Happy Thanksgiving!

Hello, Readers. I promised in my last blog (which, admittedly, was posted a couple days later than I had planned) to try and get caught up. Now that we're through the holiday week, I might actually be able to do just that.

In the holiday tradition of expressing thanks, I would like to thank all of those who have been reading my blog, and especially those who have given me feedback. If it weren't for you people reading it and enjoying it, there wouldn't be much point in writing it...and I've enjoyed writing it.

I'd also like to take this opportunity to once again thank all the guys that help me out at the rink. Flip, Barney, Shooter, Ryno, Tyler and Bubba make it possible for me to do the best job I can to take care of our guys. All of them have gone above and beyond the call of duty at some point, sometimes spending the night at the rink to meet an incoming team or help set up for a morning game (as Bubba did before the Kids' Day game this season). I consider myself very fortunate to have them here to help. Words can't possibly express how much I appreciate their efforts. Thanks, guys!

I'd also like to thank the Cottonmouths organization as a whole. I've worked for a lot of hockey organizations, but none has been to me as this one. Everybody gets along very well and is always willing to go out of their way to help each other out. I know it sounds cliche' to throw the word "family" around to describe people with whom you're not related, but it really does apply here. From the top to the bottom, everyone really is as close as family. And for those of us who are far from our native homes and our nuclear families, that really means a lot. Thanks to all of you.

Now that that's taken care of, we can dive right into the games from the Thanksgiving weekend. We kicked the weekend off by kicking the hell out of the Augusta Riverhawks. We owed them one after the way they treated us last week when we went there. Not only did they win the game, but they took a few liberties with our guys. They are a very yappy team. I'm surprised any of them can keep their mouthguards in when their lips are always flapping. They have several of the softest guys who talk the most crap I've ever heard. I hate guys like that. They chirp and chirp, but won't back it up. You try to fight them, but they just turtle. It's very frustrating.

But tonight was our night. Kyle Lundale opened the scoring with a couple of minutes left in a very evenly played first period, and the Snakes closed the frame with a 1-0 lead. For the second game in a row we came alive in the second, with Sammy scoring at about the midway point and Daryl Moore adding two late goals to give the Snakes a 4-0 lead. Greg Holt broke up the shutout in the last 2 minutes, but the game was already decided. It was one of the few total effort games we've had this season where everything seemed to be working as it should. We outplayed, outworked, outhit, outshot and (most importantly) outscored the Hawks. It was nice to get a win like that at home. And, to quote "Major League" Indians Manager Lou Brown, "We win one tomorrow...that's called a winning streak. It HAS happened before."

The next day we were back on the bus, heading for Knoxville. We've had bad luck in this barn in recent years (I think we've only won 2 games in Knoxville since I came to Columbus), but we won the last time we were here. We rolled into Knoxvegas feeling pretty good about ourselves. We were in for a tough game, though. The Ice Bears certainly weren't going to make it easy on us. But then, they never do. David Segal and Matt Kinnunen started things off with a bang, dropping the mitts and mixing it up off the opening faceoff. Kinner didn't do as well this time as he did the first time he fought Segal, but he did all right. Segal is a tough customer and Kinner held his own. After that, it was down to business. The Snakes got on the board just a couple of minutes into the game on a goal by Brent Clarke. Emery Olauson countered for the Bears a couple of minutes later. Each team had several good scoring opportunities, but the goalies were equal to the task and the score remained tied at one apiece after one.

The second period saw more of the same. After a few rushes back and forth, Bears Captain Mike Bulawka was awarded a penalty shot at 3:43 of the second. We were almost relieved that it was awarded to him. Not to take anything away from Bulawka, but there are a few guys on that team that we would be more afraid of in that situation. Vigier stood his ground and made the save, keeping the tie intact. Once again, the Snakes seized the momentum in the second and outshot and outchanced the Bears but again it was Olauson that found the back of the net late in the second. Ice Bears goalie Bryan Hince earned his paycheck, turning away 13 shots to preserve the Bears' lead going into the third.

