Frozen flurry
Butler nets 4 goals in 11 minutes for 9-5 win over Shaler

By Derek Pyda 
Eagle Staff Writer 


MIDDLESEX TWP — Despite the freezing temperatures outside the Ice Connection Monday night, the flurries came inside its confines. 

Butler scored four goals in the span of 11 minutes and 39 seconds between the first and second period. Then, after Shaler had battled back to tie the game, the Golden Tornado netted five goals in the final 8:50 of the game in posting a 9-5 victory. 
Ben Rodgers took a pass from Trevor Gilliland and beat Titans’ goalie Paul Zalakar midway through the third period to give
Butler a 5-4 lead it would not relinquish. 
Butler had allowed three straight Titan goals, the first two coming in a 1:40 span of the second period, that tied the game at 4. 
“We started playing like it was 4-1 and not 0-0,” said
Butler coach Patrick Hammonds. “When Shaler tied it up, it was not a time to take shortcuts. We had to play the way we know how to play and be mentally tough.” 
Goals by Chris Martin, Gilliland, Jonathan Fair and Brendan Ackelson turned the game into a rout later in the final period. 
A similar run had given the Tornado (
6-2-1) a 4-1 edge earlier in the game. 
Shaking off an early goal by Shaler’s Michael Fuchs, Butler’s Sam Gross, Ackelson and Ronan Miller each tallied first-period goals. Fair then found the net in the last second of a power play that ended 31 seconds into the second period. 
“Before that, we were letting them (Titans) out-shoot us,” said Hammonds. “That’s not our game. We needed to focus on putting the puck on the net and that’s when we started to roll.” 
But Shaler remained focused and, thanks in part to a change in its defense, turned the tables on the Tornado. 
“With a team like Butler, there are some usual suspects who are very skilled. Guys like Connor Scott, Trevor Gilliland and Jonathan Fair,” said Shaler coach Jason Silver. “We wanted to create some offensive opportunities through our defense. We tightened up our zone and were able to create some odd-man rushes.” 
That led to goals in the second period from Fuchs and Zach Sarnowski and with 10:39 left in the game from Cameron Bardsley. 
All of the goals came against Butler’s Zach Schnur, who stopped 23 shots in the game. 
But it wasn’t long before Rodgers’ go-ahead goal, which came just 91 seconds after the Titans (3-6-1) had pulled even. 
“Our goalie was solid in stopping the first shot,” said Silver, “but we turned into a run-and-gun team and that is not our identity. We’re a team that needs to focus on defense.” 
Just moments before Rodgers’ goal, Shaler’s Mitchell Werry intercepted a pass near center ice and had a breakaway chance, but his backhand was off the mark. 
The action became very physical in the third period, when 10 penalties were called, including a pair of unsportsmanlike conduct fouls on the Titans. 
“There’s no history between us,” said Gilliland. “The more we scored tonight, the more Shaler was hitting.” 
Zalakar made 20 saves for Shaler. 
Rodgers and Gilliland both tallied three assists for Butler while Ackelson, Gross and Scott each contributed two. 
Butler is off until next Monday when it hosts Upper St. Clair.