Game 13. Rockford Hot Wings (H) (L)

Game 13. Rockford Hot Wings (H) (L)

The Bearcat Scowls

In another life, I wrote reviews of church rummage sales on Chicago's tony north shore.  Towns like Winnetka, Kenilworth, Wilmette, and Lake Forest featured the best church rummage sales I've ever had the honor to sneeze through.  These sales would take place in the recesses of the church grounds, featuring dusty rooms connected by warrens crowded with crazed deal-finders.  Whole rooms were devoted to "devotional objects", "baby", "a/v", "unctions."  It was heaven.

So when I caught wind of the annual United Methodist Church rummage sale on Madison's north side about a week ago, I made sure that I went.  Vito came along.  While I did not expect there to be multiple rooms, I did expect there to be at least some good junk. 

Alas.  My one "find" was a spoken word record that promised to cure me of "excusitis." 

A pastry at Manna Cafe and Bakery and then off to the Shell for a league game against the Hot Wings of Rockford, Illinois.  When I think of Rockford I think of poet Matt Cook who wrote a poem (or found a poem) about Rockford.  The essential element of that poem was that Rockford had a metal factory of some sort back "in the day" and that printed on the brick factory building - at the top so it could be seen from the interstate - was a huge sign that said: Rockford Screw.

Which caused me and the rest of the Cloud Posse - Asperatus and Nimbus in full effect - to at least worry for our one-loss Lightning.  Well, we also were worried because we were without Amanita, Gloster, and Hlin.  That's a lot of firepower missing!  (Also, no cries of "Amanita … STONED!" would sail forth in the cavernous ice arena.  Also also, I would offer no kind of overly officious salutes but thankfully unnoticed salutes to Hlin as she skated stoically off the ice.)

The first period fulfilled some worry.  The Lightning were playing as if they had hangovers!  Very unorganized.  Lots of bunching up on one side of the ice.  And even though somebody collides with teammate Black Locust every game … well, I was worried.  The Hot Wings were playing with a  lot of moxie.  JP Specs (# 54) was rocking her Kurt Rambus-like epnymous specs.  Plus, their coach was of the yelling variety. 

But the first goal proved to be the only one the Lightning needed.  While the play resulted in one goal, it resulted in multiple style points: another perfect give-go-give-go between the Bearcat and MJ, with MJ getting the goal.

The Lightning would eventually win 7-0.  The game was close for one and a half periods.  In the third period, it was all Lightning.  The Hot Wing failed to register a shot on net for all of 12 minutes!  Meanwhile, the Lightning turned it on.  The period began 3-0.  Two minutes in and the score was 6-0.  There were some excellent goals.  None of which were caught on video, but many were witnessed by a bunch of hockey dudes, waiting to get on the ice.

Hockey Dudes look on as the Bourbon Wall signals the icing

I will at least attempt to describe some of the goals, for many were quite beautiful.  Like this one in the 2nd period: Snutch takes a shot from near the blue line, and Nicole's Friend tips it in.  Just like they do in the NHL!

Vito had a couple of goals.  The first into a wide-open net, the goalie down after deflecting a terrific shot from Nicole's Friend, Vito smartly skating down the slot unmarked.  Her second, and this would end the scoring, was a very Hlin-like skate to the slot and shoot.

Alone time

The game puck goes to Nicole's Friend, who registered 4 points with 2 goals and 2 assists. 

Notes: Vito and I eschewed the post-game beers and lunch.  Instead, we drove west to Black Earth to get some really good meat (we bought a pork shoulder and a couple of ribeye steaks) at Black Earth Meats.  We also bought some shoes at The Shoe Box.  At home, I would take a stunning hour-long nap.  In contrast, after the game MJ went out for a run up and down a hill in preparation for a 50-km cross-country skiing race at the end of February.  In contrast, the Bourbon Wall and Nicole's Friend stuck around downtown waiting for the 2 PM game skating for the Meteorites. 



Finally, here's a link to a poem by Matt Cook:

http://writersalmanac.publicradio.org/index.php?date=2009/11/23

Game 12. Madison Thunder (H) (L)

Game 12. Madison Thunder (H) (L)

Refs

The day after the Packers' ouster from the playoffs and the Lightning's first loss is sunny and filled with more hockey, more football watching, the Golden Globes, and episode 2 of season 3 of Downton Abbey: A Day for Lady E.  A return to the Lightning's winning ways was definitely in order.

