The Screaming Squirrels gave the Nordiques four power plays Monday, found themselves down 2-1 early in the second period, but then regrouped and skated off to a 5-3 victory. Tero Moberg scored the first two for the Squirrels, both on very soft shots. Only 22 seconds after Moberg’s second goal, Ben Sumner got his first goal of the season from the right corner as he passed the puck in front of the net and it bounced off a defender and in. Defenseman Kyle Gassert scored to cap off a three-goal third period. The Nordiques’ Hector Rosario (and Squirrel roller teammate) cut the Squirrels lead to 4-3 but then Sumner redirected a Gassert slap-shot to the top netting.

The Squirrels improved to 14-0, and are now tied for the best offense in the league with the Piranhas.

At 1:16 of the second period Tuesday, the Nordiques took a 2-1 lead against the Squirrels. Two minutes later, they still had the lead. Then the Squirrels tied it, scored three goals in 36 seconds and ran away with a 12-2 victory.

Tony Richelsen led the way for the Squirrels with five goals. Matt Borlik and Chris Wautel each had two, while Brent Machado, Rob Myers, and Paul Kobernick each had one. Dan Carter, Charles Wolstein, Ben Sumner, Desi Richelsen, Jon Magi and Drew Thiemann also played for the Squirrels, while the Nordiques played without a couple of their higher-scoring players.

The next game is Wednesday, Nov. 14, at 10 p.m. against the Cruisers.

In a rare Sat. night game, the Squirrels looked to regain their winning form against the Nordiques. The Nords however had different plans, after falling behind 1-0 on Brent Machado’s first period goal, the Nords scored the next two in the 2nd to take 2-1 lead deep into the 3rd period. The Squirrels evened things up at 2-2 apiece when Tony Richelsen poked in a shot off a feed from Ed Bager. Unfortunately that would be all the scoring for the Squirrels as the Nords knocked in the game winner shortly after and added an insurance goal late to seal the 4-2 win.

The Squirrels, played without Drew Thiemann, Ben Sumner, Greg Wenograd, Chris Long, Sergio Balatan, Jon Magi, Paul Kobernick, Rob Myers and Chi Pham. Brian Rimm subbed in net. The Squirrels’ next contest is Wed. Feb. 21st 10:25 against Scurvy.

Last season, the Squirrels and Nordiques played three very close games and went 1-1-1 against each other. Sunday, the Squirrels exploded for six third-period goals, winning 7-0 in their most lopsided ice victory since March.

Rob Myers scored at 12:33 of the first period on the power play, but the Squirrels spent much of the first frame on the penalty kill. The score held for nearly 30 minutes.

Then the third period started, and Brent Machado got his first goal as a Squirrel while shorthanded at 12:26. Myers scored again a minute later on the power play. A minute and a half later, Machado scored his second goal – also shorthanded – on a breakaway. Two and a half minutes later, Ed Bager scored on another power play. Tony Richelsen and Paul Kobernick scored the other two goals late in the game.

Backup goaltender Brian Rimm made 13 saves for the shutout, while the Squirrels posted 28 shots. Matt Borlik played his first game of the season. The Squirrels played without Drew Thiemann, Don Marks, Greg Wenograd, Chris Long and Sergio Balatan.

The next game is Saturday, November 4, at 10:45 p.m. against Scurvy.

In what is now one of the biggest rivalries of the division, the Screaming Squirrels and the Nordiques faced off for the third time Sunday night, trading goals down to the final moments. This time, the Squirrels found a way to win, snatching a 6-5 victory by scoring three times in the third period.

The Squirrels knew that there was one guy in particular who they needed to shut down: The league’s leading scorer, Walt Bender Jr. They didn’t. But the Squirrels got a spark of their own from Don Marks, who hadn’t played in more than a month. Two minutes into the game, Marks took a centering pass from Tony Richelson, and knocked the puck in to get the scoring started.

Bender scored his first goal midway through the first period. Thirty seconds later, it appeared that the Squirrels went ahead as Ed Bager hit the puck in the net, but instead he was called for high-sticking and served a four-minute penalty. The Squirrels killed it, and then another minor, but gave up a goal just as the power-play expired in the final minute of the period.

The Nordiques and Squirrels traded two goals apiece in the middle frame. Matt Borlik tied the game on a power play, and Ben Sumner slid in a loose puck to give the Squirrels the lead. Then Bender took over, getting two more in the second period to put the Nordiques back ahead.

Brian Jackson took a major penalty late in the period, which carried over to the third period, but the Squirrels managed to kill it. Jackson then redeemed himself by scoring later in the period on another power play to tie the game. With two and a half minutes remaining, Marks whacked in another loose puck in front of the net to regain the lead. On the same line shift, Bager scored a much-needed insurance goal. The Nordiques got one back with a late flurry around the net, but the Squirrels held on to win.

Rob Myers, Sergio Balatan and Greg Wenograd missed the game for the Squirrels. Drew Thiemann faced 19 shots in net as the Squirrels posted 35. The Squirrels and Nordiques are now 1-1-1 head-to-head this season.

The next game is Wednesday, February 22, at 10 p.m. in Resor against Southwest Airlines.