The Wheelers had a good win against the Shufflers in the early Div II game last night at North Vikings, Gawler, We had five skaters, the Bumpers had four. We had Allun in goal (usually plays Div I), The bumpers had Nat, their regular goalie. Half way through the season, we are equal on points with the Rockers but below them on goals-for, therefore sitting sitting in third spot. We now have the midsummer break, coming back after the Vikings Cup on the Australia Day weekend (Jan 26). I get my Saturday nights back!
The day started full of good intentions. Despite my recent muscle tiredness I resolved to go for a shooting session at the primary school. All kitted up, I set off. Only to find the oval and netball court spaces being used for some boys' activity and barbeque. So I kept skating, thinking that if I felt like it still when I got there I could go and get a bit of puck handling in at the O-bahn car park. Meanwhile, noticing that for once it seemed that every third stride my wheels were snarling up with detrius on the footpath or road surface, I said to myself that I'd better be extra careful with my skating today because it seemed that nothing was easy. I'd only just had an image of what if I stumbled if a mad dog starts chasing me when I passed a big house with big fence, and big dog with big teeth charging towards me wanting to kill. Lucky for the fence. Not being one to ignore fateful warnings continually, I cut my trip short and took an abbreviated loop through the suburb to get home safe.
I got to Gawler on time in the evening. We had five skaters; the three Pfeiffers, Krystal and myself. Craig has apparently been shuffled to the Rockers so us five was a full roster. It was cool to be with them, they are my team. Was feeling pretty good as we warmed up, knowing that none of us is a slacker. I started on the opening line.
Within two minutes I'd opened the scoring with an unassisted goal off my one person rush. I fired it in from thirty feet, hoping to put a bit of pressure on and chase for the rebound if there was one. Instead, puck found back of net about half way up. 1-0.Our second goal came about four minutes later. Again, I was near the top of the slot, picked up my own rebound. Krystal was heading out of the right corner area. I passed it to her. She was able to take it in and fire it home. 2-0.
It must have been frustrating to them because they were getting off more shots than us on goal, but we were up. The next five or so minutes saw them receive two minor penalties. We didn't score on the power play in either instance. I was off the rink when we scored our third goal. It was nice to be able to call out with absolutely no condecension, "Go Girls!" as they celebrated.
I closed off the scoring for the period about three minutes from the end. The play was mainly Merrilyn's as she battled the puck out of the corner and eventually behind the goal, fighting for it all the way before finding a moment of space and passing it to me up in the central slot. Her pass was tape to tape, giving me the opportunity despite all the bodies in between the goal and me to notice that the goalie had left a gap of a few inches between her pad and the right post. So that's where I shot the puck and that's where it went in and we were up 4-0 going into the break.
The second half was much more even, if a bit good naturedly brutal at times. Lots of push and shove with Donna, strong clashes over the puck at face off, lots of stick checking from both sides. Me and Mal both charged from opposite sides towards a puck on the central boards, neither of us willing to give way, both crashing to the floor in a tangle of limbs and sticks. I'm leaving due a sore left thigh (corked it) when hear whistle. Circle back to have the referee say 'sorry but two minutes'. So I got my second ever penalty for tripping and a nice bruise with which to mark the occasion. I think the reason I was penalised is that I was leading with my blade on the rink surface, thus contacting his skates in the moment that we collided. Luck of the draw. No complaints. They didn't score on the power play and I needed the rest.
Six minutes after returning to the rink Merrilyn and me combined for another goal, our motions more or less mirroring what they had been before but this time with me passing it from the slot to her near the goal. 5-0. And thus it remainded till the final siren.
They'd outshot us 33-26. Allun kept them out of our goal which was good because we let them through a number of times (by being sucked forward and forgetting their lurking player in front of our goal). In my defence, I think that I generally made sure the D was covered when I was on the floor, but could notice it from the bench when I was off. Krystal found the pain of being blatantly boarded in the last minute of the first half very painful, and even more so as the foul wasn't called (though it seems everyone in the building except the ref's saw it).
I ended up with a corded thigh (which at least took my mind off of my tightly taped right knee), and sore spots on left knee and bicep and right forearm. Also, won only maybe 2 of 5 face offs. Used my speed to stay ahead of them most of the time in races to the puck. Really enjoy playing with this team now as we have no super stars or ego trippers (although I lead in goals, assists and points I am not apparently playing in a different league to the rest of my team).
And now, a xmas break and the return of my Saturday nights for about six weeks.
Yay!
GP 6 G 7 A 5 Pts 12 +8 2/2/2
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