, and the puck found it's way into the back of the net.  The Dustin Thomas, James Ady, Matt Hopper line continued to make things happen whenever they were on the ice.  Thomas sent a shot off the goalie and just wide of the net at 12:04.  At 11:29, all three linemates hammered away at a loose puck in the crease, but came away empty. Ben Dines' tough slapshot at 11:13 was sticked out of play by La Jolla's netminder.  A short time later, Nathan Zebrowski sent a pass to Michelle Chee that she one-timed into the goalie's pads.  La Jolla finally got on the scoreboard at 4:56 at the end of a long Cupertino shift.  The Jaguars turned it into a 2-on-1 and they converted on a top-shelf wrister to make it 4-1. Eric Blumenthal came up with the defensive play of the game at 1:40. Blumenthal's diving sweep with his stick knocked loose the puck and prevented a Jaguars breakaway.

Cupertino started the third period shorthanded thanks to a late, second-period penalty.  Daniel McCarthy twice iced the puck and Michelle Chee and Nathan Zebrowski chipped in with nice defensive plays to kill the penalty.  The Cougars responded by adding a goal of their own 1:00 after the teams returned to even-strength.  Ian Brown carried the puck into the Jaguars' zone and around the net.  His wraparound eluded the goaltender and slid over the goal line, making it 5-1.  It took just 1:13 for Cupertino to make it a half-dozen.  With the rest of the Cougars on a line change, Dustin Thomas went coast-to-coast, slipping a backhander through the 5-hole for the score.  James Ady nearly added another goal for this dominant line, but his tough backhander was saved at 11:03.  Cupertino found themselves back on the penalty kill at 10:25, and again at 5:37.  Michelle Chee and Jordan Yindiphol each iced the puck during the first kill.  Eric Blumenthal chipped in with a steal and Ian Brown tied the puck up along the boards, eating up about 15 seconds of the penalty.  Daniel McCarthy led the special teams with his strong play during the second penalty kill.  La Jolla was unable to generate a shot on goal during either penalty, although they added a breakaway goal at 2:30 after a Jaguars forward got outside the Cupertino defense, and raced back inside for a top-shelf goal.

The victory improves the Cougars' record to 1-0-2 for the tournament.  A victory today would put the Cougars in the finals, possibly facing their next NORCAL opponent, the San Jose Jr. Sharks.

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6, La Jolla, 2

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BOX SCORE

	1st	2nd	3rd	TOTAL
Cupertino	2	2	2	6
La Jolla	0	1	1	2

Scoring Summary

First Period
Scoring:  1, Cougars, Zebrowski 1 (Ocampo, Dines), 7:37.  2, Cougars, Ady 2 (unassisted), 3:40.  Penalties:  Lucy, La Jolla (tripping), 4:53;  Scott, La Jolla (roughing), 0:07.

Second Period
Scoring:  3, Cougars, Hopper 2 (Dines, Thomas), 14:05 (pp).  4, Cougars, Blumenthal 7(Ocampo, Brown), 13:34 (pp).  5, La Jolla, Arakaki (unassisted), 4:56.  Penalties:  Bagalini, La Jolla (goaltender interference), 7:52;  Anderson, La Jolla (roughing), 3:25;  Ernst, Cupertino (slashing), 3:25;  Thomas, (charging), 0:39;  Lucy, La Jolla (2:00 unsportsmanlike conduct and a game misconduct), 0:39;  Ady, Cupertino (unsportsmanlike conduct), 0:39.

Third Period
Scoring:  6, Cougars, Brown 1 (unassisted), 12:49.  7, Cougars, Thomas 1 (unassisted), 11:36.  8, La Jolla, Scott (unassisted), 2:30.  Penalties: Brown, Cupertino (unsportsmanlike conduct), 14:00;  Brown, Cupertino (interference), 2:16.

Plus/Minus:  +2(Yindiphol, Dines); +1(Zebrowski, Thomas, Ady, Hopper, Ocampo, Brown, Chee); even(Blumenthal, McCarthy, Willenborg, Hitchcock, Ernst); -1(Fredericks); DNP(Chibidakis, Howe).

Hits:  3(Blumenthal); 2(Thomas); 1(Yindiphol, Ernst, McCarthy, Ady).

SHOTS ON GOAL

Cupertino	9	13	5	--27
La Jolla	7	2	1	--10

Power-play Conversions:  Cupertino - 2 of 3;  La Jolla - 0 of 3.  Goalies:  Cupertino, Levine (10 shots, 8 saves; record 1-0-0).  La Jolla, Guttierez (27 shots, 21 saves).

