Legends Week (Part 2)

After returning home from Fayetteville at about 6am, we had a practice on Wednesday at noon. We skated for a little over an hour, then I really went to work. Several of the Legends' jerseys came with their names misspelled, so I've got some sewing to do. I have to remove the misspelled nameplates and sew the new, properly spelled names onto the jerseys. In addition, I had to take a blank jersey and sew numbers on it to make a #5, then peel the numbers off a #6 jersey to turn it into a #7 for Brent Clarke (who came to us after we had ordered the Legends jerseys), then peel the numbers off a #37 so I could make a #19 jersey for Mike Martens (who was a late addition to the Legends roster). It means I've got a lot on my plate over the next couple of days, in addition to my regular duties. I've spent too much time at the rink and on the bus already this week, and it's only going to get worse.

I've also been working the phones and e-mail to try and track down socks to match the Legends jerseys (3 different versions of the 1980 Team USA "Miracle on Ice" jerseys; the home white, road blue, and an alternate red version). We had initially decided to use our regular home and road (white and blue) game socks with the white and blue jerseys, then find a set of red socks for the red jerseys. We figured we could find somebody who had a set of red/white/blue socks (or something close to it) that we could borrow for one game, rather than paying $14/pair for socks we're going to use once (I have boxes of those in the equipment room already from 12 years of specialty jerseys). I tried the Washington Capitals, thinking their socks would most closely match the jerseys. One of their equipment guys said he'd put me in touch with people he knows with the Team USA junior program, which would have been perfect. Unfortunately, that didn't work out. We finally tracked down some acceptable (though not ideal) socks to wear for the weekend (thanks to the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs of the Central Hockey League and our league's Knoxville Ice Bears).

Thursday we faced off against our old nemesis, the Fayetteville Fireantz. We played a much better game this time, and got the result we were looking for, winning 4-3. We still need to learn how to play with a lead, having given up 2-0 and 3-1 leads, but we got the win in regulation and right now we'll take all of those we can get. Tonight was special for our guys...many former Snakes were at the game, having arrived for Legends Weekend. It's good motivation for the current players to see the old guys who won it all with the Snakes. It's not hard to find motivation to play your best when you've got "Dangerous" Dougie Mann and Tom "The Bomb" Wilson watching. Nobody wants to upset either one of those guys by performing poorly. One look from them could make your heart turn cold. I certainly wouldn't want either one of them mad at me. It was cool to see the old guys hanging out with the current players after the game.

Friday morning we practiced at our usual time. After practice we had the Legends on the ice for "practice". It wasn't really much of a practice, more like a chance for some of these guys to knock the rust off their skates. While it was hectic having a bunch of guys come in to get geared up, it was nice to have the extra day so it was a little more spread out. Instead of 30 guys coming in on the same day, we had a few come in on Thursday, a bunch on Friday, and then a few on Saturday. It made it quite a bit less frantic, which was good because my day was frantic enough as it was. I was still working on pulling off namebars, sewing on namebars, and switching numbers. I was waiting for a set of numbers to arrive for Mike Martens, but they didn't show up. I ended up having to take a jersey to Team Sports Supply to make a number 19 for Martens. The only problem was that their sewing lady wasn't going to be in, so they would only be able to heat-press the numbers onto the jersey. I would still have to stitch the numbers down, but I couldn't pick up the jersey until Team Sports opened at 9am on Saturday. It would be a scramble to get the jersey, stitch the numbers down and sew on the namebar before the Legends took the ice for their morning skate at 11am.

My day began especially early on Saturday...Huntsville had played in Pensacola the night before and headed North to Columbus immediately after. This meant they would arrive in Columbus somewhere around 3:30-4am. Since there is no 24-hour security in the Civic Center, I had to be there to let them in. It meant going to bed earlier than I have since I had a bedtime (MANY years ago), but actually turned out to be a good thing. It gave me time to work on the jerseys when there was nobody around to bother me...and I do mean nobody. Even the cats were asleep. I got some good work done while waiting for the Havoc to arrive, and more while I was waiting for their laundry. It made for a long day, but a productive one. We took our morning skate, immediately followed by the Legends. Things progressed fairly smoothly, and the game went off without a hitch.

We took an early lead in the game on a goal by Levi Lind midway through the first period. After a bad second period (which saw the Havoc take a 2-1 lead), we battled back in the third and tied it on a goal by Sam Bowles late in the period. After Justin Rohr drew a penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct, the Snakes began a rare overtime power play. It took Bowles just 28 seconds to find the back of the net for the game-winner, giving us a very rare overtime win (only our second of the season). It capped off a very long, but very productive, weekend. I was so glad to see it end.

