Wheelers d Rockers
We had five Wheelers (all bar Natasha) and Matt the Goalie. The Rockers had six skaters and Andrew in Goals. I'd thought we were probably the better team all round but that it would be a tough physical game, especially with their top three skaters (Pauline, Matt and Mal) not being adverse to holding their ground. The winner of the game would go one game clear into second place on the ladder as we approach the season's half way point. They'd beaten us 4-3 last time we met, though on that occasion the reserve they had play for them could pass, shoot and check and this had made a difference (always handy to have four front line skaters instead of three).
The first half began quite physically, with them putting their best line out to open and us holding back a little. It was end to end for a couple plays before we entered their zone with a hard shot by myself from the centre, Josh scrapping for it in front of the net before passing it back to me on the centreline, who held it briefly before passing off to Merrilyn in the corner area. She lined up and put a shot in from an almost impossible angle, finding a gap just wide enough between torso and goal post to put the puck through with a beautiful shot. She was wrapt with the shot, Josh had scored his first point, and I had dished out my first assist for the evening.
The Rockers didn't take this well and stepped up their aggressive play almost immediately. We were a little on the edge for several minutes before there was a four person battle on the boards with less than a minute to go. I just remember being locked in the contest with Mal, boots and sticks hacking at the puck, others joining in, me eventually kicking it into open ground and pushing my way through obstructing sticks to get it. The whistle went just as I collected it. I thought I might be done for holding, or perhaps another for high sticking, or another for interference/roughing. I looked to the referee expecting rough justice only to see him pointing at Mal. He'd hooked me as I broke free, earning two minutes.
We launched into attack immediately on the power play, with less than half a minute to go. It was a short power play. Brenton shot the puck in within 20 seconds, the rebound lay on the floor in front of and slightly to the side of the goalie who was swatting at it with his stick as I got my stick their first and tapped it onto Krystal's blade in the corner and in it went. She got the goal, and Brenton and I got an assist. All five of our skaters had at least a point as we went into the half time break 2-0 up.
The second half was again pretty brutal for the first seven or so minutes, when I found myself on a breakout after seizing the puck in mid floor and swinging behind Brenton and up the wing, telling him to rush the net as I did so. I was being chased, had to concentrate on protecting the puck as I raced towards the corner, heard the call 'Centre!' and backhanded it on a blind pass to where Brenton was steaming up the middle, just out reach of the goalie at moment he hit the puck and scored. He was pretty chuffed!
Our final goal was put through by myself a couple minutes later. Again, there was a melee in the corner, leaving Krystal on the floor in pain. No whistle, so have a shot on goal, which rebounds amidst a couple other falling bodies who have snagged the goalie in his corner (both these bodies were Rockers). I pick fight a stick battle to gain control of the puck, carry it back out of their reach, think twice about having a shot and having to elevate it over the bodies before me, give it a back hand tap to the other side of the net and then a final tap to put it in.
It seemed that much of the stuffing had been knocked out of them by this goal, with some of the intensity dropping off the game from this point although the speed was still there. Mal scored the final goal of the game in a last minute rush up the boards and a shot from just over half way. I was in a blocking position, but consciously decided to get out of the way to leave the goalie an unobstructed view. Unfortunately for him, the puck curled slightly and found the top far corner. The final whistle followed soon after. 4-1.
We'd had fifteen shots on net to their nine. We limited them to 3 in the first half, mainly by staying in their zone for much of the time. I found myself playing the D role a fair bit, hovering on the centreline when we were in their zone and providing a safe outlet option several times to our forwards. When I was deep in their zone it was usually as the result of joining or starting a rush. The pattern continued in the second half, although we by then were ceding more ground and the zone times would have been less lopsided.
I had quite a few shots at goal, all along the ground, with all but one either missing the net or being blocked by blocker or pad. I think I lost most of my faceoffs, but only took a small number this game so it didn't hurt us.
This was my first ever four point game. Two of our goals came from double assists, only one was unassisted. We played an aggressive passing game, tended to play aggressive defence also (ie closing the gap, blocking the shot, screening the pass, etc). Josh appears to be hooked on hockey, after starting less than two months ago. Krystal is talking of playing on the ice this summer. It's a good team that works well together that we have. Next week we play the Bumpers, top of table clash, half way through regular season.
GP 5 G 4 A 5 Pts 9 +5 3/2/0
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Bumpers d Shufflers
I played a second game on Saturday evening, having been asked the week previous at training if I could make myself available to be a reserve for the Shufflers. I've not played as reserve for them before but am always looking for more chances to play hockey so had grabbed the chance when I could. For this game the Shufflers had six skaters (two veterans, two classic c graders, Bec and myself), talkative bench managers who provided good coaching direction (changed at half time), and their regular goalie. The Bumpers had five regular and one reserve skater (Rachael), with Matt in goals. Bumpers were undefeated on top of the ladder, the Shufflers were winless on the bottom. How times change!
Their shooting was too good for our goalie. The score was 7-0 after Jana put in her third goal (she was 4-2-6 over forty minutes). We celebrated our lone goal with a half minute to go in the first, with me protecting the puck in the corner (having told the two rookies I was with on the rink to go for the net as I'd raced past them for the puck back in our zone) before turning around and seeing both of them steaming in from centre with sticks on ice in an attacking line with no-one between them and the goalie. I put a forehand pass in front of them just above the crease, pretty certain that at least on of my two forwards would knock it in. Which is exactly what happened! 7-1 at half time.
In the second half we limited them to 3 goals, despite having a penalty called on Jess (the first time newb on my line) and the wear and tear of our tired bodies. Final score line was 10-1.
What I found most heartening was that I was +/- 0 for the game. This, in a 10-1 loss! We were doing something right defensively, because I was by far the best skater on my line and the other two had to play determination and position. Which they did most splendidly! A spectator who had seen both of my games wondered to me after the game why I hadn't played like that for the Wheelers. Considering I'd scored four points in that game, I took this as an unintentionally high compliment on my play.
It had been a great night of hockey!
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