Pee Wee’s win tournament!

Thanks for the picture Gellat’s! 

OK, the champagne bathing is over, most boys are home getting ready to tell tales in school tomorrow about how they won the MLK tournament in Virginia this weekend.  The boys were modest however, as coach Phil asked them to act like “They had been there before”.  This remote correspondent was home, tending to the injured, but I had what seemed like an old time ticker tape feeding me news over the weekend via text, email, and garbled phone.  So forgive me if I get something wrong (like your goal), or if the action is not captured with the same clarity with which you have become accustomed.

The weekend started with a fine outing against the Dallas Stars.  They say everything is bigger in Texas, but our 96s were bigger than their squad.  This attracted the attention of the refs, who would call plenty of penalties against our guys.  Austin T. started the scoring with a good rush on net.  Billy A. would take the second, and Chris M. capped the scoring with a fine shot.   But the story of Saturday Night was defense.  The boys took the body early and often, limiting the shots and keeping the puck out of our zone. The goalies as usual would be our best players, and this weekend they would be at their best.  They started out with Chris shutting out the Stars.

Next up Sunday morning and the Devils.  AJ would extend the shutout to 6 straight periods as the game was deadlocked at 0-0 through the first, and the second.  Titans controlled the play, and dominated on shots, yet could not put the biscuit in the net.  With the shorter periods, the game flies by.  Then, with 6 minutes to go in the third  Neil takes a hard shot.  It hits the Devils keeper and bounces in the air.  Richie is camped out in front and watches as the puck seemed to float in front of him.  Whack! He knocks it home for a 1-0 Titan win, and an almost certain trip to the semis with the toughest competition in front of them.

Sunday evening had the men leave the Giants game to watch a giant contest, Titans vs. Blues.  Montclair has 2 teams at this level with kids who each won 20+ games during the year.  They were not used to losing.  After a scoreless first, they finally broke our goalie shutout streak at 7 periods.  The second ended the scoreless streak, but not before Adam G. put one in for 1-1 tie.  Monclair is used to winning and they pressed hard, putting one in late in the second.  It would stay 2-1 for the next 12 minutes.  While the Titans refused to go quietly, Montclair began to use the body, and it got pretty rough.  Then, in a trademark move, Ryan P. refused to lose.  #22 scored the equalizer at 2:22 to tie it at 2-2, and the Blues, fight though they did could not take back victory.  The Titans won in their eyes, and were glad to draw them in the semis the next morning to finish the job. 

Most of the boys got to see the terrific ending to the Giant game before hurrying off to bed.  At least they would not have to get up and play first.  The Devils and the Carolina team would be in the first semi at 7:00.  And it would take overtime for the Carolina team to make it to the finals, ending the Devils dream. 

Now there was work to do.  The Titans knew the Blues were good enough to beat them, but they also knew that they had the upper hand.  So, Austin made a statement in the first minute, scoring unassisted.  It would not be enough this morning.  The period ended with a 1-0 Titan lead, and a rough and tumble Blues squad not leaving any time soon.  It took less than 2 minutes of the second for them to tie it up.  There it would stay until 4 minutes into the third.  Timmy this time.  But the Blues kept at it and 1:30 later at the 6:20 mark they tie it again 2-2.  This time a tie would not stand.  Only one winner would emerge from this titanic battle.  Then, an ill advised Blues penalty would put the Titans on a powerplay.  Momentum had fully shifted our way.  And then to top off the weekend for the defense Tyler puts one home with 25 seconds left.  Fans go nuts, Titans win.  Another great game for AJ, and the finals in a few short hours.

The boys retreated to check out of the hotel, bags in hand and no where to go for 2 hours before gametime.  After that eternity, it was time to go to work.  Carolina did not seem as strong as the Blues, but they drop the puck because you have to prove it on the ice.  Nervous energy was apparent in the scoreless first.  Like the rest of the season, we never can score enough. But the dam was about to break.  The Titans came to play, and they came like rain in a Fayettville thunderstorm. 

