Hockey :: Puck Puck Goose!
March 14, 2005 / Monday
Puck Puck Goose! Game 13: Stanley Cupcakes
Our last game of the season! We managed to regroup after our terrible showing last week and play a strong game. The Cupcakes brought their strong game (and Neapolitan cupcakes ;) too, and we finished the game tied.
Final score: 2-2.
No points from me, but I played my best game all season tonight. I successfully went after the puck, skated it in, won it along the boards, and, for the first time in Maroon, I was patient with it in the corner, and could move it back and forth to shake my defender just enough to get a decent shot or pass off.
I don't know why it took me a whole season of watching a couple of my teammates doing it for me to decide to do it too. The strange thing is, I didn't go into this game planning to work the puck in the corners. I hadn't even spent any time visualizing it. Usually, I do new things only after much conscious effort.
The bonus side effect of this is I stopped crashing into the boards. Before, I'd skate hard to reach the puck first with the intention of flinging it off to where I thought my teammates were. I'd plan for the fling, but forget the post-fling stop. When I skate for the puck intending to gain possession of it, though, I naturally stop so that I can remain standing to work with it. I'm skating just as fast, because I still want to beat my opponent to it. How about that!
I had a clean breakaway in the second period. I managed to mess that up by trying to deke, losing my balance, and *plowing* myself into their goalie Cara. I think I apologized to her before I even came to a stop. I don't even know how that happened, but I felt really bad about it. I apologized after the period, and again after the game. I'll probably still be apologizing for it a month from now. Bad Viv, no donut! (or goal)
Andrea's probably laughing at me after reading that, since I was upset over a certain Green skater sliding herself into me repeatedly in my game earlier in the day. At least I went headfirst; during the Green game, said skater's final slide ended with her skate blade under my blocker and on my knuckles. That one particularly pissed me off. I'd like to keep my fingers, thank you very much!
So there you have it, the end of my season with Puck Puck Goose!. It's been quite an experience. It took me the entire season for things to finally click, but all that came before this game was not for naught; I've learned a lot along the way.
Oh, that reminds me: I took a slapshot tonight, and (1) it lifted and, despite grazing the leg of my defender, flew toward the net and (2) I did not fall on my ass.
Yes!
• • •
I went home last night happy and puzzled over how I managed to pull off such a good game without actually planning to. Today, epiphany!
SoopahViv: hrmm, now that i think about it, i think i know why
SoopahViv: every game before last night, i felt like i *had* to play well
SoopahViv: last night, i walked in just thinking, you know, this is our last game, i just wanna have fun
And I did. :)
12:11 AM | Puck Puck Goose!| Comments (0)
March 06, 2005 / Sunday
Puck Puck Goose! Game 13: Spiny Dogfish
9 AM to 1 PM: work
2:30 to 3:45: play impromptu Red game in net
4:00 to 5:15: Green goalie practice
7:35 to 8:50: Maroon game
I was just a *wee* bit tired by the time my PPG! game rolled around. Fortunately, it was at the little rink. Our team played like shit tonight. We absolutely could not get anything going. The Dogfish, on the other hand, had an *excellent* game. They played hard, controlled the puck, and won handily.
Final score: 1-4. Looks like they finally gelled.
Good job, Dogfish!
Dunno what's up with PPG!. I guess it's just a good game / bad game kind of thing. *shrugs*
11:31 PM | Puck Puck Goose!| Comments (0)
March 01, 2005 / Tuesday
Puck Puck Goose! Game 12: Girlie Shots
Out team played a great game tonight. Everyone was positive and we finished with a strong win. Final score: 4-0.
I scored a goal! I scored a goal! My first goal on this team since ... holy crap, October! I had a pretty good game. I carried the puck whenever I got it, took it down the ice a bunch of times, and got a lot of shots on goal. My goal came after I skated the puck down, shot it, watched my linemate shoot a rebound, my other linemate shoot another rebound, and then, finally, I put the third rebound into the back of the net. Yaaay!
Holy crap, 5+ months. Talk about drought!
I finally got my MVP shirt from last season. I'd better take good care of it; it'll probably take me a few seasons in Maroon to even come close to MVP again.
Voting just started today for this season's round of MV/I/SPs. It had me reflecting back on this season. Have I improved much? I don't feel like I have. I don't seem to have very good first seasons when I move up a division. Or maybe that's just how it feels to me. *shrugs*
The win and the goal (finally!) were nice, but the best part about tonight? Getting to hang out and have dinner with my friends afterward. :)
11:22 PM | Puck Puck Goose!| Comments (6)
February 21, 2005 / Monday
Puck Puck Goose! Game 11: Stanley Cupcakes
Whoo, cupcakes! No, wait, brownies! Mmm ... brownies. Yum.
Liz got to sub for my team today. It was fun having her on the ice with us. She played D, but took the puck in a couple times. Good stuff!
