Final Score
Shockers 3
Les A's 2
After losing the season opener by a mere score of 2-0 against a team that went all the way to the finals during the winter season, the Shockers looked to turn things around for game 2 of the summer season.
Shockers, without the big freight train Jeff Jasmin, had to find a solution to their lack of production from game one and fill in a significant void in the backfield. However, making his season debut was Ben Ducharme as he missed the first game for person affairs.
The ball dropped to start the game and the Shockers found the scoring touch early in the game when Tom Derisseau lit the lamp with a howitzer that beat the opposing goaltender roof-daddy, over the shoulder. Soon after, Danny Ballanzano rifled one passed the A's netminder to go up 2-0, his first of the season.
Les A's battled back and popped one past Giancarlo Capaz on the powerplay to come within one, but the Shockers replied with Frank Derisseau chucking the ball past the masked mass of goalie equipment.
But Les A's, not to be outdone, clicked together and chipped another one home to bring the game back to within one.
The Shockers who were running into some penalty trouble kept playing with more fire when Carlo Varano, as the last man back, got pick-pocketed and Les A's forward went on a break away. Ballanzano, luckily, hopped on his horse and managed to short-side the forward and Capaz made the all-important save to conserve the lead.
The Shockers walked away fairly lucky with that win as they were unable to measure up to Les A's last summer, but Francois Hamelin explains what was the difference maker is this time around: "We're a new team and we have a full roster who WANT to play hockey and are not just here to look good in our new shirts. We've got new faces and the new blood in the team in a big refresher."
Speaking of blood, the Shockers got a scare at the end of the third period when a slight skirmish on the surface resulted in Gab Maltais getting high-sticked to the mug; there was no call on the matter despite Maltais bleeding from above the right eye. He is not expected to miss any games due to that injury.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Shockers Shutout in Season Opener
Final Score
Hellas 2
Shockers 0
There was no shame in the Shockers performance this past Tuesday for their season opener despite the 2-0 loss. The Shockers were not out-worked or out-played they were simply out-scored by their opponent who took advantage of two errors when the Shockers failed to play man-to-man coverage.
"We got sucked into the ball. If all of our players run to theball, there are going to be open men in front of the net," commented Andrew Stevens.
Giancarlo Capaz sparkled making all of but two necessary saves. On the other side of the rink, Hellas goaltender made it look easy by using his gigantic size to his advantage. "We made him look good. We shot right into his chest," explained captain, Danny Ballanzano.
Even though the Shockers' big guns were silenced, the chances were certainly there however, the handful of worthy opportunities were shutdown by the Hellas goaltender. "C'etait notre premier match ensemble, ca va venir, j'ai confiance dans les boys," elaborated newcomer, Gab Maltais.
The Shockers have a chance to redeem themselves tonight at Bill Durnam Arena at 8:30pm. The Shockers will be without the energetic Jeff Jasmin.
Hellas 2
Shockers 0
There was no shame in the Shockers performance this past Tuesday for their season opener despite the 2-0 loss. The Shockers were not out-worked or out-played they were simply out-scored by their opponent who took advantage of two errors when the Shockers failed to play man-to-man coverage.
"We got sucked into the ball. If all of our players run to theball, there are going to be open men in front of the net," commented Andrew Stevens.
Giancarlo Capaz sparkled making all of but two necessary saves. On the other side of the rink, Hellas goaltender made it look easy by using his gigantic size to his advantage. "We made him look good. We shot right into his chest," explained captain, Danny Ballanzano.
Even though the Shockers' big guns were silenced, the chances were certainly there however, the handful of worthy opportunities were shutdown by the Hellas goaltender. "C'etait notre premier match ensemble, ca va venir, j'ai confiance dans les boys," elaborated newcomer, Gab Maltais.
The Shockers have a chance to redeem themselves tonight at Bill Durnam Arena at 8:30pm. The Shockers will be without the energetic Jeff Jasmin.
