roadhockey.net

Wink one-hands way to win

As road hockey's most notorious gameshow host, Wink uses his size and strength to stop opposing forwards in their tracks. Sunday, he used uncharacteristic finesse to quash the opposition's comeback and spark his team to a 15-12 win.

With his side's commanding four-goal lead whittled to two, 13-11, the fellow founding father charged up the court to take a pass at the edge of the crease; holding off the Living Legend with one hand, he used the other to gather in the evil orange plastic ball and then sweep it under a stunned Pig Farming Goalie.

It was, says Bird, a decisive moment. "It killed the other team. They were starting to get back into it and once we got that one, we knew we only needed one more. Everyone knows about Wink's point shot, but that finesse is something you don't see from him very often."

"I think we were mentally defeated at that point," concedes Elvis, who got it back with one of his own a few moments later; but it was too little too late. "We had that false sense of security because the Legend was covering him, so you just assumed it would all be taken care of and Wink couldn't have got that shot off. "

But, says Wink, the die for his team's victory had already been cast. Using quick transitions from defense to offense, they exploited their team's speed advantage to create odd-man rushes all game.

"I think we had the fast break going," says the big-shooting defenseman. "The goalie saved the ball, put it down and we passed it up; I think we caught them a few times."

Well, a few too many times for Pig Farming Goalie's liking. "Our defense stand still a little bit too much. They had good passing, it's tough to defend."

And when the play turned the other way, his mates didn't have the polish to generate much of an offensive threat of their own.

"It just didn't seem to click," says Elvis. "There was a lot of sloppy passes, a lot of bad passes through the middle that cost us."

"Towards end, team kinda fag out on me," says Pig Farming Goalie.

"I think we just had a little more legs, a little more desire," says Wink. "We tried to really make things happen."

Sunday's dry court was a welcome sight after last week's game was cancelled by a cold rain that kept all but one brave roadster huddling in their suburban hovels. But when Bird made the long drive despite the deluge, he was shocked by the lack of fortitude by his fellow players. Afterall, the game had always gone on before.
"It's disappointing," said the committed centerman. "Even in my early years here, when it was raining we wouldn't have a lot of guys but we'd still get a game in."
But two rain cancellations in three weeks, and an earlier game lost to a snow and ice storm, may signal a shift in the roadsters' sensibilities. Or maybe a return to their senses.
"I think guys are getting old, guys are getting tired," said Wink. "The Old Guard used to keep it going, and now the Old Guard is looking for the younger guys to make it happen."
"It's just a general lack of dedication from some key people," said Elvis.
But Pig Farming Goalie isn't pushing any panic buttons. "In February we had lots of good weather and maybe it's just trade off for what February weather is usually like."

••••••

Despite the lack of a game, a busy week of chatter amongst the roadsters culminated with a challenge by Wendel to his fellow players to step up this week no matter the weather. So, those players were shocked when Wendel himself was a no-show on Sunday.
"If he's gonna flap gum, he should show up," said PFG.
"You can't go ahead and challenge people like that and then just not show up," said Bird. "You've gotta keep your mouth shut if you're going to be inconsistent like that."
"That's probably the weakest thing I've seen all year," said Elvis. "I think the Wendy nickname is very well deserved in this case."

Posted by jaysuburb at April 10, 2005 06:25 PM