Final score: 5-1. The score really doesn't reflect the game very well. We got some scrappy goals by crowding the net.
5 goals, and I didn't get a single one. I did manage to destroy my left wrist trying, though. I cut off a Cupcakes pass, squeezed the puck through two defenders at the blue line, and headed for the goalie. The next thing I knew, I was sliding on the ice with my left wrist curled under my body. I wound up sliding into the goalie, or some part of the goalie, and took out her stick. Then I got up and saw the puck just sitting there in one of the faceoff circles. I went for it, but I saw my center going for it too, and since she had the forehand shot, I backed off. She took it, shot, and scored. All that, but no assist. Drat!
Thanks, Andrea, for bringing me Advil. :-)
So yeah, the left wrist is, hrmm, I dunno, sprained? It's not swollen. It just hurts. A lot. It feels like I stretched, maybe tore, the tendons on top.
Great. I have two bad wrists now. Driving was interesting. I'd started to drive with mainly my left hand in an effort to give my right wrist a rest. So much for that!
I had a breakaway at the end of the 1st period, but no one told me that the period was ending, and I had no clue, so the buzzer sounded just as I was about to take my shot. I was not happy about that one. I screamed at the top of my lungs, "COME ON, VIV! WATCH THE FUCKING CLOCK!" I skated back toward the bench, threw my stick down on the ice, and flopped down. Bah!
Me, throw a fit? That's kinda funny.
Anyway, a fun game, and a yummy post-game brownie. Woop!
12:21 AM | Injuries:Puck Puck Goose!| Comments (4)
February 06, 2005 / Sunday
Puck Puck Goose! Game 10: Girlie Shots
Played the Girlie Shots today.
I did okay.
We fell behind early but managed to tie the game.
Final score: 3-3.
More amusing was what I bought from Walgreens just before the game (and just after visiting Peet's for a latte):
- a bottle of ibuprofen
- a wrist brace (I considered 2, as my left wrist has started hurting now too)
- a can of Red Bull
Okay, that was a really lame post. I promise the next one (the Spiny Dogfish report) will be better.
11:27 PM | Puck Puck Goose!| Comments (0)
January 23, 2005 / Sunday
Puck Puck Goose! Game 9: Spiny Dogfish
I was totally looking forward to having a fun game tonight.
It sucked.
Meh.
Final score: 1-1. There, now I have a record of it.
The one good thing that came out of this game was I proved to myself that I could still sprint down the ice with 8 seconds left in overtime. Actually, I think I managed to skate faster than I've ever skated before. Fast enough that I couldn't stop when I got to the other end of the ice (there was a puck there; I wasn't just sprinting for the hell of it), lowsided, and crashed feet first into the boards. A little loud booming voice in my head screamed, "Nooo! Ankles!" Hrmm, maybe that wasn't such a good thing.
Dammit, no good things this game. Pfft.
09:35 PM | Puck Puck Goose!| Comments (12)
January 09, 2005 / Sunday
Puck Puck Goose! Game 8: Stanley Cupcakes
Not sure what to say about this game. We were missing a good chunk of our team. Our star center's out for the rest of the season. Final score: 2-2. I didn't do anything stellar. I was tired after the first half of the first period. Not sure what's up with that. Maybe I'm getting old. Ha.
No complaints this time. It was a clean game, I didn't feel all that stressed, and I got a brownie at the end.
Mmm ... brownie. We should play this team more often. :)
10:43 PM | Puck Puck Goose!| Comments (0)
December 19, 2004 / Sunday
Puck Puck Goose! Game 7: Girlie Shots
It's late, and since I've got work on the brain instead of hockey, I don't remember too much of what I was going to write. Lessee ...
1. I was tired as all hell. Legs just burrrned from my 2nd shift on.
2. We lost, 0-2. Eh.
3. I'm stressed just thinking about the game.
I think it's more a matter of not wanting to talk about it than not remembering. But I digress ...
Liz subbed for the other team, and was talking trash to me, which, on most days, makes me laugh. Unfortunately, given my stressed state, it pissed me off, and I had to sit on the bench and tell myself that Liz is my friend and I really shouldn't try to knock her down for it.
Liz thinks it's funny that I think I can knock her down. I agree, she's got a definite size advantage over me. But, I counter, it's all about center of gravity. I've only purposely taken someone down once, and he was bigger than I. He'd been knocking me over all game, and had really pissed me off. I caught him not looking, executed my takedown, he went flying (over me, of course), looked at me afterward and saw that I meant to do that, and didn't touch me for the rest of the season.
But really, I'd probably break down and cry before I'd try to knock Liz over. That just wouldn't be cool.
One more thought: Does anyone know how to get a puck past Elaine? Sheesh!
