The Team Blair(less) implosion continues, 5 week losing streak and we have new regular season standings leaders!
It was lonely getting changed in the Team Blair dressing room last night – 10 minutes to game time and goalie x 1, runners……0. Not a good sign. Daryl wanders in but there isn’t a continuous stream of players following him, or a couple of players, or even 1 additional player 😥 Should be an interesting game. First unavoidable forfeit of the 2016 season. Luckily Team Lia had a reasonable turnout of 8 runners and with the late arrival of Rich, Team Blair at least had 2 runners to contribute to the pool of pickup players for the first game slot. Team Lia generously gave up Dylan, JonL and, as usual, the wily veteran player-for-hire (player to get rid of?) Bill, to the lonely Team Blair* players and the (a) game was on. Playing 4-4 to allow 1 player to rest, it was immediately obvious that Team Lia* had given away too much to help out their opponents. 6 quick goals with Dylan and Jon putting on a display and it looked like it was going to be a long night for at least 1 goaltender. But then, Brandon and AlexF woke up, scoring 4 goals late to make it respectable, 6-4 at the end of 1. In the 2nd Team Blair* kept up their scoring pace popping in 5 while only allowing 1 – Team Blair* leading 11-5 after 2. In the 3rd Team Lia went on a short scoring spree popping 4 to draw within 3 goals but the Team Blair* add-ons turned it back up a notch scoring 6, while only allowing 2 in return for the rest of the period – game ending Team Blair*17 – Team Lia* 11. Team Lia now temporarily on top of the regular season standings awaiting the results of the 2nd game of the evening.
In the 2nd game both teams had healthy turnouts with Team Dirka welcoming back the newly re-branded JKOW, different helmet, no elbow pads, same old stumpy legged waddle/run. Still not sure I follow the story of leaving equipment to dry on the roof of your car and then driving away the next morning, not noticing that it had been stolen. Doesn’t really pass the smell test and remembering how toxic that sh^%$$# was, this story really does have an odour to it. Game started quickly with chances at both ends but it took a few minutes before Dirka took matters in to her own hands and lasered a shot from beside the net that somehow found its way through for the first goal of the game (her first goal of the year?). MattV followed up quickly with another laser shot to the top corner and it looked like it was going to be another bad game for goalies (at least one particular goalie!). Team Jacquie seemed to wake up a bit and scored twice to tie it up but, the Dirkles quickly got 2 more to end the period ahead 4-2. The 2nd period settled down to a defensive struggle with Team Jacquie getting the only 2 goals of the period to tie it up 4-4 going to the 2nd intermission. In the 3rd, Team Dirka quickly pulled ahead by 2 but Team Jacquie kept coming back, scoring 2 to tie it up and then 2 more to head into the final minutes leading by 2. The new version of JKOW scored on a low shot to the corner to bring Team Dirka within 1 with a minute left to play. A titanic face-off struggle used up 20 sec and despite a couple of close in chances, Team Dirka just couldn’t get that last goal to tie it up – Team Jacquie holding on to win 8-7 and jump into a first place tie with Team Lia on top of the regular season leader board. Exciting game, close and well played – typical Wednesday night lacrosse at LMHLL!
Hopefully next week Team Blair will be back to at least minimum bench strength so we don’t have to declare any more forfeits (forfeits are HARD to take in to account on the standings and goalie stats spreadsheet!). Next is Week #14, Wednesday August 3, 2016 Kinsmen Arena.
Team Blair vs. Team Jacquie 8:00pm – 9:00pm.
Team Lia vs. Team Dirka 9:00pm – 10:00pm
See you there.
G2