The buzz all around the CIHL this season has been the influx of new young talent that has found its way to the ranks of the already existing seasoned veterans, and nowhere is this more apparent than on the current incarnation of the 2006 Bears, under current team manager, Greg Walsh. With young guns like Justin Menzies and Mike Thornburn taking on commanding roles controlling play in the offensive zone, this team, already replete with the veteran talent of Steve Clark, Dave Campbell, Bob Macleod, and Mike Milone, looks set to be headed for great things all throughout this season. One thing that definitely‘bears ’mentioning about this squad is that they have carefully tooled their lineup to take full advantage of the potential and talents of each individual , craft ing what is arguably the most thorough and balanced team in the league, with game-winning production coming from every member of the ranks.

Legs definitely prove a factor on this day, as both the Bears and the Wolves looked evenly matched throughout the first and second periods. The decisive“blue crush”only came later with a four-goal onslaught that sealed victory for the Bears in the third.

Play opened with the Bears coming out early with a number of close offensive attacks in the first five minutes. Their efforts were finally rewarded with assistant captain, Steve Clark, finessing the puck in from the point through traffic for a goal on a set up by rookie, Mike Thornburn. Ever a threat to opposing teams for his vision and clarity on the ice, Clark not only brings home the bacon by way of goals scored for the Bears, but is also a catalyst with setting a head spinning pace to every game he plays in and motivating his team to reach a little bit deeper even when the game is in the bag.

Things got a little chippy in the second with what, at first glance, appeared to be a golden opportunity for the Wolves. Steve Clark was sent off for slashing at one minute thirty into the second period. Clark compounded matters when he protested the call, only to be saddled with a ten minute major for unspor s tman like conduct. No doubt that those 13 minutes of penalties has put Stevie high atop this season’s leaderboard for PIMs, in what appears to be his drive to win not only MVP and top scorer, but also the league’s most penalized player title. Penalty killers Bob Macleod and Dave Hann didn’t let being short-handed get in their way, as they provided a one, two punch barely five seconds into time for the infraction, with what proved to be all the insurance the Bears would need to guarantee victory on this late Sunday night at the Taipei Dome. Hann fed Macleod with a crisp pass that the blue and white’s #14 deftly one-timed by an already overworked Wolves tender, Andrew Lunman. To his credit, Lunman stood fast to a lot of rubber coming his way this game, with little help from what appeared to be an overwhelmed and outmatched Wolves defensive lineup.

The third proved to be all Bears, as the Wolves’squad seemed to wear and not have very much left to take to the opposition. The Bears rallied throughout the third on goals by crafty rebounder, Jon Watson (assisted by Mike Milone and Dave Campell), rookie sensation, Justin Menzies (assisted by Steve Clark and Greg Walsh),“Heat-Seek er ”Steve Clark (assisted by Mike Milone), and finally Mike“Afterburner”Thornburn (assisted by Bob Macleod). This onslaught proved to be the straw that broke the Wolves’back. To his credit, Wolves tender, Andrew Lunman stood up to the pressure with great courage. Taking a high, hard slapshot under the collarbone midway through the period , leaving a bruise that will surely leave his girlfriend wondering what exactly he was up to on this Sunday night, Lunman did the best he could to limit the Bears attack in the third, but the task proved just too big.

To his own credit, Bears Austrian goalie recruit , Thomas Schnitzer, handled what little offensive attack the Wolves provided throughout the game with finesse and relative ease, W ith this, his first shutout of the season, his GAA average is sure to have rocketed from where it was before and possibly put him in contention for the title of top tender in the league.

Three Stars: