WEDNESDAYS #9 vs. JAGUARS:

(vol. 23W, no. 9; newsletter by k.r.)
When you're sitting on the couch and the clock is ticking towards the time you need to leave for the rink and you don't feel much like getting-up and going, think of tonight's game. Then you'll realize this is why you do it. You would've have to have been dead not to have liked to play in this one. Or, as Paris Hilton once said to one of her boyfriends: “Wow, that was fun. Can we do it again?” And we will have to, because last night's game was a preview of the first round of the playoffs, when we'll face the Jaguars again. Russ And Scooby were the scratches from the regular roster, but were replaced by Brian Newcomb and the old, new sub Nick Gargasomething. Brian skated with the Bros. Miller, while and Nick skated with Chris G. and Craig “Point-per-Shift” Sudol.  The blueline was manned by Keith, Dave, Gucci, and an unselfish Wildman.

It was the defense that would get the Pirates on the board first in the 1st period, with Chris backchecking into the defensive corner while Keith joined Craig on the rush. Keith would take a beautiful drop pass and beat the keeper high, gloveside for the first goal of the game. But as was the pattern for the night, it was quickly tied-up and by the end of the 1st period the lead had flip-flopped to the Jags and the Pirates found themselves in a 2-1 hole.

Early in the final period Craig would knot things up again — but only briefly, as moments later the Jags would again regain the lead again 3-2. The thing that made this so painful was not that we were trailing again, but that all three of the Jags goals were scored by Chris' good friend Stan Wright. To make the game more exciting, the Pirates would wait until :30 seconds remaining to tie it up and send the game into a 3:00-minute overtime. The critical tally came with the extra-attacker, as Evan found Nick at the right post for a clutch one-timer.

Overtime would see a similar goal, but this time off the blade of Gucci. All five skaters touched the puck on this magic shot that gave the Pirates victory on the final game of the regular season. First, Chris won the faceoff to the left boards, which Keith flipped out to Craig, who in turn headmanned it to Nick, who slid it over to Gucci for the OTGWG (that's the “overtime game-winning-goal”). As this is Playoff preview, we need to be aware that we beat their keeper on three of the four goals to his left, gloveside. Much of the credit for this win should go to our keeper, Harris, who was called upon to make several hard saves especially in the first half when the Pirates gave up more than a few odd-man rushes. By the way, has the S.O.C. gotten back about that unfortunate car incident that caused him to miss the game last week? Hmmmm.
date of game: 11.09.05