roadhockey.net

Ottoman overcomes, team conquers

Ottoman finally found his timing and his teammates finally found the net, surging from behind to win Sunday's game 20-18.

The veteran goaltender had to overcome a shaky start during which he whiffed the first four shots directed his way, including a harmless lob by the Living Legend that breezed past his limp trapper. Down 7-2 even before the roadsters could work up a proper sweat in their first game after a two week holiday hiatus, Ottoman's reflexes returned and his mates began to climb back into the game.

"The timing was starting to come back, that was the main thing," says the upholstered shotstopper. "I think the good thing was it was after the Christmas break, so everyone else was just kinda getting back into the swing of things, so that made it a bit easier."

Buoyed with newfound confidence as their goalie started to kick out the saves, Ottoman's mates started filling the net at the other end, rifling blasts from the point past a startled and unusually gunshy Nibs, who was pressing between the pipes when Lobsterboy was an unexpected scratch. Seven straight goals gave them the lead for the first time, an advantage they'd never relinquish.

"Ottoman really kept us in the game, he kept it from getting out of hand," says Wink, who returned to action after an extended absence to service the onerous demands of his exploitative employer. "We just had to overcome their early surge."

They did that by firing the evil orange plastic ball often and with devastating accuracy, sometimes sending Nibs cowering to the far post.

"We gave them shooting lanes and those guys can fire it pretty hard," says Paul One. "Nibs did what he could, but when they've got lots of time to fire the ball and lots of room, they'll be able to score goals from back there."

Meanwhile, Ottoman became a wall, repelling opposing shooters time and again, frustrating the Kid on breakaways, covering rebounds from a crease-crashing Elvis.

"That's his game," says Paul One of his netminding nemesis. "He looked a little shaky in the beginning, but we know that's the way he normally starts out and then he brings it in at the end. That's exactly what he did today."

"We knew their lack of heart and desire was going to effect them in the end," says Wink. "We just outworked them, ouhustled them. The more talented team didn't win, the smarter, more disciplined team did."

"The guys were working hard and then they found their shots," says Ottoman.

Posted by jaysuburb at January 9, 2006 08:55 PM