The Big Match-up

It's set, no not Stone Cold v. Ginger, the Iceholes will play the Blue Devils for the Keg. The Brewzers, after much controversy, made the play-offs but fell flat against the endless benches of Devils. Their were some officiating issues but not enough to make up for the whoopin' handed out in the last game on the green rink. Could the Patriots have knocked-off the Devils? Who knows, it took a long shoot-out session to rise above the DFW Titans.

Speaking of the last game on the green rink, the schedule showed one more after the Blue Devils ran the table but for some reason the Moose didn't show. The Chiefs made the most of it with a much needed practice, even a little on-ice support meeting for Stone Cold.

Next week's crowning of the I-league champion should be yet another fun event for all in attendance. Plenty of mock NHL accouterments, sub-par food, and as always a patented I-league brand of competition as the focal point. Two great teams, a rematch of last session's championship game, maybe this time the Holes will score a few goals, they seem primed for some offense. My prediction: Holes win in the third after trailing two to nothing for most of the game. Final score Iceholes 5, Blue Devils 4, I sure hope so, last session's 2-0 shut-out wasn't exactly the most exciting game to grace our edifice. For some reason defensive, patient, conservative hockey and I-league level play just aren't much of a combination.

Good luck to those with something to play for, I was robbed!

Here's how it went down, more or less. . .

Patriots (6-3-0) 4
DFW Titans (4-3-2) 3

The first period had no scoring but lots of shots, mostly on one side of the rink. It looked like the winner would be the team that scored first and in the second, after twenty one attempts at the net, that honor finally falls to Titan "Hot Rod" Lincoln Foster. But, not so fast, the Pats won't hang their head, just a few seconds into the third, Les York pops one by James Barber. A couple of minutes later the Patriots take control of the game when Steve Benefield streaks in from the point to score a power play goal. Which primed the Titans for another momentum switch, Justin Mason evens the score on the backhand. With the score tied, Roy Haenselmann is sent to the box putting the potent Titans power play on the job, but Les York bails-out his father-in-law with a quick shorty, and the lead. But before the penalty can end his daughter screens Ellis who gives up the lead to Mason. Only a minute left in regulation, not enough. Five minutes of OT, not enough. Two benches full of shooters, not enough. It takes until the second rolling through the roster before Les York finally gets the winner. I don't know if that's an official hat trick, but it was exciting for sure. Too, bad it was at 5:30, and no one else saw the game.

Snipers (3-6-0) 1
Hitmen I (5-4-1) 6

The Hitmen show-up big, Levesque virtually absent from the box score, how can this be? Levesque's line mate, Gabriel Rivera comes up with the first goal of the game and Cliff Bogle adds to the Hitmen's lead before the first period ends. Wil Dobson (now officially a hockey whore) scores on the first shift and Rivera claims the fourth Hitmen goal shortly after. But David Jackson loses his bid at a shut-out (his first?), at the hands of Alex "not Steve" Eysermans. Bogle puts another one on the board just to show Alex how insignificant his efforts are, leaving the third period for the solitary goal of Cory Cooper (Levesque gets an assist), the Hitmen ride their five goal lead in for an easy win.

Privateers (4-4-0) 5
Whalers (0-7-1) 1

These Privateers are certainly putting up some big numbers, the only question now is: Have they reclaimed their previous form or is this just a product of their schedule? I think that technically qualifies as one question. . . The scoring opens with the all-seeing Cody Payne, putting the 'Teers on the board. The storm builds in the second. Joel Bush scores on the power play, meaning he can keep his cool for the remainder of the game, or maybe not. Bush goes to the box for a roughing minor, but team mate Kevin McGlaun scores the shorty and the Whaler power play cannot penetrate the active neutral zone. In the third, McGlaun scores again, making a healthy 4-0 lead. Much later, Joel Bush gets his second leaving just over two minutes on the clock. Would Ryan Haley-Willhoite get the shut-out? The signs looked good, the Hamster was MIA, what threat could the Whalers pose? With only one second left on the clock, Joshua Monaco of the Whalers beats Ryan on the four on three power play. McGlaun and Steve Haley owe her a pitcher.

