Katz Lose 3-1

We had our first game Wednesday night. It was nice to see familiar faces in the locker room. Players I have played with, & people I have played against together on one team. I sported a new number, #51, dedicated to the birth of my son on May ( 5 ) 1st. Also the number of popular sports icons of Seattle - Ichiro & Lofa Tatupu.
We hit the ice & kept the score close for most of the game. The Crazy Horses scored first, but we came right back when thier "D"man sent a errant pass up the middle & I picked it off. I threw the puck on net & John Comes tied it up with the rebound. A assist in my first game back, I was happy. The score stayed the same until late 3rd period. Our goalie stopped a shot from the top of the circle & everyone ( including the goalie ) thought he had possession of the puck. I didn't see it sitting on the ice waiting to be put in the net, but one of thier players did. Before anyone else could react, that player was diving on the ice to tap it pass our goalie. Oh & it was on a powerplay. The next one came from a wierd angle & ended the game for us.
Overall I thought we played well. We were missing a couple of players that would have helped, but it was fun. I enjoyed my time on the ice. We kept it in thier zone a lot & this team is supposed to be in a higher division so we'll see what happens. Until next game... GO MONKEYS!!

First Game of the 2009 - 10 Winter Session

The Black Katz will be playing our first game of the 09-10 Winter Session on Wednesday, Oct. 7th @ 9 p.m. @ the Comcast Ice Arena in Everett. The public rink since the Tips are going to be playing Portland on the main rink. I haven't checked who we are playing, its a placement game so it could be a really good team or a really bad team. Will post the results here!!
GO MONKEYS!! ( Its for all the Monkeys out there playing on other teams!! )

Wisconsin... Here We Come... AGAIN!!!

It is official... The Monkeys will be representing in Wisconsin again, for the 3rd year in a row. I know, I know... I might have said last year was going to be the last for me. ( I think the guys were also thinking the same ) But in the end, we couldn't deny the fun we had last year & I think we wanted to give it another chance. So when G-Low called & asked if I was in... I didn't hesitate. We've already got our flight booked, lodging & deposits sent in... Ready to go!! So this blog was created for the trip & it'll keep running because of it. Even though I'll be posting on Facebook also... More to come soon... GO MONKEYS!!

It's Been A Long Time... Since I Left You....

Hockey is starting it's winter season & I'm working my way back on the ice as well as this blog. The Tips opened with a loss & two straight wins over Vancouver, including a great home opener last Saturday. I've yet to hit the ice for the winter, but it is coming up in a few weeks. So much to catch up on.
First off I'll start off with the bad news... The Monkeys is still in hiatus. Attempts to put them back together again was as successful as attempts on Humpty Dumpty. Actually I think the true statement would be that we didn't really try to put the Monkeys together again. We hit a rough spot where several players needed to move up & the rest of us needed to stay where we were or step down. Do we get better or do we just bring on more friends & stay where we are?? So we folded. There are a number of Monkeys that moved up ( including me... ) & a new team forming... The Seattle Donkey Show.
The Seattle Donkey Show... Where do I start?? Donkey Show?? What is it?? I would post a link, but I don't want anyone to see what might pop up. Lets just say it's usually something you see in Tijuana at a bar with a donkey & a woman. GROSS!! What does that have to do with hockey?? I don't know. They have a nice little logo of a beat up donkey that looks like a former monkey player ( I've joked to him about it ). I'm biased with my logo, just like Dan is biased with his. I think in that case, I drew my logo, even though someone else provided the blueprint. I do believe the donkey was a existing logo. But we do have a number of monkeys now getting used to saying donkeys. I did suit up for the donkeys in a tournament at the end of August & it was fun for 3 of the 5 games. I also had a pretty good tournament, a few goals & a few assists. The cool thing about it was that I got contacted by several teams asking me if I would be interested in playing for them. Wow... how nice was that?? I felt like a free agent. I had 2 teams I was really interested in joining & 1 that was my fall back. I spent a lot of time trying to figure out what to do... Then my phone rang. It was like someone was watching my struggle & decided to lend me a hand. Glow was on the other end & said... "The Black Katz need another player & I want you to play with us. You'd be skating with Brie, D.P. & me... " Do I need to think about it??? NO!!... YES!! I'll play with the Katz. I don't know if I ever posted my history with the Katz here, but the Katz was the first team to give me my opportunity to play hockey. I left the Katz to form the Monkeys. If I had the money I would played with both, but I didn't so I had to leave the Katz. I enjoyed my time there & left some good friends/players. Didn't have to think twice about joining them. I can't wait...
So now I've got my team for the winter & we have a lot of former Monkeys joining other teams. It'll be nice to play in the league against people you skated with, not against... I think it'll be great friendly battles, & who knows... The Monkeys might form up again in a couple of seasons when everyone reaches the same level. I'll post shortly on the other good news, because it deserves its own post... GO MONKEYS!!

