Moosing Again!
After some truly sad losses, including the great ref-gate incident, the Moose finally got back to winning hockey games.
The Moose spent about half the game short handed, which made for lots of work for yours truly. I played great, and I still gave up 4 goals. I also went back to playing my game; a couple of risky passes in my own zone, and penalties, penalties, penalties.
About 6 months ago, I fell flat on my face, stretched all the way out, and covered a puck. After the whistle went, this jerk from the other team hit my defenseman and threw her down on the back of my head and neck. It hurt a little, and it scared me a lot. Your neck ain't made for that kind of abuse, y'know?
So, jump forward to last night, and who should set up to screen me but the same guy. He was slashing at my defenseman, who, in all fairness, was slashing him back. As soon as the puck was cleared, my defenseman and I both hit the guy. He made a satisfying thump as he went down, quickly followed by the expected screech of the whistle. I held my hand up, to make sure they called me, not my penalty-prone defenseman. I figured it would be the only one I took, and this defenseman of mine tends to take lots. Four penalties in our league is an ejection from that game.
End of the third we were up 5-4, and this big kid from the other team decides to come in from the side, carrying the puck, and run me. The exact same move that gave me a blown knee a few years ago. So as he hit me, I hit him, then I stepped over to him and asked if he had anything else to say. (Ok, that's not exactly what I said, but even I have limits on the profanity I'll use in my writing.) He declined, apparently not so thrilled by the prospect of hitting someone that hits back. One of his team mates came over and said some useless things to me that included "pony-tailed fagot," but he too declined my invitation to dance.
The result was a call on the guy who ran me, one on me for hitting him, and a second on me for unsportsmanlike conduct (which is what they do in our league if you invite someone to fight but there isn't actually a fight).
Half of my team mates were thrilled. They prefer that I do the fighting if I get run because most of them don't like to fight. (I don't like it, but I like getting hurt less.)
The other half of my team wasn't so thrilled. A 1 goal lead, last minute of play, and we're down a guy. The other team pulled their goalie, which put us at a two man disadvantage. Lucky for me, one of my team mates hit the empty net from about our blue line to make it 6-4.
Everyone was laughing and smiles in the handshake line except the two guys I actually hit. I can live with that. They still shook hands (as did I) and said good game (as did I). The kid that had called me a "pony-tailed fagot" got a big grin when he shook my hand, and we both had a laugh. I felt a little foolish for letting him bait me into a dumb penalty. It wasn't a smart one to take. I'll have to work on that.
After the game, one of the refs pointed out to me that I had taken 3. It took a second, then I asked, "4 and I'm out, huh?" Yup. "Would you really boot me? I mean, I am a goalie. Would you really boot me for the 4th one?"
The ref just smiled and said we'd certainly have had to have a serious talk about it.
The Moose spent about half the game short handed, which made for lots of work for yours truly. I played great, and I still gave up 4 goals. I also went back to playing my game; a couple of risky passes in my own zone, and penalties, penalties, penalties.
About 6 months ago, I fell flat on my face, stretched all the way out, and covered a puck. After the whistle went, this jerk from the other team hit my defenseman and threw her down on the back of my head and neck. It hurt a little, and it scared me a lot. Your neck ain't made for that kind of abuse, y'know?
So, jump forward to last night, and who should set up to screen me but the same guy. He was slashing at my defenseman, who, in all fairness, was slashing him back. As soon as the puck was cleared, my defenseman and I both hit the guy. He made a satisfying thump as he went down, quickly followed by the expected screech of the whistle. I held my hand up, to make sure they called me, not my penalty-prone defenseman. I figured it would be the only one I took, and this defenseman of mine tends to take lots. Four penalties in our league is an ejection from that game.
End of the third we were up 5-4, and this big kid from the other team decides to come in from the side, carrying the puck, and run me. The exact same move that gave me a blown knee a few years ago. So as he hit me, I hit him, then I stepped over to him and asked if he had anything else to say. (Ok, that's not exactly what I said, but even I have limits on the profanity I'll use in my writing.) He declined, apparently not so thrilled by the prospect of hitting someone that hits back. One of his team mates came over and said some useless things to me that included "pony-tailed fagot," but he too declined my invitation to dance.
The result was a call on the guy who ran me, one on me for hitting him, and a second on me for unsportsmanlike conduct (which is what they do in our league if you invite someone to fight but there isn't actually a fight).
Half of my team mates were thrilled. They prefer that I do the fighting if I get run because most of them don't like to fight. (I don't like it, but I like getting hurt less.)
The other half of my team wasn't so thrilled. A 1 goal lead, last minute of play, and we're down a guy. The other team pulled their goalie, which put us at a two man disadvantage. Lucky for me, one of my team mates hit the empty net from about our blue line to make it 6-4.
Everyone was laughing and smiles in the handshake line except the two guys I actually hit. I can live with that. They still shook hands (as did I) and said good game (as did I). The kid that had called me a "pony-tailed fagot" got a big grin when he shook my hand, and we both had a laugh. I felt a little foolish for letting him bait me into a dumb penalty. It wasn't a smart one to take. I'll have to work on that.
After the game, one of the refs pointed out to me that I had taken 3. It took a second, then I asked, "4 and I'm out, huh?" Yup. "Would you really boot me? I mean, I am a goalie. Would you really boot me for the 4th one?"
The ref just smiled and said we'd certainly have had to have a serious talk about it.
posted by Micah at 3:30 PM
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