Two tough ones with mixed results.

We finished getting through the other teams last week when we played Team America.  They were also undefeated when we met.  It was a a tough tight game throughout.  The final score was 1-2.  We nearly tied it up at the end, but couldn't quite get the goal we needed.  In fact, Team America only scored once.  The second goal was tipped in by Flink.  He was pretty pissed off.

Last night we played Punx again, starting through the rotation again.  We were down 5 skaters and Adam, our goalie, wasn't there.   Our captain, the other Paul, scrambled for us and we got a stand-in, which was nice.  It was still a really short bench with only two forward lines and three defensemen in total.  Punx had about the same size bench, though.  It was a hell of a hard hitting game, complete with bad blood.  Matt spent a long time in the box, especially at the beginning in the third.  About eight minutes... no idea why.  I think the box door got stuck.  In the end, we won 6-4.  Our 6 included a hat trick by Z.  I nearly had a couple myself.  I was totally gassed by the end of the game though.  I could barely skate.  Anyway, we're in second place.  Huzzah!  

Did you bring some Lagavulin?

We played the new team last night- The Islaynders.  It's an obvious play on the Islanders, and they wear orange sweaters with a version of the Gordon's Fisherman crest, and they were all pretty much wearing Islander socks.  I couldn't resist the scotch joke, since the name is spelled with a y.  No one really got it though. 

Anyway, the Islaynders is made up of mainly beginners, with a couple of decent players.  They played their guts out.  It was cool to see.  I'm not really much better than many of them, actually.  I did play one of my best games though- well, at least though the first two periods. We spent a considerable amount of time in the box in the third, and when I was on the ice, I spent a considerable time on my arse.  I even collided with Eli.  I was gassed after a long shift, and when we saw we were going to hit each other, we just sort of resigned ourselves to it and blamo. 

During the first two periods, I kept finding myself in great position with the puck in the offensive zone- usually in the corner, which they weren't protecting very well.  I was able to make good centering passes, although it never ended in a goal. It didn't really matter.  We won 4-1.  We joked that we actually shut them out, since their one goal was actually tipped in by Hermann.  We are undefeated, which is pretty cool.

 

Hey! I know you!

We started our new season last night, with a couple of new players, but a short bench.  I played left wing with Hermann, which was tough, since we were both playing pretty short shifts.  It was a fun game though. 

We are back in straight D4, with 3 other teams. We played a team called the Punx, who played with us in the D3/D4 summer league.  I must have been on heavy drugs during the summer though, because one of the Punx players is a fellow scooterist I've known for ages- Paul Italiano.  File that under 'small world, ain't it?' 

We played a pretty physical game, and I think I was in the action pretty much all night.  I even had an assist.  Some of the guys also thought I scored a goal, but I was just screening the goalie when one of our D-men, Josh, sent a slap shot form the point.  We won 6-0, which is a great way to start a season.