Mentor shuts out Watertown

The Mentor Ice Breakers played their best game of the season on Nov. 30 to crush the Watertown Wolves, 7-0, before a small but enthusiastic following at Mentor Civic Ice Arena.

The Ice Breakers have won four of their last five games after starting the season 0-6. The only resemblance between the team that is so red-hot now and the one that started the season so sluggishly is the uniforms.

“We won 3-0 in Winston-Salem and came back with the same attitude,” Ice Breakers coach Iain Duncan said. “We weren’t going to let anybody outwork us in our own rink.

“The defense is buying in. The forwards are buying in. It’s a collection of everybody chipping in. We have more talent.

“We have better goaltending now. The boys are working hard in the defensive zone and taking care of business in the offensive zone.”

Forward Drake Hunter led the scoring with four goals. Goalie Derek Moser turned away all 30 shots the Wolves fired at him.

Of course, the Ice Breakers want to win every game but they really wanted this one because Watertown beat them four times earlier in the season.

Mentor scored twice in the first period, pounded home four more goals in the second and added another in the third. Two fights in the third period spiced up the night.

“Everything is coming together,” Hunter said. “These guys have beaten us four times. To beat them like this is something special.

“Everyone is starting to feel more comfortable playing together. Our fans are awesome. Now we have to come out tomorrow night (Dec. 1) and play the same way.”

Nathan Farrington, Patrick Porkka and Gordy Bonnel also scored for the Ice Breakers.

The Ice Breakers struggled defensively early in the season. That was not the case the last two games, both shutouts, with 25-year-old Moser between the pipes. Moser has been in net for all four of the Ice breakers victories.

“(Getting shutouts) isn’t easy, but my teammates have definitely made it a lot easier,” Moser said. “They’ve been playing really well in front of me and making my job simple. I’m very appreciative of them.”

The Ice Breakers are 4-7, a half-game behind fourthplace Elmira in the Federal Hockey League Standings. They play Watertown in a rematch 7:35 p.m.