Hockey :: Crash Test Barbies
March 07, 2004 / Sunday
Crash Test Barbies Game 15
Our last game of the season, and we won ... again! Final score: 4-1. I guess we were just warming up the first 85% of the season.
We got our goals from a mix of different people. It's great when your team scores a lot and it's not just because you have one really good player.
I had my first zero-point game in a while. I don't remember taking many (or any, for that matter) shots, but I made a bunch of passes that could have resulted in beautiful goals by my linemates. I didn't end up with any assists, but I managed a nice screen for Julie. All I had to do was lift my foot and let her shot sail underneath. They don't award points for screens, but even so, there's something really satisfying about knowing that the goal went in because you blocked the goalie's view. Well, that, and of course the fact that your teammate knew to use your screen and made a damned good shot through it.
I had my skates sharpened earlier this week. They're plenty sharp, but for some reason every time I dug in for a tight speedy turn I'd lose my edge and lowside. Yeah, I know, I'm bringing motorcycle terms into hockey. Anyway, our team has Barbie figurines that we hand out to the player who crashes the most in a game (we're the Crash Test Barbies, after all). Tonight, I went home with "Slide-Out Barbie".
My First NCWHL Doubleheader / My Second Red Game As A Sub
The team that I subbed for a couple weeks back liked me enough to ask me back. I'd never played back-to-back games before, but I certainly wasn't going to pass up ice time. It turned out pretty well. I have two wins under my belt tonight! Final score: 1-0, with an assist by yours truly. It's nice when you can look at the final score and know that you made a difference.
I feel the urge to code that last sentence:
if (yourTeamScore > otherTeamScore) {
yeahYouWon();
if ((yourTeamScore - otherTeamScore) <= yourPointsForTheGame) {
whooThatIsNice();
}
} else {
booYouLost();
}
I know, I'm strange.
Light Duty Hand Cleaner
I always see "heavy duty" stuff, but almost never "light duty" stuff. Well, in the women's restroom (I can't comment on the men's side) at Belmont Iceland (a.k.a. Lake Belmont 'cause the rink's never cold enough!) you can find light duty hand cleaner. You'd think with all the nasty hockey gear that passes through there they'd go with heavy duty. Cheapos.
Clean Gear!
Speaking of hockey gear, I had my gear esporta cleaned by the East West Hockey folks this week. It came back smelling oh-so-fresh. It was nice skating around, sniffing, and thinking, "Wow, I smell nice!" A rarity in hockey, for sure.
11:29 PM | Crash Test Barbies:Hockey| Comments (0)
February 29, 2004 / Sunday
Crash Test Barbies Game 14
We won! We won! More importantly, our goalie got her first win with this team!
Final score: 3-1. Our team even scored two of those three goals! The other goal was a goof by the other team's D: she was trying to send the puck around and somehow shot it into her own goal. Oops.
I almost got me a goal, and then I got me a goal.
On my almost goal, I took the puck and actually skated it along the boards past the defender and cut left to go in front of the goal. Somewhere around there another defender decided to flatten me, and my last-ditch backhand attempt on the far side of the goal slid wide by inches. Drat.
Later, in the third period, everything came together for my line. Little Doris somehow managed to tie up two or three of their defenders in front of the net. G, our center, had the puck behind the net. She went to her right, then to her left. I kept repositioning to give her a good pass up to me in the slot. And then the pass came. Wiiide open net! Good job Doris and G! Yeah!
It took me an hour to drive from Fremont back to my new place in San Francisco, and this was with no traffic. I'm thinking about joining a weeknight league in San Jose. So much driving! Why can't my hockey peeps play in San Francisco?
I'll wrap up with a short auntiedote. It's a good example of the absolutely negatively unproductive things she says to ... I don't know ... put me down?
- You don't spend much time on the ice. How is that fun?
- We skate hard so we play short shifts.
- I didn't see you on the ice much that one game I watched.
- I was probably on a third of the time.
- No, it was definitely less than that.