Friday, May 21, 2010
"This is Make it or Break it"
So what have the Shockers been up to since being ejected from the playoffs early once again?
"Rebuilding, rebuilding, rebuilding," explained GM, Francois Hamelin.
The Shockers' sad and short-lived stint in the playoffs was not only a kick in the pants for the club but a rude wake-up call for Hamelin that the patching-the-hole style of building the Shockers team every season is not cutting it after 4 or more failed attempts at advancing to the second round of the playoffs.
No one should be ready to lynch and burn Hamelin at the stake just yet. Since he has taken over the rebuilding process, the hockey Gods have only seen good things on paper and jurassic improvements in the line-up compared to any of his predecessors. This season is by far the biggest change to the team and definitely one of the strongest teams, on paper at least, that the Shockers have assembled thus far or at least since the Toohey-Towell era.
"I wanted new blood in the team. We seem to be a different team every year but always seems to be the same old results," explained Hamelin.
The new blood actually brings in some old names back in the mix like Rod "the Red Rocket" Tremblay who was an unfortunate scratch in the debut season on the Shockers due to a season-ending injury. Tremblay, now back to 100%, feels ready to compete again and has brought some firepower along with him. Two other members of Tremblay's former hockey team agreed to sign on with the Shockers for this season to round out his line. "We were missing experience and grinders in the past so adding these guys in the line-up is huge for us offensively," outlined Hamelin.
Hamelin, added the likes Gabriel Maltais, a brutus of a hockey player who has the eye for getting the ball in the net and is a force to be reckoned with in front of the net while Francois Boucher, Marc Boucher's brother, adds speed, moves, an accurate shot and an eye for the game, an all around package deal that will be a huge asset up front.
Carlo Varano will return to the Shockers but not without long time friend and former NABHL scoring leader Danny Ballanzano. Some may remember Ballanzano as the tall and empowering captain of the Blues and others will remember him as being the big body coming down the surface and lacing a rocket top shelf. Look for these two to make life a living hell for their opponents. On a side note, Ballanzano was granted the 'C' by GM Hamelin.
The only old faces on offense are Andrew Stevens and Ben Ducharme. Stevens and Ducharme both coming off of mediocre seasons were privileged to receive offers from the GM. They are keeping in shape in another cosom hockey league with Hamelin, Boucher and Boucher, Capaz and Alain Godard.
The defense got an uncharacteristic face-lift this season as some of the past players have moved on. "We needed to change things up and I think we found the best balance of offensive and defensive defensemen," explained Hamelin.
The defense will be graced with the reliability of Gary McDermott who is coming off a rather successful end of season. "Gary is going to be our powerplay gemstone. He has that hard and accurate shot that we need from the point. He put a few balls in the net last season but I'm convinced he can double or triple his production if he just shoots more," added Hamelin.
The D will also contain Hamelin, Boucher and Jeff Jasmin who are all projected to have great seasons. Hamelin, who has found his knack at scoring last season has given him more confidence to more of an offensive oriented enforcer. Boucher, has always had the shot and has been working on hitting the net during the off-season by downloading the accuracy app on his iPhone. Jasmin, as always, will be the giant who is literally everywhere on the surface and look for him to jump into the plays to make shit happen.
The new additions to the defensive end are Alain Godard and long time spare, Guillaume Cote. Godard, formerly a forward, will try his hand at defense this season and will look to add a bit of an offensive edge to the back-end as well as using his shot from the point. Godard came off of a disappointing fall campaign and hopes to bounce back in the points column and improve his game in his new role. As for Cote, he finally decided to sign on full-time this time as he was a fish that kept swimming away from the Shockers during signing time. "We're happy to finally land him and he will be a positive impact at any position he plays on the team," stated Hamelin.