Last Hurrah!!

I'm taking a break for the summer, but I forgot to post about a upcoming ( already passed ) tournament that was my last hurrah. So it already happened, but its Puck'N Monkey related & I feel bad that I didn't post any schedule or info. on here, even though no one reads it.

The tournament I took part in was the 3rd Annual Stacked Deck Tournament. No website yet!! But it was a blast. There are only 4 teams in the tournament. Clubs, Diamonds, Hearts & Spades. In order to make the teams a deck of cards are placed on a table & cards drawn by players, whatever card you get is the team you are on. I drew the 10 of Diamonds. Diamonds was not my first choice schedule wise. We had the first game of the tourney, the last that night & the first the next day. Brutal. We also had Bill & Dan playing on the Clubs, with Captain Club Darryl. G-Low playing on the Spades & Christine sharing the Diamonds with me, so the Monkeys were well represented in this tourney.
For our first game, the Diamonds played last years Champions - Hearts. I had the first penalty of the game. Then I scored a goal to give us a temporary lead. It was a beautiful pass from Karl ( Fighting Cohos ) cross the crease from the right corner & I blew it passed a sliding goalie. Then heading into the final minutes we were down 1. Captain Karl ( Real Bacon & All Blacks ) had me as the extra attacker when we pulled our goalie. With 13 seconds left I had the puck on the right corner & was looking to make a pass center, when the goalie noticed & moved, leaving the net empty on his right & I took advantage scoring the game tying goal. But we lost in OT. So close to the upset.
Second game of the night for us took place at midnight. We were in the game late in the 3rd when we lost it & gave up 4 goals & lost. Didn't do well in that game.
Third game was against Darryl & the Clubs, Saturday 1 p.m. That game had us winning 5-3, Christine scoring two. One on a pass from me left corner to Christine posted in front of the goalie. Then her second was a empty net. Monkeys representing well.
The 3rd place game found us facing the Clubs again. I got another penalty, but I also scored again to give us a brief lead. Unfortunately again we found ourselves down late in the 3rd & having to pull our goalie. Again I was called upon to be the extra attacker. I had the puck behind the net & was trying a wrap around when I saw Bill commit to me & I passed it between his legs to Capt. Karl who backhanded it over the goalie & into the net tying the game & sending it into OT. This time we pulled it out & won. But that first lost took away that chance at the Championship game. The Hearts pulled it out for the 3rd year in a row, but this time in a shoot out against G-Low & his Spades. G could not put one in during the shoot out & if he brags about beating us, we are going to bring that up.
Well that tournament was a blast & I'm looking forward on doing it again next year. Time to work on a few things for the summer & I'll keep you all posted on any hockey or Monkey news!! GO MONKEYS!!

Taking A Break...

The Puck'N Monkeys will not be skating this summer session. Some of the Monkeys will be skating on other teams & we will be supporting them. We plan to come back next winter & I'll be updating the blog accordingly. We are just taking a break... the Monkeys will be back!! GO MONKEYS!! Good Luck tomorrow night to our 2nd favorite team - The Icelagers in their championship game vs. the Icemen.

Seasons Over...

Well, it became official tonight. A 6-2 loss to the Hackers ended our wonderful season. I'll just start off by saying how proud I am of our team. We battled hard & we earned our 2nd place. We started the season 0-4-1 & then battled back to get the 4th seed going into the playoffs. Then to go out & get 2nd place, by beating the Blu Bombers twice, the Red Raiders & Crush. We had a hell of a season. Most of the players after the game commented on how they enjoyed being able to play 6 games in the playoffs & that the fact that we did mattered more than a glass that they were handing out to the champions. I feel close to that, the cup would have been a nice bonus. That being said. I will vent a little...
Like I said earlier, we started the season horribly. The Hackers that won our division started in another division. One below us. Well now you say... Then why are you complaining if they were below you?? Well since coming up to our division half way through the session, they have beated every one. Not by a little, but by blowing them out. So now my beef with that is... why not move them up another level?? Clearly they are having a easy time in our division. And if you don't believe me you can look up the stats on this GSHL page.... GSHL LINK. I just feel like we worked our way through our division, playing hard fought games, earning our spot. We played every team in our division tough, every team that was in our division before it was altered half way through the session. Anyways that is my vent...
In the end, we did out shoot them, we just couldn't get the puck in the net... & in the end, thats how you win games. Til next session... GO MONKEYS!!

