Friday, April 07, 2006

Winterhawks. Wow.

If you missed the Portland Winterhawks broadcast last night, you seriously missed out on some amazing hockey. To listen to at least.

The passion and the energy of that team, in the later half of the game was insane, especially how it was projected by the announcers.

The scariest part though, was listening to Kyle Bailey go down, and the vivid descriptions of what was going on at Ice level. It was enough to have me, all the way over here in Australia, pretty much crying because NO ONE, no one wants to see someone go down hurt, in a way that could be potentially career threatening as they first suggested.

Two years back my girls team competed at the State Titles and because we were the only girls team being the only 10 girls in the state who actually played they pitted us against the over 35 men's masters team, who for a bunch of old guys killed us. The worst part though was when one of the girls, after being hammered went down and did all the ligaments in her ankle. At that stage we thought it was broken and to watch a friend lie on the rink, shivering in the middle of winter covered in blankets and nearly in shock, while the ambulance arrived was truly scary.

I hung around, listening and listening, while packing my bag, and cleaning my room for today's trip to the beach for a week, praying and hoping that they'd buck the trend and win this. Support for, support against but when you're 3 goals down to come back, it is difficult.

(I know, We've done it)

They get to the last 5 minutes of the game.

and my feed drops out.

Cue screaming and squealing and jumping up and down.

Mum walks in and gets up me and I'm all annoyed because YES IT MATTERS MOTHER, Sasky and hockey are currently having a bonding experience.

Feed comes back. Feed drops out. Jess, A silvertips fan who is listening in updates me through Aim of what's going on and about 1 minute into OT the feed finally comes back permanently.

By now I'm being seriously scowled at by the mother as we're meant to be going somewhere but I’m not leaving till this is over.
Best Quote Though.
"This is what hockey's about. This is how it should be all the time. But it's not. Because the players would die."
And I walk in sit down and Screaming and yelling comes from the speakers and I'm like ..... YES YES YEEYSYS *cue spastic run to match the current stadium feel*
And then I run to work where turns out. I'm not on.
Ahh Hockey is love.

I'm also psyched up because when I get back from the holiday I'm heading to Mackay for the North Queensland Games and for the first time they've taken the MEN out of the SENIOR MEN"S competition so I'm eligible to play! I finally get to play competition with the guys I play every week. No more sexist divisions and man Can't wait!

Playing against Team Australia (Mark, Shaun and Amy's Line, all who play for Australia) every week has helped though. And now. I go.

On holiday. Ciao!

[Worst update ever. I'm to hyper and not enough time to do a proper]