Legends Week (Part 1)

Well, I keep telling myself I should post here more often, but somehow when it comes time to do it, I always fall behind. It's been a very busy couple of weeks, with the Legends weekend and everything else that's been going on.

We finished off January with a 2-game road trip to Pensacola and Mississippi on the 29th and 30th. We bussed down to P-Cola on the day of the game and left with a 2-1 win over the Ice Flyers. The Snakes trailed going into the third, but goals by Kyle Lundale and Sam Bowles turned the score around and gave us the win. The game was pretty uneventful, except for the first professional fight of Jesse Cole. It kind of surprised all of us...even him. He said after the game that he didn't know what came over him. He did all right, though, considering he's not really a fighter.

After the game, we made our way about 3 hours East on the I-10 to Biloxi, Mississippi. We unpacked our gear and headed to the hotel to get some sleep. The next day was a regular game day, with a pre-game skate in the morning. After the skate, we went back to the hotel for a team lunch. I headed back to the rink in the afternoon to set up and get ready for the game. We didn't play badly, but spent much of the night in the penalty box and couldn't generate much offense. We were tied 1-1 in the third until Michael Richard dented the twine with just under a minute left in the game, giving the Surge a 2-1 win.

We boarded the bus and headed back home to enjoy our Sunday off before getting back to work on Monday.

Monday began a very long week for the Snakes. We practiced in the morning, as usual, but packed and loaded out at Midnight for our trip to Fayetteville. We arrived in Fayetnam at 7am and took the ice for our morning skate at 8:30. Then the boys headed out for lunch and to rest up for the game. I made my way to the Pancake House for breakfast, then headed back to the rink to set up for the game. There was a nice little bit of snow on the ground, but all in all the weather wasn't bad.

This was not our night. We got outplayed, outshot, outhit...we got out-everythinged. Chad Rycroft got peppered in the net and gave up 5 goals in the first period (of which he might have had a chance of stopping one). He finished the game and took a 9-4 loss. I don't know if it was the bus travel or something else, but we just didn't have it.

After the game we had the proverbial long bus ride home.  It was very quiet and very tense, like everybody was holding their breath.  We were tired and frustrated...and the week had just begun.

It's about time!!!

Well, tonight we finally managed to do something we haven't been able to do all year...we won a game that went beyond regulation time. It wasn't an easy road, but that just makes it that much sweeter. Tonight we played the Mississippi Surge (to whom we lost a tough 5-3 game on Wednesday in Biloxi) and had to come from behind to tie the game in most dramatic fashion. With the goalie pulled for the extra attacker, Levi Lind found the back of the net with only 11 seconds left on the clock. It was a see-saw battle throughout, with teams trading leads. The Snakes entered the third period down 3-2, but battled back to tie the game at 3 a side. Then the Surge retook the lead with 4 1/2 minutes remaining only to see the Cottonmouths battle back to tie it once again. It was a very intense game, with the feel of a playoff game. The Snakes' bench erupted when Orrin Hergott scored to win the game in OT. We had played 5 or 6 OT or Shootout games coming into tonight, falling short each time. The thing about overtime is that the slightest little mistake or unlucky bounce ends up in the back of somebody's net. Until tonight, it had always been our net. Tonight, we threw an 800 lb. Gorilla off our backs, and if felt pretty good.

Anybody who didn't enjoy watching this game needs to check their pulse, regardless of who they were rooting for. This was a very exciting game to watch, the way hockey should be played. There were lots of good hits, good passing, good skating, and good saves. About all that was missing was a fight. I'm not even sure that would have brought more excitement than this game.

Anyway, it was good to finally put one of these in the win column. Next up is the Louisiana Ice Gators tomorrow night (Saturday). I can't wait!

But then...that's just me.

Happy New Year!

Last night we started the new year off right...with a 'W'. It wasn't pretty, but it counts all the same. It's been suggested to me that it's inappropriate for a team employee to make negative comments about the league's officials, so I won't comment on the officiating. I'll focus on the positives. We came out strong, we played physical hockey all night long, we managed to put goals on the board, Rycs looked great (again), and we managed to string together 60 minutes of good solid hockey. This is more like it. We're not ordering the rings just yet...it was only one game, after all. But we are feeling a little better about ourselves than we have been recently. Let's hope that this is a harbinger of good things to come and the way we're going to play down the stretch.

