alexandriacardinals

. . . And Bethany and Megan Hasz finish 1 – 2 again at the state cross country meet!

[And with these two leading the way, our Cardinals opened the 2015-16 season on Saturday against the North Metro Stars hoping to improve on last year’s state consolation championship (Echo photo).]

[This is an experienced team, with even the frosh and sophomores already having varsity experience. But we did notice . . . well, it looks like the JV roster is from last year?  We know Onna O’Connor has decided to hang up her skates after a couple of knee surgeries, and there were a few players on both rosters who are not listed at all?  North Metro has been a regular team on our schedule for the last few years, composed of players from Fridley, Osseo, Park Center, but even a Star fan sitting in front of us couldn’t name what other schools are involved?  We have  schedule full of Class AA teams which should prepare us well for tournament time.]

[Always nice to warm up for the varsity game with a nice win by the JV!]

[As the “Super Fans” wandered in, we watched our defense warm up – Karina Carlsen (31), senior; Allison O’Kane (36), sophomore; and Kaitlin Leary (26), junior.  “Weakie” and Vivian made their first appearance at the RCC in two years, Professor Shaughnessy will make as many appearances as he can before he snowbirds to Arizona, and, of course, Roger was there to sing the Anthem.]

[Co-captain Amy Jost (33), senior goalie]

[Co-captain Lauren Niska (21), senior defense]

[McKenzie Revering (29), junior defense; and opposing teams look out there and think, “Haven’t those three been playing together for about 10 years now?”]

[Mari Wosepka (18), senior forward, and sings the Anthem in the absence of Roger.]

[McKenna Ellingson (24), freshman forward]

[Alexis Heckert (20), freshman forward; so with all this experience, still two freshman on the forward line.]

[Hey, how ’bout the girls’ cross country team?]

[Coaches Mark Niska, Blair Hovel (head coach), and Molly Arola]

[DMac and Bob Cunniff man the KXRA radio both.]

[Let’s . . . Play . . . Hockey!]

[Early action in the Stars end . . . ]

[Kim Kardashian?  Naw . . . ]

[Ref says, “That’s a gooooaaaalllllll!”  First of the year, Mari, short-handed, from McKenna.]

[Celebrate]

[Then returning the favor, McKenna scored from Mari.]

[Alexis trying to interpret hand signals from the ref.]

[Little Rev (a/k/a, McKenzie) scored unassisted to wrap up the first period.]

[Period 1]

[So, a goalie, a psychologist, and a orthopedic surgeon walk into a bar . . . ]

[Alexis shadows (it was a sunny afternoon game).]

[Now, where’d she go?]

[Hanah Hansen (11), senior forward and last year’s leading scorer, on the left in civvies will be available for the 3rd game of the season.]

[Karina on the offensive.  All our defenseman are offensively minded, so we do get caught by odd man rushes.  Considered a price worth paying with Amy in the net.]

[A rarity of rarities.  Little Rev got a penalty shot.  We couldn’t tell what caused it – there was a big scrum in front of the Stars net when all of a sudden a Star player was jettisoned out of the pile like a jack-in-the-box.  We assumed it would be a penalty on the Cards?  But Rev got the shot and executed it perfectly – we were up 4 – 0.]

[We’re in again . . . ]

[And soon Sam Klimek (37), senior forward, is thanking Rev for an assist on her goal.]

[Period 2]

[The Stars scored early in the 3rd to close the score to 5 – 2 (the Stars had two senior forwards who were quite good).  That only riled the Cards who scored the final 4 goals of the game, and all I could do was capture all the aftermaths: McKenna from McKenzie and Kristin Trosvig (15), sophomore forward; Mari from McKenna and Alexis; Kristin from Lauren; and Lauren from Mari and Alexis.]

[Game over.]

[DQ?]

[Earlier in the day, the girls cross country team finished 9th (out of 16 teams) in the state meet at St. Olaf.  Bethany and Megan finished 1 – 2, the third year in a row in some combination they finished such (Echo photos).]

Various press reports (the first includes TV coverage):

http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2015/11/07/alexandria-twins-face-off-for-top-spot-at-state-cross-country-meet/

http://www.twincities.com/prep/ci_29087129/high-school-girls-cross-country-alexandrias-hasz-sisters

http://www.echopress.com/sports/cardinals/3878217-class-aa-state-cross-country-hasz-twins-clinch-1-2-three-peat

[Earlier in the week, University of Minnesota President Eric Kaler expresses gratitude to a local alum for Bethany and Megan Hasz becoming future Gophers.]

We celebrated all the day’s wins a tad later that day at SAWA . . .

