Hockey :: Fireheads
March 11, 2003 / Tuesday
F.i.r.e.h.e.a.d.s. (remove the .'s) Game 16
Ow, I hurt my knee.
We won our last game of the season, at least. 5-3. Yay.
Yay also for Doug, who became timekeeper when some lady blew out the fuses with her space heaters and killed our scoreboard. Yay also also for Doug, who drove me and my hurt knee home.
Hey, who wants to drive me to work tomorrow?
10:53 PM | Fireheads| Comments (0)
March 09, 2003 / Sunday
F.i.r.e.h.e.a.d.s. (remove the .'s) Game 15
Yay! We won! For a while I thought it was going to be a tie. 0-0 with zero time remaining. Hooray for overtime. Guess who got the game winning goal?
No, not me.
Guess who got the game winning assist?
Yes, me! 
I'm super duper über hyper right now 'cause we won and I helped and I didn't give up any goals on D. Or maybe it's the Ripped Fuel. Heheh.
09:27 PM | Fireheads| Comments (0)
February 08, 2003 / Saturday
F.i.r.e.h.e.a.d.s. (remove the .'s) Game 13
So I bruised my pelvis again. This time it was the fuzzy part. I dared not tell the goalie; she may very well have tried to kiss it. Or munch it. Did I just say that? Erf, that wasn't very nice of me. But hey, you never know in this league.
This game was probably more tiring than any I've played this season. It's hard skating on the big ice with only 2 lines! The other team had a lot of subs from the division below ours, but they had 3 full lines, and in the end we were too tired to do much.
I got to play defense again. This time I earned the title of "best on belly". As you may have guessed from the first paragraph, I spent a lot of time horizontal on the ice. I can take up more space that way, you know?
Oops, forgot to tell you the final score. We lost, 1-2. Boo hoo.
Now that I think about it, I should have played offense last night. I mean, we were playing a bunch of Greenies! I hate losing to teams we should beat, even if we were shorthanded. Rarr.
Next time, Gadget, next time.
04:52 PM | Fireheads| Comments (0)
January 21, 2003 / Tuesday
F.i.r.e.h.e.a.d.s. (remove the .'s) Game 12
I'm a couple days late but it was a damned good game so I have to write about it. I bet half of you don't even bother to read my hockey posts but I write them so that I can look back and remember them later so I guess that doesn't really matter.
In any case, my big accomplishment of the game was volunteering for D (no one ever wants to play D), playing D, and not totally sucking.
Final score: 3-3. Oh, but it wasn't as close as the score would indicate. We entered the third period down 0-3. Going 3-0 in the final period? Not too shabby!
I wound up with an assist and an almost goal. It's funny, I think I'm going to rack up more points on defense than I do on offense. I get a much better shooting lane from point. Usually when the puck comes out to me the other team's clumped in front of their own goal and I have lots of time and space to take my shot. I get a better angle at it, too. What's not to like?
Nothing, that's what! Playing D is wonderful for the Patience Project. When I get the puck I feel absolutely zero need to take it toward the other goal. No defenders to outskate. Instead, I get the puck, I stick handle, I look up, I deke oncoming opponents, I pass to a teammate on offense. By the end of the game, one of my teammates who had told me to take my time earlier in the season was telling me, "Pass the damned puck already!" Sheesh, whaddaya want? First I need to learn patience, now I'm too patient? Hard to please, she is!
I'm kidding. My teammates are great. They're willing to bark at me so I learn.
Anyway, in case you haven't figured it out by now, I'm hooked. Right D for me from now on! No more wing. Besides, it's funny seeing the looks on their faces when I take the puck all the way from our zone to their goal. Offense-minded defense rocks!
07:49 PM | Fireheads| Comments (0)
November 26, 2002 / Tuesday
F.i.r.e.h.e.a.d.s. (remove the .'s) Game 7
We won! We won! Gosh, it's been a while since I've been on the winning end of a hockey game. Whoo for winning.
Final score: 5-1. I got me a pretty pretty assist. 
Even pretty prettier was that one of my teammates stuffed her sprained but healing ankle into her skate for the first time in a month and racked up, get this, two goals and an assist in the span three regulation minutes. Ah yes, it's good to have her back!
The Patience Project (it has an official name as of 10 seconds ago) is coming along nicely. Soon I will be a hockey Jedi and the puck and the opposing defenders will do as I command. Hehehehehe ...
