On Sunday morning, the Ventura Mariners Bantam Killer Bees played their first home game against the Valencia Express.
For some of the kids it was quite exciting because in seasons past they've gone beyond Thanksgiving before hitting the home
ice. I'm going to do this report a little differently. I'll spare the suspense and come out with the fact that the boys lost
5-1. It was an odd loss in that the Mariners played well enough to win and yet lost badly. They out-shot and out-chanced the
Express and dominated zone possession time. So just how did the boys manage to loose this one? I've brought in all of the
top experts to help me break down the film and dissect every aspect of the game. I present to you the forensics of a hockey
loss:
The game started out great for the boys. They were flying all over the ice and taking
the play to the Express. Both TJ Samuel and Niko Utash had an extra jump in their step. Corey Werden and Killian Anderson
had some great scoring chances. Luke Tickle was getting to the net and Jason Hart was ringing pucks off the pipes. Late in
the first period, Conor Gleason and Brian Zacchia hooked up for a goal that was a carbon copy of the one they got in San Diego.
The Mariners were equally good on the defensive side of things. Blake Burlew was handling and distributing the puck like a
seasoned pro. JB Lovelace showed great speed and tenacity in rubbing out threats in the zone. Both Josh Kuchinski and Tom
Dobrokhot played scrappy and dished out some punishment. Goalie Mark Becica was sharp and focused.
The
boys finished the period with a one goal lead. So far so good, right? Where did it all go wrong? Midway through the second,
the Express unleashed a scoring frenzy, putting 4 in the net. The Mariners were completely overwhelmed. They managed to settle
things down in the third, but the damage had been done. The big question is: how could the boys fall apart like this? My experts
and I have come up with many answers.
The Mariners out-shot the Express 25-20, yet lost 5-1. The
first place to look is at the goaltending. As stated before, Mark was sharp. Most of the goals scored on him were a result
of lackadaisical play in front of the net. On the other end, the Express goalie was good but not unbeatable. Many parents
pointed out that our boys seemed to shoot the puck right into his chest every time. So, defensive coverage and shot selection
may have played a role, but there must be more.
The Mariners were missing Patrick Dalton, Cameron
Torres, and Shane Heller due to injury. Maybe that was a factor. However, the Express also had a short bench, so factor or
not, it shouldn't be an excuse.
I always encourage Josh to play physical, because I know how intimidating he
can be. When he's banging bodies, it opens up the ice for the whole team. He started out the game doing what he does best.
He got a couple of penalties, one deserved and one not, and then backed off a little. After getting reprimanded by the ref
and yelled at by the coaches his, and really the whole team's, game became passive. Fear of taking a penalty may sound like
a small thing, but it played a role.
Halfway through the game, Corey got his head taken off. This
was definitely the turning point of the game. The ensuing power-play was miserable and the Express started their onslaught
soon after. I think seeing one of their big guys laid out on the ice had a profound effect on the boys. They got timid. They
were less likely to give a hit and would turn the puck over to avoid taking one.
It all boils down
to this: fear and aggression. When you play aggressively, you capitalize on your opportunities and diminish the other team's
chances. In every game so far, our boys have been beaten, slashed, and punched, and basically have done nothing about it.
It should be painfully obvious by now that the officials are not going to call this stuff and do very little to keep things
under control. I'm not suggesting that they start playing dirty, but they have to put up a fight. The boys have to let their
opponents know that they are not going to put up with this nonsense. They can't be scared of mixing it up or going to the
box. The coaches need to explain to them the difference between a stupid unnecessary penalty and one taken while scrapping
away in the heat of the battle.
My experts and I agree that when two evenly matched teams face off,
the more aggressive team will win every time. If the Mariners can channel their anger into aggression, that in turn will become
confidence. If they play with confidence, everything else will fall into place. The passing, positioning, and scoring will
all be there. If they continue to lay down and take a beating, this will be a long and frustrating season.
I
would like to thank our Bantam A team for hanging around and supporting us and congratulate them on their big win over Bakersfield.
Also, I would be remiss in not mentioning Gianluca Allen, who backed up in this game. Not so much because his mom has spooky
powers, but because his dad has been known to pick up the tab at Chilis.
One last thing: Last week
I credited Mark's mom with being our biggest fan, but a dispute to that claim has arisen. There is an anonymous visitor out
their that feels the biggest fan crown belongs to her. In an effort to settle this in a civilized manner, I propose a cage
match. The last one standing in the octagon wins. My money is on the goalie mom.
