I-league in Two Parts

A big week in the majors, the Blue Devils continue their downward slide, the Warriors put on a new face, and the Komets are executing their game plan. In the "lower than I-league" minors, hilarity abounds, I witnessed score keepers and refs alike giggling at one game.


Minority Report











Puckers (1-1-0) 0
LSI (3-0-0) 4


LSI, team ringers?

In Karen "Sparrow" Powell's return to the I-league net, the Ports do her proud, they open the scoring with Gabe Rivera's goal halfway through the first, and open up the can in the second. Goals from Mike Bierwiler, Rivera, and Katherine Levesque went unanswered to finish the period. In the third, the storm subsided, only a penalty from the frustrated Billy Kuo. For his part, Patrick Donaghue, turns away thirty-one shots, just missing the 90% save percentage. Just who are these Lone Star Import-ers, my sources say they won a D-league championship this summer. . .

Grave Diggers (0-2-0) 1
Whalers (1-2-0) 2


Whalers finally win

The Diggers prepared themselves to put up a "W" in the pre-game locker room, but as game time approached the roster appeared to be surprisingly short, seven players and a goalie. The winless Whalers had no aspirations before the game, only to play to the best of their ability. . . In the first period the shots rained down on the Whaler net but rookie net minder Greg Mata, turned them all away. In the final minute, Whaler new recruit, Andy Thomas, draws out the defense and beats Ellis on the break-away. A few seconds later, Whaler MVP Brian "Hamster" Hamstra, looks Ellis off and sets-up Paul Thurston with a sweet pass to the post to put the Whalers up by two. The second was a draw, with more shots coming from the Diggers, but nothing could penetrate the incredible play of Mata, until Steven Culps arrived at his doorstep, knocking home the one timer cutting the lead to one, with nearly three minutes left. . . The Diggers run out of gas, and the Whalers get heir first win- ever? Congratulations, maybe one day you'll be able to score on me yourself, Brian.

Chiefs (1-1-0) 5
Silverwings (1-1-0) 0


The Chiefs rebound in a big way

Goal tender Eric Spivey was bested three times before the halfway point of the second by Chief, Ryan Brett, not a natural hat trick. The Chiefs added to their three goal lead with a goal from Tony Davis in the second and finished the third with their fifth goal of the night from Thomas Harnitchek on the power play just thirty-nine seconds into the period. New Chief tender, Josh Ayala, faced few scoring attempts but deft stickhandling and rebound control proved the wings on his back stronger than the Wings storming down the ice, a shut-out on eleven shots. Brookman, coach of the Silverwings, says, "we just suck!"

Privateers (2-0-0) 10
Team Euless (0-2-0) 2


Euless stumbles in game two

After making a mockery of the Silverwings in their premiere game last week, instant karma comes via the Privateers. Team Euless strikes first beating Ryan Haley (keeping her career on her maiden name) in the 'Teer's net only thirty-four minutes in to the first period. Her forwards strike back quickly, Cody Payne less than a minute later ties it, then takes the lead a few minutes later. Joel Bush puts his on the scoreboard next followed by two from Patrick Haley, both in the last minute. . . of the FIRST PERIOD! Rick Gregory scores own for Euless on the power play to start the second but the 'Teers pour it on with three more: Eric Ahlstedt, Jeremy Boyd, and Ahlstedt again. Randy Shipp scores one for the Privateers late in the third and Patrick Haley gets his hat trick in the final minute of the game. Cody Payne and Patrick Haley both finish with three point games, a stat that may be tarnished by the fact that Team Euless had NO GOALIE. In week two (sort of) this game and all of its details will be lost to history by the time the session ends, get it while you can, right?

The Simple Majority










DFW Titans (1-1-0) 2
Komets (2-0-0) 3


Komet Nation domination?

In the first period on the first Komet shot, Dustin Nation comes up with the first goal, just over a couple of minutes later on the second Komet shot, Nation gets the second goal. In the second Michael Crook scores another for the Komets to put the game away, or so it would seem. But the Titans would not go down so easily, before the second ended, they score one from Kenneth Rawson and one from Brittany Boisvert, putting the pressure squarely on Brent Bryant and the Komets for the remaining eleven minutes. Brent faces twenty-two shots for the night and Ram Lavani puts the Titans on the power play with his unsportsmanlike conduct penalty but the Komets survive. Coach Al says this is the Komet M.O., "we win most of our games by one goal, 2-1 or 3-2. We don't score much. . ."