11:30 PM | Fireheads| Comments (0)
November 24, 2002 / Sunday
F.i.r.e.h.e.a.d.s. (remove the .'s) Game 6
Four to five.
I'm learning to drive.
I'm sick of writin 'bout hockey
I'll rhyme instead, rohkie?
All this meticulous blog documentation is about to go down the drain.
Sittin down to write it is becoming a major pain.
I'll write a game poem instead.
See, the recap's not quite dead.
i almost got a hat trick
i gotta learn to deflect it
the puck that is
oh and this girl Liz
i hit in the head
with my stick now she's dead
haha i'm just kiddin'
but the refs weren't when they threw me in the penalty box
oh well
So anyway, I got a sweeeeet shot off over three sticks and around the goalie for my first point tonight. It's the first time I've actually lifted the puck for a goal! It didn't flip or wobble or anything. Yeeeah ... it looked goooood. The best part is, I saw the opening and shot it. Didn't even think about it. WhoO!
And for my second goal, I squirted out between two defenders and flipped the puck up and into the net off the goalie's stick. First time I've done that, too. This one calls for a whooha. Whooha!
I had a bunch of deflection opportunities that all went wide. Unfortunately this included the potential game-tieing goal with three seconds left. I realize I haven't actually practiced deflecting the puck into the goal. I'm gonna ask to do that at the next boot camp. The shooting thing I'm actually starting to get now. Yay.
And when I start getting deflection goals, I'll come back and huzzah.
Like this: Huzzah!
09:56 PM | Fireheads| Comments (0)
November 01, 2002 / Friday
F.i.r.e.h.e.a.d.s. (remove the .'s) Game 4
I'm beginning to gain a very deep appreciation for the goalie. It's amazing how important the goalie is. Duh, you say. Yes, I know, I should have figured that out long ago. I'm slow, okay? Roh.
It's strange that I don't really care when we lose. Maybe it's because it was a close game. On the other hand, we got outskated and outbodied tonight. We played hard but didn't look very good out there. Is it because of our screwy schedule? We've had one practice and no games in the last three weeks. Perhaps, but that doesn't make it okay to play like that. No excuses.
Final score: 0-1. Our center left the net open for a rebound. She learned. We moved on. It's not like it happened over and over throughout the night.
I'm probably not upset because I'm busy making note of all the things I need to fix. I don't know what the hell happened to my skating. I feel so out of shape. Can't skate hard when your legs and lungs are burning.
The other thing I need to do is to develop a rougher attitude. I play with my stick, not my body. They played with their sticks and their bodies. Will make note for Sunday's game.
Yes, Sunday's game. Let's look forward to that.
11:12 PM | Fireheads| Comments (0)
October 14, 2002 / Monday
F.i.r.e.h.e.a.d.s. (remove the .'s) Game 3
Well this kinda sucks. We win our first, tie our second, and lose our third. I hope this is at least an oscillating phenomenon. Or one of those upwardly leaping ones. Yeah, that would be nice.
Final score: 1-3. Ted came to watch. He showed up with 0.8 seconds left in the third period. Then they just let the clock run out. Wow, exciting game, huh Ted? Thanks for coming.
So what did I learn tonight?
1. I can outskate most people in Red now ... I think.
2. I can deke through them now too.
3. I need to learn to finish.
Skate skate, beat and deke, stopped dead in my tracks by the goalie, again and again. Why? Because I never remember to deke the goalie. I never remember to shoot high. Must remember. Must remember.
One thing at a time, I guess. At least I'm remembering to take the puck up to the goal instead of trying to send it in to no one. At least I'm starting to deke successfully. Next thing on my list is to work on shooting.
Speaking of shooting, I lauched a wrister even higher during warmups today. I lauched it over the plexiglass at the corner of the rink. Now why can't I launch 'em like that during a game?
I'll try again tomorrow: Da.b.b.ers vs. SomeOtherTeam.
Yes, that's right, we're playing a Java class.
12:04 AM | Fireheads| Comments (0)
October 04, 2002 / Friday
F.i.r.e.h.e.a.d.s. (remove the .'s) Game 2
Tie tie tie. We tie tie tied. S'okay. This team beat the other team in their first game against each other last week. Tying the winner is better than tying the loser.
