The Beginning – 2010 Flames in SC

October 10 & 11, 2024 – The Beginning – 2010 Flames in SC:

The 2010 Flames have one scheduled travel tournament this season. Again this season, the tournament was played in October. And, again, it was down south. This time the 2010 Flames played in Charleston, SC. It was a tremendous trip. Good hockey and near perfect weather, all with a hockey family that is second to none.

In the beginning of the whole travel tourney, there was the travel part. There was no train travel to this year’s tournament, but there were a few people who drove, while the rest traveled by plane. Eventually, the 2010 Flames were assembled in South Carolina.

The games started on Friday and were done by the end of Sunday. First, there was Thursday.

Hurricane Milton had entered Florida on Wednesday, and vacated by Thursday. The weather system was south of the Charleston area, and moving to the east. As the storm pulled away, a tremendous string of dry, sunny weather overtook the area the Flames and their families played and relaxed in.

The weather was absolutely beautiful with temperatures in the 70’s. There were welcoming breezes and abundant sunshine. This is about the only reason I welcome traveling south for hockey. If it had been any warmer, I would have liked it less. But that’s just me. It was awesome.

I drove 1100 plus miles to get to Charleston, and our first night (Thursday) found several of us on a sunset cruise in Charleston Harbor. The wind was blowing. The sky was crystal clear, as was the air. The weather was pleasant to cool as we boated around the harbor. Dolphins swam and jumped all around us on our tour. We all stayed on the boat while the dolphins made the water look inviting.

We were on a sunset cruise with Sandlapper Water Tours. It was a blast! Victor and JP were friendly, funny, informative, and having as much fun as the rest of us. I would go back and see them without hesitation. We all had a great time. The boat was clean, and the service was excellent. The setting, of course, was near perfect. The beginning of our time in SC was a lot of fun.

This is Victor. He was excellent. He took pictures of all the groups on the boat, and took all requests. He was having fun along with the rest of us.

Game 10 of the season.

The Beginning – 2010 Flames in SC:

Game 1:

Royal Rink (Carolina Ice Palace)

Scoring:

• 2010 Flames: 00 – 02 – 00  = 02
• West Dundee Leafs: 00 – 03 – 02 = 05

Shots:

• 2010 Flames: 04 – 14 – 05  = 23
• West Dundee Leafs: 07 – 11 – 08 = 26

Penalties:

1. Soucy – Rough.
2. Drumm – Rough.
3. Powers – Hooking. (5on3 PPGA during the Drumm/Powers penalties).
4. Bench – Too Many Skaters.
5. Giampa – Trip.
6. Destani – Rough.

The scoreboard in Royal Rink shows that warm-up time is almost done. The flags hang on the wall and see all. Game one of the Palmetto State Fall Classic Tournament. © 1inawesomewonder 2024.

The beginning of travel tournaments are usually anxious moments. At least for some of us. Nobody knows, really knows, what the competition will be like. Plus, with teenagers, do you ever really know what is coming next? Effort. Attitude. Energy. Engagement. You know what I mean?

The competition seemed about right. The Leafs are a solid team. They do many things well. The Flames played hard at times, maybe more than that. It was hard to tell. Working hard sometimes looks messy when compared to working efficiently.

Well, let me put it this way. The Leafs scored a 5on3 power play goal and two shorthanded goals. They scored a goal in the final 15 seconds of the second period, which was only 14.8 seconds after the Flames had tied the game. They also scored a breakaway goal, that they were called for a penalty on, after the scorer gestured the Flames bench on his skate by.

The Leafs ended up winning the division and the Championship of their 14U Pool. The Flames played much of the game like they weren’t entirely sure if their skates were tied or untied. Looking down for pucks in their skates, or searching for the blades of their sticks in relation to free pucks. Especially on rebounds. This would hamper them in coming games as well.

The 2010 Flames still put up two power play goals, and a total of 23 shots on goal. They had many more chances than any score sheet would ever show. They just couldn’t get in sync, with the puck, with each other. Even so, with 16 seconds left in the second period, they were tied, 2-2. With 15 seconds left in the second period, they were down, 3-2.

Then the Flames gave up a breakaway goal and a shorthanded goal in the final period, while Rosenbeck and Ingalls made additional saves on Leaf breakaways.

But there were moments that had us all smiling, clapping, and cheering. And yes, the kids are the reason we were even there to begin with.

The Flames scored their first goal of the tournament on the power play. The 2010 Flames had the puck in the offensive zone with the man-advantage. The puck came back to Santitto at the point and he slipped a pass up the wall to Warren. If there were ever a pass that was telegraphed (like a quarterback who reveals where he might throw by his eyes and movements before throwing).

The pass from Warren on the half wall to Powers at the other point, was telegraphed. Like: to make known by signs especially unknowingly and in advance. But it worked perfectly. Powers ripped a shot that the Leafs goalie saved with his glove.

Still, the puck trickled off the end of the catching glove and landed beside him. This is where Giampa was set up. Giampa slipped the puck into the net for the power play goal. PPG – Giampa from Powers and Warren. 1-1. 

Later in the second period, the Flames kept their power play hopes alive when Giampa skated along the blue line to keep a clearing attempt in the zone. He moved the puck to the corner where Beal won the race to the puck. Beal centered a backhand pass to the low slot. Petrie was on the doorstep and took Beal’s pass and fired the puck into the net. PPG – Petrie from Beal and Giampa. 2-2.

The game would end with the Leafs on top, 5-2. Plain and simple, the Leafs were the better team, and they won the game. The Flames had chances but had difficulty finishing around the net. They made some mistakes and the Leafs made them pay for them.

The beginning of the tournament started with a loss. It was frustrating because everyone in the Flames camp knew that they could have played much better than they did. But then again, every game isn’t the best game. The Flames would have another game the following morning. Another chance to lift their game.

The Flames first game of the tournament was a night game. This was how the rink entrance looked when I approached from the parking lot. © 1inawesomewonder 2024.

The entrance from the other side, with the moon rising in the background. © 1inawesomewonder 2024.

Mooney’s Moonshots

So this is why I call these Mooney’s Moonshots. Well, the name Mooney, that already gets us headed in the right direction. Then there is this. Moonshot. While ‘moonshot’ originally meant “long shot,” it’s increasingly being used to describe a monumental effort and a lofty goal—in other words, a “giant leap.” Moonshot is also used to describe a towering home run. And home run is a large gain, or popular success. So ya, I like Mooney’s Moonshots because it stands for all of that.

Thank you for the time you spend to take the pictures and go through them, load them, and then freely share them.

Here are some awesome pictures from the Flames game, The Beginning – 2010 Flames in SC:

SC Game One

St. Pierre takes a face-off against the Leafs. Lucas on the move. (Photo by Mooney’s Moonshots).

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

Friday morning it was a cool sunny start to the day. We were staying in Mt. Pleasant that first night. So, I took a short walk, in the 50-degree morning air. I wanted to check out the baseball field near our hotel. So, I did. I thought it was pretty cool.

I took this panorama picture from the center field camera staging area. This is the turf baseball field. Home field for the College of Charleston Cougars. Described on their website like this: Located in the shadow of the picturesque Ravenel Bridge and across from the U.S.S. Yorktown, the Ballpark at Patriots Point provides one of the most picturesque backdrops for college baseball in the country. © 1inawesomewonder 2024.

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.