roadhockey.net

Summer play is the thing

The play in Wednesday's summer scrimmage was as rough as the ragtag assemblage of goalie equipment Guy Called Mike strapped to his body to protect himself from the sting of the evil orange plastic ball; but for the neophyte netminder, his first career start between the pipes was more about art than hockey.

"I think it was the fact there was actually no goal equipment and that I made some sort of project with it," said the veteran roadster, who elected to play goal to ease his way back onto the courts after two injury-plagued years threatened to scuttle his career. "I thought I was actually doing some sort of performance art than playing goal."

With only five players answering the call for the summer exhibition, GCM was the odd man out in a spirited game of two-on-two half-court. A handful of improbable saves later, he had players from both teams wishing they'd spent their evening at an art gallery rather than cursing his speedy glove hand.

"Shooting from inside that little feeble line was a challenge," said the Whirling Dervish, who made a tentative foray back to the courts after a five-year absence, of the rule modification for Wednesday's exhibition that required the roadsters to shoot for the goal only when they'd surpassed a line about five feet out from the net. "Taking a few stinging shots at GCM made me feel a little bit better."

Until GCM started making saves, stumping the Dervish and his veteran teammate, the Living Legend, and costing them an early 3-1 lead enroute to a hardfought 9-8 loss to a dynamic duo comprised of Stanley Stick co-MVP the Colonel and Beetle Boy.

"You know, I'm basically a big hairy male, and when I get up in the morning I piss excellence," said GCM of his creaseminding heroics. "I think that I showed a lot more than some other people showed here tonight."

Posted by jaysuburb at August 21, 2006 06:44 PM