Here we go again

Its January so that must mean its hockey tournament time again. This year the pickens are a bit slimmer. Frudoch played in Cleveland on a team of "leftovers" from the select team and as expected things did not go well. Since the boys were made up of 3 different teams and none of them really liked each other the odds were stack against them from the start. When the coaches figured out that there were 15 forwards and a goalie the script was written.... The first game was a 11-2 beatdown which caused Frudoch to ASK to play Defense for the rest of the tournament. Fru is a decent defenseman, but he loves playing any of the 3 forward positions and was probably the best winger on the team. For him to ask to play D means things were bad. And they were. The nice thing was my cousin was able to come out with my aunt and take in the game. I had not seen my aunt in nearly 15 years and it was their first hockey game. Too bad the good guys sucked.

Saturday morning dawned with an early game at Gilmour Academy and the results were similar with a 7-1 loss. Luckily for me I had to head back home for an awards banquet and my wife drove up in time for me to tell her to check out of the hotel as we were eliminated from moving on after starting 0-2. Things continued with a 6-1 loss in the afternoon. I don't know, but I think not having a team name as well as a practice probably doomed this group from the beginning....

Poppy's team was in Cleveland too, but for this event she was not on the roster. It figures as that team won the whole tournament. She joins them in Detroit in a couple weeks.... It would have been nice as her main team is 0-12-1 on the year. The 6 teams supposedly dived to be equal has produced a team with no losses and a team with no wins. That sure sounds fair huh?

In other news Mark McGuire used steroids. No really he did. He admitted it. Barry Bonds and Roger "the liar" Clemmens still deny having used them....

Time Flies

Wow has the last few months flown by. It seems that the kids just went back to school. Alas its not the case and as I write this we are closer to Thanksgiving than we are to this past summer. The leaves are gone and I'm once again way late on throwing a blog post up. The kids are playing very competitive hockey this year and Freddy was able to make a PeeWee Major team instead of the expected Minor team. Quite an accomplishment for a kid starting his 3rd year of play. He has passed EVERY single kid that was on his first hockey team 2 short years ago. From last off the bench to starting at center. I'm quite proud of him. Poppy has elevated her game although the boys make it hard. Unfortunately this past Sunday a hit into the boards resulted in the ligaments in her thumb taking a beating. She came out of the game for about 6 minutes and her thumb was quite swollen, but she went back in and iced the thumb between shifts. The Dr. wants her in a splint and tight wrap for 2 weeks then we'll get an MRI and see if the ligaments are torn or if a break has manifested. She is in pain, but she went to practice the next night and gave it a go. We'll see how the season goes. Both are trying to make their respective select teams although both face uphill odds as first year PeeWee's and Squirts rarely make those teams without dad being a coach.

As for dad...I am helping coach Poppy's team and of course I enjoy it. Some times I wish I could take over entirely, but I just don't have the time. I'm up for reelection as Regional Executive of my region of the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA). I'm being challenged by the person that was the previous RE. Its a bit unorthodox to be RE and then not give the next one a chance, but whatever. i'll deal with it. If I lose it won't be so bad as I will get more free time.

The other reason its been so long since I posted was on October 12th, 2009 my longtime companion Zulu died. Zulu was nearly 14 years old and for a Rhodesian Ridgeback that is an exceptionally long life. Even though I knew the days were numbered the end hit me incredibly hard. Its been almost a month now and i still find myself looking for him dozens of times a day. Zulu was my daily companion for all those years and since for the past 5 I've been at home every day I spent so much time with him. He went with me everywhere. Many people have suggested getting another dog, but truly I'm not sure that another dog will be the same. Zulu had incredible qualities about him that other dogs just didn't have. Its tough to explain, but for the next couple years I think I'll be dog free. He died with me and it was a very difficult last few days and especially hours. Its hard to move on from that.

Again I'm on Facebook and I am able to catch up with so many people there so I post more often over there. Look for me. As of today Ohio enters the realm of states that allow gambling as a statewide referendum was passed yesterday to allow 4 casinos in the major metropolitan areas. This is going to be interesting to watch. I now need to find a place to take the fam for spring break or early summer vacation. Got any suggestions involving warmth and beaches?

A Chance for the Championship

Last Friday Frudoch and I headed up to Cleveland for the Rock and Roll Tournament. Its an almost weekly series of tournaments in Cleveland and for us it was the last chance the North Stars had to win big. 3 games were guaranteed with a championship game for 1 vs. 2. Our first game was Friday night in Euclid vs. the Georgetown Raiders from Canada. This group was a well coached and very disciplined team. The Stars were missing a couple of players and unfortunately for Fru they were his linemates so he had to skate with new players. Lets just say the game was very competitive, but never in doubt as the Canadians won 3-0. It looked like the start of another not so successful tournament. Saturday morning we had an 8:00 game in Chagrin Falls against the Mentor Cardinals and the team played great. They passed the puck and worked hard. They came away with a 4-1 win and we had the whole day open with nothing until 7:50 am Sunday. Lots of ideas were tossed around, but a bunch of us went to Perani's Hockey World which is a big hockey store. It was a load of fun and then it was time for a nap and then Mass. Frudoch and I finally got our dinner at Outback Steakhouse that we had been trying to do for a few months. So early to bed it was for an early game in Strongsville against Rocky River was coming. It was a super game of back and forth with the North Stars pulling out a 4-3 win. Frudoch had a penalty for interference, but was otherwise held in check. We all went back to our hotel to check out as we were now going to the CHAMPIONSHIP GAME in Lakewood against.... the Georgetown Raiders again. WOOHOO..... redemption.

