[* Why yes, that is a holiday play on words!  🙂  Happy Thanksgiving!]

Obert’s Happy Thanksgiving

Ruthie – Executive Chef; Tom – Assistant Chef/Bus Boy

Veggie Tray (celery, carrots, radishes, olives)

Baked Ham

Baked Sweet Potatoes

Fresh cooked Green Beans

Fresh cooked Brussels Sprouts

Hard Rolls/Butter

Apple Pie/Whipped Cream

Wine

[And yes, we did beat the Moorhead Spuds!  Tuesday night in a game that was so exciting the supervisor and I have decided to follow the team to the Cities this weekend.]

[We arrived early to see some of the JV game – the highlight of which was the return of a blog favorite, Sara Schmidt (above), to the ice.  And it’s probably good that we did.  Many of the Super Fans missed most of the first period of the varsity game because it was advertised as a 7:30 start, rather than the usual 7:00.  But it did start a little after 7:00.]

[Athletic Director Dave Hartmann joined The Voices in the booth prior to the game.]

[The Competition, with his white lens, was there early . . .]

[Probably taking yearbook photos.]

[Since all I can see is the “2,” I’m going to deduce that this is freshman Lauren Niska (21), because she is right-handed and warming up with the defenseman.]

[Circling]

[Spinning]

[Juniors Rachel Drew (4) and Taylor Ellingson (24)]

[Senior Madi Houska (12)]

[Senior Becca Illies (37)]

[Freshman Mari Wosepka (18)]

[Coaches Brittin Boike and Andy Shriver]

[Freshman Hanah Hansen (11)]

[Pre-game mingling . . .]

[And laughing.]

[Vinnie.  ‘Nuff said.]

[Where do you go to get good schweinshaxe in Alex?]

[Dairy Queen?]

[By title, where one goes to get warm.]

[Hockey parents behind glass.  Please do not try to feed them.]

[Assembling for introductions – then Roger sang the National Anthem again.]

[Senior Shelby Iverson (38) wins the opening face-off back to senior Shanee’ Herd (40).]

[This is like a set play – or a football off-tackle dive play – as Shanee’ gathers the projectile and shoots through the gap in the respective forward lines.]

[Shanee’ usually then circles the other team’s defense, thus starting the game in our offensive zone.  We like it!  😉 ]

[Becca tries to gather the puck for a shot.]

[8th-grader McKenzie Revering (29) – it seems to be giving an awful lot of responsibility to such a young player to defend mid-ice all by herself!?  ;-)]

[But, so far, boy has she been up to it!]

[Shanee’ advises sophomore goalie, Bailey Serum (35), that she has her left flank.]

[Freshman Mackenzie Abrahamson (17) and freshman Katie Bowen (26)]

[Defend the Fort Bailey and Shanee’!]

[Spuds start a rush.]

[Hanah again.]

[Maybe a little extra “air time” because we went to see her great uncle’s, John Hawkes, movie the next day.  And I had Milk Duds for the 1st time in about 50 years as the movie’s start was delayed by about 40 minutes due to the ubiquitous technical difficulties.]

[Taylor takes a face-off in the Spuds’ zone.]

[Rachel (4) and sophomore Nicole Bartels (23) are back to support Bailey.] 

[Shanee’ swoops up the right boards.  She made several full-ices rushes during the game using her strength and speed.]

[Freshman Lauren Niska (21)]

[No. 8 for the Spuds was a pain.  😉 ]

[Hooray for us!  Junior Melissa Drew (6) scored on a backhand after a flurry on the Spud netminder.]

[Yay Melissa!]

[The Spuds questioned the goal – we don’t know why – but the constabulary discussed it for a while while Melissa’s line waited to get going again while they were hot.  That’s three “whiles” in one sentence, though I believe all are properly used.]

[The Becca-Shelby-Madi line applies pressure.]

[Shelby circles the net.]

[Keeping the pressure on.]

[Madi and Shelby . . .]

As the 1st period ended, our feeling was after the Cards opening push the Spuds seemed to have a slight edge in play.  They had an apparent size and strength advantage that Moorhead teams always seem to have.  The Spuds led 2 – 1 after that period and had an 11 – 7 shots on goal advantage.

[Unless Shelby is heading back on defense, we are now in the 2nd period.  Several minutes in I remember commenting that the Cards hadn’t had a shot on goal yet – the Spuds lead in that department had increased to 15 – 7.  Then the beehive fell on them . . .]

[Shanee’ asks for the puck.  Lauren had just scored her first varsity goal.  And I, in a sense, called it.  We had noted in the opener that she had a wicked slap shot.  She had a full head of steam heading into the Spud zone, with a Cardinal on each wing which spread the defense enough that I said to “Weakie” she’s going to crank one.  Just inside the blueline she hit a low bullet and scored.  That was part of an incredible run by the Cardinals the last half of that period – I have never seen a Cardinal team play better against a quality opponent – where we just maintained constant pressure, from all three lines, and outshot the Spuds by 17 – 1 for the rest of the period.]

[We’re ready!  Let’s go!]

[Nicole and Lauren, a sophomore and a freshman, on the backline.]

[The puck shoot indicates the 2nd period is over.  The score was 2 – 2, and now the Cards held a 24 – 16 shot advantage.]

[Cardinal domination continued into the 3rd period.  We had several good chances – with several opportunities with no defender between the shooter and the goalie – so we have to give the Spud netminder a lot of credit.  There’s an obvious tendency to rush the shot in those instances – scorers have to have patience when it seems you have no time.]

[Then after almost a full period of close, near misses, the young Ms. Revering launched a long change-up toward the goal that somehow made it over the goalie’s left shoulder and into the net.  The Cards had a 3 – 2 lead!]

[McKenzie’s in there somewhere.  😉 ]

[Save that puck.  It was also her first ever varsity goal.]

[Madi and Becca lead another charge.]

[Becca’s on the door step!]

[Spuds escape again.]

[Spuds called a time-out – in preparation for pulling their goalie.]

[But Shelby got an empty-netter for the final goal.]

[Final face-off.]

[We’re going to be a really fun and exciting team if we can stay healthy.]

[Downtown the next day – the Christmas decorations are up!]

[We were in-town to get tickets for “It’s a Wonderful Life.”  I’m here to encourage all of you to do so as well.  Support the AAAA.  It’s the holidays – take the kids, grandma and grandpa, the missus, even that crazy uncle you really don’t much care for!  🙂 ]

[Thanksgiving morning – another beautiful November sunrise over beautiful Lake Darling.]

[Happy Thanksgiving – and see y’all next time at the RCC.]

p.s.  After temps in the high 50’s yesterday, and still in the 50’s this morning, it’s now 12:30 . . . and snowing!

[p.p.s.  Then we ate . . .]

[The turkey?]

[Remember that 50-degree morning sunrise?]

[Must be time to dig out the Christmas decorations.]