Zombies win season opener shutoutdaveur!

Schlitz (1) vs Cadavers(1)
Monday October 5
Bavis Arena 10:40pm

Cadavers 3
Schlitz 0



Well, so much for the off season.
This is what happens when you go deep into the playoffs… the next season starts the next week. So the assembled ‘Daveurs kicked off the Winter 2010 season with a very well balanced Schlidaveur event at the Bavis Arena in Rockland last night.
The Hockey Gods, with some help from management, set out a nice pair of rosters with the available talent for an early in the week late night tilt. Even though we’ve been playing a lot lately, this one really did feel like the beginning of the season with a bunch of friendly faces making a return to the ‘daveur ranks.
It was great to see a bunch of guys back in the Red and Gold last night. Mike Daley, Dan Gregson, Matt Elliot, Marc Valenti, and Dan Herbert all rejoined the team after a summer lay off and it was nice to have everyone back.
Here is the breakdown of the rosters.
Schlitz/Gold
Lizzy in Net
D: Valenti, Reynolds, Herbert
O1: Bell, Baker, and Shah
O2: Elliot, Hammitt, and Underhill

Cadavers/Red
Kilroy in Net
D: Campbell, Greg, and Jeff
O1: Nelson, Daley, and Parker
O2: Gregson, Dr.Pounds, and Capraro

Despite being a late game there were plenty off late arrivals, including Lizzy who was nice enough to have someone fill in for her as scorekeeper over at the other Rockland rink so she could make it for the game. Someone was injured in the game before and that gave us a few extra minutes.
Everyone made it out to the ice and the game got underway with just a smattering of smack talk between the rosters. Lots of chatting in the warm ups with guys catching up with the guys back from summer vacation.
The game settled in and the two teams started taking shots at each other. In general the play was clean and competitive, and both goalies warmed to the task as they both saw early action.
The Dead in Red would take the momentum in the early going and would generate a handful of chances right away. It was about 6 or 7 minutes into the game when they would get their first breakthrough. Pushing the puck up the right side and through the neutral zone, Mike Campbell would find Nelson at the offensive blue line. Nelson took the puck low and made a beauty of a pass back to the big D man who went to the slot and popped it home for the early lead. Campbell better be careful he is setting an expectation for excellence with all the goal scorers moves he’s had lately. The Red would hold the momentum and would get more chances but Lizzy and the Gold D would turn them away and the game would settle into a good back and forth at 1-0.

The second period was all back and forth but no blood either way. Also notable was that there were no penalties… not that there wasn’t contact…there was plenty of that… the items of note were a massive hit that Hammitt placed on Mike Campbell that literally shook the building. Campbell bounced up without so much as a word... Hammitt approached Campbell warily at the end of the game... kind of like when the lion tamer brings the big ol' steak in to see his friend... it was all good. The other item was Larry pulling a Roman. By this I mean that Larry headmaned the puck into the Red zone, thought about passing, made a move to avoid traffic, thought about passing again, made another move (now on far side of zone) thought about passing again, and then... he turned it over at the top of the zone and the play went up ice the other way. Jeff was going to call him Roman but was too busy sucking his lung back into his chest.

The third was really more of the same. Great stops by both keepers. Great work by both team's defence to work the play away from the slot. The third started with the Red down. Pete Capraro had taken the game's only penalty just before the end of the second and there was still well more than a minute to go when play began. A big shout out to Nelson and Parker for what could be the finest penalty kill I've seen in some time. The work was unbelievable. Both guys got back, then pressed forward and kept the Gold bottled up in their own end the whole time. It was really some nice work there.

We come to the end. With about 6 or 7 minutes left Mike Daley would make a terrific rush up the right side for the Red. Weaving in and out of players like so many pylons he wound his way to the slot and deposited a neat shot that went in and gave the Red the insurance goal they needed. The play was very similar to the "Russian Lullaby" also made famous by Roman. It kind of lulled everyone into a trance as he skated around then... bang. Goal.
The Gold would keep on coming and would force the play in the Red end for most of the rest of the way. This included a mad scramble in front of Matt that saw bodies flying and the puck resting right ON the goaline. Jeff was able to flip it out but not after it sat there for a full 2 seconds (that seemed much longer). On another occasion as time ran out Neil tried to stuff a shot between Matts pads as he stood right in front of him but the CEO BMF was having none of it.
The Gold pulled Lizzy and got a few more chances but it just wasn't going to happen. Greg James had a terrific takeaway with about 30 seconds to go, and he spun around and whipped the puck down ice. Greg screamed "please go in!" and it did. Game over 3-0 Cadavers. Winter season underway. Great work by everyone involved.
Game Stars
3rd Star: Nelson. An assist on Campbells goal and just tremendous work all night.
2nd Star: The Red D. James, Fosdick, and Campbell kicked ass and won battles all night.
1st Star: We're going to have to come up with a new nickname for him if he keeps winning first star like this. Mad Matt Kilroy pitches a shutout in the opener and gives his team the first 'daveur win of the season. Nice job.

4th Period awards to Greg James and Dr. Pounds for bringing cold tasty beverages.

Also to Kilroy for the peelout that left us all in stitches for minutes afterward.

Bonus comments here from Lizzy here as she chimed in this morning via email.
Here's Lizzy:
"I would like to personally welcome back Mark Valenti, he saved two goals from going in the net and he played well for someone who gets his equipment professionally cleaned.

*cough* pussy... Its nice to know when he retires/gets cut form the cadavers he will fit right in with the lobsters. As a matter of fact, I hear they will be holding tryouts this week, maybe Mark and Larry can go in that cute little BMW of theirs...
Its nice to finally have someone back who speaks as eloquently as me though.
thank you!!"
No no Liz. Thank YOU. Great game and a really good playoff run these past few weeks.

Welcome back everyone. Its nice to see you all. Check your email for rosters later in the week.