In nets for the 5th consecutive season is Giancarlo Capaz. The bar is already set high for Capaz as he has played phenomenal throughout his ball hockey career but as Hamelin put it: "We just need him to continue to play the same as he always does and we'll be fine."
The Shockers commence their season Tuesday against Hellas. Hellas made it to the finals this past fall and are tagged to do the same amount of damage this upcoming season.
Vegas Predictions:
Season: 4th
Playoffs: Semi-finals
"Rebuilding, rebuilding, rebuilding," explained GM, Francois Hamelin.
The Shockers' sad and short-lived stint in the playoffs was not only a kick in the pants for the club but a rude wake-up call for Hamelin that the patching-the-hole style of building the Shockers team every season is not cutting it after 4 or more failed attempts at advancing to the second round of the playoffs.
No one should be ready to lynch and burn Hamelin at the stake just yet. Since he has taken over the rebuilding process, the hockey Gods have only seen good things on paper and jurassic improvements in the line-up compared to any of his predecessors. This season is by far the biggest change to the team and definitely one of the strongest teams, on paper at least, that the Shockers have assembled thus far or at least since the Toohey-Towell era.
"I wanted new blood in the team. We seem to be a different team every year but always seems to be the same old results," explained Hamelin.
The new blood actually brings in some old names back in the mix like Rod "the Red Rocket" Tremblay who was an unfortunate scratch in the debut season on the Shockers due to a season-ending injury. Tremblay, now back to 100%, feels ready to compete again and has brought some firepower along with him. Two other members of Tremblay's former hockey team agreed to sign on with the Shockers for this season to round out his line. "We were missing experience and grinders in the past so adding these guys in the line-up is huge for us offensively," outlined Hamelin.
Hamelin, added the likes Gabriel Maltais, a brutus of a hockey player who has the eye for getting the ball in the net and is a force to be reckoned with in front of the net while Francois Boucher, Marc Boucher's brother, adds speed, moves, an accurate shot and an eye for the game, an all around package deal that will be a huge asset up front.
Carlo Varano will return to the Shockers but not without long time friend and former NABHL scoring leader Danny Ballanzano. Some may remember Ballanzano as the tall and empowering captain of the Blues and others will remember him as being the big body coming down the surface and lacing a rocket top shelf. Look for these two to make life a living hell for their opponents. On a side note, Ballanzano was granted the 'C' by GM Hamelin.
The only old faces on offense are Andrew Stevens and Ben Ducharme. Stevens and Ducharme both coming off of mediocre seasons were privileged to receive offers from the GM. They are keeping in shape in another cosom hockey league with Hamelin, Boucher and Boucher, Capaz and Alain Godard.
The defense got an uncharacteristic face-lift this season as some of the past players have moved on. "We needed to change things up and I think we found the best balance of offensive and defensive defensemen," explained Hamelin.
The defense will be graced with the reliability of Gary McDermott who is coming off a rather successful end of season. "Gary is going to be our powerplay gemstone. He has that hard and accurate shot that we need from the point. He put a few balls in the net last season but I'm convinced he can double or triple his production if he just shoots more," added Hamelin.
The D will also contain Hamelin, Boucher and Jeff Jasmin who are all projected to have great seasons. Hamelin, who has found his knack at scoring last season has given him more confidence to more of an offensive oriented enforcer. Boucher, has always had the shot and has been working on hitting the net during the off-season by downloading the accuracy app on his iPhone. Jasmin, as always, will be the giant who is literally everywhere on the surface and look for him to jump into the plays to make shit happen.
The new additions to the defensive end are Alain Godard and long time spare, Guillaume Cote. Godard, formerly a forward, will try his hand at defense this season and will look to add a bit of an offensive edge to the back-end as well as using his shot from the point. Godard came off of a disappointing fall campaign and hopes to bounce back in the points column and improve his game in his new role. As for Cote, he finally decided to sign on full-time this time as he was a fish that kept swimming away from the Shockers during signing time. "We're happy to finally land him and he will be a positive impact at any position he plays on the team," stated Hamelin.