- Well, okay, it might have been. Some days I'm tired.
- That doesn't seem fun at all.
This is the part where I need to just end it with, "Well, gosh, it's a good thing you don't play hockey, then, because you wouldn't have any fun out there!"
Instead, I opted to get on her nerves a little by telling her how much I spend on hockey every year. Wasting money on something unfun. Oh, the horror.
08:09 PM | Crash Test Barbies:Famidotes| Comments (0)
February 22, 2004 / Sunday
Crash Test Barbies Game 13
Last things first. Final score: 5-6. We lost in overtime, but boy, what a way to get there! We were down 0-5 at the end of the first period, so reaching 5-5 at the end of regulation to force overtime was a pretty mighty feat.
I got a goal (yay). More importantly, I pulled some decent moves, despite not having played for almost three weeks.
Goal attempt number one: I took the puck into the other team's zone along the boards, with one of their D on the inside. I slowed and pulled the puck back toward the center. Avoided their other D coming in from the center. Made it all the way to the goalie. Went for the far side of the net. Shot the puck up, but it wound up in the goalie's glove.
Goal attempt number two: Ellaine shot the puck and it flipped up behind the net. I skated behind, got the puck, and skated a full circle in their zone (thanks G for screening for me the whole way) before shooting for the far corner (quite literally the corner!) of the goal. I thought it was going to go in, but at the last second I saw the goalie's foot flick and deflect it. No goal, but the goalie popped her leg out of her hip socket in order to make the save. I never like to see anyone get hurt, but that was the start of our 5 goal comeback.
Goal attempt number three: Third time's the charm! Ellaine passed it up toward center ice and the puck deflected off and behind their last defender. I picked it up and took it in. I faked left, and at the last minute pulled right. Five-hole! Finally, my night of pretending to have moves paid off!
I had to lunge for the puck only once this game. I guess that's a good thing. Less face time with the ice. More skating time to actually get into the developing play.
Marci got into a nice wrestling match with someone her size (usually the other person's smaller and they just bounce off). They pushed and pushed and finally they both went down. That got the entire bench cheering.
Quote of the game, by Holly after scoring two goals in what I believe was two consecutive shifts: It's amazing what being upset with your mom will do for your game. Word. I play my best games when I'm upset, too.
Got to play against Andrea for the first time in a long time. She had a two win night!
Got to go out to eat afterward for the first time in a long time, too. I don't have to go to work tomorrow morning! Yeah!
10:48 PM | Crash Test Barbies| Comments (0)
February 03, 2004 / Tuesday
Crash Test Barbies Game 12
I have some bad news, and I have some good news. For fun, and for intrapost variety, I will alternate the bad news and the good news.
Bad news: All three of our centers got sick and couldn't play.
Good news: We had some great subs tonight. You know who you are!
Other bad news: I think I might have another mild concussion.
The accompanying good news: You should have seen the other player. I got up and skated away. She tried, and, well, didn't. Okay, that sounds harsh, and I'm usually very friendly with and caring about everyone on the ice, including my opponents, but I've spent plenty of goodwill energy on her in the past, with no return, so screw that. Hell, she borrowed my jersey once, and proceeded to push me around and talk trash. I asked her if she was okay after our collision today, and she just ignored me. I'm giving up on her. Those are the last kind words she will ever get from me.
I got a couple cuts and a good bump on my chin from my helmet getting pushed up in the collision. I feel all badass and stuff.
More bad news. We lost. Final score: 1-5.
The good news in that score: I scored the lone goal. It was pretty, too! I took it through lots of D, tried to draw the goalie across the net, and got the puck up above the goalie's near shoulder. Props to the four goalies I talked to after game 10 for the advice.
Visualization, man. I've been trying to get back to that. I used to do it in Green division and it worked beautifully. It's my new project. When I'm not on the ice and have a few spare brain cycles, I picture myself with the puck. What do I do with it? How do I get around my opponents? How do I take it down the ice? How do I get it into the net? That, and I tell myself I've got moves. Whether I really have moves I don't know, but if I don't at least convince myself that I do I won't ever try to make them in a game.
