My first inline hockey game on Saturday night was the Qualifying Final at Gawler Vikings. We'd played the Shufflers four times over the season, 2-2 with us winning the first and last games. The winner of the QF would go straight to the Grand Final in two weeks time. The loser was to play a Preliminary Final on Sunday.
Being a finals game, each team was expected to field its own players (ie no reserves except for emergency). Each team thus put five skaters onto their roster and their own goalie. In our case, this meant that Matt the Goalie was back between the pipes.
Just as well he was, for he played a stirling game. Both of their goals were more due our defence failing the goalie than him failing us (he saved many other tough shots). Their first goal came about five minutes into the first half when all our skaters were sucked into the offense, leaving Alan free to take the breakout pass and skate it into the net. Alan is a good enough shot that I was half expecting him to score as he took the pass. He didn't disappoint.
We went into half time 1-0 down. They'd put nearly twice as many shots on goal as we had. I hadn't had a single shot, concentrating on playing 'lock' defence (especially after Alan's goal). We were playing chase the puck (dumping it first if we were lucky), they were playing 'split the defence with board to board passes' up the wings. If Matt the goalie hadn't been so on song, and our defence hadn't been so desperate, it could have been much worse. Our mid time chat was, unsurprisingly, about puck possession and passing.
We made good in the second half, with quite sharp passing that allowed us good shots on goal. Their goalie kept herself in our way, but it was beginning to look dangerous. Matt the skater bulldozed the first one in after about five minutes. Five minutes later, Brenton shot it in from the right slot and it just crossed the line in the corner.
Before we could grab an insurance goal they'd equalised, with me scambling backwards in front of a charging deking Mark. In the end he shot it through my legs at goal. I felt it very slightly deflect as it went through. I could hear that it had hit the back of the net by the Shufflers bench. Sigh.
I was also involved in the next goal. With about a minute to go we split up their team with some wide and accurate passing of our own before I set off down the middle of the floor with Alex ahead of me to the left. Matthew back in Defence shot the puck up to me. I let it through my legs and it got to an unchecked Alex who took his time and put in the winner.
A good win for the Wheelers. We went straight through to the Grand Final for the second season running. The Shufflers were third last season, now had to play a Preliminary Final on the Sunday against the winner of the evening's second game (Bumpers (5) d Rockers (1), I played as a reserve with the Rockers in my first back to back games (see post from yesterday)).
UPDATE - On Sunday, the Shufflers (6) d Bumpers (4) so we get to play the Shufflers in the GF for the third time in as many games. That's in two weeks time.
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