Hockey players – everyone.

Christmas is over and the team ended the week with two tough games against teams in a stronger division. Saturday night’s late night game was a well-fought battle that ended in a 7/7 tie. The third period saw us slow down and allowed our opponent to catch up and end a game that some may have expected the other team to dominate with a tie. I hate tie games, but it was a good game for us to play, and playing up a notch did not seem to deter any effort on the part of our players. It’s just about half way through the season and the team’s progress has been constant and impressive. The game was no walk in the park, but teamwork and effort kept us a threat in the game right up to the last second. Both teams played well, and we saw a lot of great plays, saves, and goals. Three goals involved great teamwork, and some high-flying acrobatics. We saw spectacular goals assisted by some very nice passing and skating. The teamwork and passing has been improving very nicely. We still need to work on changing quicker on the fly, and this does seem to deteriorate as fatigue starts to set in late in the game. With a small team, there is not much time for rest, so smooth player changes during play is a big factor.
Tonight’s game was another tough match up, and we did hold our own for the first two periods. The third period was frustrating from a coaching perspective – not due to player effort, but other aspects surrounding the game for which I was not pleased or impressed. The team played very well, and worked hard, but there are days when I miss the Canadian league and rules. I guess I need to get over that, but as far as our team is concerned I am very pleased with their effort, and their attitude even when it feels like every minute is an uphill battle. We still need to work on effective body checking and stop “out of position reaching and/or swinging” the sticks at the puck during one on one situations. We get beat when we stop skating and start turning away from the puck. We also need to look up ice for skaters breaking out when we gain control of the puck in our defensive zone. On the positive side, our goalie consistently makes amazing saves, our defense plays great offensively, and our forwards play without fear and have improved pressuring the puck. That’s not a bad setup for a team, but it has become a necessity to play well as a team. Teamwork and effort still make us a formidable opponent even against what some have considered stronger teams based on individual skills. We have found that sometimes you have to out-think and out-hustle your opponent even when that means collectively as opposed to one on one. We still have a lot to work on, but we seem a little faster and a little stronger at each game. We lost tonight’s game, but we didn’t quit, and we did have some moments of greatness. I admit that I’m very proud of the team, but I know this won’t be our last tough game. I do see that we can play competitively at this level. That’s a pretty big accomplishment in and of it’s self. It all boils down to a bunch of kids who really want to play hockey, and it shows on and off the ice……Hockey players – everyone.