11:39 PM | Puck Puck Goose!| Comments (6)
December 12, 2004 / Sunday
Puck Puck Goose! Game 6: Stanley Cupcakes
Fun. That's what it's all about, right? I play hockey 'cause it's fun. Sure, I like the competition, I want to improve, and I definitely want to win, but in the end, I'm out there skating because I have a good time doing it.
Today, with the exception of a few moments, was not so fun.
I played well, had a couple assists, and we didn't lose. What's not fun about that?
The pressure. The seriousness of it all. That's not to say I don't put pressure on myself to play well, and that I don't take the game seriously. I do, and anyone who has played with me knows that. But getting that from an external source is new to me. Experiencing that in the form of yelling and shouting whenever someone makes a mistake just feels wrong.
Gone are the days of fun > winning. Hello, season of winning >>> fun.
Well, hey, how about that, we won today. Despite having a goalie who started in Green at the end of last season in our net, we won.
Actually, our goalie held her own pretty well out there. Their one goal was indeed the result of a newbie goalie error, but given that nothing else got through, she did a darned good job.
Oops, almost forgot. Final score: 2-1.
Two assists from yours truly. They were almost identical. I was lucky enough to skate on a line with Ellaine and Laura, the two players on this team with whom I have the most mojo. Both times, I took the puck down the left side, into the corner, and, without stopping, backhanded a pass up and onto the sticks of Ellaine (in the 1st period) and then Laura (in the 3rd period), who both five-holed the puck through before the goalie could do anything about it.
I was happy to score, happy to have taken part in the goals we needed to win, but a little unhappy to have found a weak spot in the Burninator goalie. Must fix before Vegas! Good thing for practices.
We had a ton of penalties this game. 4, maybe 5. The other team had none. My guess is it had something to do with our coach yelling at the refs every time they made what he thought was a bad call. Just a guess.
Oh, and I don't recommend playing hockey in thong underwear.
07:31 PM | Puck Puck Goose!| Comments (20)
December 08, 2004 / Wednesday
Puck Puck Goose! Practice
I'd been looking forward to tonight's PPG! practice for a while. After all, it was at the last PPG! practice that I finally started to learn how to launch a slapshot. I had high hopes for this one.
Unfortunately, I just felt slow and off and frustrated all night. Oh well.
I don't need practices this week ... I need games!
Slapshot success rate hasn't improved much since Sunday, but at least it hasn't gone down. I think the slapshot project is the culprit behind my aching right wrist, though. Darnit.
On the upside, I got to hang out with Ellaine a bit. I hadn't seen her in a while. Darn these funny end-of-the-year hockey schedules.
Next game is Sunday. I should be super excited about this, but at the moment, I'm just sittin' here going, "eh".
Huh.
12:26 AM | Puck Puck Goose!| Comments (0)
November 21, 2004 / Sunday
Puck Puck Goose! Game 5: Girlie Shots
Yeah, so there's this other league I play in, and we have games once in a while. Like, maybe once every 3 weeks, or so it seems. We had one tonight. Who are you people? Oh, you're my teammates. Hi.
Final score: 2-2. Nice first goal by Ellaine.
No points for me. I played, eh, okay. Here's what I realize: I'm "in shape", but I am not conditioned worth doodie. What good is being fast when I get so tired that I can't skate at full speed 20 seconds into my shift? I used to think, "Oh, I should go to public skate and work on skating skills." No, I should go to public skate and work on conditioning. What good are skills when I'm so tired that I'm falling over?
Maybe it's 'cause I was sick this past week. I don't think it was, though.
Had some Awesome Peanut Brittle, a.k.a. crack peanut brittle, after the game. Christina was selling them. Andrea bought me my first bar, I took a bite, bought five more, and gave two of them away. They're too good not to share. Mmm ...
09:03 PM | Puck Puck Goose!| Comments (0)
October 31, 2004 / Sunday
Puck Puck Goose! Game 4: Spiny Dogfish Fremont Rematch
Faced Liz's team at Fremont once again. They beat us last time at the same rink, 1-2. Things turned out a bit differently this time. Final score: 7-0. Yes, 7-0. Ouch (for them).
I feel silly writing this post with "us" and "them" terminology. Most of my friends/Red Division acquaintances play on the other team, and really, if it weren't for the fact that I was skating against them, I'd be cheering for them. Besides, I'm in the Spiny Dogfish team picture! :-D
I played D tonight. I've forgotten how to be patient. Maybe I should play D some more. It'll be good for me. In any case, no goals on my watch (or anyone else's I suppose). Sarah (the Ballerina Pimp) tried to take a slapshot through me from about 6 feet away. It lifted about a foot off the ice, and instead of letting my cushy pads block it I raised my left skate to deflect it. Yow! But no shot on goal. Woop!
I think there was more, but I can't remember it. Time transform into a deviled egg.
Happy Halloween, everyone!
