Day 5 of Camp

There are two guarantees at a national tournament.

Invariably there will be drama, often caused by conflicting personalities and the impact of being stuck together for prolonged amounts of time. Girls will be girls and girls in team situations always seem to end up messy. So far this week (Day 5 of a 10 day trip) there have been 3 screaming bitch fights, 2 crying episodes, 3 injuries and through all of this I have chosen to be Swiss. That’s right. Neutral. The advantage of staying with my mother is that I am never there when the situation explodes within their room, instead I can watch from across the hotel, through the glass window. Good quality entertainment though.

The second guarantee is that Queensland will also invariably suck. Look at our geographic location. Now pause and reflect on the size of all other states. Wa does not have a problem as all clubs are situated in the one city; all other states actually have team training sessions on a regular basis prior to actually coming to compete. We however do not have that luxury.

Currently I am playing for a women’s team and until I arrived at the competition I had not actually met four of my team members, including the goalkeeper I am backing up. It’s frustrating to say the least, and when our teams get as trounced as we do it’s hard not to be disheartened when you put so much effort in for no returns.

In other news one of my team mates (Queensland team not Girls team) bought a Dallas stars jersey (odd since I though the store only sold leafs ones, using the assumption that everyone is a Maple leafs fan) and I chased him around suggesting he find a better team. I don’t actually know how the stars are doing in pre-season having not seen any of their scores.

In other news…. Of a more NHL variety.

Congratulations go to Sidney Crosby for scoring his first NHL Point! Vs the bruins.

I’d also like to extend the congratulations to his World Junior teammate Patrice Bergeron who scored two goals in the game and still managed to be completely ignored. Good work kid.

Also… Dear the Mike’s of Bruins Brass.

Boston Bruins – Nick Boynton = ARE YOU STUPID? Or do I have to draw you a picture?

Hm.. What else.

Kudo’s to the Blue Jackets for beating Detroit in over time the other day. I like Detroit but it’s good to see the jackets get the win. I’ve got hope for these guys this year if all goes well!
Any way.. I better go. I have cookies to bake… and Under 14’s to deliver them to in my crusade to make everyone happier after their losses.

Sasky.

P.S. My boyfriend’s captaining the Senior Men and the under 20’s teams here at nationals and Him and his brother are scoring some awesome highlight reel goals. Pity however the refs here suck and he’s forver arguing with them.

P.P.S. I saw the most perfect Sidney Crosby – Wolverine hockey lacrosse esque goal the other day. PERFECT. Got disallowed though. No one’s exactly sure why but it looked like totally legit. Wasn’t in the crease. Wasn’t above shoulder goal height. Absolutely amazing though.

For real. Later.

Sasky!

Oh! One last thing I managed to make the guy at the hockey store here think I’m a hockey nerd after out facting one of the boys in an argument over Sidney Crosby’s RBK deal and Sherwood sticks. The guy’s like Woah… and Vinnie pipes up that no one’s ever out nerded me here for hockey facts. It’s awesome.

Final Note. If you’re in Melbourne, Until Saturday get out to the Springers Leisure Centre in Keysborough for some awesome inline actions! GO THE MAROONS

Tomorrow, really needs to just be over.

Tomorrow i leave for National Competition for Inline Hockey. To keep this coherent i'll explain ni point form why i'm kinda dreading it.

1. I've only played 2 games in my leg pads.
2. I won't have played for over a week and a half when i first do.
3. I'm playing up a division from last year.
4. My team sucks.
5. I'm going to kill my dumb bitch of a team mate if she doesn't stop her also hockey playing boyfriend from interferring with the team's business in which he doesn't happen to be involved.
6. I'm 5 foot tall. Everyone else.. isn't.
7. BY NO STRETCH OF THE IMAGINATION.

I guess you know. Go out. Play your best. Give it all you got.
I guess i get small comfort from knowing Mark say's he's nervous to I'm not nervous though. I"M DOWN RIGHT PETRIFIED.

And onto NHL hockey.

Andy Raycroft was at his first day of camp the other day. About time Sir Andrew of Raycroft, got on his horse back to town, love the guy and i still reckon the Bruins probably are underpaying him, but atleast that set of anxious nerves are out of the way. If only they'd sign Boynton now I'd be a LOT LESS ANXIOUS.