In nets for the 5th consecutive season is Giancarlo Capaz. The bar is already set high for Capaz as he has played phenomenal throughout his ball hockey career but as Hamelin put it: "We just need him to continue to play the same as he always does and we'll be fine."
The Shockers commence their season Tuesday against Hellas. Hellas made it to the finals this past fall and are tagged to do the same amount of damage this upcoming season.
Vegas Predictions:
Season: 4th
Playoffs: Semi-finals
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Shocked in the First Round...Again!
So chalk it up for another season of disappointment for the Shockers as they were downed in the opening round of the playoffs by the Saints 5-1, Thursday night at the SportsXpo. Call it how you want to call it but the Shockers have never advanced past the first round of the playoffs in their entire 5 seasons of hockey.
The Saints didn't really come out strong or play any harder than the Shockers but goaltending saved the day for the Saints. "We had shots and rebounds but those lucky bounces didn't go our way," explained Andrew Stevens.
The Saints benefited from defensive breakdowns and the luxury of having that one open guy in front of the net. "It's impossible to save everything and when there is that one guy loose in front of me, it makes it harder," shuttered Giancarlo Capaz.
Another aspect that killed the momentum for the Shockers was the lack of activity on the powerplay. Just a whole lot of perimeter passes and shots, if not blocked by the Saints defense, that were easily seen by the goalie since there was no one crashing the net. "You know we make it a point in the dressing to always have someone in front of the net and come game time, no one is there. I don't know if our players are afraid of the ball or afraid of a little contact...who knows," Stevens mentioned.
With the Shockers season cut short once again, the talks of rebuilding for next season have surely started and the rumor mill is undoubtedly churning up a storm. The summer season will most likely have the Shockers back in Howie-Morenz arena in Parc Extension but the bigger question will be, who is on the team? For sure on a big surface such as Howie-Morenz, the Shockers must consider enough firepower to span across three lines and should really start to look for players who can put the ball in the net as this season was one of the most unproductive seasons the Shockers ever had. "It is embarrassing to see our stats and notice that we have one of the lowest goals-for in the league and then the fact that to PTM blog mentions that we haven't scored more than 2 goals in our last 9 or 10 games...that hurts," added Francois Hamelin.
Hamelin, who will most likely be at the reigns of the summer Shockers, will have a lot of big decisions to make. Who can he get to fill another line of offense that will be sure to score goals? With many of the defensemen of this season walking off the job in the middle of the games, will there be some firing, quitting or rediscussion with those players? If there are no changes to the gameplay of the Shockers defense, is Capaz at his wits-end enough to shop around to another team? Players like Andrew Stevens who held out until the start of the season to re-sign with the Shockers, will he come back? Either way, the journey to next season will be a bumpy road nonetheless.
The Saints didn't really come out strong or play any harder than the Shockers but goaltending saved the day for the Saints. "We had shots and rebounds but those lucky bounces didn't go our way," explained Andrew Stevens.
The Saints benefited from defensive breakdowns and the luxury of having that one open guy in front of the net. "It's impossible to save everything and when there is that one guy loose in front of me, it makes it harder," shuttered Giancarlo Capaz.
Another aspect that killed the momentum for the Shockers was the lack of activity on the powerplay. Just a whole lot of perimeter passes and shots, if not blocked by the Saints defense, that were easily seen by the goalie since there was no one crashing the net. "You know we make it a point in the dressing to always have someone in front of the net and come game time, no one is there. I don't know if our players are afraid of the ball or afraid of a little contact...who knows," Stevens mentioned.
