roadhockey.net

Cowboy's win more than blind luck

Cowboy Bill's first road hockey win as a goalie was just a blur. Literally.

The neophyte netminder, who was pressed into service when none of the usual starters dared to defy Sunday's stormy conditions, played more than half the game without his glasses after they were smashed by a hard rising shot that screamed off his facemask, popping a lens from the frame. With no backup on the bench ready to step in, Cowboy and his teammates squinted out a 20-15 win.

"I was worried that I might be a little shakier," said Cowboy. "But the team had been playing some good defense, I didn't have to make too many big saves."

In fact, after squandering an early lead to slip behind their youthful opponents, 11-10, just before Cowboy went blind, the accident may have been the wakeup call his team needed.

"They were all over us, and running away with it," said Bird. "We were tired and we were dying, and that break gave us a chance to regroup and get back in it."

Playing in front of their newly-blinded goalie also forced them to work harder in the defensive zone, limiting shots from the point and forcing streaking forwards to shoot it high into Cowboy's shoulders, from where he had little trouble smothering rebounds.

"At that point I really had to be careful of my positioning," said Cowboy. "I had to make myself as big as possible. I couldn't rely on any reaction saves because I knew my depth perception was off."

Taking care of business in the defensive zone quickly paid dividends at the other end of the court, as Wink, Kid and Bird charged ahead, taking a 17-12 lead before faltering briefly to let their opponents get two within two, 17-15.

"We were getting our chances before, but they just weren't going in," said Bird. "We knew we just had to keep doing what we were doing, and we'd be able to finish it off."

They scored three straight goals to clinch the win.

Posted by jaysuburb at November 20, 2006 08:36 PM