   Three Stars Of the Game

Ian Brown - Strong on both ends all series - 2 points including unassisted goal - plus/minus of +1
 

Ashley Ocampo - Assisted on 2 goals including Cougars' first - 2 points & a plus/minus of +1
 

Sarsh Levine - Cougars first tournament win was a big one - Solid effort with 8 saves on 10 shots

Cougars Fried by Rocky Mountain Tie
            February 16, 2002

Despite facing off against their first AA foe this season, the Cupertino Cougars felt that they were robbed after giving up a power play goal with just 18 seconds left in their afternoon game Saturday, allowing the Littleton Hawks to escape with a 2-2 tie.  The equalizer was scored with the Hawks' netminder pulled for the extra skater and with only 2 seconds remaining on the ticky-tack interference penalty.  Littleton outshot the Cougars 26-15, but spectacular goaltending by Addison Lee and timely goals by James Ady and Jordan Yindiphol had the Cougars poised for victory up until the very end.  After skating to ties in their first two games against Colorado teams, Cupertino will face La Jolla, California in action later today, where a victory would propel Cupertino into one of the final four spots vying for the tournament championship.

With Littleton playing their second game of the day, Cupertino hoped to jump on them early.  But the Hawks had a different plan, and that required goaltender Addison Lee to be at his best, and he was today, starting with a kick save at 14:06 and then a point blank rejection at 13:46.  Back the other way, Dustin Thomas and Matt Hopper continued their physical play and that created an opening for Thomas, who was stopped from close range at 13:11.  Hopper pounced on the rebound but his shot was stopped at the porch.  The next several minutes featured strong defense both ways.  Defensemen Daniel McCarthy, Eric Blumenthal, Ben Dines, and Jordan Yindiphol were on top of their game, winning the deep battles and moving the puck out of their own zone.  Yindiphol went end-to-end at 7:03 but his slapshot was saves.  At 6:28, Addison Lee made a solid glove save after the Hawks applied some pressure deep inside the Cupertino zone.  At 4:53, Cupertino went on what would turn out to be their only power play of the game.  Michelle Chee had the best chance early for the Cougars, firing a wrister from the slot that was destined for the top-corner of the net until it was swiped out of the air by the goaltender.  On the next shift, Dustin Thomas and James Ady executed an encore performance of their nifty the play from the day before.  After taking a pass from Matt Hopper who outraced a Littleton player to the puck along the side boards, Thomas carried the puck around the net and then sent a behind-the-back centering pass to Ady who didn't miss today, giving Cupertino a 1-0 lead.  Hopper picked up the second assist on the play.  Off the next draw, the Cougars nearly scored again, but the Hawks goalie pounced on the loose puck in the crease.  The ensuing draw led to a rush the other way, requiring Addison Lee to make an odd-man rush save.  A juicy rebound trickled out but the Hawks shot it wide.  At 0:51, a Littleton player found the puck on his skate in front of the net and he kicked it in, but referee waved off the illegal goal immediately.  The period ended with Cupertino ahead, 1-0.

Half of the game's goal-scoring action took place in the first 53 seconds of the second period.  Littleton gained control of the puck in the neutral zone and started an odd-man rush.  The Cougars stopped the ensuing shot, but the Hawks stuck with it and eventually found the back of the net to tie the score.  But Cupertino came right back to regain the lead.  After Ben Dines dumped the puck off the faceoff, Ashley Ocampo delivered a nice forecheck behind the net and Michelle Chee picked up the loose puck, sending a pass out to the blueline where Jordan Yindiphol was waiting.  Yindiphol sent a hard slapper through Chee's screen for the score. James Ady picked up the puck and went on a near breakaway at 13:06.  With two Hawks players whacking away at him from behind, Ady stuck with it and got off a shot that sailed wide of the net.  At 9:47, Matt Hopper delivered one of his Bryan Marchmant-like open ice hits.  At 9:16, Cupertino committed their first penalty of the game and they managed to kill it.  Addison Lee made a solid stop at 9:13, and Derek Fredericks, Devin Ernst, and Eric Blumenthal each iced the puck during their stints on the ice. Ben Dines stole the puck and sent it the length of the ice during another sequence.  Back at even strength, Lee delivered back-to-back saves at 6:13 and 6:00.  At 5:20, Ashley Ocampo delivered a point-blank backhander that nearly found its way through the 5-hole.  Cupertino faced the Littleton power play again at 3:40.  This time it was Dines, Nathan Zebrowski, and a stickless Devin Ernst that delivered on special teams.  Lee added another save at 2:46, and Derek Fredericks blocked a shot out of the zone as the final seconds of the power play wound down.  The period ended with Cupertino clinging to a 2-1 lead.

