I have no games this coming weekend, and nothing next week until Friday. I'm thinking this is a pretty good thing, after my marathon of hockey crammed into 72 hours this past weekend. I had three games scheduled; a QCat game on Saturday and Sunday, and then a Cougar(hawk)s game Monday night.
The QCat games were against the same opponent; a home-and-home. The first one was at home,and in all honesty was one the whole team would rather forget. We lost by a score of 2-0 but more than that, we played horribly. It was the first game for most of us since the holiday break and boy did it show. It was pretty awful. In fact I've blocked out the goals and can't even remember how they were scored. Probably much better that way.
We headed out to their rink the next night for a rematch, determined to pick up a win. Coach @ramad451 (aka Coach Sparkle) gave a pre-game pep talk, telling us all to just forget the previous game and start fresh, and to remember that we win and lose as a team, and no one person is responsible for any outcome. (People had begun to start taking blame personally for things, and that's never good.). It worked- we went out and played a very sound game, and it was a lot of fun to play because we were so evenly matched with our opponent. So evenly matched in fact, that we ended up with a 1-1 tie. We were all really hoping for an overtime or shootout, but their goalie had pulled something on the last play of the game and wasn't in the best shape, so we just called it. A post-game gathering at the nearby Houlihan's was a perfect cap to the evening.
But what could be better than two nights of hockey in a row? Ding ding ding, you got it, three nights of hockey! The Cougars are still throwing around possible new team names, and the combination of Cougars and Hawks that resulted in "Cawks" was the front runner until Monday. (Actually, in our silliness at Houlihans, @lct29 and @hkygrl12 and I thought "Wicked Cawks" would be even more awesome.) But a teammate who until recently I only knew as "the defenseman with the glasses who pairs up with orange socks guy" offered an alternative. It's so obvious it escaped us. The Cougar Hawks. Thank you, Urban Dictionary dot com. I don't know if there will actually be a name change, but I think that is pretty fantastic.
And the game itself was pretty damn fantastic as well. Another evenly matched affair, lots of play in both ends, and from what I could tell, everyone really enjoying themselves on the ice and on the bench. And I think I probably had one of my best games ever. It's too bad it ended in a 1-0 loss, but I am pretty proud of how I played. And how I felt. It's all coming together now, the confidence is back, there's even a little bit of swagger poking through. I felt unstoppable out there. And I almost was. Almost. The one goal I allowed was a wierd scramble after a first and second save; I'm pretty sure I had it frozen, but the ref didn't blow the whistle and I think somehow one of my own teammates got it away from me. I don't really know what happened, as I was down on the ice in a forest of legs and skates and sticks, and suddenly I didn't have the puck anymore and it was headed straight to a wide open opponent. Argh. Chalking that one up to a collective brain fart. Other than that, we played great. We had a few breakaways, and it was great to see Senator48 with one. I know he's been feeling very much like I have in terms of not being able to contribute much to the team. So when he went flying up the ice and dished it off at the last second to another guy, I had a big grin on my face. Unfortunately it didn't result in a goal, but you can tell from the way things are going that this is a solid team. I'm very much looking forward to the rest of the season.
I didn't count shots in that game, but I'd estimate about 40. So when I came off the ice I was pretty exhausted, from that game and also from the cumulative effect of the two before that. I walked into the designated women's locker room, really looking forward to a nice cold beer, and saw that Gionta182 was there getting ready for her game, which was next on the schedule. I was barely three steps into the locker room before she told me her goalie was sick and asked if I could play. I was already exhausted but what was I going to do? Leave them goalie-less while I sat outside and drank beer and ate cupcakes? Absolutely not an option. (If it had been a bunch of strangers, I don't think I'd have agreed. But I couldn't do that to my buddy). I consented, but warned her that I didn't think I'd be much good, this being the 4th game in 3 days.
When we do tournaments, 4 games in 3 days is nothing. But when we do tournaments, we also have a few hours in between games to relax and recharge. I gobbled a couple of Starburst for the sugar, refilled my water bottle, and was back out on the ice. At first it seemed like it would be just fine; there was an early flurry of shots on which I made some really good saves, including a save on a shot on a rebound off my forehead. But that's where it ended. I just had absolutely nothing left in me. At all. I've never been that tired on the ice. The first period wasn't too bad (2-2 at the end) but after that everything unravelled. To be fair, the team didn't play very well in front of me either, by their own admission. But after standing on my head in a 1-0 game, to allow 11 goals (ouch, yes I said 11) was like a hockey bitchslap. We even had the same refs we had my game right before it. They must have wondered where the hell the Jekyll & Hyde routine came from. I felt absolutely awful, and apologized to everyone. I'd say about half of the goals were on me due to complete exhaustion and not moving as quickly as I usually do, or being off in my angle slightly, but the other half were back-doors, or screens, or just bad coverage. So I'm trying really hard not to take the double-digit to heart. We all decided that game didn't count against my save percentage, since it wasn't my actual team. I can live with that.
GoalieHusband and I went to the diner afterwards with Gionta182 and other Cougar(hawk) who had stuck around for the second game. It was after 2a.m. by the time we left, which put us at home at 2:45. Yesterday was pretty rough for both of us, and I think the only reason we managed to stay awake for the Ranger game last night was because of the pure awesomeness of the game itself (and mostly the awesomeness of the goalies. Savegasms everywhere!).
Practice tonight.... I'm tired just thinking about it. But I don't care, because everything is awesome right now. Yay hockey. <3
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Ohhhh yeah, THIS is what it's supposed to be like
Glass of wine? Check.
