Hanna and the Hockey Game

Tropical Storm Hanna frankly was something of a disappointment. Sure, there was a lot of rain and some winds gusting up to 30 mph or so, but I've seen that kind of stuff before. It does sound a little strange even to me to be saying that it was a disappointment, but I got all excited over basically nothing, it turns out.

Less disappointing was my first game with the Connecticut Hockey League. I played my first shift at center, winning the one faceoff I took quite handily. When I got to the bench, however, someone else had shown up and the lines were reshuffled, leaving me at right wing for the rest of the game. The two women who were playing center were pretty good at faceoffs and quicker skaters than I, so I had no problem with that change.

On the ice, I drew a penalty about 23 minutes into the first period. (Yes, 23 minutes. We play three 25 minute running-time periods, it turns out.) I then proceeded to redirect a beautiful pass into the net about 9 seconds into the power play for my first goal outside the Puget Sound region. I scored a second goal in the second period on a nice screened shot that hit the goalie and trickled through into the net. I also had an opportunity in the third when their defense fed me the puck while I was standing all alone in front of the goalie. As always happens in that situation, I got briefly confused and wound up shooting it at the 5-hole that he had closed up half a second before. Needless to say, I didn't score. (In hindsight, I know I should have stepped back and roofed it, but that's always easy to decide later.)

The team did okay considering that half the players (including the goalie) were new. We went into the third period with a 6-3 lead, but the two centers and three defensemen were getting worn out and the third period ended with a 6-6 tie. The CHL rules dictate that we go straight to a 3-shooter shootout: we scored once, they scored twice, so we lost it in the shootout. Still, I think we did well and once we start getting used to playing together we should start winning games like that.

They didn't have the new jerseys ready for the first game, but I was able to request number 17 and he told me I'd get it next week. We wore solid white jerseys, so I pulled out my old Road Hazard roller hockey jersey for tonight's game.

In all, it was a little disappointing to lose after leading for virtually the entire game, but it was a fun, clean game. As for level-of-play, it's mostly equivalent to GSHL division 6A or B, with a few weaker players whom I'd put in division 7. I saw no players of division 8 caliber, either in my game or in the game before mine (which was between the only other two teams in Tier 4). I felt pretty comfortable with the level. (I always did feel a little overwhelmed in division 5, to be honest.)