It must have worked. It got my team a goal. It got me some props from the other team, too. That's always super nice, to know that you played well enough to get noticed by your opponent.
And if that doesn't work, you can always bang helmets with someone really loudly.
Being the attentionmonger that I am, I made sure to do both.
10:18 PM | Crash Test Barbies:Injuries| Comments (0)
January 27, 2004 / Tuesday
Crash Test Barbies Game 11
0-2 ... 3-2 ...
Final score: 3-5. Siiigh ...
We didn't totally suck again. I had fun again. We lost again. It's a bit of a bummer, but that's okay. I still think my team is rad. I'd rather play with people I like and lose than play with people I don't like and win. Wow, did I just say that? I'd trade winning for something else? I must be getting old.
I got me a goal tonight. Lori and Doris kept the puck from getting out of the other team's zone, and Doris managed to flick the puck out toward the center. I was cycling laterally toward them, and picked up the puck. I got past two defenders on my way to the goal, and got a backhand shot in between the goalie's legs. Not too shabby!
I got me a good jarring tonight, too. I wound up with a stick between my legs, and went down hard on the grapefruit. Fortunately, the grapefruit didn't rupture and bleed its way back to full size, but unfortunately for my head the impact made its way up my spine and rung me good. Felt like I'd hit the ice with my head instead of my ass! That's what I get for not wearing my mouthguard. That thing's been bothering me lately. Didn't wear it 'cause I didn't want to throw up my pudding.
Now that I'm sitting here typing, I notice that my head hurts a little, and everything seems to tilt a bit to the right. A concussion from falling on my ass?! How lame!
10:24 PM | Crash Test Barbies:Injuries| Comments (0)
January 25, 2004 / Sunday
Crash Test Barbies Game 10
Well, this game could have been really really good. As it was, it didn't suck. We didn't win, but that's okay. Losing 4-5 in overtime isn't so terrible if you take into account the fact that we entered the 3rd period down 1-4.
I do, however, feel like I had the opportunity to win the game and didn't. I was playing my usual position, left wing, and had a couple breakaways that I should have converted into points. One of those breakaways was during my shift in overtime. Why didn't I convert? I used to score on breakaways all the time in Green division. I'd be all cool and deke and stuff. You know what happened? I learned to kind of aim the puck. It's been all downhill from there. Instead of trying to pull a move I try to shoot for an opening, and I think I'm very obvious about exactly where I'm shooting. Hello goalie, let me give you lots of time to predict where the puck's going to go.
I have to work on that. Next game's in two days.
I should write it on my whiteboard. I'm debating between "Deke!" and "Bust a Move!"
At the very least, I had a sparkly assist tonight, even though I missed the sparkly drill practice last weekend. We got a sparkly review on a whiteboard before the game, but in retrospect that's what I do anyway.
Now that I think about it, that's how I've gotten all my assists this season. Glad that my wingpair knows where to go when she sees me taking the puck down the ice.
Okay, need to get clean and try to go to bed at a decent hour like normal people do. Bye.
09:27 PM | Crash Test Barbies| Comments (0)
January 11, 2004 / Sunday
Crash Test Barbies Game 9
WhoO! We won! We won we won we won! Yeah!
Final score: 5-2. Not even close! Booooo yaaaaa!
Yours truly had an assist and a goal, thank you very much. *bows*
The assist was yet another falling-on-my-face backhand pass to my wingpair. I even managed to keep sliding and crash shoulderfirst into the boards just before the puck crossed the goal line. 'Twas for added effect, of course.
I was pretty happy with my goal, too. Our right D decided for some reason to take the puck all the way down the ice, and as she neared the corner she sent a nice hard pass to the front of the opposing team's goal, where I, like a good forward, happened to be headed. And then ... Hallelujah! ... my first ever tip-in goal!
This calls for a huzzah.
Huzzah!
