Exorcising ghost of Sticks past

With his team leading 15-6 in Sunday's Stanley Stick finale, Elvis gathered his team to remind them nothing was impossible. After all, just last season he'd been part of the greatest comeback in championship history, when his side battled back from the brink of elimination to win the series in a decisive mini game.

But there would be no miracles on Sunday.

Three quick goals by Scrappy just before the break snuffed out what little momentum their overmatched opponents could muster, as Elvis and his mates rolled to an easy 20-7 win, sweeping the championship in two straight games.

"Those were huge," said the veteran forward of Scrappy's decisive scoring outburst that truncated a brief rally that closed their opponents within six goals. "They righted the ship a little bit and gave us some legs again."

Not that their ship had ever really floundered.

After struggling to a 20-18 in the series' opener last week, the champions dominated Sunday's game as few teams before them. From their goalie out, they stuck to their game plan with fierce resolve, shutting down their opponents at every turn.

"We played strong as a team," said Billy Idol, who suffered through Sunday's game with the lingering effects of sore ribs. "We played our game well, we kept one guy back, one guy along the boards and one guy in front of the net; that was kind of our strategy from the beginning of the game and we never strayed from it."

And their opponents had little to answer with.

"Nothing was going right for us," said Beetle Boy. "For whatever reason, we just didn't have it."

On those rare occasions when they were able to complete a pass or execute a decent scoring opportunity, they ran head on into the hot hand of Twizzler, who played one of his steadiest games of the season to earn the Conn Stick award as the series Most Valuable Player.

"He was just solid," said Elvis of his side's rookie rearguard who bounced back strongly from a mediocre effort last week when he was reportedly weakened by the flu. "He's a good goalie, he's big in the net."

"He had really good rebound control," said Scooby, " but we also just weren't getting the shots, we were just trying to go for the pass and we got picked off a lot."

More often than not, those intercepted passes converted to scoring chances the other way.

"We capitalized on a lot turnovers and got some odd-man rushes going," said Elvis.

"We had some defensive breakdowns," said Scooby. "You don't know who to blame because everyone was just running around leaving their mad open."

Which opened the way for Elvis to win his eighth consecutive Stanley Stick title.

Compared to last year's raucous, emotional finale, Sunday's celebration was muted. That's likely because the end result was never in doubt.
"You don't want to celebrate a shutout win too heavily," said Elvis. Limiting a team to less than ten goals is the road hockey equivalent of a shutout. "Winning the Stick is a big deal, it's what we play for all year."
Meanwhile, the losers hung their heads in shame.
"It was pretty embarrassing to be shut out like that," said Scooby. "I don't really know what to say."
"It's a crappy way to end the season," said Beetle Boy. "It's going to bug me all summer."

Each team's lineup was bolstered by players who hadn't been available for the first game. By the luck of the draw, the winners added Lak Attack, while the underdogs added Cowboy Bill and Gump. And while none of the additions proved decisive, Lak's solid defensive contribution gave his side the impetus to take advantage of all their offensive opportunities.
"Getting Lak on our team was a huge addition to the back end," said Elvis. "He gave us a lot more defense and we were able to really shut down the other team."

A surprise visit by three legendary roadsters who've been mostly absent all season, Wink, Lobsterboy and Paul One, may have been a bit of a distraction to the winners as they faltered slightly in their drive to victory. It was also an inspiration for the Living Legend, who scored both of his goals while he was being cheered on by his aging contemporaries.
At least two of those legends, Paul One and Lobsterboy, indicated they'd renew their commitment to the game next season, while Wink was noncommittal.

Meanwhile, Elvis indicated his eighth Stanley Stick may also be his last, as he may be moving to a far away city by next Spring.

Halfway effort gets them half way there

Elvis and his mates are going to have to play a full game Sunday if they're to to sweep the Stanley Stick Championship after eking out a win in the opener, 20-18.

The score shouldn't have been that close.

Led by the veteran forward who's playing for his eighth straight championship, the favorites romped to an 11-5 lead, blew it to fall behind 16-15, before clinching the win with a seeing eye screamer from the far end of the court that eluded Nibs' flailing pad.

After spotting their opponents a quick 1-0 lead, they took control by driving hard to the net and crashing a beleaguered goalie, who was trying to atone for his weak start in last year's final that put his team at a huge disadvantage heading into the climactic showdown.