06:28 PM | Puck Puck Goose!| Comments (0)
October 10, 2004 / Sunday
Puck Puck Goose! Game 3: M1 (Whatever Their Name Is)
Big ice (Fremont) again. I got to play wing this time. I did all right in the first period, but in the second and third my week of not exercising and eating nothing but junk caught up with me, and I sucked wind for the rest of the game. No goals, no assists. I'm falling behind in my one-point-per-game project. Guess I'll have to get 2 next game.
Fortunately, my team didn't really need me, and we won, 3-2. We had a couple fly in from near the blue line. I suspect that's due in part to the Red goalie who played first period, since their usual goalie arrived in the second period and shut us out.
Anyway, I had to face Liz (playing D for M1) again. If I had a choice, we'd be on the same team, but having to face her has its upside: she's currently got my number, and it'll be a good challenge for me to learn to beat her. Yes, that's right, I said it. I'm even turning it into a project. What shall I call it? Maybe I should let Liz name it. Suggestions?
So, more skating for me. Apparently I can't take 7 days off and expect not to suck.
Boo, I didn't score, but hooray, we won. Woop!
10:47 PM | Puck Puck Goose!| Comments (0)
October 03, 2004 / Sunday
Puck Puck Goose! Game 2: Spiny Dogfish
A bunch of things happened today:
1. My Maroon team got a name: Puck Puck Goose!
I'm very excited about this. My submission won the tiebreaker! Yeah!
2. Liz's team appears to have gotten a name: Spiny Dogfish
At first, I thought maybe they had decided to go with "The Other Team", 'cause when I got to the rink today the whiteboard with the team locker room assignments read:
Team 4 - #1
The Other Team - #2
3. My team lost to Liz's team. Darnit, we lost, boo. Final score: 1-2.
Nonetheless, it was fun playing against her team. They're a cool bunch, and it was funny hearing them yap at me during the game.
4. I scored my first ever Maroon goal on a breakaway self-rebound. Used a little puck-pushing move I learned at power skating camp, too! Rad.
5. I played D for the first time ever in Maroon and didn't die.
I got put on D after my goal. I didn't totally suck, didn't give up any goals, and actually managed a couple breakaways from back there. Way cool. Now I just have to learn to convert when I get the puck down that far.
I wonder, though, if I'd gotten to stay on as a forward, might I have managed to score again? Could I have contributed more? Might we have tied? Won?
Yeah, all these whatifs.
6. After we gave up the 2nd goal, I got on the ice and told myself, darnit, I'm gonna take this one in (it's actually easier to take a faceoff pass in from D, I think). I'd done this once in Green (that resulted in my first ever full-ice breakaway goal, same rink as today) and several times in Red, but hadn't ever had the confidence to even think that in a Maroon game. Today, I thought it, and amazingly, did it. Well, until the shot bounced off the goalie (need to learn to finish!) and into the other team's sticks 'cause I caught my center off guard and she sort of watched me for a bit before realizing she was supposed to skate in for the rebound.
7. We pulled the goalie in the last minute and I got to play in our 6 skater scramble. That's really cool, that our coach trusted me enough to put me on. Didn't score, though. Darnit!
8. Tami (the Spiny Goaliefish) came up huuuge. 44 shots on goal, and she stopped 43 of them. At least that means we were shooting.
All in all, a decent game for the team, despite the loss, and a great developmental experience for me. I love when I come off the ice feeling like I pushed the envelope a bit and proved something to myself. Can't wait for next time!
10:36 PM | Puck Puck Goose!| Comments (0)
September 28, 2004 / Tuesday
Puck Puck Goose!
My Maroon team is voting on a team name this week. Since Liz's team gets to play on the Strong Bad theme (whether they will is another issue) I had to be otherwise silly. My submission: Puck Puck Goose! It's in a dead heat right now with Maroon Typhoon, which, ironically, I almost also submitted (I like things that rhyme). Come on, team, be silly with me!
What a great bench chant we could have as PPG!! (For the record, PPG! is not to be confused with PPG.)
Puck puck puck puck puck puck puck puck ... GOOOOOSE!
01:18 PM | Puck Puck Goose!| Comments (0)
September 26, 2004 / Sunday
2 Out Of 4 Ain't Bad
Today, I was scheduled for 3 hockey slots, and invited to skate at a 4th. The endurance wuss that I am, I suited up for only 2 of them. Up first: Green practice goalie. It was good for me to do the skating drills with everyone else on the ice, as I'm still getting comfortable in my goalie gear. Next: my first game as an official Maroon skater. We won! Yeah! Our team was fast, as was the opposing team. I wonder if the other two teams in the division are this fast also. *catches breath* I came out +3, thanks to an excellent center, and got an assist. Final score: 3-1. The coaching was great. Even after just one game, I learned something. Huzzah!
