roadhockey.net

The pause that frets

When Lobsterboy left the court midway through Sunday's game after aggravating a toe injury, the players paused. Some, like Unabomber, fretted. Bird reflected. Beetle Boy was hopeful.

In the frenetic pace of Sunday Morning Road Hockey, the pause that refreshes can also mess with a player's head. And despite holding a substantial lead, Unabomber and his mates weren't about to relax.

"We know we've got to get ourselves warmed up again to get back into the game," said the goateed goalscorer. "You start to get a little cold, the sweat's drying. There's a lot of unknown factors here to get used to."

His linemate, Cowboy Bill, kept his game face keyed.

"You just wanna maintain your focus," said the hard-working backchecker. "You don't wanna get too lax, you don't wanna let them get back into it. You've got to clamp down."

But for the underdogs, the extended break as their newly-acquired goalie, Gump, suited up, gave them a chance to rework their game strategy and attack the game's second half with new hope.

"For our team today, the break was good because we were really getting shut down," said Beetle Boy, making his first start of the new year after battling illness and work commitments. "It's a gut check. We've just got to think about what we've got to do, who we have to shut down."

Shut out through the game's first half, Bird was reflective.

"If you don't come out strong, you know it's going to be over really really fast," said the winged winger.

Slumped on the player's bench, Elvis compared his team's dismal first half to auto mechanics.

"It's like being in a Volkswagen van stuck in the snow and you've only got one guy who's trying to push you out," said the poetic player. "It's tough, it's a heavy challenge."

Posted by jaysuburb at February 6, 2006 09:24 PM