Game # 6 vs. Hackers

Game #6 vs. Hackers- Wednesday, April 29th - Everett Comm. @ 10:30 p.m.

If we win, then we play another against the Hackers. We lose & the Hackers are division champions. We want another game!! GO MONKEYS!!

Late Game Dramatics... & Heroics!!

For the second night in a row the Monkeys found themselves down 2-0. After a Ian goal cut the lead to 2-1, the Crush added another to put them up 2 for the second time. Cutting away at a 3-1 deficit, the Monkeys collected goals from Brie & Christine to tie it up at 3-3. Then the Crush added 2 more goals to put us down by 2 AGAIN.
It was 5-3 with 3 minutes left when Darryl took the puck behind the then net & while being tripped up & laying on his side, made a pass in front of the net to a waiting Troy for a backhand goal to get them within 1. The Monkeys then took a time out with 45 seconds remaining. Pulled Deb ( our goalie ) & had our 6 freshest skaters out there. It was do or die time. Steve managed to win the face off back to Darryl who placed a perfect shot past the goalie & in the back of the net to tie the game seconds left. Pefect execution of a drawn up play!! In OT, G-low ( Scott ) ended the game with a nice shot, I don't remember exactly how it went in, just that it did. We celebrated & now it's on to the next game. GO MONKEYS!!

Ed. Note - Somewhere Captain Purple scored. It was late when I wrote this so I'm missing a goal somewhere. When the GSHL website posts it, I'll update this blog.

Game # 5

Game # 5 vs. The Crush - Lynnwood Ice @ 8:50 p.m. Win & we move on, lose we go home!!
GO MONKEYS!!

Phew...

The game against the Blu Bombers didn't start the way we wanted it to. People at work kept asking me how we did against these guys in the regular season. I said we won all of our games against them, including the first round. But it didn't matter, one bad game & we were out of the playoffs. So it sucked when a minute into the game we give up the first goal. The rest of the first period was uneventful, just a hard fought hockey game.
Second period was looking to be the same. The word on the bench was that we were only down 1 goal, we can do this. That is... until we gave up the second goal.
Start the third period, down 2-0, we were running out of time. Aaron was fighting hard in front of their net with a Blu Bomber & both got called for penalties. Then Steve & Bill both took penalties to give them a 5 on 3 advantage. Not looking good!!
We worked hard to kill that 5 on 3 & the momentum swung our way. Less than a minute later we were on the board with our first goal from Ian. Moments later the game tying goal was scored by Scott on a nice screen shot from the point. Then Darryl made a great play while laying on the ice to deliver a pass to Ian for his 2nd goal that gave us a 3-2 lead. Then it was hang on time. With less than 40 seconds left, the Bombers took a time out & pulled their goalie. We put our 5 top players on the ice & managed to ice the puck twice, but that gave the Bombers face-offs in our zone. The next face off managed to get to Ian & he made a pass up to me, I crossed center ice & chucked the puck in their zone. Because I had crossed center ice, it would not be a icing & time would just run out. I wanted the empty net goal, but a win is more important & I shot it wide left. Ian didn't give up on the play & put the puck in with 2 seconds left to ice the game. I didn't realize it at the time, but that goal gave Ian his first ever hat-trick. That explained his drive to get that puck. The Monkeys survived a 4-2 win. It was a great game, the team really showed their colors last night & I'm proud that we fought to the end. Next game tonight!! GO MONKEYS!!

Game # 4

Game #4 - Puck'N Monkeys vs. Blu Bombers - Sunday, April 26th. 9:15 p.m. @ Olympic View

GO MONKEYS!!

Still Alive!!

The Monkeys live to play another game. After going into the 3rd period with a 3-0 lead, things got interesting. Our usual let down is during the second period & we wanted that to stop & it did. But in the third, the Red Raiders best player stepped up & we found ourselves clinging to a 3-2 lead. But in the end we held on & will be playing in another game. Dan stepped up with 2 goals & Ian chipped in the 3rd. Our "D" had a solid game keeping the puck in our end & keeping their star players from entering our zone for much of the game. Our next game is Sunday. GO MONKEYS!!

