Elmira extends Ice Breakers’ misery

The hockey game Feb. 21 between the Ice Breakers and Elmira Enforcers was dubbed “Miracle on Ice Night” in recognition of the United States stunning the Russians, 4-3, in the 1980 Winter Olympics.

Alas, there was no miracle for the home team at Mentor Civic Ice Arena. The Enforcers, led by Tyler Gjurich scoring his 36th and 37th goals of the season, drilled the Ice Breakers, 5-2.

Mentor has lost 10 straight games and 15 of their last 16. The only team they beat in the last seven weeks is the lowly Battle Creek Rumble Bees (1-37-01), 4-2, on Jan. 20.

The autopsy from the Feb. 20 game showed the cause of defeat was the same as in most of the losses in this 14-24-0-3 season - a leaky defense, sloppy goaltending and a lack of scoring.

“It’s been tough,” Coach Iain Duncan said. “We can’t feel sorry for ourselves. We have to attack the day like it’s our last day. Some of our players are buying in and some aren’t. We’re not talented enough to have half the team show up.”

Gjurich’s 37 goals are the most by any player in the FPHL. The 27-year-old forward from Hatfield, P., also leads the league in power play goals. He scored his 17th power play goal in the lopsided win over the Ice Breakers.

Conversely, Declan Conway, the Ice Breakers’ top scorer with 29 goals, missed the game with a shoulder injury. He will be sidelined again on Feb. 22 when the Ice Breakers and Enforcers meet at 6:30 p.m. at Mentor Civic Ice Arena on Cancer Awareness Night.

“Unfortunately lately, the hockey bounces haven’t been going our way,” Duncan said. “We just have to reload tomorrow and come back after it. It’s a 0-0 start at 6:30 and we have to come back with the attitude we have to give a little more and continue to compete. It’s little things that are killing us.”

The Ice Breakers took a 1-0 lead in the first period when Henry Berger, standing in front of the Elmira net, took a feed from Steven Fowler from near the left post and snapped it home for his fourth goal of the season.

Elmira tied the game before the period ended and then added two more in the second period for a 3-1 advantage before Mentor forward Isaiah Crawford redirected a shot from the point to make it a one goal game heading into the third period.

The Ice Breakers had no answer for two more Enforcer goals in the third.

Mentor goalie Frankie McClendon lowered his head after giving up the fifth goal into a wide open net on his left side. He stopped 43 of 48 shots on the night.