Sore

I can honestly say I can't remember ever being this sore and stiff. My list of complaints makes it sound like I've been busy doing something other than hockey: groin, thighs, hips, butt. Playing a game at night after a lesson in the morning doesn't take a lot out of me in terms of performance at game time, but all the activity sure leaves its mark the next day. However, I'm sure I'll feel a lot better tomorrow, and the pain is worth it, because it means I'm making progress.

But I'm sore figuratively, too. Once again, I've observed my 24 hour rule. Not because I think I played a bad game, but because I was cranky all day about last night's game in general. Our opponents were the definition of "low class". The highlights of the night were a much larger and stockier opponent blatantly laying out one of my defensemen (technically, defensewoman, but that just sounds dumb), and an opposing forward shooting at the net after a whistle.

In the first instance, Knucklehead and my D-girl were jostling in front of the net. A little physicality, no big deal. Until the puck went out of the zone and she let up, and he decided it would be sportsmanlike and a good idea to hit her high to the back of the neck and head with his forearms. A big hulking brute, he'd been crashing the crease too, and I gave him a good shove just before that. I hope he wasn't taking it out on her. More likely, he's just a grade A toolbox. Both refs get a big fat Bronx cheer for the lack of call on that one.

And then toward the end of the game, a forward came in on a rush, but the whistle blew for a penalty (in our favor! the first all night! imagine that!). She eased up, and then shot on net anyway. As she skated away I gave her an earful, but I don't want to "print" it here.

So, the officiating (or lack of it), the classlessness of the other team, and a few other factors combined to make it a less than stellar game. Fortunately, I personally had a pretty good game, even though we lost by a score of 3-1. The first two goals were power play goals and I believe both on breakaways. The first one went in off my mask, the second deflected off my pad and just barely skidded over the goal line. The third was a shot through traffic that I managed to see just in time- only, I didn't get my left pad down in time and it squeezed through with a hair's width of space. My left leg seems to have a slower reaction time than my right.

But... even though it was a loss, I take away a few positive things from the game. First of all, it was the first game in a long time that I've let in less than 4 goals. For some reason 4 seems to be the magic number. Secondly, I didn't allow any total stinkers or real bad ones, which I have a tendency to do at least once a game lately. And lastly and probably most importantly, I felt really strong and confident, and more comfortable on my feet, and made several good saves, including one flashy one on a breakaway on the other team's "all star".

No more hockey now until Friday night open hockey, when I think I might check out a different rink than usual. But one thing I want to do is look into some conditioning/strengthening exercises I can do at home for my legs. I have two goalie instruction books and a stack of magazines, so I'll start there. A quick email to my coach probably wouldn't hurt either.

And would it kill the Rangers to put the damn puck in the net already? Good lord.