It wasn't pretty, but it was enough. Wins and only wins define success in the playoffs, which is fortunate for the Red Army, who would have received no style points for their 8-5 win over the Shockers on Sunday in the semifinals. The Soviets nearly squandered a four goal lead, but held on and will now face Trailside in the Jenkins Cup Finals.
"At the end, honestly, I was just hoping that clock would hit zero," Mark Hendricks said. Hendricks who finished with two goals and two assists, wasn't overly pleased with his team's performance and expects to be better on Thursday. "We got complacent in the first. We scored a bunch of goals, then I think we went into a shell, stopped shooting, and let them back into the game. We were lucky the game ended when it did, because I don't know how much longer we could have held on. We'll need to be better against Trailside. We'll be better."
Though Hendricks is typically the Soviets' most leaned on offensive weapon, his performance on Sunday was dwarfed by that of Pete Collis, who exploded for four goals, three of which came in the opening period.
"I don't know what got into him," Pat King said, referring to his linemate Collis. "I think he got two in one shift. And on one he fired a shot, then got his own rebound and put it in. He just had that mojo going today. I don't know what he ate for breakfast or lunch, but he should have it again. And again. And again."
"It's great for him to finally get a goal," King added. "We saved the puck for him so he can remember his first."
Collis enthusiast Jason White started the scoring early in the first, scoring on a point shot that eluded Shocker fill-in netminder Dante George.
"See what you're limiting when you play with five defensemen?!?" White asked the overlooking spectators that lined the upstairs balcony. "Are you not entertained? Are you NOT entertained?!?" White then threw his stick toward the upstairs patrons, but the surrounding meshing blocked the projectile and repelled it back toward the rink where it landed in the visitor's penalty box."
Collis scored his first of the game a few minutes later to push the lead to 2-0. He collected a pass and fired his shot upstairs on George. Later, on the same shift, Collis received a pass from King and raced down the right wing, firing a low snap shot. George stopped the initial shot, kicking the puck out into the slot, but Collis was there for his own rebound and potted it on the backhand.
"That Collis is so hot right now," Tony Horton said.
Collis completed the natural hat trick later in the period on another innocent looking shot that snuck inside the post. It was the first natural hat trick scored by a Soviet in over two years.
"History, I make it," Collis said, boarding his rocket ship with six super models and enough Verdi Spumante to fill the Indian Ocean twice. "Now," Collis continued, "Let's go have sex on the moon!"
The Shockers struck to make it 4-1 with a few minutes remaining in the period, but on the ensuing face off, any momentum they had created was halted by Hendricks who scored on the ensuing faceoff to reclaim the four goal lead.
That would be the last of the Soviet offense for sometime, as the team retreated into a shell and allowed the Shockers back into the game, surrendering three second-period goals and seeing their lead whither to just one goal.
"It was definitely a wake up call," Aaron Duda said, referring to the Red Army on the verge of collapsing. "Proverbial wake up call I mean. My wake up call was at 6am this morning so I could play for my gold north, sold south, silver north, silver midwest, copper east, tin foil south-south east, and zinc north teams."
Mike D'Ignazio scored the goal the Red Army was desperately seeking a few minutes into the third, after he collected a feed from Hendricks and stuffed the puck five hole in tight. Then, with about eight minutes remaining, Collis intercepted a pass and scored his fourth of the game on a breakaway.
"Pistol [expletive] Pete," D'Ignazio said to no one in particular.
The Shockers scored their final goal of the season with a little more than four minutes to play, but the Soviets and fill-in goalie Ron Whaley were able to stave off their finals attacks. Hendricks tacked on an empty netter with under a minute to play, and just like that, the Soviets had punched their ticket to the dance.
"Can't wait for Thursday," Odell said. "Oh wait, it's here already!?! I love this Olympic-like coverage of the Red Army!"
THREE STARS:
3: Jason White
2: Mike D'Ignazio
1: Pete Collis
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