Winter 2020 – Week 7 – Recap

JRHL COVID 2020 Week 7 – After our almost 6-month layoff, I only have two words for ya SUCK IT, I mean WE’RE BACKKKKKKK!!!! We finally resumed play with a few small changes and some great hockey. The YMCA unveiled their new floor and hell even Bloom wanted to see that! Every game this evening was separated by 2 or less goals, now that is a welcome back if I ever seen one.

Red Jaguars: 8 – Blue Barracudas: 10

The excitement was in the air to start off our evening and everyone in attendance could feel it. The Covid hangover was not going to be a factor for these two teams as they came out skating. However, the Jags goaltender may have felt a bit different as he let in 2 goals on the games first 2 shots. The Blue Barracudas, Nate James, opened the scoring up on our season restart and he looked like a man possessed out there. He was undressing people left and right, but somehow only found the back of the net once. It seemed another Barracuda, Brandon Curtis, was itching to get back on the court as he produced 3 first period goals. What a pleasant sight to see because this reporter knows first had he sure as hell did not produce like that during the Vipers ice hockey season. Saving your mojo for JRHL huh Brandon?? The first frame would have saw the Jags being blanked but Bryce Bostian and Duane Reed had other plans. Bostian came down the right side of goalie Matt Pfeil, who surely thought the young talent was going to shoot, instead he popped it over to a wide-open Reed who corralled it and pushed it by Pfeil. 4-1 at the end of the 1 st .

The second period saw our first casualty of the new shinny floor. Matt Pfeil will go down in history as that “guy”. Matt made a routine save where the ball got caught under his pad as he slid to his right. The logo of the ball drug across the floor leaving a HUGE black smudge. Thanks Matt that is why we cannot have anything nice! (Just kidding it was a small mark that was not your fault and can be buffed out, but it is fun to point blame) 7-3 at the end of 2.

The third started off with a beautiful goal one min in. Cory Mesteller must have eyes in the back of his head because he found teammate Jarod Pavic, who I didn’t even know he was playing in this one, with a beautiful behind the back pass that lead to a goal making it 8-3. The Jags woke up a little in the third with Matt Andrasick blasting one from beyond half court that found its way in and shortly after that Duane Reed and Travis Turchak both scored to make it 9-6. Red was not done yet, Bryce Bostian took a shot from the point that was clearly offsides, but play resumed, and the Jags pull within 2. Could they complete the comeback? Mesteller answered that question by sniping one bast Akers that basically sealed the deal for blue as the final score was 10-8. Up next for the Blue Barracudas will be a desperate Purple Parrots and the Red Jaguars will look to bounce back against the upset hungry Orange Iguanas.

Notable Performances:

• Brandon Curtis (5G)
• Nate James (1G 4A)
• Duane Reed (3G 1A)
• Bryce Bostian (2G 2A)

Green Monkeys: 12 – Orange Iguanas: 10

The next match up featured a team mathematically eliminated from the playoffs and one wondering where they will be in the standings when it all shakes out. I would bet that the Orange Iguanas will spoil someone’s season in the upcoming weeks, and they tried to start tonight. They came out humming with shots on goal and of course Tim George bombs from anywhere and everywhere. Even with Orange leading in shots early, it only took the Green Monkeys 3 shots to deliver 2 goals, one of course by none other than John Poloyac. The onslaught of Orange shots continued as forward Chris “Ballz” Mical sent a nice pass to Tim George who finally beat Dean Carperter for their first goal. At this point Orange was outshooting Green 15-4. Eventually Orange would capitalize on two more goals in the period with one of them coming from Steve Costic who benefited from some half court Monkey shenanigans. This goal would give the Iguanas their first lead of the game, but Austin Smay said, “Not so Fast” and tied the game up at 3 after one period of play.

