A record crowd of 10,475 fans had a great time for a great cause during the annual Iowa Chops Pink in the Rink game, which was spoiled on the ice by a workmanlike perfomance by the visiting Chicago Wolves as they shutout the Chops 4-0. The Chops played a physical game, but it all came down to scoring, and the Wolves demonstrated that in a huge way. Mike Hamilton was able to notch two goals in the game, with Jeff Hamilton and Spencer Machachek getting goals of their own. Wolves goaltender Ondrej Pavelec made 27 saves as the Iowa Chops winless streak reached nine games.
The Chops played the first period with defensive pressure and physical strategy on their mind, with Ryan Dingle and Logan Stephenson recording seismic hits all period. The Chops also led the offense in the first, with 14 shots on net. However, Hamilton's late goal in the period definitely swung the momentum the Wolves direction.
The second period was full of great opportunities for both teams, with play that went back-and-forth. The Wolves got the upper hand late in the second, when Mike Hamilton put in his second goal of the night.
Trailing by two goals going into the third period, the Chops needed to do something, and fast. A power play goal put the Wolves up 3-0. A scuffle between Troy Bodie and Scott Lehman sparked the Chops to play more physical for a while, but with just under eight minutes to go, Chicago sealed the deal when Jeff Hamilton nailed a slap shot over David LeNeveu's shoulder to put the Wolves up by four. The Chops gave it a great effort in the end, but the Wolves kept the puck in the Chops' zone for much of the last 5 minutes of the game.
Game Summary
3rd Period
-0:00- Game over. It may have been a tough game, but you can't say the crowd wasn't in it. Attendance was recorded at 10,475 tonight, a new record in attendance for a hockey game at the Wells Fargo Arena.
-1:11- These Chops are really trying right now, it's just these Wolves keep getting the puck back. The Chops haven't been able to keep it out of their zone much at all the last 5 minutes.
-5:27- Ajay Baines gives a rip of a shot at Ondrej Pavelec, but Pavelec blocks it and smothers the puck on ice. Pavelec is playing on his head tonight.
-7:36- A penalty on Chicago's Jamie Rivers gives the Chops a man advantage. Let's get something started off this.
-7:43- GOAL Jeff Hamilton notches a goal off of a nasty snap shot that goes top shelf on LeNeveu's left side, after Clay Wilson's pass finds his stick. Chops down 0-4.
-9:06- A little scuffle between Troy Bodie and Chicago's Scott Lehman turns into roughing penalties for the both of them.
-12:44- Troy Bodie gets a great pass from Ajay Baines, but bobbles it on his stick. The Wolves' defense is hot now. Let's see if the Chops can cool them off a bit.
-15:22- A little more confusion between Painchaud and Festerling, as Painchaud weaves into open ice, he clips Festerling and takes him down.
-18:05- GOAL A tough goal at this point in the game, Spencer Machachek makes it 3-0 with a goal of his own, with assists to Riley Holzaphel and Grant Lewis. Chops now down 0-3.
-18:36- Chicago's Grant Lewis unloads a heavy slap shot, but Francis Wathier is there, and Wathier looks like he hurt his hand.
-19:39- Baines is out of the box, and now it'll be a standard four-on-five penalty kill for about 1:22.
2nd Period
The Chops kept up their physical game through and through this last period, but Chicago's Mike Hamilton caught fire and notched his second goal of the game and the season. The shots this period were in favor of Chicago, 11 to seven.
-0:00- That's it for the second period.
-:01.3- Double trouble, now. Brian Salcido goes to the box with almost no time left in the period for slashing, and the Chops will have to work with a 5-on-3 penalty kill for about 21 seconds in the third period.
-1:39- Oh, captain. Ajay Baines goes to the box now, for unsportsmanlike conduct.
-2:52- GOAL Mike Hamilton pots his second goal of the game with a wrist shot that sinks just below LeNeveu's glove and in. Assist goes to Justin Taylor. Chops down 2-0.
-3:28- Ya gotta hit the net! Charlie Kronschnabel gives John de Gray a great feed at the top of the slot, but his shot goes wide right.
-6:22- Here comes the Chops' penalty kill unit. Ryan Dingle goes to the box for hooking. Keep up that great PK, boys.
-7:44- Another great chance by Painchaud, as he works the puck to the top of the crease and flicks it top shelf, but Pavelec swipes at it and snags it in his glove.