The stalwart backup, who is expected to be replaced by Gump next week after the regular rearguard couldn't make it to Sunday's game, could hardly be blamed for his team's early woes this time. He made some key saves, smothered the ball at opportune moments and gave his team the confidence to flood the offensive zone.

A few bad bounces, however, put them in a seemingly impossible hole.

"We were just trying to get as many shots as we could on net," said Elvis. "We had a lot of muckers and grinders who could jump on the rebounds, try to score the ugly ones."

The five goal advantage seemed to embolden his mates, who seemed to decide to take the middle part of the game off.

"I think we just thought it was going to be easy and we stopped trying," said Velma, who was getting his first taste of Stanley Stick intensity. "We were trying to make the pretty plays and it didn't work."

"I think we got a little too comfortable with our lead," said Elvis. "We eased off a little bit and the other team didn't let up."

It nearly cost them.

With Scooby crashing the end boards and opponents with abandon, and the Colonel finding the target with his blistering slapshot to the high corners of the net, the formerly moribund underdogs battled their way back into the game, wresting their first lead since its earliest moments.

"I think we had them a little bit off their game," said Colonel, who's agitating tactics on the Kid seemed to distract the prolific sniper for a spell. "They weren't focusing completely on what they were doing before."

Having seen their advantage vanish, Elvis and his mates had to regroup. They gathered around their goalie to catch their breath and reestablish their game plan.

"We were still confident," said Elvis. "We knew we weren't out of it, we just had to work a little harder and smarter."

"We knew we should win because we'd had this huge lead," said Velma. "We had to man up a bit."

A quick three-goal outburst gave them back the lead they'd never again relinquish despite some tense moments late in the game.

"I didn't think it would be so tough," said Velma. "They're going to get two stalwart defensive guys next week in Cowboy and Gump. We're going to have to reevaluate our game plan."

"We knew it was important to win this week because next week is going to be a lot tougher," said Elvis.

Meanwhile, the underdogs are optimistic they'll be able to build on their mid-game surge.

"The people coming in are very effective at their positions," said Colonel of the two new teammates, Cowboy Bill and Gump, who are expected to join their lineup for the finale. "We're expecting a much better game next week than this week."

Setting up for the Stick

On his first shift of his first Stanley Stick game, Scrappy found himself knocked flat on his backside by Elvis. It was a bruising wake up call for the young speedster to the intense physical and mental toll of Sunday Morning Road Hockey's championship series. He won't be letting it happen again.

"Things get quicker, so you can't be caught flat," says the sophomore centerman, a season wiser and tougher as he prepares to play in his second finale, which begins May 3. "You have to make snap decisions. Everyone gets banged up, bruises, scars."

Velma's heard the stories of epic four-hour battles and smashed eyes; the rookie forward knows he'll have to gird himself for the toughest games of his young career. So he's making sure he gets as much playing time as possible to prepare.

"Most of us should be in pretty good shape by now," says the playmaking winger who warmed up for Sunday's game by participating in a 10 km run in another city. "It's a grind and it's all about the mental effort."

Lak Attack knows what it takes to win the Stanley Stick. Other than the Living Legend, there's no other roadster at Sunday's game who's played in more finales. He's a former series' MVP.

"Mentally, you've got to step it up," says the veteran sniper. "You're razor sharp in terms of what you need to do, you've got to make sure every pass is crisp, you've got to make sure every play is a good play."

And you've got to be hungry, says Doo. With his team a goal away from being swept in last season's championship, Doo teamed up with Unabomber to spark the most incredible comeback in Stanley Stick history.

"You've just got to be tenacious," says the feisty forward who was a finalist for series' MVP last year. "That's the biggest thing in the Stick; the goals will come with the tenacity and you've just got to be really focused on that."

With only one more regular season game to be played until the start of the two-week championship showdown, many of the roadsters are already looking ahead.

"The Stick is a big deal, it's what everybody plays for all season," says Elvis, who's never lost a championship series in his eight seasons. "You've got to be prepared, you've got to really be on your game."

"The gams is three or five times the pace of a regular game," says Beetle Boy. "There's lots of physicality, lots of stick work, so you just have to prepare yourself that it's quite a jump from the regular season."

