Start with a bang!

It was pretty awesome to be back on the ice with these guys.  And what a start!  I missed the first game of the season, because I was at the Avalanche game (AVs 3- Pit 1) but the boys beat Realty Source 4-1 to begin the Spring 15 season.  

We played one of the new D4 teams- Free Birds.  I think they were an old team that got put together with free agents and new players for the season.  There were a few new faces, including a guy named Andrew, who I think is playing his first season… I’m no longer the rookie!  I played left wing on a line with the other Paul and Tony, who I played with at the Puck Dynasty practice.  Justin and Ryan showed up for the game, and it looks like they may be playing a few games in the future, which is cool.

The game started with two quick goals from the Free Birds, and it seemed like it was going to be like last season.  Then things turned around really quick.  The Free Birds have two or three really good players, and a bunch of new players.  We had it tied up by the end of the first period, and it was all Icemen after that.  We were really playing well, making great passes and rushing up the ice with great speed.  After letting in two early goals, Tyler wasn’t all that busy in net, but stopped a few breakaways.  The Free Bird goal tender was really good too, or the score would have been higher.  The only two penalties were Free Bird tripping calls, and we scored on one of them- when I was out on the power play.  In the end I think I was a +2 for the night.  I also had a fun tough couple of shift in front of the Free Bird net.  A little pushing and shoving never hurt anyone… 

The final score was 8-2.  I think a couple of the better Free Birds were getting frustrated with their new players, and there were a few faceoffs where we had to wait for them to get a full unit on the ice.   All I can say is I hope their rookies get the great experience I got.

And if the win wasn’t enough- I got a crested Icemen sweater with my ‘forever’ number- 83!  I’ll get some photos of it after it’s been washed. 

I met one of the coolest famous people ever, and someone I've been a fan of for ages!

Most of you who know me, know how big a fan of DEVO I am. They've been one of my favorite bands for as long as I can remember- trading back and forth for the top slot with Big Country. I've also collected quite a lot of DEVO stuff and have a decent little 'shrine' going. I've seen them a few times, but unlike Big Country, never got a chance to meet them. Alisha got tickets to the opening of a show Mark Mothersbaugh is curating at the Clyfford Still Museum. He selected four Still pieces and wrote accompanying music for them. Mark Mothersbaugh also did a Q&A at the Denver Art Museum following the opening. It's a great show- you should see it. You should also see Myopia at the MCA- but you all know that. We weren't sure if he was going to be available at all, or doing any signing, but I brought a 45 along in case. After a drink and some food, we went to the exhibit, and not only was he available, he was just sitting in the gallery talking to everyone! It took me quite a while to get the courage to go up to him... it was Alisha who finally did, and he is awesome! He was talking to a few people about art and music and Clyfford Still, and the fact he'd just broken a shoelace. We were the last group he spoke to, before he did his Q&A, so he thanked us for coming, shook our hands and told us to get the hell out of there. We sat for the Q&A, when to my right, there he was again. He wasn't sure what to do before he was brought on, so he kneeled down a couple rows up from us. And of course we offered the open seat next to us. The Q&A was great, and he's hilarious and charming. Alisha said she like DEVO even more now. After it was over we hung around outside for a bit, and then went back into the theater. He was down by the stage, signing things and chatting to people. We headed straight down. After waiting a bit, I asked him to sign my 45. It's the first single that Stiff records put out- with the Mark Mothersbaugh designed three fold cover. He talked about it in his talk, and said they self pressed 1000, before they were done by Stiff. He thought it was an original, because the colors were the same. Then the craziness started. Alisha mentioned our collection, and Mark reached into his pocket and said I should add the broken shoelace to it! (Yeah- it's a little strange, and he could have been taking the piss, but he is a huge fan of the Dadaists, and he was carrying it around all night) I thanked him profusely and then asked for a photo of him giving it to me. He did me one better- he said we should put it in our mouths, ala Lady and the Tramp. INSANE! It was by far one of the coolest things ever! And I have photographic proof!

Here we go!

We got news about the next season, and it would have made for an interesting one.  Two of the teams we played against last season- Low Down Dirty Shame (who won the championship) and She Hit Me First- were promoted to D3.  That left just us and Realty Source in D4.  We heard that the arena was having trouble finding teams and we had a choice- take the season off, or move up to D3.  The overwhelming opinion of everyone was that we wanted to play, regardless of how bad we get beaten.  We heard today, though, that the rink got a couple of new D4 teams and were back on!

They also changed our schedule a bit, and our games are going to be a bit earlier, which rules!  I’ll be missing the first game of the season though, since we have Avalanche tickets.    

Game on!

And that's a season!

We played, as it turned out, our last game of the Big Bear Winter 2014 D4 season last night.  We only had one round of playoffs.  With only four teams, we all got to play.  We played Low Down Dirty Shame again, and I think I can safely say- I hate this team.  They are good, maybe too good for D4, but they also play a dirty game.  They slash, trip, hack, and board all night.  They also dive all over the ice.  We played with the same situation as last week- we spent a load of time in the box, and they didn't get called for anything- including an egregious pull down of Ryan at the end of the game.

Different from last week- and all our games with these guys- we really gave them a tough game.  They scored the first two goals in the first, and we got one as well.  In the second, we were able to tie it up and it was a tie as we started the third.  The horrible officiating put us on the power kill a few times in the third, and they scored two more before it was over.  I think we went to the box six times to their two, and one of theirs was a matching minor that left it 5 on 5.  My last shift was another first for me, the sixth man when we pulled our goalie.  I admit, I was a little confused.  I also accidentally jumped on the bench on the wrong side of the blue line in a change and caused us to be offside at one point.  I don't think I'll ever stop learning the nuances.