The whole team played well tonight. We had excellent passing, and every line scored. Our rent-a-goalie left a few rebound pucks lingering in front of the net, but our D was always there to save the day.
This calls for another huzzah.
Huzzah!
Let's hope we go out and play like this for the rest of the season.
08:20 PM | Crash Test Barbies| Comments (0)
December 22, 2003 / Monday
Crash Test Barbies Game 8
Okay, just to get it out of the way, the final score: 2-4.
We didn't suck (again), though we didn't feel as together as we could have been. No 3 week hiatus excuse this time, either. Unfortunately for us, it'll be another 3 weeks before we get to play again.
I wasn't as together as I'd have liked at times, too. I had this total brainfart faceoff in our zone where I was in the corner, the puck came to me, and I somehow dumped it to ... the very center of our zone. To make it worse, the puck came to me because our center had trusted me not to do something stupid with it! I felt pretty lame for a good while after that one!
I made up for it later. In the 2nd period I stole the puck in our opponent's zone on a high forecheck (Was that you, Heather? If so, we're even! ;). I took it down the boards, started to fall (If that was you, was that you tripping me, or can I just not skate?), and halfway through my fall sent a perfect backhand pass to my right wing, who was coming down the center of the ice. Seconds later, goooal! Yeah! Nothing like an assist as you fall flat on your face!
The shift after that, I managed to spend a lot of time horizontal on the ice. So much so that Lorel, who was on the other team, was laughing at me.
Ever notice how much more worn out you get when you go down? Why is that? Why does going down take so much more out of you than skating does?
On a final game-related note, we got a lesson on penalty killing before the game, since we were a bunch of thugs during our last game and weren't handling our shorthandedness very well. During today's game, no penalties. Go figure!
On a non-game-related note, Andrea brought me 2 bags of precooked chestnuts! She then scolded me for not buying a Sidekick. Thanks Andrea for the chestnuts, and I guess for the scolding, too, since a Sidekick costs $530 less than my $500 phone and has a way better feel than all the other web geek phones out there.
02:01 AM | Crash Test Barbies| Comments (0)
December 14, 2003 / Sunday
Crash Test Barbies Game 7
Guess who won.
No, not us. We haven't won a game all season. I'm not upset, though. Should I be upset? Is there something wrong with me for not being upset? I hate losing, yet this season it's not upsetting me to lose. It's not that I don't care. I care a lot, and I think my teammates are awesome. Maybe that's it. I like the people I play with, and even if we lose, it's fun playing with them. Does that explain it? Maybe? Possibly?
Final score: 3-4.
If I remember correctly we entered the 3rd period down 0-3 (maaaybe 1-3), so we finished out the game respectably. We just weren't with it early on. Perhaps it was because of the 3 week break we had.
I am no exception to that comment. I'm 3 weeks rusty, and started the game playing defense, a position at which I am 2 months rusty. Fortunately I got moved up to left wing for the 2nd and 3rd periods. Once I got going it was great. I had a lot of good passes to my teammates in front of the net, and managed a really cool looking steal and shot on goal as they were trying to get the puck out of their zone. Didn't go in, but at least it got the goalie moving. Or maybe it didn't. Their goalie came up to me after the game and said, hey, you want me to paint a big bullseye over my face for you? Yeah, I have this little problem with shooting at her head. I don't know what it is about goalie heads. It's like they're puck magnets or something.
I managed an assist, at least. A point! I'll take it!
Need to go update the Evite for next week. We're supposed to get lectured about penalty killing or something.
09:24 PM | Crash Test Barbies| Comments (0)
November 23, 2003 / Sunday
Crash Test Barbies Game 6
We lost. Again.
We didn't suck. Again.
For some reason even though we don't suck we can't seem to win.
Final score: 0-2.
I wasn't nearly as energetic today as I was last week. Not sure why. I guess some days you're just more on than others. Didn't outskate that many people, but wasn't outskated. I can live with that.
Not too much to say aside from that. I didn't throw up my pudding this time. Always a good thing.
