hockey stuff

We won our first-round playoff game last week. We were tied after regulation, so we ended up in a shootout (each team picks 5 guys to take turns going one-on-none with the goalie).

Our goalie stood on his head and stopped 3 out of their first 4 shots. I was one of the two from our team who scored, but it was possibly the ugliest goal in history.

The ice was so soft that it was covered in "snow" (ice shavings) after the game -- this makes the puck slide more slowly over the ice. It was so bad that when I took the puck from centre, I immediately overskated it.

In a shootout, you have to continue forward -- you can't reverse direction, so I kicked it forward with my back skate, then (still not grasping how sticky the ice was) I overskated it AGAIN. I picked it up with the heel of my other skate, and flipped it forward. By this time I was so close to the goalie all I had time for was one little deke and a try for the five-hole, which by some miracle went it.

Much good-natured ribbing by the other boys ensued. There were offers to buy me beer, as well as suggestions about physical therapy options, wheelchairs, hockey lessons, openings on the Jr High girls' squad, etc. I didn't care -- just win, baby, that's what I say.