Written by The Manchester Flames, the 2010 version, went to Marlborough, Mass. to play their first road game of the season against the Minuteman Flames (MM Flames) on Sunday afternoon. And the 2010 Flames earned their first ‘W’ in the win column with a complete team effort, 3-1 victory over a very good MM Flames team.
It didn’t take very long to recognize the skating and spacing ability of the MM Flames team on Sunday. One, skating is a lot of fun. Two, good skating is pretty much beautiful. Three, a team performing good skating with proper spacing regardless of where the opponent or the puck is, makes it look like the rink and all of the players on the ice surface are all in perfect balance. Symmetry between place and space. Then, finally, add player after player looking to make a pass to an open teammate; well that’s just poetry in fluid motion. That’s how I saw the host Flames team yesterday. And the little voice in my head wondered how long could we (the 2010 Flames) match their game, and even beat it.
I didn’t check the odds in Vegas yesterday because I am not a betting man and also because there better not be odds on games at this age. The 2010 Flames were missing a couple of regulars who were playing other sports. Apparently, there are still other sports besides the one that our kids plays in a given season. You know, like the old days when we could all compete in multiple sports if we wanted to, because we played everything. Badminton anyone?
Anyways, the 2010 Flames (yes, from MRYHA) came to the Commonwealth ready to play. Well kind of. I thought the game started with a sluggish pace, but it did ramp up with each subsequent shift. Nearing the end of the first period, the 2010 Flames drew a hooking penalty (that looked more like a freight train turned into a corkscrew).
Stick to the ribs with a fierce two-hand tug. Thou shalt call this hooking. Then again, …you spin me right round…like a record…right round, right round… © 1inawesomewonder 2022.
On the power play, Soucy won the face-off back to Jacob St. Pierre who fired a shot at the net. There we saw Jordan Hawkes pop the rebound into the net to give the Manchester Flames a 1-0 lead. Nothing fancy, just a good hockey play. Ahhh, when they execute it’s beautiful. The period ended with the same 1-0 score. Travis Ingalls was solid in net and looked as calm as the glassy water on an early Sunday morning pond in nowhere Maine.
In the second period, I went almost completely to spectator mode. I had a camera around my neck and a phone in my hand (for typing updates to our world wide audience) and I took some pictures but captured exactly none of the awesome goals. In a nutshell, the game got better. The 2010 Flames took a hooking penalty and the MM Flames dominated the flow of the game for the next few minutes. Will Rosenbeck made a save with his goal stick handle, another with his imagination, and the post may have helped once too.
Then from out of miraculous avoidance of a goal against (or three) Chase Giampa burst into the offensive zone from out of nowhere for the 2010 Flames and just beat everyone to the goal mouth. His first bid was denied (that’s when my camera dropped so I could better see the result of the play), but he somehow reversed direction and poked his own rebound into the net to give the 2010 Flames a 2-0 lead. This was literally seconds after we all thought the score was surely going to be tied, 1-1. Unreal play! This is the effort level that the 2010 Flames needed to overcome and defeat a really good team.
This is about the time I put my lens down so I could see the glory of this rush up ice unfold. “Chasing Chase”. By the way, I love the old 1970’s looking goalie pads on the MM goalie. © 1inawesomewonder 2022.
Before I collected myself from yelling (in my head) like an over-sized idiot at a youth hockey game, the 2010 Flames scored again. Caleb “By the Powers vested in me” picked off a clearing attempt just outside the offensive blue line just as his teammates cleared the zone. He rushed to the slot for a shot that was turned aside, but not too far aside. Teddy “Never miss a meal” Beal quickly pushed the rebounded puck into the net and the 2010 Flames had a 3-0 lead. The second period would end with the score still, 3-0 in favor of the visitors.
You just knew that the MM Flames weren’t going to go away without a real life attack similar to what the Tasmanian Devil cartoon looked like. Anyone? Yup, they did that. They buzzed, darted, passed and shot. They drew a penalty and totally controlled play what seemed like two hours. Will made some amazing saves, and not every shot hit the target (thankfully) either. Finally, the MM Flames got on the board with a break in and near perfect shot up over Will’s shoulder and in the top corner where Grandma hides all the good candy. It was 3-1 with 3:53 left to play.
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- The original demo version of “We Three Kings”. “We two kings, disoriented are…” taking applications for a third. The rest is history. © 1inawesomewonder 2022.
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- Rule #1: When a player is hurt and needs assistance on the ice, take a knee wherever you may be. Even if that is on another player. © 1inawesomewonder 2022.
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- Goalies are just cool. This could be Will taking a breather during a cattle drive in Montana, or getting ready to play guitar beside a campfire under the stars. Just change the gear. © 1inawesomewonder 2022.
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- Jaden has a quarterback’s style helmet and he was hacked by a hockey fan from Saskatchatoon. It looks like the chatter was pretty funny. © 1inawesomewonder 2022.
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- We are all human beings, literally miraculous creations. None are perfect, so respect goes a long way toward balance and symmetry in this thing we call life. © 1inawesomewonder 2022.
Unfortunately, shortly after the goal a player for the MM Flames got caught underneath Logan “The Freight Train” McCain when a 37-player pile up took his feet out from under him along the end boards. The MM Flames player was down for a couple of minutes but managed to skate off of the ice under his own power along side his coach. It was an unfortunate sequence of collisions and falls. There were no penalties or malicious actions, just kids playing hockey on a slippery surface. We all hope this young player is feeling better with no ill effects from the pile up.
