Suns get another sweep
By DAVID LARSON<br><i>The Wood River Journal ~ Sun Valley</i>
There are many things in life that give you a happy feeling: a 21st birthday party, graduation from college, a powder day. For head coach Chris Benson, it's an undefeated record 12 games into the hockey season.
	Benson and his boys&#045;the Sun Valley Suns&#045;demolished the Beacon Hill Hockey Club 8-6 Friday night and 4-3 Saturday, improving to 12-0 as they prepare to host the Seattle Indians this weekend.
	"It was another good weekend," Benson said. "They were a good team, they had a good goalie. It was pretty much what I was expecting."
	What Benson expected and what his team did on the ice were much the same. 
	This year's Sun Valley hockey team has three things going for it. One: They're deep. Two: They're talented. Three: They're experienced. Last weekend, there were hints of every aspect on display, as Paul Baranzelli, Jamie Ellison, Vilnis Nikolaisons and Eric Demment continued to lead the way. Talent was on display in the form of goaltenders Ryan Thomson and Colin Zulianello and the speed of Ryan Enrico. And the team's four-deep quality lines came into focus, as newcomers Jami James and Adam Swain led an attack that outscored New Jersey 12-9 on the weekend while continually controlling action and killing penalty plays.
	"I think it was just another well-balanced team effort," Benson said. "Everybody worked hard. Besides the little lull in the second period, we had a pretty strong weekend."
	The team came out a little sluggish Saturday night, though Eric Demment almost changed that in the form of a slap shot. Though the puck was stopped and sent into the air, it was a sign of things to come for Sun Valley. Maybe it was the wake-up call the team needed. Just moments later, Blake Jenson got the puck in traffic from Jeremy Schrieber and Demment and, while winding his way to the left side of goal, poked it in. The Suns, capitalizing on a power play at 11:27, were off to the tracks, as Beacon Hill was forced to play catch-up the rest of the night.
	"Their goalie was strong but I thought we did a nice job of taking advantage of their penalties," Benson said. "We've been doing a good job of killing."
	Beacon Hill would respond, however, just seconds later, taking advantage of a 1-on-1 to even the score. The Suns would go into the second period having taken 17 shots, compared to just 13 for New Jersey.
	"We were playing pretty sound. We had good movement and if we had taken advantage of some other opportunities, I think we could've opened it up."
	New Jersey opened up the second like their pants were on fire, as they scored early on a breakaway to take a 2-1 lead. With the game getting more aggressive and Caleb Baukol looking for a head to crack, it appeared the Suns would tie the score after Scottie Winkler and John Duval had a breakaway. It was 2-on-1, with only the goalie to beat. At the very last second, Winkler was taken down and Benson's crew would have to be patient.
	Patient as in waiting for Baukol to leave the penalty box, patient as in Winkler, Duval, Baranzelli and Demment doing their best Great Wall of China impression, patient as in waiting for James to get on the ice. Once the preservarance paid off, it was Ryan Enrico getting the puck from Demment and in the same motion smashing round mound of "oh-boy!" into net, using his speed and quickness to knot up the festivities at 2.
	Beacon Hill would try to score again minutes later, but this time Thomson was there to stop the wrister from 30 feet out. It was just one of Thomson's 11 second period stops and led to a power play situation for Sun Valley.
	Nikolaisons and Ellison combined to get puck to Demment, who reared back at the 18:41 mark to slap the Suns to a 3-2 lead heading into the always-crucial third period. The Suns had just nine attempts on goal compared to 12 for Beacon Hill, but it didn't matter, as their ability to stretch out the defense while converting on power plays was the difference in this one. Even the fact that they had four more penalties than New Jersey couldn't slow down the Suns.
	The third period saw Swain deliver puck to its maker, as the son of a former Pittsburgh Penguin showed why Sun Valley is so stacked. Beacon Hill would answer at the 7:50 mark, making it 4-3, but like they'd done the previous 11 games. Benson and crew would hold on for the victory, their best start since the 2003 season, when they came out at 15-0. Before that, the best start to a season had been the 1989 squad, which finished with no losses, one tie, and 28 wins. Did Benson think this team could be this good, this fast?
	"You never know," he said. "Guys are playing with a lot of heart right now. I never thought it would happen, it's great to see. I'm proud of the way my boys are playing."
	Though the team is undefeated, they face a tough Seattle team that has won two national championships this weekend. Then they take on their biggest rival, the Jackson Hole Moose, who they swept last month, before another match-up with the New York Saint Nick's, a team that gave them fits last year.
	"We've got to avenge the sweep here last year," Benson said of the Jackson Hole weekend. "As far as I know, they'll be bringing a strong as a team as they'll have."
	If the Suns do win the next couple weekends, it will put them at 16-0. First things first, however, and that's this weekend against Seattle. Though Benson says his team won't travel to Wisconsin if they do qualify for Nationals, it could still be a historic season for the 83353. And that, should give everybody a happy feeling.

Blake Jenson and Jamie Ellison lead the team in points scored, with 15 each...Paul Baranzelli leads the team with 10 goals...Six players have seen action in all 12 games..."The fans were into it, it's great for charity," said Benson of Saturday night's contest.