After two weeks off, the Boxers finally got their second game of the fall season and this time we came out on top beating the Honey Badgers 5-1. Our record is now 1-1 for the season.
The game last night was a great example of team hockey. Everyone was out there fighting hard and supporting each other. The Honey Badgers opened fast and notched the first goal of the game, but we figured out their play style and countered it very effectively. This was especially true in the second period where we ran up three goals in fairly rapid succession.
This game felt good for me. It’s always a little weird when you come back after a week off the ice (at least I didn’t have a full two weeks off since I did get in a Polar Bears game one of the weeks). But I got into the groove pretty quickly. The single goal wasn’t scored while I was on the ice and I did a fairly good job of playing D and working to get the puck cleared. It wasn’t always perfect, but more often than not the job got done. And, like I said, this was very much a team game so if I failed to do my job, it was a pretty good bet someone had my back to take care of things.
Right after the Boxers game, I volunteered to play for the Hotshots since they were short players–in fact Brian, Jonathan and I went to help out. While the Hotshots did lose 2-0 to the Great Whites, this was still a fun yet exhausting game. I was very happy to get to pair up on D with Jonathan, which hasn’t happened in a while. In this game I also avoided being on the ice for the two goals against.
I tried for some offense here, making a couple of rushes with the puck. The first one got shut down just over the Great White’s blueline by one of their defensemen who cut off my efforts to get the puck around him near the boards. The second one I made it end to end and, while their defense did a good job of keeping me out of the middle, I did wrap around behind their net. Their goalie slid into place to block the wrap around at the last minute ending that rush and freezing the puck.
Another reason I was thrilled to play in the Hotshots game was that it marked Laurie’s return to the ice since she was injured in a scrimmage back in the spring. It was a long road to recovery from the broken wrist, but she came back to the ice in fine form last night. I’m glad I could be on the ice for that.
Next week the Boxers are off (again!) but I might have a chance to get into the Polar Bears game as a sub. Hopefully they’ll need a player and I’ll get the call.