Sunday's game was a preview of the goaltending duel that will open this season's Stanley Stick Championship, as Nibs out-dueled Twizzler 20-16. Earlier in the week Gump announced he'd be unavailable for the finale's first game.
Neither goalie was particularly sharp, as each fanned long shots early in the game while they shook off the rust that may have settled from last week's rain out. Twizzler also struggled with rebounds and his team was never able to get closer than a goal.

This year's Stanley Stick will be missing some storied players as a number of veterans failed to play the requisite number of games to ensure their eligibility for the post-season. Notorious Gameshow Host Gone Bad, Wink, will miss his third consecutive finale, while Lobsterboy and Paul One are also ineligible. Only two rookies will play, Velma and Twizzler.

A hard way to win

With only three weeks left in the regular season, there are no more easy games. Sunday's 16-13 win for Pig Farming Goalie and his mates was especially hard. Literally.

After struggling for most of the first half, the game turned around when Colonel tossed in a new, harder ball. Suddenly the bounces - and there were many of them - started going their way.

"We used the bounces to our advantage," said the veteran shotstopper, who made his first start in two months.

While their opponents scrambled to control the lively sphere, PFG's forwards cashed in the rebounds that careened off Twizzler's pads and arms.

"We were just putting more shots low on Twizzler," said Scrappy. "They were bouncing off his pads and we were getting a lot of rebounds, a lot of ugly goals."

"We were just able to handle it more" said Beetle Boy, whose offensive struggles Sunday were offset by his solid defensive effort. "We had some players who really could move it and deke with it, but they couldn't do that with the sticky ball."

Indeed, the warm, sunny conditions had softened most of the balls, sending passes skipping over sticks, deadening shots into the goalies' equipment.

But with the introduction of the hard ball, the tempo of the game picked up as players enjoyed more success with pinpoint passes, and rebounds presented newfound scoring chances.

The frantic pace put the goalies on alert.

"I just had to speed everything up," said Pig Farming Goalie, who put his stamp on his return when he robbed Nibs of a sure goal with a lightning stab of his glove hand. "You definitely had to try to minimize rebounds because that ball would just ricochet off your blocker, your foot and in."

"He kept us in there with some huge glove saves," said Scrappy of his comeback creaseminder. "It really helps having a solid goalie between the pipes."

"He had a couple of huge saves... that allowed us to take some chances up front," said Beetle Boy.

And they were full measure for those chances, converting their opportunities with renewed confidence, as almost every player on the winning side got in on the scoring.

Sunday's game ended abruptly when Pig Farming Goalie tweaked the groin injury that has hobbled him most of the season. But the clock was ticking anyway, as the veteran goaltender was about to leave for a prior engagement.
"it's disappointing to call it early," said Scrappy. "That's the way it goes sometimes, you live and die by the goalies."
"We were confident that we would be able to hold on, "said Beetle Boy, even has team had given back a couple of quick goals after opening up a 16-11 lead.

Happily never after

The game that almost didn't start, nearly never ended.

Velma squeezed a wrap-around past Twizzler's pad in the fifth overtime to seal the victory, 27-25. It was the second consecutive marathon match; last week's thriller went four extra periods.

From its opening moments, Sunday's game was a tight, hard-fought affair, as neither side managed to open more than a three goal advantage. Snipers on both teams were silenced by goaltenders at the top of their game. Nibs, making his first start between the pipes in week, conceded little through the game's first half. At the other end, Twizzler overcame some early miscues to make some big saves that allowed his side to take its first lead at 13-12.

But it was late in the game the rookie rearguard showed his true mettle, diving across the crease time and again to stymie two-one-one break-aways. With his side down 19-17, he made a miracle glove save on Beetle Boy that extended the game into overtime. A few moments later, he caught just enough of a Lak Attack shot from the side of the net to keep the ball rolling just outside the goal line and just out of reach of Elvis' stick as he careened in from the wing.

"Twizzler just kept on robbing our team," said Scooby, who played his first game in more than a month.

"Twizzler was just shutting the door on us," said Beetle Boy. "Both goalies were playing phenomenal."

Both teams exchanged leads in overtime, but neither could score the clincher.

"We were starting to wonder if it would ever end," said Beetle Boy. "It was equal, back and forth. We just couldn't put it away."

