alexandriacardinals

January 21

Our Cardinals were coming in on a mini-hot streak.  But the opponent was the St. Cloud Apollo Eagles, the defending section champ and undefeated in the conference so far this year.  This was the Cards chance for a statement win at home and for section ranking points . . .

[When I (the Super still battling a cold) arrived the first period of the JV game had just ended.  Our Cards were behind 4 -1 and were being outshot 15 – 1?  So, I thought, what the . . . .?  Then I learned that Apollo had basically played their varsity in the first period – because they don’t have enough players for a separate JV team.  This is a trend that seems to happening in a lot of places – so far our numbers for both boys and girls still remain good in Alex.  Therefore, as good as Apollo has been in boys hockey, next year they will combine with Tech to form one public school team in St. Cloud (Cathedral will still be separate).  Anyway, with fewer varsity players available for the Eagles in the 2nd period (only two periods were played), the Cards made a nice comeback and actually had a couple of really good chances to tie.]

[My first shot of the varsity game – not bad.  Will go down as a favorite for the year!  🙂  ]

[Nate Folsom (5), senior defense, trying fend off an Eagle.]

[Mack Strong (16), junior forward, in on goal.]

[And a multi-player pile up in the goal – no injuries were reported or tickets issued.]

[Players still trying to unscramble as the goalie gathers his wits.]

[Freshman forward Jack Westlund (10).]

[Wade Smith (25), junior defense, tries to keep the puck in the zone.]

[Jack Steffl (2), senior forward, in with Strong and Smith.]

[Same guys, must have been having a good shift.]

[Up until one minute left in the first period, it had been a great game.  Both teams were skating well, fast paced, each team with just three shots on goal.  And then the Cards blew all their gaskets.  A 5-minute major penalty, the Eagles scored before the period ended and carried over another 4 1/2 minutes of power play in the 2nd period.]

[Cards of the future starred between periods.]

[The Cards got another 5-minute major in the 2nd, plus a minor.  It seemed like we played the whole period short handed.]

[We were down 4 – 0 after two periods and probably did pretty well to be that “close.” The Eagles had 3 power play goals.  The Cards were spent from all the penalty killing.  The game was over for me and several other fans who had seen enough of the Eagles on the power play.  The final was 4 – 0.]

January 22

Our Card boys basketball team had also been playing well lately, winning 7 of our last 8.  But we were hosting the Rocori Spartans, a team that took us to the woodshed to the tune of 57 – 32 in their first meeting.

[We (the Super was better) arrived in time for the finish of the JV and 9th grade games.  We won both.  Yay.  But we had to wait for the games to end before they rolled out our usual West side bleachers.]

[It was there we first noticed that girl basketball and hockey players (and maybe others?) we there to cheer on the Cards in their . . . jammies!  Cyndi Lauper was right!

[The JV game was close, the Cards had to make free throws down the stretch – and we did, here freshman guard Cody Kutz (13).]

[Nice win.]

[Game over]

[Crossed over to our usual seats – a large contingent of students beat us to our usual seats.]

[Big enough game to a attract a band!]

[Roundballer Kiyana Miller is spotted in some sort of rodent attire?]

[Looks like a good crowd.]

[A quick scan of all the school banners, placed in such a manner to intimidate the opposition.]

[Team intros begin with Jaran Roste (1), junior guard . . .]

[Then Matt Bloom (3), senior guard . . . ]

[Then Spencer Hockert (15), junior forward . . . ]

[Another quiet (shhh) 20-point game for him . . . ]

[Brayden Amundson (23), senior forward . . . ]

[Jeremiah Burnham (5), senior center.]

[And a video for the start of the game . . . ]

[Halftime already, and no pix?  Little did we realize when the students moved in in front of us that they would stand the whole game.  As old people, who go to games like we’re going on a camping trip, we didn’t feel like moving all our equipment to the upper tiers. We watched between the shoulders.  Anyway, the Cards had a great half – an attacking offense and tough defense.]

[Now to the game with serious “stuff” on the line . . . make a midcourt shot, win a pizza slice!  Up first, Cardinal center Kayla Feldhake, jammies and all!]

[Then designated 3-point shooter Kara Thomson . . . both she and Kayla were close, off the glass, off the rim.]

[Oh, oh, the starting guards are in line – Macy Hatlestad in the leopard print hoodie, and Kendall Kohler and the red and white stripes . . . ]

[And then, from the far side, I believe that’s hockey goalie Amy Jost . . . ]

[And then someone, whom I didn’t recognize, also in red and white stripes was the only shooter to make a shot  – likely a hockey player then?]