Playoff Loss...

Our second game didn't go well. We were spanked 6-0. I could sit & bitch about calls & a waved off goal, but in the end we just didn't play up to par. We played hard & things didn't go our way. But we drop down to the losers bracket & now is our chance to work our way back up. Our next game is Sunday, April 19th @ 10:45 p.m. @ Castle Ice - Renton. vs. The Red Raiders. GO MONKEYS!!

Game #2

Game #2- April 8th vs. Hackers - 10:30 p.m. @ Everett Comm.
GO MONKEYS!!

Next Round...

After scoring 3 goals in the first, we made it interesting by allowing 2 in the 2nd. But in the end, with 2 more goals in the 3rd the Monkeys advance to the next round with a 5-2 win. Will post next game once brackets get filled out. Regardless we are playing next Wednesday, April the 8th . Its just a matter of where, Everett or Renton. GO MONKEYS!!

Playoff Game 1...

Game 1 - Wednesday, April 1st @ 9 p.m. vs. Blu Bombers - Everett Comm.
GO MONKEYS!!

Not The Way We Want To Enter The Playoffs...

Another loss. Even though it was to a team in a higher division & this game didn't really mean much since our playoff seeding was already in place. It was still a tough loss. We had just gotten back into the game at 5-3 ( yes we were losing )... then gave up 2 straight goals in a matter of minutes to put the game out of reach. Kind of a let down. Now we need to regroup & start this playoffs right. GO MONKEYS!!

Next Game - Last Regular Season Game!!

It is Sunday, March 29th @ 10:30 p.m. vs. Real Bacon - Everett Community Rink.
GO MONKEYS!!

I Never Thought I Would Use This Word Again....

Embarrassing!! I don't know what it is about the Fighting Coho, but we can't seem to get up for those games. Well that's not completely true. We loss to them 8-0 the first time, then got payback our next game. Then this time... 7-0. I don't think we are scheduled to play them again, but I think we are going to store this game in our pockets to remind ourselves the next time we play them. Our legs weren't there & the bounces weren't going our way. But we weren't creating them either. I would blame the game the night before, but they also played the night before. I think we gave it more the night before because it was a divisional game & this wasn't, because we were playing against DP & his other team. But in the end, the bottom line is... the Monkeys got SPANKED!! This is not how we wanted to start our run into the playoffs, but maybe a little humbling will get us up for the hard road ahead. GO MONKEYS!!

A 7-5 Win!!

The Monkeys beat the All-Blacks 7-5 last night. Steve had a 4 point night, 2 goals & 2 assists. Dan had 3, 2 goals & 1 assist. Brian, Ian & Scott rounded out the scoring with a goal each. I kept my three game point streak going with 2 assists. Overall it was a great game. Another game tonight vs. the Fighting Coho - 10:45 p.m. in Everett. GO MONKEYS!!

A 5-2 Win!!

Down 1-0 early in the game, the Monkeys responded by tying up the game. A few minutes later we found ourselves down again. Steve then netted his second goal of the game to tie it back up. End of the first period 2-2. Steve finished his night with a hat-trick ( 3 goals ) that gave us a 3-2 lead. Darryl & Scott added goals to give us the final 5-2. Deb was amazing, standing on her head for much of the 2nd & 3rd periods. Including shutting down the Squids best player on a breakaway. GO MONKEYS!!

Next Game...

Tuesday, March 17th vs. the Squids - 10:15 p.m. Lynnwood Ice Centre.
We are currently 1-0-1 this season against the Squids. GO MONKEYS!!

A 4-2 Win!!

We played the Red Raiders @ 10:45 p.m. last night & won 4-2. They scored first & Steve replied with a change up goal. We then took the lead with a great one time goal from Dan, with assists coming from Aaron & me. The Red Raiders tied it up & we headed into the 3rd 2-2. Brie then hit the back of the net with assists from Dan & me again. Darryl then capped off the night with a great play, keeping the puck in the zone & then firing one past the goalie. Don't know who assist on that goal since I wasn't one of them hehe. It was a great game all around. I do believe our next game is next Tuesday. I'll post later, I need to head to bed. GO MONKEYS!!

Pond Hockey Video 2009!!

Courtesy of Scott Glowaski

A little video he made with pictures from Aaron, Scott, the Icelagers & Me... Enjoy!!

