Hockey bruises in hard-fought battle

Oberlin defeats Kenyon 4-1 in a surprisingly peaceful display

The Oberlin Plague dominated a solid Kenyon squad en route to their second victory of the season last Saturday. Piloting Oberlin's offense, forward senior Greg Scranton tallied two goals and one assist. Forward senior Jon Gonnelli scored on a break-away and assisted Scranton on a two-on-one. Also placing the biscuit in its respective basket was defenseman junior Matt Winstanley, who banged in his own rebound after gracefully taking the puck from one end of the ice to the other.

Winstanley continues to lead the Plague in penalty minutes, racking up a whopping 16 minutes to add to a season total that is rapidly approaching a full hour. Ten of the 16 minutes were served as a continuous, unreleasable major, handed out after Winstanley demonstrated a stunning proficiency in profanity when scolded for exchanging blows with a Kenyon forward.

Defenseman junior Dan Bourque churned out an assortment of skull-shattering checks and a variety of other brutal moves in a style of play known as "The Dirty Connecticut." Bourque cites the lamentable loss of the Hartford Whalers as the source of his on-ice rage. Commenting on Oberlin's victory, Bourque said, "This is the first game where we really played strong as a team. We moved the puck well, especially on power plays. We didn't retaliate to cheap shots and for the most part we were able to stay out of the penalty box." Other stunning performances were turned in by forward junior Ben Bernard and defenseman senior Park Burger, whose feats were met with a deafening chorus of "oohs" and "aahs." Speedster sophomore Even Kelley played a solid game as well. Another bright spot for the Plague was the commanding play of the third line, headed by forward junior Tyler Kord.

The Plague came out strong in the first period, gaining a quick 2-0 lead and never once trailing their opponents. Oberlin's solid "dump and chase" forchecking system stifled Kenyon from the first drop of the puck. In a stunning display of athletic prowess, the Plague out-muscled Kenyon during the entire game, wearing down the opposition to the point of frustration.

That frustration came to a head when one of their players grabbed Burger's stick and launched it over the boards. Despite the dirty play, Burger remained cool and collective. His exemplary demeanor earned him the game puck as an award for being voted the game's MVP. Upon receiving the puck, Burger had to return it immediately, since the team is on a tight budget.

Once again, the true highlight of the game was the incessant screaming of obscenities and insulting epithets by the Plague's adoring fans. The number of students who have "caught the Plague" continues to increase exponentially. Sources inside the organization reveal that the harassment of the opposing teams by the fans is an integral part of the Plague's offense.

This Friday the Oberlin Plague hosts the University of Toledo, quite possibly the toughest team on their schedule. After losing by one goal in their last matchup, the Plague needs to come out especially strong against Toledo. Of the upcoming game co-captain junior Dan Bourque had this to say: "We've had a couple of strong practices this week where we tried to improve our forchecking, breakout and powerplay. I know Toledo is going to come ready to play. If we take what we did well against Kenyon and bring it to the next level, we'll come out of this one with a win." The game against Toledo will the Plague's last game before the all-star break in January. Regular season play resumes in February. Game time on Friday is 9:45 p.m. at Williams Ice Rink, next to Jones Field House.

Ted Carleton and Jon Gonnelli are members of the Oberlin hockey team.

Red Shift: a Plaguer skates about against Kenyon (photo by Heidi Good)

Fire in the hole! A Kenyon defenseman tries desperately to prevent yet another Oberlin goal, to no avail. (photo by Heidi Good)

Thwack! A member of the Kenyon squad attempts to punish a Plague forward, but has little success. The team played last Friday in front of an enthusiastic crowd. The team plays again tonight at 9:45 p.m. (photo by Heidi Good)