It was about this time I noticed the scores for the games that had been played and the team we were about to play had not been scored on yet in the 3 games. Uhh Oh. But thats why they play the game. In this game the ref's were the story. The whistles were a blowing. The raiders got a quick goal and we matched them. Or did we. The ref claimed he lost sight of the puck which was a really bad call.

Frudoch Working Hard
Since the puck was never frozen or near the goalie. They immediately came right back and scored to make it 2-0. We got a break and finally got one past the goalie to cut it to 2-1 and then they had a goal waved off for a crease violation that was not a very good call. At this point the floodgates opened for penalties on the North Stars and Fru got one for a trip. He also got hosed on a no call while he was on a breakaway.

Those kids were big!
At the end there were 7 penalties on the North Stars and 1 on the Raiders. Not exactly even. They even called a penalty with 4 seconds to go in the game. So an empty net goal and a cheap goal later it ended 4-1. The penalties really did the North Stars in as the Raiders collected a couple power play goals. I'm not one to complain about officials, but it was not an evenly called game. The kids deserved better. So second place it was.

Once again a prime spot---In the penalty box!


Second place and a medal!
Not the Stanley Cup, But Close Enough

Back to the Story-- I'm feeling better

Wow how time has flown. Its been 2 and a half weeks since my last post and what was current then is old news now. I'll try to be more timely in my posts. So I left off in Vegas and thats a good place to pick up. The reason for my trip was to attend the 2009 SCCA National Convention. The SCCA is the Sports Car Club of America and I've been a member for 15 years. This was my first convention though. It went very well and I even came home up a bit winning $10.75. Las vegas itself has changed quite a bit since I was last there in 2002. The strip has a completely different look as new buildings are sprouting up everywhere. In fact the sidewalks were so crowded you could hardly walk. The planes coming in were all full as well. Las Vegas is not hurting. The high roller rooms were though. Our hotel was the South Point Casino about 8 miles off the strip. It was nice and the prices were fair. The trip home was not nearly as eventful as the way down. I had a 6:00 am flight to Atlanta on a Boeing 767. I love flying widebody aircraft as there is so much more room. I literally made it thru security with minutes to spare as I underestimated my time to get to the airport via a shuttle. All was well until my phone rang as the doors were about to close. My wife called to say there was no heat in the house back in Ohio. I had to talk quickly but told my wife to call the repair guys as our whole HVAC system was only 8 months old. Off to ATL I went. Upon landing my phone was ringing again. The furnace was fine (not) and we were out of propane. We live in the country so its either electric heat or a propane tank. Its cheap and warm if somewhat different. I told her call the gas guy. So I am standing in the middle of the terminal talking to a guy I know from Ft. Wayne and my phone rings again.

The Gas company won't talk to my wife as its my name on the account. I need to call them myself. I do and they eventually send out a truck. Gas will be on when I get home. I board my flight to Columbus, a MD-80. I hope we get off early as I hope to make my son's second game. The first game he got to by calling the opponent and asking one of them to drive and my dad agreed to pick him up and take him to the rink near the airport where I will take him home. I land in Columbus and get to the rink to find the game had ended. Oh well. The house will be warm and I am super tired having only gotten 2.5 hours of sleep.

When I get home the house is at 60 degrees. Calamity ensues as i try to figure out what's wrong. Lots of phone calls to the gas company and the HVAC company later the house is now 57 degrees. I am so tired at this point I just don't care and we all hunker down in the master bedroom for a night of camping in sleeping bags. When we wake up its 50 degrees. It turns out the burner did go bad....

So Then I came down with a horrible URI that had ben going around and I had a fever of 102 for a few days. It was really as sick as I've been in a while. The hard part was getting back to the regular grind.

Frudochs team won their first game in the championship and then lost to the Islanders and the Blues about 18 hours apart and they were out. A very disappointing end to the season for the only team to beat the islanders this year. We did go watch some of the playoffs although Fru thought they should have been there. Unfortunately the team played like individuals instead of a team. Lesson learned. Poppy finished her season playing full ice games and even got to join the Orange Crush for a full ice game an hour before her teams final game. Poppy was named player of the game for her play with the Orange Crush.

At the year end banquet both kids got awards for a great season. Frudoch getting a medal and Poppy a trophy. A load of pizza and pepsi too!. Last weekend the season came to an end with games in Athens Ohio for Poppy and Cleveland for Frudoch. I'll pick the story up there shortly with some photos.

