Puckstopper's 08-09 hockey season

puckstopper135 · Posted: Tue Mar 10, 2009 2:11 am Post subject:

I'll try. I'm already gettin psyched and it's still 3 days away. I'm just worried our team will choke, and I won't be able to hold the shutout... although I think I'll just tell them that if they score one goal, I'll take care of the rest.

Arthriticbutterflystyle · Posted: Tue Mar 10, 2009 1:18 pm Post subject:

Whatever works for you.

puckstopper135 · Posted: Fri Mar 13, 2009 9:22 pm Post subject:

Well... we choked. I'll try to explain it the best way I can without sounding too much like FS. Sucks because nobody was there to videotape it, so I have no actual proof.

Okay, to start: Our best defenceman was out for the rest of the season for knee surgery. Our other 3 defencemen really love to try and block every shot, instead of letting me see it and stopping it myself (what do we need goalies for?) Oh, and they don't understand that if they leave the opposing forward alone in front, they WILL MORE THAN LIKELY SCORE. We were missing probably our 2nd best forward (gone to Costa Rica) and one of our normal defencemen (gone to Greece). Then one of our defence/forwards couldn't make it because nobody could cover her shift for ONE HOUR. So... we had 2 regular defencemen, and had to move one of our forwards back, which took away from our already dismal offense.

Let's start:

1st period
Played a decent period. Got off to a bit of a shaky start, let one get by and ring off the post but kept the score 0-0. Made probably about 10 solid saves, nothing spectacular. Just kept singing to myself... but anytime I stopped, my mind reverted back to my coaches words before the game:

"Remember Kris, if you stop everything - we go to the Championships"
Thanks for the pressure coach.

2nd period
We got into penalty trouble, puck only left our end twice when we weren't icing it. Scored on one by crashing the net. 1-0 Tigers. Then we get a couple more penalties, exposing our weak defence. They won the draw 4 times in a row, but kept winning it back to their defencemen who shot right away. First 2 times I snagged it with my glove. 3rd time I was completely screened, but somehow managed to keep the puck in front of me, and it bounced up into my chest where I held it. 4th time - I'm out at the top of my crease glove side. Shot comes through, gets deflected and goes to my blocker side. Goes off the post (along the ice) so I dive over with my stick and pull it in. As I'm pulling it in, they've got their 3 forwards whacking away and eventually bang it in. I got up probably the fastest ever and yelled at the ref that I had it. We were working with a 2-man system, and luckily the other ref had been in good position so he called it off. Made a bunch of other solid stops, just trying to keep my focus, knowing that now they need to score 2 goals to beat us.

3rd period
It all falls apart. 14 minute period, and the puck was in our end for about 12 out of the 14 minutes. Shot after shot, they were peppering me badly. Luckily I was controlling most of my rebounds and got a lot of whistles. Finally, at the 8 minute mark, they come in on a 2-on-1... my defence floats over to the puck carrier, who just slides it across to the wide open forward. I butterfly slide over (going to my right) and the girl just rips it by me in the air. 1-1 game... now I'm starting to lose my mind, and the singing isn't working, because it's do or die and my team isn't playing the dominating way we did all season. At the 4 minute mark, tragedy strikes. Wraparound, I slide over going to my glove side post, get my pad there, but leave enough of an opening for the puck to squeeze through before I could cover it. 2-1 for them at this point, and it's straight time since we were going to be buzzed off. We get the puck into their end, coach pulls me... they score empty net. 3-1. I go back in, not really giving a damn at this point. 1-on-1, I look up at the clock, 10 seconds left. I figure what the hell. I stop the initial shot, and don't even make an attempt on the rebound, let the girl shoot at an open net... knowing our season was over. I did manage to make one nice save that period. On my glove side post, puck gets passed out in front, girl wide open (go figure)... I bfly slide over, get a piece of it with my glove, and it falls down right in front of me where my defence sweeps in to clear it.

So.. we lost 4-1, the score a lot more embarassing than the actual game. Technically was a 2-1 game, because 1 was empty net and 1 I would've actually gotten it had I tried.

Crappy way to end the season, but our team has this medal that we give to who we deem game MVP... and then next game that person gives it on, and so on and so forth... the assistant captain on our team had it, and gave it to me. I figure I had about 30 shots, give or take 5... the coach said it was a tough one to lose since the puck was in our end 90% of the game.

Still sucks, no matter how good I played... and I'd have to say it was probably one of my best games of the season.

Slinky · Minors Joined: 17 Feb 2009 Posts: 471 Location: Canton, GA

sorry to hear that. at least you had a strong season.

I hate when coaches say things like that. Ignorance about the position.
_________________
Because it hurts so good.

puckstopper135 · Posted: Sat Mar 14, 2009 12:39 am Post subject:

Yeah... well I've been telling myself that it was a good thing to have our best defencemen have to leave for knee surgery. Good for her because hopefully she'll have less problems in the future, and good because it meant I got more shots and improved my game. I just never realized how much it would suck to end up 3rd after only having lost 1 game all season.

But the best part - the championship would have been next Saturday, and instead I'm going to my friend's party and drink all my sorrows away Cool

Slinky · Minors Joined: 17 Feb 2009 Posts: 471 Location: Canton, GA

alcohol fixes everything. and don't let anyone tell you otherwise.
_________________
Because it hurts so good.

puckstopper135 · Posted: Sat Mar 14, 2009 2:19 am Post subject:

Okay guys, I'm just finishing editing a more recent video of me... One of my shutouts. And I used a lot of the footage available for this one because

a) Arth told me not to edit out anything I did bad. But once I finalize the video, I'll confirm the parts I know I screwed up
and
b) I found most of my movements looked faster and more solid than usual, which is pretty rare Laughing

I should have it posted up by tomorrow Very Happy

Slinky · Minors Joined: 17 Feb 2009 Posts: 471 Location: Canton, GA

i'm looking forward to seeing it. i'll bring my critical eye to it.
_________________
Because it hurts so good.

puckstopper135 · Posted: Fri Mar 20, 2009 11:05 pm Post subject:

I've been able to put it out of my mind until now... and DAMN it's pissing me off that I'm not mentally preparing myself for a big game tomorrow night.