This was a home game, so I was operating the 1's and 2's (aka the scoreboard).  Nimbus was  doing her part on the bleachers.  Asperatus was recovering from too much human contact and was reportedly at home "chillin' with the chickens."  I wish I could do that!

As for the game, almost all hands were on deck for the Lightning, and the Bourbon Wall was back in net.  She reportedly slept in her bulky goalie gear.  What was rousing was that everybody who played last night - and drank bloody Marys and draft beer last night - was here looking to redeem themselves.  Amanita, Hlin, Vito, MJ, Vapo Rub, Nicole's Friend, Timbers, Bourbon Wall were eager to be rid of the taste of losing in their mouths: yeech!  And the rinsing agent would be the Madison Thunder, whom the Lightning thrashed in their season-opening double-header. Helping them rinse: Snutch, Black Locust, The Bearcat.  Cheers for two lines!

The Thunder was much improved from that inauspicious start of their season.  But the rested Black Locust was on fire: she registered a couple of assists, benefiting first Amanita and then The Bearcat.  The Bourbon Wall faced 13 shots and turned aside them all for her umpteenth shutout. 

Without Coach TR, Coach HH, or Assistant Coach Johnny Bye-Bye, the team relied on the wise  words of The Bearcat, who had spent time last season actually coaching today's opponent! 

The Bearcat dispenses "ye olde words o' wisdom"

The Lightning won 3-0.  A game that was actually tighter than it should have been.  Game puck goes to the Black Locust.  Cherish it.

Never got to order The Bielema

Notes: I ate a veggie burger from Jordan's Big 10 Pub afterwards.  That burger is underrated.  None of my football teams won (with apologies to the lone commenter to this journal - and a public acknowledgement of respect to Evil Bill).  Jodie Foster FTW (sort of in a rambling way, um, huh?).   And - spoiler alert - EDITH!!!!!!

Game 11. Madison Meteorites (A) (N)

Game 11. Madison Meteorites (A) (N)

8:30 PM. Hartmeyer Ice Arena, Madison, Wisconson.

What happens on a Saturday night in Wisconsin when the Green Bay Packers are in an evening playoff game?  You expect to not have two full lines when you play your exhibition hockey game, that's what.  Which is what happened to our beloved Lightning at the Hartmeyer Ice Arena.  Luckily, it also happened to the top-division Madison Meteorites, who had only one skater on their bench.

What was not expected was this: Coach Hungry Heart, who helped lead the Lightning to victory in their first game against the Meteorites, arrived.  This was remarkable as many of you know, Coach H is actually on the roster for the UW Women's hockey team, and they had a game tonight as well!  That's dedication!  Although it should be said that she did not actually dress for the UW Lady Badgers.

Coach HH crosses the ice

All the troops

With the Packers and the 49ers tied, the View From the Clouds posse (including Nimbus and Asperatus) picked a bench and watched the proceedings.  Hartmeyer is nice: bleacher seating on both sides of the wide ice, affording good views.  Also, vending machine hot chocolate can be had for $.50.  Price goes up a dime if you want a large. 

After the first period, the Lightning faced their worst deficit of the season, down two goals to none!  A yell of "Hustle!!" quickly followed by what sounded like a lone shout of "LayYoFightLuongo!" and the Lightning were off.  The Bourbon Wall stood tall, and the understaffed Lightning generated chances on the understaffed Meteorites.

Against an unknown goalie, no not Warren Peas in a brunette wig, the Lightning came up short several times.  The cry of "Amanita … STONED!" echoed throughout the empty, cold, arena.  The sounds of the game fought for attention against the blaring television set, the broadcast of the Packers game cast an unsettling backdrop to the desperation of the Lightning.

On Amanita's second breakaway of the period, she held the puck a bit longer than usual, waited for the goalie to drop, and she slid through the crease and deposited the puck.  2-1 Meteorites.

Amanita deposits the puck.  Trust me.

The third period: awesome hockey.  I remember when I was in my playing days, playing league games that started at 11 PM on a Saturday night, one 50-year old defensemen playing the entire game, when pulling the goalie (me) meant putting your team a man down, scrapping out a victory.  I had hoped tonight would be one of those nights, so I took out my point and shoot and captured those hectic last moments of the game. 

A pulled goalie, a sustained attack, a mad scramble, the crowd chanting, the puck on Vapo Rub's blade, then MJ's ... and that's how it happened that the Lightning lost their first game of the season.  Coach Double H turned to the Cloud Posse and said, "I'm still 1-1 as a coach!"  Well, I was 1-1 after my first games as a goalie.

