Schlitz (11) vs Last CallMonday December 14
Dedham 9:00
6-3 loss
The Golden Beercans threw a decent lineup out on Monday night against a struggling Last Call team which, according to the website, only had 2 wins on the year so far. There was a nice even 11 in the room and the optimism was high… especially given the preponderance of “natural” defensemen in the room. No we still haven’t nailed down the certified “natural-ness” of any of us just yet...the blogger has always been a believer in better living through chemistry...but I digress.
Here’s what the lineup looked like.
D1: Campbell, DWH
D2: George, Jeff
Centers: Larry and Neil
Wings: Daley and Baker; Parker and Goody; Blake and Gregson
Lizzy in the Pipes.
The early returns weren’t just good, they were awesome. After two shifts the puck hadn’t left the Call’s end and there were shots flying from everywhere. Clearly the Gold would be able to move the puck around a bit if the first five minutes were any indication. Daley would come close on two occasions as he wheeled and dealed around the zone. It took two or maybe the third shift
around for Mike to finally hit paydirt. Neil would feed Mike who would step to an open spot about 10 feet out and blew his shot past the Call’s keeper. Good guys 1-0.The Gold would keep up the momentum and would continue to get chances in the White end and the confidence level was high. The Call wouldn’t exactly go quietly in the first and they would make a nice play that got behind us and would plunk one by Lizzy to tie the game. The first would end 1-1 but the Gold was feeling very good about things.
The second would see Magic Mike Daley bust off another beauty of a shot after another extended cycle in the White end. Linemates Neil and Steve Baker would figure on the helpers and did a great job all night moving the puck around. Baker was returning, tentatively from a foot injury just 4 weeks ago. According to Steve in the post game locker room he spent 3 weeks on crutches, a week walking around, then showed up to this game. He wasn’t feeling great after the game, and honestly was limited at times on the ice.
The Gold was still doing a good job carrying the play but the Call were starting to get their chances. They were starting to take advantage of the opportunities presented to them, and they would come back to tie the game just a few minutes after the Gold had gone ahead. A bang bang play from their man 33 (blue helmet) and the game was tied about halfway through the game.
The play would definitely start to go a bit more back an forth. The Gold would take a penalty when Larry would go for an interference but the penalty was killed. As the period began to get late the Gold would strike again. Jeff would take the puck at the top of our own end and he flipped it to Goody in the slot. Goody flipped the puck up ice as Jeff streaked ahead of the D and picked up the puck for the breakaway. Jeff was able to stay ahead (miracle) of the D and got off a good low shot that beat the keeper for a 3-2 lead. Assist to Goody, that one read 10 from 10 on the sheet.
That my friend is the end of the good news I’m afraid. The period was coming to an end and just a shift or two after Jeff's goal the game changed, dramatically.
Bing, bang, boom. The Gold chased their collective tails in our own end... and the game was tied again. Not more than a minute later another goal for the Call and the second period ended, in a stunning reversal, Last Call 4 Schlitz 3.
To coin a phrase from the postgame locker room... and we weren't done sucking yet.
The Third period would open with the momentum still squarely in favor of the Call. They would rip off two more goals in the first five minutes of the period. Now it was 6-3 Call and the Schlitz were stunned. More chasing around on our part but really, something threw the switch on the other side there. The game was totally different after that stretch late in the second. The Call suddenly counter punched, effectively, and often. We were caught flat footed or would blow an assignment or lose an open puck battle and they pounced on it and turned it into trouble. Where were these guys in the first half of the game?
That's the way it would end folks. 6-3 bad guys with little redemption in our lackluster play the rest of the way. Everyone was trying, to be sure. There was a good effort from everyone on the Gold, but they just got chewed up and spit out by the Call after rocking the early periods of the game.Strange but true fans.
Lets hope the Dead in Red have better luck at BU on Wednesday night.
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