Bergeron's reported to have put on about 11 pounds since last season, so i'm looking forward to hearing how he goes when they start preseason on Tuesday (wednesday mornign here) against.. Pittsburgh? And why don't the bruins have training camp photos! But yeah. I'm all of the firm belief if Pat, keeps on working hard, like he has.. he could very well end up.. a Thornton -esque player... It seems entirely possible to me (but hey then what do I KNOW) after watching him playing wjc.. the.. skills make me go WOAH.

BTW, Sir Andrew of Raycroft I know Koho is now owned by RBK but could you please wear the RBK pads so i can feel slightly awesoem cause our's look the same. Thank you? or are you and they just aren't showing the new pictures on the bruins site. *Goes to track down*

OH LOOK HE DOES! thank youv ery much... to Jaci's site (which is here ) Which happened to have a nice shiny photo of Rayray in his nice new RBK gear which looks exactly like my leg pads (mine were just a LOT CHEAPER even if they did cost me 750 Aus).

Further Notes from Bruins Stuff from what i've heard and seen.

-Brad Boyes looks positivly pinchable.. those cheeks god damn kewpie doll i swear!
-Jonathan Girard - Le Miracule... from what they say. I know i'll cheer for him. We all will.
-Oh look Brown has pretty RBK"S tooo... can we tell i'm so in love with the gear?
-The rbk helmets aren't so pretty they loko... lumpish. (oh must rememer to find my jack stickers for our helmets)
- The siglet's confuse me!

What else.. hmm... Does anyknow have more photos of Alex Bourret in pink? cause i hear there's another one of him around here somewhere winning an award in another pink shirt. possibly the same as the draft.

And now.. I go. The odd thing is flying to a tournament. This is weird for me. Also funny is that my brother (also competing) and i have 5 bags two suitcases and a lap top and my parents ahve a suitcase each. Ha forhockey gear!

First - Always the best place to be.

Well. I'm Sasky and this is my first entry in my hockey-based blogspot/column thingie.

I'm a 16 year old hockey fan, possessor of Australia's largest hockey photo wall (feel free to dispute this claim but photographic evidence must be supplied). I reside in Rockhampton, The Beef Capital of Australia (lots of cow statues), in Centeral Queensland, Australia.

I get will once the season starts get probably 1 or 2 ice hockey games a month. Oh the joy! If it's a good month this might increase to 3 or 4! Can you tell the sarcasm? If you would like to complain about coverage i would suggest you do it elsewhere as the mere thought of getting the same amount of games could cause possile hyperventilation and then there is the messy medical processes after that.

I"m prone to rambling about hockey, both Ice and anything to do with inline i've played that week. I'm an avid inline player, a goalkeeper for the district 16's team, and also starting goalie for the State Senior Women's team at the Nationals titles, next week! I play 2 or 3 games a week and train twice. .. spending about 9 hours a week in skates. I also coach peewees (the whole 3 we have!).

I play in 2005 Nike Hi-Ho Silver's, my dream skates and 32" RBK Senior Pads in Raycroft colours (yes a major reason why I am relieved he has signed) which are my dream pads.

Hmm.. What else.. well.... physically, i'm 5 foot tall, and rather tiny-ish, hence forth the tendancy to get bowled over in games.

On hockey loyalties? I have none! No home team. No enemy team. I pretty much like everyone. I'm a player person. I follow players not teams and am partial to the young guys being young myself. Not getting to see them play i'm also easily swayed by articles, other people's opinions or their.... physical appearence.

My favourite player is Patrice Bergeron. yes I actually have seen him play. WJC gold medal game. Formally known as my happy tape. I watch it when ever I'm sad. Just the joy these guys have in the game makes me happy.

The first hockey game I ever saw, i stumbled upon on Austrr (paytv) on Wednesday, I believe June 4 (my birthday) and was game 3 or 4 of the Ducks Vs Devils Series... I fell for the game so hard that day.

Any way... I may not be accurate, I may not be right, but i'll be funny and honest.