Lake Placid 2022 - Skills and Hockey Thrills

Lake Placid 2022: Friday in Lake Placid, NY brought us Skills and Hockey Thrills! And we were not short in supply of either one. What a day! The day started with a thrilling win! It included the beauty of the Adirondacks all around us. Then to top it off, the show of youthful exuberance displayed in exhibiting hockey skills to the best of their abilities. I call our families’ Friday in Lake Placid, a day of Hills, Skills, and Hockey Thrills!

The view from our hotel in Lake Placid on a gorgeous Friday afternoon in November. © 1inawesomewonder 2022.

Friday, November 4, 2022 – Skills and Hockey Thrills:

On Thursday night our players were in bed at a decent time, and they were well rested for the next tournament game which came 16 hours after their win on opening night. The kids slept well and their energy and attitude toward the game and toward each other showed up in abundance against the NorthStars late on Friday morning.

I will get to the game a little bit later on. After the game was played, and before the Shoot-Out & Relay (Skills Competition) scheduled for later in the afternoon, a few of us went to the Lake Placid Olympic Ski Jumping Complex. This is where we add the Hills to the Skills and Hockey Thrills.

We drove to the complex which was only a few minutes south of the hotel. It was another gorgeous fall day in the Adirondacks. Blue skies, warm temperatures, and the wild beauty of the Adirondacks sprawling before us. We rode the gondola up the hill and then took the elevator up 26 stories to the platform that leads to the top of the jump tower. It was awesome!

I found these three wonderful kids up on the ski jump tower. You may notice that the weather was quite incredible! © 1inawesomewonder 2022.

This is a panoramic picture of the area. Looking across the Lake Placid Horse Shows and the Lake Placid Airport, toward Whiteface Mountain and the Sentinel Range Wilderness. Gorgeous country on a gorgeous day. © 1inawesomewonder 2022.

After we came back to earth, we hustled back to Main Street in Lake Placid so we could get to the Shoot-Out & Relay competition on the 1932 Rink at the Olympic Center. The 1932 Rink (1932 Jack Shea Arena) is pretty neat. The rink can be converted from NHL size standards (200 feet by 85 feet) to international size standards (60 meters by 30 meters, or 197 feet by 98.4 feet). Also, as it turns out, the 1932 Rink was home to the first indoor skating events in Olympic history. I recently read that, “The new 1932 Arena will host short-track speed skating during the FISU World University Games in January 2023.” That would be fun to watch!

The scoreboard at the 1932 Rink just before the Skills Competition started. © 1inawesomewonder 2022.

Once we made it to the 1932 Rink for the skills competition, we found seats with other parents, while the kids went to the balcony at the end of the arena to sit together and cheer on friends, siblings, and teammates. Our goaltender, Travis Ingalls won the 1st Place Trophy in the goaltender competition, stopping six out of six shots on breakaway bids from two separate skaters. He was amazing! Logan McCain did very well as a shooter and was ultimately knocked out of competition after a four-way tie for second place.

Our four Flames skaters, Jaden Booth, Cooper Lazzaro, Sean McGee, and Lucas Ouellette ended up taking 2nd Place in the Relay Race Finals. Absolutely awesome showing guys! You have no idea how proud we are of you all. For the rest of this story, let’s look at some pictures.

The first two pictures are described as follows.

1) For the week leading up to Lake Placid, Teddy couldn’t stop talking about being able to dress as an alternate for the relay races. He was so excited just to be in his uniform with his teammates even though he wasn’t competing. Here he talks to officials beforehand to make sure he could skate a lap with the other skaters. He skated a lap and left the ice because they told him he really didn’t need to be there as no skaters were injured. He was so pumped though.

2) Jackie and some friends and families from the Flames 12U #1 team are in attendance to watch the competition for a few moments before their game over on the 1980 Rink.

The rest of these are in order from the start of the competition to the end. The picture files are named with a bit of a clue to what is going on, and, of course they are in sequence. Enjoy!

Click on the pictures, open them up and zoom in. Have a look around. There are many reasons to smile, and maybe even a few reasons to spill a tear, in heartfelt pride, or pure enjoyment.

I think it was Reese Bobby who said, “If you ain’t first, you’re last”. In Lake Placid, 2nd Place by a stride or two was nothing to be ashamed of. Great job! © 1inawesomewonder 2022.

Our speed skaters and the alternates squeeze into the benches at the 1932 Rink. Priceless. (Photo by McGee)

Travis leaving the crease and waving to his fans were among my favorite pictures from the time spent in the 1932 Rink. I also enjoyed the smiles of Travis and his goaltending contemporary in the USA jersey as they chatted at ice level. The pictures of Logan meandering into his shots were wonderful. And of course, the boys skating as fast as they can while carrying and handing off a stick were a tremendous group of pictures as well.

Thus far, we have covered the Hills, and the Skills. Now it’s time to get to the Hockey Thrills part of Skills and Hockey Thrills. I have a lot of pictures here in this coming section, and many are pictures of kids celebrating kid things, like scoring goals in tournament games, or just celebrating being on a team that still reacts like kids having fun. Oh man, it is so okay to let kids be kids. There is nothing more pure, more spontaneous, and more beautiful than kids having a blast being kids.

For some reason, maybe just to make the previous point, I took so many pictures of celebrations in this game. There weren’t a ton of celebrations but I just kept the shutter button pressed down and capturing precious moments. I am usually one to coach kids to ‘act like they’ve been there’ and to keep celebrations to a minimum, and absolutely nothing that has been orchestrated or choreographed. But in team celebrations that are unscripted, completely ‘on the fly’, and often times hilarious, it’s hard not to enjoy them.

These pictures might take up a few galleries. Have fun with them.