I'll make this a short one, since I'm back at the rink right now, packing and getting ready for today's trip to Pensacola. I may have mentioned that I love the day trips. They're so much easier to pack/prep for. There's less stuff to drag along with us, so less to worry about forgetting. And I get most of my work done early, so I can relax and just enjoy the trip. Maybe we'll watch Mystery, Alaska on the bus today.

I'm also looking forward to a special guest on the road trip today...Jagger Stahl. Craig's young son is coming along on the trip today to see what Daddy's job is all about. He had his first autograph session last night, and wasn't shy about slapping his John Hancock on anything placed in front of him. The kid's a natural ham...I wonder where he gets that from. Hmmmmm. Anyway, it's kind of cool that Stahlsy gets to share this with Jagger during the last season of his career. We're all looking forward to it. The Jag Man is a crackup!

Anyway, that's all for today. Happy New Year, to whomever might actually be reading this.

Happy Christmas, break is over

After a whirlwind week, I find myself once again getting things together for another road trip. As we've done 3 of the last 4 weeks, we'll be leaving the Civic Center early to practice on the road. This time, it's Sesame Street and Elmo that are forcing us out of our home a day early. We'll be leaving at midnight Tuesday night to arrive in Fayetteville somewhere around 7am. We'll probably get on the ice at about 8am, skate until about 9:30, then head to breakfast while we wait to get into our rooms.

This whole last week has been a blur, despite us only playing 2 games. We hosted the Huntsville Havoc on Tuesday, December 22nd. They seem to be the team to beat this season, having lost only 4 games in regulation. They have a sizable lead in the standings, and we have yet to beat them this season (with the exception of one preseason game, with most of their big-name players sitting out). I don't think they're really that great a team, but they work hard and they're steady. They don't make many mistakes. And they have a very good goalie, as well. They've sure had our number this year.

We started off slow, but held them to only a power play goal through 2 periods, largely due to Ian Vigier's acrobatics in goal. Vigier stopped 18 of 19 shots in the first period. We came alive in the second and dominated the play, but only managed one goal to tie it at 1-1 going into the third period. We couldn't get things going for the first half of the third and gave up 3 straight goals to the Havoc. We dominated the play for the last few minutes, but couldn't find the back of the net until the last 2 minutes...too little, too late. The game ended in a 4-2 loss. That seems to be our bugaboo this season...we play 30 or 40 (or 50) minutes of good hockey but can't seem to sustain it for the entire 60 minutes. Sometimes we play well enough during the good times to hold on for the victory, but other times we don't. We let the other team get back into the game, rather than finishing them off. We seem to have no "killer instinct". That's something we need to figure out.

***We got some bittersweet news after the game. Goaltender Ian Vigier was getting called up to the Florida Everblades of the ECHL. He's only expected to be gone for about a week, which means he'll miss 4 Cottonmouths games. While it's a good opportunity for him, I kind of like having our 1-2 tandem with Vigier and Rycroft, and having a little insurance in case anything happens to one of them. During Vigier's absence, our old friend Barney Slayton will fill in as EBUG (Emergency Back-Up Goaltender). It's a role he's familiar with, having served in that capacity for a handful of games last season.

After the Huntsville game, we had a few days off before our next game in Knoxville on the 27th. Some players headed home to spend the holidays with their families, but a few stayed in town during the break. It was strange to have Christmas off...in my previous 2 years here we've played a game on Christmas day. We had optional practices on the 23rd and 24th, with a few guys participating each day. Wednesday, we had our team Christmas party at TK's. It was a very nice gathering. Wanda and Shelby really know how to throw a party. It was nice to forget about hockey for a couple of days and let off a little steam...maybe recharge the batteries a little bit.

***Part of our hockey family received a wonderful gift on Christmas Day. Craig and Michelle Stahl welcomed their second child and first daughter. Congratulations, Stahl family!!!

We were back at work on Saturday, taking the ice at 11:30 for practice to prepare for Sunday's game at Knoxville. I stayed after practice to pack up, since we would be leaving at 8:30 Sunday morning for a 5pm game.

We loaded the bus and left for Knoxville right on time and settled in for the ride. As usual, the TVs went right to the NHL network to catch up on the highlights from the previous night's games. Most of the guys retired to their bunks right away and went back to sleep. We arrived in Dalton, GA at about 11:15 and stopped for lunch. A few of the staff went to Five Guys for burgers (fantastic!), while some made the trek to Longhorn Steakhouse, Schlotzky's, or Subway. We boarded the bus and got back on the road at about 12:30pm. We arrived at the Knoxville Civic Coliseum for the first time this season (I can't believe that we're on the verge of New Year's Eve and this is our first trip to Knoxville).