The second started with Dave N. from Billy at 11:51, just 9 seconds in.  They outshot Carolina by a wide margin, but the period ended 1-0.  The third started with a goal, confusing as to who scored, (I have not seen the scoresheet) but my witness says Niel H.   (EDITORS NOTE:  IT IS NOW CONFIRMED THAT NIEL HAS NO DOUBT THAT HE SCORED THIS GOAL) The more Carolina paniced, the easier the Titan goals came.  Next was Richie’s turn, then Billy, with Dave returning the favor.  Let’s not forget, that the goalie, (this time Chirs) let nothing through his fortress again.  In fact, our keepers were unscored upon in 12 of 15 periods.  They faced fewer shots than normal as well, so “take a bow” defense.  As the clock ticked down, coach Phil made sure the celebration was respectful, but it was well earned and sweet.  The drive home saw better gas mileage as the boys were lighter than air on the way back, smiling and clutching their hard earned medals.  Its good to see when they play teams mostly comprised of kids their age, they can compete and even dominate.  Thanks to the coaches and manager, Chris D’s family for sponsoring the team fee, and to the parents who were reportedly well behaved, despite leaving more than a few mom’s home.  Congratulations!

PS  I also understand the normal photographer was not there, but here is a link to someone who covered 2 of the games.  If you have shots for the blog, email them to me!

http://www.bradmedleyphotography.com/

 

Titans Win Congressional Cup Challenge with Tough Defense, Great Goaltending

The Pee Wees took the championship today 4-0!  Full Tourney summary to follow, (after the guys stop screaming in the locker room)

 

MLK Tourney Talk

The competition for the Congressional Tournament this weekend should provide a good match for the boys.  The Teams in our Division are 3 NJ youth league teams:  Princeton Tigers, Montclair Blues,  NJ Devils.  The others 2 are the Raleigh Renegades and the Dallas Stars (who win the award for longest travel). 

The NJ Youth teams are lead by Montclair.  The Blues have a full contingent of PeeWee teams (perhaps because the young Brodeur boys played there at one point).  Both of their B teams have over 20 wins already and they both have the tournament on the schedule, which may mean they will send a combined group of those players (maybe their best players or those willing to spend the money).  Some combination of their B teams won the Hershey Tournament at the B level.  

The Devils B has a losing record in the league (5-8) as does Princeton’s B (4-11).  We know the Devils will mix up their roster for non-league constests (we have not seen the same team twice in a number of meetings over the years), while the Tigers seem to be bringing their regular squad. 

The T2 club of the AAA Jr. Hurricanes play in Raleigh.  They have 2 select PeeWee B squads, one being the Renegades and again we may see a combo team.  The Renegades play in a 5 team league and were 5-6 when the league site was last updated.  The Hurricanes have stirred up a lot of interest in local hockey, but rinks are far apart in the North Carolina mountains and there are too few teams to really draw any conclusions about talent. Expect them to be compeitive, but to let in a lot of pucks; their goals against average is over 5 in league play.

The Dallas Stars Youth is a top of the line program.  They send teams to Canada from Texas regularly, so D.C. is a short hop for these kids.  Their AAA squads play with the top Midwest Elite Squads, and they carry on the spirit of that organization to the Stars Selects, their T2 program.  Like our PeeWees they have a “major” ’95 team and a “minor” or ’96 team.  The ’96’s are headed to Washington.  They started slowly losing 6 of 7 in the North Texas League, but have been winning of late raising their league record to 6-7, and 1 OT loss.  They won their last game 2-1 and never get blown out.  Austin T’s dad knows a little about this squad, and reports they often get assistance from the NHL Stars who help out on the coaching staff.

The format is 3 preliminary round games, 12 minute periods, with the top 4 getting to the playoffs.  Teams 5-6 get a consolation game, guaranteeing all teams 4 games and the two finalists 5.  2 points for win, 1 for tie.

So, the competition is set, it should be a great weekend.  Most of the Moms are staying home, so the boys will have to keep the Dads in line.   Have fun fellas!

