[The JV done good!  This was against Fergus Falls on Thursday night.  So now I have completed the triumvirate plus one of girls and boys hockey and basketball.]

[Allegedly hockey fans, though were caught leaving after the 2nd period apparently not realizing the game wasn’t over yet?]

[This was at the end of the first period.  We had reason for concern as it was as even as the shots on goal would indicate.  I had not taken any photos yet because when we arrived for the JV game, all the seats in the top two rows were taken (the nerve of some people!) so I would be shooting entirely through the glass panels and wasn’t sure how that was going to take.  And we were joined by fellow Super Fans Teddy and Jerry Hockey and Professor Pohl so we spent most of the 1st period catching up on things.  Oh, Mack Strong (16), junior forward, got the goal.]

[Noah Hittle (15), senior forward, drops by the bench just to see what’s happening.]

[The freshmen wunderkind, Jack Westlund (10) and Ben Doherty (8).  At least for this game they were every bit as good as advertised.]

[Wade Smith (25), junior defense, demonstrates the snowplow stop.]

[There’s a scrum, and in the end the ref points GOOOOAAAAAALLLL.  Wyatt Wittenburg (9), senior forward, with the honors.]

[Our man Hittle again.]

[And again?  Maybe an attraction for clean-up hitting first basemen?]

[My goodness . . . I caught a puck going into the net!  I believe this was Mr. Westlund’s goal.]

[Doherty and Westlund again.]

[Mr. Smith and Mr. Strong]

[Strong circles in the offensive zone.  I believe he is the leading scorer returning from last year’s team.]

[On the bench assisting the brain trust is Micah Christenson (27), junior halfback . . . er, forward.  I don’t know why he was in civvies, but the tie and helmet are a nice touch, both requirements.]

[There may not be crying in baseball, but there is hugging in hockey!  I assume this must have been after Nate Folsom’s (5), junior defense (see below), goal, and for reasons I have already forgotten the goal created excitement beyond the norm?]

[Mr. Folsom (see above) – we have had occasion to socialize with members of his extended family, including his grandmother who was seated to our left during the game where at one point the puck flew over the glass, over her head (thankfully), and then was kick saved by me.  Unfortunately, I was wearing sneakers, not goalie skates, so it . . . hurt!]

[Mucking it up around the Otter goal . . . ]

[Still mucking . . . it’s Mr. Strong.]

[Had to get this.  The Otter coaches had several animated discussions with the on ice constabulary.  I have no idea about what . . . so maybe they had a point?]

[By the end of the 2nd period the Cards were in total control.  That may explain the sudden disappearance of the alleged hockey fans.]

[The highlight of the evening was the new puck shoot board.  Looks nice.  The old one had a lot of mileage on it and looked like 27 miles of bad road.]

[And it produced a lot of excitement!  The young lady in jersey No. 10 stepped up first and, obviously a player, drilled one right through a $25.00 slot from the blue line.  Then the smiling hockey mom stepped up and slapped one right down the middle through the $100 slot!  Most of the time you can tell most hockey parents have never touched a stick, but she looked like she had game.  Anyway, I believe that is only the 2nd time I have seen two winners on the same night.]

[It’s during late game time outs that the team discusses apres game fine dining.]

[We did not play the 3rd period the way it should have been played.  For some reason, we kept taking penalties, including a 5-minute major . . . with a two goal lead?  We played a good portion of the period playing shorthanded – the good thing was we were able to kill them all off.  We were fortunate that Jack Powell (21), junior defense, scored what may be one of the prettiest goals for the whole season by deking past two defenders and backhanding the puck into the upper corner.  Strong scored his 2nd goal (above), and the team’s last, on a power play at the end of the game.]

[If can play every game like we played in the 2nd period, it will be a good year.]

Follow-up for the snowbirds:  We had the Richie Braun annual “For Those Who Stay Behind” soiree at Arrowwood Friday night.  A good turnout of 23 senior golf league members (and alumni) and spouses for all you can eat pasta and stir fry – at our ages, 1/2 of one plate is usually plenty!  I have to report that Dusty had seconds, but he said it was dessert.  I forgot to take pictures . . . it happens.  Go back in the blog archives and look at photos from past such soirees (always the 2nd Friday in December).  But I believe I was thrown off my game by the fact the Super went without even wearing a coat – it’s still summer here? –  and WASP and Aagard were also hosting their annual Christmas parties here.  We could hardly get out onto County Road 22 to get there as it was a steady stream of holiday party revelers – think rush hour on “The 5” in LA!  Oy!

[The only proof of our attendance – our annual gift from Al & Diann.  Thanks again to them!]

How would you like a job where, every time you make a mistake, a big red light goes on and 18,000 people boo? — Jacques Plante

Up Next:  ‘Tis the holiday season . . .