Alternating live look-ins on Finnish goalies? Check. (Heeyyyyy Kari, I missed you!)
Lingering post-game after-glow? Check!
You know how when you're so entrenched in a situation, you can't see the reality? At least until you remove yourself from it and look back and go "what in the world was I thinking???" I had one of those moments last night. From the time I packed my gear until the time I was back at home in front of my computer, stinky but wide awake and unable to tear myself away from the love-fest on FB and twitter, I had one big long "a-ha!" moment. What was my big epiphany?
Hockey is supposed to be fun.
Is it frustrating sometimes? Sure. Do you have to deal with douchebaggery? Of course. But on the whole, you're supposed to look forward to going to the rink, be excited at the drop of the puck, and not want it to end. Well, mission accomplished. All week I looked forward to the debut of the cobbled-together Hawks and Cougars team (for now, called the Cougars, but we have some other lewd ideas about how to combine the names...), and it didn't disappoint. We scrapped and battled and came out with a 5-3 win.
There were some things about the game and the league that I am still absorbing. It wasn't all sunshine and roses. But in comparison to what games had been like before, it was wonderful. And I didn't realize how much I'd been suffocating in that other environment until last night. This is hard to express, because although some of my very best pals from the Hawks are with me on this new team, I've also left behind friends on the "old" team. I have nothing at all against the old team. It has nothing to do with them, it has to do with me. It has to do with me understanding where I belong and stubbornly refusing to face it for far too long. I miss the feel of the old team, but I know I'm where I'm supposed to be now. Due to the strange locker room situation that presents itself with this league, we females are missing out on quite a bit of team camaraderie, but what is lost in that regard is made up for on the ice. (Also, once it gets warm I'm sure we'll all be gathering outside for a few post-game refreshments and I'll get to know the other guys better.)
It's not just me being a gushy mushy chick. I touched base with a few of the guys and everyone seems to have the same feeling: one of excited optimism for the season. My twitter stream and 18-hour-long Facebook status commentary are proof of that.
I'll write more later about the two things that unsettled me most: the locker rooms and the weird uncontrolled abandon on the ice, but for now I'm just basking.
Alternating live look-ins on Finnish goalies? Check. (Heeyyyyy Kari, I missed you!)
Lingering post-game after-glow? Check!
You know how when you're so entrenched in a situation, you can't see the reality? At least until you remove yourself from it and look back and go "what in the world was I thinking???" I had one of those moments last night. From the time I packed my gear until the time I was back at home in front of my computer, stinky but wide awake and unable to tear myself away from the love-fest on FB and twitter, I had one big long "a-ha!" moment. What was my big epiphany?
Hockey is supposed to be fun.
Is it frustrating sometimes? Sure. Do you have to deal with douchebaggery? Of course. But on the whole, you're supposed to look forward to going to the rink, be excited at the drop of the puck, and not want it to end. Well, mission accomplished. All week I looked forward to the debut of the cobbled-together Hawks and Cougars team (for now, called the Cougars, but we have some other lewd ideas about how to combine the names...), and it didn't disappoint. We scrapped and battled and came out with a 5-3 win.
There were some things about the game and the league that I am still absorbing. It wasn't all sunshine and roses. But in comparison to what games had been like before, it was wonderful. And I didn't realize how much I'd been suffocating in that other environment until last night. This is hard to express, because although some of my very best pals from the Hawks are with me on this new team, I've also left behind friends on the "old" team. I have nothing at all against the old team. It has nothing to do with them, it has to do with me. It has to do with me understanding where I belong and stubbornly refusing to face it for far too long. I miss the feel of the old team, but I know I'm where I'm supposed to be now. Due to the strange locker room situation that presents itself with this league, we females are missing out on quite a bit of team camaraderie, but what is lost in that regard is made up for on the ice. (Also, once it gets warm I'm sure we'll all be gathering outside for a few post-game refreshments and I'll get to know the other guys better.)
It's not just me being a gushy mushy chick. I touched base with a few of the guys and everyone seems to have the same feeling: one of excited optimism for the season. My twitter stream and 18-hour-long Facebook status commentary are proof of that.
I'll write more later about the two things that unsettled me most: the locker rooms and the weird uncontrolled abandon on the ice, but for now I'm just basking.
Friday, December 16, 2011
Games, practice, and dreams
This is really odd, not being on the ice as much as I was. I kinda don't like it. My OysterGlove might dry up! And the QCats' last two games were... less than challenging, shall we say. We played a team that's the weakest of all the teams we play, twice in a row. We beat them 7-1 on Sunday at home (17 shots), and then went to their rink for an outdoor game on Wednesday morning. (They play at a country club. La-de-da! But seriously... it's very nice.) That was a lot of fun because it had that church of hockey feel to it. It was a gorgeous day, around 45*F. On days like that the air just smells different. It was sunny, and the only thing I could have asked for would have been a bit of cloud cover, because the sun is right behind one of the nets. Naturally, they use that net as their home net, so visitors have the sun in their eyes twice. But as the other goalie cheerfully told me between the 2nd and 3rd periods "Well you're really good at hockey, and I suck, so I'll take any advantage I can get!" I'm not sure how she does it. They get blown out all the time, and yet she always seems happy and perky.
