Halifax Floor Hockey LeagueFirst game off the night saw the 2017A season champ Hackers square off against the new look Slayers. This would be a hard one to call as both teams have some great talent. The Hackers sport the work horse ethics of Dave "Super" Cooper and Tom"The Dom"Griffiths and a great supporting cast to boot. On the other side, Jonathan Darnbrough, know as JD going forward, loaded up on some speed and hands with the pick up of league sophomore Kyle "The Player" Bayers. Now we all know Bayers as the company that produces aspirin...some of you youngens might not know that name, but it was used back in the day to get rid of headaches, problem with this kid Bayers, I think he will be causing a lot of headaches as the season goes on!
The ball dropped and quick off the draw, Bayers served notice he was the real deal by scoring his first goal of the season off a feed from Eric "My wife and I have the same sized feet" Eisener and the Slayers were off and running. The hackers answered back with a goal from Griffiths and then another from Cooper and after the first, the Hackers had a 2 to 1 lead.
the second started with JD ripping a slap shot over the shoulder of new guy goalie Chris "BBQ" Layes off a feed from Bayers. Then veteran D man Wade Mullen grabbed his first tally of the season from a pass by another rookies Liam "I'm Loud" Macleod and the Slayers had their lead back. Problem is that the Hackers are pretty relentless and Cooper scored, then Nutter scored and there goes the lead. JD tied it up off a feed from Eric Gale but Cooper took a pass from Fitz late in the period and made no mistake and after the second the Hackers had a one goal lead.
The third was pretty tight compared to the rest of the game with both teams getting their chances. Macleod grabbed his first goal of year but the Hackers answered back with a blast from Sean "The Herald" Fitzgerald. Both teams traded goals and with time winding down, the Slayers pulled their goalie and that prompted Griffiths to fire one into the open net to seal the deal.
It was a great game between two teams but clearly the Hackers wanted this more outshooting the Slayers 14 to 7 and as a resulting in the Hackers first win of the season and Coopers quest to repeat.
Hackers win this one 8-6
Note worthy are Bayers with 2 goals and an assist, Cooper had 4 goals, Griffiths had 2 gaols and 2 helpers, new guy Macleod scored 1 and 1. Fitz grabbed a goal and 2 assists. Lots of points for everyone!
Our next game was between the Chill and the stacked Titans. The Chill dominated last season winning the regular season hands down...but as we have seen so often in sports, they made a first round exit. Chill captain Colin "I can't think of anything good to rhyme with Waugh" Waugh, was looking to prove that his drafting skills built a team to lead the pack from start to finish.
At the other end stand Scott "I'm Hot" Cross and what looks to be on paper his highly offensive machine known as the Titans or as the say in Bathurst the Titans. With the likes of Trevor "The Law Man" McGuigan and Gerard "Woody" Gouthro and who can forget that dominant offensive machine Kevin" I wish I could" Shute! these guys were loaded and poised to show everyone why they should be the favourite for this season.
I know what you're thinking...blah blah blah...stop yakking and get to the game!
Ball drops and power forward Evan "The Canon" Canning grabs two quick goals. Then Matt "The tower" Power grabs his first of this early season and after the first, the stunned Titans are down three zip.
But wait, didn't we just build the Titans up to be an powerhouse? Yea baby, thats what we did...and start of the second they showed us all why.
First top is Kevin Shute, he buried a rebound off a shot by new Gale brother Darcy "The Codroy Kid 3" Gale, yes folks that makes three! followed by Trevor McG and the Shute again. This game is all tied up people. Don't go away!
But then there rises from the stand a chant which starts ever so faintly and gets louder and louder...Kedy, Kedy, Kedy...then out of the shadows emerges one John "I'm A Sniper" Kedy, and living up to the nick name he will probably never see again, Kedy rips a high snap shot into the top corner and that gave the Chill the lead they were looking for. So after the second, the Chill were up 4-3.
the second was pretty uneventful but "The Cannon Canning grabbed his third goal of the night and the Chill had a two goal lead. But the Titans are fighters and team captain Scott "I'm Hot" Cross put a shot through Kane and brought his team within one. Then there was the "thing". Now this "thing" happens from time to time. It's when your D man things that because he is back there that he is supposed to get the ball automatically. But if you have ever climbed into the head of a goalie, and I wouldn't recommend it at all, you would know that they don't always think the same way as D men. The problem is, that goalies are ALWAYS right, and D men...well...you know ;-)
Ok, Kane tried to clear the ball to Waugh open on the left side of the court. an unnamed D man from his team came gallivanting into the crease and got in the way and a Fleury like play ensured and the game was tied. That was painful!
