The Pucks Just Keep Coming

Euless I-league

Stickmen (4-1-1) 4
Whalers (5-1-0) 2

The Hamster's bold claims are tested early when Lunchbox knocks in two Stickmen goals and Ken Halford makes a three goal hole for the Whalers who can't even score one goal in the first period. Finally in the second Joshua Monaco starts the puck rolling for the Whalers but they hit a wall immediately- Steve McCollister. No one else scores until the third when the Sticks drive the harpoon through their heart with Kyle Rybak's power play goal. After several more minutes of fooling around Kenneth Thomas gains a goal for the Whalers that ultimately doesn't mean a thing. The Whales are sunk for the first time this session, how will they respond next week?

Silverwings (2-4-0) 5
Brewzers (0-6-0) 4

Last week the Brewzers had one taken away on a bad call from the refs, and this week they once again jump out to an early lead, in fact this one is even more impressive. Kevin Cook scores the lone goal of the first period and in the second their dominance is increased threefold: two from Steven Collyard and one from Rob Walker while killing a penalty, no less! But in the third a switch flipped- that same penalty that Collyard got his shorty on does result in a goal for Silverwing Sergio "C-train" Castillo, absent from the score sheet for months now, then Chris Arendall cuts the Brewzer lead in half. Collyard shows his frustration and the refs put him in the box to watch A. J. DiBenedetto score another Wing tally. As the game neared its end, Bryan Brookman ties the game. Overtime was looming, about half a minute away when Justin McCullough breaks the Brewzer hearts again.

Puckers (5-1-0) 2
Blue Devils I (4-1-1) 1

This was a staring match between two legendary I-league netminders. Patrick Donaghue guarded the cage for the Red Menace, David Blubaugh held the hopes for the Beady Eyes. Lynne Young is the first to fool one of these goalies, putting BDI out front. Just before the first period ends, Blubaugh loses the puck in traffic and Casey Jenkins is awarded a goal. The tie would last through the remainder of regulation as these giants of beer league turned away shot after shot, smothering scoring opportunities like Chief Bromden on McMurphy. In the first minute of the extra period Martin Berryman puts the Puckers on the power play and about ninety seconds later, Kyle Boltz ends the game with a Pucker victory.

Shockers (3-2-1) 4
Grave Diggers (0-4-1) 1

The game was over before it had left the first period. . . Matt Russell lays in the first Shocker goal and on the power play, former Digger, Wil Dobson scores what would prove the game winner for his new team. The sole Digger goal belongs to Bruce Davis. Eric Yepez ends the first period with a Shocker goal, and that would be just about it- the remainder of the game is mostly skating around collecting penalties. At the end of the second, Stephen Dowling scores the final Shocker goal.

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

The second period erupts, destroying the still of the initial thirteen minutes with a goal from Terry Redmon for a Sniper lead, Kyle Rybak gets the assist. They reverse roles half a minute later to double the lead. Big Joe puts the Wariors on the power play and Derek Tillemans starts the momentum shift with his first goal, his second near the end of the third period ties the game and all signs pointed toward overtime. . . right up to the final second when Rybak again finds the twine to lift the Snipers into the one goal lead with no time left for a Warrior recourse.

LSI (2-3-0) 0
Spiders (4-2-0) 3

The systematic dismantling of the Imports by the Arachnid squad starts in the first period when William Wessell scores. My old pal Mackey Hermosillo finally skates under his own name and collects a goal in the second. In the third Freddy Gilbert takes the third Spider goal in a match where the shooting was 26 to 11 in favor of his Spiders. Kurt Kresta gets an assist on the final goal. . . A rare night away from the house, Lynn must be about ready to pop.

Mutineers (2-4-0) 1
Soul Patch (3-2-0) 2

The Patches are the first on the board with a shot from Brad Aho, nearly twenty minutes later Brian Lochkos adds one more to the Soul Patch cause. And a good thing too, as the Patch power play back fires in a Mutineer goal from John Swartzbaugh. The third period continues to degenerate into a fracas of penalties but the Soul Patch hangs on to their lead.

SND

Privateers (5-0-1) 5
Patriots (1-5-0) 3

I may have waited too long for the "Ambassador of Fun" gig, as Neiuwendyk forces Hull back into the management shuffle, but at least I didn't play quite as bad this week. Mark Johnson establishes the Patriots first, but Bob-O equals his efforts and ties the game. Matt "Tractor" Taylor takes the 'Teer lead, and on the power play Jonathan Horton puts the Privateer bench at ease with another goal. Jeff Eagle takes one back in a Patriot rally that almost unnerves the 'Teers, and when William Kraft knocks home the tying goal the Privateers went into a full panic. The Privateers full court press is fulfilled when Gus Mask gets a lucky deflection and Taylor subdues the anxious 'Teers with a late two goal lead, the Pats cannot respond.

Canadiens (2-3-1) 7
Komets (5-1-0) 8

A game of tug-o-war erupts on the green rink and the Komets pull one out first- Brian Panice. The Cans steal the lead with goals from Scott Haman and James Macha. Mighty John Thompson ties the game for the Komets and Graham Dunlap makes it a Komet lead, but Gallagher won't abide it- he ties the game. Macha once again restores the Canadien's lead. Komets tie again with Ram Lavani's shot, Clinton Tippet cancells it out with a Canadien goal. On the power play, Dunlap brings the Komets beck to even. Gallagher erases the special team effort with another goal for the Cans, but Dunlap takes it back- claiming a hat trick. Scott Haman puts the Canadiens in the lead again and watches as Dunlap goes fourth to tie the game one last time with just a little more than two minutes left, in regulation. In overtime the face-off goes to the Komets and in only twenty-seven seconds, Kelly Harris wins the game for the Komets. Fifty-one shots in this game, fifteen goals.

Ice Bats (3-2-1) 8
Blue Devils (2-3-1) 3

David has criticized my play in net, but the Bats are the only team I have beaten this session. . . might want to keep that gear on when you go home to that glass house. The Devils get the jump with a Casey Jenkins goal sandwiched between two Ben Stillwagon goals, but that would be the end of it as the Ice Bats go on an eight goal run. . . Bruce Davis scores another goal on the night (this time in a winning effort) and his is followed by Ed Boch's tally. The lovely Jacqueline Zee collects two in a row, one of which is the only puck to cross the line in the second period. In the final frame the Bats show no respect for the Blue Devils and despite putting themselves down a man for eight minutes they just keep cranking the pucks toward Blubaugh- Chuck Dolbee and Billy Quinn both score shorties. Andrew Latham lays one in the back of the net and to cap it off, Damon Lacey pounds a power play goal making it a 25% power play conversion game compared with a 50% penalty kill conversion. Well it should come as no surprise that these Bats know how to play on the kill.