(vol.
40W, no. 1; newsletter r.n.)
editor's note: One more written by the Cap'n before he heads to sunny Florida to watch the ponies and his beloved Jets ...
Pirates, fresh off their Fall B-Division Championship opened the new season against the reigning A-Division Champs, Team BC, on Sunday night. It was a terrific game. Excellent hustle on both sides, solid goaltending and a close score, 3-1, in favor of BC. There were a few interesting storylines so let’s get right to it.
Without a doubt, the first star of the game was Casey. He was nothing less than amazing in the Team BC net with a number of sharp saves with both blocker and catching glove. Casey simply stole the game for the undermanned Team BC squad. There were simply too many great saves to describe even just the spectacular ones, but when you start stopping them with your forehead you know you are having a special night between the pipes. It took a highlight film goal by Kevin off a nifty feed from Scott L to even breakthrough on the seemingly unconscious tender.
Not to be totally overshadowed, Harris did everything in his power to keep the game close, but a costly turnover with the score tied at 1 led to 2-on-0 and eventually a scoring slapshot by BC of Team BC.
I have been told never to trust a skinny Chef and I guess the corollary to that adage is to never allow a skinny Pirate to play for the opposition. Even with Gucci being half of what he once was he was simply too much to handle. He scored the first goal of the game for BC by swatting an airborne rebound past #88, and was simply a pain in the butt all night by stretching the floor as he received numerous long outlet passes to start odd-man rushes. The Pirates did a pretty solid job of shutting him down after his initial tally, but in Pirate parlance we did hear the word “traitor” murmured a few times on the bench. As a result, #99 had to stand up to #71 at the beginning of the final period and quickly dispense of him in a center ice tussle, much to the delight of the admiring 10-year-olds in the crowd who asked for a little pugilistic show.
All joking aside, it was a great way to get the new season going despite the loss. A fast-paced, well-played game that tested both clubs and entertained the many fans in the crowd.
FOR THE RECORD
Attendance (players): Cassens, DiPierro, Farkas, LeMatty, McLaughlin, Newcomb, Nicolosi, Serkin, Farrell (sub). Net: Harris.
Scratches: Gucci (traitor), Hand.
Scoring: 1st period: 1-1 tie: Goal by McLaughlin (LeMatty); 3rd period: 3-1 Team BC.
date of game: 12.06.09
THIS PICTURE IS NOT PHOTOSHOPPED
Not that this has anything to do with the Pirates ... but during President Obama's recent visit to Allentown, PA, he ate at a restaurant with my parents (they're the ones I've kindly circled in yellow above). Before eating his cheeseburger, he met the patrons and one business owner mentioned he produces“supercritical fluids.” When the President asked what that was, my mother pointed to her coffee which drew a laugh from the President. The businessman then said, “Actually, we do also decaffeinated coffee" to which the President turned back to my mother and said “You know more about it than I do.”
