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The mild temperatures last night made it feel like spring in New Hampshire. It felt to me like some sort of a fresh start, or at least a welcome transition. Then, some of the air was let out of that feeling when I realized that earlier games at Conway Arena in Nashua were running well behind. Eventually the rematch between Goffstown and Hollis-Brookline Derryfield School would get underway more than an hour after the scheduled start time.
With a mix of snow and rain falling from the February sky on a Nashua ice arena parking lot players from opposing schools gathered with their teams out in the weather. There was not a school bus anywhere in sight. High school student drivers got out of their vehicles and unloaded their gear not unlike middle aged men and women showing up for another day of work. The word drudgery came to my mind.
The 2010 Manchester Flames entered the GSL State Tournament as the #5 seed in the six-team field. The Flames caravan of players, coaches, and families made their way through the falling snow up to North Conway for the tournament being held at Ham Arena. Manchester had an impressive opening game before being shut down by the #4 and #1 seeds.
When I got home and walked through the door last night, mentioning that I had information about the Goffstown Grizzlies hockey game at Alvirne-Milford as I entered, I was greeted with excitement and questions.
On a snowy, freezing rain type of afternoon over at Tri-Town Ice Arena the Grizzlies played a home game at their third different home venue this season. They hosted the Bow Falcons in their second game in three days, both home games, both at different rinks. After falling behind, 1-0, and then 2-1 going into the final period, the Grizzlies erupted for five third period goals.
We know that the 2010 Flames will enter the post-season tournament as the #5 seed, finishing 7-5-2 in their tier. With league games finished, the Flames played a pair of games over the weekend to get ready for the trip to North Conway this Friday.
It had been a few weeks since the Grizzlies had played any competitive hockey when they pulled into one of their many ‘home’ rinks for this season, yesterday afternoon. Goffstown hosted John Stark-Hopkinton at JFK Coliseum, of all places, for their return to the ice.