. . . So, we had Components, The Cheese Bots, Girls’ Hockey, Al & Terry, Lisa Lynn, Girls’ Basketball, The Second City Touring Group, Rachel Banham’s 60-point game (OK, we watched than on TV) . . . let the good times roll!!

Components @ SAWA, January 29

[Bill Engebretson – drums, Dave Strom – keyboard, Marty Sarlette -sax, and Craig Peterson – bass]

The Cheese Bots @ SAWA, January 30

[Marty “Longhorn Colby” Sarlette – saxes/bongos; Lindy “Limburger” Pederson – guitar/vocals, Jim “Fromage du Jour” LaRocque, guitar/bass/vocals – so we had the saxy guy two nights in a row!]

[Known near and far as fans of hockey and music.  We created new Cheese Bots fans on this night!]

[And the Super with her favorite 6’6″ guitar player!]

Bidding adieu to my 68th consecutive January . . .

February 4

[Big hockey game with St. Cloud – the Cards and Icebreakers have similar conference and overall records.  I tried to photo “stitch” this into the single banner that it is, but my software couldn’t handle it?]

[The Boys in the Booth.]

[And now, your Alexandria Cardinals . . . ]

[Alexis Heckert (20)]

[McKenna Ellingson (24)]

[Mari Wosepka (18) . . . apparently was hosting at Doolittle’s after our last foreign film but I missed her.]

[Lauren Niska (21)]

[McKenzie Revering (29)]

[Amy Jost (33)]

[Super Fan Roger Riley had just wrapped up the Anthem.]

[And we’re off!  One of my favorite sights on the ice – Rev waving her stick for a pass at the point from where she uncorks slap shots that could hurt someone!]

[Can just see the “1,” so it could be Lauren, Hanah Hansen (11), or Karina Carlsen (31).]

[Good even game so far.]

[Cards of the future (again)!]

[Starting period 2 on a penalty kill, explaining why “D” Karina (31) is up on the forward line for the face-0ff.]

[Looks like McKenna . . . ]

[Here comes Rev – several times she tried to scoot along the boards into the offensive zone only to be thwarted by a linesman or a ref, who were positioned where they were suppose to be (or not to be, that is the question.)]

[Sam Klimek (37) chases the puck after a face-off.]

[Looks like another near miss . . . ]

[Sam followed up deep in the Icebreaker zone while Allison O’Kane (36) manned the point.]

[OK, spoiler alert!  This was the final score.  Done in by a bugaboo that has haunted them all season (and even more so for the boys’ team, it seems) – too many penalties. Although the St. Cloud goal was technically not a power play, it occurred just as our penalty ended but the 5th skater hadn’t gotten into the play yet.  I believe for the game we had four penalties to their one.  Almost all their shots on goal were during power plays – we had the play advantage when the teams were skating 5-on-5.]

[Just one of those games . . . Lauren had a terrific offensive game from her defensive position, taking the puck end to end, with good dekes and stick handling, particularly in the 3rd period.  We just couldn’t cash in any of them?]

[Here comes Alexis (20) . . . ]

[A not uncommon sight – Cardinals buzzing the net, nothing going in.  Have to credit the Icebreaker goalie and her defense.]

[Mari often scores when she beats the defense, just not on this night.]

[And it was over. A good game that would have been better had the score been reversed (we beat them at their place earlier this year).  Sections start next – we are the No. 1 seed!]

[Terry & Al @ SAWA, after the game.  I was meeting the Super, so I missed the boy’s hockey game that followed the girls’ – similar result, we lost to St. Cloud Cathedral 4 – 0, so no goals for the Cardinals all night?]

[Bonus coverage from yesteryear . . .  ]

[And Mel, just because . . . ]

February 5

[I began the evening with Lisa @ SAWA.  I left the Super behind after the first set for the girls’ basketball game.  I returned in time for her entire 3rd set – no videos because it was too noisy.]