We played another pretty good game, holding a lead for much of it. Once again, we just couldn't seem to bury our chances and finish them off. The Ice Bears battled back and tied the game with a late goal, then went on to win the OT period. We got a point, but not the 2 points we should have had. Chad Rycroft took the loss, despite stopping 41 of 44 shots. He played a good game, and deserved the win. He stopped quite a few point blank shots, inlcuding breakaways to their 2 best players, Swider and Vitek. Once again, we played well enough to win. We just couldn't finish. It's becoming a recurring theme.

Now we're getting ready to get back on the bus, heading into the new year with 3 games in 3 nights in 3 different states. Hopefully we can start the new year on the right foot. Let's go ahead and make that our New Year's resolution. We'll see you soon. Go Snakes!

Happy Holidays

Well, here we are on the doorstep of the Christmas holiday. For the first time since I came here we don't have a game on Christmas Day, which is nice. We have a game tomorrow night, December 22nd, then we're sort of off for 3 days (we have optional ice on the 23rd and 24th) before returning to practice on the 26th (that's Boxing Day, for you north-of-the-border dwellers). Then we jump on the bus bright and early on the 27th to head for Knoxville for a 5pm game, which is only fair considering that they've had to come here on Christmas Day for the last 2 years.

So, that's the week ahead. Now for the past 2 weeks. When I last blogged, we were in Fayetteville a day early because we had no practice ice in Columbus. We played the Fireantz on Friday night (Dec. 3rd), winning 3-2. The game really wasn't as close as that until the very end. We dominated the game and were cruising to a 2-0 win until the last 2 minutes. After getting caught with a tired line out on the ice after an icing call, we were unable to clear the zone after the ensuing faceoff and Fayetteville kept pressure on us until they finally found the back of the net with under a minute and a half remaining. That's the worst feeling when you have a nice comfortable 2-goal lead and they score to cut it to one. All of a sudden any little bounce or any little mistake can tie the game. Anything can happen in a goal-mouth scramble, and your nice comfortable cruise to victory suddenly feels like you're walking on pins and needles. You've given them momentum (which can be an invaluable weapon), and you've hamstrung yourself. It's hard to describe what goes through your mind at moments like this. Your grip gets a little tighter on the stick, your heart beats just a little bit faster, your breath hangs in your throat...you're right on the verge of panic. You try to fight the feeling, but there's no stopping it. Well that's where we were on this night. We were mad because we let Vigier down on his shutout bid (he has yet to record one this season, but probably has deserved 2 or 3), but more than that we were terrified of losing the lead. Well aware that one tiny mistake can make the difference in the game at this point, your only thought is not to be the guy that makes that mistake. And that's how they get you.

But not on this night. Luckily, after the Antz pulled their goalie for the extra attacker, Jeff Martens got the puck with a clear lane and he fired it down the ice into the empty net, giving us a 2-goal lead once again. It's a good thing, too. With under a minute left the Antz threw the puck at the net and got a weird deflection on a seemingly harmless play. Before anybody knew what was happening, the puck was in the back of the net. We fought off one last surge and held on for a 3-2 victory. It wasn't pretty, but we'll take it.

After the game, we returned to Columbus with no practice ice for the next few days. After a few gym days for the players, we packed up and headed to Huntsville a day early, as we had to Fayetteville the previous week. We were to play there on Thursday, but went up on Wednesday to practice on their ice. Again, it's not an ideal situation, but sometimes you just have to play the cards that are dealt to you. We got into the Von Braun Center in the midst of massive construction. A cloud of concrete dust hung in the air (which was also saturated with diesel fumes) during our practice. We battled through the haze and had a pretty decent practice before retiring to the hotel for the evening. There wasn't much to do at the hotel, so we pretty much just took it easy, which is probably a good thing.

We got up for the morning skate on Thursday rested and ready to go. We knew this was a big game, against the top team in the league. We got in a nice light skate, then headed back to the hotel for a team lunch. We had what I believe was our first shoe-check of the season, which is always a good icebreaker. The boys seemed pretty loose and relaxed.

