SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2006
HNA TIER 5 FALL/WINTER LEAGUE
PHANTOMS vs. TAZ DEVILS
Phantoms 4 -- Taz Devils 7
WILMETTE, IL – Ladies and gentlemen, this reporter has
seen many horrific things in his numerous years on the job.
From war-torn Eastern European cityscapes, to drought-plagued
African villages, to Detroit post-world championship celebrations,
but never, in all my years, have I witnessed something as terrible
and wrong as the Phantoms performance on the ice this past Sunday
against the Taz Devils.
The last time these two teams met, the Phantoms came out swinging,
scoring seven goals in the second period, on their way to an
8-0 rout. This time, however, the Phantoms played an incredibly
sloppy and half-hearted game that dissipated in the third period
and led to a 7-4 loss. Now while the ugly finger of blame can
be pointed in several directions (incredibly apathetic referees,
in-game injuries that sidelined two key forwards, a lack of
an alarm clock in the second dressing room), the real culprits
are the Phantoms themselves.
The stats sheet will tell you that the shots on goal, and score,
were even through two periods. Both teams tallied one goal on
six shots in the first, and three goals on nine shots in the
second. However, while the Phantoms out shot the Taz Devils
13 to 7 in the third period, they still managed to give up three
goals, and score none. But the stats sheet doesn’t get
into the lackluster effort given by the Phantoms, and their
amazing ability to completely ignore almost everything they’ve
been working so hard on in practice.
The following is but a sample of the laundry list of woes for
the night:
Their special teams were atrocious, giving up two goals while
short handed, and squandering four different man-advantage opportunities.
The team’s passing was haphazard, negating any real chances
for breakout plays, or cycling of the puck. It is of note that
all four of the Phantoms’ goals were scored unassisted,
as players resorted to trying to do it on their own, instead
of making the most of their line mates.
In addition, most of the Phantoms were caught flat-footed, choosing
to stand still instead of keeping their feet moving, and were
rarely the first one to an open puck.
Credit must be given to the Taz Devils (and their goalie, Sean
Sodko) for doing what the Phantoms would not. The team’s
blasé approach to the evening’s match was not only
demoralizing, but also dropped them to fourth place in the standings,
one point behind the Taz Devils.
With a number of teams knotted up in the middle of the standings,
every game is a must-win for the Phantoms from here on out if
they hope to return to the playoffs and make a run at the championship.
This shell-shocked reporter is admittedly stunned at the recent
turn of hockey events and can only be left wondering, “Where
have you gone, Jeffrey Blake? Our Phantoms nation turns its
lonely eyes to you. Woo woo woo.”
GAME NOTES: Cullis had two goals, while Battle and Rolnick had
one apiece; Cochran re-injured his heel in the first period
and Boyd went down in the second with a groin pull, forcing
the Phantoms to juggle their offensive lines; The Phantoms booster
club was seen leaving the stands in disgust late in the third
period. Young Phantom phan, Lizzie McDoogle, age 6, was overheard
saying, “I just don’t get it. It’s like they’ve
got no heart. I sure do miss the good ‘ol days of Tido
Tongwarin and Paul Schultz.” |