Spartans' Effort Not Enough To Oust Dragons

As Coach said before tonight's game against Amity, we are every team's "season". By this, he meant that every time a team plays us, they treat it like their Stanley Cup. In a perfect world, I believe every game should be played as if it were the Stanley Cup. Of course, this world is far from perfect, and we are all human. That is, all of us except Maya Moore and her Lady Huskies, who have found so much success in the past 89 games simply because they play like they are down by 5 points every game. Needless to say, many opposing coaches emphasize to their players that when they play us, it is the biggest game of the year. Amity certainly prepared in this manner, as they came out with a great deal of intensity this past Wednesday evening.

We were not to be outplayed though, and we made sure of that. Nobody wants to lose against a team that just made the Division 1 jump, but it is a lot easier said than done. Pat Lynch got things started in the right direction with a quick back-door goal. Amity however, had a plan of their own. They answered back, capitalizing on a defensive zone meltdown, and just like that it was 1-1.

Onto the second period. Intensity rose and momentum was on our side. C.J. Carignan netted his first of the year to put the home team back on top. We spoke during the break about crashing the net to cause commotion, and Jimmy Burt did just that. Wreaking havoc in front of Amity goaltender Alec Mansfield, Burt tipped a Brandon Dadio snapshot, shortly after Carignan's goal, to leave the Dragons with a 3-1 lead with 5 seconds to play in the second. Many in attendance assumed momentum would remain with the Dragons to end the period, but not if Corey Shea had something to say. I foolishly shot right into the opposing winger's shin pad, the puck bounced directly into Shea's path, and he streaked down the left side of the ice only to put one right through Matt Hoff's five hole with 0:01 seconds left on the clock. A huge roar from Amity, an "It's all your fault" chant towards me, and Amity went back to their dressing room thinking that they still had a chance.

Benches got shorter, shifts got tighter, and we led by a slim one goal margin. With 2 minutes left in the game, we had hemmed Amity so deep in their zone with the 3-2 fore check that they were not able to pull their goalie. Around the one minute mark, however, the Spartan defense was able to clear the puck and add an extra attacker. This man advantage did not last very long due to Carignan's second goal of the night, an empty-netter. The line of MacGregor, N. Amarone, and Carignan matched the P. Amarone-Burt-Lynch tandem's two goals, and Nicky Amarone was so thrilled with line mate Carignan's performance, that he took the time to steal the game puck and hand deliver it to his centerman. 

Though at times our focus strayed, we made it through the hype built around the Amity team and their new schedule. A win is a win, but the timing of this win was key. Without a game until the 5th of January, I can only imagine what it would be like to dwell on a loss for two weeks. But now, with the combined efforts of all involved, we don't have to worry about what would have been. 

On January 5, 2011, Hamden brings in the New Year against North Haven. The game will be played at the remarkable new Quinnipiac sports complex off of Sherman Avenue. Until then, Happy Holidays.

I also would like to wish aggressive winger William Reilly the best of luck, as he tackles a monstrous 105 degree fever. Hang in there Willy.

Hingham 4, Hamden High 0

Coach V talks a lot about peaks and valleys. If you do not immediately catch on, I don't blame you. Half of the things the man says are utterly incomprehensible, but thats why we love him. In plain terms, peaks are when things are going swell, and valleys are just the opposite.

On a personal note, my week started out on top of a high peak. I was accepted to the college of my dreams and will be enrolling at Trinity College in the fall of 2011. I was shortly on Cloud Nine, and then reality struck. I was in an automobile accident Friday evening on the way to the pasta party. Luckily nobody involved was injured, but my car remains banged up and out of commision. Fast forward to Saturday morning, where I helped my father act as Santa for the local youth teams. After acting as Santa's helper, I generously covered the Saturday morning shift at the Hamden Rink for a friend. Everything was going smooth and I was about to lock up as our Saturday opponents, Hingham, MA, walked into the store to get their skates sharpened. As I was sharpening a pair of skates for the foes, I sliced my finger on the blade of a skate. I didn't think anything of it until the trainer said I should get it stitched, and my father rushed me to the ER. This was around 12:30 PM. Turns out, the gash was about a quarter of an inch deep and required 5 stitches. Amidst all of this, I had to get back to the rink at 2:30 for the drop of the puck. I was quickly stitched up, for the first time in my life, and made it dressed and ready to go by gametime. Needless to say, if I wasn't still rattled by the car accident, now I certainly was, and I found myself in a deep valley, as Coach would say.

