The Squirrels had a golden opportunity to win Tuesday, playing two full lines against a Silver Spring team with only one sub, but fell in a shootout, 4-3.

In the first time facing each other in a long time, Silver Spring bested the Squirrels on Tuesday, escaping with a 5-4 win.

The Screaming Squirrels beat down Silver Spring rather easily on Thursday in their first game of the night, putting up 9 goals – including three short-handed – in a 9-2 route.

Each player, including goalie Bob Sewell, registered a point, led by Casey Carpenter’s three goals and two assists.

Then the Squirrels went back to the locker room, waiting for their second game to begin against the Jesters, who won their game while the Squirrels waited.

It took a while for both teams to shake off the rust, but in the end, the Squirrels defeated Silver Spring (last season’s playoff nemesis), 5-3. After going down 2-1 early in the second, the Squirrels scored four of the next five goals.

New defenseman Casey Carpenter scored the first two Squirrels goals, as Don Marks, Rob Myers and Mark Tessar scored the other three.

In one of the tightest games the the season, the Squirrels and Silver Spring battled it out, with Silver Spring securing the semifinal victory in a shootout.

The teams traded goals, back and forth, two a period, for a 4-4 tie going into overtime. After five scoreless minutes, they started the best-of-four shootout. Silver Spring notched a goal on their third shot, while the Squirrels hit the post on their first three.

Virtually everyone after the game said it was one of the best games of the season, including players from other teams who were watching the ending.