Last night the Mavericks defeated the Snipers in the late inline hockey game at Gawler. Both teams had four skaters. We play three on three hockey (due the rink size) so each team had only one interchange available. Josh was between our pipes, Jess was behind theirs. We were playing to keep top spot on the ladder, they were trying to climb off the bottom.
We knew this was going to be a very tough, and potentially rough, game - despite the scoreline of our previous meeting this season. It turned out to be exactly those things, and more! The score was tied with only only one and a half minutes on the clock, it could have gone either way. It was a great game to be a part of and probably wasn't bad to watch. This is why we play hockey!
The Game
I don't remember much about our first goal except that it was a pass from Brenton to me for a shot. Nor do I recall much about their reply a minute later, mainly that the puck just dribbled across the line.
It soon became evident that the Snipers were playing quite roughly, resulting in our players being knocked over on several occasions. I expect the rough play was more 'reckless' than 'intentional', they played a body on body game but without taking responsibility for the consequences. Several times I saw our players look to the ref for a call with none forthcoming. I couldn't make out the detail on most of the plays, but on those I did the non-call seemed fair enough.
This continued until Natasha had to come off favouring her shoulder after being caught beneath two snipers against the boards. I don't think that the play was deliberate even if it should have been avoided, as Tash was adamant it could have been, and again no penalty was called. She came straight to the bench and wasn't able to go out again for the next ten minutes. This was all pretty concerning, both the injury itself and the fact that we now had perhaps a whole game to skate out between the three of us who remained.
To our credit we steeled our resolve and hung in there, blocking and interdicting and clearing and occasionally even going on the rush. In between each play and the next whistle we bent over, sucking in as much oxygen as we could before it all kicked off again. I really don't remember much about it all except taking opportunity to get air at every opportunity, hitting the right post off a rushing snapshot, and trying to walk around the goalie knowing there were less a handful of seconds to go before half time, eventually opening a gap and snapping the puck through it only to hear the siren start just before the puck crossed the line. No goal, 1-2 at half time.
Three good things happened at half time. Firstly, we got a two minute period of rest. Secondly, Natasha declared that although she was sore she was able to play again. Thirdly, Brenton reminded us that we tend to do better in the second half than in the first, that we needed to play more our game than theirs and not cough up possession as easily as we had been. Basically, communicate, pass, shots on net. We could do it. He must have worn himself out while giving his little speech because he stayed on the bench for the start of the next period!
Five minutes after the break I was on the long end of a tape to tape pass from Merrilyn and was able to put the puck into the goal from my spot near the side of the net. The pass was beautiful and she held it held it held it until the passing lane opened up between their clustered skaters. Lovely. They, unfortunately, reasserted their lead a couple minutes later. We then put ourselves one goal up for the first time since the opening goal with an unassisted goal by myself (Natasha deserved the assist, having passed it to me around the centre line before I romped in past their last defender and put it in the side of the net) and one from Brenton. Less than ten minutes to go, we were up 4-3.
To give the Snipers credit at this point, they stepped it up. There were some tough battles going on in the middle of the rink. I got in a tangle near the boards, picked up a high stick in my face cage that went uncalled. Dodging the force of the blow meant I gave up space, my opponent had the puck. I waited a second for a whistle, none forthcoming. So I gave my opponent a massive two handed shove with my stick across his chest and he got floored. As I turned to retreive the puck I heard the whistle. I didn't even look, just skated for the penalty box. Interference. Half a minute later they scored on the power play. I didn't feel bad as I skated out of the box, just resolved that after this incident I couldn't let them win.
The game see-sawed for the next four minutes, both teams putting on shots but none going in until I connected with a full flight full powered backhand pass from the right boards to Brenton steaming down the middle. He saw it coming and, with his blade on the floor, was able to time his one timer with enough force to drive it into the back of the net. I could have hugged him at that moment! We were up a goal with a minute to go!
Their goalie called a time out immediately. Smart play on her part, time to get a bit of sense into her team with one and a half minutes left on the clock. As I squared up for the faceoff I sensed that the Snipers were pulling themselves together for a final push. 'There's only one way to put an end to this,' I thought. I won the faceoff by tipping the puck forward and then skating around their centre to take possession and go for a run. I dodged and deked all of their skaters, skating at the edge of my ability and having to recovering the puck several times on the fly as I did so, drove hard around to my backhand side, took a still moment as I approached the board and flicked the puck with intent towards the net. It flew true and straight and found the gap between shoulder and post to put us two goals up just as the siren went.
What a wild game!
Thoughts
The game very much featured the physical elements of the sport, whether by this we mean understrength teams having to skate beyond their comfort zone, a high level of physical contact resulting in pain and injury, basic fitness and conditioning being challenged by the intensity as both teams dug deep in the final minutes, the effects of exhaustion or high levels of aggression. I feel both teams played well on all these indices, with the Mavericks probably displaying superiority in managing half a period with only three players and still not allowing a score, and in the final minutes when we were able to stay focused on the details while their decision making slowed down.
Not that I was immune to the effects of exhaustion, making a perfect tape to tape pass to an opponent late in the second and only realising what I'd done a moment later (at least I had the energy to haul ass and backcheck him effectively, could have been bad). This contrasted with my more general experience of, for the first time ever, 'seeing' passing lanes opening up (and closing) before my eyes in real time when I had the puck. Partly a result of keeping my head up more, but I think I might be reaching a new level of perception within the game. This is good as it allows for offensive 'reads' to complement my generally competent defensive understanding.
I found myself being pretty consistently poke checked deep in their zone. I will have to stop treating other players like pylons all because their feet aren't moving! Also, perhaps using some stickwork to avoid their having an easy play - I tend to carry the puck on the end of my stick by cupping rather than by moving it around which makes me fairly easy to line up. I will have to become a bit more versatile in this respect.
Speaking of sticks, I did remember to try using a more active stick myself, using both hands and rapid movement to dissuade an opponent from whatever they might have been thinking of doing (passing 'through' me, skating past me, etc). I could sense the confusion this technique brought on at least one occasion, will have to add this as a regular part of the defensive repertoire!
I had the unusual experience for me of an opponent who could outsprint me in the short moves that feature in hockey. I had to rely on positioning (cutting his options) and reading the play (getting the first step to counter his overall quickness), closing his options if not shutting him down. Good experience. Perhaps the fact that I have to regularly deal with fast and agile forwards on the ice helped here.
Finally, a few words about deliberate aggression. It is definitely a part of the game, not to be shyed away from out of a misplaced sense of chivalry or 'fair play'. In the competitive arena of the hockey rink, to display such civilised notions too much will only result in lost games and the other teams taking liberties. The end result of that could be seen in this game, upset and injured players. And that can lead to grudges if the sore is not lanced.
An example of what I mean was how our team was beginning to lose focus at certain moments, concentrating more on their reckless play and the refereeing than on our own game. This is the sort of stuff that can lose you games! I think that we had gotten over the worst of it, had settled down to play our own game and grumble about our 'victimisation' later, and was reasonably happy with that when (as described above) one of their main culprits sticked me in the cage. My retailiation was deliberate, proportionate, satisfying and effective. They backed away from such careless play as had led to my actions, I felt good (despite the subsequent power play goal) and it settled our team down.
GP 3 G 9 A 6 Pts 15 +11 PIMS 4 3/0/0
Inline 59
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