Friday, March 02, 2007

I league Week 5: Preview

Puckers vs Stingers: 745pm Gold
Stingers want to bounce back from their loss to the patriots. Puckers are playing for honor. From Stingers center Josh Briscoe: "Losing two games in a season...that's unacceptable".

Slackers vs Borrachos: 8:15pm Green
Borrachos led by hockey legend Shawn Haley will look to deal another loss to the reeling slackers. Borrachos need a win to be in the hunt for top playoff spots. We wonder if Jim Stuckeman can break the 10 point mark? Gotta be a record.

Mayhem vs Spiders: 9pm Gold (I league game of the night: Gold)
Mayhem has only surrendured one goal this season. Can the spiders at least double that? Spiders look to shatter Mayhem's ego. Chris Gallagher vs Chris Conner...Barry Melrose called and said he is intreagued by this matchup.

Shockers vs Blue Devils: 9:30pm Green (I league game of the night: Silver)
The two hottest teams in the Silver division tangle in this one. Both with great goaltending, defense and ringers who can score.

Stickmen vs Patriots: 10:15pm Gold
Patriots look to continue their winning ways, they've won three of four this season and are right on the heels of Mayhem and the Ice Holes. The Great Jeff Vaughan looks to get points in back to back games.

Ice Holes vs Leftovers: 10:45pm Green
Call the UN...an unholy massacre is in the wind for this one.

Fugaweez vs Komets: 11:30pm Gold
Man for Man the Fugs should take care of business, but that could have been said for a couple games this season. Komets trying to figure out how to win a game in regulation.

Brewzers vs Snipers: 11:55pm Green
Late Night Hockey in this one kids. Brewzers and Snipers both come into this one in the middle of the Silver division...A prime spot to be in to make a late season keg run.

Thursday, March 01, 2007

Stars: 'Go a long, long way in the postseason'

How USA Today's Ted Montgomery sums up the Stars' trade-deadline deal:

"The Dallas Stars pulled off a coup by prying Mattias Norstrom, a so-so prospect and two middle round draft picks from the Los Angeles Kings for a marginal defenseman, a prospect and three draft picks that don't promise to amount to much (given the Stars' likely finish). While many other Western Conference teams made a bigger splash on trade deadline day, remember this deal as one that could help the Stars go a long, long way in the postseason. Don't forget, recently-acquired Ladislav Nagy will eventually chip in with some timely goals."

The rest of his column is here.

Monday, February 26, 2007

I League: Week 4

After week four, we’re beginning to see teams separate as well as a final say on what the divisions look like. The Borrachos and Ice Holes made the jump up to the Gold Division, so we now have 8 teams in each side.
Patriots vs Stingers
Above: Daniel Barr digs against a scrappy Stinger in the corner. Below: Nate Hodges circles the net, while the Total Eclipse makes a save. (Photos by melissa ross)

Week 4: 3 Stars
1. Chris Gallagher: Spiders: 2 Goals (Spiders 3-2 SO win)
2. Jim Stuckeman: Borrachos: 3 Goals (Borrachos 4-3 loss)
3. Rahul Sharma: Patriots: 2 Goals 1 Assist (Patriots 5-2 win)
Honorable Mention: John Parker: Brewzers: 2 Goals (Brewzers 4-2 OT win)
Goalie of the week: Tom Cox: Blue Devils: 12 saves on 12 shots (Blue Devils 4-0 win)

Patriots 5 Stingers 2
For all hockey fans out there, there was blood, scoring, and saves. In the I league Game of the Night (Gold Division), the Stingers set the record for fastest goal ever scored in a game by scoring in the first 10 seconds on a goal from the great Roland Widmann. After blood was shed on the ice repeatedly, the Patriots found their game in the 3rd Period. Pats put up Five against the “Total Eclipse” on 2 Goals from Jeff Eagle and Hockey Whore Rahul Sharma, while Bryan “Devil’s Pickle” Brookman also lit the lamp. The Stingers would get a second goal from Widmann, but the Patriots take the day with the biggest offensive explosion they’ve had in recent history.
PS…the Great Jeff Vaughn had an assist and the world rejoiced.