: Back on the USA Rink for Game 2 of the tournament.

: Opening face-off of Game 2. Love those NorthStar jerseys.

: Travis in good position to make the save and keep the game scoreless. Lake Placid.

: Caleb skates the puck out of harms way. Gavin wonders what is taking so long.

: This is just some hockey happening in a small space. It doesn’t need to be cheap, or mean, just contested.

: Not the best quality image, but still a nice save by Travvie-Baby.

: Of course I saw the goal, just not with my camera. Teddy scored to give the Flames a 1-0 lead.

: The celebration that ensued, is just pure joy and contentment on a job well done.

: I can only imagine what is being said in this little happy huddle.

: The ref wants an autograph or a ‘selfie’. Meanwhile the players just enjoy being kids.

: Chase comes sliding in along the boards like he’s attached to a tow strap behind a motor boat.

: Gavin stands in the curling circle as directed by his agent.

: Lucas and the NorthStars player were tasked with ‘ad-libbing’ the picture that is on the boards behind them. Nicely done.

: Chase doesn’t mess around, getting down and firing a shot toward the net.

: Teddy takes a quick peak before centering the puck to the front of the net.

: Here’s the deal, Flames lead, 2-1 going to the third period. USA Rink.

: Trying to get the puck to Chase in front of the net.

: Will couldn’t get this one because the shot was pretty near perfect.

: Please clean your flags, because really, they are our flags. Just do it.

: Will with a pad save in the 3rd period against the NorthStars.

: Despite the defense, the saves just kept needing to be made.

: Bouncing puck, offense and defense clash. Ultimately, the puck won.

: The Flames working the corner to control the puck and run the clock.

: NorthStars pull their goalie for the extra attacker, trying to tie the game.

: Flames get the win against a good team in a really well played game at Lake Placid.

: Teddy gets a good look at Jacob’s shot that found the net for the Flames second goal of the game.

: Jacob and Chase, role-playing, “Did we just become best friends?” “Yup!”

: Jacob scores and the celebration begins.

: Each celebration has its’ own life as Chase shows here by growing weak in the knees.

: Teddy has no regard for fallen celebrators as he approaches with gusto.

: Teddy launches himself onto the pile, over his teammate. Chase takes appropriate precautions.

: Teddy reaches the larger celly and Chase just accepts his fate.

: Chase is obviously no worse for the wear as Caleb can attest to.

: Once again, I missed the goal on camera, but trust me, it was a great play.

: Chase and Ian line up Logan and drive him backwards with solid checks to the body.

: Logan’s forward progress is stopped short of the first down. But the shorthanded goal is much appreciated by the Flames.

: Logan makes a huge play and scores the goal. The teammates on the ice perpetuate the glory of hard work paying off.

: Flames lead, 3-2. Last couple minutes of regulation time. Game on the line.

: NorthStars get a breakaway chance. One on one.

: A chance to tie the game in the final minutes, but Will had other ideas.

: Will makes the initial save but the puck sticks close to him and within reach of the offensive player.

: The shooter has enough time and space to gather the puck.

: The shooter reloads, and fires a shot at a lot of open net.

: Will dives to the open area and gets a piece of the shot to keep it wide of the goal mouth before the D can get back.

: Will is sprawled on the ice. The puck is behind the net. The threat is over, and the Flames still lead, 3-2. What an effort!

At 12:30pm I typed into the team chat, “Flames mob Will. 3-2 final. Shots 19-19.”

: The Flames won, 3-2. The horn sounded. The team immediately skated with conviction to Will. Not all measurements require numbers.

: I love a team that loves to win, but not at the expense of joy and jubilation. Losses hurt, but truly provide perspective that makes the win that much sweeter.

: While untold things are being yelled at close range to each other, more teammates arrive.

: Teddy joins the pile and tries getting air again from closer range, and not over a teammate.

: Look at the faces you can see. Notice that the latecomers are just swallowed into the celly.

: Lucas stands tall amid the celebration, providing structural soundness.

: Then from out of the pile peaks a smiling face on the left. Priceless.

: Garrett was held up at customs and finally joins the celly on the ice with the rest of the Flames.

: There are visible faces in this picture and they tell the story. A team playing as the constant underdog puts a solid game together and wins.

: Soucy finally shows up and wonders if this mass of hockey player is really worth approaching.

Wow! What a game! What a Friday! The Flames were 2-0 and staring down a battle with 2-0, unscored upon, Braintree at 12:30pm on Saturday.

Friday, November 4, 2022. USA Rink – Lake Placid. 11:40 AM.

2010 Manchester Flames – 01 – 01 – 01 = 03

NorthStars – 00 – 01 – 01 = 02

2010 Flames goals in order:

1) Teddy Beal’s ‘snipe’ on a break-in with Chase Giampa, set up by Jordan Hawkes to get the Flames on the board.

2) Jacob St. Pierre end to end rush (unassisted) with a finish through the five-hole.

3) Logan McCain shorthanded goal, unassisted, on a nice play out high, and then a ripped shot into the net.

Travis Ingalls and Will Rosenbeck are different sizes, different shapes, and they play different styles in net. They are OUR goaltenders again this season, and we are fortunate to have both. They pick each other up whether they know it or not. Most times they are both ON their game at the same time, and when one is down the other is usually up. It’s a great tandem. Travis allowed zero goals in this game, while Will allowed two. Measurements matter, especially in sports, but measurements aren’t always best served in numbers. I think the pictures bear that out.

Flames 3 – NorthStars 2 – Game 2 – Lake Placid 2022

You can catch up, and follow along on all things 2010 Flames in the following places.

You can find more 2010 Flames material in these types of articles, right here.

Then there is the team web page 2010 Manchester Flames.

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.