Final Score 0-6
The first thing I said our assistant coaches was a comment on how big the other team look. I have to admit opponents always look bigger from the bench but not so much from the ice. At the drop of the puck it took less than two minutes to observe that they were not only bigger, but more skilled as well. In general they were faster to the puck and better able to control the puck. I have to hand it to our guys for hanging in there. They tried to integrate hat we went over in practice. Our centers were better positioned, which helped improve our breakout to a small degree. Open players could more often be heard calling for the puck. These are the good things. Most of the players had a good time. Isn’t that what it is all about? Chris had a good time. He had no clue as to what was going on in the defensive zone. Us coaches will no longer assume goalies know anything about defense, eh? After three periods he had most of it figured out; culminating in standing up one of AHA’s wingers as he entered our defensive zone. Jeff distinguished himself too. He plays hard and we feel two of his penalties were not for specific infractions but rather for playing with an intensity that Rec. referees are not used to seeing. Then at the very end of the game he showed us something nobody wants to see. I was glad to see that didn’t make it to the stats sheet.
Penalties:
| # | Our Penalties | Min. |
| 22 | Slashing | 2 |
| 22 | Charging | 2 |
| 9 | Hooking | 2 |
| 14 | Interference | 2 |
| 22 | Holding | 2 |
| Total: | 10 | |
| # | Opponents Penalties | Min. |
| 13 | Tripping | 2 |
| 23 | Elbowing | 2 |
| 13 | Boarding | 2 |
| 23 | Boarding | 2 |
| 50 | Holding | 2 |
| 23 | Boarding | 2 |
| 10 | Tripping | 2 |
| 82 | Cross Checking | 2 |
| Total: | 16 | |
Your Grizzly Bantams lose. But this time we have an excuse. My clever wife Jan Baby did some sleuthing and discovered the NCYH has setup both Ice House Bantams and EPIC Bantams as fodder for the developing Breckenridge Competitive Bantam teams who are in training for an upcoming tournament in Calgary. They played and humiliated us in the morning then went East to Greeley where they got themselves into a dog fight with the IH Bantams. Yes, they beat them too but it was a close game with a final score 3-5. Would have been 3-4 except for that empty net goal at the very end.Some parents thought we looked flat. I guess it would look that way seeing as how we were in over our heads. From my vantage point I had concluded that the nature of the program up there in that thin air of Summit County somebody decided to ax the competitive program thereby moving those guys to the in-house program. Wrong of course but a good guess based upon how things turned out.
Your DNHL Bantams used their pre-game locker room time to go over game plans to the sound of heavy metal music provided by Adam Taylor. Our boys hit the ice hard knowing that lines would be short with the high number of absent players. For a variety of reasonable reasons JD, Tyler and Kevin found themselves otherwise engaged. Colton was glad for this turn of events as he was able to finally get off defense and play his favored position of center.
Grizzlies hit .500 with win over Arvada 1. What differentiated this game was overall anticipation and commitment. These intangibles translate to speed, puck possession and opportunities. One fact of hockey life I’ve shared with the team was a Wayne Gretzky interview where he likened hockey to playing poker. One does what one can to capture the best odds possible thereby creating more and better chances of a positive outcome. Winning face-off creates puck possession and a better chance. Playing position creates better chances of something good happening, and so on.
