Foxes freeze Butler in a 9-0 shutout
VALENCIA — Fox Chapel realized the adage that if you keep shooting, good things are going to happen.
In Monday's game against Butler, it took a while, but once it clicked, it really clicked.
The Foxes held a 1-0 lead through one period, outshooting the Tornado 14-2, but cashed in on three of its next six shots and cruised to a 9-0 victory at the Ice Connection.
Fox Chapel outshot Butler 40-3.
“It was a learning experience all the way around,” said Butler assistant coach Brad Posey. “There are things we talked about. We kept the puck out of the net for most of the first period. We did what we needed to do.
“(Goalie Mike Arturo) played a heck of a first period,” Posey added
Arturo kept the Tornado (2-4) in the contest with several big saves until Dan Humes took a pass from Jake Friedland and scored a short-handed goal with 2;36 left in the period.
The goal came on the Foxes' 13th shot of the game compared to one for Butler.
By the second period, however, the Foxes (6-0) received a goal from Christian Wirginis 59 seconds into the second period before Colin Cheng made it 3-0.
Then Wirginis struck again, this time with 6:36 left in the period for a four-goal advantage.
“I'm not sure we saw a weak skater out there,” said head coach Vic Whann.
It didn't help that the Tornado, who had won two consecutive games after an 0-3 start, were without the services of Jake Tomasovic (shoulder) and Corey Chuba (hand), leaving the team with only two centers.
In the third period, the goals came fast and furious for the Foxes, as Friedland tallied three of the team's five goals in the period.
Friedland scored 18 seconds into the third period before the Foxes scored two goals in a five-second time span, then the last two goals in a 26-second span, the final with 6:21 to play.
Despite the defeat, Posey found plenty of things to build upon.
“Every guy has to play team defense,' said Posey. “If one guy doesn't play team defense, it breaks down the whole team.
“Fox Chapel is a good team and I'm glad we played them. It was a great learning experience. This will only make us better as the season goes on,” he added.
Michael Bubas and Liam Reilly also scored for the Foxes. Humes added three assists while Friedland and Vinnie Susi added two assists apiece.