Though Knoxville had the better of the chances in the third, Vigier held the fort so that Matt Kinnunen could tie the game for the Snakes. The teams continued to battle down to the wire when something unprecedented happened. Ice Bear Mike Bulawka was awarded another penalty shot with 7 seconds remaining in the third. I'm not sure I've ever seen a game in which 2 penalty shots were awarded...and I'm quite certain I've never seen 2 penalty shots awarded to the same player in the same game. I don't believe this has ever happened before. With the game on the line, Vigier once again closed the door and forced overtime.

Columbus registered the only 3 shots of the overtime period, but couldn't get one past Hince. Sam Bowles and Orrin Hergott scored in the shootout to outweigh Chris Bratina with the Bears' lone shootout goal, securing the victory for the Snakes. Hergott gets credited with the game-winning goal because his shootout goal was the deciding factor, but he couldn't have done it without Bowles...or Vigier, for that matter.

Three in a row! Another big win for the Snakes. That sure makes the bus ride home seem a lot shorter. We get back to the Snakepit and drop off the gear and the guys head home to get some rest before yet another big game...this one against the Mississippi Surge.

We've had trouble with the Surge all season (and most of last season). They're a good team, to be sure, but I don't think they're as good as we've made them look at times. They started quickly, scoring just a minute into the game. The Snakes came alive and played the Surge pretty even for the rest of the period, with the teams exchanging goals midway through the frame.

There was a bizarre incident early in the second period. Orrin Hergott was given a fighting major, even though he never dropped his gloves. He collided with Surge forward Jason Beeman as they were both going after a loose puck. Beeman gave Orrin an elbow, and Orrin responded with a gloved punch. Beeman took exception and jumped Orrin, who was caught completely by surprise. Beeman had the gloves off, pummeling Orrin as he covered up. Somehow, the referee saw this as a fair fight and gave Orrin and Beeman coincidental fighting majors. That's odd, considering Orrin never dropped his gloves or stick and never threw a punch except for the one he threw with his gloves still on. This "fight" seemed to ignite the Snakes. Sam Bowles tied the game at 2 on a power play just a couple of minutes later. But the momentum didn't last. Jeff Grant scored on a power play a few minutes later to regain the lead for good. Beeman added a goal late in the third and Matt Zultek added an empty-net goal to close out the scoring with a final score of 5-2. The streak was over. But it was fun while it lasted.

That closed out our holiday week. The winning streak was fun, but as the saying goes you're only as good as your last game. And we ended the weekend with a loss. So we had to carry that with us into the next weekend.

And we're back...

Due to circumstances beyond my control (i.e. computer problems and a crazy couple of weeks at work), I've been unable to blog for a couple of weeks. But now, I'm back and better than ever! Well, maybe I'll let you be the judge of that. In any case, I'm back.

I intended to post brief notes after each day of training camp, but that didn't happen. So, here are my impressions of training camp on the whole. There was some good competition for the last few roster spots, and there was a pretty high intensity level throughout camp. This will definitely be a very different team from what we've had the last few years. Will Barlow looks right at home in his new leadership role, both on and off the ice. I expected no less...he was already showing some signs of leadership at the end of last season. Levi Lind and Jesse Cole are back after their stellar rookie season of last year, and are expected to make a big contribution to the team's offense this year. With the retirement of the team's leading scorer, Tim Green, there are some big shoes to fill offensively...and we weren't very good last season. Lind and Cole will need to set the pace for a new crop of rookies. With Dan Lind and Blake Miller up front, our forwards look a lot bigger this year and we've added some beef on the back end also. Bret Tyler was brought in to add experience to the blue line, and he looks good so far. Aside from Tyler and Barlow the defense will be very young, but pretty big.

The preseason games didn't go as well as we would have liked, but they did give us a good look at the new guys in game action. You can watch guys practice all you want, but until you see how they react in a game you never know how they can help you. There were a couple of guys who played their way off the roster during the exhibition games. They didn't look bad at practice, but when they got into the games they looked a little too timid and tentative...like a deer in the headlights. That's not what we're looking for. Jerome made his cuts on the Sunday following the preseason games and got us down to 16 guys (with a couple of new guys on the way). Most of the roster decisions were expected, but we kept one guy and released one guy that kind of surprised me.

