Starting in Goal as an Adult

[IPv6Freely 2087]

That reminds me... I should hopefully have videos up again soon. I'm aiming to play in our October 2nd game.

[tedpenguins 93]

Here it is!. Managed to actually get a good angle off from the start. Didn't have that great of a game but I also didn't face very many shots.

 

First goal against I was being lazy on a very weak shot. I thought my stick was covering my 5-hole so I didn't end up closing my pads up all the way. About midway through the 2nd period my toe tie came untied and I kept tripping on it, so you'll see me look a bit unbalanced during some of the saves. I ended up cutting off the end of the lace with my skate blade to get a little relief from falling over my own feet. Tried to follow some of the suggestions you guys gave me, but it'll take some time to get used to them. 

[IPv6Freely 2087]

Much better angle!!

1:20 - you backed right into your net. You'd have been screwed on a short side shot.

[badger_14 601]

Tournament recap day 1:

Game 1: Red v. Green (my team) - we won 14 to 4.  I felt bad for the other goalie (professional courtesy) but also good about winning.  I didn't see a lot of shots - defence was super tight and Red just couldn't get by them.  I warmed up before the game (got to the rink nice and early) with some good stretching and some time bouncing a ball off a wall, or juggling it, or juggling it while standing on one foot.  Focused on watching the puck.  Made some good saves but like I said, didn't see many shots.

One hour break between games.  Ate smallest slice of pizza available.  Drank Gatorade.

Game 2: Green v. Grey - we lost 6 to 5.  Grey (primarily players Albany's GLBT league - they even have a coach!  And hats!) was strong on passing and aggressive, and they had had two hours after stomping on Black this morning, whereas Green was a bit tired.  I saw a lot more shots in game 2, but still only let in 5 goals, so I feel really good about the game even though we lost.  My team is super great and plays very well together.  Ran on adrenaline for the last two periods.  I smoked this one guy on a breakaway and was deeply pleased.

There's five teams in the tournament, and it's a points system - at the end of each period, and the game overall, teams are awarded points (max of 8).  If you win a period, you get 2, if you tie, each team gets 1.  So because it was so close, we still came out of game 2 with 6 points. 

Tomorrow our games are at 9am and 12pm, so on the one hand I've got to get to the rink around 8 but on the other we have two hours between games, so I suppose it balances.  Tonight is a tournament dinner at a nice restaurant and hopefully none of my teammates parties too hard at the club afterward.  :)

[badger_14 601]

Tournament Recap, Day 2:

Game 3: Green v. Black.  Green won, and I am currently blanking on the score.  It was at 9am, but we did quite well (though a few of our fellows dragged themselves in under the wire to get dressed).  It took me a little while to get going - I was tired by virtue of being up at 6:30, but I woke up quickly enough and didn't let it any particularly dumb goals.  I did let in one that I remember being stupid, I was caught off guard because I thought one of the Black skaters was off-sides and spent a second or two too long on him.  I stonewalled absolutely everyone in the third.  Black even pulled their goalie at the end to put on an extra skater, which just made me feel better because no one has ever considered me enough of a threat to need six skaters to score on me.  ;) 

There was a two-hour break between this and our fourth and final game, so I had a donut and tried not to take root on the lobby benches.  Was definitely starting to feel the sluggishness by 11:30 or so.

Game 4: White v. Green.  White won, 11-8.  All of Green was tired by this point, and this was White's first game of the day.  I started off okay, by the second my body recognized that we were playing the 4th hockey game in two days, and I let in several stupid goals that if I had been faster or thinking more clearly, I should've had.  I woke up again in the third, mostly by sheer force of will, and only let in one.

Three friends came to see me play, and I could not be more grateful.  I had a lot of fun playing and met some super nice folks from all over - there was a team from Albany, from NYC, people from Montreal, Wisconsin, Denver, other parts of New England, and Atlanta.  And Boston, of course.

A good number of people complimented my goaltending, and the White team specifically addressed my tenacity and unwillingness to give up at any point.  My team captain said he thought I just got better and better as the tournament went on.  I think that was true - tired, of course, but tracking the puck well and moving well and making mostly good choices.

Oh, and also: we medaled!  Second place, which is a damn sight better than losing every game, and second out of five isn't bad at all.  I feel like I did my best, and I feel like I earned it. 