A Hard Fought Loss...

It was tied 2-2 for two periods, in fact we battled back from a 0-2 deficit. But in the end, we just ran out of steam. Yes we were missing a few players, but in the end we could have won that game. We just fell short. There was some nice passing to set up some great one timers. We had a number of shots, just right at the goalie. It kept the game exciting, but in the end... a loss is a loss. On that note, I shall put away my gear & get some sleep. GO MONKEYS!!

Game Change...

Our Sunday game has been changed. We now play at 8:30 p.m. vs. Hackers - Everett, Main Ice.
Now the Monkeys don't have much history with the Hackers as I do. We do have some connections. A former Monkey is on the Hackers, but he played with them from the beginning, since we were in seperate divisions. I have a little more history with the Hackers based on the fact that the team started from my learn to skate team ( formerly known as Rennys Rats ). It was a team I was originally asked to play for but the price was too high for me. Then shortly after I was asked to play on the Black Katz for a lower fee, apparently the team was sponsored. The Black Katz later took some of the Hackers players & that created a rivalry. It was a heated rivalry that included some fairly high scoring games. Especially during my second session with the Black Katz, when the Hackers had two amazing players that dominated our division. It proved that two guys could carry a team to wins, but that theory fizzled during the playoffs. The constant bitching & whining between the two teams created some bad blood. Through it all I remained friends with one player & eventually he came to play with the Monkeys once the team was created. He also remained with the Hackers & after our first session he went back. I don't blame him, the cost of playing for two teams is too much ( unless you've got some nice coin ) & loyalty to the first team that you played for is a good thing to have. So I wasn't mad when decided to not come back. There... a little history to make this short post... longer. GO MONKEYS!!

Sweet Revenge...

What is worse?? A 8-2 blowout loss, or losing a 2-1 game?? I think that a loss is a loss, no matter what the score is. At least in a blowout it was never your game, but in a 2-1 loss, you had chances to win & it was taken away from you. On that note...
This game started the complete opposite of our last game. Both teams were playing tough & finally late in the 1st they managed to find the back of the net on a power play. It took most of the second, for us to put our first goal on the board. Brie made a nice play getting the puck behind our net & up to Christine. There was nice touch pass up the ice to me & I was able to handle it ( we were having problems with handling passes all night ). The puck hopped a little, but it made the defender miss the puck & I was able to maintain possesion & put a shot far side of the goalie for a game tying goal. Midway through the third I drew a tripping penalty on a partial breakaway. That gave us another power play & the team came through. I don't remember who put it in the net, but this is how I think it went down. Glow put a shot on net & then it was whacked either by Ian or Steve, & on the rebound one of the two put it past on the second attempt. Game winner!! Debb stood on her head for the final 3 minutes, including a 10- 15 second moment where the goalie was pulled & she didn't have her stick. It was a furious final 55 seconds, but in the end... Sweet Revenge!! GO MONKEYS!!

Next Game...

REMATCH!!
Fighthing Coho vs. Puck'N Monkeys
Wednesday, Feb. 25th @ 9 p.m. Comcast Community Rink
GO MONKEYS!!

Late Sunday, Monday...

Sunday went on as planned. Darryl & I hit the sauna for some well deserved rest. Kenny took a drive into the country, Aaron, Scott & Ian hit the ice one last time. We all had our ways of spending the last day in Eagle River. Later on that night we watched " Mulhulland Dr." What a strange & twisted movie. I must say the best parts for us guys was at 1hr & 40 minutes in & at 2 hours & 1 minute. I wont tell you whats at that part of the movie, but if you want to waste 2 & a 1/2 hours of your life to find it... good luck!! We spent the rest of the night figuring out costs, splitting money & packing. Here is a couple of pics...

Eagle Waters Staff w/ Monkeys - Aaron, Ian, Darryl, Scott, Troy &Kenny - Front Row

Scott kept stealing the Ice Lagers flag. It was payback to the notes that were left on our cars. This was in the back of our cabins so they could see it if they looked off of their decks. We also honked as we past the cabins at 6:30 this morning. Nice wake up call!!

We boarded our plane at 7:45 a.m. & flew from Rhinelander to Minneapolis. When we left our cabin the temp. was a nice minus 7 degrees. We arrived in Seattle at 1:32 p.m. I'm ready for a nap. Like I mentioned earlier, I didn't get much pictures, but once I get copies of the other peoples pics, I'll try to post a few more. Til next year Wisconsin!! ( I hope I win the lottery!! )

GO MONKEYS!!