Exhaustion started to take its toll. as players chopped shots at the net in the hopes a fluke bounce might make the difference.

"We just had to take a lot of shots on net," said Scooby. "A lot of our goals were just ugly bang-ins."

"We knew it probably wouldn't be a good goal (that would end the game)," said Beetle Boy. "That's all you can do, is just keep throwing it at the net."

Which is just what Velma did, as he swept around the post and jammed the evil orange plastic ball towards Twizzler's outstretched pad, squeezing it just past the goal post.

"That was one of the best games of the season," said Scooby, who collapsed in a heap after Velma's game winner.

"It felt great to win," said Beetle Boy. "That was one for the ages."

Except it almost wasn't, as a group of roguesters, refugees from a Saturday afternoon game, had tried to lay claim to the court the Sunday Morning roadsters have been calling home for 15 years. Tensions ran high as the newcomers argued for squatters' rights, but the roadsters refused to back down and eventually prevailed.

The unfortunate confrontation reinforces the need for the roadsters to get to the court well ahead of the scheduled 10:30 start time, especially as the weather improves. The spurned roguesters may try to make a point next week by refusing to respect the roadsters' long-standing claim.

Doo-ing what it takes

Even as his team struggled with a five goal deficit, Velma knew they could still Doo it.

The Mystery Machine linemates found their goal scoring touch late in Sunday's game to lead their side to a comeback 24-22 win in quadruple overtime.

In fact, Doo's game winner, a high wire shot over Gump's shoulder, was the culmination of the long road back for the team that had to play from behind since the game's earliest moments.

"It really gets to you mentally to have to play from behind that long," said the young speedster, who first showed his comeback chops in last Spring's dramatic Stanley Stick championship series when he almost single-handedly sparked his team's resurrection from the brink of elimination.

Reeling and disorganized at the low end of a 16-11 score, Velma rallied his mates, determined to avoid the ignominy of another slaughter like he suffered in last week's game.

"I didn't want that to happen again, it was embarrassing," said the rookie winger. "I think we knew deep down we had a team equal to theirs or better than them, and if we dug down, played hard, we knew we could take them."

With the advantage of the extra player to spell off tired teammates, Velma and his mates started to gain the advantage in the offensive zone, winning battles in the corner, gaining the upper hand in crease clashes for bouncing rebounds. Even the Living Legend pitched in with two goals after being stoned by Gump's outstretched pad on a breakaway earlier in the game.

"Them having the extra sub really made a difference," said Gump. "We were playing in the heat for the first time, it really takes a lot out of you."

"If you have the extra sub, especially when you get into overtime, you just have that little extra jump," said Doo. "When the teams are this close, sometimes it's all that separates you."

"We had a couple of fast guys and they only had Kid, so that extra rest certainly helped me and Doo, especially for the overtime," said Velma.

They took full advantage of their advantage, forcing overtime and then taking their first lead, 22-21. Three times in the extra period the teams traded the advantage. Just as one team seemed ready to go home, they'd dig down to prolong the game even further.

"We just couldn't seem to get that last goal," said Gump. "The other team worked hard, they were winning all the little battles down low, they fought for their breaks."

"I was just thinking get the next goal, get the next goal, make the defensive play," said Velma.

With Twizzler getting on top of his game as the game wore on, his teammates were able to charge deep into the offensive zone, confident he could take care of any defensive lapses. Velma, Doo, and the Colonel seized the momentum.

"We got some great saves from Twizzler," said Velma.

"When your goalie makes a great save, it gets the momentum going the other way," said Doo. "It's also a huge mental boost when you get the confidence because your goalie is holding the fort."

Whither Wink

With less than two months to go to the Stanley Stick Championship series, one of Sunday Morning Road Hockey's biggest impact players has yet to make a dent in the season.

Notorious gameshow host gone bad, Wink, has been mysteriously absent all season, neither officially retired nor occasionall active. In fact, the fellow founding father has only played one game in the past two seasons. And the roadsters are missing him.

"It's sad," says Gump, who's been on the receiving end of Wink's mighty slapshots from the far end of the court. "He's the guy who brought me through, he was the guy who was always giving me pointers and helping me on defense."

