OLSM 3 Mona Shores 2

I'm not sure what's been more of a struggle, being a part of the current slump the Mona Shores Sailors are mired in, or defying the writer's strike, now in its third month as I continue to cross the picket lines and submit summaries to the WMHSHB. I've been referred to as a "scab" by my peers, had ink thrown at me, had my hands Superglued to my keyboard, and been the victim of numerous computer viruses sent to me with "Jessica Alba in a bikini photographs" in the subject line. Yet I persist. I do it for the kids.

As Shores entered the Showcase Tournament in Trenton at the John F. Kennedy Rec Center, featuring a Who's Who of the top ranked teams in the state, it did so without its upperclassmen captains, who were all serving suspensions and forced to watch the games from the spectator's seats. While I surveyed the terrain, far away from the rabid fans and the lightly armed security forces separating them, I, like many other hockey parents, couldn't help but think of Kipling's "If," which as you probably recall from your English courses reads: "If you can keep your head while all about you are losing theirs...you'll be a man my son..." Kipling may or may not have been inspired by his high school hockey team when he penned it.

In the absence of Shores' production players, I was about as enthusiastic about the upcoming games as I would be about an all day marathon showing of Brokeback Mountain on the big screen, but notebook in hand, I settled in rinkside.

For the opener, MS drew a rematch with the Orchard Lake St. Mary's (OLSM) Eaglets, a team the Sailors took to task on January 18 at the friendly confines of the Lakeshore Sports Centre to the tune of 4-1. Coincidentally, both coaches employed a similar strategy recently of barring players from their respective lockerooms, forcing them to live out of their bags and on the streets. Since both coaches utilized the same plan, the impact on today's game was most likely neutralized. Another odd similarity between the two teams, much like the vast number of weird coincidences between the Kennedy (JF Kennedy Rec Center?) and Lincoln assassinations (Google it), was the massive number of seniors both teams lost last year to graduation, Shores at 15 and OLSM at 11. Eerily, just a week ago, both teams, each with 24 rostered players, were also ranked #9 in their respective divisions. I know, it's downright creepy.

The Sailors struck first in the opening period with a redirect of defenseman Ryan "El Nino" Ellis's slapshot from the left point at 2:36 by Kyle "Hicks & Pucks" Hicks. Also assisting on the PP goal was Ellis's BFF Ryan "Burmindster." The young Eaglets responded very late in the period, when speedy #96, Tim Hooker, who would generally make a nuisance of himself against the Sailors, scored on a wraparound goal with just 24 seconds left after bullying the Sailor defense in their own zone. Even more frustrating was the fact that the Sailors were again on the PP at the time, usually a positive thing.

The second period, which if given the opportunity, the Sailors may want to skip altogether in future contests and proceed straight to the third, was owned by the Eaglets. Again and again they beat MS to the puck, holding it in the zone and firing away as they laid siege to Scottie "Teifer Rink" Tiefenthal. The Eaglet defense continued to pinch, and were rewarded for their efforts at 9:12 when Shane Halaas scored from Billy "The Talent" Balent (couldn't help myself) on the PP, and then with just :34 remaining in the 2nd, defenseman Thaddeus McConkey looked on as officials confirmed his goal with the customary stiff arm, assisted by Balent and Hooker.

In the third and decisive period, the Sailors came out like desperate fools at the end of their pitiful ropes, which is exactly how a hockey player should approach the third down 3-1. At 1:39, Mike "Mr. Roboto" Soto clanged his second post shot off the upright, momentarily deafening Eaglet goalie Devon Carr. Both teams took turns taking penalties throughout the period, and the puck remained right where Sailor's coaches willed it, in the OLSM end, for most of the third. Finally, as the two minute penalty on the Eaglet's Shane Halaas withered away, Sailor Tyler "Chiseled Abs" McCarl swatted one in net from Brendan "The Sturr that Straws the Drink" Sturr and Burmeister with 4:14 remaining to be played. At 13:14, MS took a timeout to catch their breath from all of the shooting they were bringing to bear on Carr, and shortly thereafter, exchanged Tiefenthal even up for another attacker. In the midst of a chaotic, frantic effort, the best the Sailors could muster was another shot off the post with :02 left in the well fought contest.

For the game, shots were somewhere in the neighborhood of 23 - 18 OLSM. The hit of the game for the Sailors came precisely at 3:53 of the third and measured a 5.0 on the Wrecked 'Em scale. It was delivered by Brendan Sturr, who hit an Eaglet so hard in front of the Sailor bench that there was some discussion by officials afterward about charging Sturr with a hate crime. Instead, officials charged him with elbowing, which was itself a crime.