The elimination final for Winter 2014 season was the second game played last night in the North Vikings inline final's series that I played in. I was called in as a 'reserve' (after my own team's game, but more of that in my next post) for the Rockers. Having just played a game, I think my state of physical tiredness would have made up for any perceived skating skill advantage my presence might have otherwise generated. I gave it my best shot, but that certainly wasn't my 'best' by that stage of the evening!
I think I was on for two of the Bumpers' goals. One of these probably wouldn't have been counted as a goal if there'd been a video review facility. It would have been the third goal I directly saved as it was my blade in the corner of the net that was keeping the puck from entirely crossing the line. Ach well, them's the breaks. One of my other saves involved me crashing over the immobile goalie in a scramble to get to the incoming puck before it crossed the line (I made it, in a heap), the other had me racing to get the puck as it drifted in front of open goalface before the opposition's swooping forward could tap it in.
Whilst I succeeded on this final save, I ended up crashing in a heap up against the back board, somehow in an almost upside down position, sliding into the board while on my shoulders with chin tucked up to my chest. I ended up on my back against the board, but was able to move everything and nothing hurt until I tried to get up. My left thigh was sore to put weight on, for a moment the prospect of a torn muscle obtained in a supplementary game loomed. I tried it again. The referee was looking at me with an enquiring look on her face. I realised I could put weight on the leg, that it was cramped or corked (ie not strained or torn) and gave her the thumbs up before hobbling to the centre on one effective leg for the last half minute before half time. In the second half the leg got better but it was still sore. It still is a bit tight as I type this.
The Rockers went down, and were hence eliminated from the finals. On the following day (today) the Bumpers had to come back and play the loser of the earlier qualification final in an afternoon preliminary final. For the record, the Bumpers lost 6-4 in the preliminary final and will thus end the season in third place. The Grand Final in two week's time will determine who get's gold medal!
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Off ice, I did lower body/core circuits on Tuesday evening and Friday morning, and an upper body circuit on Thursday morning. After my two games yesterday, I think I'll make today a rest day and then get back into it. Will be shifting into skill training and skate conditioning in the next fortnight, so need to make the most of this 'off season' before evaluating the results.
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