It's that defensive contribution where Wink's absence has been most noticeable. Never the most mobile player, Wink built his career on taking care of business in his own end, sweeping the crease of opposing forwards prowling for loose rebounds, thundering emboldened wingers into the fence when they tried to lead rushes up court.

"He's definitely a solidifying influence on defense," says Cowboy Bill. "He's always reliable. He knew what he could do, and he did it really well."

"He brought a physical game," says Nibs. "He's a power defenseman."

He could also score, usually opportune blasts from the point, or even from his own goal line, his dipping, curving ropes eluding the outstretched pads or flailing trapper of stunned goalkeepers.

"He has one of those shots that you knew would always get you a couple of goals," says Cowboy Bill.

Perhaps Wink's most missed contribution are the intangibles, his passion and accountability. With Wink on their team, roadsters knew they'd have to take responsibility for their own play, own their mistakes.

"He knew how to get his team riled up," says Gump. "Every game you look at the stick pull to see who you've got who can cleat the net out, and you always hope you have a guy like that on your team."

With Wink holding fort in the defensive end, his teammates could flood the offensive zone, taking chances for creative plays they might not otherwise venture.

"You look for his calm demeanor," says Scooby. "He gives you a lot more confidence to go for it on the offensive side.

"He's probably one of the smartest guys out here," says Gump.

And, apparently, one of the most missed.

"He's one of the founding fathers of road hockey," says Gump, a little wistfully.

"It's kinda cool seeing these older guys, hearin gtheir stories," says Scooby, who joined the league three seasons ago. "Their experience definitely makes a difference."

"It feels like our dad ran away," says Cowboy Bill.

Taking advantage

With his team leading 19-18, Smith turned to his teammate, Cowboy Bill, as they stood on the sidelines, and predicted Sunday's seesaw game, in which each team had battled back from deficits then squandered their hard-fought advantage, would end with "an ugly one." Moments later, his sinking blast from behind his own goal line eluded Twizzler's glove and pads, sealing the win, 20-18.

"That was sweet," said Smith of his game winner that was more comic relief than highlight reel material.

"When you get a tight game like this, you know you're never going to get anything pretty," said Cowboy Bill. "The last few goals were just real ugly, mucking it up."

Indeed, the fortunes of each team in Sunday's game seemed to turn on less than perfect plays. After building an early advantage, Smith and his mates suddenly saw their clearing passes bounce off fence posts or a teammate's shins straight to opponents' sticks. And when those sticks are being held by the likes of Lak Attack, Doo and Elvis, lucky bounces usually turn into goals.

But even as his team found itself on the short end of a 12-9 score, Cowboy Bill remained confident.

"It's a 20-goal game, so you know they're bound to get a couple in a row," said the veteran winger. "We're bound to get some bounces come our way too. You've just got to stick with your gameplan because you know they're not going to get 20 good bounces."

In fact, the bounces started coming their way, including an unlikely goal by Smith who had to first deke around a teammate's stick in the crease before roofing a shot past a stunned Twizzler.

Smith and his mates also had the advantage of an extra player, giving their team two set lines. That allowed players to develop chemistry, and get a few precious extra moments of rest between shifts.

"With two set lines, you don't end up with that guy who's really tired," said Smith, as his side scored five unanswered goals to reclaim the lead, 14-12. "We had a couple of good lines, we had some real good chemistry."

"The combinations were good," said Cowboy Bill. "We always had three fresh sets of legs out there, but with those guys rotating, they're always going to have one or two guys out there who are tired. I think in the end, that helped us out quite a bit."

Lak-ing attack

Kid's rapier shot to the top corner to win the game was fast, hard and deadly accurate. It was also just in the nick of time, snuffing a furious five-goal comeback by a suddenly invigorated opposition that had turned a 19-11 rout into a 20-16 nail biter.

"It always heartbreaking to lose when yoiu're starting to play so well," said a dejected Velma.

The end for his team was as unlikely as it was unlucky. For half of Sunday's game, Velma and his mates were a disorganized and disenchanted lot, skipping passes over sticks, letting opposing forwards run around them with little opposition.

"We were able to have a lot of two-on-ones," said Billy Idol.

Then Lak Attack showed up.

The veteran speedster had been expected to miss Sunday's game. But when he dropped by the court to check out the game, he was quickly recruited by the underdogs, who were already down by four goals and counting.

