Well... this will be different. Nothing at all like the
reports you are used to seeing from Brian. I wasn't really prepared to do the report for this game. See, I thought Brian was
kidding. He was serious! Oh well, live and learn. My apologies.
So, here it is, the game summary. Not as detailed as Brian's
reports and I won't even try to mention every kid this week. I'll try to do better next week... really, I will.
Bearing up under pressure
Da Bears came to Simi Valley Saturday evening. This was
the opening home game of a home game filled preseason. (Makes you a bit apprehensive about the regular season schedule, doesn't
it?) For the first period, our boys played the best hockey I have seen out of them yet. Sure, the Bears were dominating, but
our kids hung in there, playing their positions and using their bodies. They were skating and passing and breaking out of
the zone. It almost looked like they had been listening to Coach Sergey. They still weren't getting many shots on net, but
I'm sure that will be addressed in upcoming practices. The period ended with the Bears up 2-0.
Then came the second period. Things didn't go quite so
well in the second. The boys did have their moments, but there were less of them. The highlight of the period was the goal
by Brian Zacchia, banging home a beautiful pass by Tyler Serianne. Patrick Gibson got the second assist having fed the puck
to Tyler behind the net. As the game wore on, it became evident our boys were running out of gas. Positioning started to break
down and the Bears were beating us to the puck most of the time. The period ended with the Bears up 8-1.
By the time the final buzzer went off, the scoresheet showed
the Bears winning 12-1. While that is not a pretty score, I did see some encouraging signs in the game. As mentioned previously,
the team looked good in the first period. And even when out of gas in the third, the boys were still trying. They manufactured
some scoring chances late in the game and kept fighting. What's more, they were still listening to the coach.
That brings up a request from the coaching staff. The coaches
have asked the boys to tell all of us parents to please refrain from coaching from the stands. While we may not understand
what the coaches are doing in a game, they do have their reasons. Let's not confuse the boys by shouting out instructions
that contradict the coaches.
Reporter of the decade
A fond farewell to those great game reports Brian provided
over the last many seasons. I still remember the game reports he wrote when Gianluca and Killian were Mites playing for the
Bears during the 2003-04 season. Yes, those same Bears - and some of the same kids they played with back then - we got pounded
by on Saturday. Those reports will be greatly missed. The only bright spot about the situation is that as a coach, Brian is
now open to the scrutiny of the press. This reporter, for one, will not be afraid to comment on any coaching malfeasance.
Full disclosure.. As webmaster, Brian has made public his
ability to censor the press. I now allude to my ability to hack his website and change his favorite band to Hannah Montana.
