By Chris Jackson
Arizona Daily Wildcat
November 3, 1997

Icecats survive scare, sweep Colorado

Tanith L. Balaban Arizona Daily Wildcat Paul Dorn (10) fights for the puck against Colorado's Justin McLaughlin on Saturday night at the Tucson Convention Center. Dorn and captain Ben Ruston recorded hat-tricks in the 13-7 win. The Icecats are now 4-0 and play defending champion Ohio University this weekend at the TCC.

The Arizona Icecats club hockey team rarely plays on Sunday afternoon.

Maybe that was the reason the Icecats looked so sluggish, falling behind 1-0 to the Colorado Buffaloes (2-2-0) before coming alive and winning 6-2 to sweep the weekend series.

"We were slow mentally," Icecat head coach Leo Golembiewski said. "We could've broken the game open in the first 4-5 minutes, but we just didn't capitalize."

The first period was scoreless until 9 minutes, 43 seconds into the game when Colorado's Justin McLaughlin drew Arizona sophomore goalie Mike Tesi to the right corner of the goal, then made a quick pass to Chris Erwin who put it away to give the Buffaloes the lead.

The Icecats (4-0-0) rebounded in the second period when freshman wing Mike Graves smacked in a rebound off Colorado goalie Tom Boyer to tie the game.

"It felt great to put that first one away," said Graves of his first goal of the season. "It took a big weight off my shoulders."

Only 16 seconds passed before Icecat junior center Brian Meehan squeaked one through Boyer's five-hole to give the Icecats a 2-1 lead.

The Icecats' offense, which Golembiewski said is "magic," then erupted in the third period with four goals, with Graves, senior center and co-captain Ben Ruston, sophomore wing Tommy Thompson and sophomore defensemen Joe McCaffrey putting the biscuit in the basket.

The Buffaloes did manage to score one more goal on a penalty shot by McLaughlin. The shot was a result of Tesi kicking the goal out of place to prevent a Colorado breakaway.

Nonetheless, Tesi had a solid weekend, as he took over midway through the first period in Saturday night's 13-7 win.

"It's kind of hard for me to tell," said Tesi when asked if he felt like he was playing better than last year. "I've got more experience now, that I know."

Tesi came in Saturday's game for freshman Jordan Bolton, who gave up three goals and allowed the Buffaloes to go up, 3-2.

The Icecats bounced back, and Golembiewski credits Tesi.

"I thought the turning point was the two quick saves he made on their power play in the second (period)," Golembiewski said.

"Mike has less experience in goal (than Bolton), but he plays with a big heart."

Ruston, who leads the Icecats with 11, had another hat-trick in Saturday's game. Freshman wing Paul Dorn scored four goals Saturday, raising his season total to eight.

"He's a keeper," Golembiewski said of Dorn. "Dorn, Graves and (freshman wing Marc) Harris are everything you want in your recruits."

With a 5-4 lead at the end of the first period, Graves said that the team "got yelled at, got our composure back, and came out and did what we did."

Golembiewski felt that Colorado was sufficient preparation for the Icecats' showdown with three-time defending national champion Ohio University, which comes to Tucson this Friday and Saturday for a two-game set.

Icecats Game Box

Icecats 13, Buffaloes 7
Saturday, Tucson Convention Center
Arizona 5 5 3-13
Colorado 4 1 2-7
Attendance- 2,886

Icecats 6, Buffaloes 2
Sunday, Tucson Convention Center
Arizona 0 2 4-6
Colorado 1 0 1-2
Attendance- 2,106.