roadhockey.net

Extending the pain

For Wendel and his teammates, a decision part way through Sunday's regular season opener to extend the game to 25 goals was like moving the net back in the middle of a breakaway.

After battling back from an early defecit to close within a goal, 12-11, the prospect of an extra period to score the win may have been just too daunting. They were thrashed 13-1 the rest of the way.

"You know you've got to start to pace it out a little more, you've got to parcel your energy," says Wendel, of the mid-game swoon that came on the heels of the announcement to add another period. "You struggle and fight and claw back and you get so close, but then it slides away, that's tough to handle."

For the second straight week, a slow start by neophyte netminder Billy Idol, pressed into crease duty again as regular rearguards Ottoman, Pig Farming Goalie and Gump recover from various off-season ailments, cost his team early. But as he closed his five hole, his mates closed the gap. KId rediscovered his deke, Unabomber found his fearsome slapshot, and a runaway romp was suddenly a desperate nailbiter.

"Billy Idol changed up his game, and everything turned around for us for awhile," says Unabomber, who was able to regain the range of his legendary blueline blasts despite being hobbled by a pulled calf muscle.

"Billy really stepped up his play, he was shutting the door on us," says Paul One. "That helped them with their confidence level. Those guys were pressing."

But then came the decision to add a period, and the urgency that had fueled the underdogs' resurgence deflated like a torn tire.

"I think having the pressure relieved by adding that extra five goal margin maybe gave them a bit of a false sense of security," says Elvis. "They eased off a bit."

The feisty forward and his mates were quick to take advantage. With the Colonel driving hard to the net, Paul One dominating the boards and Bird bouncing in bloopers, the romp restarted in earnest.

"You definitely wanna capitalize," says Elvis of his opponents' midgame meltdown.

"Once we got a couple of goals ahead of them again, I think they figured it was done," says Paul One. "You could sorta see them let down."

"They got a few quick ones, and that was a pretty big mountain to climb," says Unabomber. "I think it kinda took the life out of us."

Posted by jaysuburb at October 17, 2004 04:37 PM