According to Coach Jere, the boys still had a mathematical chance going into their final game against the San Diego Jr.
Gulls. I sent the numbers to NASA and it caused their supercomputer to explode. Basically the Ventaura Mariners Bantam Killer
Bees were just playing for pride on Sunday afternoon. After the first game, I wrote that I felt like the boys needed to play
more physical. I guess they got the memo. In the first shift of the game, Josh Kuchinski had three monster hits. He looked
like he was crushing empty beer cans out there. Patrick Dalton too caught my eye with big hits all game long. Throw in Blake
Burlew, Tom Dobrokhot, and Cameron Torres and we had the entire defense bustin' heads. It was beautiful.
The
teams were pretty evenly matched, but the Gulls built a 2-0 lead. Early in the second period, trouble-maker Killian Anderson
got the Mariners on the board with a short-handed goal. I just missed seeing it, but he assured me it was the greatest thing
any human being has ever done. What a dork. The boys fought hard and kept the pressure on. Conor Gleason, Luke Tickle, and
Tyler Forest all had some glorious chances. JB Lovelace, playing up front or terribly out of position, had some good rushes
up the ice. TJ Samuel and Niko Utash both threatened the Gull's net. Fan-favorite Brian Zacchia had the best of both worlds
going: big hits and quality scoring chances. After taking cheap-shots all game long Jason Hart and Killian had finally had
enough. I know the coaches were mad, but I think it's great when teammates stand up and fight for each other.
Gianluca
Allen and Mark Becica split time in net and they both performed well, combining for 24 saves. Despite a spirited effort, the
Mariners dropped this one 4-1.
The kids finished the tournament with a record of 1-3. I feel like
they progressed nicely from the first game and seem to be on the right track. The hitting, passing and discipline all improved
over the course of this weekend. This is a good group of kids and there's the potential for greatness. I'm really looking
forward to a fun and successful season.
