This one was an NC’er from the git go!  Our Cards, against the Willmar Cardinals, wanted to secure on home ice our first conference title since the 2003-04 team finished a series of four conference titles in a row.  There’s one more regular season game to go before sections start.  (The final shots on goal were ultimately maladjusted to 53 – 15.  It was hard to keep up as the entire third period was on running time.)

The video was taken from the start of the game.  The other voices belong to the recently retired Voice of the Cardinals, Dave Harris, and the erudite Jim Pohl.  Mr. Harris was particularly impressed that I actually captured a goal on a video – in fact two as our Cards bolted out of the gate.

[And as soon as I cut off the video, GOOOOAAAALLLLL!   So far we have from the video Zach Johnson (17) from Chris Canavati (11) and Ryan Marciniak (20) at the one minute mark; and Chris Leary (18) from Marciniak and Micah Christenson (39) at the two minute mark . . . ]

[Then we had this goal, Chase Nielson (10) from Canavati and Jack Steffl (2) at the seven minute mark.]

[As the supervisor always says, “Arms are for hugging!”  This GOOOAAALLL by Johnson from Marciniak (a hat trick in assists!) and Nick Partington (26) at the nine minute mark.]

[GOOAAALLL  by Alex Wosepka (8) from Steffl and Chase Childers (19) at the ten minute mark.]

[Yup, just after Wosepka’s goal – still in the first period here.]

[Let’s give a little “air time” to Danny Hennessy (4), senior forward.]

[GOOOAAALLLL!  After the near misses in the video, Mack Strong (16) gets his goal, from Wyatt Wittenburg (9), junior forward, and Canavati at the 12 minute mark.]

[A quite impressive period!  Or exclamation point!!]

[GOOAALLLL in period 2, Marciniak from Strong and Eli Heckert (27), senior defense.]

[The pace slowed in the 2nd, not surprisingly, plus we had to kill off a 5-minute major penalty on which Willmar scored their only goal with 9 seconds left in the penalty.]

[GOOOOAAAAALLLL . . .]

[Marciniak completes his big game in the third period from Johnson.  That’s all there is, there ain’t no more.]

After the game, there was a brief ceremony honoring the new conference champions.  Each player received a t-shirt commemorating the event, and the team received a banner ultimately to be hung from the arena rafters:

The JV game

[I arrived as I usually do about halfway through the JV game.  It’s now still light at 6:00, and the weather was so balmy I was wearing a spring weight jacket.  Neither seemed appropriate for hockey season.  This game was not much fun for the other Cardinals.]

[The poor Willmar goalie was in this situation a lot.  Though all I see is the “2,” I suspect this is Reed Larson (12), sophomore forward.]

[Ashton Toft (37), sophomore defense, throwing his weight around.]

[Drat, even when I “blow it up,” I can’t tell who the blue line shooter is.]

[Ahhhh, Sam Gunvalson (40), sophomore defense, whose number is clearly legible!  🙂  ]

[Yup, still Sam.]

[ Aarin Willander (13), junior forward, possibly?]

[And again.  You may tell from the angle – well, of course you can – that I’m shooting all these from behind the goal on the south side of the arena.  After the game, I would continue my schlep to my usual seat.]

[Another blast at the beleaguered goalie.]

[I suspect it must be a . . . ]

[GOOOAAAAALLLL!  With Gunvalson; Larson; and Nick Dallum (29), junior forward, in the vicinity.]

[Shots on goal were really ugly at this time.]

[It seems you always gotta have a “guy.”  You can have a “guy” for a variety of reasons.  I adopted Noah Hittle (15), junior forward, as my “guy” early in the season. Dunno why, for sure?  But I kinda like his demeanor, and I certainly like his hands.  He has a terrific shot, quick and accurate.  Look for him to be power play gotta be next year.]

[The end of the 2nd period.  Then came the 3rd period explosion.  As you can see from the final scoreboard at the top of the JV story, they stopped the shot count at 39 (it would be hard to go from 4 goals to 10 on only 2 shots, eh?).]

When I was young, I was amazed at Plutarch’s statement that the elder Cato began at the age of eighty to learn Greek. I am amazed no longer. Old age is ready to undertake tasks that youth shirked because they would take too long.  ~  W. Somerset Maugham

Up next:  The hockey girls are scheduled to host a section semi-final tonight . . . weather permitting.