 

Bad Situation, Silver Lining

Andrew was very unlucky Saturday.  His broken femur is not a common hockey injury.  That is where the bad luck ended.  We were blessed  from the minute the accident happened.  The Blizzard parents went out of their way to get us emergency help and to console Andrew’s mom.  The Titan coaches came to the emergency room, as did a few of his team mates.  Then, when we were transferred by ambulance from Hackettstown, it was to one of the best Children’s Trauma Centers around.  At Morristown, our surgeon (which we needed around 11PM Saturday), happened to be a pediatric orthopedic specialist with a sports medicine practice.  Given the late hour, we were very lucky to get her.  She performed a newer type of surgery that while very painful for a while, will not impact his growth, and should allow for a full recovery.

The children’s hospital was great for kids, with lots of distractions like video games and movies for sick children, but these did not really lift his spirits.  Then, just as he was feeling pretty miserable this morning, we were told some guests were coming to the hospital.  Much to Andrew’s amazement, Devils Zach Parise #9, Travis Zajak #19, and John Madden, #11 were coming to the hospital to visit with the sick kids after practice.  Since he broke his leg playing hockey, they had lots to talk about.  The players gave him a signed jersey, some other autograph items and signed his Titan Jersey.  For a half hour he had no pain and a smile on his face.  Now he is home.  We have gotten so many calls, e-mails and well wishes, we are very grateful to our whole Titan family.  Andrew will need a few weeks to be able to leave the house, but after that he hopes to see all of his friends at the rink. 

Andrew and the boys have some fun 

 

Ouch!

Andrew is resting comfortably as I write this. When he left the rink the ambulance took him to Hakettsown Hospital. There he was x-rayed and they decided his femur was badly broken and he needed to go Morristown’s trauma center. The femur is under the thigh, and it is broken just below the hip.

Before he left Hackettstown, Coach Phil came by to check on him as did Coach Price and the Mella family. Chris M and Ryan P. got to see him in the ER, and that helped Andrew feel better.

From there he was moved to an ambulance for another ride to Morristown’s Trauma Center, about 40 minutes away. They have a Pediatric Orthopedic Surgery center here.

Everyone was great to us, Titan Families & coaches, the Blizzard Parents, EMTs, Nurses, and Doctors.

Surgery took a little over 3 hours, but appeared to be a success. This is a new type of minimally evasive
surgery for kids his age, who are too old for kid solutions and not big enough for adult treatment.

Rather than a body cast, they put a rod and special pins that protect the growth plates in adolecents through 2 small incisions in the leg. He will not have a cast and they tell us he will be able to get out of bed tomorrow on crutches. He will also have his first Physical Therapy session tomorrow. With no complications he may be home tomorrow night or Monday to start his recovery.

Hockey is finished for a while, but there is no reason he cannot have a full recovery. We were very proud of how brave Andrew was.

We are also very happy with the help and concern from so many good people, including the Blizzard parents. We hope to see you all at the rink soon.

(if someone will email me a summary of this morning’s game, I’ll post it. Good Luck guys!)

 

Costly trip North

The long trip to the mountains of Warren County took more out of us than a few gallons of gas. We started out shorthanded, no Austin, no Jared. Coach got stuck at work in the city. and it did not get better from there.

We scored first on some nice puck movement. Richie from Dave off a long shot from Tim, after the defense used patience. The blizzard came back to score 4 straight as our passes were not connecting, and they were shooting hard and often. Chris could not stop them all. The second period started with Billy having a hurt tailbone which would take him from the game.

The goalie change started with AJ making some monster saves. Then Andrew, who was turning into the zone with the puck got hit, and his momentum carried his raised leg into the sideboards. His leg was broken and he had to be taken to the hospital by the EMTs. shortening an already short bench.

The Blizzard pressed on and picked up another goal, which Frank C. answered with a goal of his own, taking it in from the neutral zone.

It got sloppy from there, penalties on both sides and more good saves by AJ. The boys grabbed one more at the end, to complete the game 6-3. I did not see the last goal but was told it was Connor on a rebound of a Ryan shot. It was a tough game, but the PeeWees never gave up.

