TUESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2005
HNA TIER 5 FALL/WINTER LEAGUE
PHANTOMS vs. FIREBLADES
Phantoms 3 -- Fireblades 2
BENSENVILLE, IL – At the end of an HNA hockey game, players
from both teams line up at center ice and shake hands. The way
to tell if it truly was a good match is if when the players
say, “Good game” to one another, they actually mean
it. Last night, they did.
Since they first started playing against one another, Phantoms/Fireblades
games have always been tight, exciting matches, usually decided
by one goal. Knowing this going in, the Phantoms realized that
they would have to keep their mistakes to a minimum, as well
as making the most of any offensive opportunity. With a short
bench of only nine skaters, this was to be no easy task.
After an extended period of neutral zone play, the Phantoms
struck first. Tedd “Just Let Me Go To My Happy Place”
Vanadilok zoomed across the blue line and was forced to the
outside by a Fireblades defenseman. He then fired a bullet of
a pass across the middle to Bo “You Gotta Play Hard When
It” Coonce, who redirected the puck past the goalie.
The Phantoms added to their lead later in the period. Center,
John “Case Closed” Cullis took control of the puck
behind the Fireblades net and slipped a pass out front to Greg
“Pond Hockey” Rolnick, who was unguarded at the
top of the crease. Rolnick quickly flipped a backhanded shot
over the goalie’s shoulder before he could slide back
into place.
For the second period, the Phantoms decided to give the defensive
corps some extra help and moved Vanadilok back so there would
be two full lines of “D.” While this seemed like
a good idea at the time, the Fireblades ended up out shooting
the Phantoms 14-9, and scoring twice.
The first Fireblades goal came off of an unfortunate defensive
miscue by goaltender extraordinaire, AJ “Um, That Wasn’t
Supposed to Happen” Brandt.
Brandt gained control of the puck at the top of his crease and
tried to make a clearing pass out to one of his defensemen.
The puck came off of his stick awkwardly, and ended up sliding
right to an oncoming Fireblade, who put it home.
Later in the period, one of the Fireblades’ more crafty
wingers turned Phantoms defensemen, Jay “What If We Just
Moved The Penguins To Chicago?” Smith inside out, before
launching a nasty wrist shot over Brandt’s shoulder to
tie the game at two.
The Phantoms executed their plan of making the most of the Fireblades’
mistakes late in the second period. With the Phantoms on the
penalty kill, the Fireblades accidentally iced the puck. Coonce
won the ensuing draw and flipped the puck straight back to Rolnick,
who wristed it home for his first short-handed goal of the season.
This was also to be the game winner.
After switching back to two full forward lines and three defenseman
in the third, the Phantoms spent most of the period repelling
one Fireblades attack after another. Out shot 10-4, the Phantoms
managed to hang on and keep the puck out of their net.
The “Battle Axe” line was extremely impressive,
breaking up numerous rushes and scoring opportunities. Ron “Beer
Man” Axe made his presence known, as he cleared Fireblades
players from the crease, and Scott “Boom Boom” Battle
confounded the opposition with his puck control and ability
to contain attacking players at will.
In an homage to Randy “They Call Me, Peaches…I Don’t
Like It, But They Do It Anyway” Cochran, Rolnick went
crashing down onto the ice headfirst late in the third period.
As he chased after a loose puck behind the Fireblades’
net, Rolnick heard the sound of oncoming skates. Expecting a
Fireblade, he was surprised to see Coonce barreling down on
him. Coonce attempted to avoid a collision, but ended up sliding
at Rolnick, and knocking his feet out from under him. After
bumping his noggin’ on the ice, and twisting his back
like a pretzel, Rolnick took a few extra seconds to get back
up and head to the bench. Coonce apologized and promised to
go after the opposition from now on, and not one of his own.
Smith provided some bi-polar play at the end of the game. Shortly
after blocking a centering pass with his trailing skate, he
took a penalty for crosschecking. With 8.6 seconds left on the
clock, and the Phantoms facing a penalty kill faceoff in their
own zone, the Fireblades used their team timeout.
Coonce was sent out to take the draw, flanked by Battle, Vanadilok
and Axe. Brandt had instructed Coonce that if he did not win
the draw he should just “fall on it,” to which Coonce
smiled and replied, “No problem. Falling is my specialty.”
Coonce proceeded to do exactly that, as he lost the draw, but
collapsed on the puck. By the time it squirted free, several
seconds had elapsed, and the Phantoms were able to clear the
puck out of the zone and win the game.
After breaking out of their three game slump, the Phantoms are
back in second place in the standings and looking forward to
their match against the Eagles this Sunday in Wilmette.
GAME NOTES:
Brandt stopped 29 of 31 shots; the Phantoms went 0-1 on the
PP, but 3-3 on the PK; Coonce and Rolnick both recorded two
points; James “Rabbit’s Foot” Abella played
in only his third game of the season, but all three have been
wins. Abella has been banned from missing any more games; Phantoms
winger, V “Is For Variety” Tongwarin is opening
his new restaurant, “V’s Karaoke Clambake Castle,”
on January 2, 2006 in Moline, IL. Bring the kids for an outstanding
evening of jams and clams, and make sure to tell them that,
“Tido sent me!” |