Club;

 

I've been a bit glum lately.  Not because of gas prices, or inflation.  Nor from tighter than usual underwear or flare ups of my athletes foot.  It's because the PFHC B team has notched the last three tallies in the loser column.  Worse than that, two of the three losses have been to the worst team in the league.  Worse than that it's that team's only two wins of the season.  Now that's pathetic.  The team that once boasted of a flawless B level record and was once heard saying "we'll never lose to those guys" (Demuth) has found themselves with a 6 - 3 record and barely clinging to a championship game on June 13th. 

Now you're starting to understand why I've been sleeping in, eating twinkies, wearing pajamas all day, and noticing my disappearing hairline.  Because sometimes when it rains it poors. 

 

Some of you I know, and some of you I'm meeting for the first time.  Like Tommy for instance, I barely recognized the poor lad in the locker room on Sunday with his quick wit, alluring smile, and firm handshake.  At least all those All State coferences taught him three enduring qualities.   Now we just have to get him back in hockey shape.  My word, Walker's almost catching him in the skill dept. now and that's a bet I would have been sure to lose. 

 

Like all good trilogy's we need an antagonist.  That's easy, it's the fantam players on the bench that haven't been showing up lately to games.  That antagonist is sure giving the protagonist (us faithful attenders) a stick in the spokes.  The main reason for the losing trifecta has been because of numbers.  We have had an average of 7 skaters each game since we started losing.  It's a team game, boys.  That means it takes more than 6 guys a side to play well.  This isn't tennis, crochet or lawn darts.  It's hockey, a game that is deep in tradition, heritage, pride, and passion.  A game that our fathers, fathers fathers, and fathers fathers fathers have played and I guarantee my Great Great Grandpa didn't have to send out motivational emails to try and kick guys in the goonies to come and play.  (although I'm sure if he did it was probably a good one).  They were just there, ready and willing to lace em up and Giver.  And if by chance, like McLaren, you are the first generation player, take pride in the fact that you are a trailblazer of the sport and your future grandkids will be thanking you for playing and they'll be fighting over your gloves and cup. 

 

 Luckily most trilogy's end in three and that's the plan with us.  We are not losing the last game of the season and are definately not losing the championship game if we make it.   It's not an option.  So let's get reaquainted with each other, pull up our socks and start showing up as a team should.  It wouldn't have been so bad if I would have known of some of your absences a bit more in advance to prepare for subs but some were a surprise to me. 

 

  Positives of the last three games:

- The guys that showed up played hard and wanted to win.

- good goaltending

- displayed good fundamentals

 

Negatives:

-ran out of gas

-short bench

as a result poor backchecking

 

Player's of the Games:

 

The POG's for the last three games go to all the guys that showed comittment to the PFHC.  For the first game we awarded to POG to the one who travelled the farthest to play and that was the last minute roster addition of my childhood buddy Greg, a friend of mine since age 4.   I found out a couple hours before our game that we were going to be down to one sub on the bench so he came in and helped us out.  Thanks Greg.   He came all the way from Ed's Mom's Town (if you say that fast it sounds like Edmonton). 

Talk about dedication.

 

Stats:

 

I only have stats for the last game of the trilogy. 

 

Goals:

-Ryan from Tommy "Your in Good Hands" Feiweger

-now the scoresheet says kevin from walker but what I saw was Walker from Tommy on a nice one timer goal in the low slot when Tommy gave it to him from back behind the net.  I'll let you decide which goal you want to believe happened and since KFerg wasn't even there it makes the scoresheet fairly incredible.

 

Penalties:

Tommy hooking

Monte Tripping

Tom Schneider Too many men

TJ hooking

 

We did rally and tie the game in the third but they went up 3-2 when we failed to clear the puck out of our zone.  They scored an empty netter with 2 sec. left in the game to make it 4-2.  Those boys were dishing out cheap shots all game and were slamming us around with body checks, hooks, clutching, and grabbing.  They got called for a few of them but not all and definately not enough.  They even dished out a fair amount of high sticks as both Tommy and I took a stick to the head and face area.  They got cheap and nasty to play against and that didn't make it very fun out there.  Everytime we tried to work the puck they were on us, most of the time with an infraction of some sort. 

I guess we may be a bit like that as well at times.