Day 4...

So yesterday was a busy day, so I didn't get a chance to make it back here to blog. We got home late & it was 12 degrees out. I figured I would just wake up & do it today. W
The day started out with the team sleeping in a little longer thanks to the activities the night before. We competed in a number of events, including a shoot out, which Darryl won & the sexy legs, which I didn't. It was rigged, but turn of events prevented me from winning. It came down to Kyle ( from the Icelagers ) , me & a girl from a girls hockey team. Kyle tried harder than me to win, but once that girl got up, was dancing with another girl & having her pants pulled down ( or attempted to have her pants pulled down ) I knew we had no chance. It was funny watching the reaction of the people putting on the contest, because I don't think they knew it was going to be a striptease, not a nice legs contest. After a few more drinks & some fun, we headed back to cabin for some well needed sleep.
We had a 11:30 a.m. game & I don't have much to say about that except we got our asses handed to us. I do believe the final was like 7-3?? The score might look close, but it was a ass whooping.
After the game we took some time to just chill, the guys played some cards while some of us headed to the store. Later in the evening we caught a local game that was a barn burner. After that, some of us hung out at home watching more hockey & the rest hit the bar for a nightcap. I love it here, but now that we are done, I want to get home!! We just checked in on the computer because we leave early tomorrow morning. So now its just time to waste... Keny is heading to visit some relatives, the others might go watch some hockey & I think Darryl & I are hitting the sauna, but things change... GO MONKEYS!!

Day 3...

This morning we started out the day with a quick breakfast. Then got dressed in our gear & headed off to the pond for our firstgame. We played BA Sports... It's in the bar. ( A play on EA Sports video games ). After some close chances ( Ian kept shooting over the two inch goal ) we finally put some pucks in. We jumped on them early, but found ourselves up only one heading into the half 6-5. After some strategy & a pep talk we finished off the game on a 7-1 run that added up to a 13-6 win for the Monkeys/Loggers.

Game 1 Monkeys/Loggers vs. BA Sports

After our thrilling game 1 victory we headed home for a lite lunch by Glow. Then we killed off a hour before heading back to the rink to play our second game. Last year we didn't do well our second game of the day & today wasn't any different. We played the Dutch Mafia & it took a while for things to start. We finally jumped on the board & built a couple goal lead. Then the other team awoke & started piling in the shots. When the game ended the Mafia had won 7-6. Their defensemen/goalie was unbelievable. He stopped some quality shots we put on net. It was a disappointing loss. We even had our sponsors out ( Eagle Waters Resorts - Link on this page ), but they was happy with our performance even though we weren't.

Only thing that kept us in a great mood was the fact that Lord Stanley's Cup was in a tent next to the lake. So we stood in line to get a chance to have our pictures taken with the Cup. To give people a idea on why there was a giant line to get a picture with a cup is this...

This is the trophy awarded to the winner of the NHL playoffs. Many men have played years for a chance to hoist the cup. The history of the guys that have lifted it, & a large amount of players that haven't, made this chance a once in a lifetime opportunity. So we got this picture taken...

I have slacked, I haven't been as camera happy this year. But others are making up for it. I just can't get into their pictures right now.

Once we had our pictures taken with the Cup, we headed home. A nice HOT shower & a great dinner ( Prime Rib ) & we are ready for a nap. Thats where we are right now. I'm headed back to the cabin to lie down for a bit then its back to the bar for some activities. They have some contests planned & yours truly is entering a "Nicest Legs" contest. Wish me luck!! I'll let everyone know what happens tomorrow!! Our first game tomorrow is at 11:30 a.m. GO MONKEYS!!

Day 2...

Day 2…
The day started out with Glow making us a great breakfast. After eating a great meal & watching “Walk Hard”, we headed out to walk the town. Glow snuck off to “work out”, so he was left back home. The drive through town was a short one. We ended up going to a bar where Captain Purple treated us to Duck Farts. We also got a sample of a nice beef veggie soup the cook was preparing. She promised that it would be better the next day, but “free” made it pretty good. Captain Purple also made Darryl & I really nice hats with some balloons in which he shaped them for us.
After a moment on the town we came back to the cabin, grabbed out gear & headed out for some parking lot hockey. We enjoyed about a hour of parking lot hockey. There was a lot of goals & falls. Didn’t help that we had a nice beer bucket out there with us. I think I have a couple of bruised knees & elbows. It was fun. Lunch followed while we watched tape of us falling in the parking lot.
At 4 p.m. we registered our team for the tournament & picked up our free USA Hockey jersey. This year the jerseys are red, with blue & white stripes, USA diagonally on the chest. Very nice jerseys!!
There was a mandatory meeting at the bar which lasted until dinner. Kenny made us spaghetti & it was good.
The Icelagers finally made it to town & now we'll see what else the night brings. Although we do have a early game tomorrow so we can't be out to late. GO MONKEYS!!

