Saturday the Ventura Mariners Bantam Killer Bees put another 300 miles on the odometer as they schlepped up to Bakersfield
to take on the Dragons. This was the toughest opponent the boys have faced in quite a while and they knew they had to bring
their best. It was clear from the opening moments of the game that the on-ice officials were going to make this an even tougher
one. A mystery call and a ticky-tack call gave the Dragons a couple of powerplays that they capitalized on. I wasn't happy,
but at least I thought they were going to call a tight game and crack down keeping the game civil. My optimism was soon dashed
as I watched the Dragon players board, charge, and rough without penalty.
Give the Mariners
some credit, they played through the nonsense and battled back. They attacked the Dragons net like a school of sharks in a
feeding frenzy. Near the end of the first, Shane Heller broke through when he took a feed from Jason Hart and jammed away
until the puck went in. The Dragons scored early in the second period, but the Mariners kept coming. Luke Tickle and Brian
Zacchia conspired to get the puck to Patrick Dalton, who blistered one in. A few minutes later, Conor Gleason used a burst
of speed and some dazzling moves to tie the game up at 3 apiece.
Unfortunately, the Dragons came
right back and took the lead. The Mariners went flat and Bakersfield scored 2 more quick ones. The boys could have come out
in the third hanging their heads, but they continued to play. The defense stepped it up. Finesse player Blake Burlew was actually
banging bodies in the corner. Meanwhile, big-hitter Cameron Torres was moving his feet and playing perfect positional hockey.
Josh Kuchinski, skating on a gimpy knee, was a terrifying thing to encounter. Tom Dobrokhot was difficult to get around. Despite
what his dad thinks, JB Lovelace had a great game. He played physical, made great plays at the blue-line and big stops in
the zone. Goalie Mark Becica shook off a rocky start and sealed the goal tight.
With the back end
shored up, the offense set out to claim a stake in this game. Killian Anderson not only delivered some devastating hits, but
showed off some wicked moves and got a few nice scoring chances. Line-mate TJ Samuel fore-checked like maniac and caused numerous
turnovers. Luke had an unbelievable chance that saw the puck dance end-over-end along the goal line, only to squirt out the
other side. Shane too had some wide open looks that by some miracle failed to find the back of the net. The Mariners spent
much of the game on the attack, but the bounces just weren't going their way. Conor atcually scored another goal, but the
ref blew the play dead for reasons known only to him. In fact, our boys probably scored another two goals, but the officials
were so woefully out of position that they couldn't make the call.
Despite a valiant effort, the
Mariners lost the game 7-3. I know a lot of you negative nellies were pretty down about this one, but I felt the boys turned
in an admirable performance. I hesitate to blame the officiating, but it was pretty bad. So bad in fact, that I feel it changed
the complexion of the game and gave the Dragons an unfair advantage. The thing that really bothers me, however, is the Dragons
complete lack of sportsmanship. As the game was winding down, the Bakersfield players started slapping their sticks on the
ice and the boards, taunting the Mariners. It was an absolutely disgusting display. I know our boys are not going to forget
about it any time soon.
Burger Logic
If
you get a job at McDonalds and you can't figure out what a Big Mac is, you're probably not long for the golden arches. If
you don't know what a Big Mac is and the manager and all the customers are yelling and pointing one out to you and you still
can't figure it out. You're not only going to get fired, but you're looking at a life on the streets begging for spare change.
Now, let's say a customer orders a Big Mac and you bring out a Filet-O-Fish for no apparent reason: you're gone. It's a simple
as that. This is a principal that applies to everything from fast food to brain surgery. You are expected to understand your
job and to consistently perform it. I don't know why I brought this up. Maybe because it's lunchtime and I'm hungry.
Wrath Of Gian
Gianluca Allen was the back
up in this game. He usually dances, whether there's music or not, but the late game antics of the Dragons silenced his happy
feet. Shame on them.
