Gimme a Break, I've Been Under the Weather

minor I

Silverwings (1-4-0) 1
Brewzers (4-3-0) 5

The Brewzers and Silverwings had a 3 goal line set just as the bets were closing but the first period had all of the bookies in a tizzy. The wiry Kevin Cooke delivered the first goal of the game and the expected Brewzer lead, but none of the rest of his crew could match the task and soon the match was tied when Kevin McCullough closed the period for the Silverwings. When the Brewzer's Steven Collyard was sent to the box in the second, Mike Moore was escorted from his house and outfitted with a pair of cement skates, the shorthanded goal from Dennis Sutton may have come too late as no one has heard anything from Moore in the past few days. Regardless, the Brewzers charged on with a third period shut-out of the Wings and three goals besides, Sutton scores again ( this one on the PP), followed by Steve Daniels, and then- so caught up in the emotion of the game Collyard forgets about the dirty money he had riding on the shaving and scores the last one. Here's to you Mike, I dedicate this one to your memory!

Warriors (5-2-0) 1
Snipers (1-2-1) 0

The Snipers fought valiantly, but the Warriors fought more valiantly. The tale of this game has to be the goal tending, The two Matts were stellar between the pipes: Reid stops all 21 for the shut-out, Walker allows the one in the second to Derek Tillemans amidst the hub-bub generated by one man in particular. Maybe that's the story of this game. . . in the second the stalemate was broken when Tom Buckner ignites the powder keg with a cross check. The dominoes continued to fall, the firemarshall was even called to check that the penalty boxes weren't filled beyond their safe capacity. Buckner himself collects six minutes, narrowly avoiding an early dismissal. Even Tillemans makes a two minute pit stop in the third. After the dust settled the Warriors were still breathing, Snipers almost gained a serious upset.

Stickmen (4-1-0) 5
LSI (2-3-0) 2

The capacity crowd was prepared to watch a grudge match between the reigning I-league champs and the Canadian invaders. Everyone filed-out of the arena before the end of the first period as the Imports are overwhelmed with the Stick assault. Clint Tippett pounds home the first puck and Big Joe Tomme sends in the second. With a goal from Dave Williams and Ken Halford's shortly thereafter, the Sticks had a pudgy lead. Ryan Kelley wouldn't let himself be embarrassed like that so he puts two ticks by his name, not enough. Williams returns to the net for his second to make light of Kelley's best and the Imports return to the locker room.

Grave Diggers (1-3-1) 2
Mutineers (3-2-0) 3

They say the winners write the history books, well here's the story according to one Mutineer:

In an evenly matched and exciting I-League game The Mutineers defeated the Grave Diggers 3-2 in a shootout last night in 8 year old Jake Sirkis’ debut as head coach. In an defensive struggle that saw the Grave Diggers take a 2-0 lead on two goals by Tim Rivers, the first off a fine feed by Steve Culps at 11:57 of the first period, and the second unassisted as Sirkis Sr. fumbled the face off @ 6:29 of the third. With head hanging low Sirkis Sr. headed to the bench to receive a withering lecture from Coach Jake about how to properly receive the puck at a face off closing with “That was a dumb play! You need to help your goalie!”, of course Coach Jake is a goalie in real life. With 1:19 left in the third and a face off in the neutral zone Coach Jake called the timeout to discuss strategy, his advice “Keep your head on a swivel and score a goal!”. On the ensuing face off, Sirkis Sr. skated the puck across the blue line and passed the puck to Chris Kirton who miraculously got the puck past the Grave Diggers’ Nick Murphy @ 12:22 of the third. The Mutineers shutout averted, the Mutineers Nick Archer broke through and scored the game tying goal at 12:31 of the third. After a defensive OT in which no shots were registered by either side, the Mutineers Nathan Hamilton’s scored the lone tally and Mutineers Ryan Haley’s Iron Person performance in the shootout. In Coach Jake’s post game press conference commented “What a game! I can’t wait to tell my Mom I actually coached a game!”.


Major I

Whalers (1-6-0) 2
Spiders (3-4-0) 1

The Whalers haven't been doing so well lately and all the losses have been gut-wrenching. The building shuddered in sympathy when Spider quarterback Bryan Couture drove home the opening tally. But Greg Mata never lost his cool, retrieving the puck from his net he vowed, "Never again". In the second he would be bolstered by the tying goal from Thomas Aarons. Mata dismantled Spider chances, wiping the sweat from his brow, looking for his salvation on the scoreboard and in the early third Ken Thomas redeems him with the Whaler lead. The remaining ten and a half minutes Greg toed the line eventually stopping twenty-five shots. Where was the Hamster?

Blue Devils I (2-5-0) 1
Smashed Pumpkins (5-0-0) 5

The BDI's stormed onto the ice, Mark Millard scores their first goal at twenty-seven seconds. . . Cody Patten ties it just eleven seconds later. Gabe Rivera is taking-up the mantle for resident hockey whore, scoring the game winner for the Pumpkins. Peter Case tickles the twine for the Pumpkin benefit and then Patten draws the hats from the crowd, all both of them (no confirmation that those two Smashed Pumpkin fans were Mr. and Mrs. Patten), for the decisive Pumpkin victory. Devil goalie David Blubaugh has abandoned his team, again.

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

Jacob Flughan appears to have found something that works in the Patriot net with an impressive 18 of 19, he surrenders his only goal to Patchy Josh Jones in the first period. The Pats, however didn't leave it all on their net minder's shoulders as they shell the Soul Patch net with 32 shots (I don't recall getting that kind of support, ever!). John Newell ties the game on the man advantage, Aaron Smith tries to one up him with a shorty but Newell responds in the same fashion. Then to demonstrate his prowess in all phases of the game, he completes the hat trick at even strength. The most amazing part is that he managed to find a moment in the third when the Pats were actually out of the box.

Shockers (6-1-0) 1
Puckers (4-3-0) 5

The Puckers and Shockers mix it up a bit in the first with the Shockers coming-up short on the penalty list (Matt Russell leaves the game with a 10) and though they score the first goal with a Josh Rooker shot, they loose on the board as the hungry, hungry Puckers fire back with a goal from Guy Riggs and one from Jason Arias. Arias couldn't be stopped, he acquires the hat trick, and to put a bow on it all, Monte Smith taunts the Shocker power play with his short handed goal. The first Shocker loss is a doozy, how will they respond? Will they gain a sense of urgency, or lose faith in their abilities? Likely, it will be one or the other.