A road trip revitalized the Sun Valley Elite A men’s hockey team last weekend as the Suns swept the Bozeman Stingers in their first away series of the 2021-22 season.
Friday’s game at Haynes Pavilion in Bozeman, Montana, provided the night with seven different Suns players scoring for a breakaway opening game, 8-1.
“We played great on Friday,” Suns head coach Ryan Enrico said. “We shook off the road legs and rolled out four strong lines all night and wore them down. This was a much-needed trip for the guys.”
Enrico added that his fourth line was impressive with Steve McCall, Doug King and Charlie Evans leading an offensive attack that had 50 shots on the night.
Suns goalie Matt Cooper (4-1) got the call and had 33 saves at the net.
Evans scored the game’s first goal in the first period with an unassisted shot. Max Tardy added back-to-back goals within two minutes after the game’s opening goal. His first goal had assists from Mike Curry and Steven Inman.
Another goal from Brenden McGovern in the second period put the Suns up 4-0, and the Stingers at odds early.
Zack Tuchklaper scored Bozeman’s first goal with an assist from Ross Hansen.
Up 4-1, the Suns poured on the offense with goals from Niels McMahon (assist from Curry), Brian Dunford (assists from DJ Robinson and Dylan Shamburger), Grimes (assist from Spencer Brendel) and Inman (assist from Robinson).
“We were just better,” Enrico said. “We had early pushes and kept rolling them. Then the flood gates opened in the third period, and that was all she wrote.”
Saturday’s game was much of the same in an outdoor setting at Big Sky Ice Rink’s outdoor stadium. On a chilly afternoon face-off at 3 p.m. and the sun blazing through, the Suns were able to muster another victory, 4-2. Scorers were Curry, Shamburger, McGovern and Justin Taylor.
“The boys played a magical game on Saturday,” Enrico said.
In their four meetings against the Stingers (1-7), the Suns have outscored their opponent, 25-9.
The Suns (8-6) are off the following two weeks with the Boulder Mountain Tour in town this upcoming weekend. Then, the Suns will have a bye week after the Connecticut Bantam Beauties canceled the series due to COVID-19 concerns. So, the next time the Suns are back on the ice will be their home match against the New York St. Nicks for the Feb. 18-19 series at Campion Ice House in Hailey. Face off is at 7 p.m. 