We went up 4-0 in the first period, so after that we backed off quite a bit. Hkgrl12 was doing the Paul Newman player-coach thing, and told us to work on passing and setting up plays rather than bombarding the net with shots. We definitely don't want to be "that team". The final score was 5-0 and it was a pretty easy shutout to earn. I counted 16 shots, and I'd say 2 or 3 of them were pretty tricky, very good scoring chances. There was one save that felt very awkward to me, but the girls said from the bench it looked awesome, fluid. (There was someone on the back door that I just knew was going to get the puck and shoot and as I tracked it across I sort of dragged my left leg, and caught the shot with my pad. That was a bit of GoalieBrain right there, I just knew how it was going to go. At the time I felt like it was pretty ugly but hey it kept the puck out of the net.) Although both games were a big success team-wise, I do have to admit I was a little bored. So I told hkygr12 that I wanted lots of shots in practice later that night. Boy did I get them, and then some.
The rink gives the adult teams one practice slot, so every week we split up and practice on half ice, C team on one side, D team on the other. It's a little frustrating sometimes because there are things you just can't get the feel of on half ice. But it's certainly better than nothing. Last week the C team only had 5 skaters, so we absorbed them into our practice and used the entire ice surface together. I guess it went really well because this week we did the same thing, even though there were a good number of C players there as well as their coach. I think some D players were a little put off by it, but I also think practicing with higher skilled players is only going to make you better. I wouldn't say we should do it 100% of the time, because there might be stuff we really need to work on that they can do in their sleep, but I would definitely not mind doing it more often. Given the setup, not only were there tons of shooting drills, but I was facing a wide range of skill sets, which really kept me on my toes. There's one C team girl that I somehow manage to play very well against, and it always feels like a feather in my cap (mask?) when I can stop her. I think I shut her out this time. *happydance* There's another of about the same skill level who totally owned me though. Oh well... more practice!
Our next game is this coming Sunday, and it's going to be quite the challenge. I'm really looking forward to it. Until then, I'll leave you with the email my roomie (@lct29) sent me the morning after practice, which amused the hell out of me all day:
I had a weird dream last night. We went to some dive bar, wearing hockey jerseys. There were all kinds of creepy people there and they kept hitting on you. We just ignored them and rolled our eyes and moved to different seats. Then the waitress wanted everyone to take a blood test (the kind when you just stick your finger). I refused and you wanted to just take the test. I wasn't about to let someone poke me with a sharp object in some seedy bar. I convinced you not to do it and then everyone was mad at us and made us leave. Weird, right? I woke up all pissed off that we got kicked out of a bar!!!
We went up 4-0 in the first period, so after that we backed off quite a bit. Hkgrl12 was doing the Paul Newman player-coach thing, and told us to work on passing and setting up plays rather than bombarding the net with shots. We definitely don't want to be "that team". The final score was 5-0 and it was a pretty easy shutout to earn. I counted 16 shots, and I'd say 2 or 3 of them were pretty tricky, very good scoring chances. There was one save that felt very awkward to me, but the girls said from the bench it looked awesome, fluid. (There was someone on the back door that I just knew was going to get the puck and shoot and as I tracked it across I sort of dragged my left leg, and caught the shot with my pad. That was a bit of GoalieBrain right there, I just knew how it was going to go. At the time I felt like it was pretty ugly but hey it kept the puck out of the net.) Although both games were a big success team-wise, I do have to admit I was a little bored. So I told hkygr12 that I wanted lots of shots in practice later that night. Boy did I get them, and then some.
The rink gives the adult teams one practice slot, so every week we split up and practice on half ice, C team on one side, D team on the other. It's a little frustrating sometimes because there are things you just can't get the feel of on half ice. But it's certainly better than nothing. Last week the C team only had 5 skaters, so we absorbed them into our practice and used the entire ice surface together. I guess it went really well because this week we did the same thing, even though there were a good number of C players there as well as their coach. I think some D players were a little put off by it, but I also think practicing with higher skilled players is only going to make you better. I wouldn't say we should do it 100% of the time, because there might be stuff we really need to work on that they can do in their sleep, but I would definitely not mind doing it more often. Given the setup, not only were there tons of shooting drills, but I was facing a wide range of skill sets, which really kept me on my toes. There's one C team girl that I somehow manage to play very well against, and it always feels like a feather in my cap (mask?) when I can stop her. I think I shut her out this time. *happydance* There's another of about the same skill level who totally owned me though. Oh well... more practice!
Our next game is this coming Sunday, and it's going to be quite the challenge. I'm really looking forward to it. Until then, I'll leave you with the email my roomie (@lct29) sent me the morning after practice, which amused the hell out of me all day:
I had a weird dream last night. We went to some dive bar, wearing hockey jerseys. There were all kinds of creepy people there and they kept hitting on you. We just ignored them and rolled our eyes and moved to different seats. Then the waitress wanted everyone to take a blood test (the kind when you just stick your finger). I refused and you wanted to just take the test. I wasn't about to let someone poke me with a sharp object in some seedy bar. I convinced you not to do it and then everyone was mad at us and made us leave. Weird, right? I woke up all pissed off that we got kicked out of a bar!!!
Monday, December 5, 2011
A little inspiration?
The one thing about not having Hawks games now is that my playing time has been cut in half. I'm not too thrilled about that, but that will change once the new season starts up for AIL. So I was pretty happy to be able to pick up an extra game last night, and it turned out to be a really great one. The Westchester C team had an ice slot to fill and asked our C team to play, but they already had a game on the schedule. I'm not sure how it all came about because I wasn't involved, but what ended up happening was that we cobbled together a team of D players and a few C players, some from previous years who aren't on this year's roster, and some die-hards who hopped into the car, fully dressed, after their game and zipped to the rink for a second round of hockey.
