Growth Has Its Pains - 2010 Flames

West Side Arena – September 30 & October 1, 2023 – Growth Has Its Pains – 2010 Flames (MRYHA)

Up from the Ocean State (RI) and the depths of the Bay State (MA), the 2010 Flames played the Providence Hockey Club (PHC South) twice on Saturday and then hosted the Bay State Breakers (Hoyle) on Sunday evening. The Flames won two and lost one, splitting with Providence on Saturday.

Saturday saw the Flames play a pair of games against a really good team from Providence, RI. The two teams entered the early season double header without a loss between them in EHF (Fed League) play. And as it would turn out, the teams would split their games on Saturday, with each team scoring 8 goals on the day. Not much was decided in the way of the standings, but I was left thinking that sometimes, growth has its pains.

The Mayo Clinic (Rochester, MN) says this about growth: “…Growing pains are often described as an ache or throb in the legs — often in the front of the thighs, the calves or behind the knees. Growing pains tend to affect both legs and occur at night, and may even wake a child from sleep. Although these pains are called growing pains, there’s no evidence that growth hurts…”

So, the point is this. The 2010 Flames have been cruising through the season with success and collaboration from the top to the bottom of their roster no matter how you slice it. Then they played a very good Providence team and learned that yes, the Flames are a good team, and yes, there is still plenty of room for growth.

Growth has its pains was plain to see in the second game on Saturday, when the 2010 Flames were met with speed and physicality and didn’t have an answer for it on that afternoon. Nothing earth shattering occurred, just one team imposed their will over the home team.

Providence had a 2-1 lead in the 2nd period before the 2010 Flames turned the tide and went on to win the game, 7-2.

Flames goal – Soucy grabbed a loose puck at center ice while PHC was breaking the puck out of their end and trying to catch the Flames out of position. Soucy skated in all alone and ripped a shot into the nearside of the net. Soucy unassisted. 1-0.
Flames tying goal – Ouellette, Beal, and Mooney dominated their spaces all around the net. With passes, tips, and shots, like the multitude of rain drops that ultimately break the dam. Ouellette tapped the puck into the net from a solid 2 feet away. Beal and Mooney were close by for support. Ouellette from Beal and Mooney. 2-2.
Flames go ahead goal – Lazzaro received a pass from Powers out at the point, with a lot of room to operate. Lazzaro skated in to increase his odds and ripped a shot from the circle. The puck hit the goalie and landed in the crease among some heavy traffic. Powers was there to put the puck in. Powers from Lazzaro. 3-2. GWG.
Flames goal – This was a great goal after end to end action and good chances for both teams. Mooney didn’t get an assist on the play but he was instrumental in moving the puck up the boards and maintaining the Flames rush up the ice. He flipped the puck ahead at center ice to where Drumm was racing into the offensive zone. Drumm laid a perfect pass on Soucy’s stick who was flying up the left wing. The goalie made a big save on Soucy’s bid, and Ouellette who had been lumbering up the middle like a runaway truck that had fried its brakes. Ouellette fired the rebound into the net. Awesome play all the way around. Ouellette from Soucy and Drumm with a writing credit to Mooney. 4-2.
Flames goal – At the end of the period, Lazzaro and Petrie worked the puck out of the pile and flipped it into the zone where Hawkes used his speed to get to the outside and turn the corner. Hawkes shot the puck from behind the goal line and the puck hit the back of the goalie and found the sweet patch of ice inside the net. Just a hustle goal. Love it. Hawkes from Petrie and Lazzaro. 5-2.
Flames power play goal – Powers kept the puck in at the left point and fired a shot into the traffic in front of the net. The puck hit a defender in the thigh and knocked him off balance. While the defender scrambled and fell, Ouellette dug the puck free and pried a backhand shot into the net. PPG. Ouellette from Powers. 6-2.
Flames goal – Hawkes scored on a clean breakaway. Powers from the boards behind his own net, wrapped the puck to the wings corner where Warren grabbed it and turned up ice. Warren sent a diagonal pass to center ice that was tipped as Hawkes was flying by and the puck continued with Hawkes. He skated in alone ripped a shot to the twine. Hawkes from Warren and Powers. 7-2.

Providence Hockey Club South: 00 – 02 – 00 = 02

(MRYHA) 2010 Flames: 01 – 04 – 02 = 07

After all was said and done, the Flames edged Providence in shots, 27-25. Ingalls and Rosenbeck were solid in net for the Flames with both Providence goals being scored on power plays.

After a break of less than two hours, the two teams returned to the West Side Arena ice. This game belonged to Providence. The Flames trailed, 1-0 after one period, and were outshot, 8-5. The visitors took a 2-0 lead early in the second period, and then scored 11 seconds into a power play to go up, 3-0. The Flames never threatened after that.

Trailing, 5-0, the 2010 Flames finally got on the board. Soucy banked the puck off of the boards to clear the zone and Ouellette grabbed it on the go. Ouellette was able to get outside and beat the defense to the slot where he slammed a shot past the goalie for the Flames goal. Ouellette from Soucy. Trailed, 5-1.