Alcohol, here I come... Very Happy

Wish I had kept track of my stats for the whole season. I kept them up until our first loss, and then I ditched them in my anger.

puckstopper135 · Posted: Fri Apr 10, 2009 1:22 am Post subject:

Okay so I was asked to fill in for the regular goalie at women's league drop-in... and wow. It makes houseleague look like A level hockey. But whatever, my season is done and this one goes through all summer if they get enough interest, so I don't care - hockey is hockey.

We got on the ice and sure enough, 75% of the girls could barely skate, let alone shoot. There were 2 girls who had obviously skated a lot because they looked really smooth. Anyways, we had a short 5-minute "warm-up" which was basically everybody skating around, stretching, taking shots. Well, one of the good players skated in with the puck, and about a foot outside the hashmarks, fired a wrist shot high glove side, and I snagged it windmill style. It was probably the highlight of the night, because all the husbands that were up in the stands were like "OHHHHHH! She robbed youuuu!" sweet moment.

Onto the game... we ended up winning like 6 or 7 to 1. The other goalie had told me before the game that this was only her second time in net though, and she actually played okay. Made a lot of lucky saves, but she kept the puck out until the last 5 minutes.

I got the chance to play the puck a lot more and work on rebound control, since there was literally no defence so I was stuck making kick saves and diving desperately and hoping to get one body part on the puck.

GOAL: I'm at the top of my crease, foccusing really hard on staying out and challenging, there's about 5 girls in front of me - puck is at the hashmarks. Girl knocks it loose towards me, hits my stick and ramps up, but I guess I had it tilted too far downwards, because it flew up past my shoulder, landed right behind me. Right as I dove back to try and smother it, their girl jams her stick in and just barely gets a piece of it to knock it in.

It's definitely not super interesting or intense... but hey, I like the ice time.

zannalee02 · Posted: Sat Apr 11, 2009 12:22 am Post subject:

Cool. Only one goal? Nice.

We occasionally get women's dropin times, and it's the same deal. Fortunately it's usually the better skaters who show up, but there are usually only enough for 3 on 3 or something like that. I always feel like women's dropin is good practice, but not as challenging as regular adult dropins. This Sunday we have a women's dropin, but it's only for league-registered players. New players for next season are going to be evaluated against whatever returning players show up. I'm hoping we get some good shooters. Cool

Should be fun, at least.
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"It's never good when you're tending goal and your number is facing out." - Daryl Reaugh

puckstopper135 · Posted: Sat Apr 11, 2009 4:44 pm Post subject:

Yeah... well if you had seen the competition, you would understand why I only allowed one goal. Laughing

I think next time I go I'll ask them to stack the team playing against me, just so it's worth my while to be out there. Very Happy

I'm thinking of stopping by some of the "men's" (really adults, but mostly just guys) drop-ins, because I've seen them play and they actually have mostly guys that have played hockey at some point.

zannalee02 · Posted: Thu Apr 16, 2009 2:35 am Post subject:

I sometimes find myself staring in bewilderment during my women's games; someone will have a breakaway, and she'll accidentally kick the puck way in front of her, and I only have to sweep it away. Or they'll fan on a clear shot three times, and what's even funnier is no one else skates fast enough to come and take it away. Unfortunately that's when I get scored on, because I'm cracking up so bad I can't see (all in good fun). I tell my family that "the puck is very much in control of the game." Wherever it goes, the herd follows. Laughing

You should play some adult pickup. Definitely.
_________________

"It's never good when you're tending goal and your number is facing out." - Daryl Reaugh

puckstopper135 · Posted: Thu Apr 16, 2009 10:46 am Post subject:

I think next time I'm on the ice for women's pick-up, if there's a dump-in I'll just pass it to their closest player and let them shoot. Nice reference to the herd though, it's so true. I feel like I'm watching a Tykes game positionally Laughing

puckstopper135 · Posted: Sun Sep 20, 2009 2:14 am Post subject:

I wish I could change the name of this thread to "Puckstopper's 09/2010 season"

(If one of the mods could do that, it'd be appreciated)

But anyways. On-ice evaluations don't start until the first weekend of October. BUT I've been on the ice all summer, mostly helping younger goalies, but ice time is ice time, right? And since I always wore half gear, I was able to work on up and downs, skating, and butterfly slides. While I was in Europe I lost like 15 pounds too, so that definitely helps.

Update though. Normally around here, they do a "draft" to see which coach gets who, but since it's an older league and nobody is that picky, usually the coaches keep their old teams and just divy up the new joiners. But this year, there's a new coach and a bunch of girls moving up, so there might actually be evaluations. In honesty, these evaluations mean nothing to 95% of the girls, because the coaches have seen us in games for 3 years. Like myself, I could go out at the evaluations and play like crap, and they wouldn't think any less of me. Not that I will, because I'd hate that.

But basically, I told my coach of 3 years now to not ask to keep me. So if any of the other coaches want a new goalie, this year is their chance. And when I first entered the league 3 years ago, they got down to a coin toss for me. So I told him that if another coach wants me as well, they can flip a coin and let fate decide where to put me.

I'm hoping I get put onto a weaker team. I love my old team, and we won all the time... but the games were boring because our team (specifically the defensive end) was stacked. I'd like a game where I need to stop 30-40 shots to give my team a chance. Just for one year.

Here's hoping! Very Happy