Zombies vs Tripods

Cadavers (14) vs Tripod Allstars
Thursday August 11
BU 8:00pm

3-3 tie


Thursday night at BU gave the Dead in Red another chance to break the current winless streak that has started to dominate this season. The Tripod Allstars stood in the way of our getting back into the W column and wore a mish mash of different green jerseys.
They had a couple of guys that needed watching, a pair of half shields and the dude in the kelly green league shirt who could be trouble. Otherwise we were a pretty even match for these guys and this night’s opportunity was as good as we could have hoped for.
Randy Dudek manned the pipes for the Red, his return representing something like courage or masochism after he got torched the night of the Shock game a week back.
Randy had shown some flashes in the early periods of that game and brought a great attitude and solid hard work to the crease Thursday night at BU and we were glad to have him. Here is how the rest of the roster broke down.
Randy Dudek in Net
D1: Baker, Jeff (Baker would later switch with Parker and play up)
D2: Bauer, Snow
Centers: Sully, Roman
Wings: Scott, Matvey, Parker, Elliot, Jasse

The early going of this one didn’t look great for the Red who seemed to struggle a bit getting their game into gear. The Green did a good job pressing the play when they could, and the Red kind of scrambled for footing in the first 10 minutes. Randy did a nice job on a handful of strong chances and kept us in the early play.
Wish I could tell you otherwise, but the word that kept coming to mind while watching from the bench was... SLOW. That didn’t bode well if we were going to get over on the green Tripods.
The Green would break the ice first after potting a nice play past Randy who didn’t have much help, trust me, I had a great view of it as the guy went right by me… At the end of 1 the good guys were down 1-0.

The second period didn’t really get much better. The Green still spent more time in our end than we did in theirs. They would score again, about 5 minutes in. This time one of the half shields broke around Steve, after colliding with him, and ripped a sick wrist shot that went top shelf over the keeper.
The momentum would keep sliding away from the Dead as the clock went under 7 minutes the Tripods would land yet another one, on another high wrist shot and the game was now 3-0. Gulp. Again, I hate to admit it the feeling on the bench was not exactly one of brimming confidence.

One guy had had enough though. One guy felt the Zombie Pride bubble and stir and none other than Steve Baker would pull Parker out of the face off dot and switched with him, taking the center spot and single handed he would change the tide of the game. Steve won the face off, and playing with palpable anger and effort, pushed the play into the green end. The play went through the D men, and Steve found himself in the crease and on the doorstep where he chopped at his own short rebound and buried the puck to put the Dead on the board and back in the game.
The last few minutes of the period would see the Red at least with a pulse thanks to Bakers resuscitation, but the frame would close with the guys down 3-1... but at least we were alive.

The third would be a grind, as you who read these pages know it usually is. The game was clearly contested again and the sides had plenty of “give and take” with every loose puck. Parker would draw a penalty from the kelly green shirted number 3, a blatant cross check behind the play. Even after the call he had something to say to Kevin about the “checking” nature of the league. Whatever the delusion he sat and the Red shuffled through the power play with no real progress other than more time spent in the offensive zone. Almost as the first penalty expired Matvey would tangle with a Green forward and the two would end up on the ice then in the box with a pair of matching minors.

The teams played 5 on 5 and then the momentum shift became more dramatic when again, one of the Cads took the game on his shoulders and made something happen.

This time it was Jim Sullivan, playing center who would provide the jump. Sully would pick up an outlet/ loose puck just outside our blue line and pressed the play up ice with vigor. He swung around the D on the left then drove across the goal line, shedding defenders on the way, to the crease where he slipped the puck under the sprawling Green keeper and finally went to the ice himself after a bunch of contact in front. Jim came back up ice covered in snow and to a Red bench that was a lot happier and more engaged than earlier in the game.

I’m glad to say at this point that the Zombie revival was not done. As the time now ticked down to the final 5 minutes the Red would continue to get chances despite Green clearly trying to scramble and take the momentum back. Team Zombie kept it coming.
Sully would figure in again as he started another play up through the neutral zone. He swung it wide to Matt Elliot on the right wing who carried it into the zone drawing a guy toward him. Matt then threaded a absolute beauty of a pass back to the high crease where Roman Kurin was streaking. Roman took the pass and flicked it 5 hole past the moving keeper to tie the game. It was a really terrific bang bang play from Elliot to Roman with the nice finish. Just like the the game was tied and the clock was below the 3 minute mark.

I wish I could tell you the story had an even better finish, that the Red found a way to get one more tally in the closing moments to pull out the improbable comeback, but I can’t. You and I, friend reader, will have to be happy with the fact that the Red squelched any and everything that the Green tried to get going in those closing moments, and even turned in a few more shots in anger that at least had the potential to give us the W. You have to admit, coming back from 3-0 on a night when for half the game it looked like we just didn’t have it, will just have to be good enough. A tie is better than an L, and we’ve had too many of those lately, so we’ll take it.

Kudos have to go out to Baker for the paddle board jump start that got things going. They also go out to Sully for the great rush and goal, and to Roman for the most excellent finish on the game tieing goal. Randy deserves a mention here as well, he did a great job all night snuffing out chances. Great work all the way around.

The early game time left an opportunity for a nice 4th period gathering in the BU parking lot. Despite the BUPD cruiser idling 60 yards away, many cold beverages were enjoyed by those that stayed after.

Big props to Dr. Micheal Jasse and Kevin Parker for providing the ice cold goodness that fueled the stories and laughs under the full moon and flickering streetlights in the warm evening. Bauer, Elliot, Parker, Jasse and Fosdick lingered. It had been too long since number 12 joined us not only on the ice but for the postgame.

It was noted at some point that the 4th is declared an automatic win whenever you see the guys from the following game walking to their cars to go. So it was last night.

The cruiser moved on, to the relief of the lingerers, and the evening would end with a better feeling than it started with. Sometimes its enough not to lose, and to have those beers, laughs and stories in the warm moonlight. Thanks guys.