Back to the team. Hingham came out storming, and took the first period 1-0. I never understood the importance of pre-game preparations until now, as I found myself completely out of it. The second period came, and we skated hard but Hingham put in 2 more. Trailing by 3 going into the third, we found ourselves in a "valley". We battled hard, but just could not get the puck to bounce our way, and Hingham put a dagger through the heart with a late powerplay goal. Discipline was a factor for us, as we found ourselves shorthanded for easily a third of the game, and the fast-skating team from Mass. exposed our penalty-killing flaws.

On a positive note, we got our first loss out of the way. More importantly, it seemed that the loss was taken well, and I can speak for myself as well as my teammates in saying that next week we will work harder than ever before. It isn't about how you go down, but how you come back, as a team's character shines more than ever during times of adversity. Next Wednesday, Amity will attempt to live up to the hype they've recieved as making the jump up from Division 2. As for us, we'd like to give them a warm welcome to Division 1. As Coach Hall put it, "Well, you guys gotta figure it out," and that we plan to do.

Late Surge Washes Away Blue Wave

We opened up our season against Darien on Wednesday evening. For as long as I can remember, external forces manage to somehow always keep the showdown a tight one. And tonight, it was just that.

Trailing by 1 after one, Paulie Amarone put one inside the left post on the first shot of the second period. Darien answered, and it stayed 2-1 for the remainder of the period. Things got nasty however, as the Darien players were sure to never forget a nice post-whistle chirp, or a late jab to the pelvic region. We remained composed for the most of the time, which Coach was very proud of.

I can vividly remember one time I did not keep my cool. A Darien player, way after the whistle, decided to just grab my stick and try and skate away with it. I immediately punched him in the head. That was extremely stupid of me, and as I sat in the box for two, I thought that the measure of courage isn't how hard I hit him in retaliation, but how many hits, pulls, or grabs one can just ignore and walk away. A power play usually will result, therefore benefitting the team greatly.


Speaking of powerplays, tonight we were 2/4, which isn't bad by any standards. Nick Amarone had one of his own to get things going midway through the third, and Justin MacGregor tipped a beautiful Jim burt snapshot out of mid-air to take the lead late in the third. He wasn't done though, as the winger streaked down the left side of the ice and put one glove side past the Dairen tender. MacGregor, always looking to stir things up, wasn't finished at this point either, as he skated to the Darien crowd and gave his best John Cena/Allie Alloi impression that got many out of their seats. According to MacGregor, "The cellie is the best part of scoring."

Bottom line is that it was a thriller for both teams. As talented fourth-liner William Reilly put it, "It was the most fun I ever had watching a hockey game. Plus I had front row seats. Who's better than me?" It was our first test to see how we handled adversity, whether it be bad calls or trailing a game heading into the final period, and it is safe to say that we stuck together and passed the test with flying colors. Well done boys.

Next up is Hingham, MA on Saturday for the home opener. Expect to see a hard-fought battle as another Boston Super-8 team comes to town.

Malden Catholic: "Sometimes A Good Shoe Shining Is Good For You"

Saturday afternoon was our last tune up game before our quest for three begins. Saturday afternoon Malden Catholic made the trip down to the Lou Astorino Rink. Saturday afternoon, Malden Catholic skated around us as if we were a team of bright orange pylons.

There was a lot of hype built around this game, as MC is arguably the best team in New England. Last year, we faced them and netted five unanswered goals in the first period. This probably wasn't a good idea. They stormed back to beat us last year, overcoming a five goal deficit, and this year, it seemed like they wanted more. Three players on their first line are committed to Hockey East. Not enough? The fourth hasn't committed yet because he simply hasn't made up his mind, Boston College or Harvard? To put things into perspective, many players on our team are deciding if they want to continue playing the sport we all love next year. He's just choosing between two Division 1 hockey powerhouses. Oh yea, they are alright schools as well. Do not get me wrong, I am not degrading our team, I am just saying that these kids are ridiculously talented, and classy, they didn't even taunt us once after any of their 10 goals. Not to mention, we were shutout.