Playing with a borrowed stick and ragged gloves, Lak Attack took command, quarterbacking the disheveled defense, sparking the offense, and, perhaps most importantly, calling to account some lazy plays by his newfound teammates.

"When Lak got here, he really kicked us in the ass and got us going," said Velma, who admitted he struggled early in his first game in a month. "He's got the motivation and that just gives us encouragement all around."

"When they brought in Lak, it was a whole new factor," said Billy Idol.

And a whole new game. With Lak Attack's wheeling and dealing drawing the attention of opposing defenders, Elvis and Velma were free to crash the boards and dig in the corners while aging veteran Living Legend struggled to stay upright. With nothing to lose, but the game itself, the underdogs finally found their game.

"We were really digging in, working hard," said Velma. "We thought the nine goals was going to be too much, so we really started trying."

They battled their way back with five straight goals, giving the leaders pause.

"We had to run, we had to make more plays, we knew we had to play a little bit harder," said Billy Idol.

Just hard enough to spring Kid from the right wing to unleash his winning shot.

Twisting the day away

Twizzler twisted. Gump resisted. With so little to choose between the goaltending rivals, Sunday's marathon battle became a game of attrition; to the spoilers went the victory.

Inspired by Twizzler's strongest game of his nascent Sunday Morning career, his mates overcame a two-goal deficit late in Sunday's game with three straight goals to propel them to a hard fought 20-18 win.

"He allows us to push forward," said Smith of his goalie's motivational performance. "You can really go for the offensive chances at the other end."

Which is just what they did in the waning moments of a game in which the lead changed hands numerous times, and by never more than a couple of goals.

"Both teams were running and gunning when they had the opportunity," said Lak Attack, still smiling despite the difficult defeat. "It was close, but they just had a little more at the end."

The tight, seesaw battle was largely due to stellar goaltending at both end, as Twizzler and Gump matched each other save for save.

"He plays a good game," said Smith of his rookie rearguard. "You've got to beat him off the corner, you've got to beat him off the post; he doesn't have holes."

"Twizzler was hard to beat," said Lak Attack. "He settled down on the shots very well and he never really gave us much."

At the other end, Gump was very much his equal.

"He was playing really fundamentally sound," said Smith. "He was so under control, so technically sound, it was tough to beat him."

Indeed, the goalies were so good, as the game entered its third hour for the first time this season fatigue started to take a toll. With the extra player, Twizzler's team seemed to have just a little more in the tank when it counted most.

"We started to run on them... and we got a couple of extra bounces," said Smith.

"Being one man short played against us today," said Lak Attack, whose shothanded side seemed to suffer particularly in the slippery conditions. "Your legs get a bit heavy at the end."

Winning the waiting game

Good things come to those who wait. So do road hockey wins.

Sunday, Billy Idol and his mates waited until the game's final moments to take their first lead, 19-18, before capping the comeback with the winner past a shellshocked and bewildered defense that had coughed up a 9-3 run after leading all day.

"I think we sort of got away from our game," said a crestfallen Elvis, still trying to digest his side's collapse.

More like his team took it away, said Idol. "We were making the plays, we were fighting for the ball behind the net, we were pulling the balls out of the corners. We just got better and better as the game went on."

Their journey to the victory was long and arduous. Even as they fell behind by as many as five goals they refused to give up, confident they could eventually wear their opponents down and reap the rewards for their work.

"We just kept going hard," said Smith, making his first start of the new year. "We started to hit the net, we made better passes, we got a little bit tougher defensively."

Their resilience and refusal to die seemed to rattle their opponents, who appeared to be cruising to a routine win with solid goaltending from veteran keeper Gump and some stalwart defensive work by the Colonel and Elvis. As their lead slipped away, some of them lashed out; frustrated when a scoring attempt was tripped up, Colonel swung his stick wildly, slapping Twizzler's protective pads with a loud thud.

The problems escalated as their lead shrank.

"We stopped checking, we started chasing a lot," said Elvis. "Instead of taking the man in front of the net, we were just sort of watching."

And the once impenetrable Gump suddenly struggled as opposing forwards crashed the net and wreaked havoc with their sticks poking his gloves and leg pads.

"We had to get in his face a little bit, and we had some guys get up there in his crease," said Billy Idol.