Stickmen (6-3-0) 1
Ice Holes (8-1-0) 4

The Holes dominate in time on the attack, and the goals come easy. In the first shift the Sticks looked, to me at least, to have the upper hand. Jones did not look strong in the Icehole net and the Stickmen were moving easily through the Holey defenses, even after the first Icehole goal (Gino Ropos), I thought it was only a matter of time before the Sticks made a first round upset. I couldn't have been more wrong. The first period was huge for the Holes (historically, not their best period), in addition to Gino's goal, Joe Picardo forgets to pass and skates in to the right post scoring from a crazy angle (keeping-up the first half of his promises to his progeny). Then Brian Harbison puts the Holes up by three and Greg Durante ends the offensive output for the night in the final second of the first period. The Holes fall back into their now clicking defense and shut-down most of the scoring chances of the Stickmen, limiting them to ten shots on the night, but Jayson Jones falls victim to the shut-out gods, giving up the sole goal to big mouth Stickmen, Jesse "Lunchbox" Henderson. No worries, this dress rehearsal for next week's game was always in the Icehole's back pocket. Joe needs to score that other goal for the other kid, maybe next week.

Silverwings (4-4-1) 0
Puckers (4-4-0) 1

Lots of drama in this game and none of it related to Ginger. Both goalies are spotlighted as no one from either team can find the twine for more than twenty minutes. Spivey in the Silverwing net makes 19 saves against an usually strong offensive effort for the Puckers. At the other end, "I'm no Saint" Patrick Donaghue faces a mere FORTY ONE shots, frustrating the Silverwings and their talented forwards. Deep in the third, as both Goalies feel the tension hanging on their foreheads in heavy drops of sweat, Donaghue finally feels the support of his beloved Assclowns. . . with less than two minutes left in the game Chris Kirton beats Eric's Spivey senses for the Pucker lead. Of course the game was far from over, Donaghue finishes the game making another save at the buzzer. After a game of being swarmed by the dark jerseys of the Wings, he is flooded by the Pucker red sea, smiles all around.

Brewzers (5-4-0) 0
Blue Devils (8-0-1) 5

The Devils called-up all of their reserves, determined to prove the Brewzer's critics right. Were they only pretenders? The score seems to bear it out, believe me I was rooting for the Brewzer maroon. The Brewzers had what would normally be a long roster, but after an impressive first period performance, the tank was quickly drying up. The Devils finally beat Mike Moore and the Brewzers in the second with the play of Todd Smith. Less than a minute later Mike turns away a series of shots from the Devil rush, knocking the goal off in the process, it goes unnoticed and the shot of Matt Weinrich is counted incorrectly as a goal. With what would prove to be a colossal scoring clinic for the Devils, this may not have meant much, or it may have been the will breaker for the Brewzers, not just a goal in a long line of goals. In the third, the scoring continued, Curtis Zoll, Todd Smith, and finally Aaron Hawley. A five nothing reaming of the Brewzers is certainly a good opening round for the Blue Devils, but the Holes are no strangers to play-off hockey. Blubaugh and the Devils get a shut-out, despite being out shot nineteen to fifteen.

Komets (5-2-1) 5
Grave Diggers (3-4-2) 0

On the other rink the Komets dog pile the Diggers ending in the same score, but a different type of game. It was destined to be an unusual night, with the full moon and all. Hyper-active imp, Scottie Baldree opens the scoring, beating Ellis to the rebound, backside. Then it was the shot heard round the world when Ryan Smith beats Ellis' glove from the high slot, what a jerk. In the second Ellis sticks it to the Komets, finding a way to flop his body in front of every shot except the one that rings-off the post, which isn't even a shot actually, so there! But, in the third the Komets come back with a vengeance. Wil Dobson revels in his own glory, pirouette-ing all the way back to center ice. Rich Duval, collects a rare goal on a friendly deflection. Jason Neal pops one up off of Ellis' stick which falls back down the twenty feet onto the back of Ellis' arm for the final goal of the night. Brent Bryant makes a mockery of the Diggers for twenty two minutes saving all twenty three shots at his end for the big Komet win. Screw all of ya'!

Moose (0-7-0) 0
Chiefs (4-3-1) 0

Sources say Stone Cold's advanced communications classes are going well. So long Moose, I feel like I never really got to know you.

See you all next week for the "Big One"