alexandriacardinals

[And they were, in fact . . . AMAZING.  So amazing that they actually turned out to be five!]

And they were also joined by Spencer Brand, who was the grizzled veteran at 17-years of age (I believe) on drums and trumpet.  We had seen Lily and Brett perform before on several occasions; we had never seen Josie in person, though we had seen her on YouTube (she has one with over a MILLION hits!); and this was a first-timer for us with Adam . . . wow!  The kids put on a terrific show for two hours.  We did not see many empty seats in the 453-seat theatre.  Thanks must be expressed to Mikko, Annie, and Bruce for putting this together and to AAAA for hosting – as Bruce said as the emcee, let’s do this on a regular basis!

[ . . . the regular crowd shuffles in . . . I see Marlene.]

It was a concert.  Thus, my abilities to do cub reporter (i.e., non-credentialed) stuff was limited to photographic evidence of the empty stage.  Ordinarly, you just go to other sources for such information – but these are kids!  There is some YouTube stuff, mostly for Josie, but the only photos are those on loan here from the Echo.

[Josie – and also writes a lot of her songs!]

http://www.youtube.com/guitarjosie

[Josie’s YouTube site above – has multiple songs]

[Lily – even sounded like Judy Collins on Someday Soon.  🙂 ]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GhujM75GaG8

[Singing the National Anthem at age 10 – a lifetime 3 years ago!]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYGuauIocXw&feature=related

[And from just a couple months ago.]

[Spencer]

[Adam & Brett]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNrcfNuv0b0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2D7xK23YQM0

[A couple of Adam at SAWA – how did he sneak these by us?  😉 ]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=077NnFHKryQ

[Adam on a short solo – he and Brett did a Guns & Roses thing last night that had the joint rockin’]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PDMg2Ft0Ao

[Brett and Lily have cameos in this from two years ago.]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGXYAbaXD0E

[Brett helps Sami Steidl perform at her graduation party last summer.]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9EbxM_b9sME

[The Impresario, a/k/a, Brett’s grandpa]

The concert was just the last two hours of a 6-hour live music day.  Not a personal record, but no doubt in the top 10!  I spent the afternoon (4 hours) at the winery with the Salty Dogs.  I had no intention of staying that long, but they kept me there against my wishes . . . by continuing to entertain me.  But I shouldn’t complain – Annie & Bruce played for four hours, and then went on the AAAA where they accompanied Lily.

 

[Super Fans Barb and Roger Riley sang the National Anthem again last night.  The Cards remain undefeated when they have done so.  The “Guest” was the Fergus Falls Otters – gotta get our scoreboard lights fixed, the Cards had 28 shots-on-goal though it looks like 23.]

[Thought it appropriate (and by pure happenstance) that Taylor Ellingson (24) was the first photo of the game.  She scored the last goal in the preceding JV game.  Varsity players sometimes play in the JV game as well – a numbers thing?]

[The JV team won as well.]

We had home games for both girls’ basketball and hockey last night.  I chose hockey because I thought the game had more meaning for sectional seedings.  The supervisor had a meeting at the tech college, and since she was right next door, went on to the basketball game.  We got dual coverage.  The Cards figured to be big favorites in both games.  We played St. Cloud Apollo in basketball, and we have been beating them by 30 points a game over the last couple of years.  It continued – the Cards got off to a 33-3 start and went on to a 66-43 win in which everybody got to play.  (The JV game was 60-12 for the Cards!)  The Cards are now 11-1, 6th ranked in the state, and play No. 1 ranked Fergus Falls at their place next Tuesday.  Looks like a road trip.

In hockey, we had beaten Fergus earlier this season at their place 11-3, and the Otters were winless in the conference.  Last night they had a different goalie who played very well, and though the Cardinals dominated play, at one time we were only ahead 2-1 in the 3rd period.  Scoring for the Cardinals were Rachael Finley and Britni DelCastillo in the 2nd period, and Kalley Kragenbring and Alia Kopischke in the 3rd.  Next up is River Lakes at home on Tuesday.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xcMJfcBWDM  (Video from start of game)

[A guess would be Becca (37) and Shelby (38) . . .]