Now after all of this, you might say we wasted our time. But Coach thought otherwise, and I am going to have to take his side on this one. The fast paced, always moving, always thinking about the next move kind of hockey that these boys played can really help a team out. I think we even progressed period by period. Hey, in the first period we let in 5, then 3, and then only 2 goals in the third. Don't argue with the stats. But in all seriousness, playing a team of their caliber can expose flaws that would normally go unnoticed on a regular schedule. Coach Hall made that point clear. As for Coach Verneris, he was a man of few words tonight. He started out by telling us that "they tie their skates just like each and every one of you". True, yet that is about all they do the same as us. Every pass they made was stick to stick, and always an attempt to gain more ice. They skated fluently, and every player out there had a purpose, not a hole in their lineup. As for us, we really did fight hard, and I do believe we learned a lot on how to prepare for the rest of our in-state opponents. This season, starting Wednesday, will sure be interesting.

But, like Coach always says, "Sometimes a good shoe-shining is good for you", and Malden shined our shoes like they've never been shined before.

Glastonbury Recap: Would You Rather Kiss Your Sister?

Well ladies and gents, tonight's blog will serve many purposes. But to be honest, the main purpose is to warm up my left temporal lobe for the upcoming psych paper I shall be writing later this evening.

We played Glastonbury to a well-fought 1-1 tie this Wednesday Evening. They say that a tie is worse than kissing your sister, but quite honestly I'd take the tie any day of the week. We ran into a hot goaltender on the other end that made over 40 saves, and that happens. Stephen Ruocco broke the ice with a mid-second period goal, after his wingers Billy Reilly and James Wilson executed the right wing lock to perfection. The fourth line is really showing that they want to be there, as they lead the team in points at home. Glastonbury answered with a goal of their own in the third as we underwent a minor defensive zone breakdown. And scoring-wise, that is all there was.

As evident, the game wasn't all about scoring. A few things about this night I will address. Tonight being the first home scrimmage, fans usually expect some genius combination of techno and Disturbed music as we skate in circles for 8 minutes. I apologize. I know I did a sub-par job in the warm-up music category, but I cannot take all the blame. The sound system at the rink made the music resemble the voice of Mr. Vakos. For those of you who don't associate with him (I don't blame you), he is extremely hard to decipher. Second on the agenda is the rule I just learned the hard way. Last year, if I was in a tight situation in a corner without a stick, I would instinctively grab the puck with my hand and toss it towards a teammate. Coaches frowned upon it, but I thought that it was legal and innovative. Opponents usually looked up at the flying puck in shock. Tonight I found myself in a similar situation, but after I had grabbed the puck I saw a zebra with one arm raised. Two minutes in the sin bin for delay-of-game, or as my coach said, "being stupid". Good one R.J., very innovative. Lastly, I would like to know if any of you can explain to me what my coach means when he tells us to "keep humping out there". This is his new phrase. At first we thought it was pumping, which was weird, but acceptable. But now that we had him spell it out, which he did with an "h", it is still weird but now also unacceptable. What can he possibly be trying to get at?

On Saturday we take on Malden Catholic at home, one of the top teams in New England. This will serve as my last scrimmage as a high school hockey player. Tears will be flowing. Until then, "keep humping".

Hamden Returns From Martha's Vineyard 2-1

I couldn't believe how fast this year went by when my senior year of high school began, but now it is my senior season and time is just flying. Traditionally, for as long as I've been on the team, we usually take the ferry over to Martha's Vineyard the weekend after tryouts. It is a trip meant to prepare us for other teams, but also prepare us for us. Coach Verneris emphasizes teamwork and unity, and I can say that staying for two nights in The Harbor View Hotel, everyone bonded often, and well.

As for the hockey part of the trip, we began the weekend by playing Andover High School on Friday evening. We came out flying, taking the first game 4-1. Saturday morning, the Vineyard Hockey Team fed us, and then got beat by us, as we played to a strong 10-1 showing. However, things did not go as smooth in the afternoon, and Needham High School defeated us 3-1 with an empty netter. As Coach would say, "Great teams capitalize on okay opportunities." We definitely had our share of chances, but just couldn't bury it when it counted. Overall, I don't think anyone was terribly set-back by the loss. Losing can teach a team a lot, and we learned that in order to attempt to accomplish the "three-peat", we must address discipline and try to minimize the amount of time we spend in the penalty box.

The weekend was a learning experience for all, whether it be the new freshman, the seasoned seniors, or even the new seniors ready to prove to Coach that they can in fact play at a faster level of play. Everyone had fun on and off the ice, and I think the parents had some fun of their own, as Ned Burt generously invited the fathers of the team to stay over at his cottage. All in all, there is no place to go but up, and I believe that after this weekend, we are on the right path.