[bunnyman666 445]

@badger_14 Good onya!

[bunnyman666 445]

Cat Herding Report:

A bunch of youngin's with their stupid parents were shooting one after the next after the next. Then I was comandeered into playing no-defense shinny. It was a nightmare. One kid with wheels kept going through my crease and I incidentally head checked him (I say this in jest; I did not head butt him or anything like that) as he buzzed me in the crease. My fibreglass SK2000 that he ran into knocked him on his bum. I was not surprised when I had heard that he was kicked off of his team for the way he was playing. He's a little bastard in training. 

Ugh.

Edited August 22, 2016 by bunnyman666

[bunnyman666 445]

@badger_14 Something told me you have heart. Heart is what impresses your teammates, heart gets you noticed. I have nothing but love for the rest of y'all- but our buddy badger_14 has heart in spades! I know the rest of y'all have it, too! 

Just keep on keepin' on, matey!

[IPv6Freely 2087]

Head checked?

[bunnyman666 445]

25 minutes ago, IPv6Freely said:

Head checked?

He ran into my head. My head checked him. Idiot.

[IPv6Freely 2087]

You seem very aggressive.

[bunnyman666 445]

I'm not. I clap my stick onto the ice to goad a shooter into making a crappy shot, but that's about it.

This kid WAS super aggressive in this pick up game.  He ran me a few times and ran into my head, which knocked him down. "Head checked" was a bit in jest (sometimes deadpan humour doesn't come through on written posts), but he would have knocked a kid into the net with how he was going. He skated through the crease regularly. I did not give him the "ol' nine o' hearts*", but a few others were tempted and told me so.  He also kept poking the puck in my glove or under my pad. No respect for the goalie from this kid.

Again- I see why his play was not welcome on his team. Lots of penalties are in his future. Ugh.

* "Nine o' hearts" is a Darren Pang-ism that seems to entail a hook, a trip, a deke against a goalie, or anything that ends poorly for the opposing player.

Edited August 22, 2016 by bunnyman666
cleaning it up

[magnets 98]

After a long bye week, we had a game against the reigning champions on the weekend, and let's just say it didn't go well.  After a few standard saves, had a shot from the point that I had covered, where my defenceman thought it would be a good idea to tip the puck over my shoulder and in.  What came for the rest of the game will be tough to move past.  

My defenders decided they were going to be everywhere except where they should.  Cutting a long story short, we lost 12-3, at least eight of the goals came from passes behind the goal line to the unmarked centre right in the slot, but I saved more of those shots than I let in.  I felt like I was working hard and moving well, but they just kept scoring.  It wasn't until after the game when I could see the stats sheet that I could see why it was such a tough game.  56 shots on goal to 17.  While it was a long way from my best game, that stat showed I was working on my own for a lot of it.

We play again Thursday night against the first team we beat, so I need to clear my head and get back in the game.  

[Flop_N_Pray 38]

Well it's been a minute, but I finally have time to get out and skate again. First time on the ice since last season ended. This should be interesting. 

[badger_14 601]

On 8/21/2016 at 10:37 PM, bunnyman666 said:

@badger_14 Something told me you have heart. Heart is what impresses your teammates, heart gets you noticed. I have nothing but love for the rest of y'all- but our buddy badger_14 has heart in spades! I know the rest of y'all have it, too! 

Just keep on keepin' on, matey!

Thank you for saying so.  I've been through a lot of shit in my life, with not a lot of support, and sometimes I've had to just dig in and fight everything, and it's good to hear supportive words.  Like I said ,I had a few people this weekend actually surprised I've only been playing goal for a year and a half - and a couple people asking where I usually play.  (It's all that hardcore Russian goalie training, right?)  I wanted to do the best for my team, but it helped that they did a lot of scoring, of course, to keep things from getting too out of hand.  ;)

[badger_14 601]

Me with my Green team at the tournament last weekend:

[bunnyman666 445]

@badger_14 Your boys LOVE. you. I can see by the pic. No mystery there. NEVER question that- I can see it from the pix.

Matey- you have a group that has your back! That is gurt lush!!!!!

Hang onto them as long as possible!!!! You are blessed, matey!!!!!!!