[Alia (13) and Kalley (10)]

[Nicole Bartels (23), freshman defense – newcomer-of-the-year, has played very well, and we will look forward to watching her play for 3 more years! ]

[Kalley]

[Britni (14) and Shelby (38)]

[Britni]

[Reputedly hockey parents, though you can only communicate with them through the hole in the glass.  Feeding them is not recommended.]

[GOOOOOOAAAAALLLLL!]

[Nicole and Taylor]

[GOOOOAAAALLLL! (Again)]

[Shelby and Shanee’ (40), who made several nice rushes from her defense position.]

[Britni rushes to the aid of a fallen comrade.]

[Shelby is not about to take it lying down.]

[Rachael (15) is knocking on the door.]

[Alia’s dad, Dan, on the Puck Shoot – came close!]

[Card hockey alum, Alexis Nielson, on the Puck Shoot – also came close!]

[Shanee’, Brooke, Becca, Shelby, and Britni]

[Shelby prepares, i.e., adjusts mouth piece, for face-off.]

[Last photo of the game, for reasons unknown.]

After the games, the supervisor and I met at SAWA (Thursday night date night) to listen to Finestra and to compare notes.

For all you weather fans out there, it was 3 degrees and a lot of wind (20 below wind chill?)when we went to the games last night.  This morning’s venture to the gym took place at a temperature of 5 degrees below zero – our first sub-zero day of the season.  Ahhh, winter!  🙂

Coming soon to this post:  What the supervisor bought at the girls’ hockey chili and bison burger feed and silent auction fundraiser the next night!

We arrived at the Eagle’s Club last night, timing it beautifully to get a parking spot right by the front door (parking lots are now glazed ice all over town).  The supervisor bolted in and and made a beeline for the silent auction tables.  She kept an Eagle eye posted on the auction tables the rest of the evening.

[There are two Super Fans, facing the camera, already working on their chili and bison burgers!]

[The serving line.  I believe mostly JV here so I had to regale them with the story of Super Fan “Weakie” Annen once asking the 1st set of servers where “the stars” were?  Well, they in no uncertain terms told him where he could get off – never mess with hockey players!]

[Melissa and Steph, Shelby and Becca]

So, we joined Ted and Jerry, enjoyed our chili and burger, and gossiped about the future of Alex girls’ hockey – terrific, by all accounts!  Then came the Rileys; and the folks of hockey alums, Ally Nielsen (Jeanne and Mitch) and Beth Rindy (Karen and Mark Meuwisswen); and ultimately, the Hoymes, with their son, John, from Houston.  What we learned?  “The Eating Machines,” i.e., Karen and Mark’s two sons, are now both playing hockey and between them it’s SEVEN trips a week to the RCC for practices.   We have over 100 kids in Mites (under 9 years old?), broken into 6 classes (as I recall); I think it was 3-4 classes of Squirts (next level up); and I already forgot how many Bantam and PeeWee teams!  When you have to find ice time for the Blizzard, both high school teams (and their JV’s), the figure skating club, curling, open skating, and a partridge in a pear tree on two sheets of ice; the person in charge of the scheduling with just two sheets of ice should be in charge of logistics at the Pentagon.  It seems to be a consensus that we could use a 3rd sheet of indoor ice.

[The Haul]

[The supervisor appeared to have cut back a bit this year – possibly due to the icy parking lot.]

Thanks again to all the hockey parents!  🙂

Epilogue:  A reminder of what hockey grandma’s are getting themselves into.  In addition to all the practice time, the munchkins also travel!  Here’s the latest from the HQ, following her grandsons Willy and Nick all over the state from Minnetonka:

Nick (9) has his hockey tourney at Breezy point this weekend. His first game is tonight at 9:30P. We just got back from Willy’s game … Edina at Mtka…Mtka won 4 to 0, Willy had goal number 3… a very nice pass over the goalies body…very smooth 🙂

Not only do we have Willy for the weekend but we also have their new puppy!  Sugar is 12 weeks old….. and its 10 degrees outside.  You can imagine how excited she is to go outside every half hour 🙂  tomorrow am off to the bowling alley for Taylor (7) league. . . will give you Nicks update tomorrow, G’ma will not be awake when he finishes his game tonight.