 

Hockey News Writer Discusses Career

Columnist Adam Proteau was kind enough to contribute to our little blog. As a career writer for the best source of serious hockey information focused on the pro game, Adam is one of the most respected in his industry. Unlike the “beat writer”, a job that requires a columnist follow one team around, Adam has the luxury of covering the entire sport. He still has some tough travel assignments. He had to go to the Outdoor game in Buffalo, and he always has to be ready to travel to the Stanley Cup playoffs, another tough assignment ;). All kidding aside, he clearly loves what he does. Adam is well known for his interviews of players, and is best when speaking to the tough aggressive guys. He also is a good critic of the game, not having to work for any one team or league.

He has been with The Hockey News since 1999. He is a frequent contributor to radio and TV programs across North America, and won the Professional Hockey Writers Associations award for best column in 2005-06. He also has a top selling hockey book outlining the top players since 1967:

http://www.amazon.com/Top-60-Since-1967/dp/1600780849

Adam was great about helping out our guys with an interview for this space:
When did you decide to write about sports, and hockey in particular?

I focused on sports writing in my first year of journalism school in Toronto, although I should point out I was 26 at the time. I took the long road there, spent some time at the University of Toronto and at drama school in New York City before realizing I was better at writing than anything else. At the end of my first year in J-school, one of my teachers asked ii I’d be interested in a summer job editing for the Hockey News.  Of course, I jumped at the chance, and worked my way up to the middle of the ladder where I am today.

But while I was finishing school, I also worked as a sideline sports reporter for a local radio station, and covered the Leafs, Blue Jays and Raptors.  So by the time I was ready for the workforce, I would have been happy to write about antything, really.  Luckily for me, a full time job with The Hockey News opened up when it did.

Your columns are sometimes critical of  the NHL or specific clubs.  Do people ever get mad at you?

Absolutely.  Sometimes agents, GMs and PR officials are furious with me, but that goes with the territory when you’re paid to put forth an opinion, and most of them realize that.

The nastiest emails I get, though are from fans angry about their particular team. But the grand majority of them are generating support for their team and that’s what the game is all about.

What’s the toughest part of covering hockey?

I’d say its the ultra conservative nature of the game, the reluctance of players and league officials to change and adapt to the realities of modern pro sports.

Because of  that conservative nature, NHLers are fearful of saying anything interesting to the media, and that always makes a writers job tougher.

How has the game changed over the years?

This will be my ninth year professionally following the game. Certainly the post-lockout changes (i.e., the obstruction crackdown, and shootout) have made it a faster more enjoyable game, but because of the increased speed and size, it is also a much more dangerous game.

How would a young player prepare for a career as a sportswriter?

One of the best things any young writer can do is read as much as possible, from as many different-genres of writing as possible. By doing that, you will increase your knowledge of the language, and  have many more styles from which to borrow when you develop your own style. 

Most of all, a young writer should love the language.  You would’nt  say someone who hates cars should be an auto mechanic, and the same holds true for journalism; words are your tools, and what defines you as a professional, and if you’re afraid of the them, or prefer to just a few of them, odds are your work won’t compare well to that of someone who truly enjoys the art of putting words together.

Thanks so much Adam.  

by the way, if you are looking to read about Ovechkin’s $124 million contract, here is a link to The Hockey News story:

http://www.thehockeynews.com/articles/12567-Ovechkin-signs-US124million-13year-extension-with-Capitals.html

 

Blizzard Redux

If you have a short memory, you may have forgotten that tournament we went to so long ago… In Hershey.  The Blizzard was our opponent at the Giant Center. 

They wound up taking us 4-2 in a well played game that featured some good hitting, AJ making great saves and the Blizzard cheerleaders rooting them on.  We just could not connect on our passes, and they did a good job of getting back on defense to stop the rush. They wound up coming in second in the tournament.  They had some big guys who could skate, but they also were not running us off the ice. 

Given our improvement, particularly in the passing game (we used the defense particularly well last weekend), the Blizzard may be surprised by our advancement.  We are overdue to get some bounces (they even out in the end). 

We travel far into the mountains of Warren County for this evening game, so pick a nice place to stop for dinner on the way back, expect it to be a little colder than at home and don’t expect the locker rooms to be quite the same as the last time we played them. 