I was fully expecting to get my ass kicked, as was my buddy the Mayor, but I shouldn't have worried. We played a really solid game, and it was tons of fun. AND we won! Our rag-tag combination team beat their C team! We won 4-3, and I feel I had a pretty good game. All three goals were mistakes on my part, but fortunately they were forgiven by the goals on the other end. (Two of them, I was too deep in the crease and would have had if I was out a little farther. The other was a misguided poke-check. I thought I was making the right play, but it bounced from the girl I poked it away from right to another girl waiting at the top of the slot. Stupid.) Also fortunately, I redeemed myself with lots of really good saves, including one rather nifty glove save through a partial screen with less than a minute to go, to keep the lead intact. So what was the secret to my good game? I'm pretty sure the increasingly giddy and ridiculous conversation I had with hkygrl12 as we were getting suited up had a lot to do with it.
As I think I've mentioned before, hkygrl12 used to play for the C team but this year is coaching us. She joined us on the ice last night though, as part of the combination team we put together for the game. We sat across from each other in the locker room, and when she proudly showed me her new Bruins t-shirt, I remembered that GoalieHusband and I are going to a Devils/Bruins game next month, and mentioned it. What a coincidence, she's going to the same game. "You know," she said, "I know where the players come out after the game. We can hang out and wait and you can get Tuukka's autograph."
I may have spazzed out slightly, (may have?) and immediately started wondering aloud what in the world I could say to him that wasn't boring and didn't make me sound like a complete tool. "I should say something in Finnish," I said, "but what?"
Hkygrl12: Find out how to say 'milk crate' in Finnish!
Me (giggling): Yeah!!! And I'll just yell it at him.
Hkygrl12: Or you could draw one on yourself and ask him to sign it!
Me: Omg. I'll just bring one with me!!! That would be hilarious!
And so on, our ideas getting sillier and our peals of laughter getting louder. I'm quite sure the other players around us thought we were nuts. One of them even said "hey go easy on the goalie, don't kill her before the game". No worries, I had Tuukka-power on my side. I'm going to have to get that giddy before every game, apparently.
Now, to figure out how to get a milk crate into the Rock....
I was fully expecting to get my ass kicked, as was my buddy the Mayor, but I shouldn't have worried. We played a really solid game, and it was tons of fun. AND we won! Our rag-tag combination team beat their C team! We won 4-3, and I feel I had a pretty good game. All three goals were mistakes on my part, but fortunately they were forgiven by the goals on the other end. (Two of them, I was too deep in the crease and would have had if I was out a little farther. The other was a misguided poke-check. I thought I was making the right play, but it bounced from the girl I poked it away from right to another girl waiting at the top of the slot. Stupid.) Also fortunately, I redeemed myself with lots of really good saves, including one rather nifty glove save through a partial screen with less than a minute to go, to keep the lead intact. So what was the secret to my good game? I'm pretty sure the increasingly giddy and ridiculous conversation I had with hkygrl12 as we were getting suited up had a lot to do with it.
As I think I've mentioned before, hkygrl12 used to play for the C team but this year is coaching us. She joined us on the ice last night though, as part of the combination team we put together for the game. We sat across from each other in the locker room, and when she proudly showed me her new Bruins t-shirt, I remembered that GoalieHusband and I are going to a Devils/Bruins game next month, and mentioned it. What a coincidence, she's going to the same game. "You know," she said, "I know where the players come out after the game. We can hang out and wait and you can get Tuukka's autograph."
I may have spazzed out slightly, (may have?) and immediately started wondering aloud what in the world I could say to him that wasn't boring and didn't make me sound like a complete tool. "I should say something in Finnish," I said, "but what?"
Hkygrl12: Find out how to say 'milk crate' in Finnish!
Me (giggling): Yeah!!! And I'll just yell it at him.
Hkygrl12: Or you could draw one on yourself and ask him to sign it!
Me: Omg. I'll just bring one with me!!! That would be hilarious!
And so on, our ideas getting sillier and our peals of laughter getting louder. I'm quite sure the other players around us thought we were nuts. One of them even said "hey go easy on the goalie, don't kill her before the game". No worries, I had Tuukka-power on my side. I'm going to have to get that giddy before every game, apparently.
Now, to figure out how to get a milk crate into the Rock....
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Closure
I think Senator said it best when, the morning after our final Hawks game, he tweeted: "Closure is nice. It provides an opportunity to fully put a thing behind you instead of simply talking about it." He and "Cap" are the other two players who are making the move to the instructional league. It's something all three of us have been considering for a long time (as you know) and I think is really long overdue. So although it's sad to leave such a fantastic group of guys, I know at least for me this is the right decision. And it couldn't have been more completely confirmed than it was with our last game.
I knew it was going to be pretty bad, but I didn't really expect it to be as bad as it was. We lost 11-3, to a team we know from experience is sorely lacking in class. Individually, there are a few guys on that team who aren't too bad, but as a whole, I can't say enough how glad I am to have put that shit behind me. I personally did not have a very good game, but the whole feel of the experience was like a giant F U. The first period, they played possum and we went up 2-0. Then they "woke up" and put the full press on. By the third period we were down oh, I don't know, something like 8-3, and for the final 5 minutes or so they played as if their lives were on the line, just to rub in in our faces. I'm not really sure how necessary it is to set up 4 guys in front of the net when you're up by a score like that, but hey if that's what gets your rocks off, I'm glad I'm gone. They even made a big show of stopping to have a chat with friends on the glass, mid-game, and shooting the puck up at the ceiling to see if they could hit the lights.