G’nite ~ k

January 14:  They [girls’ hockey] are doing great. Keep Roger singing.  ~ “Weakie” (from Sarasota)

And finally (how could I not?), the other Biddy:

January 13:  Thank you for not reporting on the Hoosier/Gopher game!!! ARGH!! ~ RS

Putting the finishing touches on the Willmar game, we have contributions from the staff photographer.  Above are the six starters:  Dani, Cara, Whitney, Lauren, Amanda, and the ubiquitous blue garbage can.

[Amanda’s been jumping center at 5’9″ – nice hops, volleyball player.]

[“Are you sure that wasn’t Kim Kardashian?”]

[The supervisor is dressed for an evening fine entertainment.  Even the cub reporter is looking sartorially splendid in his fashionable Rick Santorum sweater vest.]

[Dani.  I tried to tie my shoe like that recently.  Remind me to show you my new bridgework.]

[Whitney]

[Whitney]

[LT, Cara, and Kalli]

[Amanda G and Whitney]

[The mask is a difficult adjustment.]

And we heard from our East coast stringers regarding women’s basketball:

January 9, 2012:  Tom —  Ellena Delle Donne of the University of Delaware is the nation’s leading women’s basketball scorer, averaging 29 points per game.   She’s a 6’5″ forward (what else?).  Out of Wilmington, she was recruited by Gene Auriemma for UConn, but lasted less than a week, sitting out her freshman year (she played volleyball instead) at home state school Delaware.  I saw her two years ago play against George Mason University (CAA Conference) and she was a tall tree standing under the basket.  Delaware (11-1/ranked 21/20) played George Mason Sunday, and Delle Donne, much more athletic, and shooting all kinds of shots — layups, under the basket shots, three-pointers — scored 40 of Delaware’s 66 points.  George Mason (7-6, unranked) kept itself in the game, with Taleia Moton, the nation’s ninth-ranked scorer, scoring 30 of GM’s 54 points.  Delaware, by the way, was barely beaten early in the season by Maryland.  Maryland, meanwhile, eked out a come-from-way (20 points)- behind one or two-point victory over Georgia Tech Friday and another come-from-behind overtime victory over University of North Carolina.  End of your Eastern basketball report.  ~ Betsy Greer

January 11, 2012: Here is my photo of Ellena taking the shot that broke the U of Del. all-time scoring record last Thursday.  My daughter played in a scrimmage against her 4 years ago in high school, and as a U of D guy myself who shares my daughter’s interest in hoops, we have been following Ellena ever since.  Can’t wait to see her in the NCAA tourney this year.  And note that she led Delaware to wins this year over Penn State and Wake Forest.

In one 20 min scrimmage half-court 5-on-5 the day my daughter played, Ellena scored 50, yes 50 points during the first 18 minutes of play, after which she was benched.  ~ Cousin Herb Conner

Just for fun, blog contributor Al Grundei submitted downtown Alex, 1977:

Finally, we got the local chapter of the University of Minnesota Alumni Association re-started last night.  But first, the supervisor and I went to the geezer matinee, a 2nd Wednesday of the month event, and were shocked that despite our first blast of cold, icy winter weather, the parking lot was overflowing with seniors.  Probably just came to polish up their winter walk gait.

[The ‘U’ – took this maybe 40 years ago.]

[Goldy]

[Rachel Banham – the next Lindsay Whelan?]

[This is the supervisor.  This is January 10, 2012.  This is the state of Minnesota.  This is a thermometer that reads 70 degrees in the sun (the official record high was 50 degrees).  Tulips are coming out of the ground, cottonwood trees are budding.  Heaven help us!]

