Week 1: Powder Blue vs. the Turtles

Bounce
(click to enlarge)
(click here to see this week’s game photos)

As I mentioned in the post, Week 1: Pink vs. Royal Blue, I played back-to-back games last Friday. I was scheduled to play with the Pink team, but our advanced goalie for the Turtles was unable to make it. The super-advanced, elite women’s team netminder who subbed for Royal Blue was willing to sub for the Turtles, but since I’m a Turtle, I decided to step up. We played against the Powder Blue (PB) team, and I faced a goalie whose skills match mine more closely. At the time, I hadn’t yet learned the lessons I mentioned in the last game post (see above), that is, it isn’t the other goalie’s skills but rather her teammates’ abilities I should consider; and second, I no longer plan to play back-to-back games with only 15 minutes in between, thank you very much.

The Turtles’ advanced goalie, for whom I was subbing, assured me that I could do it, and I did. I did as she suggested and took it easy during warm-ups. In the first period I was actually giddy, but by the third, I was running out of steam: my lower back was absolutely killing me and my shoulders were totally stiffening up.

We lost 4 - 3 and obviously it wasn’t my best game (not my worst, though, either), but it was really close. First Period: I let it one goal on my stick side. Second Period: PB scored on a rebound that I originally saved but unfortunately didn’t freeze. There were another PBer parked in front of the net who made that goal. Third Period: The first goal PB scored in the third rebounded off one of our defense player’s skate, and the second one hit the blade of my stick, bounced off of it, and rolled into the net (see photo above). When there was just over 30 seconds left, my team pulled me so we could have six skaters on the ice to try to even the score. Unfortunately, it didn’t work, but at least PB didn’t score another goal!

KEY
GP: (# of) games played
GA: goals against (shots I let in)
GAA: goals against average (GA divided by GP)
S: shots against (how many shots I faced)
Sv %: (S minus GA divided by S)
W: wins
L: losses
T: ties
W %: win percentage (W divided by GP)
SO: shutouts