(vol.
37S, no. 5; newsletter by h.s.)
At the halfway point of the season, the Pirates had only one win — the first game of the season vs. the St. Pats. So for our second (and final) regular-season meeting with the Pats we hoped to snap our three-game skid. The good news is we got a point, the bad news is we still lost — this time in overtime. Although disappointing, you'd be hard-pressed to find a more exciting game in recent memory, and the Pirates fought back consistently.
We had nine players and went with six up front and the three-man defensive rotation of Gucci, Kevin and Marty. (In a related story, the S.O.C. is looking into revising its “Absentee Texting Policy,” as Mr. Farrell opted-out at 7:14p.m. for an 8p.m. game.)
The St. Pats scored on the opening shift in the 1st period when they took control of bouncing puck at mid-ice and fired a quick shot at the 21:11-minute mark. Bouncing pucks and weird bounces would be an ongoing theme throughout the game. We trailed 1-0 for another seven minutes until Russ knotted things up 1-1. The Pats would regain the lead though, when their tenacious offense worked the puck down low. Although I stopped the first couple shots, the puck was left resting on the line and Gucci (who was yelling “Don't move! Don't move!” while attempting to swat the puck to safety) found himself on a losing side of an impromptu stickball game. Some great action on both ends ensued (Casey was credited with some pretty saves), but no one else scored and the Pats would take the 2-1 lead into the break.
In the final period, the Pirates powerplay stayed hot as Scott LeMatty tied it 2-2. The Pats would grab the lead once again after a smoking slapshot hit my chest protector and somehow flipped into the air and bounced into the net. At the post-game “meeting” Scott would use his cellphone to demonstrate an instant replay of this since I had no clue how it had gone in. Unfortunately, it looked like that flukey goal would be the deciding tally. With less than a minute, the Pirates put the extra skater on and then got a break with a late Pats Penalty to give us a short two-skater advantage. After a sticky puck foiled Russ' attempt inside the Pats' zone, Tony got a hold of the puck and skated in to Casey's right; with Russ breaking to center, Tony dropped his shoulder to fake the pass and sent a shot sailing over Casey's glove to tie it with :08.9 seconds remaining in regulation.
An obviously demoralized Pats team took to the ice in the 3:00-minute overtime. The Pirates controlled the action for the first :60 seconds, firing multiple shots (some wide, some posts, some deflections, some saves). A seemingly harmless face-off deep in the offensive zone, however, would take a few bizarre bounces and give the Pats an unfettered breakaway. As the shot sailed over my right shoulder into the top corner, I heard Kevin say “C'est la vie.”
FOR THE RECORD
Attendance (players): Cassens, Toscano, Serkin, LeMatty, Gucci, Nicolosi, Farkas, McLaughlin, Maccanico (sub). Net: Harris.
Scratches: DiPierro, Farrell.
Scoring: 1st period: 2-1 St. Pats: Goal by Nicolosi (LeMatty). 3rd period: 3-3 tie: Goals by LeMatty (Toscano), PPG; Toscano (Maccanico), ES PPG. OT: 1-0 St. Pats.
date of game: 4.05.09
DEBUT: 2013
Although the Pirates are off to a 1-3-1 start, the farm system has never looked stronger. Above, Brian “Just Because You Call Me 'Bri' Doesn't Make You My Friend” Schlueter dons his new Pirate jersey. No.52 is scheduled to take the ice for the Men In Black the day following his 30th birthday. Gucci is in charge of the pool to determine who we'll be cutting to make room for him on the roster.