Continuing our weather theme, we have “the guys” fishing in front of our place on Sunday.  Amazingly, there are still “permanent” fish houses on the ice, though several lakes now have vast expanses of open water.  I’ll have to go out on a photographic safari to see if anyone is . . . fishing from a boat!  We also had yet another in a series of beautiful full moons – these photos from Monday night.  And finally, some photos from Noonan Park yesterday afternoon.  The kids were out playing hockey in – tee shorts!  They could not play in the rink because there was too much standing water.  There was also open water on the east side of the pond.  Maybe they’ll be able to use the rink again by tomorrow.

And then there was a girls’ basketball game last night v. the Moorhead Spuds.  By game’s end, our Cards’ record had improved t0 9-1 – and we are currently ranked 8th in the state in class AAA.

[This just in:  Take a look at the photo at the top of the page – about 15 hours later we’re enjoying blizzard conditions.  Ahhh, winter! 🙂 ]

[We always enjoy getting there in time to see a good part of the JV game.]

[Sarah Bruzek (15)]

[Another good showing by the JV – playing better every game.  There are three girls pushing 6′ tall, and now just have to “grow into” their growth spurts, and a bunch of water bugs.  I think Kohler is going to be able to keep her run, run, run game going!]

[Amanda C]

[“Hi, Spuds!”]

[“Didn’t we just play you?”]

[“We remember the orange warm-ups.”]

[“Do you go see AC play for the Moorhead State Dragons?”]

[“Nah, the Kim Kardashian sighting was just a rumor.”]

[El!]

[“The Pasty King of Alexandria!”]

[Cheering for . . . the Kendra Holm Fanclub?]

[“Commence running!”  Kalli played in this game – with the mask.  You could tell, though, it really affected her depth perception and peripheral vision.]

[Amanda C and Cara on “D”]

[LT and Whitney on “D”]

[Good box outs by the Spuds.]

[One of a hundred such leaps LT performs every game in an effort to deflect or steal a pass.  Why?  Because many times each game she is successful in that endeavor.]

[A pilfer and she’s off!  The player ((12) a very good player who hit many 3’s) behind the ref has an angle on LT – but it’s to no avail.]

[ . . . as LT once again beats all defenders down court for a lay-up.]

[The Spuds launch a 3 attempt.]

[LT breaks away again . . .]

[ . . . and finishes with a lefty lay-up.]

[Amanda C at the line.]

We interrupt this photographic interlude for the requisite video.  As usual, I shot the beginning of the game.  Not pretty, I deleted it on the spot thinking the start of the 2nd half would be better. It was.  This is something the troglodytes do not like to hear (because it’s true).  In this clip you will see constant offensive movement by both teams – something you seldom, if ever, see in most boys’ games, regardless of level.  I am always amazed at the conditioning required to do this because they work so hard at the defensive end.  Also in this clip, you will see a steal, and length of the court dash for a lay-up, by LT.  You will also see her pick up 3rd foul with over 14 minutes left in the game – that was a concern.  But she fouled no more.  You will also see what has become our best offensive play – I think it has worked every time.  Whitney inbounds from under our own basket to Amanda C, Whitney then jumps into play to Amanda’s far side from the basket, Amanda fakes a hand-off or pass to Whitney, both defenders move to Whitney, and Amanda drives the baseline for a layup.  And the Cards always push the ball up court (which can some times lead to boo-boos):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6vMXkDNWXs&list=UUDt6CCFM-8cxXEwOQhEwkiA&index=1&feature=plcp

[Although not on the video, we ran the wheel play to perfection again.  Amanda C hit LT with a length of the court pass – I think LT still had to whole half-court to herself by the time she made the lay-up.]

[Whitney and Cara bring it up.]

[“Stick a fork in it!”]

[Whitney – had a terrific game as you will see on the scorebard stats below (16 points).  She is getting out on the break for lay-ups more all the time.]

[LT – started slow for her but ended with her usual 25 points.]

[LT’s folks]

[The coup de grace]

So, next Tuesday is the first BIG GAME OF THE YEAR.  We travel to Fergus to take on the No. 1 ranked team in the state (class AAA).  Looks like a good time for the first Super Fan road trip in a couple of years!  Hey, Otters:

[Just kidding.  😉  ]