With the Shockers season cut short once again, the talks of rebuilding for next season have surely started and the rumor mill is undoubtedly churning up a storm. The summer season will most likely have the Shockers back in Howie-Morenz arena in Parc Extension but the bigger question will be, who is on the team? For sure on a big surface such as Howie-Morenz, the Shockers must consider enough firepower to span across three lines and should really start to look for players who can put the ball in the net as this season was one of the most unproductive seasons the Shockers ever had. "It is embarrassing to see our stats and notice that we have one of the lowest goals-for in the league and then the fact that to PTM blog mentions that we haven't scored more than 2 goals in our last 9 or 10 games...that hurts," added Francois Hamelin.
Hamelin, who will most likely be at the reigns of the summer Shockers, will have a lot of big decisions to make. Who can he get to fill another line of offense that will be sure to score goals? With many of the defensemen of this season walking off the job in the middle of the games, will there be some firing, quitting or rediscussion with those players? If there are no changes to the gameplay of the Shockers defense, is Capaz at his wits-end enough to shop around to another team? Players like Andrew Stevens who held out until the start of the season to re-sign with the Shockers, will he come back? Either way, the journey to next season will be a bumpy road nonetheless.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
McDermott is Not Just a Great Hockey Player, but...
Fan-favourite, Gary McDermott, is not only a great hockey player and a cornerstone to the Shockers organization but he has recently been recognized as a great worker outside of hockey. McDermott won an award at Xerox for the least amount of paper cuts for 2009. He takes home the hardware and a $25 gift certificate to Jean Coutu to purchase some hair gell, maybe a toothbrush and you can never go wrong with some rubbers!
We're so proud of you, Gary!
Monday, February 22, 2010
The Disappointments Keep Adding Up
Final Score
Subzero 11
Shockers 2
What can be said about the Shockers these days? Not a whole lot except for the fact that their closing up of the regular season is nothing short of epic failure. 19 goals against in just 2 games compared to their 4 goals. Leaving guys open in the slot. Forgetting the notion of man-to-man coverage. I'm not too sure, but the Shockers need to start thinking simple hockey over again, even though these are the same issues that have been arising all season, something needs to give for this team.
"We're not a goal scoring team, we have no finish; so you'd think we'd play defense and try win games that way and we can't even seem to do that," commented a very frustrated Francois Hamelin.
A team that was expected to move up the standings and finish off the season with a winning streak is definitely making a sad showing for itself. "I don't know if we expected for the games to fall in our lap but I've been seeing a lot of lazy playing out on the floor. These are games that we should of had and we didn't show up to play," comented Andrew Stevens.
The main problem with the Shockers in consistent defensive play. One game they will play excellent man-to-man coverage, the forwards will be back-checking and nothing will get by the defense and then the next game they are a completely different team with horrible defensive breakdowns, lazy swipes at an active ball, forgetting to cover guys in the slot and leaving guys in front of the net untouched.
With such size on the blueline, the Shockers should start using their size to their advantage, push the guys out from in front of the net and give Giancarlo Capaz a chance to see the shots coming in on net. By clearing the opposition from in front of the net, it will significantly cut down of rebound goals which the Shockers are seeing very often. A good example of this is Gary McDermott, he's tall, he's big and plays excellent positioning. He's got a great reach in that massive stick of his which makes it a living nightmare to be matched up against him. But what is more impressive about the Green Monster is how he imposes his body in front of the net. He angles himself into the opposing player and cuts away literally all chances of them touching the ball. The stick is always in the check and he difuses the body to eliminate sudden movements to break free. A few more guys playing like this in the back and the Shockers could eliminate at least 80% of their goals against.
Second problem is lazy play. Desipte having some of the younger players in the league, the Shockers look like the oldest ones out there. If they're going to waste their time and energy making effortless attempts at winning the ball they might as well sit on the bench because they are not helping the team.
The Shockers have just 2 games left before the end of the season. One against Mobilart and the other against the Saints, in any case, Shockers should really be thinking "win" or else it will be a rough ride in the play-offs that might be just as short-lived as in the past.
