It was another close 5 Holes-Squirrels game Tuesday, and this time the 5 Holes came out on top with a 2-1 victory. This was despite the fact that the Squirrels led much of the game, but a lack of offensive punch and a couple of breakdowns doomed them in the end.

On the first shift of the game, Jeff Ford centered to Ben Sumner, who scored to give the Squirrels the lead. The 5 Holes said Sumner kicked the puck in the net but the referees said it was a goal. The 1-0 lead stood throughout the first period, and well into the second period. Squirrels goaltender Bob Sewell was brilliant in net, making many saves. But then one got in. And another. Down a man in the last two minutes, the Squirrels had one last chance to tie the game. Kit Watson sent a slap shot toward Sumner in front of the 5 Holes net, hoping for a goal off a deflection like last week, but lightning didn’t strike twice.

The Squirrels played without Matt Borlik, Phil Van der Vossen, Chi Pam and Jon Magi. The next game is Wednesday, at 8 p.m. against the Chupacabras.

So far this season, all of the Squirrels’ victories came by three or more goals, and several of those wins were blowouts. On Wednesday, the Squirrels finally won a game by a competitive margin, and against a very good team which had shut them out earlier in the season — The 5 Holes. The 4-3 victory turned out to be an instant classic and a huge gut-check for the Squirrels, who are crawling their way back up the standings after four early-season losses.

The 5 Holes got the scoring started a little more than two minutes into the game as Matt Ray fought off Ben Sumner and wristed the puck past Squirrels goaltender Bob Sewell. A little more than six minutes later, The 5 Holes intercepted an airborne puck in front of the net and Chris Wautel tapped it in for a 2-0 lead. With two minutes to go in the period, Jeff Ford netted his 17th of the season, and the teams went into the break with a 2-1 score.

Two and a half minutes into the second period, Rob Myers tied the game with a shot in front of the net. On the very next shift, Ford gave the Squirrels the lead with a low shot through a screen past 5-Holes goaltender Brandon Miller. At 9:27 of the second period, Ford sent a perfect cross-rink pass to Sumner, who effortlessly tapped in the puck to put the Squirrels up 4-2. The 5 Holes cut the lead to 4-3 with 8:21 remaining, but the Squirrels held on for the victory.

The Squirrels played without Matt Borlik, Phil Van der Vossen, Don Marks, Chi Pham and Juan Canchasto. The Squirrels outshot The 5 Holes, 20-17.

The next game is Wednesday, July 12, at 8:30 p.m. against the Chupacabras.

Just four games into the roller season, the Screaming Squirrels are already off to their worst start in years. Longtime rival The 5 Holes out-hustled and simply out-hockeyed the Squirrels Wednesday, winning 4-0. The Squirrels are now 2-2 on the year as The 5 Holes remained undefeated.

Goaltender Brandon Miller made 16 saves for The 5 Holes, as the Squirrels gave up 27 shots and three first-period goals.

With the Hurricanes out of the C Division, the Squirrels and 5-Holes now have the most intense rivalry, split in the all-time series at 5-5-1.

The Squirrels played without defensemen Don Marks, Kit Watson, Tony Richelsen, and Juan Canchasto, who is expected to rejoin the team soon.

The next game is Thursday, May 11, at 8:30 p.m. against Snipe.

Two years removed as co-champions with the Hurricanes, the Screaming Squirrels are going back to the championship game, and they earned the opportunity Tuesday with a 7-0 trouncing of the 5-Holes, a team that finished ahead of them in the standings and beat them twice this season.

Jeff Ford and Ben Sumner together had five goals, and Kit Watson had three assists to lead the Squirrels to victory. Watson, Don Marks, Tony Richelsen and Desi Richelsen shut down the 5-Holes on defense, and Bob Sewell had 15 saves for the shutout.

In the other semi-final earlier in the evening, the Chupacabras upset the top-seeded Hurricanes, 1-0, putting the third and fifth-place teams in the championship game. The Squirrels are 2-0-1 against them this season.

The championship game is Thursday at 9:30 p.m.

In the final regular season game of the season Tuesday, a game that meant nothing in the standings, the Screaming Squirrels finally put together a near-flawless performance against a team that has had their number all year. They came away with a 5-0 victory against the 5 Holes, a win they sorely wanted going into the playoffs.

Don Marks scored the only goal of the first period, maneuvering around with a defenseman draped on him. The goal gave him 30 points for the season, a Squirrels’ record.

The Squirrels blew the game open in the second period with four goals, three on the power play. Tony Richelsen had a goal and Jeff Ford scored two with the odd man-advantage. Ed Bager scored at even strength.

Bob Sewell, who the Squirrels faced twice this season, had a 17-save shutout, and will likely play for them in the playoffs in place of Brian Byrne, who moved to New Jersey last week.

The playoffs start Thursday, August 25, at 8:30 p.m. against the qualifier winner.