Post by Old Bucks Admin on Oct 29, 2009 17:34:50 GMT -5
Pity Old Bucks. In Week 6 they had a 4:15 start time on an afternoon that was so exquisitely fall-like it seemed almost criminal to spend it in the chill, dank innards of a hockey rink. For us this sentiment was most keenly felt on the drive through campus—while passing the golf course—with the trees at their vivid best and the autumnal sun dripping fire over the ninth fairway. We were tempted to stop and get out and admire the scene as if it was an overlook at the Grand Canyon. But we continued on and got to the rink on time, which is more than we can say for Angie and Angie Jr. who were not only a half hour late, but had the jerseys too, so Red and Blue had to start the game playing shirts and skins. At least their excuse was good: they were at a husking bee and lost track of the time.
At the outset Red seemed to have the advantage player-wise. They had Bob Freiling, Greg Wright, and Chris Dougherty—a veritable witches’ brew of speed, power, and stealth. Blue counted on strong games from fourth-liners such as Kip Thomas to tip the balance their way. Hopes were also place in Rich Devlin, who had two goals last week. “You need to get us three this week,” Joe Peugeot challenged him. Rich’s response sounded more like a disclaimer: “Past performance does not guarantee future results.”
Disclaimers aside, it was Rich who opened the scoring, knocking in a nice fat rebound off a Jim Heffern shot. Jim then assisted Kip Thomas on another goal, setting him up for a beautiful top-shelfer that had Red’s goalie, Kenny, totally beat. Worse was in store for Kenny. He got injured a few minutes later when, amidst a torrent of puck fire, he pulled a groin muscle. He lay on the ice in obvious pain and got to his feet only with assistance. It was the kind of injury that would have sent Marty to the showers and Vinnie to a steam capsule aroma spa, but Kenny is a different breed of goalie and decided to tough it out. For the rest of the game, however, whenever he made an aggressive pad save he would cry out like a martyr being stretched on the rack. Bill MacDowell thought he was crazy.
At the half-hour mark Blue was nursing a 3-0 lead. Red’s futility was best seen in the play of Craig Allen who was just getting over a bout of avian flu (his system has a two-year lag time in terms of flues). Craig had Marty dead-to-rights two or three times in one shift but couldn’t even get a shot off. It was as if he had chambered a round but forgot to take his weapon off safety. It took a jinx to get Red on the board; that is, Rich Devlin saying “Marty’s playing excellent tonight,” at which point Bob Freiling, right on cue, scored making it 3-1. Jonathan Millen made it 3-2 when a shot ricochet off his skate and into the net. It was a questionable call, but he made no distinctive kicking motion, only the kind of motion you make when you’re trying to shake loose a wedgie. Chris Dougherty made it 3-3 when he snaked his way through a bumbling pair of defensemen and juiced one past Marty.
Saunders excoriated Blue over their inability to score on a crippled goalie. Mark Herr was not happy either, as he boasted a personal four-game win streak that he did not wish broken. Beyond impatient, Saunders put the puck in the net on his next shift making it 4-3. By this time Red had rigged a block and tackle to Kenny’s crossbar so he could hoist himself off the ice when needed. Dave Major nailed a zinger from the point and tied the game at fours. Then Craig Allen put Red up by one with a wild shot from the corner that somehow found the net. Actually, Marty was impeded on the play by a foreign body in his eye (which turned out to be a dust mote) and a foreign body in the crease (which turned out to be Kenny). Brian Urban tied the game at fives but Nick Swift, assisted by Angie, dealt the fatal blow, putting the game winner in the net with about 5 minutes left to play.
Final note: Mark Herr quit with the game when it was tied at fives so he gets a “no decision” for the night. The streak continues….
On this date (1997): Angie shows up for Old Bucks wearing CCM’s new geriatric hockey pants, “specially designed for the older active adult”. The pants come with extra padding, extra insulation, a willie slit, and two small gyroscopes for enhancing stability. Three months later the pants are recalled when it is discovered that the gyroscopes interfere with pace makers. Angie is uncomplaining. “I never liked them anyway,” he says. “The willie slit was too small.”
At the outset Red seemed to have the advantage player-wise. They had Bob Freiling, Greg Wright, and Chris Dougherty—a veritable witches’ brew of speed, power, and stealth. Blue counted on strong games from fourth-liners such as Kip Thomas to tip the balance their way. Hopes were also place in Rich Devlin, who had two goals last week. “You need to get us three this week,” Joe Peugeot challenged him. Rich’s response sounded more like a disclaimer: “Past performance does not guarantee future results.”
Disclaimers aside, it was Rich who opened the scoring, knocking in a nice fat rebound off a Jim Heffern shot. Jim then assisted Kip Thomas on another goal, setting him up for a beautiful top-shelfer that had Red’s goalie, Kenny, totally beat. Worse was in store for Kenny. He got injured a few minutes later when, amidst a torrent of puck fire, he pulled a groin muscle. He lay on the ice in obvious pain and got to his feet only with assistance. It was the kind of injury that would have sent Marty to the showers and Vinnie to a steam capsule aroma spa, but Kenny is a different breed of goalie and decided to tough it out. For the rest of the game, however, whenever he made an aggressive pad save he would cry out like a martyr being stretched on the rack. Bill MacDowell thought he was crazy.
At the half-hour mark Blue was nursing a 3-0 lead. Red’s futility was best seen in the play of Craig Allen who was just getting over a bout of avian flu (his system has a two-year lag time in terms of flues). Craig had Marty dead-to-rights two or three times in one shift but couldn’t even get a shot off. It was as if he had chambered a round but forgot to take his weapon off safety. It took a jinx to get Red on the board; that is, Rich Devlin saying “Marty’s playing excellent tonight,” at which point Bob Freiling, right on cue, scored making it 3-1. Jonathan Millen made it 3-2 when a shot ricochet off his skate and into the net. It was a questionable call, but he made no distinctive kicking motion, only the kind of motion you make when you’re trying to shake loose a wedgie. Chris Dougherty made it 3-3 when he snaked his way through a bumbling pair of defensemen and juiced one past Marty.
Saunders excoriated Blue over their inability to score on a crippled goalie. Mark Herr was not happy either, as he boasted a personal four-game win streak that he did not wish broken. Beyond impatient, Saunders put the puck in the net on his next shift making it 4-3. By this time Red had rigged a block and tackle to Kenny’s crossbar so he could hoist himself off the ice when needed. Dave Major nailed a zinger from the point and tied the game at fours. Then Craig Allen put Red up by one with a wild shot from the corner that somehow found the net. Actually, Marty was impeded on the play by a foreign body in his eye (which turned out to be a dust mote) and a foreign body in the crease (which turned out to be Kenny). Brian Urban tied the game at fives but Nick Swift, assisted by Angie, dealt the fatal blow, putting the game winner in the net with about 5 minutes left to play.
Final note: Mark Herr quit with the game when it was tied at fives so he gets a “no decision” for the night. The streak continues….
On this date (1997): Angie shows up for Old Bucks wearing CCM’s new geriatric hockey pants, “specially designed for the older active adult”. The pants come with extra padding, extra insulation, a willie slit, and two small gyroscopes for enhancing stability. Three months later the pants are recalled when it is discovered that the gyroscopes interfere with pace makers. Angie is uncomplaining. “I never liked them anyway,” he says. “The willie slit was too small.”