Subzero 11
Shockers 2
What can be said about the Shockers these days? Not a whole lot except for the fact that their closing up of the regular season is nothing short of epic failure. 19 goals against in just 2 games compared to their 4 goals. Leaving guys open in the slot. Forgetting the notion of man-to-man coverage. I'm not too sure, but the Shockers need to start thinking simple hockey over again, even though these are the same issues that have been arising all season, something needs to give for this team.
"We're not a goal scoring team, we have no finish; so you'd think we'd play defense and try win games that way and we can't even seem to do that," commented a very frustrated Francois Hamelin.
A team that was expected to move up the standings and finish off the season with a winning streak is definitely making a sad showing for itself. "I don't know if we expected for the games to fall in our lap but I've been seeing a lot of lazy playing out on the floor. These are games that we should of had and we didn't show up to play," comented Andrew Stevens.
The main problem with the Shockers in consistent defensive play. One game they will play excellent man-to-man coverage, the forwards will be back-checking and nothing will get by the defense and then the next game they are a completely different team with horrible defensive breakdowns, lazy swipes at an active ball, forgetting to cover guys in the slot and leaving guys in front of the net untouched.
With such size on the blueline, the Shockers should start using their size to their advantage, push the guys out from in front of the net and give Giancarlo Capaz a chance to see the shots coming in on net. By clearing the opposition from in front of the net, it will significantly cut down of rebound goals which the Shockers are seeing very often. A good example of this is Gary McDermott, he's tall, he's big and plays excellent positioning. He's got a great reach in that massive stick of his which makes it a living nightmare to be matched up against him. But what is more impressive about the Green Monster is how he imposes his body in front of the net. He angles himself into the opposing player and cuts away literally all chances of them touching the ball. The stick is always in the check and he difuses the body to eliminate sudden movements to break free. A few more guys playing like this in the back and the Shockers could eliminate at least 80% of their goals against.
Second problem is lazy play. Desipte having some of the younger players in the league, the Shockers look like the oldest ones out there. If they're going to waste their time and energy making effortless attempts at winning the ball they might as well sit on the bench because they are not helping the team.
The Shockers have just 2 games left before the end of the season. One against Mobilart and the other against the Saints, in any case, Shockers should really be thinking "win" or else it will be a rough ride in the play-offs that might be just as short-lived as in the past.
Friday, February 5, 2010
Never Commit!
"Never commit!" is all Carlo Varano had to say after he chipped home the game-winning goal with just 57 seconds left in the game last night against the Underdogs.
Underdogs, who play a tight defensive game, narrowly beat the Shockers at the beginning of the season 3-2, but the Shockers had big plans to spoil the party this time around. "We were somehow predicted to win on the PTM site but we all knew that we HAD to win. Every point means something now so we got to steal them where we can get them," commented goaltender Giancarlo Capaz.
Capaz, who literally saved the day once again for the Shockers held strong and made huge saves throughout the game but especially in the 2nd where the Shockers looked flat and even ran into a bit of penalty trouble.
The Shockers rolled with the usual line-ups up front of Varano-Minkiewicz-Rossi and Stevens-Ducharme-Godard but did try something new with the defensive pairings when it came to special teams. "We had to try something new. Hockey in general, a lot of the powerplay success comes from an organized back-end so we needed to make sure to get good firepower on the points. At the same time, we needed to make sure to keep an energetic and ball-aggressive pair out there on the PK," chattered el capitaino, Francois Hamelin.
The game didn't start off well for the Shockers as they went down 1-0 quickly within the first shift of the game. "I don't think anyone was expecting that," Mike Minkiewicz explained.
With a quick change of the lines, the Shockers leveled the playing field by notching one of their own. Alain Godard's howitzer went high, hit the back boards and jumped out at the goalie who couldn't handle the hot ball. Andrew Stevens was right on the doorstep to tap it in. "You don't get those kind of goals often, it was a real gift," Stevens chuckled.