Once play resumed, the MM Flames pulled their goaltender for an extra skater with about 90 seconds left, but the visiting Flames kept the score at 3-1 until the final buzzer. The 2010 Flames played hard, and played together, earning the reward of skating off with their first win of the young season.
As Sunday afternoon turned into Sunday night and quickly became early Monday morning I began thinking about time getting away from me. Distracted thought led to broken sleep, and as I opened my eyes, I spied a morning that was far too dark for this time of my year. As I went through my day I felt that I had numerous good thoughts that I should share regarding yesterday’s game and relating such things to life as we live it. Then a full day happened and I got to my keyboard overwhelmed by 127 pictures and not a single thought to share from my earlier retrospection.
So now, approaching yet another day, and cruising right past 1,500 words, I say this. I was not a fan of going to school while I was growing up. Actually, I just didn’t like the work part of school. I liked the people. I was not ever a fan of school projects, or writing, or reading for that matter. Now I read and write all the time. Anyways, one project I did get into was The Alan Parsons Project. I love music! I remember as a kid thinking that I never wanted the games, the teams, the school year, basically, the good times to end. I remember sitting somewhere quietly, usually looking up at the sky, and mentally tracing over these words, “Time, flowing like a river. Time, beckoning me. Who knows when we shall meet again. If ever. But time, Keeps flowing like a river. To the sea…Till it’s gone forever. Gone forever. Gone forevermore…”
In my words, cram less into each day. Let kids be kids, no idle, but allowed time to create, figure things out, and not constantly be entertained. Be less distracted and more engaged, especially with loved ones. Recognize, that there is a far bigger picture than the one we see at arm’s length at any moment we wish. We have great kids and a wonderful hockey group. It is an awesome sport, and it provides a tremendous backdrop for each and all of us to meet. These may very well be the times of our kids’ lives. It’s all about the kids. Don’t miss out.
Score by period: Sunday, September 25, 2022.
Flames 01 – 02 – 00 = 03
MM Flames 00 – 00 – 01 = 01
As always with these galleries, please feel free to click on the pictures, and zoom in and have a look around. Also, please enjoy! The title of the picture will give you clues if you need them. This is for the kids. Thank you for your time.
Flames at MM Flames – 09-25-2022
As the late Paul Harvey so poetically would say “And now you know…the rest of the story”. Here is the rest of the story, in pictures.
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- First road game of the season. The assistant coaches took the helm. Did you know that ‘coopers’ make staved containers like the good old wooden barrel. Welcome Cooper #37. © 1inawesomewonder 2022.
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- Did you ever see a Soucy with a skip in his step? You have now. © 1inawesomewonder 2022.
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- Cooper turns the corner into the offensive zone against the MM Flames.
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- Early in the game our 2010 Flames allowed some shots without much traffic. Travis handled these with ease. © 1inawesomewonder 2022.
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- When shots came a little closer, Travis came out, stared down the shooter, and dared to be defied. © 1inawesomewonder 2022.
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- Here Travis uses his blocker to send a would be goal into the air and harmlessly away. Dan Blocker was an actor who played Hoss Cartwright on the TV Western, Bonanza. The one show I watched after school during my allotted half hour of TV as a kid. © 1inawesomewonder 2022.
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- Logan looks up and makes an outlet pass for the Flames versus the Flames in a game full the same uniform colors. © 1inawesomewonder 2022.
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- Ian ‘Rip’ Kaveney peeled out of the corner with the puck and ripped a shot aimed for just inside the nearside post. © 1inawesomewonder 2022.
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- The team gathers to get fired up for the second period. Travis tells Coach Ouellette, “No offense, but I like Coach Soucy handling all 47 of our water bottles. This isn’t even water, it’s ketchup!” © 1inawesomewonder 2022.
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- If I could skate like Chase, I would have a long, prodigious mullet flowing in the breeze created by my blazing speed, and of course earbuds in with some tunes cranked. I might even install a cup holder on my belt for when I threw it into cruise.
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- Goalies are cool even in their thoughts. “I see the opponent behind me to my right, I will steer this shot wide with enough force and lift to make it impossible for the opponent to make a clean play on the rebound while remaining in good position to defend my crease.” © 1inawesomewonder 2022.
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- Flames and more Flames. Will locks in on the puck and makes the save. © 1inawesomewonder 2022.
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- You can see here that the puck ends up on the stick of the MM Flames only goal-scorer and Will (invisible mode) makes the save blindfolded. © 1inawesomewonder 2022.
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- Logan did not shoot this shot at Will. At least I am pretty sure. Our goalies, “Hey look, I am just standing here. Just kidding! Watch me ‘butterfly drop’ (verb) into a sweet toe save. I am also pretty good with a bo staff. © 1inawesomewonder 2022.
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- STP turns quickly and rifles a shot to the area from whence the sound had come. I don’t know. © 1inawesomewonder 2022.
The thoughts and opinions expressed here are those of the individual contributors, mostly mine, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the schools, coaches, players, or characters listed in any of these blog posts. Or, maybe they do, but you would have to ask them directly.
Either way, “It’s a great day for hockey” ~ the late “Badger” Bob Johnson.