The boys started arriving around 4:30pm. That's the thing about having the hotel right across the street...while it's convenient for me to be able to walk back to the rink instead of cabbing it, it also means that the players can come over whenever they feel like it. I don't really like that. When they have to ride the bus I have a good idea when they're going to walk through the door, so I know how much time I have to finish setting up. When they can come over on their own, I have to plan on being ready earlier, which kind of throws my whole routine off. I don't like it when guys show up and the room's not set up yet. It's like letting them see the man behind the curtain. When all goes as planned, the players walk in and the room is just magically ready to go...jerseys neatly hung, equipment stalls straightened, laundry passed out (See the picture from my last blog. That's what I want them to see when they walk in the room). I don't like when they walk in and catch me still doing it. It's not really a big deal, but I like for them to see it all set up and ready when they walk in.

Anyway, the guys showed up and went into their usual routines. This varies from player to player but may include grabbing a cup of coffee, reading the press notes, going to the training room for treatment, listening to their ipod, stickhandling out on the ice, kicking a soccer ball around to loosen up...any number of things. Whatever it takes each guy to get into the right frame of mind to play the game. Each guy has his routine and sticks to it like sap to a tree. I don't want to say that hockey players are superstitious, but most guys are fanatical about their pre-game routine.

We went out and played one of our best games of the year and after 65 minutes of hockey we were tied 1-1. We went to the shootout and it just wasn't Vigier's night. He got beaten by all 4 shots he faced and we lost the shootout 4-2 (for a final score of 2-1 SO). I felt so bad for Ian. I think he really felt like he had let his team down and he took it pretty hard. The truth is he played well to get us to the shootout. If you think about it, we played the best team in the league dead-even for 65 minutes of hockey. We didn't get the win, but at least we got a point for the shootout loss.

We came back home after the game and prepared to meet the Knoxville Ice Bears at the Civic Center on Friday and Saturday nights. We had an optional practice in the morning, then the boys went home to rest up for the game. We came out hard and built up a 3-1 lead. Knoxville battled back and tied the game midway through the third, but Tim Green netted the game-winner with about 2 and 1/2 minutes remaining to seal the win.

Saturday night the teams battled back and forth exchanging goals and leads all the way through. With the clock winding down below the 2 minute mark, Frank Furdero (who had been strangely quiet the whole game) took matters into his own hands. He scored the tying goal with just over a minute left, then stunned the crowd with the overtime winner. He skated to center ice and struck a pose, and I'm a little upset that somebody didn't grab him and pummel him on the spot. That's a bush-league, hot dog move, and he shouldn't be doing that. Maybe in front of the home crowd, but not in our barn. I hope our boys remember that when we see them again. We owe him one, in my opinion.

Anyway, while we're a little disappointed that we gave up the late lead on Saturday, all in all it was a pretty good weekend. We took 4 out of 6 points, and moved up in the standings from 5th place to 3rd. It wasn't a great weekend, but a good one.

After the weekend (and a much-needed day off), we were actually able to get back into a normal routine. With practice ice available Monday through Wednesday, we set ourselves to the task of preparing for our next game Saturday at Pensacola. We boarded the bus at 12:30pm Saturday and headed for the beach. I love the day trips like this one. First of all, we travel lighter because I don't need to bring a lot of the extra stuff I would for a longer trip. Aside from that, most of my work is done before we leave, so once we load up the bus I'm on the R.E.W. list (Ride, Eat, Watch***). I can relax on the bus, watch a movie (this trip it was "The Hangover"), listen to my ipod...just chill. We got off the bus, unloaded and got ready for the game.

The Snakes took the lead late in the first period, then the Ice Flyers answered early in the second. We just couldn't seem to get things going. After the tying goal, we seemed to be playing not to lose, rather than playing to win. We stopped hitting and the Flyers started swarming all over us. We were really back on our heels for most of the second period and most of the third. The Flyers exploded with 3 goals in less than 4 minutes, and it started to look ugly. The boys didn't quit and we battled back with a 3-goal outburst of our own, tying the game with the extra attacker on the ice for Vigier. We tied the game with less than 7 seconds remaining.

Each team could have won the overtime 5 or 6 times over. Both goalies stood on their heads to keep the game alive. Vigier made some unbelievable acrobatic saves to keep us in the game. After a scoreless overtime period, it was time for another shootout. It came down to the last shooter, but they got the best of us. Still, we got a point that we all realize we didn't deserve. Sometimes that's just how it goes. Lord knows we've lost a few that we should have won. Maybe this was just Karma paying us back for one that they owe us. In any case, we'll take the point. We are now 3-0-3 in our last 6 games, for 9 out of a possible 12 points. Again, it's not bad but it's also not great.

Now it's time to see what Santa has in store for us this week. Happy Holidays everybody! Go Snakes!

***R.E.W. was paraphrased from Barney Slayton.

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.