Meanwhile, at the other end, Twizzler settled down from his unsettling start, repeatedly robbing the Colonel, Elvis, Living Legend and Beetle Boy, all of whom failed to convert breakaways or odd man rushes.

"He definitely started closing the door on us," said Elvis of his netminding nemesis.

Which was just as his teammates asked in a meeting just before the start of the final period.

"He said he was gonna close the door," said Idol. "We put a little extra pressure on him to play better, and he pulled through for us."

"It came down to wanting it a bit more," said Smith.

And waiting for their chance to take control of a game that almost got away.

Overcoming a lak of defense

With his team suddenly struggling after romping to a quick 10-3 lead, Gump knew the pressure was on. If he gave up the goal that would seal his opponent's comeback, giving them the lead, it would be all over.

"If you let them get the lead from being down that much, that's really gonna shock the troops," said the veteran shotstopper. "You know we've got to bounce back."

Which is just what they did. A couple of clutch glove saves ensured the comeback never got closer than a goal and shifted the game's momentum back to his forwards, who were able to battle for a 20-18 nailbiter.

It should never have got to that point, though.

With the game seemingly well in hand, Gump's defenders suddenly abandoned him, caught deep in the offensive zone, wheezing and fatigued, or maybe just too lazy to run back and help their overwhelmed netminder.

"Our defensive game went to pot," said the Colonel. "I'm not happy with the type of game we played today. We could have routed them, and we didn't."

Indeed, their collapse seemed inevitable when their best defensive player, Lak Attack, who also contributed with a handful of electric goals, left the game just as his mates were wallowing at their worst.

"We had a player leave who had been playing very good defensively and I think most of the rest of us were just taking a rest out there," said the Colonel.

The loss left his side reeling and disorganized. They gave up three quick goals, closing their once formidable advantage to a single goal. Colonel looked skyward in disgust. Living Legend and Doo looked at their shoes in shame.

But the flurry seemed to rouse Gump, who responded by shutting the door on a couple of odd man rushes. His mates responded by returning to the formula that had brought them their early success, crashing the net and digging for rebounds.

"Good things happen when you crash the net," said the Colonel. "Goalies can't see, they can't react to the ball, and we got quite a few of our goals today that way."

"It's a team game and we knew we had to get back to what we had been doing right at the start," said Gump. "We knew we had to play to our strengths."

Gump delivers soggy win

Neither rain nor sleet nor snow was going to keep Gump from making his return to the crease. Sunday, he had to overcome all three to lead his team to a resounding 20-14 win.

Playing his first game in almost two months, the veteran backstop slipped and slid on the thin layer of slush created by the persistent snow and rain that pelted the roadsters much of the morning, frustrating opposing shooters who fought their own battle with traction. And while the soaking conditions weren't the most comfortable, he turned them to his advantage.

"It was nice, because it slowed the players down," said Gump. "It does take away the players' chances on breakaways and two-on-ones. They don't have the manouverability."

Snipers like Lak Attack tried to adjust.

"I think the first thing you recognize is you can't over-commit," said the soggy speedster. "But you do have to continue to move your legs, and that was the biggest thing we didn't do. We were stationary too often."

Rookie winger Velma seemed especially frustrated, as his usual speedy rushes and deft dekes were neutralized by the treacherous traction.

"You've got to make sure if you do make a move, that it's a safe move," said Lak Attack.

That cautious approach was especially costly in the early-going, as his team fell behind 12-6. As the snow let up and the slush melted into puddles, they were able to scoot and swoop their way back into contention.

"The slush really slowed down the passes," said Lak Attack. "When the courts started to clear a bit, that was to our advantage."

But the deficit was too great.

Buoyed by a couple of lightning glove saves, Gump wasn't about to let his first win of the new year slip away.

"We didn't really have much doubt after we were able to build up such a big lead," said the soggy shotstopper.

Idol's confidence comeback

All Billy Idol needed was a shot of confidence.

He got it from a whole bunch of shots. The seasoned shotstopper faced down a barrage of scoring attempts early in Sunday's game, rebuilding the confidence that was shattered by a rough defeat last week and boosting his team to a 20-17 win.

The victory may have been a turning point in his career.

Since being felled by a shot in last Spring's Stanley Stick finale that collapsed his face mask and bruised his eye, Idol admits he's been a reluctant rearguard. Shots from in close made him flinch, shattering his concentration and eroding his confidence.

