Jets, Whalers prevail in TWHL's second week

SAMRONG: The second week of the TWHL D' Pelican Fall Classic Hockey League saw two original franchises claim victory in the 4-team league.

               The storied Din Daeng Jet franchise hung on to defeat the stubborn upstart Ratchada Coyotes 3-1 in the first game while the Klong Toey Whalers (the TWHL original champions) defeated the Sukhumvit Stars 5-3 in the second contest.

               In Sunday's first match, Rachada jumped out to an early 1-0 lead on a goal by Vladimir Prochazka. Aided by some spectacular goaltending by Lance Parker, the Jets rallied and scored two goals by Jiri Vlk and Alasdair Fawcett, but with less than a minute to go the Jets' Brett Filmore drew his second penalty of the night for thumping Ratchada star Adrian Myers. The Coyotes pulled their goalie Jason Cotsmire, hoping a two-man advantage would increase their chances to get even, but Remo Nyffenegger scored into an empty net to clinch the victory for the Jets.

               In the second game, Sukhumvit jumped out to an early lead 2-1 lead on goals by Scott Whitcomb and David Blomquist. The Whalers fought back and took a 3-2 lead as Pasit Jirachai continued his hot start, scoring a classic goal by passing to himself off the rim of the back of the net and then tucking the puck behind a startled Simon Halverson as he wrapped it around the goal. Whitcomb scored again to even the score, but early in the third period the Whalers' Jantapong Tengsakul, a member of the Thai Asian Games silver-medal squad, scored a beautiful goal by rushing in from the right point and sending a wrist shot into the top left-hand corner of the net. Todd Switzer sealed the win with an empty net goal in the waning seconds.