[Then Macy . . . very close!]

[Then Kendall, also a rim shot.}

[Meanwhile, the 2nd half is about to begin . . . ]

[Roste on D, but he also had a terrific offensive game as the leading scorer with 25.]

[Jeremiah and Brayden join the pinch – we had a pretty good look around the students at our defensive end.]

[Ooops, then someone got in the way.]

[Alex Wensman (25), senior center,  and Jake Drew (33), junior forward, on D.  Drew was a big key in the JV game, but also gets a lot of PT with the varsity.]

Jared Lind (11), senior guard.]

[Meanwhile, Amy Jost takes over the student cheering section and takes them on a roller coaster ride!]

[The game got a little tense at the end.  As often happens, the Cards played the 2nd half not to lose.  We lost our aggressiveness on offense and fell out of sync.  The shots stopped falling (I think we only made a couple of 3’s the whole game), and the Spartans, in catch up mode, starting shooting early in each possession and either making them or getting the offensive rebounds and scoring on their 2nd or 3rd attempts.  They closed to within one with about three minutes left, but the Cards scored six points in the next 30 seconds to hold on for the big win.  I believe we’re tied for 3rd in the conference now.]

[We have Fergus at home next Thursday.  They’re in 1st place in the conference and beat us by 18 at their place.]

January 19 Sunrise Over Beautiful Lake Darling

We’re going to turn this team around 360 degrees.  ~  Jason Kidd

Up next:  I’m with Jason.

When there is a scheduling conflict between a girls’ hockey game and a girls’ basketball game, I’ll generally opt for what I think will be the more competitive game.  Since Kohler’s cagers have been laying waste to their conference competition, I opted for hockey on Tuesday night.  The game was too competitive.  The Cardinals lost to a team we had beaten 4 – 1 at their place earlier in the season.  River Lakes had a losing record and was toward the bottom in the conference.  When we lost to Sartell-Sauk Rapids last week, we likely lost any chance for the conference title.  River Lakes is a class AA team that we won’t play in sections.  Disinterest?  Maybe.  But there’s only four games left in the regular season, including three tough road games . . .

[The JV has been playing well, so here’s a shout out to them.  I arrived by my lonesome (the Super was under the weather . . . and a lot of blankets), and not expecting other Super Fan support decided to watch the JV game from behind the goal.  I learned early on it was only going to be a two period game because the Stars did not have enough players (the JV and varsity are combined).  Anyway, here’s sophomore forward Meghan Moore (23).]

[April Jost (5), junior forward]

[Well, refs have families too!]

[April is nicely positioned.]

[Trihanna Olson (14), senior forward]

[It’s a home run!]

[Jade Bollman (9), junior forward, will soon figure in things.]

[Since it’s a lefty, gotta be Kaia Illies (13), sophomore forward.]

[It’s a race!]

[Josie Minnerath (6), sophomore forward]

[Kaia]

[Trihanna]

[GOOOAAAALLLLLL!  This is Jade’s, after a scrum in front of the net.  I couldn’t tell who got it – the parents around me, with parents’ eyes, all said, “Jade!”  (The formal next day report said it was Meghan?)]

[Here comes Calley Richardson (7), sophomore defense, on a break away . . . ]

[She shoots . . . ]

[And GOOOAAAALLLL!!  The game winner . . . fitting since she was stopped on a point blank shot just a few minutes before this.]

[A nice solid win, had control of the game throughout.]

[Pre-game warm-up video, so get out the popcorn and Gatorade.  About 2/3’s of the way through you’ll hear me mumble, “Oh, April,” as she appeared to be nicked by a slapshot by McKenzie Revering during tip drills.  Well, I wouldn’t want to be nicked by a Rev slapshot!]

[We were flat in the first period again?  Here McKenna Ellingson (24) is at the back door.]

[Still waiting . . . ]

[As bodies crash all around her.]

[And then Mari Wosepka scored for us to tie the game at one.  Funny, McKenna was in the camera coverage the whole time, but I never saw Mari?]

[Here’s the Kristin Trosvig (15), Sam Klimek (37), Hanah Hansen (11) line making a push.]

[But where . . . ]

[Is the puck?]

[The goalie with the old hidden puck trick.]

[The Stars goalie played well – I don’t remember us having too many chances for rebounds.]

[With the JV playing so well, they are getting shots at varsity time.  Here Josie (6) and Calley (7), sophomores previously noted above, are on the ice with Allison O’Kane (36), also a sophomore.]

