[Super Fans Barb and Roger Riley sang the National Anthem again last night.  The Cards remain undefeated when they have done so.  The “Guest” was the Fergus Falls Otters – gotta get our scoreboard lights fixed, the Cards had 28 shots-on-goal though it looks like 23.]

[Thought it appropriate (and by pure happenstance) that Taylor Ellingson (24) was the first photo of the game.  She scored the last goal in the preceding JV game.  Varsity players sometimes play in the JV game as well – a numbers thing?]

[The JV team won as well.]

We had home games for both girls’ basketball and hockey last night.  I chose hockey because I thought the game had more meaning for sectional seedings.  The supervisor had a meeting at the tech college, and since she was right next door, went on to the basketball game.  We got dual coverage.  The Cards figured to be big favorites in both games.  We played St. Cloud Apollo in basketball, and we have been beating them by 30 points a game over the last couple of years.  It continued – the Cards got off to a 33-3 start and went on to a 66-43 win in which everybody got to play.  (The JV game was 60-12 for the Cards!)  The Cards are now 11-1, 6th ranked in the state, and play No. 1 ranked Fergus Falls at their place next Tuesday.  Looks like a road trip.

In hockey, we had beaten Fergus earlier this season at their place 11-3, and the Otters were winless in the conference.  Last night they had a different goalie who played very well, and though the Cardinals dominated play, at one time we were only ahead 2-1 in the 3rd period.  Scoring for the Cardinals were Rachael Finley and Britni DelCastillo in the 2nd period, and Kalley Kragenbring and Alia Kopischke in the 3rd.  Next up is River Lakes at home on Tuesday.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xcMJfcBWDM  (Video from start of game)

[A guess would be Becca (37) and Shelby (38) . . .]

[Alia (13) and Kalley (10)]

[Nicole Bartels (23), freshman defense – newcomer-of-the-year, has played very well, and we will look forward to watching her play for 3 more years! ]

[Kalley]

[Britni (14) and Shelby (38)]

[Britni]

[Reputedly hockey parents, though you can only communicate with them through the hole in the glass.  Feeding them is not recommended.]

[GOOOOOOAAAAALLLLL!]

[Nicole and Taylor]

[GOOOOAAAALLLL! (Again)]

[Shelby and Shanee’ (40), who made several nice rushes from her defense position.]

[Britni rushes to the aid of a fallen comrade.]

[Shelby is not about to take it lying down.]

[Rachael (15) is knocking on the door.]

[Alia’s dad, Dan, on the Puck Shoot – came close!]

[Card hockey alum, Alexis Nielson, on the Puck Shoot – also came close!]

[Shanee’, Brooke, Becca, Shelby, and Britni]

[Shelby prepares, i.e., adjusts mouth piece, for face-off.]

[Last photo of the game, for reasons unknown.]

After the games, the supervisor and I met at SAWA (Thursday night date night) to listen to Finestra and to compare notes.

For all you weather fans out there, it was 3 degrees and a lot of wind (20 below wind chill?)when we went to the games last night.  This morning’s venture to the gym took place at a temperature of 5 degrees below zero – our first sub-zero day of the season.  Ahhh, winter!  🙂

Coming soon to this post:  What the supervisor bought at the girls’ hockey chili and bison burger feed and silent auction fundraiser the next night!

We arrived at the Eagle’s Club last night, timing it beautifully to get a parking spot right by the front door (parking lots are now glazed ice all over town).  The supervisor bolted in and and made a beeline for the silent auction tables.  She kept an Eagle eye posted on the auction tables the rest of the evening.

[There are two Super Fans, facing the camera, already working on their chili and bison burgers!]

[The serving line.  I believe mostly JV here so I had to regale them with the story of Super Fan “Weakie” Annen once asking the 1st set of servers where “the stars” were?  Well, they in no uncertain terms told him where he could get off – never mess with hockey players!]

[Melissa and Steph, Shelby and Becca]

So, we joined Ted and Jerry, enjoyed our chili and burger, and gossiped about the future of Alex girls’ hockey – terrific, by all accounts!  Then came the Rileys; and the folks of hockey alums, Ally Nielsen (Jeanne and Mitch) and Beth Rindy (Karen and Mark Meuwisswen); and ultimately, the Hoymes, with their son, John, from Houston.  What we learned?  “The Eating Machines,” i.e., Karen and Mark’s two sons, are now both playing hockey and between them it’s SEVEN trips a week to the RCC for practices.   We have over 100 kids in Mites (under 9 years old?), broken into 6 classes (as I recall); I think it was 3-4 classes of Squirts (next level up); and I already forgot how many Bantam and PeeWee teams!  When you have to find ice time for the Blizzard, both high school teams (and their JV’s), the figure skating club, curling, open skating, and a partridge in a pear tree on two sheets of ice; the person in charge of the scheduling with just two sheets of ice should be in charge of logistics at the Pentagon.  It seems to be a consensus that we could use a 3rd sheet of indoor ice.

[The Haul]

[The supervisor appeared to have cut back a bit this year – possibly due to the icy parking lot.]

Thanks again to all the hockey parents!  🙂

Epilogue:  A reminder of what hockey grandma’s are getting themselves into.  In addition to all the practice time, the munchkins also travel!  Here’s the latest from the HQ, following her grandsons Willy and Nick all over the state from Minnetonka:

Nick (9) has his hockey tourney at Breezy point this weekend. His first game is tonight at 9:30P. We just got back from Willy’s game … Edina at Mtka…Mtka won 4 to 0, Willy had goal number 3… a very nice pass over the goalies body…very smooth 🙂

Not only do we have Willy for the weekend but we also have their new puppy!  Sugar is 12 weeks old….. and its 10 degrees outside.  You can imagine how excited she is to go outside every half hour 🙂  tomorrow am off to the bowling alley for Taylor (7) league. . . will give you Nicks update tomorrow, G’ma will not be awake when he finishes his game tonight.

G’nite ~ k

January 14:  They [girls’ hockey] are doing great. Keep Roger singing.  ~ “Weakie” (from Sarasota)

And finally (how could I not?), the other Biddy:

January 13:  Thank you for not reporting on the Hoosier/Gopher game!!! ARGH!! ~ RS