November 14

And the winter sports season has begun . . . 

[When last we left you, our stalwarts were wrapping up the state consolation title in Ridder Arena on the U of M campus.  And although some key players on that team have graduated, we (well, certainly me) looked forward to this coming year knowing that most of the team would be back, that the youngsters would have a year of experience under their belts, and there would be a continuation of a talented youth movement.]

[Always great to be back in the RCC again.  Our season opener hosting the Spuds from Moorhead . . . ]

[Introducing a brand new goalie, sophomore Sydney Wiseman (30) . . . ]

[Senior defenseman Allison O’Kane (36) brings many years of experience and was named player of the game . . . ]

[Sophomore defenseman Mayson Toft (14), a raising star who was terrific as a freshman last year . . . ]

[Senior forward Kristin Trosvig (15), who I thought should have made the state all-tournament team last year . . . ]

[Junior forward McKenna Ellison (24), brings outside speed and now several years of experience . . . ]

[Junior forward Alexis Heckert (20), who with McKenna formed a dynamic duo when they came up together.]

[Ladies and gentlemen . . . ]

[Your 2017-18 Alexandria Cardinals girls hockey team!]

[OK, let’s go team . . . ]

[Or words to that effect.]

[And we’re off and skating!  I missed the opening face-off because I forgot to turn the camera on – a regular and recurring issue.]

[Anyway, above and here, Kristin, Alexis, and McKenna charge into the Spud zone.]

[The Spud bench appears well-behaved in spite of all the excitement in front of them.]

[This is the “Not Driving Yet” line – well, I’m open to snappier suggestions?  They’re really fun to watch because they’re really speedy – freshman Marki Oberg (10), freshman Anna Doherty (9), and 8th-grader Kaci Trosvig (25) (yes, Kristin’s sister).]

[Big sister Kristin back on the ice again . . . ]

[McKenna trying a swan dive on hard water . . . ]

[Once she’s up, she’ll have an open shot . . . ]

[Until a Spud got in her way . . . ]

[Please, go away!]

[I can only see the “2” . . . ]

[Kristin attacking from the right flank . . . ]

[And the shot!  Not yet.]

[McKenna!  Right behind you!]

[Spuds clog the net.]

[State of period 2 – I have the camera turned on.  We were behind 2 – 0 after the first period.  We were a little shakey and the new goalie was just getting her water wings.  We had a teritorial and shots on goal advantage, so we weren’t worried yet.]

[I see it!]

[Alexis is after it . . . ]

[The Spuds scored early in period for a 3 – 0 lead – OK, Cards, time to start rolling!]

[Alexis takes a couple stabs at it . . . ]

[And finally Kristin scored a couple minutes after the Spuds goal to get us back in the game at 3 – 1.]

[Group hug!]

[The Heckert line is back in on goal again . . . ]

[They’re buzzing . . . ]

[The “Not Driving Yet” line keeps the pressure on . . . ]

[GOOAAALLLL!  Late in the period Anna scored to make it a 3 – 2 game – we were now confidant we could catch them in the 3rd period.]

[The puck is in the goal!]

[The Voices of the Cardinals . . . ]

[Along with the Emeritus Voice in the booth.]

[Final period . . . ]

[I have now moved down to take a seat with some alumni parents and grandparents . . . ]

[The activity seems to indicate the puck is in the right hand corner . . . ]

[Up close with Marki and Kaci . . . ]

[They break away . . . ]

[Kaci chases into the Spuds’ zone, backed by senior defense Taylor Breitkreutz (34) . . . ]

[GOOOAAAALLLL!  Mayson on a long shot from the blue line, through traffic!  The game is now tied halfway through the 3rd period . . . ]

[And a couple minutes later, McKenna got the winning goal on a beautiful wrister flying down the right side and putting it into the upper left corner.  I had a perfect angle on the play taking shape, a great view of the shot, but didn’t get the camera up on time . . . ]

[OK, let’s play it out and get the win . . . ]

[Ooops, somehow put ourselves in a 5-on-3 hole – but we did a great job killing them both off . . . ]

[Now . . . let’s just keep it in their end . . . ]

[A nice opening win . . . ]

[We’ll be fun to watch all year.  We’ll get an idea early – we go to Brainerd-Little Falls (they were 25-3 last year) Friday, host So. St. Paul (a perennial power) Saturday, and then follow with a 3-game road trip beginning with Sartell-Sauk Rapids Rice (an 18-win team last year.]

[The final shots were 34 – 11, indicative of our control of the game.]

Half the game is mental; the other half is being mental.  ~  Ex-Maple Leaf Jim Kenny

Up Next:  Likely . . . more hockey