Laboring in Vain

It was a jam-packed weekend. I couldn't buy a win, Labor Day means more yard work, my good-ole Motorola I-205 was finally replaced, and lotsa exciting I-league hockey.

Hitmen I (2-4-0) 8
Grave Diggers (2-3-1) 3

The Hitmen I made some adjustments, and pulled-off a huge win this weekend, it may have only been the Diggers, but eight goals is a big game on any rink. Ellis knew things were not going his way almost immediately, the pass across the crease from William Kuo of the Hitmen ricocheted off the shate of Digger Ron Edwards directly into the net for the first goal of the game. A couple of minutes later Katherine Levesque stands alone in front of the Digger's goal while Lentz draws the D behind the net, a sweet shot through Ellis' armpit, and the Hitmen went up by two. At the other end Bob Barr pounces on a rebound to salvage the Digger spirits and log his first hockey goal. Gabriel Rivera closes the first with a near buzzer beater on the three on one rush. Hitman, Rich Wojcio, gets two goals to start off the second, then after a long period of scoreless hockey, Danny Grimes puts the second to bed with another Digger goal. The Hitmen were not ready to throttle back, they roar into the third with another goal for the patient shot of Katherine Levesque, one from James "Macho Camacho" Macha, and a second for Rivera. Anthony Edwards tries to preserve some Gravedigger pride with a twine tickler before the period ends, but I don't think he succeeded.

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

After a blazing hot inaugural season in Euless, the 'Teers are definitely in a sophomore slump. The Titans rebound from last weeks shut-out to the Pats with the first goal of the game, "Hot-Rod" Lincoln Foster takes the honors. The Privateers fire back with goals from Casey Payne and then Cody Payne, to gain the lead. Michael Kirkland of the Titans evens the score with only six seconds left in the period. The second starts off with a couple of doses of Titan hockey from "Big" Mac Miller first, then Foster again. John Haley scores one for the 'Teers to keep the game in reach. In the third the Privateers regroup and hold off the Titans even through a two minute powerplay (Joel Bush shows his frustration, again) but eventually allow the cushion goal to Kirkland. Not losing hope, they gain a powerplay of their own with just over a minute left, then pull the goalie making it six on four but fail to score even one more goal. In fact, in the final seconds, Kirkland springs (I am so Dad) into the open with the puck collecting the hat trick on the empty net.

Silverwings (2-3-1) 3
Moose (2-4-0) 4

The Moose (consisting of a collection of Hitmen and Diggers) take the ice with the limping Silverwings. The first period was all Moose, Ellis sees his best statistical performance of the night with a shut-out (through one period) and the Moose score twice: Steve Daniels on the power play first, then Katherine Levesque increases her tally for the night. After a brief moment of empty net, Chris Gallagher dons the pads in the second period. Gabriel Rivera score another goal for the Moose. The Wings strike back when Jason Neal rips one past Gallagher. Rivera marches to the other end and silences the coup with another Moose goal, but Paul Reid and the Silverwings refuse to die and close the period with another goal to bring the Wings within two. Jason Neal appears again in the third to put the Wings one goal from a tie, but Gallagher channels the still living spirit of Grant Fuhr, and closes off the net for the four three win.

Chiefs (2-3-1) 1
Snipers (3-3-0) 3

The Chiefs recruit Sniper arch enemy Jon Ellis to fill the net and hilarity ensues. In the first period the trash talk was flying while in front of Ellis' net and despite throwing everything they had at him he could not be beaten, could no one shut this guy up? Perhaps the Snipers were having trouble skating through the pile of B.S. around the net. That must have been it, because after switching sides at the intermission, the Snipers started finding the back of the net. Or was it just the talent of Sniper Andrew Rybak? He skated in stealth mode with the only white jersey on the ice (the Snipers served a penalty for too many men, because they lost track of where he was) and finally put the Snipers on the board with two goals. The Chiefs tower of strength, Bill Broad, nets one, bringing the Chiefs within one leaving the third period to battle it out for the tie. But the Chiefs desperation ends in penalties rather than goals, they accumulate eight minutes of offenses in the third alone, and the Snipers capitalize. Sniper guest, Lee Miller makes a deke just inside the blue line making room for the pass to the streaking Jesse "Lunchbox" Henderson who one times it past Ellis' glove. Nearly eight minutes remained in the game, but the Chiefs never challenged the lead, and Jesse wins green rink privileges on Ellis, for now.