The Cougars were back in the box at 14:00 of the third period and once again the special teams came through.  Nathan Zebrowski iced the puck and then picked off a pass on the next rush and iced it again.  Ashley Ocampo also delivered a solid penalty-kill shift, icing the puck during her stint on the ice.  Addison Lee delivered a critical glove save at 11:45 with Littleton applying heavy pressure.  At 9:31, Lee stopped one of those tricky shots that can be a goaltender's nightmare.  Cupertino continued to play solid defense down the stretch with Ian Brown disrupting one particular rush that appeared to be gathering steam.  At 2:16, the Cougars were called for a ill-timed interference penalty that immediately changed the dynamic of the game.  With their defensemen pinching and their goaltender pulled for the extra skater, Littleton went on the offensive.  At 1:24, Lee made back-to-back spectacular saves - the second while sprawled out on the ice.  Cupertino's pressure defense was effective however, and they nearly put the game away at 0:23 when Zack Hitchcock first poked the puck out of the Cougars' zone, and then sent a well-defensed shot just wide of the empty net.  Littleton had time for one more rush, and this time the 6-on-4 pressure paid off.  With the puck tied up behind the net, the Hawks came away with it, sending a centering pass that a well-positioned Hawks player one-timed into the net.

While the tie might have felt like a loss at the time, the single point was enough to ensure the Cougars the third seed in the tournament finals with a win later tonight in their match-up against the La Jolla Jaguars.

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2, Littleton, 2

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BOX SCORE

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

Scoring Summary

First Period
Scoring:  1, Cougars, Ady 1 (Thomas, Hopper), 3:16 (pp).  Penalties:  Gabrica, Littleton (tripping), 4:53.

Second Period
Scoring:  2, Littleton, Blum (Noyes, Lenda), 14:21.  3, Yindiphol 1 (Chee, Dines), 14:07.  Penalties:  Thomas, Cupertino (tripping), 9:16;  Thomas, Cupertino 13:23;  Ady, Cupertino (tripping), 3:40.

Third Period
Scoring:  4,  Littleton, Walkup (Okazaki), 0:18 (pp).  Penalties: Brown, Cupertino (unsportsmanlike conduct), 14:00;  Brown, Cupertino (interference), 2:16.

Plus/Minus:  +2(Yindiphol, Dines); +1(Thomas, Ady, Hopper, Ocampo, Ernst, Chee); even(Brown, Zebrowski); -1(Fredericks, Zebrowski, Willenborg, McCarthy, Blumenthal); DNP(Chibidakis, Howe).

Hits:  2(Thomas, Ady, Yindiphol, Blumenthal); 1(Zebrowski, McCarthy).

SHOTS ON GOAL

Littleton	8	8	10	--26
Cupertino	8	4	3	--15

Power-play Conversions:  Cupertino - 1 of 1;  Littleton - 1 of 4.  Goalies:  Cupertino, Lee (26 shots, 24 saves; record 0-0-2).  Littleton, Babick (15 shots, 13 saves).

   Three Stars Of the Game

Ben Dines - Assisted on Cougars second goal - Consistent on"D" - 1 point & a plus/minus of +1
 

James Ady - Strong overall play & one-timer got Cougars going - 1 point & a plus/minus of even
 

Nathan Zebrowski - Led Cougars P-kill effort - strong game overall & a plus/minandus of even

Cougars and Arapahoe Skate to 2-2 Tie
            February 15, 2002

The Cupertino Cougars took the ice against the Arapahoe Ice Warriors in at 10:05 PM start in the Desert Coyotes President's Day Tournament Friday, and came within 2:14 of bagging a victory.  But the Ice Warriors, a team from Colorado, rallied to earn a point thanks to some late-game heroics and a fortunate bounce.  Cupertino came out on fire in this game, outshooting Arapahoe 8-2 in the first period.  But Arapahoe turned the tables in the second period with the help of three Cupertino penalties.  Cupertino killed all three, but the 5-on-4 pressure helped Arapahoe build confidence.  After a scoreless first period, each team tallied single goals in the second and third periods.  Zack Hitchcock and Matt Hopper found the back of the net for the Cougars, with Jordan Yindiphol, Devin Ernst, and Eric Blumenthal picking up the helpers.  Cupertino next faces a AA team from Littleton Colorado.