Blue Devils (0-1-0) 2
Brewzers (1-1-0) 3


Blue Devils lose in regulation for the first time since. . .

The returning back-to-back champs open the scoring before the first minute passes via Todd Smith. But, the fortunes were reversed before the period ended. Jen Leonard (undergoing a hockey renaissance) finds an open Jamil Al Jabri on the opposite post for the go ahead goal. And, Jabri pays it forward with an assist to Ken Thomas. In the second the Devils show their championship gumption and tie the game with a goal from Danny Flinn. In a tight third period, the Brewzers look Nate Hodges square in the eye and show him the loss in the opening round of last session's play-offs was only a fluke, Jamil Al Jabri scores the game winner four minutes into the frame and Mike Moore clamps down the goal mouth for the win. Blubaugh is going through a tough spell here lately, in this game he allows three goals on eleven shots. Gloria Buell takes the only penalty of the game, holding. . . some lucky guy on the end of that one.

Ice Bats (1-1-0) 4
Stickmen (0-2-0) 0


The Bats are warriors

The Sticks have taken a few steps back this session, they hang Blubaugh out for thirty-six shots. The Bats on the other hand, are on the attack. They lost last week but right the ship this week with a goal from father son team Chuck "Hanson" Dolbee scores on the Scott "Mindo" Dolbee pass. Although this would prove to be the game winner, the Bats keep swinging. And, they get more production in the second from the visiting Hamster, Brian Hamstra, and Danny Grimes, putting them up three to nil. In the third, Derek "Tea for the" Tillemans pounds the walk-off home run. The Sticks find themselves in the hole early, alot of things will have to happen if they want to rescue this season. A positive, they did kill-off the penalty.

Patriots (2-0-0) 4
Snipers (0-1-0) 1


Snipers have talent, tough schedule

Pretty good headline, eh, BC? The first period comes and goes, Mike Moore puts on a goaltending clinic at his end, but the Pats just keep coming. In the second, their hard work finally pays off with a Pat goal from Kendall Bernard. A little more than a minute later chaos on the boards culminates in a one on one between Alex Eysermans and Jon Ellis, a shoulder fake from Alex and the five hole opens wide for the tieing goal, and some tasteful trash talk ensues. After twenty-two minutes, Mike's goaltending clinic concludes leaving the third period open for Patriot scoring, which they do: Roy "Soft Hands" Haenselmann, Travis "Smells like a Brewery" Lehr, and Doug "*insert nickname before posting*" Phillips (on a sweet one-timer) bury the Snipers. After last week's performance against the Blood Evils, er Blue Devils, it's hard to say if the talent is with the Snipers or abandoning the Devils.

Remembering Jeremy Hunkin

Just a quick memorium:

If you remember the Leftovers, then perhaps you remember the Aussie I-leaguer Jeremy Hunkin. While in the States on business, he decided to join up with our league. After three sessions playing with the Leftovers, he had his fill of hockey, and left us with many interesting and happy memories. While his hockey skills didn't warrant much gameplanning, his accent would often draw a double-take from opposing players.

I received the sad news this week that Jeremy was killed in a motorcycle accident back in Australia.

If you have any contact information or just something you would like to share, feel free to use the space below.

Blog Etiquette?

My lack of creativity is being exposed without the input from pointstreak, but I must struggle on!

The session is just starting, I want to thank everyone who has sent me ideas for stories and directions to take the blog. . . to better serve our community. And, thank you to all of you who have just offered me some constructive comments and compliments.

What I'm not sure how to address is the complaining about one thing:

Anonymous commentors

Not long ago, on a blog post not far away, BC and I came to issue on this subject. I do not have access to the net during business hours (I'm on the road, all day) and though I try to moderate the comments on the Blog as best I can, some racy ones sometimes make a short life on the site. My line and BC's are in slightly different positions, but he saw one that I would have most likely removed and went ballistic, removing the comment function entirely. After a cooling-off period he reinstated the commenting, with the understanding that things would have to be civil, and "PG".

For the most part, everyone has done him proper.

While this fiasco was working it's way out, I was hit from all sides about the evils of anonymous commentors. How they should be abolished. Why they are the worst part of the Blog experience. I couldn't disagree more.