A goaltending issue arose before the exhibition games. Adam Chalifoux came to camp ready to play, but he aggravated a previous injury that may have required surgery had he stayed here. We already had stumbled upon another goalie, Sylvain Michaud, who was supposed to be pretty good. Michaud's presence allowed us to send Chalifoux home, with the hopes of him returning next year in better health. But as soon as we did, Michaud decided he had to leave due to unspecified personal issues. So, in the span of a day, we went from three goalies to one and our old pal Barney was called upon to suit up for the weekend as our EBUG.

After the weekend, we picked up Andrew Loewen to fill the goalie position and added Brett Hammond and Zeanan Ziemer (no, that's not a typo) to bring us up to 19.

I spent much of the week working on last minute details (such as sewing names on new jerseys that came in on Wednesday afternoon) to get ready for opening weekend. We had the same schedule for opening weekend as we did for the preseason...hosting Pensacola on Friday night and then heading to Biloxi to play the Surge on Saturday.

Friday night started off pretty well for us. We jumped out to an early 2-0 lead and held a 3-1 lead at the midway point. That was when the wheels came off. Thirty minutes and six goals later, we were licking our wounds and wondering just what the hell happened. I'm still not really sure. It was like we had the media timeout midway through the second and when nobody was looking our guys left the ice and the high school team replaced them. Suddenly, we couldn't make a pass, we couldn't take a pass, we could barely muster a shot on goal and couldn't get a rebound...everything went wrong. We stopped hitting, we stopped skating, we stopped shooting...we would have been just as well off if we hadn't come back out for the third.

Saturday we headed for Mississippi to play the Surge, who won the regular season title last year and look like early contenders to repeat. They brought back most of their best players, and could be the team to beat this year. We came out with a much better effort than we showed in the last half of Friday's game, but we still couldn't generate much offense. Andrew Loewen looked good in his first professional start, but the high-powered Surge offense was just too much for him. We played the Surge fairly evenly for most of the game, with a couple of let-downs leading to three Surge goals. Overall, it was a better effort than the night before, but still a loss.

So, after the first weekend of the regular season, it seems we have our work cut out for us. While it's too early to push the panic button, it does show us we have a ways to go before we're ready to run with the big dogs. We've got a full week of practice ahead and then, thankfully, we play two different opponents this weekend. Unfortunately, one of those teams is the defending champion Huntsville Havoc and the other one is the 3-time champion Knoxville Ice Bears. Neither team promises to be a pushover, but could provide us with a further test of where we stand in the league right now. I certainly think we're a better team than we showed last Friday. Now we just have to prove it. I just hope we start proving it sooner rather than later.

But then...that's just me.

2010 SPHL Playoffs: Game 4 (post script)

*****Apologies to all who previously read this post to read only the first sentence declaring that our season is over. I accidentally published that post before finishing and then subsequently lost everything I had added to it before it posted. So, without further ado, here is Take 2.

Well, our season is over. It obviously didn't end the way we hoped it would. It came crashing down with a resounding Thud Friday night in Biloxi. In a game that really was closer than the final 6-2 score, the Cottonmouths playoff run came to an abrupt and unceremonious end. The shame of it is that in the process the career of Snakes Captain Craig Stahl also met its untimely conclusion. This was not the way he intended to close out his remarkable 12-year journey. He deserved better. While the Snakes were only down 2-1 entering the third period, they just didn't have enough left in the tank to keep the wolves at bay any longer (pun on Mississippi's former team nickname intended). The Surge exploded for 4 goals in the third and the rest, as they say, was history.

Not to make excuses, but maybe their minds were elsewhere (perhaps at the hospital with Sam Bowles). About midway through the second period, Bowles had suffered a gash on his head as a result of a flying elbow delivered by Surge defenseman Ryan Bartle. This type of cheap shot is pretty standard from Bartle (who delivered a similar elbow to Bowles in a game in Columbus earlier this season, triggering the infamous "School Day Brawl"), but the result this time was more severe. Bartle's hit stunned Bowles, who appeared to be unconscious before he hit the ice (he didn't move his arms or brace himself during the fall, like most players do when falling). His head bounced off the ice, causing a pressure cut on the back of his head (despite the helmet still being on at impact). Bartle was assessed a major penalty and game misconduct and would later receive a one-game suspension for the hit.

