April 05, 2009
A hard way to win
With only three weeks left in the regular season, there are no more easy games. Sunday's 16-13 win for Pig Farming Goalie and his mates was especially hard. Literally.
After struggling for most of the first half, the game turned around when Colonel tossed in a new, harder ball. Suddenly the bounces - and there were many of them - started going their way.
"We used the bounces to our advantage," said the veteran shotstopper, who made his first start in two months.
While their opponents scrambled to control the lively sphere, PFG's forwards cashed in the rebounds that careened off Twizzler's pads and arms.
"We were just putting more shots low on Twizzler," said Scrappy. "They were bouncing off his pads and we were getting a lot of rebounds, a lot of ugly goals."
"We were just able to handle it more" said Beetle Boy, whose offensive struggles Sunday were offset by his solid defensive effort. "We had some players who really could move it and deke with it, but they couldn't do that with the sticky ball."
Indeed, the warm, sunny conditions had softened most of the balls, sending passes skipping over sticks, deadening shots into the goalies' equipment.
But with the introduction of the hard ball, the tempo of the game picked up as players enjoyed more success with pinpoint passes, and rebounds presented newfound scoring chances.
The frantic pace put the goalies on alert.
"I just had to speed everything up," said Pig Farming Goalie, who put his stamp on his return when he robbed Nibs of a sure goal with a lightning stab of his glove hand. "You definitely had to try to minimize rebounds because that ball would just ricochet off your blocker, your foot and in."
"He kept us in there with some huge glove saves," said Scrappy of his comeback creaseminder. "It really helps having a solid goalie between the pipes."
"He had a couple of huge saves... that allowed us to take some chances up front," said Beetle Boy.
And they were full measure for those chances, converting their opportunities with renewed confidence, as almost every player on the winning side got in on the scoring.
Sunday's game ended abruptly when Pig Farming Goalie tweaked the groin injury that has hobbled him most of the season. But the clock was ticking anyway, as the veteran goaltender was about to leave for a prior engagement.
"it's disappointing to call it early," said Scrappy. "That's the way it goes sometimes, you live and die by the goalies."
"We were confident that we would be able to hold on, "said Beetle Boy, even has team had given back a couple of quick goals after opening up a 16-11 lead.
Rain is only supposed to start in the afternoon!
Posted by: V at April 18, 2009 10:27 AMgood luck with the stanley stick, still in china..one more trip then i am done
Posted by: lobsterboy at April 18, 2009 12:19 AMWill be missing this weeek because of the rain. I am officially a fair weather roadster. To answer pfg, last week I was running 17 miles. Cowboy and Velma, good luck on the Sun Run. Remember to use those elbows to get ahead of the other runners.
Posted by: lakattack at April 17, 2009 12:26 PMI'm out this weekend, will be there next weekend and will miss the first week of the Stick.
Cowboy; i put in my estimate time at 40-49, but I was hoping to break 40 this year. Not going to happen because I've been gimped and sick. Ah well... there's my motivation- to get back to NW before you.
Posted by: Velma at April 17, 2009 09:00 AMhey V,
I am hoping to put in a sub 50:00 but around 52:00 is going to be more likely given my training this year.
Bill
Posted by: Cowboy at April 17, 2009 08:43 AMhey guys wat is this stanley stick bout it is the first year so i dont know wat it is all bout
Posted by: twizzler at April 16, 2009 10:30 PMRe: Sun Run
Cowboy, what's your estimate time? I'm hoping to get back to NW by 11:15 and maybe make it out.
Anyone know if there's free parking near Columbia or New West skytrain?
Posted by: Velma at April 16, 2009 09:51 AMI missed this past weekend due to family being in town for easter. I will likely miss next week because of the SunRun never starting on time but I will do my best. Maybe I can set a PB and be back in NewWest by 11am...maybe...
Posted by: Cowboy at April 14, 2009 04:57 PMLast week looked like a bye week... at least I had a legit excuse- I was backpacking in the Stein Valley. I'll be missing next week as well (Sun Run) but after that I am good to go.
Stoked for the Stick.
Posted by: Velma at April 14, 2009 08:09 AMBut where is Paul One and Lobster Boy?!?! It would not be the Stanley Stick without Paul One out there motivating his team. Plus I really miss the lawn chairs and the big shade tent he used to bring.
Posted by: Beetle Boy at April 13, 2009 06:51 PMThere are only two Sundays between no and May 3rd. Guess that means that anyone who hasn't come out yet can't qualify to play. Anyone who has come out once needs to make it the next two consecutive weeks. Anyone who has come out twice needs to make it at least one of the next two weeks.
What's the goaltending situation going to be? Who are the starters? Twizzler / Gump? Twizzler / Nibs? Twizzler / Idol? Twizzler / Colonel?
Posted by: The Colonel at April 13, 2009 06:34 PMStanley Stick is May 3, 10.
Posted by: Jay Suburb at April 13, 2009 12:57 PMWhen is the Stanley Stick and who is eligible this year???
But more importantly, which weekends is it on?
Posted by: The Colonel at April 13, 2009 12:15 PMwhere were you last week lak?
Posted by: pfg at April 13, 2009 08:35 AMEaster happened. We all went to church.
Posted by: The Colonel at April 12, 2009 10:37 PMPacking happened. That rain was nasty though. The Stanley Stick is too close to risk getting hurt on that slick concrete. At least, that's the excuse I'm going with...
Posted by: Living Legend at April 12, 2009 10:03 PMRain happened.
Posted by: Not Lak. at April 12, 2009 09:36 PMSAD,SAD, SAD, SAD DAY IN ROADHOCKEY. THREE ROADSTERS(LAK, KID & TWIZ) CAME AND THE REST JUST SUCK CRAP!!!!!!WTF HAPPENED???
Posted by: lakattack at April 12, 2009 01:44 PMi'm out for tomorrow; probably the season. gotta rest the groin.
Posted by: pfg at April 11, 2009 07:40 PMgump are you coming tomorrow,because i don,t want to play goalie.
Posted by: doo at April 11, 2009 07:28 PMthat wasn't just a hard game, it was expensive...two goalie sticks broken, both by my own player, yeesh. that's a hundred bucks right there. legend, you gotta lose weight...
awesome game by my 6 up front. hard battling, could have been a worse score if twizzler didn't make some great saves.
i'm pretty iffy for next week. the groin is less than perfect, unfortunately.
Doo, did you get in on the scoring?
Scrappy, time to lay off the whipping cream. You were dogging it out there today. I've got a diet plan that works if you're interested.
Posted by: The Colonel at April 5, 2009 10:16 PM