Oh, I went through most of the pics & I'm picking out a few to post, so hopefully we'll get some game action as well as a few pics from these past few days. Thanks for the support!!
Oh & it snowed a few inches last night. We did go to the lake & we were assured that there is 3 feet of ice that we were standing on & we saw the hole to prove it. So Darren, you're just going to have to wait to inherit my collection. But thanks for asking!! GO MONKEYS!!

Day 1...

We left Sea-Tac @ 7 a.m. I was sitting toward the back of the plane between two Alaskan hockey players. They were flying to Kalamazoo, Michigan for a two game series. We had a few minutes of hockey conversation before both were passed out.
We arrived in Minneapolis 20 mins. late, then it took us another 20 minutes to get off the plane. We got off the plane when we should’ve been boarding our flight to Rhinelander. The moment we got off the plane it was a sprint to the next terminal. I swear it was a mile away. It was so bad that half way through our sprint ( w/ a 21 lb. backpack ) Scott heard our names paged, which they mispronounced our names. I felt like I was on the amazing race.
Our flight to Rhinelander was a little longer than usual ( we had a very entertaining stop @ Eau Claire ). The Monkey comedy show was in the back of our double propped plane providing a lot of laughs. We arrived in Rhinelander & the amount of snow was disappointing. The weather isn’t as cold as it was last year & it’s not projected to get any better. We’ve passed a few lakes & there is a lot of water on the ice. Can you say… worried?? We’ll see what is going on tomorrow.
We checked into our amazing cabin here at the Eagle Waters Resort. Our new jerseys were hanging in our closet when we arrived. Red Chicago Blackhawks colored jerseys with the Eagle Waters crest on the front w/ our names & numbers on the back. After we all modeled the jerseys & got pictures, we headed to the store to get some food & drinks. After a nice Darryl cooked dinner, we are now going to sit around & play some poker. I will try to get some pictures up soon. Til tomorrow!! GO MONKEYS!!
Update...
Got my ass kicked in poker, so I decided to come down to the main cabin to post this. I am currently sittin in the dark on the porch of the office. I had to walk down a dark icy tree lined road to get here. Talk about freaking out... So enjoy!! GO MONKEYS!!

Embarrassed!!!

That was the first & HOPEFULLY the last time I use that word as a header in this blog. We got shelled at our only game on the Silvertips ice. No excuses, just a bad all around game. I can safely say that was the worst played game in Puck'n Monkey history. We do have a rematch with them on the 25th of Feb. I'm sure the Monkeys will be ready for payback of our sad 8-2 loss. Will keep everyone updated on the trip. GO MONKEYS!!

Leaving for Pond Hockey on Wed.

6 of us will be leaving really early Wed. morning for Wisconsin. We should arrive in Wisconsin Wednesday afternoon & will have Thursday of free time until we play on Friday. Here is our schedule...
Feb. 13th
9:30 AM Puck'N Monkeys (D2) vs BA Sports (B5)

1:15 PM The Dutch Mafia (D4) vs Puck'N Monkeys (D2)

Feb. 14th

11:30 AM Puck'N Monkeys (D2) vs Underdogs (D6)

Then if we win... we play on Saturday afternoon & Sunday!! GO MONKEYS!!

Next Game... Opponent Change...

Next game is February 8th, @ 8:30 p.m. vs. Fighting Coho - Main Ice ( Silvertips Ice ) Everett
We were playing the All Blacks, but it was changed last week. GO MONKEYS!!

5-4 win!!

We have sole possesion of 4th place. It was 3rd until a team got moved up into our division & automatically got the 1st place position. But that's another story. It was a nice 5-4 win against the Squids. A team we've played well this session. We also had a nice big crowd for our 7:30 p.m. start time. It was nice to have a nice roar from the crowd when the goals were scored. Thanks to all that attended!! GO MONKEYS!!

Next Game!!

Vs. Squids, Sunday, January 25th @ 7:30 p.m. Everett Comm.

