Playoffs, 2nd vs. 3rd: Sweet Potatas vs. Pink Floyd

Playoffs Champs!
(click to enlarge)
(click here to view the game pics)

This was a very exciting game, to say the least. I was so scared because I’ve been killed by the Sweet Potatas in the past (Week 4: Sweet Potatas vs. the Turtles), particularly by #18, who’s just an excellent shot. Though my stats this game aren’t the greatest, she was the one who scored every single one of their goals. I guess you can interpret that however you wish. I did have some really good saves though, even against #18; I don’t know how I did them and it’s too bad Brian didn’t capture those on camera.

In the first period, there was a puck up against the left post and I was keeping it from going in with my left skate blade and my stick (27 — be sure to look at the original size!). It came loose and entered the crease. One of my teammates yelled, “Cover it!” I just reacted, went down immediately, and slammed my left leg flat on top of the puck (28 — again, take a peek at the original size to get a close look at the play!). Good thing I’ve been practicing my splits/hamstring stretches! I was also pretty happy to see throughout the game pics that my butterfly is improving.

A few of us brought potato mashers to the rink, so maybe that’s what helped! It was a really close game, and the underdogs (that was us) rose to the challenge!

On Thursday I’ll write a post of the Turtles (my other team’s) last game, in which I didn’t play because I played in this game, which was on the night before. Also on Thursday is the championship series! Royal Pain in the Arse will be playing the Sweet Potatas for 3rd place, and we’ll be playing Moussaka for 1st. I’m disappointed that our advanced goalie is playing in our game and not me — both of her teams are in the finals (she also plays for Royal Pain in the Arse — the beginner goalies will play in that game), but I’m happy for her because she did set Pink Floyd’s foundation, and like me, she’s a former Ohio State University Women’s Club Hockey member! Different years, though. And when we played, the team was nothing at all like it is now!

First Period: #18 skated around our defense right to our doorstep and went low on my glove side for the first goal. The second goal was on a breakaway by the same player — she skated right through our entire defense like a freight train at full speed and scored on my stick side.

Second Period: #18 scored with a wrist shot right between the face-off circles on either side of me; the Sweet Potatas did an excellent job of screening me. I couldn’t see the puck.

Third Period: The last goal was scored by another breakaway by #18, faking a lot of shots before finally shooting it high.

Final Score: Sweet Potatas 4, Pink Floyd 5. We were ahead by one all game!

For stats abbreviation key, see below.

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 (when you don’t let in any goals at all the entire game–or like in the 3rd period when I didn’t let in any goals, that’s considered a shutout period, but don’t count in stats)