The excitement for Sunday's match-up between the Ventura Mariners Bantam Killer Bees and the Valencia Express was palpable.
Number one: it was the first time in many moons that the boys got to play a game in their own barn and number two: there's
a mostly friendly rivalry between these two teams. Like any big heavy weight bout, the dignitaries came out in droves. Former
Killer Bee coach Coz, friend of the Bees Scott Johnson, and the entire Dalton Fire Brigade were all in attendance for the
"Smackdown In Simi-Town".
The game began with a feeling out period that saw both teams clogging
up the neutral zone. After a choppy start marked by an unprecedented number of intentional offsides calls, things started picking
up. The Express broke through with a handful of great scoring chances, only to head back to the bench with nothing because
goalie Mark Becica was a wall of frustration for them. The Mariners got on the board near the end of the period with a textbook
perfect goal. Jason Hart passed the puck out to the point, where a wide-open Patrick Dalton cranked a monster slapshot. Conor
Gleason got to the front of the net and deflected the shot in. If I didn't know better, I'd swear these boys are starting
to listen to Coach Sergey.
In the second, the Express came back to tie the game and then to take
the lead. It wouldn't last long. Jason picked up a loose puck in the slot and found some room on the stick side. The middle
frame can best be described as sloppy. It was the weirdest thing, but none of the boys seemed to be able to handle the puck,
make a pass, or do anything that wasn't potentially disastrous. The team weathered the storm mostly because Mark has ice-water
running through his veins and made it to the third period with a 2-2 tie.
Whatever the coaches told
the kids during the intermission worked like magic. They came out with a purpose and played a dominant final period. The Mariner
retook the lead early in. It happened so fast, I actually missed it. I turned my head to answer someone's question and when
I looked back the puck was in the net. Brian Zacchia scored it so I can say with all confidence that it was the most kick-ass
thing that ever happened on a sheet of ice. They weren't done. Jason went to his new favorite spot in the low slot, took a
feed from Shane Heller and ripped the most insane shot into the top shelf. If there was a water bottle there, it would have
popped right over the high glass. The Mariner finished off the Express with another goal from Conor. They won 5-3.
This
was an exciting game and a real character builder for the boys. They came together as a team and beat a quality opponent.
The thing I am most proud of is the composure in which they played. The Express really tried to rattle the boys with a lot
of unnecessary nonsense, but the Killer Bees didn't bite. They kept their heads and played it hard and clean.
As
many of you know, a few of us went to see AC/DC on Saturday night. They were awesome to say the least, but I still have Angus
Young on the brain so I'm going to give each kid a song based on the way they played against the Express. Without further
ado, I give you the Mariners-AC/DC Greatest Hits collection:
"Shot Down In Flames" - Mark Becica was a mad man in net. All game long the Express shooters though they had
a goal only to realize the puck was in the glove. They'd go back to the bench hanging their heads and smacking their sticks
on the ice, totally dejected. He really plucked those guys out of the sky.
"Smash And Grab" - That's just what TJ Samuel did on every shift. He created a lot of turnovers,
and let's just say he didn't do it in the nicest way possible. I could also give him "Anything Goes" because he did whatever
it took to win the puck battles.
"Shoot
To Thrill" - After seeing the shot Jason Hart made for his second goal this seemed like a natural. I could have also
given him "Kicked In The Teeth" because he took a skate to the face or "Can I Sit Next To You Girl" because he's always hitting
on my wife.
"Bad Boy Boogie" - Luke
Tickle was unavailable for this game because he was learning a valuable lesson, but that didn't stop him from cheering his
boys on to victory. The team can't wait to get the "Problem Child" back.
"T.N.T." - Patrick Dalton doesn't just hit players, he explodes them. He is dynamite. This
song is for that poor kid that got demolished behind the net.
"Night Prowler" - JB Lovelace was kind of flying under the radar. Like a stalker in the night, he popped up
out of nowhere with a poke-check or a big stop. Still in stealth-mode, he made a great play at the blue-line that set up the
team's forth goal.
"Big Balls" -
Blake Burlew is the team's best puck-handling defenseman. The only knock on his game has been his reluctance to get physical.
In Sunday's game, he was playing the body and finishing his checks with blatant disregard for his own safety. So for obvious
reasons he gets the best track on this CD.
"Beating
Around The Bush" - Corey Werden was beating around the net all game long, picking up the loose change. He had one chance
so good he was celebrating it. Oops.
"Dirty
Deeds Done Dirt Cheap" - Tom Dobrokhot's style of play isn't the prettiest thing you've ever seen. He more of a mucker
and scrapper than a finesse player. In the corners and in front of the net, he was doing the dirty work. It seemed like there
was always a Tom-related pile of skaters but somehow he was making the plays.
"Heatseeker" - Killian Anderson was great in the corners and had some nice scoring chances,
but what stood out in this game was his back-checking. He locked onto the puck carriers and took them out like a heat seeking
missile.
"Walk All Over You" - The
Express couldn't stop Shane Heller from getting to the net. They couldn't cover him and they couldn't move him. He had several
golden scoring chances because he was walking all over them.
"Live Wire" - After several weeks of not being 100%, Niko Utash finally got his legs back. He was positively
charged, getting to the loose pucks, making great passes, and putting shots on net. His alternate track could be "High Voltage"
because he played with such electricity.
"Thunderstruck"
- Cameron Torres had a superb game on defense. He wasn't mesmerized by that little black biscuit. He played the body and removed
the skater from the puck with a terrible vengeance. I guarantee that any player that tried to get passed him felt like they
got hit by Thor's Mighty Hammer.
"If You
Want Blood (You've Got It)" - The Express were taking shots on Josh Kuchinski all game long. They picked a fight they
really shouldn't have, because the big man came down on them with extreme prejudice. I could also have given him "Have A Drink
On Me" because when he came off the ice, the captain had a a bright red Gatorade mustache.
"Chase The Ace" - The Express didn't have an answer for Conor Gleason.
The chased him all day and couldn't catch him. When they threw several guys on him, he simply made a brilliant pass to one
of his linemates. I could also give him "Deep In The Hole" because he kept burying the puck.
"You Shook Me All Night Long" - Where do I begin? Brian Zacchia
had himself an awesome two-way game. Heck, he had a great three-way game if you count offense, defense, and hits. From scoring
the go-ahead goal to wiping out the threats, the Express probably felt like he shook them all game long.
"Rocker" - If you've ever watched Gianluca Allen between whistles,
you'll notice that he tends to dance. He backed up this game, but that didn't stop him from rockin' out on the bench, despite
the fact that there was no music playing.