Not too long after, the Shockers got on the powerplay and faster than the Underdogs got in the box, Gary McDermott let a howitzer go from the point and fist-pumped his 2nd of the season to give the Shockers a 2-1 edge. "They gave me enough space to shoot, I just wanted to keep it low to get a rebound but it was already in the back of the net," McDermott replayed to the press.
The second period was fairly weak for the Shockers, like usual, and they looked very passive against the Underdogs' attacks. It did take a little more than 15 minutes for the 'dogs to get a winning combination but they finally tied up the game.
The third period was rather back and forth and really looked like it could be anyone's game especially when Minkiewicz rang one of the post, the dogs came back the other way and hit the post as well in the same shift. The game looked like it was going to OT but Carlo Varano, who didn't give the defense any freedom to pass the ball out, intercepted a lazy pass and chipped it on net. Too hot to handle, the ball was in with just 57 seconds left. "Carlo had been talking about never committing to one angle of a pass because you can easily fool the player to passing to the other side but mentally you will be ready for it and then look what this guy does! Does exactly that!" Rossi explained.
With that win, the Shockers move up to tied for 8th with Kennedy Crew. The Shockers do have a decent schedule ahead and could potentially walk away with a few more 'W's. More news to come next week!
Underdogs, who play a tight defensive game, narrowly beat the Shockers at the beginning of the season 3-2, but the Shockers had big plans to spoil the party this time around. "We were somehow predicted to win on the PTM site but we all knew that we HAD to win. Every point means something now so we got to steal them where we can get them," commented goaltender Giancarlo Capaz.
Capaz, who literally saved the day once again for the Shockers held strong and made huge saves throughout the game but especially in the 2nd where the Shockers looked flat and even ran into a bit of penalty trouble.
The Shockers rolled with the usual line-ups up front of Varano-Minkiewicz-Rossi and Stevens-Ducharme-Godard but did try something new with the defensive pairings when it came to special teams. "We had to try something new. Hockey in general, a lot of the powerplay success comes from an organized back-end so we needed to make sure to get good firepower on the points. At the same time, we needed to make sure to keep an energetic and ball-aggressive pair out there on the PK," chattered el capitaino, Francois Hamelin.
The game didn't start off well for the Shockers as they went down 1-0 quickly within the first shift of the game. "I don't think anyone was expecting that," Mike Minkiewicz explained.
With a quick change of the lines, the Shockers leveled the playing field by notching one of their own. Alain Godard's howitzer went high, hit the back boards and jumped out at the goalie who couldn't handle the hot ball. Andrew Stevens was right on the doorstep to tap it in. "You don't get those kind of goals often, it was a real gift," Stevens chuckled.
Not too long after, the Shockers got on the powerplay and faster than the Underdogs got in the box, Gary McDermott let a howitzer go from the point and fist-pumped his 2nd of the season to give the Shockers a 2-1 edge. "They gave me enough space to shoot, I just wanted to keep it low to get a rebound but it was already in the back of the net," McDermott replayed to the press.
The second period was fairly weak for the Shockers, like usual, and they looked very passive against the Underdogs' attacks. It did take a little more than 15 minutes for the 'dogs to get a winning combination but they finally tied up the game.
The third period was rather back and forth and really looked like it could be anyone's game especially when Minkiewicz rang one of the post, the dogs came back the other way and hit the post as well in the same shift. The game looked like it was going to OT but Carlo Varano, who didn't give the defense any freedom to pass the ball out, intercepted a lazy pass and chipped it on net. Too hot to handle, the ball was in with just 57 seconds left. "Carlo had been talking about never committing to one angle of a pass because you can easily fool the player to passing to the other side but mentally you will be ready for it and then look what this guy does! Does exactly that!" Rossi explained.
With that win, the Shockers move up to tied for 8th with Kennedy Crew. The Shockers do have a decent schedule ahead and could potentially walk away with a few more 'W's. More news to come next week!
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