As far as my play- I think I really did pretty well, considering I was having skate issues through the first period.  I pressed in the offensive zone and ended up in the corners and in front of the net on each shift- contributing pretty well, including a centering pass that nearly made it to Ryan in front of the net.  On defense, I was able to play the spoiler more than once, and I may have saved a shot that could have scored.

I was probably more disappointed than I've ever been after a game.  Mainly it was because we really pulled it together and played tough smart hockey right off the first face-off.  We didn't make dumb mistakes and everyone kept their cool.  It was a great game, and a hard loss.  Realty Source also lost, so what ever happens in the final, we finished in third place.  It was also the realization that the team that comes back in a couple of weeks is going to be different.  Justin and Ryan will not be playing with us, and Ben may not either.  I really enjoyed playing on lines with Justin and Ryan, and they always gave me great advice and encouragement.  Luckily, I'm now in the loop for drop in and pick up, so I'll see them again. 

My quest.. as it was originally set out... is over.  I went from barely getting around Evergreen Lake to playing a season in a beer league in a year.  I can't wait for the next year in hockey! 

Crap!

We had our last regular season game on Wednesday.  Of all the losses we’ve had this season, that one was the hardest.  We couldn’t get a break at all.  Calls went against us all night, and some of the boys felt that we scored twice- the ref saw differently.  Some of our better players had loads of chances, but we couldn’t get anything past the Low Down goalie.  I even got into a whack’a’puck match in front of the net.  I don’t think the goalie ever had real control of the puck, but play was whistled dead.  The bad blood was there all night, but everyone kept their cool.

I was really pleased that Alisha got to see the game, though!  She had some advice on how to improve my game, as well- I need to work on speed and committing to the play more- I was a little hesitant in a few situations, where I could have been more useful.  She also got some pictures at my request.  

We have at least one more game- the first round of the playoffs.  We finished in third place overall- tied with Realty Source in points, but edging them out on GA differential.  We play on the 18^th, and we go against Low Down Dirty Shame again.  It should be interesting… I’m a little bummed out, because of having to miss the AVs game.  Alisha is taking Sam and a couple of our friends.   It’s my first playoff game, though, and I’ll get to see the AVs play again soon.  

Pick up wipes me out...

A few of the guys on the Icemen- Justin, Ryan, and Jeff- also play on a team in another league called Puck Dynasty.  Ryan set up a practice and scrimmage for them last night and had a few open spots, so the 2 Mikes, Dwight, Ben, a couple of other guys they play with, and I joined them.  We played at Joy Burns arena.  We had 90 minutes of ice, starting at 9.15, so the plan was to do 30 minutes of drills and 60 minutes of scrimmage.  When we got to the arena, there was a game going on.  At 8.30 the game was only in the middle of the 2nd period.  About 5 minutes into the 3rd period there was a fracas in front of the net we were all standing behind.  A couple of guys went to the box, but the discussion... about whatever... took forever.  We ended up starting closer to 10 then 9.

We ran a couple of breakout drills, which were pretty damn good, and frankly probably the most important thing we can work on- as teammates- in our league.  Then we broke into teams for a scrimmage.  Since it was a Puck Dynasty  practice, and they wear black and orange sweaters, we Icemen and couple of PDs wore light sweaters.  There were about 20 of us, so it was 10 a side.  Because we only had two defensemen, we decided to go drop in style... which was tough.  With half the team on the ice and the other half on the bench, we were rotating really fast.  Too fast for a fat 46 year old beginner... We finished up at about 11.30, which couldn't come quick enough for me.  That said, it was fun and valuable and I hope to do it again. Oh, I put a slight tear in my pants...  which somehow makes me feel a little more legit.  Weird, huh?

In Icemen news, Big Bear got their shit together and corrected the scores and standings.  We're in 3rd place right now, tied on points with Realty Source, with goal differential giving us a slight lead.  Our last regular season game is on Wednesday against Low Down Dirty Shame.  They're the only team we haven't beat and the team we had all the bad blood with a few weeks ago.  Regardless, I really hope that we end up playing the first game in the playoffs on the 17th, because we have tickets for the Avalanche on the 18th.  I've already decided to skip the AVs game if we play on the 18th, though.  First season is almost in the books! 

Some bad news and some good news...

We'll start with the bad.  The score from last weeks game is incorrect...  well, it's correct, but who ever entered it into the rink software flipped the numbers.  We lost 2-11.  The eleventh goal was disputed though- most of the team thinks it went in after the buzzer.  We have more fun complaining about the rink management.

The good news is we won last night!  A solid hard win, against Realty Source.  We had quite a few players missing, so we went with three full lines and two defensive pairings- until D-man Mike got hurt sliding into the boards with his shoulder.  I got a lot of ice time , and I continue to skate pretty well, make a few offensive chips and generally get in the way on defense- although with less and less 'oops'- which is cool. I even almost had a offensive rush straight to the goal, but I screwed up and slowed down a bit, and the center I was playing with, Justin, ended up crossing the blue line before me.  Damn. 

The final score was 4-2.  Our first goal was scored on a penalty shot- which was the first I've seen in a game and not to break a tie.  I was playing on a line with Justin and Mike, which was loads of fun, because Justin is a great player and Mike can really skate and always puts the puck in the right place.  We were all heading up the ice, when Justin was blatantly pulled down from behind.  He scored easily.  He had a second goal as well.  Our other two goals were scored by the other center I played on a line with, Ben.  His last one was a beaut!  Mike was talking about it in the dressing room.  He was on the left wing while Ben made his move and said he just watched astounded, and if there had been a rebound, he would have been totally lost as to what to do. 

We have one regular season game left, then at least one round of the playoffs- a single elimination deal.  Some of us are going to practice and scrimmage on Sunday at DU.  I've already confirmed I'll be back as an Iceman for the Spring season!