Beating the Eisbrechers

Knowing what a ice-time-whore I am, you know getting amped up for a game is never an issue. But when bragging rights are on the line, that just makes it even more fun. Our opponents on Saturday night were the Icebreakers (or as GoalieHusband calls them, the "Eisbrechers"*). One of their players is one who we've absorbed onto our tournament team, so we have a very friendly rivalry with them. They're also quite good, and I don't think we've beaten them in the past two years. All week I was looking forward to this game, and was determined to win.

There are some games I go into just feeling so confident and so "in the zone". I wish I could bottle that feeling and put it on the back of my net with my watter bottle. Saturday night was one of those games. The game was pretty even, but I came up with some big saves at key times to keep it that way. We scored first, getting an odd one that I couldn't see clearly but it was one I know the Icebreakers goalie rarely gives up and most certainly wanted back. I hung in there on my end, steadily turning away pucks. I think my best save was probably one that wouldn't even look that impressive to anyone on the bench. There was a lot of traffic in front, and I saw the release of the shot, and saw the puck coming at me end over end, but then it disappeared in the forest of players. Somehow I knew exactly where it would end up, dropped into a butterfly, and put it neatly into the corner with my stick. I love when I have that "spidey-sense" about a shot.

In the third period they tied it up, on a shot that I was set for, but bounced off lct29's calf. I was already going in one direction but reached out with my glove and tried to lean the opposite when when I saw it change direction. It was like a "NNNNOOOOOOOO!!!!" slow motion kind of moment, but I wasn't even close. Flipper felt awful about it, but as I told her, it turned out ok so no big deal. Even though I teased her for breaking my shutout.

At the final buzzer we were tied 1-1 and the refs conceded us a shootout. A five person shootout, no less! We haven't had much luck with those this season, but feeling as good as I felt, I knew I'd have my end of it covered, no problem. And I did. I flat out stuffed all four shooters. And on the other end, we scored twice (hence why I only saw 4 shooters, not 5). It was one of the most fun games I've played. Unfortunately for our bragging rights, the tournament-player wasn't there. And she's one of their best players. So I feel kind of personally that I can't really wear the feather of that win in my cap until we beat them with her and a few other players who didn't make it that night. Still, it was a blast. I love, love, love shootouts. I'll take one of those over overtime any day.



*At GoalieHousehold, there exists quite a love of German industrial music. The band "Eisbrecher" is one of our favorites in that genre, and for some reason GoalieHusband can't seem to get the word "icebreaker" out without it turning into "Eisbrecher". I'm not sure if anyone on the team has even noticed it, or maybe they have and just pass it off as "one of those weird things Coach does". Regardless, here's the band's self-titled song off their self-titled album. Enjoy (and if you're curious about the lyrics there's a rough translation in the comments).