While Cupertino controlled most of the opening period action, the first good scoring chances came from Arapahoe.  Nice defensive work from Ian Brown helped thwart one opportunity, and a solid stick save by goaltender Addison Lee at 12:13 prevented another.  Dustin Thomas had a solid shot of his own rejected the other way at 10:08.  At 9:47, James Ady had a blocked shot deflect over to him and he blasted a one-timer that the goalie gathered in and held.  Derek Fredericks followed that up with a strong slapshot that was blocked and then a second shot that was saved, coming after Dustin Thomas made a nice pass while laying flat on the ice.  Ian Brown continued his strong defensive play with a blocked shot at 6:33 and then a big, open-ice hit.  The Cougars just missed converting on what would have been a highlight-reel goal at 3:45.  In deep, Thomas sent a behind-the-back pass across the crease to James Ady who was poised for the one-timer.  But somehow, Arapahoe's goalie managed to get in position to make the save.  Jordan Yindiphol had one more chance for the Cougars but his slapper was stopped at 2:29.  Despite the Cougars' dominance, the period ended in a 0-0 tie.

It looked like a different Arapahoe team from the drop of the puck in the second period.  The Ice Warriors controlled play, requiring Addison Lee to make a save on a short breakaway at 14:10.  Zack Hitchcock swept aside a rebound that was sitting on the porch, but the Cougars were unable to clear the zone.  The long shift ended up resulting in the Cougars taking their first penalty of the game, at 13:23.  After some spotty penalty-kill work of late, the Cougars were perfect on this day.  Devin Ernst, Ashley Ocampo, and Ian Brown all made plays to disrupt the first Arapahoe power play.  Addison Lee closed out the penalty with a save at 11:23.  But it took the Cougars only 2:05 to find their way back into the box.  Devin Ernst was again solid on special teams, icing the puck and tying up the Ice Warriors rush.  Lee added a one-timer save at 8:46.  Ben Dines, Nathan Zebrowski, and Derek Fredericks all made plays to help kill the balance of the power play.  This time the Cougars were only able to skate 5-on-5 for 1:08 before taking their third second-period penalty.  Zebrowski keyed the latest penalty kill, with Ernst chipping in on special teams yet again.  Lee continued to be perfect, making a glove save at 5:08.  With the teams back at even-strength, Arapahoe finally ended the scoreless tie.  It came on a 2-on-1 after the Cougars had overplayed the puck, and the Ice Warriors' conversion made it 1-0 at 3:42.  Cupertino went on the power play at 2:55, but they were unable to get much going.  But like the Ice Warriors did, Cupertino connected shortly after play returned to good old-fashioned 5-on-5 hockey.  With the puck in Arapahoe's end, Zack Hitchcock cleanly won a faceoff, sending the puck back to defenseman Jordan Yindiphol.  Yindiphol let loose a slapshot that Hitchcock deflected through the 5-hole for the equalizer.  The goal came at 0:35, and set the stage for an exciting finish.

After some back & forth neutral zone play to open the third period, Addison Lee made another good save at 12:25, with Daniel McCarthy following that up with a blocked shot.  The strong physical play of the Cougars' Matt Hopper paid off when the Cougars took the lead at 11:48.  Devin Ernst won a battle for the puck behind the Ice Warriors' net, sending a pass to Dustin Thomas just before going down.  Thomas sent a centering pass to Hopper who got off a clean shot that hit the pipe.  But Hopper stuck with the play, managing to gather in the rebound and backhand it past the netminder to give the Cougars a 2-1 lead.  Thomas and Ernst recorded the assists.  The Cougars then proceeded to go into defensive mode in order to protect their lead, and it might have put them on their heels just a bit.  Arapahoe generated some good pressure at 11:03, but were unable to get off a shot.  Lee added a nice kick-save at 10:49.  When Cupertino went on the power play at 4:45, things were looking pretty good.  Dustin Thomas generated the best scoring chance on a backhander at 2:55.  Arapahoe's goalie made the save and the power play expired with no further damage.  The Ice Warriors then went back on the offensive.  With the puck in the Cougars' zone, Cupertino was fighting to clear the zone while Arapahoe worked to keep the puck in.  With the puck just a few inches inside the blueline, the Ice Warriors found some room and sent the disk towards the net.  Arapahoe then managed to get off a shot that deflected over Lee's shoulder and into the net.  Cupertino had one last chance when Arapahoe picked up a penalty at 1:10.  But the best they were able to do was a slapshot by Eric Blumenthal that bounced just high and wide of the net.

