Express runs over Tornado

Southern Minnesota upended two-time defending champion Texas, 7-3.
By CHUCK HOUSTEAU
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
BOARDMAN -- The Southern Minnesota Express pulled off a stunning 7-3 upset of the two-time defending NAHL Robertson Cup Champion Texas Tornado in opening night action Wednesday at the Ice Zone.
The first-year expansion Express scored three goals in the first period and were never headed as they move on to face the Mahoning Valley Phantoms today at 7:30 p.m.
Texas will resume play this afternoon at 2 p.m. against the Cleveland Barons as they try to regain their title aspirations.
"We went through the same scenario last season," said Texas coach Tony Curtale. "We lost our opening game last year and rebounded to win the final three to capture the championship.
"This loss doesn't mean anything."
The game meant everything to Southern Minnesota, who would like nothing better than to grab the championship in their first year of existence.
They came out playing like they had a chip on their shoulders.
"We just wanted to come out and play our game," Express coach Pat Cullen said. "We are a pretty good hockey team and we weren't going to let anyone keep us from playing like we can.
"We weren't going to be intimidated."
Wiley scores first
Despite being out-shot 11-6 by Texas in the first period, Southern Minnesota scored first at 4:32 of the period on a goal by Jason Wiley with assists from
Benoit Quessandier and James Gaulrapp.
Minnesota scored two more goals on a power-play goal by James Ruff at 12:56 on assists by Gaulrapp and Quessandier and on a short-handed goal Joe Welch at 17:29.
Texas got back into the contest late in the period when Neilsson Arcibal scored on a great assist by Karl Sellan with just 21.5 seconds left.
The Tornado carried that momentum into the second period and seemed poised to overcome the two-goal deficit.
Texas cut the lead to 3-2 at the 6:56 mark of the period when the Tornado's leading scorer Karl Sellan scored on a power-play goal on assists from Derek Danowski and Tyler Ludwig.
Short-lived comeback
The rally was short-lived as the Express tallied with a goal by Jason Wiley two-minutes later. Jeff Carlson was credited with the assist as Minnesota ended the second period holding a 4-2 lead.
The Express opened up a 7-2 lead by scoring three more goals in the third period by out-shooting Texas 12-5 before Sellan tallied with a final goal at the 16:41 mark on an assist from Danowski.
Defensively, Minnesota got a great effort in goal from Nick Hopper who had 26 saves on 29 shot attempts.
Texas suffered 23 offenses on the ice for 92 minutes of penalty time.
"We weren't sharp tonight," Curtale said. "You aren't going to win when half your team is in the penalty box all night."