Post by Old Bucks Admin on Nov 24, 2011 6:41:54 GMT -5
Week 10 was Bobble-Head Saunders Nite so the club expected a big crowd to kick off Thanksgiving. Sadly, only Saunders’ daughter showed, so the surplus of plastic figurines were consigned to a bin, either to be used by Hughie for target practice, or recycled as stocking stuffers for Christmas. On the bright side Skupe was back after a six-week layoff, and Bill Hamill made his first appearance of the year. Alan Blankstein showed (in return for a round trip ticket to Naples) and Rich Cerbone took Marty’s place in goal. Benches were moderately filled and ice time was plentiful.
Bob Freiling got Red on the board first, scoring on Rich from about three feet out, a goal due more to the inattention of the two defensemen, Steve Souza and George Bassert, than any skill on Bob’s part. In short order Diaz replied, eluding the Red defense and converting a breakaway, knotting the game at ones. The teams traded goals with Red’s offense powered by Jonathan Millen, Nick Swift and Alan Blankstein, while Blue relied on the Bassert boys and Alex Cerbone, the three of whom made a single line that wreaked havoc on Red the entire game. With Red down 5-4, Bob Freiling got in Rich’s crease with the latter sprawled on the ice trying to freeze the puck with the toe of his skate, and Bob got the easy tap-in for the tie. Blue tried to wave it off claiming the play was whistled dead, but Red was in no mood for compromising, sensing it would need every goal it could get.
Blue started to pull away as the Bassert-Cerbone line proved unstoppable, although there was a parroty sameness to their goals that somewhat detracted from the Old Bucks emphasis on spontaneity and chance. Thankfully, after the sixth goal they stopped fist-bumping because that got old really fast. Red hopes brightened a little when Mark Herr showed up a half hour late and bustled off to the Blue bench. Anything to clog up their offense was welcome. But Red’s comeback sputtered as Blue forestalled them any way they could, even putting OFFSIDES! calls on their most sensitive, hair-trigger setting. On one play Skupe was straddling the blue line and had barely lifted the blade of his skate as Mike Robbins came across with the puck—and the Blue bench bellowed OFFSIDES! Jason Millen was similarly flagged when his shadow crossed the line before the puck did.
There was a long lull in scoring during which the game was frozen at 8-6 Blue. Then Eddie, playing defense for Red, made one of his classic length-of-the-ice rushes where you could almost hear Chris Berman doing the recap: “He…could…go…all…the…way!” This drew Red to within one, 8-7. But moments later Blue answered as Alex Cerbone connected with Andrew Bassert on a brilliant back-door play—their fourth such play of the game. The Red bench sat mute with astonishment. In the game’s closing fifteen minutes, Bob Freiling and Mike Robbins stepped up with a combined three goals that had the game an 11-10 nail-biter. During this time Rich Cerbone put the capstone on a stellar night between the pipes, making several acrobatic saves that kept Red from tying it up. Blue’s offense, furthermore, summoned one more lethal surprise from their bag of tricks as Paul Egan, whose play had hitherto been significantly insignificant, one-timed a pass from Dave Bassert that just cleared the post for the game-clincher.
Afterward, in the locker room, George Bassert, apprised of the final score 12-10, tossed his head and laughed as if any tally that gave Red more than 5 or 6 goals was a deliberate untruth. Apparently a belief in Blue hegemony combined with contempt for the club’s age-old method of keeping score is something that runs in the whole Bassert family. Surely Kenny will not brook such insolence for long. He’ll probably spend the holiday at his Florida retreat, ceding Week 11 to Blue, but plotting some diabolical way to crush them the rest of the season. Stay tuned for this might get interesting.
Bob Freiling got Red on the board first, scoring on Rich from about three feet out, a goal due more to the inattention of the two defensemen, Steve Souza and George Bassert, than any skill on Bob’s part. In short order Diaz replied, eluding the Red defense and converting a breakaway, knotting the game at ones. The teams traded goals with Red’s offense powered by Jonathan Millen, Nick Swift and Alan Blankstein, while Blue relied on the Bassert boys and Alex Cerbone, the three of whom made a single line that wreaked havoc on Red the entire game. With Red down 5-4, Bob Freiling got in Rich’s crease with the latter sprawled on the ice trying to freeze the puck with the toe of his skate, and Bob got the easy tap-in for the tie. Blue tried to wave it off claiming the play was whistled dead, but Red was in no mood for compromising, sensing it would need every goal it could get.
Blue started to pull away as the Bassert-Cerbone line proved unstoppable, although there was a parroty sameness to their goals that somewhat detracted from the Old Bucks emphasis on spontaneity and chance. Thankfully, after the sixth goal they stopped fist-bumping because that got old really fast. Red hopes brightened a little when Mark Herr showed up a half hour late and bustled off to the Blue bench. Anything to clog up their offense was welcome. But Red’s comeback sputtered as Blue forestalled them any way they could, even putting OFFSIDES! calls on their most sensitive, hair-trigger setting. On one play Skupe was straddling the blue line and had barely lifted the blade of his skate as Mike Robbins came across with the puck—and the Blue bench bellowed OFFSIDES! Jason Millen was similarly flagged when his shadow crossed the line before the puck did.
There was a long lull in scoring during which the game was frozen at 8-6 Blue. Then Eddie, playing defense for Red, made one of his classic length-of-the-ice rushes where you could almost hear Chris Berman doing the recap: “He…could…go…all…the…way!” This drew Red to within one, 8-7. But moments later Blue answered as Alex Cerbone connected with Andrew Bassert on a brilliant back-door play—their fourth such play of the game. The Red bench sat mute with astonishment. In the game’s closing fifteen minutes, Bob Freiling and Mike Robbins stepped up with a combined three goals that had the game an 11-10 nail-biter. During this time Rich Cerbone put the capstone on a stellar night between the pipes, making several acrobatic saves that kept Red from tying it up. Blue’s offense, furthermore, summoned one more lethal surprise from their bag of tricks as Paul Egan, whose play had hitherto been significantly insignificant, one-timed a pass from Dave Bassert that just cleared the post for the game-clincher.
Afterward, in the locker room, George Bassert, apprised of the final score 12-10, tossed his head and laughed as if any tally that gave Red more than 5 or 6 goals was a deliberate untruth. Apparently a belief in Blue hegemony combined with contempt for the club’s age-old method of keeping score is something that runs in the whole Bassert family. Surely Kenny will not brook such insolence for long. He’ll probably spend the holiday at his Florida retreat, ceding Week 11 to Blue, but plotting some diabolical way to crush them the rest of the season. Stay tuned for this might get interesting.