I shouldn't be surprised. This is the team that had a big brawl amongst themselves in the final minute of a game in which we actually beat them. Classless to the end. And for that reason, I declined to go through the handshake line. When the other team is putting on a display like that, and actually laughing at your team on the ice, the completely farcical handshake at the end is insult to injury. I've gone through that line after some really chippy games, but that's hockey. This was just flat out mockery, and I had no desire to pretend to show respect.
I couldn't be happier to have that chapter behind me. I'm very much looking forward to the AIL season, and believe me, I'm not going in there thinking it's going to be a piece of cake. But some even competition would be a welcome change instead of the weekly shellacking I was taking in the "D" league. (Which continues to be a source of wry amusement for me. If that's a "D" league, I'm Patrick fucking Roy.) All I can say about that league is: good riddance. I'm sure there are plenty of guys in AIL who don't belong there either, but when the general level is more matched to your own, the few people who stand out aren't as much of an issue as when the general level is over your head to begin with. I'm sure I'll have nights when I come home grumbling and pissed off, but at least I'll have a chance here. A chance for it to be fun again. Because it hasn't been, not for a very long time.
I knew it was going to be pretty bad, but I didn't really expect it to be as bad as it was. We lost 11-3, to a team we know from experience is sorely lacking in class. Individually, there are a few guys on that team who aren't too bad, but as a whole, I can't say enough how glad I am to have put that shit behind me. I personally did not have a very good game, but the whole feel of the experience was like a giant F U. The first period, they played possum and we went up 2-0. Then they "woke up" and put the full press on. By the third period we were down oh, I don't know, something like 8-3, and for the final 5 minutes or so they played as if their lives were on the line, just to rub in in our faces. I'm not really sure how necessary it is to set up 4 guys in front of the net when you're up by a score like that, but hey if that's what gets your rocks off, I'm glad I'm gone. They even made a big show of stopping to have a chat with friends on the glass, mid-game, and shooting the puck up at the ceiling to see if they could hit the lights.
I shouldn't be surprised. This is the team that had a big brawl amongst themselves in the final minute of a game in which we actually beat them. Classless to the end. And for that reason, I declined to go through the handshake line. When the other team is putting on a display like that, and actually laughing at your team on the ice, the completely farcical handshake at the end is insult to injury. I've gone through that line after some really chippy games, but that's hockey. This was just flat out mockery, and I had no desire to pretend to show respect.
I couldn't be happier to have that chapter behind me. I'm very much looking forward to the AIL season, and believe me, I'm not going in there thinking it's going to be a piece of cake. But some even competition would be a welcome change instead of the weekly shellacking I was taking in the "D" league. (Which continues to be a source of wry amusement for me. If that's a "D" league, I'm Patrick fucking Roy.) All I can say about that league is: good riddance. I'm sure there are plenty of guys in AIL who don't belong there either, but when the general level is more matched to your own, the few people who stand out aren't as much of an issue as when the general level is over your head to begin with. I'm sure I'll have nights when I come home grumbling and pissed off, but at least I'll have a chance here. A chance for it to be fun again. Because it hasn't been, not for a very long time.
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
The Church of Hockey
"Back in the day", when we used to play roller hockey outside on an asphalt rink, we played a few times a week. But our biggest turnout and usually best games were always Sunday mornings. It was always kind of a thrill to arrive there, grumbling and sleepy-eyed, and gradually wake up as you put your gear on, sitting next to someone on the bench just as foggy and cranky as you were. And as more and more folks showed up, you'd start waking up a little bit, dicking around on the rink until most of the group was assembled... and by the end of it all, you'd played balls-out for a solid three hours. I have great memories of those days. (I'm a spoiled brat now and wouldn't go back, but it's fun to reminisce). A lot of us jokingly said those Sunday morning games were our "church". And on the rare days when it was neither too hot nor too cold, it certainly did feel divine.
Now, I still get to the rink grumbling and sleepy-eyed, but that's because our games are as late as 11:20pm. I don't know how they swing it, but the QCats manage to get some pretty prime ice times, Sunday evenings being the most common game time. This season we had a surprise Sunday morning game though, and it made me think of that year or so when Sunday morning was unquestionably devoted to hockey. And here I was, years later, with a different group in a different place, joking again about hockey being our religion. We played a team that our interaction with seems to be on the chippier side. That's putting it mildly, I guess, considering last time we played them, "Pants" flat out body-slammed a chick for two-handing her to the head. Fortunately (or unfortunately, depending on what you like), there were no such incidents in this game. It was a decently paced, evenly matched game that we mostly played very well in. I say mostly, because after the second period we were up 2-0. We went into the third knowing they were going to come really hard at us, and we had about a minute and a half's worth of collective brain fart and there we were, tied. That really ticked me off, because both goals against were pretty garbage-y. I'm not sure what the deal is with that but most of my goals against on that team have been cruddy garbage goals or bad bounces. I guess I have to be more aware of my movements or where the puck is. But everything I saw, I stopped. I was feeling really good, and I even counted shots (33). Once again Gionta182 wrangled a 5 minute OT period out of the refs, but we weren't as lucky this time. We were still tied at the end of it.