-8:24- Great deflection by Matt Beleskey on Adrian Veideman's shot, but it went wide.
-9:25- Chicago's penalty to Joey Crabb has been over for two minutes, but it sure doesn't look like it. The Wolves are forced to lob the puck out of their own zone after a ton of offensive pressure put on by the Chops. Literally, a ton.
-11:57- Chad Painchaud nearly ties it up for the Chops, when a shot by Troy Bodie bounces off of Pavelec and right on Painchaud's stick. He misses the shot by a hair.
-13:19- The Chops go on the powerplay again, with Joey Crabb getting the box for cross-checking. A tying goal would be great right about now.
-14:05- The Wolves are putting the pressure on now, and have put up 5 shots on net this period already.
-18:21- Evans is out, and the Chops rack up another successful penalty kill.
-19:09- Jeff Hamilton goes for a quick shot that hits LeNeveu at the shoulder, and Brett Festerling answers back with a massive hit that floors Hamilton.
1st Period
The Chops had some great chances in the first, putting up 14 shots on net, compared to Chicago's 7, but Chicago's Mike Hamilton was able to knock in the first goal. Evans' penalty will continue for 1:39 into the second period.
-0:00- end of the first period.
-:21- Brennan Evans gets the slashing penalty with barely any time left. Let's hope the Chops can continue their success on the penalty kill.
-:34.5- GOAL The Wolves are able to notch the first goal of the game, with a goal by Mike Hamilton, a wrister that goes just below LeNeveu's blocker and in. Chops down 1-0.
-2:55- Arturs Kuld's penalty is over, but there's a new player to take his place in Chicago's penalty box. Jamie Rivers gets the penalty for hooking, and the Chops get another powerplay opportunity,
-3:19- Brian Salcido puts on a clinic for the wolves to see, and burns through 3 Wolves players, and tries to poke the puck past Pavelec on his left side, but the puck gets stopped by Pavelec's leg pad.
-5:03- The arena's showing kiss cam now, and it is rough. They showed about 15 couples, and only two or three couples locked lips. I guess a lot of people came with friends.
One other person getting no love is Chicago's Arturs Kulda, who gets a penalty for hooking, and the Chops are now on their first PP of the night.
-7:58- Not only did the Chops kill off that penalty well, with help from LeNeveu making a couple of great saves, but they played offensively, too. Trevelyan gets the puck up ice and goes for a shot, but it goes wide. Great kill.
-9:58- some miscommunication between Brennan Evans and Chad Painchaud gives the Wolves a scoring chance, but Ajay Baines is there, and takes a penalty to get at the puck. Baines get 2 minutes for hooking, and the Chops go on their first penalty kill of the night.
-11:50- Brian Salcido is back in the lineup for Iowa tonight, and he made his presence known to the Wolves, as he gets a pass from T.J. Trevelyan and fires a shot at Pavelec that catches him off guard, and has him flailing. Close call, but we're landing some good shots already.
-14:34- The Chops have brought their physical game out, and Scott Lehman is feeling it the hardest. Logan Stephenson puts him on his back in the same area Dingle slammed him.
-15:22- Matt Beleskey gets a great chance on net with a wicked wrister, but Ondrej Pavelec makes a quick save off of his right leg pad.
-17:31- Ryan Dingle records the fist hit of the game, slamming Scott Lehman into the corner boards to the right of David LeNeveu.
-19:40- Not only has John de Gray dyed his hair for the event, he took it a step further and taped his stick pink, too. Nice touch.
Pregame
Chops fans, this is quite the event. Pink, pink, pink, The ice is neon-pink, and there are pink bows and balloons commemorating breast cancer awareness all over the arena. We've got a great crowd for the pregame skate already, and it's only going to get bigger at the start of the game. I'll let you know the recorded attendance when I get it.
Your Iowa Chops starters are as follows: Defensemen John de Gray and Adrian Veideman, Wingers Troy Bodie and Chad Painchaud, with our captain Ajay Baines taking the faceoff. Get settled in for a great game, fans. It's gonna be a doozy.
Sidenote: There is a fireworks show going off in the arena right now, and it was insane. I've never seen fireworks like that go off inside, and to be honest, I was a little nervous. Everything went off without a hitch, though, and now let's get down to some hockey.