11:16 PM | Crash Test Barbies| Comments (0)
November 17, 2003 / Monday
Crash Test Barbies Game 5
Finally I've calmed down. I was sooo hyper all last night. I'm not sure why. I was super tired from snowboarding the day before, but once I got into the locker room, man, I was bouncing all around. Literally.
Maybe I was happy to be getting back on the ice after a 2 week hiatus. Maybe it was the Jello Oreo Pudding Cup I got to try. I'd been eyeing those in the supermarket for about a week, and couldn't justify buying myself a six-pack of sugar and fat. But hockey is such a good reason to eat pudding!
Took an Advil before getting on the ice. Wasn't bothered by my sore neck during the game so I think it worked. Thanks for the drugs, Marci.
Well, we lost again, 0-1. I'm not upset, though. I thought we played well. I was happy to see Lauren having a good game and finally seem comfortable with what she was doing out there. She did a great job helping out our D tonight. Go Lauren!
As for me, I had a super high energy game. I skated in when we pulled the goalie during the last minute of the game and I had enough left in my tank to feel like I could skate circles around everyone. I didn't, of course, but managed a great pass that led to another great pass that led to a 3 on 0 breakaway with 20 or so seconds left. The shot went wide, so no rebound opportunities, but hey, it's not the end of the world.
The strangest thing happened afterward. I was sitting there getting my gear off, and when I bent over to put my skate away, I threw up. I felt fine, but I was just sitting there, looking at my gear, splattered with half-processed strawberry yogurt and Oreo pudding.
Well, at least I didn't fall over from lack of oxygen! I'll trade that for some pudding barf any day. I just have to learn to spew away from my stuff.
Note to self: Screw the water bottle cap on tighter. That whole spilling water all over yourself and sitting there with wet underwear thing is not so fun.
Next week: Same time, same rink. Hooah!
08:20 AM | Crash Test Barbies:PSA/NTS| Comments (0)
October 21, 2003 / Tuesday
Crash Test Barbies Game 4
Well, there's good news and there's bad news, but more good news than bad news, so it wasn't so terrible a night. I'll try to sprinkle the bad news in with the good news so this post will seem positive overall.
Good news: I didn't fall over! Well, I did, and during warmups, at that, but that was due to my skates. No falling over due to oxygen issues. Had a little trouble catching my breath on the bench during the 2nd period, but no near-blackout moments.
Bad news: We didn't win. Final score: 1-3. I think we played well, though, so I'm not too upset. Still gelling. We'll get 'em.
Good news: I scored a goal! Bummer that it was the only goal, but cool that I scored it. I actually had to knock the puck over the line twice before the ref noticed it. I say, it should count as two.
Bad news: I loaned my home jersey (we were the away team tonight) to someone and she spent the night beating me up in front of the net. Stick between my legs and shoving me from behind, not cool. Minor cause for rarring, but hey, it's hockey, and she'd be a fool to play me any differently just because I lent her my jersey. Still, it was satisfying that she didn't score in it. Come to think of it, I have no idea who she is.
Good news: I had some great kick moves, both to get the puck and to deflect the other team's passes. Also had a badass play where I made it all the way back to pick up Molly on a breakaway (and I was playing forward, too!) and deflected her shot perfectly. I was so riled up I shouted, "NOT IN MY HOUSE!!!" She gave me a good bop on the helmet for that afterward. I deserved it. I shouldn't be talking trash, even if it's because I just made the best damned shot deflection of my hockey career ...
Bad news: I aggravated my left wrist injury (from that 200 pound guy a few months ago) AGAIN. It hurrrts. Boo.
Good news: I had a fan! Nadsy came to watch. Hooray for Nadsy. I don't think I've had a fan since the last time Nadsy came to watch. Okay, I don't care if Timbo is reading this, but really, Nadsy is the bestest Bo Brotha in the whole wide world.
Not news, but cool: I was almost Nadsy sized with all of my gear on. Key word, almost. One of these days I'll find a sport where my gear will bring me to full Bo Brotha size. Maybe if I take up sumo wrestling and wear one of those funny pillow suits ...
