WEDNESDAYS #7 vs. PHANTOMS:

(vol. 30W, no. 7; newsletter by h.s.)
I've only been able to put together a few details of this game: Namely that the Phantoms used a 12-year-old goalie (who stayed when their netminder didn't show) and that he played incredibly well; and Doug Collimore, who was subbing in net, had a strong final period to secure the victory in our “compromise game” that was arranged to compensate us for playing in the A-division.

A note from the editor: After the above newsletter was posted, Doug Collimore was good enough to send us (in a #67-like timely fashion) this synopsis of the game. This first-person account is now published for your enjoyment.
After a month off since helping the Pirates win the Wednesday night Championship, Collimore was back between the pipes filling in for the vacationing Harris. Suffice to say, the Wednesday night effort was much better than the previous Sunday night where he couldn't stop a beach ball with the wind going in his direction! Anyway, the Phantoms showed-up without a goalie, so scrambling for assistance, they hired a 12-year-old from the kid's game just before the 8pm face-off.

Don't know what it was: Good goalie (which the kid was) or afraid to shoot hard at him (which we looked like we were)? Or just hot and tired (which we were)? Oh yeah, then there is the other reason — the Phantoms played a good game. Fast with crisp passes, the 1st period was quick and suddenly it looked like a replay of Sunday. Though Collimore actually made some saves, the Phantoms were relentless in their breaks. After grabbing a quick 1-0 lead (short lived), the Pirates were down 3-2 before turning it around in the last 5:00 minutes and taking a 4-3 lead at the break.

The one positive note was the ballerina like acrobatics of “The Gutch.” The kid didn't know what went passed him, neither did the four Pirates he passed along the way. Between the goals and the assists he had, a hands-down, no competition vote for a Silver Skull.

The last 22:00 minutes, both the Pirates and goalie got their sh-t together and started playing tight defense. After trading late goals in the last period, a win was still not assured as the Phantoms put on a relentless onslaught of offense in the final 2:00 minutes. Only the awesome defense from McLaughlin and Co., a timely “Can't see the puck so spread wide ” save by Collimore, and a final whack by the Phantoms that never reached the net preserved a hard fought, but clean 5-4 win
date of game: 8.01.07