Some of the funnier comments have been anonymously posted, and the anonymity is usually integral to the humor. I would never want to stifle these creative commentors. A "fake" commentor can be funny, when this same creativity is applied, satiring Yockey, Ginger, or myself. It can get old fast, though. I especially love the sublime giggle of reading a complaint about anonymous comments from an anonymous commentor. . . GENIUS!

I understand the difficulty of spotting sarcasm and satire in print format, but when I read the comment section, I choose to believe that only the highest minded commentors read our Blog, and a biting comment only needs a second thought to grasp the meaning of. Blogging I have discovered is not often about giving a second thought. But, hey, what can you do? Everyone has the right to their own opinion, and I for one welcome the airing of those opinions.

If you request me to remove a comment from the Blog, I will consider it, but it all comes down to the comment itself. Not everyone can agree with everyone else, so I won't remove a comment unless I think it is completely out of line: vulgar, racist, or just plain MEAN. I'm not in the business of protecting your reputation.

So bring those comments on my lovely, high-minded, clever commentors. . . please don't bother finishing the "mean people suck", thing. I like it but it doesn't belong here.

Major in Hockey, Minor in Baffoonery

Pointstink does not have any of the information for our opening day, I only know how things went on the gold rink so I will give you my best effort. . .

Patriots 2
Stickmen 1

In the opening frame the offenses for both teams were stymied, great defense and goaltending dominated the play but in the second it was the Pats who penetrated the fabulous fat man in the Stick net. Only a short time later, Ellis playing half-awake at the other end, is caught off his angle and beaten low stickside. In the third- Patriot sub, Bryan Brookman, cut behind the Stickmen's net after dumping the puck into the low slot. As he emerged around the opposite post the puck landed at his skates, he somehow manages to shoehorn the puck between Blubaugh's pads and the post for the lead. Even with most of the third left to play, the Sticks were unable to muster the tying goal. The Stickmen are DONE! Too bad, they still have a meaningless season ahead of them.

Lone Star Imports 3
Grave Diggers 0


The returning Hitmen (who have now re-branded themselves as an auto dealer) strike hard and often in this battle royale. In the first Ellis tries to prevent the puck from moving in front of the post, but Kuo manages to muscle the puck in for the first tally of the game. In the second a shanked shot from the top of the slot is redirected high blocker past Ellis by Gabe Rivera. Not long after that, Levesque follows the rebound off her breakaway attempt an gets her unassisted first goal of the session out of the way. The third was all Ellis, he secures the Digger's defeat with stellar, meaningless play allowing no goals in the final eleven minutes. The Diggers are DONE! It wasn't that long ago that this team was clamoring for an I-league minor, the Yock delivers and the Diggers choke again.

Komets 3?
Brewzers 1?


The Brew Crew scored first and made as if they were the '98 Stars, riding the goal out until the end of the game. Unfortunately, they are not the '98 Stars. They hold-up through the third period but the Komets are building on last session's successes, they score two or possibly three goals with the inspiring words of coach Al. Coach Al was quoted after the game, "These Komets are poised to take the Keg this session. With consistent offensive outings of two or possibly three goals and my inspiring words, who can stop us?". The Brewzers are DONE! The top four finish of last session was proven to be a mirage in the play-offs, and the trend will continue throughout this session as well.

Ice Bats 11
DFW Titans 2


The Titans were strong in the opening innings, working the count, manufacturing runs, but the high octane Ice Bats, fresh from Austin, are stacked in the back half of their line-up. The seventh alone was comprised of three Bat home runs with six runs all together. When Ice Bat closer, John McNabb, took the bottom of the ninth with three outs on four batters, the work-a-day Titans were left to pick up the pieces of their season, even as this is game one. The Titans are DONE! This team will no longer be the bride, the bride's maid, or even invited to the reception.


Blue Devils 2
Snipers 1

Either the Snipers have moved up to I major or the returning Keg champs have dropped to I minor, either way we all had a feeling what the outcome would be for this game. The outcome may have been predictable but the game itself was anything but. The Devils score first, a flurry in front of the Sniper net is punctuated by the artful, rising backhander of Val Kuntz, putting the Snipers behind early. Coach Bateman, however, would not let his team go gentle into that good night, they storm back and score one of their own leaving two periods to battle it out for the win. That would not be enough, the Snipers escape with an overtime loss when a deflection through traffic makes it just inside the left post for the Blue Devil's win, Ellis collapses like Fanny Mae. No doubt the Devils have smelled the coffee and will have no rust left for next week's game. The Snipers are DONE! How could this team have ever expected to compete in the highest of I-leagues, Euless I-league, major?