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2, Arapahoe, 2

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BOX SCORE

	1st	2nd	3rd	TOTAL
Cupertino	0	1	1	2
Arapahoe	0	1	1	6

Scoring Summary

First Period
Scoring:  No Scoring.  Penalties:  Hall, Arapahoe (high-sticking), 10:59.

Second Period
Scoring:  1, Arapahoe, Contillo (Lynch, McQuin), 3:42.  2, Cougars, Hitchcock 1 (Yindiphol), 0:35.  Penalties:  Thomas, Cupertino (interference), 13:23;  Ady, Cupertino (unsportsmanlike conduct), 9:18;  bench minor, Cupertino (too many men), 6:10;  Beckstrom, Arapahoe (charging), 2:55.

Third Period
Scoring:  3,  Cupertino, Hopper 1 (Thomas, Ernst), 11:48.  4, Arapahoe, Contillo (Hartwick, Robo), 2:14.  Penalties: Gillespie, Arapahoe (hooking), 4:45;  Robo, Arapahoe (roughing), 1:10.

Plus/Minus:  +1 (Hitchcock, Fredericks, Willenborg, Brown, Yindiphol); even(Hopper, Ernst, Thomas, Ady); -1(Dines, McCarthy, Blumenthal, Zebrowski, Ocampo); DNP(Chee, Chibidakis, Howe).

Hits:  3(Hopper);  2(Thomas, Ernst, Yindiphol); 1(Brown, Dines, Zebrowski, Hitchcock, Blumenthal, Ocampo, McCarthy).

SHOTS ON GOAL

Cupertino	8	4	7	--19
Arapahoe	2	10	5	--19

Power-play Conversions:  Cupertino - 0 of 4;  Arapahoe - 0 of 3.  Goalies:  Cupertino, Lee (19 shots, 17 saves; record 0-0-1).  Arapahoe, Anderson (19 shots, 17 saves).

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   Three Stars Of the Game

Matt Hopper - Led team with 3 hits & scored go-ahead goal - 1 point & a plus/minus of +1
 

Zack Hitchcock - Nifty deflection got Cougars on the board - 1 point & a plus/minus of +1
 

Jordan Yindiphol - Picked up an assist and allowed no goals - 1 point & a plus/minus of +1

 

President's Day Tournament Record

GP	W	L	T	PTS	GF	GA	GFA	GAA
3	1	0	2	4	10	6	3.33	2.00

Desert Coyotes President's Day Tournament

Date	Time	Tournament	Location	Opponent	Result
15-Feb-02	10:05 PM	Desert Coyotes		Arapahoe	T, 2-2
16-Feb-02	1:20 PM	Desert Coyotes		Littleton	T, 2-2
16-Feb-02	7:30 PM	Desert Coyotes		La Jolla	W, 6-2
17-Feb-02	5:50 PM	Desert Coyotes		Desert Coyotes	L, 1-3

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President's Day Standings

Teams	Record	Points
San Jose Jr. Sharks	4-0-1	9
Desert Coyotes	3-1-1	7
Cupertino Cougars	1-1-2	4
Littleton Hawks	0-1-3	3
Arapahoe Ice Warriors	0-2-1	1
La Jolla Jaguars	0-3-0	0

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Goaltenders

Player	#	Games	Shots	Goals	Saves	Save %	GAA	W	L	T
Addison Lee	32	3	75	7	68	90.7%	2.33	0	1	2
Sarsh Levine	34	1	10	2	8	80.0%	2.00	1	0	0
Empty Net	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Team Totals	-	4	85	9	76	89.4%	2.25	1	1	2

Tournament Scores

February 15 Coyotes - 3 La Jolla - 1 Coyotes - 2 Arapahoe - 1 San Jose - 3 Littleton - 3 Cupertino - 2 Arapahoe - 2

February 16 Coyotes - 3 Littleton - 3 Littleton - 2 Cupertino - 2 San Jose - 6 Arapahoe - 0 Cupertino - 6 La Jolla - 2

February 17 San Jose - 8 La Jolla - 2 San Jose - 3 Littleton - 1 Coyotoes - 3 Cupertino - 1

February 18 La Jolla @ Arapahoe (for 5th & 6th place) Championship Jr. Sharks - 5 Desert Coyotes - 1

Monday, February 18 @ 10:30 AM - Championship Game

 ...hockey, hockey, hockey, hockey, hockey, hockey, hockey, hockey all the time.....

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