Notes: Went to Dexter's afterwards to catch the rest of the Packer game.  The place was still relatively crowded despite the by-now foregone conclusion.  Touchdowns scored by the losing team in blowout during garbage time are the worst kinds of scores in sports, don't you think?

Game 10. Sun Prairie Rage Blue (H) (L)

January 5, Saturday, 11:15 AM, The Shell

After a nearly three-week holiday layoff, the Madison Lightning looked to continue their unbeaten season against the Sun Prairie Rage Blue (as in Blue Division, not as in "rage so much that their faces turn blue").  A win today would be special: not only would it be 10 straight wins but it would be a "win one for the gipper" kind of thing.  The Lightning's first-year coach, Coach Thunder Road, is currently convalescing after surgery. 

Assistant Coach Johnny Bye-Bye rocking the fashion faux pas: two sports teams at one time!

But the Rage, division leaders as well and featuring some super fast skaters, including a player known only as "The Zero", had New Year's Resolutions of their own to keep: namely, "show those haughty Lightning what's what!"

It almost worked.  They almost prevented the Lightning from scoring in the first period, but a successful give, go, give, bounce, between Amanita and Nicole's friend with 4 minutes left to go in the first opened the scoring.  Who was to get credit for the goal?  The confused ref said "number 3" - Nicole's Friend.  Thirty seconds later, the ref comes by and says, "Give number 32 an assist" and voila, Black Locust tallies a point playing on Amanita's line.  Where was Vito, Nicole's Friend's usual wing pair?  She was off playing defense, subbing for the missing MJ. 

The Rage continued to play tight.  What was the phrase?  "Play up to the level of their competition"?  And so they did, matching shot for shot, playing with speed.  Warren Peas proved up to the task, lack of depth-perception be damned!  The second period: lots of drama, no scoring.

The third period proved to be the most exciting bit of Lightning hockey this season.  Who knew?  Even when The Bearcat scored a beautiful backhand goal (patent pending) to make it 2-0, the Rage would not wilt.  With Vapo Rub out for a tripping minor, the Rage scored in a scrum in front of the net.  It was a "play to the whistle" kind of thing, as the Rage coach kept yelling next to my ears goddamnit.  2-1 Lightning.  They pulled the goalie.  The Lightning sacrificed their bodies deflecting shot after shot.  And that's how it would end.

Notes: In a nod to the bonds that competition forges, the Lightning eschewed their usual post-game drinking hole to hang out with the Rage at their drinking hole.  And so it came to be that I ate my first veggie burger, accompanied with tater tots, of the year.

A distinctly average veggie burger

Game 9. vs Madison Meteorites (H) (N)

The Shell (Madison, Wisconsin)

In the tradition of all the great player/coaches, our own Thunder Road ditched her beloved NY Giants hat for a hockey helmet and skated with the Lightning as they took on the top division Madison Meteorites.  It was a rousing sight, but there was a real part of me that felt for the other team.  In my playing days (not over yet, knock on wood) we'd always mark the player with the mis-matched jersey.  "Watch out for number 11," they'd say, pointing out the player with the practice jersey with a number 11 made out with masking tape lazily taking slapshots from the blue line. 

Since this was a non-league game the results did not matter in the WCHL standings.  But you would not have known that if you were witnessing the game.  It's a sports maxim that you rise to the level of your competition.  And so it was.  Never had I seen the Lightning skate so fast and so determined as this morning. 

Yet late in the first, they found themselves in a 2-0 hole, victimized by the garbagiest of garbage goals, the result of the Bourbon Wall having gave up some juicy rebounds and the doggedness of the red division Meteorites.  Check out how ATM (#11 for the Meteorites) unlocks herself from MJ's usually top-notch defense.



A1 showed off her natural instincts, actually making two saves and nearly making a third with a stick poke.  As many Lightning insiders know, A1 used to be in the Union.  (And you know what they say: "Once in the Union, always in the Union.  That is, until your significant other convinces you to sell your damned stinky pads that are takin' up all the closet space and don't even think about it puttin' it in the space above the garage cuz I'm convertin' it into a yoga studio.")