[Looks like Rev and Kristin . . . ]

[And then shortly after the Stars took a 2 – 1 lead, Rev answered back within seconds.  We thought the Cards were finally ready to take off!]

[But when the Stars got the next two goals, I believe both off turnovers in our own end, we could tell a chance for a comeback was gone.  The team was active throughout the 3rd period, but really didn’t threaten.]

[The shots on goal are deceiving; I thought the Stars flat out outplayed us.]

In other news, the girl roundballers won at Willmar on Saturday in a battle of the undefeated, in conference, Cardinals.  Our Cardinals won by 14, our smallest margin of victory in the conference this year, and then had a big home win over Apollo Tuesday night.  We are now 9 – 0 in conference and 11 – 3 overall (as is the JV), and are currently the No. 1 section seed.  The boys b’ball and hockey teams are also on a bit of roll.

Half the game [hockey] is mental; the other half is being mental.  ~  Jim McKenny

Up next:  More sports?

When the temperature is double digits below zero, what better way to spend an entire afternoon and evening than with high school girls excelling at their crafts?

[Josie Nelson performing at Carlos Creek Winery on Saturday.  Though still just a junior she plans on pursuing a pre-med major in college.]

[And her mom’s making videos, too!  🙂  ]

[I mean, seriously folks, is there anything prettier than 10 degrees below zero?]

[Sped immediately from the winery to the RCC for the girls’hockey game against Detroit Lakes.  We got there in time to see the end of the JV game.  They were terrific again!]

[I started the game with a video.  Early on our play wasn’t of video quality – OK, just a slow start – so  cut it off.  Here we’re in the Laker zone with Lauren Niska (21) on the point.]

[A flurry around the Laker zone . . . ]

[Do you see the puck . . . where the goalie is looking?]

[In golf voice-over:  Mari Wosepka (18) is lining up her putt; McKenna Ellingson (24) tries to shoo the Laker from skating on her line!]

[Somehow the 1st period scoreboard is different from the “official” game report.  I seem to recall 1 – 0 after one, but the game report lists 1st period goals by Alexis Heckert (20) and Niska?  I some how missed both with my camera?]

[“Rev” (29), there is no substitute.]

[Alexis and Mari after the puck . . . ]

[And their linemate, McKenna joins the activity.]

[GOOOAAAAALLLLL!   This is likely Sam Klimek’s goal, shone as the first one of the 2nd period.]

[After goal face-off, looks like Sam’s line is still out there with Hanah Hansen (11) and . . .]

[One of the really fun things about being a cub reporter is a moment like this . . . I got this shot of senior McKenna Schroeder (28). I must have been prescient because later McKenna got her first ever varsity goal. And I think I got that where she’s leaping in celebration. When you get down to it, there are few things in life as important and memorable as that first ever varsity goal. They stop the game and present the puck to the bench for the player’s forever keepsake.]

[GOOOOAAAAALLLLL!  McKenna’s (Ellingson).]

[Rev moves into the offensive zone.]

[A shot!  And I’m pretty sure it’s Rev’s, she’s the leftie on the right.  I noticed for the first time before the game that we only have three lefties on the team:  Rev, Allison O’Kane, and Kaia Illies.]

[It’s a scrum!!  I notice Calley Richardson (7) in this shot.  She’s a JVer, but the JV has been playing so well several have been getting PT with the varsity too – Kaia, Josie Minnerath, probably Talia Olson.]

[GOOOAAAAALLLL!  But since the official line is different from what I have, I have no idea?  I have Ms. Schroeder up next.  Anyway, it’s too bad because this is destined to be one of my favorite sports photos of the season.]

[Now here is Ms. Schroeder shooting . . . ]

[And then celebrating!!]

[Ms. Ellingson is ridden into the boards . . . can’t remember if it was a penalty.]

[Ms. Minnerath (6) takes a turn with the varsity.]

[After period 2, have I covered all the goals?]

[OK ladies, bring it on home.]

[Ho-hum . . . TV timeout?]

[Alexis after the dastardly disc.  She scored again early in the period and Ms. Ellingson followed shortly, again, with a short-handed goal.  So, the two frosh linemates had two goals each.]

[Kristin on a break . . . ]

[She shoots . . . and scores!]

[Here comes the Ellingson, Heckert, Wosepka line again.]

[Ooooh, a near miss.]

[A big win.  The shots-on-goal here is deceiving – the Lakers had very few quality shots.]

[And then as we’re trying to figure out our new in-house computer arrangements, scanned this to see if it worked. This is one of the items that makes me rich, and the Super and I go through several a year.]

