BY MICHAEL DAVID

The Sun Valley Suns ran into a buzz saw this weekend at the Campion Ice House in Hailey.  St. Nicks from New York City defeated the Suns 6-4 on Friday night and followed that up with a 6-3 victory Saturday.

St. Nicks pounced on the Suns early in Friday’s game, scoring twice in the first minute and putting the home team in a hole they could not climb out of, despite playing strong hockey the remainder of the game.

The Suns came out ready to play Saturday, holding the talented St. Nicks club scoreless in the first period.  Goalie Matt Cooper was stellar between the pipes, turning away 14 shots in the first period and keeping the home team even going into the first intermission.

Less than three minutes into the second period, Doug Yates gave the Suns their first lead of the weekend, beating the St. Nicks goalie in the upper right corner to put Sun Valley up 1-0.  Assists were credited to DJ Robinson and Marty Flichel on the goal. But the visitors tied the game 18 seconds later, stunning the large crowd in Hailey.

The determined Suns grabbed the lead once again at the 13:35 mark, as Dylan Shamburger scored a power play goal for a 2-1 lead.  St. Nicks tied the game at two goals apiece with 8:12 remaining in the second period, and took a 3-2 lead on a goal 1:37 before the second intermission.

St. Nicks continued to apply pressure on the Suns in the third period, scoring a power play goal to go up 4-2 at the 12:58 mark.  Another power play goal at 11:11 gave the visitors a three goal cushion which would prove insurmountable.  Stephen Inman scored late for the Suns to pull within two, but St. Nicks countered soon after to retain the three-goal lead and provided the final tally of 6-3.

St. Nicks is one of the oldest hockey clubs in the United States. Founded in 1896, the team originally played at the St. Nicholas Rink just a block from Central Park in New York City.  The team today is comprised of former professional and collegiate players (mostly Division 1) who live and work around New York City. It’s considered by many to be the most talented team the Suns face in their highly competitive schedule.

Next up for the Sun Valley Suns Hockey Club is a matchup with the Boston Tide next weekend at the Campion Ice House, Feb, 23 and 24.  Puck drops at 7 p.m. both nights.