The Surge was leading in the game 1-0 at the time of the Bartle penalty. The Snakes tied the score on the ensuing 3-minute penalty (5-minute major minus 2-minute minor to McCarthy for going after Bartle), but were unable to sustain any real pressure and left the second period trailing 2-1 after a late goal by Tim Velemirovich.

The Surge came out hard in the third and the Snakes seemed a little flat. Steve Weidlich and Velemirovich scored early in the frame for the Surge, putting the Snakes back on their heels. Orrin Hergott connected on the power play midway through the third to draw the Cottonmouths back to within 2 goals (In an ironic twist, the Snakes' normally lethargic power play connected twice while the #1-ranked Surge power play went 0 for 8). Then Surge forward Chris Greene went to work, scoring two remarkable goals a minute and a half apart. On two separate plays, Greene batted a puck out of mid-air into the Snakes goal after a centering pass was broken up by a defender. They were both very difficult plays, demonstrating excellent hand-eye coordination. The second of those made the score 6-2 and drove the final nails into the Snakes' coffin.

It was a very somber dressing room after the game. Sammy was still at the hospital getting x-rays and a CT scan, and information about his condition was sketchy, at best. Coupled with that there was the realization that many of these guys have played their last game together...and in some cases their last game, period. We just kind of sat in the dressing room for about an hour and soaked it all in. Then, finally, guys slowly began to get undressed, showered, and packed and loaded. We boarded the bus for the longest 5-hour bus ride most of us could remember. Our spirits were bouyed, however, by the return of Sammy. He could have ridden home with his Father (who had driven to Biloxi to watch the game), but Sammy was adamant about wanting to ride the bus home with his teammates. We got home and hung the gear (a blues show at the Civic Center Saturday forced us to hang our gear in the clubhouse at Golden Park), then headed home to begin the off-season. It's going to be a long Summer.

2010 SPHL Playoffs: Game 3 (post script)

Last night the Snakes were in the middle of a heck of a playoff game...until the referee decided to leave his mark on the game. With about nine minutes remaining in regulation and the score tied at 2, Geoffrey Miller handed the #1 ranked power play a 2-man advantage. Matt Zultek scored on the ensuing power play and thus the game was changed. Nick Klaren added an insurance goal 2 minutes later to make the final score 4-2.

I think they snuck the fourth goal past Snakes goalie Ian Vigier because he was still in shock about the third goal. He had made about 30 saves, some of them incredible, up to that point and then the Zultek shot was one of those that few goalies would have stopped. I think that after standing on his head for 2 1/2 periods, giving up that goal deflated his spirit a little bit. I can't blame him for that...I know it deflated mine. The boys had killed off 1:44 of a 5-on-3 advantage to the best power play in the league, only to see the Surge score with 16 seconds remaining.

After that, the Surge held the fort and the Snakes were unable to close the gap. It was a tough game to lose. To be that close and have the game slip away like that is never easy, but especially not in the playoffs. Every little play is so important. One bounce, one call, one break going your way can change the whole complexion of the game. That is why playoff hockey is the most exciting sport in the world...and the most nerve-wracking.

After the game, we had a quick meal (thanks to the Snakes Booster Club), then packed and loaded the bus for the trip to Biloxi. We got on the road fairly quickly and made good time along the way (thanks to Tex, the Snakes' bus driver), actually beating the Surge back to the Mississippi Coast Coliseum (even with the Surge getting a head start). We hung the gear and headed to the hotel to get some rest.

We got up and had a nice team meal at the hotel, and now the boys are back to resting up and getting ready for the game tonight. I'm heading down to the rink soon to finish setting up the locker room and sharpen some skates. Come on, boys! We need this one tonight!

2010 SPHL Playoffs: Game 2 (post script)

Wow!!! What a game!!! I've been in hockey for 15 years now, and that is one of the most exciting games I've ever been a part of. The Surge nearly stole one from us, but Daryl Moore tied it up with 12 seconds left in regulation. The overtime period was almost non-stop action, flying from end to end at a breakneck pace. Each team had multiple scoring chances and each goalie made several key saves to keep the game alive. Snakes rookie sensation Levi Lind ignited the celebration with 58 seconds left in the overtime period with a shot that hit the post, then banked in off the back of Surge goalie Bill Zaniboni.