 

Titans Dominate on Offense, Come up Short

Cranford came with a number of kids from their stronger roster today.  Our PeeWees shot and shot and shot against them.  It was a very good effort.  The puck was passed well, cycled well, and they used the defense regularly.  Exciting competitive hockey.  Sometimes  the scoreboard does not cooperate.  The Titans started slowly, and lost a faceoff in the defensive zone at the 11:27 mark which was banged right in on a fancy move by the Cranford center.  The period ended with a fairly even shot total, but 1-0 Cranford lead.   

Neil makes his move on goal

The second began the same way.  While we controlled the puck most of the time in the defensive and neutral zone, we could not generate enough in the offensive zone.  Then, as Ryan was driving through traffic, a zebra stepped out in front of him.  He fell to the ice, hurt and had to come out.  On the next play, the puck squirted out and a Craford player broke out alone.  As AJ moved right, he went down and at 8:31 the shot over his shoulder put us down 2-0.  Just two minutes later an identical breakaway put them up 3-0.  This was a little frustrating for the boys, as they were starting to truly control the puck in the Cranford end.  So they stepped up their game.  18 Titan shots would come in the barrage.  All 3 lines had good chances.  Then Neil H. working in the corner threw a beauty pass to Austin T. in front.  Austin found net and made it 3-1 with 3:51 left.  Next up, Andrew Chris and Adam moved the puck around the net.  Andrew took the body but kept moving.  He pushed it to Chris who shot.  Andrew put the rebound on Adam’s stick. Adam shot hard as Andrew and Chris crashed.  Goal, 3-2! 

Great save Cranford!

Next Jared had a great chance which was stopped, with the rebound coming to Richie in front. He just missed, backhanding it over the Cranford net.  The Titans had a few more shots before the period ended, and it was a hockey game.

The third period was to be scoreless.  Cranford managed only 3 shots, plus one that hit the crossbar, but it was clearly a Titan period. We outhustled, outhit, outskated and outshot the blue and gold, but could not find the back of the net.  Hats off to their keepers, they saved the day for their side. 

Austin rushes in  the 3rd

The hockey was strong. Billy stepped in for Nick W. and was very good on defense.  Neil controlled the play when he was out there, Timmy had several scoring chances and Frank was solid at the point. Adam stepped up his game. Great progress boys!

 

Titans brush off the rust

Chris stops one on his way to 31 saves 

The Titans returned from the Holiday break in good form.  They skated hard, took the body, and played particularly good team defense.  They did not generate enough scoring opportunities, and despite Chris D’s very good effort in net, the Titans came up short 2-1 against Haverford.   The game was very close early, with no scoring in the first, with Chris making a real beauty glove save at the 7 minute mark.  Chris stopped everything the Hawks threw at him, with good stick work all the way through the first and through the second.  As the second period wound down, with 10 seconds left, a defensive breakout gone wrong resulted in a Titan ‘own goal’, frustrating the team, but not letting them quit. 

 

Jared clears the puck

The third started with some good Titan chances, but we just missed.  Richie overskated one, Ryan drove hard, but could not get off a shot, Austin ran into a crowd in front of the net and then Andrew was stopped on a rush.  At the 12:00 point two Titan penalties would haunt them.   The 5 on 3 allowed the Hawk defenders to walk in, and they threw one just above the glove of Chris.  The Titans kept their cool and kept fighting.

  

Chris M. carries the puck 

Titan shots were not coming frequently enough.  Then Ryan P. took a penalty with only 5 minutes to play and the Hawks wanted another goal.  But Chris M. was to take it into his own hands.  As the puck came to the point, he stole the pass, and broke out all alone.  Skating hard the whole way, he got the goaile to move right, and then he dumped it slowly into the open part of the net. Shorthanded GOAL! 2-1 game, 3:05 to play.

 

 If you look carefully Mom is banging on the glass above as Adam celebrates over Chris

The Titans would dominate the last 3 minutes. After gaining the zone, a timeout and an empty net for a 6th skater, Frank kept it in the zone 4 times.  Tim put it in front, but Richie and Austin could not find the handle, and time ran out.  A hard fought 2-1 contest against a good skating team.