BY MICHAEL DAVID

It only took the defending Black Diamond Hockey League Champions one period to shake off the rust and regain their championship form Friday night at The Campion Ice House in Hailey.

After giving up the game’s first goal to the Bozeman Stingers late in the first 20-minute period, the Sun Valley Suns scored five goals in the second period and six more in the third to defeat the visitors from Bozeman 11-1 in the first of a two-game series this weekend.

Down 1-0, the Suns opened the second period on a power play and promptly took advantage as Justin Taylor scored 43 seconds into the period to tie the game at 1-1. Eric Demment scored on a short-handed goal at the 9:47 mark, assisted by Spencer Brendel and Max Tardy. Tardy got in on the scoring action five minutes later, helped by Brendel and Taylor.

Tyson Cox gave the home team a 4-1 lead with 4:03 remaining in the second period, the assists coming from Branislav Kost and Mike Curry. The Suns weren’t done for the period as Brian O’Connell stuffed in a wrap-around goal with 35 seconds remaining, sending the crowd into a frenzy as the teams headed for the locker rooms at the break.

The Suns’ penalty killing unit snuffed out a Stingers power play to start the third period, and Chad Levitan provided immediate offense, scoring to put Sun Valley up 6-1. Assists again were tallied by Curry and Kost. Suns newcomer Tardy scored his second and third goals to put his team up 8-1 and register a hat trick, much to the delight of the throng gathered in Hailey.

Trevor Thomas scored with 6:30 seconds on the clock, and Ryan Enrico got the Suns into double-digits three minutes later. Brendel, who tallied three assists in the second period, knocked in the final goal with 1:26 remaining in the game, providing the final score, 11-1.

“We’ll need to start stronger tomorrow night” said Brendel. “These guys came off a long road trip and they’ll be ready for us.” 

Tardy was excited to get to play in front of a packed house. “It was real loud in the second period.”

Tardy gave credit to his teammates for his hat trick in his first game as a Sun: “It helps to play with these great veterans.”

A portion of the ticket sales from the game went to support Girls on the Run, Wood River Valley, a non-profit dedicated to inspiring girls to be joyful, healthy and confident using a fun, experience-based curriculum that integrates running.

Game two of the series starts at 7 tonight—Saturday, Dec. 3—at The Campion Ice House in Hailey. Girls on the Run, which recently received a $20,000 grant from the Deer Creek Fund of the Johnson Foundation of the Rockies, will also receive proceeds from tonight’s game.

Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for those ages 10 through 18 (cash or checks only). Admission is free for kids under 10.