The Snakes dominated the game early, setting the pace with their physical play for the second game in a row. They managed to maintain the physical play through the first, despite a Surge goal just 50 seconds into the game. The pace was slowed down by a series of Snakes penalties, putting the #1 ranked Surge power play to work. The Snakes killed off the first period power plays, even managing to net a short-handed goal on a great effort from Sam Bowles.

The second period saw just one goal and one penalty...both credited to the Surge's Thomas Boudreau. The Surge controlled most of the play, logging 17 shots on goal to the Snakes' 9, but Snakes goalie Ian Vigier held the fort and maintained a 3-2 lead after 2 periods.

The Surge power play came to life in the 3rd period, scoring 2 goals on 4 opportunities (the only 4 power plays assessed in the 3rd period). This gave the Surge their first lead in the game. The Snakes generated numerous opportunities to score before Moore's goal tied it with 12 seconds remaining.

The teams traded opportunities in the overtime period, with numerous scoring chances for each team. Both goalies came up big several times to keep the game alive. Finally, with 2:21 remaining, former Snake Daryl Moor took a boarding penalty and gave the Snakes the only power play opportunity of the OT period. This opened the door for Levi Lind's seeing-eye goal to tie the series at one game apiece.

This game was a huge win for us. It gave us some much-needed confidence and I think it took a little wind out of the Surge's sails. I still think they're pretty cocky, but probably not feeling bulletproof like they were entering this series. They know they're in for a fight now. Next up, another week of practice (really 3 full days of practice after Easter Sunday off) to get ready for Games 3 and 4 (and Game 5, if necessary). If it goes the distance, it'll be 3 games in 3 nights. But basically we're now in a best-of-three series for a trip to the finals. I can't wait 'til Thursday!

2010 SPHL Playoffs: Game 2

So, last night didn't go as we had planned...or hoped. We didn't really play that badly, despite the 5-2 score. I think some of the guys were just a little nervous and played that way. We seemed to be just a bit off on our passes. Also, we let up on the physical play. We were dominant early in the game, but eventually we stopped hitting consistently and allowed them room to skate. That plays right into their hands. If we're going to be successful, we have to be physical throughout the game (not just in spurts).

On the plus side, we didn't allow a goal on 5 Mississippi power plays and managed 2 power play goals of our own (although we did give up a short-handed goal). Both of those stats could be key for the rest of this series.

Both teams rode the bus overnight to Columbus, getting in early this morning. That could also be a key factor to tonight's game, considering the early start time. We got in about an hour and a half before the Surge did, and our guys got to sleep in their own beds last night. Let's hope the rest gives us an advantage tonight. If not, I've got a secret weapon (pictured above).

2010 SPHL Playoffs: Game 1

So, we're here in Biloxi to face the #1 Mississippi Surge in the SPHL Playoffs. Game 1 is tonight at the Mississippi Gulf Coast Coliseum. We're pretty well rested, having made the trip here yesterday after practice. We left Columbus just after 1pm EDT, and arrived at the rink just after 5pm CDT. We unloaded and unpacked and headed to the hotel. Then we had a nice team dinner at Salute, an Italian restaurant right next to the hotel.

The boys are in pretty good spirits and I really think we're as ready as we can be for this series. The last 4 days were probably the best 4 practices we've had all season...certainly the best series of 4 practices in a row. We've had video sessions and gone over the game plan and I think we've done everything we can to get ready for this series.

I know most people around the league probably don't give us much of a chance, but I really like what I see out of this team right now. I've thought all season long that we are a better team than our record shows. Now it's time to prove it. The last 56 games don't matter anymore. Only what happens from here on out matters.

The Surge have a good team, clearly. But their whole game is built around their power play, and in the playoffs there usually aren't that many power plays handed out. We just have to stay disciplined. If anybody has a chance to beat them, I think it's us. I've seen what this team is capable of and when we play our game we're just about unbeatable. The only question is whether the boys will play up to their potential. I guess we'll find out tonight. It's going to be a good series. Go Snakes!