The second period scoring opened as Tim uncharacteristically blasted a shot from one end of the court where Costic cleaned up the rebound to give the Iguanas a slight 4-3 edge. At this point something needed to be done because not only was green playing with 3 people, but they were flirting with letting this one get out of hand. I wonder who stepped up?!? Johnny Poloyac sure did as he notched not 1, not 2 but 3 consecutive goals giving his team the lead at 6-4. Orange fought back to tie it though with a goal from Costic and a trickler from Ballz that a child could have stopped. Tim George would then add to this scoring barrage with a snipe, giving orange the lead 7-6 but true to this games story line Green would fire right back. Johnny outworked Ballz behind the Iguanas net that lead to him turning it over where Poloyac would then wrap around for the finish. Period number 2 ends with both teams scoring 7. WOW!!!!

I wish I had more to report on the third period as I had to prepare for my game. When asking if anything of importance happened, the only report I got was that Orange played with only 2 people twice duringthe game because defensemen Nate Seidel had equipment issues. Thanks guys that some exciting reporting fellas haha. Judging by the stat sheet though the score was 5-3 in favor of Green during the last frame giving them the 12-10 win. Poloyac and Smay each notched 2 while George and Ballz combined for 3. A Shout out needs to be given to goalie, Dean Carpenter, who was hammered with 63 shots and turned away 53 of them. Up next for Green will be the Snakes and Orange will face the Jags.

Notable Performances:

• John Poloyac (7G 1A)
• Austin Smay (4G 1A)
• Steve Costic (4G 1A)
• Tim George (4G 3A)
• Dean Carpenter (52 Saves)

Purple Parrots: 11 – Silver Snakes: 12

Our third and final game of the evening pitted two teams against each other that are fighting for the final playoff spot as the standings currently read. This one had many lead changes as both teams foughthard to the very end. Pat (PC) Callahan opened the scoring in the first and shortly after that, Nolan Mock, widened the snakes lead to 2. Minutes later the Parrots got on the board by a wraparound goal from defensemen Alan Homan. Goaltender Bird should be ashamed of himself because that move has not worked for Homan in a decade!!!! Nonetheless the scoring of period number 1 continued as the Parrots threw 2 more behind Bird to take their first lead of the game at 3-2. That didn’t last long as the Snakes fired back with two of their own to take back the lead at 4-3, sensing the trend of this one yet? That is where the period would end with the Snakes up 4-3 as the Parrots peppered Bird with 20 shots and the Snakes put 15 on Jarod Adams.

The second period would prove to be an interesting one because unbeknownst to the players and spectators above, this would be JRHL leading scorer Jeremy Hobors last period of the evening. Mr.Hobor had an ice hockey game that he deemed more important that his boys in purple. He was quoted as saying “It’s the championship, I can not let them down”. We applaud your commitment to your ice teammates but what about his teammates in JRHL. Hobor did his best getting his parrots the lead with scoring 3 goals in just two periods. As he skated his way to Ebensburg, the Parrots lead 8-7 with the second period seeing three more lead changes. (If anyone is wondering about that Ice Hockey Championship, Hobor lost 8-4)

Purple went into the third knowing they needed to play flawless hockey to hold off the talented Snakes. A few minutes ticked by and all was well for purple as neither team could get one pasted the goal tenders. However, in a blink of an eye the Silver Snakes got two quick back to back goals that left the Parrots wondering if they could pull this off. Young phenom, Nolan Mock, relished in the idea that he could run away with this one for the Snakes. The snakes went up 11-7 before the Parrots woke up by scoring two in a row to pull within one. As the game was winding down the Snakes saw themselves up 12-10 as Alan Homan capitalized on a turnover that saw him one on one with goaltender Bird. Homan made his move that got Bird on the ground but out of nowhere Brandon flashed his glove and spoiled the breakaway chance. Unfortunately for Bird the rebound bounced right to forward Adam Seidel who slammed home the empty net goal to pull the Parrots within one. This did not prove to be enough however because as the final buzzer sounded the Snakes won the game 12-11. This Silver Snakes win jumped them into 3 rd place tie with the Red Jags as the Parrots are on the outside looking in by only 1 point. Every game from here on out will be important for both teams.

Notable Performances:

• Alan Homan (2G 3A)
• Jeremy Hobor (3G 1A in 2 Periods)
• Adam Seidel (3G)
• Nolan Mock (6G 2A)
• Pat Callahan (3G 1A)
• Brandon Bird (48 Saves)