A Year in Hockey... I hope. Part Twenty-Three.

A great game last night... except the score part.  We lost 0-3.  I was much more comfortable on the ice last night, and was able to get in on the play much more, handling the puck on each of my shifts.  I even played on both a penalty kill and a power play.  I was on the right wing again, which I'm really enjoying.

On the penalty kill- I was on the last shift of the kill, and when the RW before me- Hermann- was out, I tried to tell the RW that came after me- Dwight- to take the shift, since I didn't think I should be on the kill.  He was way down the bench, and I before I could get his attention the other Paul told me I needed to take the shift, for the experience, so out I went.  I was only out there for about 40 seconds, and luckily they didn't score, but it was a bit nerve wracking.   

As for the game- it was a battle.  We spent way too much time in the first period in our own end, and I don't think we had a shot on goal until the end of the period.  We got our stride in the second, but kept getting called on hooking calls, so ended up a man down.  We spent two of the last three minutes of the game on the kill.  We did end up shutting them down for most of the second half of the game though, and it was an exciting game, regardless.  

Since the kids are on holiday, Sam came to the game and watched from the upper gallery.  He was able to take a few pics and even shot some video.

Our bench... I'm the third from the left.  

In our own zone.  Everyone kept yelling for the wings to watch the point, so that's where I cement myself.  

Sam got a couple of shots on one of our offensive plays- if I remember, I was able to skate the puck up the wall and was able to center it in front of the net.  No goal though... 

Up the wall in slow motion... makes it look like I can skate, even!

  

A Year in Hockey... I hope. Part Twenty-Two.

I can’t believe I forgot this part…

I went to Player’s Bench a few weeks ago to grab another stick before my first season started.  I went to the Sher-Wood rack and they only had a few 5030s, and the only PP10 that was available was left handed.  I talked to the staff and they told me they are no longer getting wood sticks and what they had on the floor were all they had in stock.  Damn.

I planned on going through my first season with wood sticks and then ‘reward’ myself with a composite stick for the next season I play.  I had no choice though- I had to get a composite stick.  I searched through all the racks for a stick to match the PP10, and the closest I found was the Bauer PM9 pattern- the Stamkos model.  The curve is nearly identical to the PP10, just a little deeper.  It has a lie of 5 instead of 4.5 though.  That shouldn’t make much of a difference, since I have no slap shot.  I  was also able to find a stick model that was only $15 more than the 5030- the Nexus 2000.  It has a grip style shaft though.  I’m going to have to get used to that.  The theory is that as you sweat, the stick becomes slicker and the grip helps with control.  The problem is, if you don’t play a bunch- i.e. me- the grip just impedes shifting your hands on the stick.  I may try a little water next game. 

Anyway… here it is.  I have to admit, I feel like a bit of a poseur having such a cool stick.  

A Year in Hockey... I hope. Part Twenty-One.

A quick post- I survived my first game!  I was the fourth Right Winger with some great players.  I think I ended up playing about 8 or 9 shifts.  Not much ice time, because the 3 other RW- really really good players- all played long shifts.  I don't mind the small amount of ice time... for now.  It was a good way to start out, to be honest.  I do have to admit that I am the worst player on the team... I'm going to campaign hard for the nickname Link.

The team is made of a few core members and a bunch of new players and free agents.  The team wears light blue sweaters- one of the Pittsburgh Penguins sweaters, I think.  Only about 4 or 5 of the team has full on game sweaters with logos, and the rest of us are in light blue practice sweaters.  The number I wanted- 54- is taken, so I ended up with 21.  I can live with that.  We had a full team last night- 8 wingers, 3 centers, 6 defense-men and an incredible goalie. 

We played a sponsored team called Realty Source.  We led through pretty much the entire game, but they pulled their goalie in the last minute and scored to tie.  Ties are decided by a shoot-out in our league, and they won.  I was on the ice for one of our goals, but wasn't really involved in the play.  I was rarely involved in the play, to be honest, but it was cool to be part of a team that can hold it's own. 

The absolute worst part of the night was that I didn't get home until nearly 1 in the morning.   Alisha was up, so after I showered, we talked.  I admit, that I was a bit...  discouraged may be strong...  but a little concerned, maybe.  Concerned that I'm not going to be able to improve and be a part of the team.  Today though, I realized that I was so concerned about the little details, and learning the little things- getting off the bench, paying attention to the man I was going to replace... that my head wasn't really in the game.  I was also trying to absorb all the advice I was getting.  That's so damn cliche.  Anyway, I think that will change as I get more comfortable- which was already happening during the game.

What's not comfortable is wrenching my knee on my 2 to last shift... coming off the bench.  OFF THE BENCH!  Cripes.  

A Year in Hockey... I hope. Part Twenty.

So... here we are.  It's been nearly a year since that first time on the Evergreen pond ice, when I decided to start on this crazy quest- to play hockey in a beer league.  Tonight is the beginning of the end of that quest.  I say beginning of the end, because I'll be playing my first hockey game in a league, but it's an 11 week season, and I plan on playing in the future.  Wow.

The team that I've been assigned to is Icemen.  It seems that it's the team that beginners and 'free agents' play on.  I've received a few emails that indicate the team is filled with new players, and they have a load of spare sweaters- for all the new faces.  When I was skating last week, there was a guy skating with his daughter.  On Friday, I went to get a pre-game sharp on my skates, and he was at Player's Bench doing the same.  We recognized each other and chatted a bit.  He plays in the D2 league, but he started out on Icemen.  He told me that Icemen always dresses a lot of skaters.  For him, as an experienced player, it made for a frustrating game, because he didn't get a lot of ice time.  For beginners, like me, he thought it was ideal, because we can ease into the flow of a game and a team.  In the end, he and a bunch of Icemen split and started a new team.  As a joke he emailed the captain and told her he was sniping me.  Oh, for fun.  It did make me feel a little more comfortable- knowing I wouldn't be the only newbie, or playing every shift, and being able to watch how the game is played.  

There are only 4 teams in the D4 league, so we'll basically be playing each other over and over.  We play late Wednesday games, so Pub Quiz is going to have to go on the back burner, which is a bit of a bummer.  I'm excited though!

I should clarify on something in Part Nineteen- the reason I'm nervous after listening to so many NHL and hockey documentaries is because of the part of the game called chirping.  I'm not good at it, and although I'm not terribly sensitive to taunts, I'm afraid it will keep me from really pushing things.  I know I can change my attitude to a 'not give a fuck' one in camps, but am unsure how it'll transfer to a game, when other players may count on my performance.   We'll see at 11.15 tonight!

A Year in Hockey... I hope. Part Nineteen.

I've signed up for the D4 league at Big Bear as a 'Free Agent'.  I'm really nervous.  At work, I'm able to listen to documentaries, and I've been listening to loads of hockey films.  It doesn't help.  I know that it's a rec league for beginners, not the pros, but like the camps I've been too- I get nervous about really screwing up.  I've never been much of a team sports guy.  The two sports I've excelled at are sports that require individual efforts- track and fencing.  In track I was a sprinter and ran the 100 and 200 meters.  I was a part of relays, but once the hand offs are done, it's up to the individual runner.  In fencing, it's always one on one.  I'm a classic introvert, and don't make friends easily.  I'm not good at locker room banter.  I've done ok in the camps, but I'm worried it'll be different being part of a team- something I've not done since I was about 12.  Here we go...