But then the Bourbon Wall clamped down.  Clamped down hard.  Here's a few saves, including one from the opposing netminder, Warren Peas (!):


In the waning seconds of the first period, Hlin scored off a feed from Thunder Road.  Then the Lightning tied it up in the opening moments of the second.  Here's Thunder Road unassisted:



Later, Hlin scored the go ahead, and then Gloster* (nee Deren, nee Mama Jet) gave them a 2-goal lead, taking a backhand feed from Coach Road and scoring on her signature one-timer from the slot, five-holing poor Warren Peas.  Just like she does in practice.




All smiles for the team photo afterwards:

lying down: A1; kneeling: Amanita, Gloster, The Bearcat, Nicole's Friend
standing: Bourbon Wall, Snutch, Vapo Rub, MJ, Coach Thunder Road, Vito, Hlin, Purify, Warren Peas
missing: Black Locust, Timbers

Notes:  The game marked the first win in the young coaching career of Thunder Road's little sister, Hungry Heart.  The Green Bay Packers also won.  The game puck goes to Thunder Road who had 2 assists, 1 goal, a few sparks.  And all hats go off to Purify, who had her contract bought out by the Belfast Hockey Maidens in the N. Ireland league.  She'll be bringing some of that Madison Lightning spirit to the Irish Sea. 

Purify's last shift

* Gloster neatly combines experimental (the word behind Deren (see Maya Deren)) and jet. 

Updated odds on Meteorites v. Lightning

Vegas has changed the odds on this Sunday's matchup between the Meteorites and the Lightning, the what WCHL-fans are calling The Battle For the Skies.  Much like the Battle for Paul Bunyan's Axe, I think the winning team actually gets to take home the sky. 

Anyway, the odds:

Madison Meteorites +2 -140
Madison Lightning -2 +150

I suspect it's not because Vito just got her skates sharpened at Hartmeyer tonight.

Game 8. Brew City Blades (A) (L)

[Due to the Scrabble-laden post of Game 7's review, this post has no Scrabble content.]

Game 8. Brew City Blades Blue

The Pettit Center, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Ah, the Petit Center, site of my home/away games when I was the net minder for The St. Pats.  I checked how the old boys were doing this season and was not too surprised that they were pretty much how I had left them, just under .500.  "Leave the campsite as you left it."  I try to follow that motto at all times.

The Pettit was abuzz with activity: kids from 1 to 92 speed skating, folks in shorts jogging on the outer ring (having paid $7 for the privilege), kids selling Krispy Kreme donuts and hot chocolate to raise money for their speed skating team, a guy shooting off the starter's gun (and clearly getting off on it) to, well, start races.  General mayhem. 

I bought a donut and went to watch the Lightning play the Brew City Blades Blue, ready to sit back and enjoy the carnage.  The Lightning had shutout the Blades 8-0 a month ago.

But I did not witness hockey carnage.  I did not witness a much-hoped for Amanita Ovechtrick (definition: 9 consecutive scores in an athletic competition).  I witnessed the unwitness-able: The Lightning were held scoreless in the first period!  Sure the team was missing Snutch, MJ, The Bearcat, and Deren, but to not score in the first period?  Unheard of!

Props should be given to the oft-beleaguered Brew City Blades goaltender, who was making some Original Six style saves. 

But the wall came crumbling down in the 2nd period.  The line of Nicole's Friend and Vito, centered by Amanita came through with two quick goals.  The first scored by the opportunistic Vito, who top-shelved a rebound from a hard shot by Nicole's Friend.  This was rise-out-of-your-seat stuff!  It was then that I decided to put down that donut and take out my video camera to hopefully get some action.   This is what I got:



Afterwards, Vito, Timbers, The Scoot, and I went to Corazon Cafe to get some Mexican grub in Riverwest, my old stomping grounds.  During the car ride over, I told Vito that she was going to get the game puck.  She protested, saying that it belonged to Nicole's Friend, who also had two goals and assisted for at least one of the other goals.  But her protests fell on ears deafened by love and desperation.  "Take the game puck, Vito!  It isn't often you get a 2-goal game." 

Puck taken.

Notes: Next Sunday, the 8-0 Lightning face the Madison Meteorites of the Red Division.  That's the top division in the WCHL.  It'll be the Lightning's first major test of the season.  Vegas currently has the puck line at a remarkable Madison Meteorites -1.5 +120 / Madison Lightning +1.5 / -130, and that's on the rumor that The Bourbon Wall is going to be in net for the Lightning.  The over/under, by the way, is 5.5.  Call your bookies!  This is going to be a hot one.