10:44 PM | Crash Test Barbies| Comments (0)
October 19, 2003 / Sunday
Crash Test Barbies Game 3
We lost again, and I had to watch from the bench. The bench! Dammit, I wanted to play. Actually, I wasn't even on the bench. I had to stand on the side because I had my helmet off. Rarrrrr.
I guess I should be happy I'm doing all right. It was really weird. Toward the end of the 2nd period I all of a sudden felt like I wasn't getting any oxygen to my body. I'd breathe in but my muscles felt more and more like they weren't getting anything. I don't mean fatigue, either. I mean that feeling you get when your limbs aren't burning but just feel like they're just dead weight and your body is telling you you're going to fall over and you know that if you keep pushing it that funky dark static is going to fuzz in and wipe out your field of vision. I think after that you fall down and pass out.
Anyway, I had a couple shifts like that. I had a lot of trouble skating back to the bench after the second one, and after that I decided to sit out the rest of the period. That extended through the third period. I could tell I'd just fall right back into pass out mode if I got back on the ice. I wound up taking my helmet off to get more air, and due to funny rink rules had to stand out on the side.
I played D today, which worked out a lot better than playing center last week. I felt slow, though. I'm tired or something. Maybe I'm sick? I dunno. I should go see my doctor tomorrow and see what's up with my not being able to breathe. Kinda scary, feeling my body shut down like that.
Oh, almost forgot to post the final score. 1-3. Siiigh.
Another game on Tuesday. I can't wait. I hope I'm better by then, whatever is wrong with me. I miss the days when I played more and was fast and could skate circles around people. But then again, there's a lot more to life than hockey.
Breathe in. Breathe out.
07:33 PM | Crash Test Barbies| Comments (0)
October 12, 2003 / Sunday
Crash Test Barbies Game 2
Well, we didn't lose, but we didn't win. We tied this one, 1-1. I was so amped for the game my whole body was shaking. Not that that helped me any, since I didn't score. I felt I should have, and I'm a little bummed that I didn't. I can shoot where I want now, but I keep looking at goalie parts and not holes around the goalie. I'm better than this, dammit.
Got to play center for a period today. I can't play that position to save my life. I don't skate around aimlessly anymore, but I'm too worried about doing my job on defense that I don't contribute enough on offense. No goals were scored while I was playing center, at least.
Anyway, I got swapped back to right wing pretty quickly.
There was a ten second span where three of our players went down. It started with Ellaine flying into the boards and getting a concussion. I was wondering why the ref didn't blow the whistle, since it was obvious that she wasn't getting up. She was just down and holding her head. The next ten seconds felt like forever. Why wasn't the ref stopping play? Finally the whistle blew, and I went out on the ice to check on her, and I looked to my right and Marci is trying quite unsuccessfully to get up and she's screaming obscenities. Then I looked over to my right and Lauren was in a little pile against the boards. I really didn't know who to check on first. I thought Marci had blown out knee, but I realized the obscenities were more out of anger than pain, so I decided to let her cool down and headed over to Ellaine.
All that, and no penalty. Hrmph.
I stayed around after the game until Ellaine was good to go. People stuck around to make sure I was okay when I got my concussions; I should do the same. Give a little, take a little. I think she'll be fine, though. Yay.
We watched the next game out on the ice. It was Maroon division. A few of the players from Red division last season were playing. It's funny. They all have equipment that makes them easy to identify. Blue Helmet Hannah, Viv Blue Pants, Mary White Gloves. Sounds kinda Indian. Native American Indian, that is.
I'm glad we didn't do Indian names for everyone back when I started. I probably would've been Viv Skates In Circles.
09:10 PM | Crash Test Barbies| Comments (0)
September 30, 2003 / Tuesday
Ooh, looks like we have
Ooh, looks like we have a new team name shaping up.
Say hello to the Crash Test Barbies! Yeah!