[You will no doubt recognize Mr. Drinkwine as an original member of Harper’s Chord.  This was his first solo locally.]

[Why yes it was a lovely Piluna Primitivo zinfandel with a delicious Jewett Benson landscape on the wall behind.]

[Unfortunately, the video was out of focus in auto-focus mode?  But music is all about the audio anyway . . . right?]

[The Super was really excited about this recent “present.”  🙂 ]

[We’re chasing their legacy!]

[The Class of ’65, forever noshing and imbibing, toast the Cardinals winter sports season (Bev Korkowski will admit to taking this photo).  Found this interesting from Bev, not a single classmate from Florida:  “We have classmates in the following states: TN-2, AZ-9, NY-2, WA-4, IN-3, OR-2, CA-4, OK-4, MI-1, CO-1, NC-1, KY-1, TX-6, NM-1, IL-1, MO-1, WI-7, AR-1, VA-1, KS-2, NE-2, and MT-2.  Of course, we have lots of Minnesota people….121! And of those, 61 claim Alexandria as their address.”]

Street hockey is great for kids. It’s energetic, competitive, and skillful. And best of all it keeps them off the street.  ~ Author Unknown

Up next:  Are we going to Hawaii yet?

Retirement is all about golf . . . well, until it isn’t.  But it was through golf that I met the guy I would ultimately come to call, My Hero.  Of course it was all in good fun.  Warren was a member of the Greatest Generation and I was a member of the Offspring of the Greatest Generation – our ties therefore were through the social aspects of the golf club. And those ties were based on our common affection for impishness.  He became My Hero through nothing more profound than his contributions to our golf team, anytime we were paired in a scramble event or something of the sort.  He would invariably make a long putt or a chip in to save the team . . . and I would run after him to give him a hug while he would attempt a giggling escape.  We lost Warren this week at age 94.

We will miss his unflagging good humor.  And because we always marveled at his uncommonly good health, we were shocked to learn he had died.  It seemed he would go on forever.  We visited with Rose at his visitation Tuesday night and learned Warren had taken a bad fall 10 days prior to his death.  She said he fell against a heavy piece of furniture and broke a rib.  He said, “What a terrible way to die,” knowing that it was bad for someone of his age.  He spent his last 10 days in the hospital.

[Believed to be my first known photo of the Gibsons, September 11, 2006 (yes, a significant date).]

[“Where’s Warren?” and with Dar Hentz and Gordy Anderson, June 12, 2007.]

[Always dapper, in the Mother’s Day buffet line at the club in 2008.]

[The “impishness,” caught them by surprise at Arrowwood.]

[“Where’s Warren?” (again), August 31, 2009.]

[August 31, 2010]

From the blog, March 6, 2011:

Because it was an afternoon game, we decided that since we could make it back home during daylight, we would enjoy our evening repast at D. Michael B’s. A toast to the team from there (such is not condoned for team members). We were delighted to discover my hero, Warren Gibson, was there. He and Rose look great and we had a nice visit. They both noted they don’t ever recall a winter like this one. Warren said he had no particular health reason for giving up his golf membership – it was just time. He is, of course, famous for his response to his doctor last summer when told he had the back of an old man – he replied, “I AM an old man!” I’m sure we can get him out to our golf leagues a few times this summer. And we should have a big birthday party for him there on July 9 when he turns 90! We can make it a double and get Martin out there too!  [We had just returned to town after a girls’ basketball tournament game.]

From the blog, June 29, 2011:

The Tuesday morning senior men’s league at the Alexandria Golf Club plays a Stableford system with teams determined by blind draw every week.  Every year we end the season with a steak fry and putting contest.  This year we will have two – last night’s being the first.  We were delighted to have Rose and Warren Gibson join us again – they gave up their membership last year, which was bittersweet for us because now we don’t have to “pay” Warren every week.  Long my hero, Warren turns 90 on July 9 – to honor the occasion I followed him around the putting course by video, and he had the lead after 7 holes:

[And after hearing Warren in this video, you can get an idea of his cadence and sincerity when he would deadpan after a particularly crappy shot, by himself or a playing partner, “Saaaay, that was a nice shot.”]

[Not likely to be Warren, August 31, 2011.]

From the blog, July 25, 2012:

[Gordy Anderson, Warren Gibson, and Martin Haar]

It seems certain members of the league had been putting a full-court press on Martin Haar and Warren Gibson to come play with us again.  Martin and Warren, now in their 90’s, each decided a couple of years ago to give up their club memberships – that their golf careers, which consisted mainly of income redistribution from us to them, were over.  We learned again on this day that not only are they still great fun to play with – but that they can still play!  We hope for further reunions.