Final score: 1-1. I really really wanted a goal but it wasn't to be. S'okay also. I got to skate with my center and left winger from last season. It was great watching us re-gel and readjust to the players in this division. After our first shift I remembered thinking, "Wow, people actually skate and puck handle really darned well in this division." It wasn't a walk in the park like it was in Green.
I said that to my center, who replied, "You can puck handle too. You just have to remember to do it." This was late in the 2nd period.
So in the 3rd period I remembered to do it and skated around all their defenders. Wow, I did it. That was easy. Now all I have to do is remember to deke more so I can skate through them too. Through them and to the goal.
To the goal where I'll try out my new wrister. I remembered a couple tips from Teddio and launched one so high I almost hit my coach in the head during the pregame warmup. Hey coach, look at me, I've got a wrist shot now. Haha!
Thanks, Teddio.
So anyway, I'm content. We tied but I'm content. Man our last shift was so solid. We got shots off like crazy and even managed some great forward-defense rotations. See that you guys? Your Greenie forward knew to drop back! Whoo for me.
And then they all went for beers.
I went to get gas instead. Whoo for cheap East Bay gasoline. Chevron for a buck fitty four. Beat that, pricey Peninsula gas stations!
And then I went to Walmart. Just 'cause it was 10 PM and boy isn't it cool to be able to go shopping for random household items late at night? I realized tonight that most people in Walmart have no idea where to find what they're looking for. Want to know what people look like when they're lost? Go to Walmart.
And now I'm back. Back at work. Lots to do in the next 11 days. I've got my schedule all planned out: work, sleep, eat, hockey. Hooah.
11:23 PM | Fireheads| Comments (0)
September 29, 2002 / Sunday
F.i.r.e.h.e.a.d.s. (remove the .'s) Game 1
Red is definitely more fun. Red is definitely faster. Red definitely hits harder.
S'okay. I hit back.
Do I go in chronological order or do I start with the highlights? Can you handle highlights without getting confused by the order? Does order matter? Nah. Let's go in order of what matters.
What matters is we won. 3-2. Hooah!
What matters is I scored on my first ever Red shift. Playing left wing. On a breakaway. On a backhand. With a ridiculous angle to the goal.
I no longer feel like I need to prove that I deserve to play in this division.
I do, however, feel like I need a chiropractor. I literally heard my neck crack in the third period. I also kinda hurt my tailbone the period before that, despite the tailbone protector in my hockey pants.
Oh but the tailbone was a fair trade. One of the other players got her head stuck under my left elbow. I went down on my tailbone, but she went down on her face ... with my arm pushing straight down on her head. Kinda like a reverse one-armed ice hockey version of Jake the Snake's DDT. Cool man. Cool 'cause she got up and was okay. Wouldn't have been so cool otherwise. Wrestling's supposed to be fake, after all.
Let's see, I ran someone over from behind, then someone ran me over from behind. I guess it looked bad because she got a penalty for it. I guess mine didn't 'cause I got away scot free. Maybe the refs feel bad for me 'cause I'm little compared to everyone else.
I got some new gear for the new season. Actually, two new seasons start this week, but I'll talk more about that later. I'm loving my knee brace and my waxed skate laces and my girdle/pelvic protector. Yeah, I know you all wanted to know that I bought a pelvic protector. I'm sure the protectoe for my skates does wonders too. My skate toes are now all tough and waterproof and shiny and stuff. I've also got a mouthguard now, which I need to remold.
I should do that before tomorrow's game. That's my other league. 3-on-3 coed hockey every Monday. No more short Asian team basketball!
09:42 PM | Fireheads:Injuries| Comments (0)
September 24, 2002 / Tuesday
Wooha For The F.i.r.e.h.e.a.d.s. (remove the .'s) !!
Wooha! I'm 2 of 2 on picking team names that people like enough to vote for. Welcome to the first post of my second season of hockey since the naming of my new Red division team, the F.i.r.e.h.e.a.d.s. (remove the .'s).
I hope you're not all mad at me for making you remove .'s all the time. It's for security reasons. I don't want anyone I skate with to search for my team name and read my blog and get all disgruntled and crush me on the ice or anything, ya know?
So anyway, the name came about due to a miscommunication between me and another teammate. My teammate said, "How about Fireants?" I said, "What? F.i.r.e.h.e.a.d.s. (remove the .'s)? Cool, I've got a sticker to match!"
Yeah man, I was planning this already last season. That's why I put that Red Spitfire sticker on the back of my helmet!