I was actually surprised that we ended up with the OT, since it's pretty much at the ref's discretion (what's up with that?), and I had kind of uncharacteristically mouthed off at one of them earlier in the third period. There was an offside whistle, and everyone else stopped, but the player with the puck continued into the zone, looked right at me, and shot. Now, I know sometimes that happens at the same time as a whistle, I know sometimes it's not intentional. But that was pretty blatant. She turned to skate away and I charged after her, yelling. She completely ignored me, and I was aware of the fact that I was nearing the blue line and the ref was in the vicinity so I figured I should cool my jets. (Hkygrl12, who is coaching this season, later told me she was really nervous because she's never seen me get mad before and thought it was going to be "Tuukka milkcrate time". I did notice that she looked a little wide-eyed to see me that close to the bench. Haha.) On my way back to the net I yelled to the ref "No call on that?" He said no and I blurted out "That's bullshit". Generally I don't do this. I may think it, but I don't give refs any lip. He replied "Come on now, let's keep it friendly" or something like that, and I just shut my mouth and focused on the faceoff. But that really ticked me off. That's blatant disrespect right there on her part. It's ok though, because I've got her number. She's a smallish forward, she'll be in my crease again. Oops! Did my stick get in your way? SORRY.
Now, I still get to the rink grumbling and sleepy-eyed, but that's because our games are as late as 11:20pm. I don't know how they swing it, but the QCats manage to get some pretty prime ice times, Sunday evenings being the most common game time. This season we had a surprise Sunday morning game though, and it made me think of that year or so when Sunday morning was unquestionably devoted to hockey. And here I was, years later, with a different group in a different place, joking again about hockey being our religion. We played a team that our interaction with seems to be on the chippier side. That's putting it mildly, I guess, considering last time we played them, "Pants" flat out body-slammed a chick for two-handing her to the head. Fortunately (or unfortunately, depending on what you like), there were no such incidents in this game. It was a decently paced, evenly matched game that we mostly played very well in. I say mostly, because after the second period we were up 2-0. We went into the third knowing they were going to come really hard at us, and we had about a minute and a half's worth of collective brain fart and there we were, tied. That really ticked me off, because both goals against were pretty garbage-y. I'm not sure what the deal is with that but most of my goals against on that team have been cruddy garbage goals or bad bounces. I guess I have to be more aware of my movements or where the puck is. But everything I saw, I stopped. I was feeling really good, and I even counted shots (33). Once again Gionta182 wrangled a 5 minute OT period out of the refs, but we weren't as lucky this time. We were still tied at the end of it.
I was actually surprised that we ended up with the OT, since it's pretty much at the ref's discretion (what's up with that?), and I had kind of uncharacteristically mouthed off at one of them earlier in the third period. There was an offside whistle, and everyone else stopped, but the player with the puck continued into the zone, looked right at me, and shot. Now, I know sometimes that happens at the same time as a whistle, I know sometimes it's not intentional. But that was pretty blatant. She turned to skate away and I charged after her, yelling. She completely ignored me, and I was aware of the fact that I was nearing the blue line and the ref was in the vicinity so I figured I should cool my jets. (Hkygrl12, who is coaching this season, later told me she was really nervous because she's never seen me get mad before and thought it was going to be "Tuukka milkcrate time". I did notice that she looked a little wide-eyed to see me that close to the bench. Haha.) On my way back to the net I yelled to the ref "No call on that?" He said no and I blurted out "That's bullshit". Generally I don't do this. I may think it, but I don't give refs any lip. He replied "Come on now, let's keep it friendly" or something like that, and I just shut my mouth and focused on the faceoff. But that really ticked me off. That's blatant disrespect right there on her part. It's ok though, because I've got her number. She's a smallish forward, she'll be in my crease again. Oops! Did my stick get in your way? SORRY.
Monday, November 14, 2011
Where to start?
I have to apologize (yet again) for pulling a disappearing act. Can I blame the 5 days without heat or power? That was one factor, sure, but that only happened a week and a half ago. I just haven't felt much like writing in here when all there is to say is to rehash the same old thing about the league the Hawks are in. It's also been a bit of a rocky road for yours truly, for the last month or so. It's never fun to admit weakness but I have some mental issues that I deal with and although they're normally well corralled, certain things in "real life" tend to bring them out. And that's when I go into hiding.
But things are looking up now. I've had a few games with the Hawks, all with the same result, so there isn't really much to say on that front, but that will be changing soon. The Cats had their first game back in mid-October, and then were back to practice only until this past weekend. And what a weekend it was. I looked forward for weeks to this weekend, it being a double-header on Sunday. The first game was a Cats matinee (ok, 5pm, but that feels like a matinee to me. Hell that feels like a morning game to me).
I was so ramped up to play that I pestered and pestered GoalieHusband and we arrived at the rink a good 2 hours before game time. It was ok though, because the C team had played earlier, and I knew we'd be able to hang with them until it was time to suit up. We spent a little while outside with the grill, potato chips, and beer (no beer for me though, I was sipping a pre-game coffee), and then it was time to get ready. I brought my stuff into the locker room and discovered, much to my dismay, that there was a bag already in there. In my spot.