Does it disturb anyone else that “The Los Angeles Angels” baseball team translates directly to “The The Angels Angels”?  ~ Neil DeGrasse Tyson

Up next:  Sports, I believe.

The Strib recently reported that Minnesota’s major sports teams were a combined 0 -13 for 2016.  So, I thought maybe everybody could use a little sports cheer up . . . and the Super wanted me to help rearranging (i.e., purging) our bookshelves.

Alexandria

[73 years later and Hal Haskins is still the gold standard for Cardinal roundballers.]

[Our first year in retirement – thought we went to state every year?  😉 ]

Golf

[OK, this could have fit under Alexandria as well.]

[I had a friend who did the legal work for this tournament.  The week after it was over he invited me to play Congressional (yes, yea, it’s who you know).  The course was still in Open condition, and we played from the championship tees (he showed me where Tiger hit every drive).  I had a 45 on the front, I thought not bad.  I lost it on the back.  It was a hot day and we were carrying our bags – gave me a new appreciation for the golfers and their caddies.  Congressional made me feel like I needed to be a mountain goat.]

[Remember the Gophs were Penn State’s first ever Big Ten game.  I rode up in a bus put together by the Nittany Lion alumni club.  Oy!  Gophs played well but lost in a high scoring game.  I saw the Gophs play in Happy Valley one other time while I still lived “out East.”]

[The season taken away from us.  The Super and I hadn’t planned on going to Final Four that year because we were making our first trip to Europe the following week.  Then the Gophers made it – so I had to go.  No lodging reserved, no tickets either.  We somehow lucked into the downtown Hyatt right next to the stadium and with a view of the state capitol.  We bought tickets on the street from a Kentucky family who sold them to us a face value.  Everything was falling into place . . . until we lost a close one to Kentucky in the semi-final.  Sold our tickets to the final to Kentucky fans and headed for Europe.]

[Our D.C. “home” team – well, when it wasn’t Georgetown.  Wolf Blitzer was a regular at their games; President Clinton came once when the Patriots were ranked in the Top 10.]

Final Fours

[My first was Indiana’s undefeated year, 1976.  Played at the Philadelphia Spectrum where we bought tickets at the gate the day of the games . . . boy, did that ever change over the years!  From 1982 on we were pretty much regulars, and probably why I was able to fill in all 50 states when that “question” went around on Facebook.  And, of course, we always have to thank Basketball Dan for being our travel agent and tour guide.]

[Michael Jordan won it . . . ]

[Jim Valvano running around the court looking for someone to hug . . . ]

[Yay for our Hoyas . . . ]

[Missed Villanova in ’85; Louisville won but I have no memories . . . ]

[Keith Smart won it for the Hoosiers . . . ]

[Danny and the Miracles . . . ]

[Missed Michigan in ’89 . . . ]

[The last year the Final Four was held in a basketball arena – and it showed in that the scalper ticket prices were too rich for our blood.  We watched UNLV win from our hotel room . . . ]

[Well, it was in Colorado . . . ]

[Duke . . . ]

[Duke (again) . . . the Super’s Hoosiers were here and we didn’t have tickets.  We were trying to score them on the street, but Minneapolis has (had?) a strict anti-scalping law.  We heard a scuffle behind us and two plain clothes cops had a guy pinned to the sidewalk with their pistols out – for scalping?  The Super started crying thinking she’d never be able to get into the games.  Then we ran into a guy who had tickets, and we followed him to a bar a couple blocks from the stadium.  They completed the transaction under the table . . . just like a drug deal!  Oy!  Just shows to go yuh!]

[Tarheels . . . ]

[Sooie Pig and 40 minutes of hell . . . ]

[UCLA . . . ]

[Missed ’96 with Kentucky, this was Lute’s year . . . ]

[Tubby and the ‘Cats . . . ]

[UConn – unfortunately (or is it “fortunately”?) we didn’t know Crazy Dave yet . . . ]

[Mateen Cleaves and the Spartans . . . ]

[UConn – In Minnesota now, not going much anymore, much easier to sit home and watch it on the big screen TV . . . ]

[Tarheels – we just happened to stop by after a long road trip through out the West . . . ]

[Florida – well, the Super got her Masters Degree there . . . ]

[Duke (again) . . . we were for hometown Butler.]

Twins

[Oh Happy Days!]

Cars will soon have the Internet on the dashboard. I worry that this will distract me from my texting.  ~ Andy Borowitz

Up next:   Josie and girls’ hockey.