Yeah, I know. This first game is from December 9. Hey, stuff happens. All kinds of stuff. And I’m sorry this isn’t even news anymore. But if I take care of two games in this posting, I’ll only be behind by one trip, a basketball game, a tribute, and another hockey game, all currently waiting patiently in the archives!
[Fergus Falls game, a conference and section rival. The Otters were not coming in with a good record, and our JV had just won by a score so lopsided they stopped posting any more goals on the scoreboard. It was time for the team to right the ship. I’ve noted that so far we have not had a 1st or 3rd line, we have three 2nd lines. For the first time (as I recall), this line was introduced to start the game, beginning with Kaila DeWanz (7), senior forward.]
[Lauren and Little Rev are back as a blue line pairing.]
[Michaela Swenson (34), senior forward]
[Sam Klimek (37), junior wing, and, spoiler alert, she scored both of our goals in this game.]
[OK, we just need a goalie . . . ]
[He she is, Taylor Coker (30), junior, in I believe her second varsity start.]
[Buckle up, ladies!]
[And we’re off!]
[Michaela reverses direction at center ice.]
[McKenna Ellingson (24) is in on goal . . . ]
[With Lauren backing her.]
[Sam’s first goal with an assist from Michaela.]
[Hooray for us!]
[And the team hooray!]
[Looks like Hannah Hansen (11) leading an assault to rescue Kristin Trosvig (15) from being trampled in heavy traffic.]
[Typical game so far this season – heading to OT.]
[As during regulation time, we had several good chances to put the game away. Finally, the Otters got a break out and scored the winning goal. The team is still looking for that big win to get them over the hump.]
The very next day, the hoar, THE HOAR!
On Friday, the 11th, I finally caught a boys’ hockey game, hosting St. Cloud Tech. We were off to a great start, undefeated with one tie.
[The JV got the evening off and rolling with a nice win. (But why are we taking two penalties late in the game with a 5 goal lead? Yeah, I know, picky, picky, picky . . .)]
[I can’t get individual player introductions because they’re kinda done in a “disco” lighting atmosphere? The cool part is the young kids skating around with Cardinals banners. Can’t some young ladies do that do that for the girls’ games too?]
[And they’re off! I see Cammeran Brown (21), senior forward, and Alec Wosepka (8), senior forward.]
[It didn’t long for Cam Birkeland (14), sophomore defense somewhere in the mosh pit, to get his first varsity goal.]
[Parker Revering (3), senior defense and Little Revs big brother]
[With my face stuck against the camera, I didn’t actually see the shot but was told it was a change-up. Sometimes those are the hardest to defend as it snuck past goalie Jack Nettleton (33), junior, to tie the game. Mr. Nettleton would go on to his first varsity win.]
[Assistant Coach Jon Crouse, former Cardinal stand out himself (and for 65ers, the son of classmate Richard), works at the Y in winter and the golf course in summer so we see him a lot. He was “delighted” to hear I was finally going to cover a game so he could get some blog exposure!]
[Looks like another score! And it was so good, they duplicated it a bit later. Center Zach Johnson (17), senior, drew the face-off back to Ryan Marciniak (20) , senior forward, who one-timed into the net from the slot. Zach, incidentally, is one of three variations of “Zachs” on the team. We also have four brothers to four sister varsity hockey players – it’s a nice family affair.]
[Alec, as a he did many times in the game, just blurs down the right side and swoops in on the goalie.]
[The 2nd Marciniak goal.]
[Ooooo, we came so close!]
[And here comes Alec again.]
[The game was well in hand after one.]
[Ready for period 2?]
[Eli Heckert (27), senior forward, and I’m “guessing” that Alexis on the girls’ team is his sister.]
[Ryan and Zach perform synchronized hockey . . .]
[Ryan shoots . . .]
[Zack confronts . . .]
[There was no scoring in the 2nd, then we had the puck shoot where football and wrestling fans will recognize Cumberbatch. I left at the end of this period believing the game was in hand to meet the girls at SAWA – it was Thursday night date night after all. The final was 4 – 1, with the Cards having a 55 – 12 shot advantage.]
“Those Who Stay Behind” Annual Soiree: On Friday, the 12th, we again took Arrowwood by storm, the largest group of old people in one place at the facility since 1942. These are the people from the senior golf league who are either too old, too tired, too poor, or too much hockey fans to want to go south in the winter. The Fieldhammers did come back from Arizona for a week – they were tired of all the sunshine, so we accommodated them by not having a single ray of sunshine the entire week. Since we are such a known and infamous group, people of all ages and the 5 county area were dropping by our tables to greet us. A good time was had by all, though many will not remember it in the morning. And once again, thanks to Al for the annual gift of his homemade, and good, wine!
Have you ever noticed that anybody driving slower than you is an idiot, and anyone going faster than you is a maniac? ~ George Carlin
Up next: Whatever comes up in the archives?
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