Oh, and Gordy is still a member and still shooting better than his 90+ age on a regular basis.  We had just heard that morning that John Gustafson, a member of the Alexandria Education Foundation Hall of Fame, had died at age 80.  Gordy noted that made him feel “old” as he had hired John right out of St. Olaf.

Martin and Warren joined us all to play the back 9.  Warren played in the group ahead of us – we played with Martin in the following group.  When we arrived on the 17th tee, we could see Warren had hit into the left-side trap.  With trusty Canon in hand, I sped up the hill to catch the action with the following story in mind:

“A fellow of age hit his golf ball into a sand trap.  As he descended in to play his next shot, he bemoaned to his partners that he couldn’t get out of traps.  He then proceeded to hit his sand shot into the hole to the amazement of those present, who queried, ‘We thought you couldn’t get out of traps?’  ‘I can’t,’ he said, ‘Give me a hand up!'”

Anyway, by the time I reached my quarry, Warren, and two of his playing partners, were on their hands and knees just trying to rake the ball out of the steep side of the trap.  I captured Warren with a bemused look on his face – and then had my photo taken with the guy who is still my hero.  🙂  [I’m proud to say the family had this photo on display at Warren’s visitation.]

[Warren was a fine practitioner of what my Mom called “just poop it down the middle” golf.  Whenever his 2nd shot ended up past my drive, he would drive up to me and say, “Guess I out drove you on that one, huh?”]

[Our last time with Warren, their 65th anniversary.  We will truly miss him.  Rose said they were so happy they could get together with all of us again at the club on August 12 this year.]

[I’m sure Crazy Dave speaks for all of us at the club, “We’ll see you at the 19th hole, Warren.”]

[The 19th hole.]

[Trick or . . . wine?]

[Oh, trick or music!  Anthony Miltich is leaving the good life of West Central Minnesota for the wilds of the North Shore, i.e., downtown Duluth.  So we thought this could be his last local performance, but he promises to be back.]

[He brought brother Jim with him along with Victor the percussionist.  In case you didn’t recognize the venue, we’re at the winery.]

[I have no idea who this is?]

[This was fun because . . . we were going to see Lisa Lynn later in the day and Toto is, like, her favorite group.]

[She apparently knows Anthony?]

[And she came with a friend?]

[After a brief stopover at a holiday party, Lisa is back at SAWA!  And on her back, a dreaded Dallas Cowboys jersey, is the name Lukather, her close personal friend from Toto.]

[Damsel in Distress!!!]

[It’s Halloween . . .  DON’T GO NEAR THE WINDOW!!]

[(He is so strange!)]

I’ll bet living in a nudist colony takes all the fun out of Halloween.  ~  Anonymous

Up next:  Dunno?  But hey, if you Chromecast (or its equivalent) the videos herein to your HD TV, they look and sound a whole lot better . . . really!

October 20

[Have you ever gone into a casino, placed your entire life’s saving on red on the roulette wheel, and then just as the ball was dropping into the ‘red’ slot have someone come along and dump over the wheel?  Yeah, well me neither. But it happened to the Cardinal girls’ soccer team last night.]

[Orin Schueler was named Minnesota girls’ soccer class A assistant coach of the year. Orin’s coaching and teaching career has spanned a mere 55 years.]

Before we begin, a set up . . .

[Should you ever see this chap wandering aimlessly about the city of Alexandria, please alert the local constabulary. It seems likely that in the near future he will be not be allowed to venture out unchaperoned. Monday, to make up for 2 missed senior college classes last week, due to his well documented nerve problem, he decided to leave early just to make sure. But on the way a stop at the dry cleaners for a drop-off. You are in their system by your phone number. Of course, he had no idea what his phone number is? By use of a retinal scan and finger printing, he was ultimately able to deposit his laundry. Now, in more of a rush, he sped off to college. When he got there, he saw no other students. It was the wrong day! It turns out Monday is community education day (at 5:00) and Tuesday is senior college day (at 3:15). He now has less than an hour to make it to the community education class . . . wherever it is?]

[Addendum to previous missive: I eventually made it to the correct class, but sans my watch and pocket money which I had put back in a drawer after my first errant trip to “school” and forgot to take out again. After class, some of the “students” decided to go out to dinner together. Fortunately, I stash some cash in the car for those occasions, such as this, when I forget to bring some from home. My bill came to $15.00, I put two 20’s in the sleeve and said I’m good. Nevertheless, she returned the sleeve with 5 ones and a 20 in it – I thought, well she forgot to take the $20. It finally dawned on me . . . Then I needed a doggy bag. I said before we left that I know I’ll forget said bag. And I did, by starting to leave by taking the bill sleeve and leaving the doggy bag. I made it home.]

