Post by Old Bucks Admin on Nov 19, 2009 8:17:11 GMT -5
Week 9 began with the noon to three cider-making ritual at Bill MacDowell’s house. Jim Heffern, Rich Devlin, and Larry Johnson attended with assorted wives and kids. Bill’s friend, Bob Melby, was also there—a charter member of Old Bucks but now retired. Also in attendance were swarms of yellow jackets worked into a frenzy by the warm sun and fresh apples. Bill, Rich, Bob, and Larry were fearless amongst the bees which literally buzzed and climbed all over them as the apples were ground to a pulp and pressed into juice. Jim Heffern, however, was more standoffish having been unaware that cider-making entails the risk of acute physical pain. Bill finally gave him the golf cart and sent him into the orchard to help out the crew of Dalmatian apple-pickers, shuttling them between trees and carrying their crates of apples back to the press. He looked relieved. Several gallons of delicious cider were made during the afternoon and everyone got their fair share. During clean-up Rich fielded a call from Angie who wanted to know what time hockey was. Rich put him on speaker and a conference ensued with Bill and Bob needling Angie for not coming out to make cider. Angie said he had wanted to but his brother had bought a new house and they were having a “moving bee”. “Not another bee!” Rich fretted. “Looks like we’ll be playing shirts and skins again.”
Turnout was good for the game—much better than the last two weeks. Conspicuously absent was Brian Urban who was celebrating his first wedding anniversary. Marty says Brian has already reached that key threshold that marks the true Old Bucksman—the point where hockey becomes the greatest pleasure on earth and sex but a convenient excuse to lay down for a while.
Rich Cerbone made his first appearance for the year as goalie, defending the Blue net. Red tested him right off the bat. In the first minute of the game John Quirinale had a breakaway which Rich easily foiled with a paddle save; then John Lupisella had a point-blank one-timer that was also denied. Blue built a 2-0 lead on back-to-back tip-ins by Joe Peugeot. Greg Wright scored first for Red in a manner that was amazing. First he flung the puck at Rich, who made a chest save. But the puck bounced off the ice and Greg picked it out of the air with his stick and whacked it in the goal from a near impossible angle. Nick Swift tied it up by deflecting a shot off Mike Dougherty who was in the crease for no apparent reason. Dan Dougherty tipped in a shot to make it 3-2 Blue. John Quirinale tied the game with a blast from the point that sent Rich’s neoprene water bottle hurtling through the air like a trapeze artist.
The score was tied for some time while both goalies matched each other save for save. Saunders broke the deadlock when he pitched a tent in front of Marty’s far post and waited until a fortuitous shot came his way. Upon scoring his daughter, sitting in the stands, clapped her hands in approval and regretted having just texted brother Sean, “Dad still sucks”. Dan Daugherty scored again to put Blue up 5-3, giving them a nice little cushion. But then they fell asleep on it and never scored again. Red upped the pressure, scored a couple goals, and finally broke it open with a trio of goals from Greg Wright, Nick Swift, and Larry Johnson. More goals succeeded these and Blue’s fairy tale 5-3 lead evaporated in a “cinema verite”-inspired collapse. At 10-5 Blue finally broke ranks and melted into the locker room, unable to witness the spectacle of their own degradation. Over beers they fell back on the perennial excuse that the teams were stacked. Still they toasted Rich Cerbone for making an outstanding effort between the pipes. Ironically, it was his absence on defense that really cost them.
On this date (1987): Bill Hamill, who is responsible for bringing the beer each week, decides to surprise the club by bringing two cases of Bartles and Jaymes wine coolers. Not only does no one touch the offending stuff but later that night, back at Bill’s house, someone shoots out his porch light and mutilates his cat.
Turnout was good for the game—much better than the last two weeks. Conspicuously absent was Brian Urban who was celebrating his first wedding anniversary. Marty says Brian has already reached that key threshold that marks the true Old Bucksman—the point where hockey becomes the greatest pleasure on earth and sex but a convenient excuse to lay down for a while.
Rich Cerbone made his first appearance for the year as goalie, defending the Blue net. Red tested him right off the bat. In the first minute of the game John Quirinale had a breakaway which Rich easily foiled with a paddle save; then John Lupisella had a point-blank one-timer that was also denied. Blue built a 2-0 lead on back-to-back tip-ins by Joe Peugeot. Greg Wright scored first for Red in a manner that was amazing. First he flung the puck at Rich, who made a chest save. But the puck bounced off the ice and Greg picked it out of the air with his stick and whacked it in the goal from a near impossible angle. Nick Swift tied it up by deflecting a shot off Mike Dougherty who was in the crease for no apparent reason. Dan Dougherty tipped in a shot to make it 3-2 Blue. John Quirinale tied the game with a blast from the point that sent Rich’s neoprene water bottle hurtling through the air like a trapeze artist.
The score was tied for some time while both goalies matched each other save for save. Saunders broke the deadlock when he pitched a tent in front of Marty’s far post and waited until a fortuitous shot came his way. Upon scoring his daughter, sitting in the stands, clapped her hands in approval and regretted having just texted brother Sean, “Dad still sucks”. Dan Daugherty scored again to put Blue up 5-3, giving them a nice little cushion. But then they fell asleep on it and never scored again. Red upped the pressure, scored a couple goals, and finally broke it open with a trio of goals from Greg Wright, Nick Swift, and Larry Johnson. More goals succeeded these and Blue’s fairy tale 5-3 lead evaporated in a “cinema verite”-inspired collapse. At 10-5 Blue finally broke ranks and melted into the locker room, unable to witness the spectacle of their own degradation. Over beers they fell back on the perennial excuse that the teams were stacked. Still they toasted Rich Cerbone for making an outstanding effort between the pipes. Ironically, it was his absence on defense that really cost them.
On this date (1987): Bill Hamill, who is responsible for bringing the beer each week, decides to surprise the club by bringing two cases of Bartles and Jaymes wine coolers. Not only does no one touch the offending stuff but later that night, back at Bill’s house, someone shoots out his porch light and mutilates his cat.