I'm not a neurotic goalie. I don't get too kooky over many things, but one thing I am pretty anal about is my spot. I started sitting there because it has the most room, and let's face it, I have the most shit. But now it's just sort of... a given. I even went to the first practice of the season a little early, because I knew we had some new players and I wanted to make sure I had my spot before they got there. I wandered back outside, agitated, and told GoalieHusband and Flipper (who had just arrived) "There's someone in my spot". I think I said it a few times. Honestly, if the person had been there, I would have just asked if they minded moving over, that it's a goalie thing and I'm anal about my spot, but no one was there and it threw me off. #RainMan Flipper went in and took care of it I guess, because after I got back in there, my spot was nice and empty.
It didn't throw my game off though. I had that surging, strong, balls-out feeling that I sometimes get when I'm really in the zone. I felt like I could feel every muscle fiber firing. I was so in the zone that when we gathered at the bench between periods and GoalieHusband gave his pep talk and observations, and then turned to me and said "Goalie. What do you see?" I completely froze. Everyone was looking at me expectantly. And I did have something I wanted to say. But all I saw was eyes. Shit, shit, they're waiting for you to say something. "Umm... I did have something to say but I forgot it", I admitted. Fortunately only a few seconds of laughter passed before I remembered I wanted to warn them about the cherry picker the other team had been placing on the blue line.
The game itself was a very exciting one, for the spectators anyway. And we had quite a few of those. My parents were there, as was a friend of mine with her husband and three kids. For me, though, the only thing that saved me from a batch of healthy self-goalie-hatred was an overtime goal by the one and only "Pants". We went up early, but the other team came back. We managed to hold them at 4-3 until the last minute of the period, when they, naturally, pulled their goalie. With 11 seconds left (ELEVEN FREAKIN SECONDS), they had a shot that I'm 99% sure was going wide, but in my puffed-up over-confidence I went out to play it, and it took a bizarre bounce over my pad and into the net.
I was seriously pissed. I'm not sure how she did it but gionta182 convinced the refs that we were supposed to get an OT period, and although the girls were totally gassed, we pressed and pressed (and I made a few saves), and about 2 minutes into it we scored. Out of respect for the other goalie, I don't cheer when we score. But I cheered for that goal. What a relief. So now we are 1-0-1 (W-L-T) on the young season. And not only that, but we may have gained two converts. Two of my friend's kids, who have been to one other game, now want to play hockey. *JOY*. One is a 10 yr old boy, the other is a 6 yr old girl. All I need to do is get that girl into goal, and the circle of hockey continues. ;)
An hour and a half (and a lot of potato chips and 1 beer) later, I was back on the ice again with the Hawks. With 15 minutes to go before our ice time, we only had a small number of skaters, so we went back outside and dragged hkygrl12 kicking and screaming (ha ha ha) into the locker room with us.
***maalivahti will be with you in a moment, there's a shootout on tv****
She wasn't the only guest; GoalieHusband was on the ice as well. It was great to play with both of them, with my team. I didn't have very high expectations of the game, and in fact I told a teammate "I just played at 5:00. I'm either going to be really good, or really bad".
Well, I guess it was the former. What's that, you say? Didn't you lose 9-3? Why, yes we did. However, the (very unofficial) shot count for the night was 75. That's what a guy from the other team estimated, and two teammates of mine independently came up with that number as well. I certainly don't disagree. I would have given a very conservative estimate of 60, but 75 doesn't sound out of the question. I have never been that exhausted in a game, ever. The only other times I've ever felt like that was after an ass-kicking with my private coach, or after 4 hours in the brutal summer sun back in the "outside on the asphalt" days. But I hung in there. I wish I could see some of those saves now, in retrospect, because I played most of that game in a fog. I do remember several saves that shocked not only me but the other team. I got countless "good save, keep" taps on the pads from them. (This is not to minimize the good words from my own team, but when it comes from the other team, you know they're not just pumping your tires, so to speak). In fact, after the handshake line, one of the other guys skated back around to find me, pointed at me, and said "MVP".
So, 75 shots. "Where was your D?" will be the first question in most people's minds. They were there, busting their asses just as much as I was. And we scored a power play goal, something I don't think we've done in about 3 seasons. All this to illustrate; we are playing at 110% every night and still getting killed, blasted out by 6-9 goals each game. It's time to face the facts. This is not the league for me. Am I a "D league" player? You bet your ass. Are the rest of the guys in this league? Not by a long shot. And after about three years of trying to rectify the situation with the rink, and nothing changing, I'm done. I'm going to the "AIL", where I'll actually have a chance at not getting blown out every single night, and a chance at it being fun again. A few teammates have made the same decision, so at least it won't be a complete dissolution of the team. And I suspect that when the others hear of our move, a few will do the same. By no means can the whole team make that move; it would be beyond unfair for about 5 of those guys to come to the AIL and I don't think they would.
So it's kind of an end of an era for the Hawks. I'm not sure how many of us will be together next season. It's sad, after all these years together, but enough is enough. I'm done with the hit my confidence is taking, with the long, self-loathing rides home from the rink. And knowing some of the guys will be right there with me makes it that much easier. Change can only come when the pain of not changing outweighs the pain of changing.
But things are looking up now. I've had a few games with the Hawks, all with the same result, so there isn't really much to say on that front, but that will be changing soon. The Cats had their first game back in mid-October, and then were back to practice only until this past weekend. And what a weekend it was. I looked forward for weeks to this weekend, it being a double-header on Sunday. The first game was a Cats matinee (ok, 5pm, but that feels like a matinee to me. Hell that feels like a morning game to me).