[I arrived at halftime of the Detroit Lakes game – oy!  Big match up because they beat us at their place in the opening game of the season – we were 0 – 14 for 3’s in that game.  We were playing for section seeding points, which appears to be between us, the Lakers, and Thief River Falls.]

[The Lakers frontline is 6’10”, 6’10”, and 6’8″ (why do they always have more height than us?) – this is the shortest one of that group (43), she’s a lefty and a good shot.]

[I was surprised to hear Emma Ziegler (1) was our leading scorer at the half – and with three 3’s.  Not that she isn’t a capable athlete (soccer goalie, softball shortstop), but I don’t recall her even attempting three 3’s before?  She usually specializes in ballhandling and defense . . . another scorer is always nice though!]

[Also in the photo, Jon Mulder, referee, son of my walking buddy, the Boy Tenor; and the Amazing Mr. Ripley shooting photos of . . . the far wall?]

[General milling around . . . No. 45 is one of their 6’10” players.]

[Referee Mulder signals we’re No. 1; Emma Schmidt is one of our tallest players at 5’10”, yet is dwarfed by the surrounding Lakers; the Amazing Mr. Ripley called for a back-up.]

[This is a shot of a hand railing with game action in the background.]

[Let’s discuss tonight’s apres game activities?]

[Appears to have been a game long strategy – Kendall Kohler (3) would shadow whoever was playing point for the Lakers.  Kendall is a good on-ball defender . . . if she can avoid foul trouble (she did in this game).]

[With Kendall in the far corner, Emma cutting up the middle, our 5’11” center, Kayla Feldhake, considered her options.  Once they left her alone out there – she fired up a rare 3 attempt, and made it.]

[Kayla also played all-court defense against the Laker center . . . ]

[Forcing her into a double-team with Zig.]

[Zig looks for a release to Kelby Olson Rodel (13), while McKenzie Duwenhoegger (35) protects her flank.]

[Cardinals swarm on defense while the ref counts to “5” to make sure we don’t have more than the allotted five players on the court.]

[Kendall now D’ing up on No, 15.]

[Kayla playing D way out to center court as the Cards played an “in your face” man-to-man.]

[Macy Hatlestad (11) works the old end around with Zig.]

[Macy in direct alignment with a teammate . . . ]

[Had to have been Kendall.]

[Here’s our trick play – while Ref Jon signals ball in, Macy holds the ball overhead while our cheerleader actually calls out the play.  Then the cheerleader runs behind Macy, receives the inbounds pass, and lays it in.  Works every time!]

[Ye Olde Picket Fence.]

[OK, you’ve had a good 2nd half, at one point to a 9-point lead.  Now go out and put it away.]

[Macy on the line . . . ]

[The first made it a 5-point lead.]

[The 2nd also tickled the twine.  Macy made 4 key free throws down the stretch – as I recall only one even so much as grazed the rim.]

[Zig continued her career night – 19 points.]

[Junior Courtney Gould (53) has been giving us a lot of good minutes lately as a 5’10” frontcourter – nothing but net on this one.]

[Just missed the 2nd but kept our momentum going.]

[OK, maybe here was point 19?]

[I’ve moved to end of the court for a quick getaway back to SAWA.  The Lakers desperately trying to press us.]

[Zig looking to Kendall while Schmidty sets a screen.]

[A big plus for us is that our starting guards, Kendall and Macy, must be 80 percent free throw shooters.]

[Kendall surprisingly missed her 2nd – to run out the clock?]

[Big win over a good, tall, and good-shooting team.  Great defense holding them to 40 points.]

February 6

[Expected it to be fun . . . and yet better than we expected.  A rainy night, I think a surprisingly good crowd at the Performing Arts Center.]

January 7

[The Gopher’s Rachel Banham poured in 60 points against Northwestern in a double overtime win.  Obviously, it was a Gopher and Big Ten scoring record.  We toasted her with a Coppola Claret!  (Strib photo)]

[And welcome back to the Gophers, Amanda Kessel!]

When men and women agree, it is only in their conclusions; their reasons are always different.  ~ George Santayana

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