Another Weekend Another Spectacular Goal

Well he did it again. Frudoch had a couple games and scored a couple more goals. The goal in the second game was absolutely amazing. It was a deflection off a hard shot that was exactly as its supposed to go, but rarely does. You've seen the type--In an NHL game. Frudoch was so excited he did a happy dance across the ice. The crowd was roaring. It sealed the win. A win over the Islanders who were playing their last game of the season. To that point in time they had not lost. Now they know what its like. And we got to see the happy dance.


SCOREBOARD

Goals Goals and More Goals. A goalie too!

We had another busy hockey weekend and it was fun fun fun. Poppy had 2 games and Frudoch had but 1. But what a game it was. Poppy had a really good game on Saturday with a couple goals and lots of heads up play. Sunday morning she took her stint as goalie again and once again was tough. She let a few through, but her team did a great job of scoring goals and playing defense. In fact one of her teammates who does not like girls told me that she plays goalie really well(for a girl). He also thought she was the best girl goalie around. High praise indeed. we returned a few hours later for Frudoch's game and he got off to a fast start with a couple goals in the first period. He worked hard trying to get that elusive third goal for the rest of the game and came close several times before finally(!) getting that third goal for the hat trick! His game was much more physical and he stayed with it as several team members were not able to play so the shifts were long. Now we have 2 games next weekend for him and a game for poppy before both go to tournaments the following weekend. For the season its about 15 goals. From the same kid that struggled to get one all of last year. Its a good feeling.

Who Knew There Was A Goal Scorer in the Family

We just returned from the first hockey tournament of the year. This one was in Indianapolis and Frudoch was there with the Columbus North Stars. This is Fru's first time making the North Stars and most of the other kids have played on the team for at least a couple years moving up thru the program as mites and now squirts. Needless to say they have an advantage as the familiarity with each other and the extra practices and games furthers their development. I was unable to make the first couple games as I had to stay back for a banquet so my wife took both kids and watched the first couple games while I came early Sunday morning and saw the last couple games. As I've noted before, Frudoch has improved his game quite a bit this year and now at the A level he is proving he belongs. In the 4 games he had 2 goals and 3 assists with 2 penalty minutes. He really has developed into a great forward and is willing to pay the price down low in front of the goal. What's maybe more impressive is his ability to setup his linemates with centering passes. In the Sunday game he was a monster crashing the net and scoring a goal on a rebound. His next shift out he was knocked down by an opposing player and he twisted his ankle and had to be carried off the ice and was unable to return. They held on to win the game, but the team lost a spark and his line allowed a couple of goals without him. His goal ended up being the game winner. His other goal was the first for the team in the tournament. I think he was having fun. His ankle felt a little better after keeping it iced and elevated and he played a limited role in Mondays semi final game. Unfortunately they ran into a team that was so disciplined and positionally strong and lost 3-2. It was a hard loss, but it will make them stronger. This story has not been finished.

In his most recent House game, Frudoch grabbed a couple early goals and tried so hard for the 3rd to get his first hat trick. He took 2 penalties in the 3rd trying to make something happen. The second penalty has a roughing for bumping this kid who just bounced about 5 feet off his shoulder. It was pretty impressive even though it was 2 kids running into each other and not a true penalty. This weekend brings 2 house games for both Frudoch and Poppy. Its gonna be another weekend of Hockey. Coming up soon we have Presidents Day weekend tournaments in Detroit for Fru and the North Stars and Poppy in Columbus for the Kings. See ya later.

Hockey Season has Begun....

And oh how after only a month and a half I'm exhausted. This year Poppy joined Frudoch in playing ice hockey. She has done a great job. So good in fact that after playing only 2 games she was asked to try out for the Select Team. Poppy scored her first goal in her second ever game on a one timer. It was if she played the game for years. Throughout the first few weeks all the coaches kept asking her how many years she has played. They never believed her. While not the fastest player she uses her brain and plays really smart. Poppy does things her brother can't do like using the boards to avoid opponents. She just plays a smart game. Tonight she had the second round of Select tryouts and she is holding her own. I don't know whether she will make the team as there are some fantastic 8 year olds out there. I'm just happy she got the chance.

Frudoch has had a super start to year 2. He has scored in the first 2 games and has had probably 20 shots on goal in the first 3. His playing time has been almost exclusively on the forward line with just a couple shifts on defense. He learned some moves at a summer camp and uses them all the time with good success. He too was invited to tryout for Select team and thru tonight's second tryout he looks pretty good. Again I don't know what exactly the coaches are looking for, but he is doing well. Most other parents think he is a lock to make the team. I'll wait for the coaches to tell him that. All in all its been a wonder improvement over last year as he never was given an opportunity to really play last year. This year both kids have GREAT coaches and they are progressing each week.

I am exhausted though as we go to the ice rink monday, wednesday, friday,saturday, and sunday right now. Its alot of running and of course its cold. Then again with it being in the teens and twenties this last 2 weeks the rink feels cooler. I've even been nominated to bench coach for Poppy's team when the coach is with her other team. For 2 of the three games I've been the coach and its sorta fun except I can't really follow the game too much. Poppy loves it though.