But thanks to that Waugh guy and a pass from Louis "Hot Off The Grill" Brill, there were late game heroics and the Chill squeezed out a victory.
Chill win their season opener over the Titans 6-5
Missing in action tonight was Bobby "The Picker" Zwicker. Notables were Canning with a hat trick and a helper. Shuter had 2 powerful goals and Woody grabbed two helpers in a losing effort.
The third game of the night belonged to the Bulldogs and the Sabres. Both of these teams have new captains at the helm. The Dogs now led by former league scoring champ Good Caines were missing their keeper Paul "I dont want to get" Highmore, and so they were stuck with league old guy marty "the Party" Kane.
The Sabres led by Keven "Son of Rob" Pittman and they had a full squad.
This game was pretty good. Craig "the Gargoyle" Burgoyne stood on his head at times and gave his team a chance at the win all night long.
In the first the teams traded goals as Gord "I'm on Fire" Caines grabbed the first goal of the game. Alex "The Codroy Kid 1" followed up with his first of the season.
Caines added his second and the Bulldogs took a 2-1 lead but Gales answered back with his second to tie things up. Then guess who, yes you guessed it, Caines scored his third for the Dogs and they had the lead once more. Before the period was finished, mark "the Captain" Duggan grabbed his first and this one was all tied up again. 3-3 after two.
The third started with the Dogs getting a go ahead goal from Norm "The Storm" Snook off a feed from Matt "I Can" Reed, but Alex gale scored his third of the night to tie it up. Then "The Captain" Duggan picked up his second and the Sabres had their first lead of the game.
But here comes the late game heroics.
Are you sitting comfortably? then we'll begin...
Dave "The Shaved" Martell took the ball from behind his own net. Two Sabres come at him from either side, he flips the ball over the net, runs around the front of the net and then throws a perfectly timed saucer pass to Caines who fired a quick wrist shot into the top corner on the hapless Burgoyne to tie the game with 35 seconds left. Ok it didn't quite go down like that but Caines did score the timing goals off a pass from Martell.
This one ended up 5-5. Note worthy are Good Caines with 4 goals, Alex Gale with 3 gaols and a helper.
Craig Burgoyne posted a .900 save percentage to take this weeks Eastside Mario's Player of the Week donors.
Way to go Craig!
Our last game of the night was our highest scoring affair... and as such may not get the fabulous descriptive as the other games have...but lets see what spews out of my fingers here.
This game saw the Fire sizing up the Lynx. I'm not sure which team i would give the edge to going into this but it looked like it could be an interesting game.
The first started with Aaron "Get rid of that stupid hat" Brown who tallied his first marker of the season off a feed from Rob "the Rhyno" Tyrrell. This was answered by Ryan "I'm Trying'" Sampson who scored his first of the season unassisted.
The Fire were hot in the first scoring 5 gaols on 15 shots but the Lynx kept it close as they tallied 4 goals on the same number of shots. After the first it was 5-4 for the Fire.
The second saw the Fire build on their lead as they scored two quick goals. The first by new guy Iain Arsenau, who also scored in the first and the second by Shane "I Got hands baby" Erb, who also had one in the first. The Lynx answered back with a goal from Wes "I'm the " Cook who picked up his second of the game, but Shane grabbed his second of the period and the Fire were in an unsurmountable lead...or were they.
Bang...Gil "The combo" Mobourquette scores...the bang...James Griffin-Allwood scores...then he scores again and then he caps off the natural hat trick with his third in a row! Wow what an exciting run. The second period is over and the Lynx are up 9-8.
The third started with Tyrrell adding to his tally for the night off a feed from New Guy Arseneau followed by Kevin had dads second of the game. The Fire were ahead. But James Fiery Bird No Plastic scored his fourth to tie things up.
here's the sad part...a questionable call maybe? An unfortunate accident maybe? Or just a bad decision? who knows but whatever it was...it was a penalty. Late in the game the Fire go on the power play with things all tied up.
Rob Tyrrell being the Rhyno he is takes control and works his way around the court.
Little does anyone know there is a slippery Fin sneaking down the side and either Rob passed the ball and he shot it in, or Rob took a shot and it hit him and went in or who really knows. All I know is the game sheet says that Johann "The Finnish Flash" Tienhaara scored the winner off a pass from Rob "The Rhyno" Tyrrell...and folks that makes him a real hero in my eyes. Yes sir...a real hero.
The Fire claim victory in this one 11-10...A great defensive battle? I say ask the keepers first.
So there you have it folks. Although there were a couple of higher scoring affairs, this first night was as close as we have had it and it looks like we could have one humdinger of a season on our hands.
I'm Billy Concarney saying so long and be well folks!