On the road again **Warning: It's a long one!**

With apologies to Willie Nelson, I usually CAN wait to get on the road again. We were just in Fayetteville last weekend, and now here we are again...and a day early, to boot. We played here last Friday night, bookended by home games on Thursday and Saturday. Coupled with two 7-hour bus rides to and from Fayetteville in between, that made for a long weekend. Sunday couldn't come quickly enough for me, and I spent most of the day trying to catch up on my sleep. Now, here we are again. We left at midnight last night (Wednesday night) and got to the arena just before 7am. We practiced from about 8-9:30am, then went to breakfast while we waited for our hotel rooms to be readied for our (early) arrival. We got to the hotel at around 11:30am and got checked in and made our way upstairs. Several guys made plans to go to the movie theater down the street, while some made their way to the mall near the IHOP where we stopped. We usually don't get much free time in opposing cities; we usually just go to the rink and the hotel, then back to the rink. It's nice when you have an opportunity like that to just hang out and relax for a little while. I myself spent the majority of the afternoon in my room trying to follow up on some orders (and checking in on my Facebook). I still may check out a movie (either at the theater or in my room), but other than that there's not much going on here.

I should apologize for the lack of posts here recently (just in case anybody's actually reading this). We've had a busy schedule recently and I just haven't made time to post on here like I originally intended. Let me catch you up:

We went on our first road trip of the season to Huntsville and Pensacola on the 6th and 7th of November. We came out sluggish in Huntsville and dug ourselves a hole. We battled back and made a game of it but ultimately fell short, losing to the Havoc 4-2. After the game, we boarded the bus and headed for Pensacola, arriving there at around 5am. We dropped the gear off and headed to the hotel to get some much needed rest, having spent 10 of the previous 16 hours on the bus. The sticks came alive on Saturday night and the Snakes cruised to a 7-4 victory. We built up a 6-1 lead, then held on through a 3-goal onslaught before icing the game with and empty netter in the closing seconds. I've got to hand it to the Ice Flyers; they never gave up and put up quite a fight in the end.

Before the game, we had the chance to visit with former Cottonmouth Lorne Misita. He's one of the guys that got squeezed out by the veteran rule last season after a 5-year tenure with the team. He's a good player and I'm sure that letting him go was a very tough decision for Jerome. It's one of those times that I'm glad I'm not the Head Coach.

Our practice schedule the following week was a little off-kilter because of events in the Civic Center, and we found ourselves leaving a day early for Mississippi because we had no practice ice. We left early on the morning of November 12th and arrived at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum just as the Fayetteville Fireantz were loading up the bus to leave. They were already in town to play the Surge that night, so we ended up dressing for practice in an open hallway, amid a couple dozen busy construction workers trying desperately to get the place ready for the game that night. We waited around for nearly an hour while a crew worked on the center-ice scoreboard, then finally got on and had our practice. It was a beautiful, balmy Gulf Coast day and most of the guys were in shorts and t-shirts for this trip. After practice, we loaded the gear back onto the trailer and headed for the hotel. We checked in and the guys scattered like dust in the wind. Some, no doubt, headed for the casinos. Many headed for the beach (right across the street from the hotel). Some of us hung out in the hotel until dinnertime.

After dinner, a bunch of us made our way back to the arena for the game. It's not often we get to sit in the stands and enjoy a game as spectators. It's a nice change of pace. We got to see our old friend, "Dynamite" Daryl Moor, suit up against the Fireantz. In typical Moorsy fashion, he had a pretty good game. He recorded an assist in the second period, and later managed to slash a Fayetteville player in the back of the legs and punch the goalie in the head without getting called for either infraction. Classic Moorsy. I miss that guy. After the game, we waited for the Fireantz to clear out of the visitors' locker room so we could move our stuff in. We set up for the next morning, then cabbed it back to the hotel.

The next morning, the usual gameday routine was in effect. I headed down to the rink early to set up and finish sharpening skates, then the bus followed along later with the players. We took to the ice in our customary 11am-noon visitors' time slot, had a light skate and then loaded up for the ride back to the hotel and our team lunch. After lunch, I packed my bag and caught a cab back to the rink to get ready for the game. We played a decent game, and Vigier played a pretty good game (stopping 34 of 35 shots), but we lost the game 1-0 on a power play goal by Matt Zultek (who leads the league in that category). The offense got their chances, but just couldn't connect on them (being foiled by former Snake Ryan Senft). It's a tough way to lose a game.

