'Runners Even Series With Alumni
September 7, 2010 - North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Topeka Pilots News Release
Last years Inaugural Alumni Game was won by the cagey veterans who withstood a 50-shot barrage to win 1-0. The 2010-11 RoadRunners avenged that loss, posting a 7-5 win on Sunday afternoon, evening the fledgling annual Alumni series at a game apiece.
The game started at a brisk pace despite the 'Runners playing back to back games on Friday and Saturday nights and then having the quick turnaround with a noon faceoff. The Alumni took a 1-0 lead when Jason Krispel centered a pass to Blake Humphrey who tucked it home at 15:03. The RoadRunners answered back when Kevin Novakovich scored his third goal in as many games, a wrister off the crossbar and down into the goal at 16:26. Just :31 seconds later, Nate Milam followed suit with a similar shot over the shoulder of Alumni netminder Cooper Frederick for a 2-1 RoadRunner lead that stood after one period of play.
The RoadRunners pounced quickly in the second when Scott Snyder scored just 1:12 into the frame, assisted by Kyle Sharkey and Clay Blankenship. However, the Alumni, proud and undaunted, refused to roll over. Kurtis Anton fought off the backchecking Chris Bond and beat Rasmus Tirronen to cut the lead to 3-2 at 7:09, and Bryan Plaszcz knotted the score at 3-3 with a shot from the right point on the Alumni's only power play of the game at 18:21, assisted by Ross Trousdale and Martin Sundstedt. The momentum had swung to the Alumni, only to be stolen back with :11 seconds left in the period as Nate Milam popped in his second of the game, assisted by Jacob Poe for a 4-3 RoadRunner lead after 2 periods of play.
Both teams came out energized at the start of the third, and it was Joe Van Antwerp at 9:42 who gave the 'Runners some breathing room, assisted by Kyle Sharkey. The Alumni really took a hit at 14:37 when Scott Snyder scored his second of the game, helped by Kyle Sharkey's third assist. Down 6-3, the Alumni showed signs of life when Ross Trousdale blasted home a one-timer off a clean Martin Sundstedt faceoff win at 16:14 to pull back within two. Less than a minute later, Scott Snyder corralled a loose puck at 17:07 for the hat trick and a 7-4 RoadRunner lead, again assisted by Kyle Sharkey, his fourth assist of the game. The Alumni managed one last score with :09 seconds left, scored by Alec Hagaman and assisted by Brant Marple, making the final score a 7-5 win for the RoadRunners.
Cooper Frederick played the entire 60 minutes for the Alumni, while Rasmus Tirronen (2 Goals Allowed) and Eric Rohrkemper (3 Goals Allowed) split time. The Alumni ended 1/1 on the power play, and the RoadRunners 0/1. The annual series is now tied at a game apiece. The Alumni players all headed home Sunday night, while the RoadRunners have a day off Monday before beginning preparations for two games against South Division rival Corpus Christi (formerly NAHL North Division Alpena Ice Diggers) to wrap up the preseason. The RoadRunners are 13-1-0 in in preseason games since moving to Topeka, the only loss coming to last years Alumni squad. In preseason games against NAHL opponents, the 'Runners are 4-0-0 since arriving in Kansas.
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