"I wasn't expecting to play goal today, and to be honest, I was ready to go into retirement (from goaltending)," said the versatile veteran.

But with a newfound discipline to keep his stick down to guard against the easy low shots that eluded him so easily last week, he started strongly in Sunday's rematch, regaining his confidence with each save, every smothered rebound.

"I think you've just got to try to make those first few saves," said Idol. "Your confidence goes through the roof."

Inspired by their revived rearguard, Idol's teammates wheeled and dealed in the offensive zone, their newfound confidence in their goaltender fueling their ability to take risks and press the play.

"I think right from the get-go, we had a pretty good idea this wasn't the Billy Idol of last week," said Elvis. "That sort of gave us the green light to be able to play a little more offensively."

They needed every one of their red light rewards, though, as a mid-game swoon almost cost them the game. After building a formidable lead, their hands turned to stone, their checking in the defensive zone to the ferocity of cold noodles.

"We were getting beat down low, we were losing the battles in the corner," said Idol as he gave up eight straight goals, tying the game at 16.

But the comeback creaseminder wasn't giving up. Diving across the crease, sprawling on his back between the pipes, Idol fought gamely to give his mates a chance to get their heads back into the match.

"Once they tied it up we knew we just had to bear down," said Elvis.

They rewarded Idol's determination with three straight goals.

"Last week I had no confidence, and today I felt really confident," said Idol. "It made the difference."

Shrimp ring fuels shovel brigade

Fueled by a ring of shrimp and a jar of spicy cocktail sauce, the roadsters were determined to finally launch the season's second half. It was a long time coming.

With the season waylaid for the past five weeks after a series of storms during the Christmas hiatus buried the court under more than two feet of snow and ice, the players attacked the frozen remnants of the winter wipeout Sunday with shovels, spades and scrapers. But a week of thaws and subsequent freezes had hardened the precipitation to the consistency of undulating concrete.

"It's pretty bad, miserable conditions," said Lobsterboy, as he hacked at the ice while already suited up with most of his goaltending equipment.

"It's obviously a lot more work than we bargained for," said Pig Farming Goalie, who was anticipating a showdown with his old nemesis. "I mean, some of it clears off pretty nicely, and some of it goes in big chunks."

The frightful condition of the court was made all the more frustrating by the otherwise perfect conditions for an epic game, sunny and mild.

"It's such a beautiful sunny day," lamented Lobsterboy. "I thought it would be melted, and to see so much hard-packed snow, it's a sad day for road hockey."

Or maybe a day without road hockey at all, as a few of the roadsters seemed resigned to their frosty fate.

"My first reaction was this isn't going to happen," said Cowboy Bill. "It's been four or five weeks since we've really had a good game and this isn't looking too promising."

Others weren't so quick to give in to the ice and snow. After two hours of sweat and hard labor, the surface was slippery, but finally playable.

But after the unprecedented five week mid-season hiatus, some feared more had been lost than just a handful of games.

"It's like we're almost going to have to start the season over again," said Cowboy Bill. "We've lost five week so we've lost all that conditioning and that comfort we've been building up through the first half of the season. Now we're almost starting from Ground Zero."

But after more than a month off, at least they were starting.

Courts, shrimp ring still frozen

The shrimp ring is staying in the freezer for another week.

The road hockey courts are still buried under more than a foot of frozen slush and ice, the remnants of a series of snow storms during the Christmas hiatus. The subsequent rains haven't melted enough of the snow, and overnight freezes have hardened the moonscape into hardened pack ice that would resist even the most determined shoveling brigade.

The road leading to the courts also continues to be clogged by three foot high mounds of hard-packed snow, now blackened by salt and street grime, making parking almost impossible.

It's the first time in Sunday Morning Road Hockey history that three consecutive games have been lost to weather; including the week off for the Christmas holiday, it's now been four weeks since the roadsters last slapped the evil orange plastic ball in anger.

"It's unbelievable," said founding father Living Legend after inspecting the courts on Saturday afternoon. "The snow on the courts has been trampled and frozen so hard, it's going to take jet engines blowing hot air or a week of monsoon rains to get back down to the concrete. That stuff would smash any shovel, and the will of even the most-hardened shoveler."