Puckers (2-4-0) 0
Blue Devils (6-0-0) 1

The Puckers, predictably, have started counting their chickens before they hatch, assuring me that they have a cheerleading outfit on hand and look forward to posting embarrassing pictures and videos of yours truly fulfilling my end of the bargain on their bench, but what about their end? The Devils continue their march toward the keg with another win. They open scoring with what would prove to be the game winner, on the power play, from Scott Speelman. The goalie duel, already handicapped in favor of the Devils continued throughout the remainder of the game. Blubaugh turns aside the occasional Pucker shot and Pat Donaghue causes everyone's arse to pucker (oh, yeah) as he defuses rush after rush, flopping toward rebounds and all together bailing out the Pucker defense. but, with no offensive support, the Puckers drop one more game below that elusive .500, Casey Jenkins plans to make a return to the Pucker blue line and the schedule will be considerably weaker for Ginger's squad, so who can really say where this soap opera will end. Honestly, I don't think that I can lose.

Donaghue saves 27 of 28, Blubaugh gets the shut-out on 18 shots.

Whalers (0-5-1) 0
Ice Holes (6-0-0) 7

Jayson Jones of the Iceholes gets some relief after last weeks controversial nailbiter. The Whalers fend off all of the Icehole's attempts for one period, a victory of its own for this fledgling team, but the Holes pour it on in the second and third. In the second, Brian Hamstra (possibly the heart and soul of the Whalers) deflates the bench with a hooking infraction, after exhausting themselves killing the ensuing penalty, the Hole's persistent system finally crushes the Whaler opposition. They score four times in the second period: Nicholle Palomar, Lee Jennings, David Base, and Brian Preusser, building not a hill but a mountain for the Whalers in the third. The third would leave not time for the Whalers to climb that mountain however, as the Ice Holes attacked relentlessly, even Bill Clement joins in, leaving the broadcast booth to score one for the Holes. . . oh, wait. That's Bill Clements, anyway, he scores, and then a few more Iceholes do, too: Mike Harrington and Brian Preusser (again). Can anyone stop this Mechanical Marvel that is the Iceholes? Not that anyone really thought the Whalers would. . .

Patriots (3-3-0) 0
Brewzers (3-3-0) 2

In a continuation of the battle between Ellis and the Snipers, the Brewzers call in all of their double agents to assist in the game against the Pats. Jesse Henderson and Jamil and Nidal Al Jabri resume their trash talk with the Pat's netminder, with new ammunition. But, despite all of the action being at the Patriot net (not a single shot on the Sniper goal in the first period), Ellis shows them the hand. He certainly didn't show anyone the puck that Jamil tucked in on the wrap-around, NO GOAL! The Patriot offense continued to build, and all of the Brewzer hopes were dashed, again and again every Ellis save. In the final minutes of the final period, in the cruelest twist of fate, Sniper Goalie, Matt Walker, fires a puck for the Brewzers from the blueline through traffic, and foils Ellis blocker side. With renewed zeal, the Pats collapse on the Brewzer zone but cannot come up with a single goal. Ellis leaves the net with a little more than a minute on the clock, but the Brewzers hold fast, Andrew Thomas steals the puck and sends it the length of the rink for the empty net goal, short handed, no less. Lady Luck, she is a cruel mistress.

Stickmen (4-2-0) 4
Komets (4-1-1) 0

Has the Komet bubble burst? The Sticks were stymied for the first period, but prove that their chemistry is cooking in the rest of the game. With McCollister in net they hold-off twenty one Komet attempts and in the second, score three goals from Peter Sjolin, Jesse Henderson, and Lawrence Wade. In the third Brad Bynum scores one more, leaving the Komets to pick up the pieces of their dream season. After another long tearful, late night phone call to Bruce Frankel, the Komets dust it off, like the veterans they are. With the state of the league, the Komets are actually a favorite to make it to the final four this season. I hope you were taking notes, Wil, you may face this team again.