photo by Nick Gerhardt

Thunder forward Matt Johnson tries to get a shot past Owatonna goaltender Chris Paliafito Friday at Four Seasons Centre in Owatonna. Albert Lea lost 4-2 to the division leading Express.

Thunder go flat in Owatonna

By Nick Gerhardt | Albert Lea Tribune

Published Saturday, November 7, 2009

OWATONNA — The Thunder entered Friday's contest with Owatonna on the rarest of notes for the struggling team — back to back wins — but that alone wasn't going to help Albert Lea against the Central Division's top team.

The Thunder (4-14-0) played two periods of uninspired hockey in a chippy game before it finally decided to show up in a 4-2 loss at Four Seasons Centre in Owatonna as the Express maintained a two-point lead over North Iowa in the division.

Owatonna (10-4-1) went up 4-0 in the second period as Chris Darnell scored his second goal of the game and Nick Widing and Cory Thorson notched goals in the period.

Widing scored 39 seconds into the second period and Darnell added his second goal at the 5:36 mark. Before the Express announcer could finish calling Darnell's goal, Thorson buried a wraparound goal to give Owatonna a commanding 4-0 lead.

"The second period we gave up a couple of one on one battles that we lost and then the game turned around on us real quick," said Albert Lea head coach Chuck Linkenheld. "We've been winning one on one battles the last two games pretty well."

The Thunder was coming off a 2-1 victory over Bismarck last weekend and a 4-1 victory over Alexandria the night before, but wasn't able to find the same kind of start it had in those games.

"We were mentally a little too loose before going into the game today," said Albert Lea forward Niko Kapetanovic. "Owatonna has very good neutral zone play and they took advantage of that. Our forwards didn't come back to help our D."

The Express was given time and space in the Thunder zone and peppered Thunder goaltender Ben Waalkens with shots in the first two periods. Owatonna tallied 26 shots in the first two periods, compared to 14 for Albert Lea.

The Thunder did string together a strong third period and scored 1:20 into the period when Bryan Mitchell fired a shot from the blue line that got past Express goaltender Chris Paliafito. Albert Lea added a goal with 1:29 left in the game when Stephen Obarzanek scored a shorthanded goal.

"Good third period, but by that point we were too far behind," said Thunder forward Danny Wood. "You can't play catch up against Owatonna, they're too deep."

The game was marred by six game ejections, three from each team, and 127 penalty minutes. Owatonna's Brian McGinty and Jake Suter along with Albert Lea's Jake Armijo and Petrus Sipila for fighting at the end of the second period. Express forward Ben Persian was ejecting for checking from behind earlier in the period. In the third period Albert Lea's Alex Niestrom was tossed for boarding while Thunder defenseman Brad Phenow and Owatonna forward Dan Cecka received fighting majors less than two minutes into the third period.

Albert Lea outshot the Express 11 to 5 in the final period and that was something Wood said the team can use as it travels to North Iowa Saturday to wrap up a three-game week.

"We've got that to build off of for tomorrow so that's the main thing," Wood said.

Owatonna 4, Albert Lea 2

Albert Lea 0 0 2 — 2

Owatonna 1 3 0 — 4

First Period—1, Owatonna, Darnell 4 (McGinty), 10:07. Penalties—Adams, Owa (slashing), 19:25; Armijo, Alb (roughing), 19:25.

Second Period—2, Owatonna, Widing 3 (Porter, Vierling), 0:39. 3, Owatonna, Darnell 5 (McGinty), 5:36. 4, Owatonna, Thorson 10 (Bournazos, Carson), 6:06. Penalties—Ellis, Alb (slashing), 1:55; Persian, Owa, double minor-game ejection (checking from behind), 8:42; Obarzanek, Alb (roughing), 8:42; Johnson, Alb (hooking), 14:09; Robaczewski, Alb (cross checking), 18:13; Suter, Owa, major-game ejection (fighting) 20:00; McGinty, Owa, major-game ejection (fighting) 20:00; Armijo, Alb, major-game ejection (fighting), 20:00; Sipila, Alb, major-game ejection (fighting), 20:00.

Third Period—5, Albert Lea, Mitchell 1 (Johnson, Wood), 1:20. 6, Albert Lea, Obarzanek 2 (Phenow), 18:31 (sh.). Penalties—Phenow, Alb, major (fighting), 1:35; Cecka, Owa, major (fighting), 1:35; Sloat, Owa (tripping), 2:15; Niestrom, Alb, major-game ejection (boarding), 4:39; Kapetanovic, Alb (roughing); Fiala, Owa (roughing), 4:39; Sloat, Owa double-minor (roughing), 4:39; Widing, Owa (tripping), 11:34; Robaczewski, Alb (slashing), 18:00.

Shots on goal—Albert Lea 9-5-11—25. Owatonna 12-14-5—31.

Power-play opportunities—Albert Lea 0 of 3; Owatonna 0 of 4.

Goalies—Albert Lea, Waalkens 1-6-0 (31 shots, 27 saves). Owatonna, Paliafito 1-4-0 (25 shots, 23 saves).

A— 413. T— 2:21.

Referee—Tom Chmielewski. Linesmen—Brett Martin, Paul Jene.

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