Afterwards, we boarded the bus and headed for the place we'd all been dreading: Lafayette, Louisiana. Now, this is nothing against the state of Louisiana or the city of Lafayette. Having lived about an hour away from there for 3 years I have a strong affinity for the area. I actually attended numerous Ice Gators games in the Cajundome when they played in the ECHL. The only problem is that this team doesn't play in the Cajundome. They play in a crappy old rodeo barn a couple blocks up the road. I had heard the horror stories about this building and the visiting locker room facilities, and while they were certainly bad, they weren't as bad as I had built them up to be in my mind. I actually had to laugh when I saw the place. It reminds me of some of the old barns in the old WPHL (Western Professional Hockey League). I remember pulling into places like Waco and Abilene and El Paso and San Angelo and just dreading being in there. Those places were miserable. This place made me nostalgic for those days.

We dropped the gear, laid it out to dry as much as possible and headed to the hotel to catch a few Zs before heading back for the morning skate. We slogged through the morning skate, then the guys headed back to the hotel to rest up for the game. I went with the Gators' Equipment Manager, Frank "Rizzo" Jury, to grab some lunch and run a few errands. We hit up the Olive Garden for lunch, then went to a laundromat to do our laundry. There are almost no laundry facilities in the Blackham Coliseum, so whenever Rizzo has a visiting team in town he has to come here to get their laundry done. I've known Rizzo for about 14 years, so this was a nice chance to spend some time with him and catch up on some old stories. It was not the way I would normally spend my afternoon on a gameday, but it was kind of fun.

Rizzo got me and our laundry back to the arena and I began to set up for the game. There wasn't much I could do with this locker room (or should I say "these locker rooms"), but I made do the best I could. The guys showed up and went to work, but again we fell short by a goal...losing 2-1 to the Gators. This made the long bus ride back home even longer, and we all knew it would be a tough week of practice ahead.

Lousiana came to visit us the following week and we made up for lost time, beating them 4-1 on Friday night. Saturday, the Huntsville Havoc paid us a visit and came up with a 5-2 win. I really hate losing to those guys. They're so smug and cocky. It's really annoying. They have a good team, but I don't think they're nearly as good as they seem to think they are. Unfortunately, we haven't played a full 60 minutes either time we've faced them this season. The first meeting, in Huntsville, we started off slow and couldn't dig out of a hole. This time, we pretty much outplayed them for the first 50 minutes or so, then took a 2-minute nap and a 2-2 tie turned into a 5-2 loss.

Last weekend, the Snakes busted out the whoopin' sticks and shot down the Ice Flyers by a score of 8-1, thus spoiling the return of Lorne Misita to Columbus. It was another one of those games where we wished we could save a few goals for the next game. Especially given the fact that through Thursday's game Fayetteville's Guy St. Vincent had run his shutout streak to 126 minutes and change. We thought we might need all the goals we could get against them on Friday. As it turns out, we could have used a couple more. We managed to score 4 goals on Vinny, but allowed Rob Sich to score a hat-trick to lead the Fireantz to a 6-4 victory. Saturday it was back to the Snakepit for another reunion, this time with Daryl Moor, Ryan Senft and the Mississippi Surge. The Snakes built up a 4-0 lead and appeared to be cruising to another big win, but the Surge battled back to force a shootout (as they had done the previous night in Pensacola). "Scorin" Orrin Hergott iced the victory for the Cottonmouths in the shootout, but the blown lead raised some concerns over our killer instinct. When you've got a 4-goal lead against a team, you have to put that game away. You can't let a team up off the mat like that. Basically, we gave the Surge a point. That should never happen.

And now, here we are on the road again. Once again, we had to leave early because we had no ice available in the Civic Center. So, we bussed up here this morning for practice, then pre-game skate tomorrow and prepare to play the game. After the game, we'll head back home with no practice ice for the next few days. That means I should be able to get a couple of days off. Yay for me. But first, I'm hoping to get 2 points at the Crown Coliseum tomorrow night.

But then...that's not just me.