I think the Climax Blues Band said it best, when they sang, ‘Couldn’t Get It Right‘ (ya, I was alive when this came out). The Flames would drop this game, 6-1. They allowed 31 shots to Providence and none of the goals were transition goal against. The Flames were beat in their own defensive end for all six goals against. Like I said, growth has its pains.

Ingalls and Rosenbeck both made some brilliant saves but there were too many open looks and the bounces favored the aggressors as it usually does.

Providence Hockey Club South: 01 – 04 – 01 = 06

(MRYHA) 2010 Flames: 00 – 01 – 00 = 01

On Sunday evening, the 2010 Flames were back at West Side Arena to host the Bay State Breakers. This game played out kind of like a bulky running back tripping and nearly falling, while running (barely) forward all the way to the end zone before face planting in the turf. They won, but it wasn’t real pretty. The home team held a 17-7 lead in shots after one period, but nothing was coming easy.

Flames goal – After the Flames won an offensive zone face-off the puck went back to St. Pierre at the right point. St. Pierre threw the puck through traffic into the slot where it bounced over to Kaveney. Kaveney delicately nudged a pass right into Giampa’s wheelhouse as he pounded a shot into the net for the first goal of the game. Giampa from Kaveney and St. Pierre. 1-0.
Flames goal – With the trio of Beal, Mooney, and Ouellette controlling the puck in the offensive zone and especially around the net, they finally put the puck in the net. Each of the three players had chances to set up one of the others, or to be set up themselves. Then finally, Mooney got a shot to the net where Beal tapped it toward the net and Ouellette finally pushed the puck over the line. Ouellette from Beal and Mooney.
This Flames goal after a save on a breakaway by Ingalls. After the save, Booth skated the puck out of the zone and was stopped at center ice by a check, but the puck slid forward. Ouellette grabbed the sliding puck and skated down the right wing. As he skated through the circle, he ripped a shot past the goalie and into the net. Flames, led, 3-1. Ouellette from Booth. GWG.
The fourth goal was an example of great passing when Santitto got the puck to Hawkes who drew the defense toward him while knowing that he had Soucy open. Hawkes hit Soucy with the pass and Soucy buried his shot. Soucy from Hawkes and Santitto. 4-1.
This wasn’t a Flames goal but rather, a Flames save. Rosenbeck made a save on a rebound of his own save, while the Flames were shorthanded. But all I can say is that when every single person in the rink was certain they were seeing the Breakers score and cut the lead to 4-2, there was one person who thought otherwise and that was Flames 00 (Rosenbeck). He coolly reached down with his glove hand to snag the ‘sure goal’, ending its path, and stunning the team on the power play. I described it as “robbery’ and put a star by the time in my notes. No goal. Tremendous save.
Powers got loose for a great shot and scoring chance, but the shot was saved. Soucy swooped in and banged the puck into the net for the Flames goal. Soucy from Powers. 5-2.
With the Flames on the power play, Powers pinched in low and kept the puck moving through the corner to Beal. Beal tried a centering pass but the puck got swatted back to him. Beal tried another option and found Mooney on the other side of the net. Mooney drifted to a better angle and wristed a wicked snipe over the goalie’s shoulder. Flames led, 6-2. PPG – Mooney from Beal and Powers.

Bay State Breakers Hoyle: 01 – 01 – 00 = 02

(MRYHA) 2010 Flames: 02 – 02 – 02 = 06

The 2010 Flames return to the ice for a practice on Monday night. Then the team and their families make their way to Washington, DC for a tournament over Columbus Day Weekend.

For pictures, please check out Nichole’s page and pictures, they are outstanding.

Game one of the weekend, 7-2 win.

Game two, 6-1 loss.

Game three, 6-2 win.

You can find more 2010 Flames material in these pieces, here. 2010 Manchester Flames.

The current look at my ‘hockey office’. So many hours spent in this space, tracking numbers and capturing season after season. (C) 1inawesomewonder 2023.

The beginning of every article. (C) 1inawesomewonder 2017.

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.

“We should be dreaming. We grew up as kids having dreams, but now we’re too sophisticated as adults, as a nation. We stopped dreaming. We should always have dreams.” ~ the late Herb Brooks.

“To me, there are three things we all should do every day. We should do this every day of our lives. Number one is laugh. You should laugh every day. Number two is think. You should spend some time in thought. Number three is, you should have your emotions moved to tears, could be happiness or joy. But think about it: If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that’s a full day. That’s a heck of a day. You do that seven days a week, you’re going to have something special.” ~ Jim Valvano on how to live life, during his ESPY speech.

“I started writing sports stories 20 years ago. I still do. I write because somewhere, in some game, a kid might be having the time of his or her life. That’s awesome to think about. It’s all about the kids.” ~ Steve Beal Sr.