Mayhem 4 Puckers 0
Mayhem continues their assault in the Gold division as they rack up their 3rd shutout of the season. Mayhem scores from John Pinnard and Greg “Warrior” Mersberger while both Conner brothers also scored. We heard there were many break away goals in this one…Penalties were also abundant in this one as at least 15 people found their way to the box of shame. Excellent! At the other end of the rink, Mayhem goalie Chris Duran kicks asides 11 of 11 shots. Can anyone knock these guys off?

Snipers 4 Borrachos 3
Borrachos get shafted in this one on an apparent phantom call late in the game. According to player accounts, a Jesse Henderson shot was accidentally tipped by Shawn “B Leaguer” Haley past his own net minder Jesse Gonzales, however, the puck was never reported to have crossed the goal line. But Olson was refing… A tough loss to the Borrachos, who needed a win to hang with The Patriots, Ice Holes, and Mayhem in the top tier of the Gold Division. Borrachos has a great offensive night from Jim “MVP” Stuckeman who got the hat trick in the losing cause while Haley notched an assist in the effort as well. The resurging Snipers got the late one from Henderson and also got two strikes from Joe Tomme and one from Rodger Bishop.

Shockers 5 Slackers 1
The showdown between two solid Silver division contenders was pretty much all Shockers in this one. Shockers jumped out to an early 3-0 lead on goals from Jason Howell, Otto Bielese, and Chris Sholley. The slackers then scored the strangest goal we have ever seen…ever. A rocket dump in from Slackers defenseman Jason Hurst off the glass hits a rivet and caroms at a strange angle into the net as Shockers netminder Chris Duran who was behind the net trying to cut off the dump in, looked on in amazement. The shockers then went on to strike two more times on (illegible) and Bob Kardacz shots.

Ice Holes 5 Komets 0
This game was nothing short of a thrashing. Nay, a genocide. Ice Holes continue their dominance with a crushing 5-0 win to remain undefeated on the season. Three first period goals off the sticks of Nicholle Palomer, Mike Skupien, and Jared Junker had the Komets on their heels early. IH would tack on two more goals from Jason Junker and Rahul Gilbreath. It was a great night for the Skupien Family (1 G 2 A combined) and the Junker Family (2 G 3 A combined)…Isn’t it great to see families having fun? Komets had chances at times, mainly on their best line of Baldree, Nation, and Cappers. But the Ice Holes goalie Doug Taylor shuts the door and tacks on his 3rd shutout season.

Brewzers 4 Fugaweez 3 (OT)
Fugaweez continue to see their hearts broken, this time at the hands of the surging Brewzers squad. John Parker was the hero in this one as he scores the opening goal and the game winner in OT for the Brewzers with 48 seconds left. Fugaweez are given props for battling back in the third by scoring two goals. Fugaweez leading scorer Eric Johnson had 2 goals on the night, while Matt Osbourne had the Fugs first tally of the night. Brewzers got their other goals from Ken Thomas and Brian Flacksbart, while the hockey wonder Jamil Jabir had two helpers on the night. Brewzers also hold a tie for first in the silver division with the Shockers and Blue Devils. We wonder who the Brewzers will root for in that one?

Blue Devils 4 Leftovers 0
The Blue Devils have also now lined a tie for 1st place in the silver division with their trouncing of the winless Leftovers. Chris Zoll scored early in the 1st for the “game winner”, but the “Azul Diablo” would go on to get goals from Terry Newman, Dave Loggins, and Dan Glien. BD Tom Cox was brilliant in this one, as he denied all 12 shots he faced. Both BD and Shockers have a share of 1st place, and low and behold, there will be a showdown between the clubs next week. Priceless.

Spiders 3 Stickmen 2 (SO)
The Spiders get their 1st win of the season on a Chris Gallagher shootout goal for the 3-2 win. The re-born spiders got a goal from Gallagher in the 1st and from Bryan Couture. Stickmen goals from Alex Eyesermans and Rich Duval. Spiders will try to play spoiler next week against the undefeated Mayhem squad. Stickmen now are on the verge of being mathematically eliminated from the keg game.

Not to be outdone: Scoring Leaders....Stuckeman cannot be stopped!



Finally: The Remaining Scheduel for I League. (Take Note, the Bonus week Knute has given us... ie Pond Hockey Scrimmage. Free Hockey Folks) The Playoff night has been moved back to April 7th.