[I am happy to report I did make it to senior college on this day – “Obama v. Putin: The New Cold War,” with History Professor Nick Hayes, St. John’s/St. Ben’s, who was excellent – and then made it to section 8A semi-final game v. the Sartell Sabres.  We were the No. 1 seed and were playing very well in the section so far with wins over Crookston and E. Grand Forks.]

[The anthem and the kick-off . . . ]

Somebody’s going to win this game on a flukey play.  ~  Knowledgeable fans in the stands

[In the first half, the Cardinals would be going from South to North at Viking Savings Bank Field.  And here we have junior defense Kendall Kohler (3), whose mom and basketball coach was sitting adjacent to us, and senior defense Laura Dahlquist (19).]

[Senior midfielder Sonja Johnson (17), who had a strong game, pooching it over to freshman Kaye Paschka (2).]

[Kaye turns on her speedy jets.]

[Senior forward Hayley Berns (13), our leading scorer, who has been getting goals at a Gretzky like pace lately.]

[Kaye again.]

[Sonja had some of our best rushes, particularly early in the game.]

Somebody’s going to win this game on a flukey play.  ~  Knowledgeable fans in the stands

[Attack, attack, attack – but in a polite kind of way.]

[OMG, Hayley’s out in front . . . well, that’s what we kinda said.]

[Defend, defend, defend!  L-r, senior forward Hanah Hanson (15), junior midfielder McKenna Smith (16), senior midfielder Karsen Granning (9), and Kaye.]

[L-r: junior midfielder Tessa Knoblauch (5), senior midfielder Katie Desautels (14), and junior defense Anna Jensen (4).]

[Kendall and Anna patrol midfield.]

[Hayley, always marked, with senior midfielder Liza Knoblauch (6).]

[The Sabres find Karsen and Kaye offensive.]

[Oooooh, we kept trying to hit Hayley with a long bomb.]

[Sorry Sabre, you’re not getting by that hockey player – junior defense McKenzie Revering (20) blocking the way along with fellow hockey star Hanah.]

Somebody’s going to win this game on a flukey play.  ~  Knowledgeable fans in the stands

[Ooooh, we were in on goal . . . now looking back.]

[Two 19’s go at it – ours is Laura – both in positions that would send me shrieking for my pain meds!]

[No mas!  No mas!  Hayley was never unescorted.]

[Where’d it go?]

[What’s that ball doing there?]

[Maybe . . . MAYBE . . . Nooooooo.]

[Hayley with the ball sneaking just out of range again.]

[Obviously a free or corner kick.]

[We’ve switched goals – must be in the 2nd half.  Did you see how I picked up on that?  The first half was 0 – 0, though I thought we really dominated the last 5 minutes of the half. The above is an early corner kick in the 2nd half.    ]

Somebody’s going to win this game on a flukey play.  ~  Knowledgeable fans in the stands

[Close, but . . . ]

[We’re attacking again . . . ]

[And then another corner kick.]

[Sonja flagged for being offside – she and Hayley were oh so close so many times.]

[Laura kicks it into the offensive zone.]

[Hayley . . . ball . . . goalie.  Uffda!]

[A lot of in zone pressure again . . . ]

[And again.]

[Kaye tries to keep it in . . . ]

[And then finally it happened.  Very late in the game Hayley got the ball behind the defense and was on side.  The crowd rose in anticipation, my camera was shaking . . . oooohhh, but it was not to be.  From that we knew bad things were in store.]

[And then the unthinkable happened, with 13 seconds left in the game.  Sartell took a long shot toward the goal – likely just a run out the clock clearance – no Sabres around, just four Cardinal defenders.  An attempted Cardinal header just to knock the ball off line deflected it just enough to for the goalie not to be able to make a play on it and into the net!   Arrgghhhh! I’m glad I shot the scoreboard before they were able to put the goal up.  Too bad such a terrific season had to end thusly.  😦   ]

Somebody won this game on a flukey play.  ~  Knowledgeable fans in the stands

[In better news, Megan was back and finished 2nd to Bethany at the conference cross country meet on this day.  Photo from Doug Hasz, a close personal relative.]

I like girls’ sports because, well . . . they’re played by girls!  ~  Cub Reporter

Up next:  The Cub Reporter finds his meds.  Apparently we’re playing a team from Moorhead for the section 8-5A football championship on Friday, and the Howell family will have will have divided loyalties as grandson Carter plays for the Spuds.