2 games down (sort of)

Our first weekend of games has come and gone, albeit only exhibition games. We're back at practice again this week, in preparation for our season and home opener Friday night. Our first victim is the Fayetteville Fireantz, the team that eliminated us in a 5th and deciding playoff game last season. We've changed quite a bit since then, and they probably have, too. I haven't seen their roster yet, so I don't know who made their team. Actually, I'm not completely sure who made our team. We made 3 cuts from training camp on Sunday, but still have 2 extra players on our roster. The 3 players cut were forwards Josh Coyle (who played here briefly at the end of last season), Brandon Heck and Atlanta native Jacob Cline. I wasn't surprised by any of those moves. They were the 3 that I agreed should be the first to leave.

We still need to cut one D-man (assuming we'll go with 6 again this season) and one goalie. Competition is heating up at those positions, and Jerome has a couple of very difficult decisions to make. This is one of those times that I'm glad I'm not the Head Coach or General Manager...and I'm certainly glad I'm not the Head Coach/GM.

We split a pair of preseason games with Huntsville this weekend, one at the Snake Pit in Columbus, and one at the Von Braun Center in Huntsville. Each team won its home game, so the fans had plenty to cheer about. The first game in Columbus showcased a very different Havoc team from last season's. They had left 7 or 8 returning players at home to get a look at some of the young talent in their camp. The Snakes beat the pseudo-Havoc handily on the scoreboard and in most of the fights (of which there were several). The Havoc turned the tables on a sleepy-looking Snakes team Saturday night and skated away with a 4-3 win. I'm not sure either game will be indicative of how each team will play when the puck drops for real, but they were downright entertaining.

A couple more days of practice, and a couple more roster cuts, and this season will start for real. Go Snakes!