Puckers 0
Chiefs 0


In the first round, the Chiefs were ablaze firing-off lightning fast combinations, catching the Puckers off balance with a hard left at the end. Time after time the Puckers tried to wait out the eager young Chiefs with the rope-a-dope, the plan paid off in the fourth as the tired Chiefs made for the finishing left they were caught in the ribs with a Pucker right. The Chiefs lost their bravado and proved not to be able to fight a cautious bout, they could not answer the bell in the eleventh and the Puckers get the TKO. In the press box, the bickering betwixt Stone Cold and Ginger quickly evolved into a palpable sexual tension. The Puckers and Chiefs are both DONE!


Team Euless 3
Silverwings 1


Ladies and gentleman, may I direct your attention to the center ring. How many clowns are there in this tiny little locker room? Bryan Brookman and his staff have entertained the crowned heads of Europe with this same juggling routine. Observe the spectacle of the two headed goalie! The roaring you hear from the cage, the ill-tempered Sergio Castillo, which no man can tame. The high flying Super Girl, carrying all the hopes of the Wing offense. . . The Silverwings are DONE! What is this team Euless thing? This session's Moose?




The Privateers played the Whalers earlier in the week, I understand. A bunch of Pirates versus a bunch of Big Fisherman, I don't know. In Moby Dick, the whale killed all of the whalers except one. In the Swiss Family Robinson, I remember the line from Francis, "I see a Pirate getting SQUISHED!", I guess both of these teams are DONE!

My prediction: Blue Devils lose to the Pats in the Keg finals.

P.S. Is this a good name for a kid's toy?

Fine Tuning

The final week of practice, and I have to shut my mouth. . . I chose sleep over hockey practice. So what, I attended two practices last week, I think I deserve a pass.

So far no schedules out for either I-league, Major or Minor, but this promises to be a new breed of I-league, roster control from the Yock, a separate peace for the so-called "true I-league-ers", and firm grip on the purse strings (all you hockey whores, look out!). Will this reformation bear-out or fade away like so many other pre-season promises? Will penalties and MHOA be held to a higher standard as well, or is that too much to put on the plate right now? This platform of change may be lacking some substance.


So far the promises have been kept. In the last games of last session, I know that at least a couple of players were removed from games due to roster issues.

The financial upheavals of late are certainly putting a pinch on my hockey habits, but rest assured, I have E-mailed my congressman, and expect a bailout package to be directed our way soon. Everyone else is in line, why not us?

See you next week for the opener
bc III

P.S. watch your shower shoes!

Practice Makes Perfect

Hockey is breaking-out all over. . .


Self professed hockey mom, Sarah Palin, is drawing the attention of politicos and milf hunters alike, even here in Dallas, where she received a special Stars jersey from the team. Should we draw any conclusions on the fate of our hockey hopes based on her ultimate success or failure in the election? I doubt her connection to the team is strong enough to draw any parallels, but as Palin's public ratings slide, the pre-season rolls on. . .

Stars hockey is fast approaching and the pre-season is not making me feel especially conifident. I do take solace in the fact that the full roster has been present for all of no games, and it is only PRE-season. There is much to look forward to. Turco continues to prove that he is one of the best goaltenders in the league (I say, he is the best). James Neal, who lead our prospect team to a tournament victory in Traverse City this summer, may see a significant amount of time our roster. And, let's not forget Sean Avery. Like him or not, the eristic forward is sure to make this an interesting season to say the least.

And finally at the extreme opposite end of the talent spectrum, the fall session is underway. Yes, practice is technically part of the session. I made it to my scheduled events, but it appears that not many others placed much priority on building their skills. The player to coach ratio for the Pats was 2:1, most people would be paying three or four hundred dollars an hour for this kind of personal instruction (instruction, that word sounds so familiar). I don't have any totals for the remaining teams.

And coming soon, a new feature for SNH. I received an e-mail from Mel "Supergirl" Knourek who thought it might be a good idea to put the spotlight on some of the women of I-league, find out what it is that draws them into this male dominated sport and I thought it might work. A picture might even make it work more better-er. My tentative title would be. . . "Body Check: the women of SNH". If you have any suggestions for this venture, leave me a comment or e-mail, so that I can ignore it. I wonder who should be the first subject? Mel? Ginger? Val? Ryan? Hmm, so much potential for controversy.

See you at next week's practice, right?