I-League Hockey, Fighting Global Warming Half an Acre at a Time

Does anyone own a grapefruit spoon?

LSI (5-1-0) 3
Grave Diggers (0-5-0) 2


The Diggers may have been mathematically eliminated from the minor championship in week one, but tonight they played an all-star caliber game. After ending the first period in a stalemate, The Diggers score two goals, first Bruce Davis, next Andrew Davis, making an unexpected, but comfortable, two goal lead. The Imports premier scoring line promptly returns the score to even, a goal from Catherine Levesque, then one from Gabe Rivera. With eleven minutes to determine the hero, the Diggers collapse their defense around their net, effectively screening Ellis who cannot locate the rebound before Levesque. She scores the game winner early in the third, and the Sparrow seals the deal. Are the Imports still in a lurch after the loss to the 'Teers last week? Ordinarily this team would make minced meat out of the Diggers.

Silverwings (1-3-1) 1
Puckers (3-2-0) 2


When the Wings went to play against Pucker
Patrick made their offense look the sucker
And they would only tell Ginger
That Casey's a ringer
'Cuz Casey's a big mother. . .

So what if Ginger and ringer don't actually rhyme.

The first was scoreless, but the Puckers get on the board first. Larry Nounemay's goal was erased just a couple of minutes later when the sole Silverwing to make the scoring summary, Ryan Kelly, ties it up, unassisted. Early in the third Casey J feeds John Ward for the game winner. The Silverwings could use a rematch with the Diggers about now.

Privateers (4-1-0) 3
Chiefs (3-2-0) 5


OMG! After emerging victorious in the much vaunted battle with LSI, the 'Teers get owned by the Chiefs! Robert Meassengale starts the Privateers off on the right skate, but former Chiefs netminder Ben Stillwagon reverses the tide with the first of a deluge of Chief goals. David Dahms and Ryan Brett leave the score at three to one for the close of the first. Joel Bush sinks his teeth into the fight with a goal in the second but the period ends in a wash with another Chief goal from Stillwagon. In the final two minutes of the third period Stillwagon gets the hat trick, Patrick Haley tries to save a little Privateer pride with a garbage time goal. The Chiefs are turning this thing around, and it looks like the biggest factor in the new direction is goaltender Josh Ayala, perhaps the best addition to the league this session. Brooks Willhoite was spotted at the bottom of a pit after the game, Stone Cold above him yelling,"It puts the lotion on its skin, or else it gets the hose again!"

Whalers (4-2-0) 3
Team Euless (1-4-0) 2


The Whalers are staying the course, surprising all of the odds makers. These guys work on the stock exchange. . . When things were going well with the economy, the Whalers sucked, now that we're in the toilet, the Whalers rock. . . What kind of a trade-off is that? Paul Thurston buys in with the ground floor goal, but shares drop when the rag-tag Team Euless gets the equalizer from Will Turner. Fortunately the close the period on a gain with another Whaler goal from Thurston. The second was bearish for the Whalers, without a single goal for, Euless ties it up with a goal from Rick Gregory. When Brian Hamstra rang the opening bell for the third period, the Whalers rallied to finish the game with a victory, the game winner in the middle of the period falls to who else but Paul Thurston, a hat trick.

Snipers (1-3-1) 1
Ice Bats (4-1-0) 8


It's a tough thing. . . Roaring out of the bat cave was Eric Petty and then in the final minute of the first period was the second Bat's goal, from Tim Marra, the Snipers were spinning. The second period scoring started-off with a goal from Nidal Al Jabri, followed by a bench full of Snipers clapping loudly and chanting, "I do believe in Snipers, I do believe in Snipers, I do, I do!". But it would take more than pixie dust to get this thing going. . . Four unanswered Ice Bat goals wrap-up the middle frame: Joel Blix, Eric Petty, and two from David Tratham. In the third the Bats let the limping Snipers off easy with only two more goals, the first from hat trick owner, Eric Petty- the last to Danny Grimes. Matt Walker was able to be revived and should be ready for next week's game. An eight goal game, it looks like the Ice Bat's dungeon master got them stuck in a never ending orc chasm.


Komets (3-1-1) 2
Patriots (3-1-1) 3
Jeremy Irons and Wil Dobson, separated at birth?












The goal tenders at either end turned away all attempts in the first with tension building between the two teams, the Komets trying to avoid a second loss, the Pats trying to stop the bleeding, the tension built until Wil Dobson stumps Ellis in the final second of the period. With a losing streak hanging over their heads the Pats finally get past the emotion of the first period with the help of a power play goal from Travis Lehr, the only goal of the frame. In the third, the Pats find their winning ways with two more goals from Lehr, completing a hat trick (how many hat tricks is that for tonight?). The Komets take advantage of the Pats, busy patting themselves on the back, and cut the lead to one when Bryan Brookman slides the puck through a mass of humanity and just under Ellis' leg. With little more than half a minute left in the game the Komets go on the power play. Coach Al calls a pow-wow at the bench and returns his troops to the front, but they cannot find the tying goal. The Pats and Komets are now tied for second (or third, depending on how you note these things) with only three games left.

Brewzers (1-3-1) 0
DFW Titans (2-3-0) 4


Some are questioning if Mike Moore is devoting too much of his time and energy into his goal tending clinic, especially after his collapse in the second period of this game. In a boring, scoreless first period, Mike and the Brewzers escape with their best goal differential of the night. In the second the Titans kick it into gear launching three pucks past Mike, first from Mike Kirkland, next from Justin Mason, and finally from Mac Miller. In the third the Brewzers leave it all on the ice only to see another goal late in the period to Mason. James Barber, unbelievably, figures out how to play goal turning away 23 of 23 shots for his first ever shut-out? Mike Moore would do anything for puck, but he can't do that. . .

Stickmen (2-3-0) 0
Blue Devils (4-1-0) 1


In a blood match between these two teams, you have to throw records out the window. Scoring was limited for the Sticks by penalties, of the twenty-two minutes worth of penalties in the game, twenty of them go to the Sticks. Gloria Buell scores the loan goal of the night for the Devils in the middle of the first period and the Stickmen spend the rest of the game trying to beat themselves. I guess you could say they won that fight. Kyle Ryback deserves a medal for his valiant efforts in the Stickmen net, turning away all but one of the twenty-six shots he faced. The Ice Bats and Blue Devils share the top spot, now you know. . . And knowing is half the battle.

P.S. Have you seen this one yet?