I was so ramped up to play that I pestered and pestered GoalieHusband and we arrived at the rink a good 2 hours before game time. It was ok though, because the C team had played earlier, and I knew we'd be able to hang with them until it was time to suit up. We spent a little while outside with the grill, potato chips, and beer (no beer for me though, I was sipping a pre-game coffee), and then it was time to get ready. I brought my stuff into the locker room and discovered, much to my dismay, that there was a bag already in there. In my spot.
I'm not a neurotic goalie. I don't get too kooky over many things, but one thing I am pretty anal about is my spot. I started sitting there because it has the most room, and let's face it, I have the most shit. But now it's just sort of... a given. I even went to the first practice of the season a little early, because I knew we had some new players and I wanted to make sure I had my spot before they got there. I wandered back outside, agitated, and told GoalieHusband and Flipper (who had just arrived) "There's someone in my spot". I think I said it a few times. Honestly, if the person had been there, I would have just asked if they minded moving over, that it's a goalie thing and I'm anal about my spot, but no one was there and it threw me off. #RainMan Flipper went in and took care of it I guess, because after I got back in there, my spot was nice and empty.
It didn't throw my game off though. I had that surging, strong, balls-out feeling that I sometimes get when I'm really in the zone. I felt like I could feel every muscle fiber firing. I was so in the zone that when we gathered at the bench between periods and GoalieHusband gave his pep talk and observations, and then turned to me and said "Goalie. What do you see?" I completely froze. Everyone was looking at me expectantly. And I did have something I wanted to say. But all I saw was eyes. Shit, shit, they're waiting for you to say something. "Umm... I did have something to say but I forgot it", I admitted. Fortunately only a few seconds of laughter passed before I remembered I wanted to warn them about the cherry picker the other team had been placing on the blue line.
The game itself was a very exciting one, for the spectators anyway. And we had quite a few of those. My parents were there, as was a friend of mine with her husband and three kids. For me, though, the only thing that saved me from a batch of healthy self-goalie-hatred was an overtime goal by the one and only "Pants". We went up early, but the other team came back. We managed to hold them at 4-3 until the last minute of the period, when they, naturally, pulled their goalie. With 11 seconds left (ELEVEN FREAKIN SECONDS), they had a shot that I'm 99% sure was going wide, but in my puffed-up over-confidence I went out to play it, and it took a bizarre bounce over my pad and into the net.
I was seriously pissed. I'm not sure how she did it but gionta182 convinced the refs that we were supposed to get an OT period, and although the girls were totally gassed, we pressed and pressed (and I made a few saves), and about 2 minutes into it we scored. Out of respect for the other goalie, I don't cheer when we score. But I cheered for that goal. What a relief. So now we are 1-0-1 (W-L-T) on the young season. And not only that, but we may have gained two converts. Two of my friend's kids, who have been to one other game, now want to play hockey. *JOY*. One is a 10 yr old boy, the other is a 6 yr old girl. All I need to do is get that girl into goal, and the circle of hockey continues. ;)
An hour and a half (and a lot of potato chips and 1 beer) later, I was back on the ice again with the Hawks. With 15 minutes to go before our ice time, we only had a small number of skaters, so we went back outside and dragged hkygrl12 kicking and screaming (ha ha ha) into the locker room with us.
***maalivahti will be with you in a moment, there's a shootout on tv****
She wasn't the only guest; GoalieHusband was on the ice as well. It was great to play with both of them, with my team. I didn't have very high expectations of the game, and in fact I told a teammate "I just played at 5:00. I'm either going to be really good, or really bad".
Well, I guess it was the former. What's that, you say? Didn't you lose 9-3? Why, yes we did. However, the (very unofficial) shot count for the night was 75. That's what a guy from the other team estimated, and two teammates of mine independently came up with that number as well. I certainly don't disagree. I would have given a very conservative estimate of 60, but 75 doesn't sound out of the question. I have never been that exhausted in a game, ever. The only other times I've ever felt like that was after an ass-kicking with my private coach, or after 4 hours in the brutal summer sun back in the "outside on the asphalt" days. But I hung in there. I wish I could see some of those saves now, in retrospect, because I played most of that game in a fog. I do remember several saves that shocked not only me but the other team. I got countless "good save, keep" taps on the pads from them. (This is not to minimize the good words from my own team, but when it comes from the other team, you know they're not just pumping your tires, so to speak). In fact, after the handshake line, one of the other guys skated back around to find me, pointed at me, and said "MVP".
So, 75 shots. "Where was your D?" will be the first question in most people's minds. They were there, busting their asses just as much as I was. And we scored a power play goal, something I don't think we've done in about 3 seasons. All this to illustrate; we are playing at 110% every night and still getting killed, blasted out by 6-9 goals each game. It's time to face the facts. This is not the league for me. Am I a "D league" player? You bet your ass. Are the rest of the guys in this league? Not by a long shot. And after about three years of trying to rectify the situation with the rink, and nothing changing, I'm done. I'm going to the "AIL", where I'll actually have a chance at not getting blown out every single night, and a chance at it being fun again. A few teammates have made the same decision, so at least it won't be a complete dissolution of the team. And I suspect that when the others hear of our move, a few will do the same. By no means can the whole team make that move; it would be beyond unfair for about 5 of those guys to come to the AIL and I don't think they would.
So it's kind of an end of an era for the Hawks. I'm not sure how many of us will be together next season. It's sad, after all these years together, but enough is enough. I'm done with the hit my confidence is taking, with the long, self-loathing rides home from the rink. And knowing some of the guys will be right there with me makes it that much easier. Change can only come when the pain of not changing outweighs the pain of changing.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)