Behind the Mask




I've played hockey since I was 5 years old. I've played ice hockey, ball hockey, table hockey, quarters hockey, mini-stick hockey, hotel-hallway hockey, air hockey, bubble hockey, and roller hockey. Never once (that I can recall) did I ever play in goal.

Well, Sunday I finally strapped the pads on. Shane bought some used equipment with the extra money from the ice time in case a goalie didn't show. And a goalie didn't show.



A quick recap:

1) I had a shutout going for about 35mins. I only had about 8 shots in those 35 minutes because the opposing team tried to pass too much, my defence blocked everything and the teams were a bit unbalanced with our team being the stronger of the two. Here is some video footage summing up my performance with Shane as commentator:



2)Do not try to play goalie in regular skates. There is no lateral movement. People can just deke you out left and right. Here is me with perfect form, square to the shooter waiting to stop the puck:



3)At times, goalie is a boring position.


4)At other times it is very frustrating. I would get seriously pissed off if someone scored on me.

HOCKEY!!! (part II)

Shane took the initiative and booked a bunch of ice time for us Sundays across the river at the Big Bear Arena. After much negotiating and prodding, cajoling and imploring I finally convinced Laura to come out and play hockey for the first time. We scoured the city for equipment and ended up outfitting her for a very reasonable cost. Do I have a wicked-awesome gf or what?

Shane rented the Olympic sized ice pad so we were happy when there was a huge turnout - five on each bench! Aside from Laura there were at least four or five other first timers or not-too-much-experiencers out there. We had a great time and look forward to next week. On a crappy note Heidi couldn't find the place in time and didn't get to play. Oh well, there's always next week.

Laura suits up:




The Animal changes on the fly:



Monica leaves Joe in the dust:
Scottie's intense on the bench:



Tim lurking in front, waiting for a pass from Mattias:


Laura (#6) mans (or womans) the blueline while Shane (#3) forechecks:


Shane's a sniper:


My camera was on the wrong setting and my hands were shaking from the excitement - hence the blurry pics but you get the idea. I can't wait till Sunday!

HOCKEY!!! (part I)

Last night Laura took me to the Steelback Centre to see the Greyhounds take on the Saginaw Spirit. When I walked in on opening night I was awed by the beautiful building, but now that I've had a chance to digest, I'm afraid to say the SBC is lacking in atmosphere. It may be the design but it seems really quiet a lot of the time. In the Gardens the steep slope of the stands seemed to keep the fans looming over the players and there was always an audible buzz throughout the crowd. At the Gardens you seemed part of the game. In the SBC you're very detached. But I guess you can't compare 50 years of character to a couple of games. To the SBC's credit the Hall of Fame wall is a nice touch.

Anyway, the Hounds debuted their third jerseys which can be seen here courtesy of www.soonews.ca :

I gotta say I'm not a fan of these. They're okay I guess but black (or is it really dark blue - I couldn't tell) for a sweater is played out. Also, the "Soo" script is more suited for baseball. I heard that it was a nod to some team of the past but to me it just seems pedestrian.

I don't want to make this post all negativity but I should talk about the game. The Hounds ended up losing 5-4. Overall it was pretty entertaining (they tied it up 4-4 after being down 3-1) but their power play is horrendous and they do not seem to have the ability to clear their zone. Both teams scored some really pretty goals and there were a few good hits. When Hartsburg started listening to me and playing #19 more things started looking up for the Hounds. Laura took notes on the positional play. Why? (to be continued...)