Win!!

The Monkeys posted another win last night. After starting 0-4 we have improved our record to 5-5-0-2 . 5-1-0-2 in our last 8 games.
We started out fast, built up our a three goal lead at 3-0 before letting them get back into it. But we buckled down in the remaining minutes to hold on to a 4-3 win. On a personal note, my four game point streak ended. GO MONKEYS!!

Great Scrimmage

Had a fun scrimmage last night. Special thanks to all that made it. Had some Monkeys, Crush, Icelagers & a few more that I didn't know, but it made it a fun entertaining night. Didn't really keep score, but I think we lost by one. I do know that Darryl & I had a great two on one. He fed me a pass back on the tail end of a give & go... & I put a nice shot on net with a one timer... but... damn goalie stacked his pads sliding to the left & just got my shot. It was a amazing save, I thought goal all the way. Luckily it was just practice, but it was nice to get to work on things that I need to improve on. GO MONKEYS!!

Scrimmage Tonight!!

The Monkeys are teaming up with other players from other teams... for a friendly night of scrimmaging... or practice. Tonight at either 7 or 7:30 p.m. in Everett on the main ice. Where the Tips play. So it'll be a night of FUN & HOCKEY!! GO MONKEYS!!

Next Game...

Vs. Blu Bombers, Sunday, January 18th @ 9 p.m. Everett Comm.

Another Tie... 1 Point

Last night, we had the chance to get to .500 & put us within a few points of first place. Instead we managed a tie & 1 point toward first place. The Red Raiders scored first & shortly after I managed to put a rebound from Ian past the goalie to tie it up. The Raiders made it 2-1 in the second & then in the 3rd on a power play we tied it up. After a cross ice pass from Bill, I passed it over to Brian for a one timer. His shot had the goalie sprawling for the save & sat there between the goalies skate & post on the goal line. Ian tapped it in for a easy game tying score. We went to overtime & no one got ahead, lot of chances though. Ian & I came in with the same amount of points 4 goals & 6 assists for 10 points & left that game still tied with a goal & assist in the game. Its fun to have someone to compete with like that, pushes each other. GO MONKEYS!!

On the Tips Ice!!

Feb 8th!! We play a game on the Silvertips ice. The main rink of the Comcast Events Center of Everett!! 8:30 p.m. vs. All Blacks!! Can't you tell I'm just a little bit excited. I've played one game on that ice before, it's so much fun. The sound of the arena is amazing & just skating on that ice... wow!! GO MONKEYS!!

Next 3 Games!!

First game on the schedule is...

Vs. Red Raiders, Sunday, January 11th @ 10:15 p.m. Everett Comm.

Next...

Vs. Blu Bombers, Sunday, January 18th @ 9 p.m. Everett Comm.

And...

Vs. Squids, Sunday, January 25th @ 7:30 p.m. Everett Comm. ( I know, a 7:30 p.m. game!! )

We've got a couple more on the schedule but I don't want to get too far ahead. GO MONKEYS!!

Kissing your... nah it was a OT WIN!!

Almost, but we found a way to pull this one out. We played the Orange Crush late last night & it took a extra period to find a winner. A see-saw battle that saw them score first & us tying them up, taking the lead to have them tie it up... back & forth, up & down. Then in OT, Brie took the puck pretty much coast to coast & roofed it for the game winner. Bobblehead Bill scored his first ever GSHL goal. A nice point shot, took him a while to get it off of his stick ( for some reason he needs the whole bench to yell "SHOOT!!" before he takes a shot ). Captain Purple had the first goal of the night for us & I ended with a goal & three assists for FOUR points. Finally, since it has felt like I just haven't been doing much this session. Hopefully thats my break out game. Well I better get back to work. Damn late game had me waking up late this morning. GO MONKEYS!!

Practice & next game...

The team had a practice on Dec. 30th @ the Comcast Ice Rink. It was a fun, but tiring practice as most of hadn't skated for a couple of weeks & with the holidays & all of the food, it caught up to us really fast. Well, I can at least speak for myself, you'd have to get the other peoples excuses. We did drills for the first 30 mins of practice & then had the other 30 for scrimmage. We had a few people from other teams there to fill out the practice to make it cost less for us, but they also needed the work. We do start play again Monday night, so any skating was good. Our next game will be Monday, January 5th. @ Kingsgate, 10:55 p.m. vs. the Crush. GO MONKEYS!!