[badger_14 601]

Those aren't my usual guys, though!  Those, I have no photos of.  Look up "scientists build a lightsaber" and you'll find some.

It was however great to play with these guys, and hopefully I will again.  Our captain (standing, gloveside) was absolutely great and brought everyone together.

[bunnyman666 445]

3 minutes ago, badger_14 said:

Those aren't my usual guys, though!  Those, I have no photos of.  Look up "scientists build a lightsaber" and you'll find some.

It was however great to play with these guys, and hopefully I will again.  Our captain (standing, gloveside) was absolutely great and brought everyone together.

I read  body language for a living, so I read people who like you a whole bunch!!!!

[bunnyman666 445]

Drop-In Report:

Lacklustre turnout leads to lacklustre play with the exception of today, which is why no reports until now. 2 on 2 that turned into 3 on 2 was interesting, to say the least. My bitter rival whom we nearly had a dust up a year and a half ago was there. Our rivalry was from when I used to skate out, and he would do crap like headlock me in the corners. I was in touch with my inner Doug Gilmour when I played against him, I admit. I still could dig the puck out of a scrum and it perpetually pissed him off. We nearly came to blows when I ran him whilst winding up at the point after all 250# of him accidentally on purpose fell nearly direct upon my knees. Needless to say I was amped to play against that jerk...

I stopped almost every one of his shots. I did a nifty two pad stack that turned into a toe save; of course I also ended up getting a goal in on a bank off of my arse from someone else on the next play. I only let in one goal against him, and it was a play that spread me everywhere with no defense to be found. If he would not have gotten that goal in, I would have laughed out loud at him. Schmuck. My bitter rival tried buzzing one by my ear, which turned into a shoulder save. I caught many in my elbow floater and on the shaft of my stick (my signature save, it seems).  In the end, I frustrated my bitter rival. I smiled like the Cheshire Cat.

Not a bad end to my regular weekday drop-in play.

[bunnyman666 445]

Labour Day Stick and Puck Report:

Debuted new sweater (can be seen on Instagram @bunnydevildude) and it was a hit.

On to the play: twelve people showed up. Did a half-ice, four on four. No defense. Got ran into the net once. Made decent plays, otherwise. But I was GASSED. 

[IPv6Freely 2087]

Almost there!!! 

[magnets 98]

Last night played our season ending game against a team we beat in a shootout last time round.

My whole team played much more aggressively at the puck than ever before, and added one extra win to finish the season up 2-15-1.  Not the best effort, but still one of the most fun (yet frustrating) seasons I've played so far.  I love these guys.

Back to C Grade I go for the Summer.

[badger_14 601]

Woke up from my post-hospital nap yesterday to our fearless leader (of the Russian Embassy) saying we had the chance for a "pre-season" game this morning, still needed two goalies.  Had to text my tovarisch, "My heart says yes, but my ER discharge instructions say no." 

Well.  As irritating as that is, I'll be better by next Saturday. 

[tedpenguins 93]

As much as I enjoy my Reebok x24's I think it might be time for an upgrade or to at least try something else. My team has a decent group of defensemen but our forwards are absolutely horrible. We don't get the opportunity to play for a tshirt or a championship for that matter, so upgrading the team isn't in our nature. We're all just there to enjoy the game and have some fun. As much as I do enjoy just playing, the competitive part of me doesn't want to lose. I like having a stiffer pad because I can get a bit more on my rebound kicks to potentially get them deep into a corner or even out of the zone if I see a big hole. The Reebok's don't seem to have as much power as I would want for my rebound control. I also tossed around the idea of getting a softer pad so that I could keep the puck closer to me. I would of course have to slightly change my play so that I have a "cover first" mentality. What would you guys recommend based off of my playing style? I'm a college student so I'll probably be stuck getting bottom of the line gear. I was looking closely at the Bauer S150's just because of how light they're supposed to be and the rebound control they're supposed to have. (Plus they would match my jerseys extremely well with the Rangers colorway ). From reading GGSU posts I've found that CCM/Reebok are one of the biggest names but for whatever reason they haven't been doing as many gear enhancements. It seems like Bauer, Warrior, and Vaughn are the leaders with upgrades. Vaughn's and Warrior's are definitely out of my budget so it seems like the Bauer's are my best option but I'm open to ideas.