Saturday evening the Ventura Mariners Bantam Killer Bees kicked off the first leg of their world tour with a stop in
Bakersfield to take on the Dragons. Going in, they were aware that this team had dropped from the "A" division, so they knew
they were in for a fight. What they didn't know is they should have brought their hip-waders to help them play on the slushy
ice surface. The poor ice conditions did little to slow the speedy Dragons who came right at the boys. The Mariners countered
their opponents speed with their decided size advantage. It really looked like a "clutch and grab" era game with lots of mucking
in the corners and plenty of clogged up neutral zone play.
As the game wore on, the Dragons
were getting the most offensive zone attack time, but the Mariners were holding them off. The defense was strong, but the
offense couldn't find a groove. The Conor Gleason, Brian Zacchia, and Luke Tickle line probably had the best of the team's
chances but they just couldn't put it all together. Jason Hart, Shane Heller, and Niko Utash were solid at both ends but couldn't
sustain their attack. The pesky line of Killian Anderson, Corey Werden, and TJ Samuel seemed like they drew a penalty every
shift, but the team couldn't capitalize on the ensuing powerplays.
On the other side of the puck,
the Mariners defense was stellar. Tom Dobrkhot quietly played his best game. He didn't do anything flashy, but he didn't make
any mistakes either. Cameron Torres played some old-fashioned smash-mouth hockey. I was on the glass and could see the look
of terror on the Dragon's faces as The Bull was bearing down on them. Both JB Lovelace and Blake Burlew were always in the
right spot. Josh Kuchinski had some nice hits and got off a few shots from the point. Patrick Dalton was tenacious as ever,
scrambling to eliminate threats. The big star of the day was goalie Mark Becica who was nothing short of brilliant. The Mariners
were outshot 31-6 and Mark is the main reason why this game was respectable. The one the got passed him was a quirky deflection
that no goalie in the NHL could've stopped.
The boys ended up dropping this game 1-0 but they played
hard. They lost by one goal to a fast and talented team. There's no shame in that. Looking back on the game, it almost seems
uneventful. I'm not trying to minimize the kid's effort, like I said they played a good game. It's just there wasn't much
to report on. There wasn't even anything to get mad about. The officiating was good, the Bakersfield parents were friendly
and their kids played a clean game and were gracious in victory. Even the ride wasn't too bad. We made great time. Usually
in a loss, I find something to gripe about, but that just isn't the case here.
Oh wait, I just remembered something
to feel outraged about, but it has nothing to do with the game. It's our lovely schedule. For those of you who don't know,
we are basically on the road for the rest of the season. Coincidentally enough, our "A" team is pretty much home for the rest
of the season. It seems like their could have been a happy medium that would be fair to both teams. We could complain and
I'm sure we'll get the standard "SCAHA makes the schedule" reply, but I'm thinking we go in a different direction. From now
on, during a week when we play on the road, no parent from the "A" team may drink from our magic cooler. I know it's harsh,
but we need to make a stand.
News &
Notes: I'll have to check my records, but I think Saturday's game was the first time this entire team was on the ice
together. We might have had a full roster for the pre-season San Diego game, but that's it. I hope this is a glimpse of things
to come. Also, let's give some credit to Gianluca Allen who backed up. He drove all the way to Bakersfield, put on all his
gear, watched the game, took his gear off and drove all the way home without a complaint. Skater parents probably don't understand,
but imagine spending 7 hours of your life to watch your kid open and close a door. Goalies and goalie parents are a rare and
special breed.
