I guess I am kinda lucky as my birthday is within the hockey season itself. It also means that depending what day it actually falls upon then there is a decent chance I'll be watching a game of some description in a eink. In recent years I have seen Steelers win Coventry Blaze convincingly in the House Of Steel. This year, it was the Panthers in opposition.
Prior to the fixtures coming out, I had deliberated over jetting out somewhere for a bit of late season sunshine. That was because I had it in my head that I thought we have a double header somewhere like Fife and Dundee around that time. That kind of changed when my mate said to me that I could easily forget that idea once he'd seen the fixtures list when they were released. Panthers away, and a night out post-game in the Lace City? My mind was quickly changed it has to be said.
So the wait for the actual day started, and once the calendar ticked over onto October then we were on serious countdown. Hotel and match tickets were booked, and it was like get ready for a decent celebration. We even decided we would go to the game in fancy dress; just to add a bit more extra to it. The night prior was a chill out one, pretty standard for me. Yet come noon on my birthday, having opened what cards I received, and wading through loads and loads of messages on my Facebook wall: it was time to go down the M1.
We picked fellow Steelers supporter Rosie en route, and made excellent albeit serene progress down the M1 to Nottingham: arriving at the hotel just after 2pm. A quick freshen up and the obligatory purchase of the lottery tickets ensued (believe me if I had forgotten then my life wouldn't been worth living as I would have had to face the wrath of my Mam) before meeting up with some other members of the hockey family (Sue, Danny, Kathryn and Kevin) for a meal in Hooters which seems to be usual thing now before a match at the NIC these days.
After the meal, predictably I had a Philly Cheese Steak, it was back to the hotel to get into costume and posing for a picture in the NIC itself for one of the Panthers official photographers. As for the game, it was one of them games that had a good side and a bad side to it. First period we should have put the Panthers out of sight but had just Luke Ferrara and Tyler Mosienko's goals to show for a lead. Even when Panthers pulled it back to 2-1 thanks to Kolnik, we responded immediately for 3-1 with a great finish from Mathieu Roy. My subconscious was already dreaming of a birthday win, and as we entered the last 5 minutes of that second period: we looked on course for that.
But once Myers made it 2-3, I noticed heads dropping and Panthers scented blood. Clarke levelled matters with a nice finish and just before the end of the period: Andy Bohmbach added a fourth to turn the game upside down. A laser from Mosey went through Tyler and the net too for 5-3, and it was the correct decision to award it despite what some around me were thinking. Yet Cullen made it 5-4 with 12 minutes left and maybe the pendulum would swing back our way? Alas not, Myers added his second and Panthers' sixth before MacMillan completed the scoring in a very strange hockey game with an empty netter with just over 2 minutes left.
Credit my Panthers friends, they were all admitting they were second best for the majority of the game but that was two points that we just let get away, such a disappointing end to a game which we should have won and in some sense, convincingly too. However rather than wallow in self pity and stay locked into my hotel room after the game, I got changed, freshened up again and went out for a few cheeky drinks or so. That I have very little memory of as I had a few, and have apparently made an agreement with one of my Panthers mates to swap one of my Steelers tops for one of his Panthers ones. Heck I must have been steaming. Still a good night despite the result..
Sunday morning and I was feeling a bit fuzzy to say the least. Head was delicate and I was heading to the bathroom at an alarming rate, perhaps that late night kebab was not the best decision I made. Eventually after an energy drink, I began to perk up and it was soon time to head back home as we had those Cardiff Devils in town at 5. That game was one we need to get a reaction from after the above events in the NIC the night before, and listening to Thommo's post game reaction just kinda summed up what we were feeling: we were literally hurting.
With Tom Pering in charge again, it was a tasty game it has to be said which some interesting decisions made by the number 41 in stripes being the talking point. It got to a stage for some that they were chanting "Bring back Hicksy!" after another weird call by the official, which is kinda rubbing the proverbial salt into the wound in some cases. Ben O'Connor opened the scoring, and by gosh he needed that goal after some had been questioning his performances recently but only for Devils player-coach Andrew Lord to share the spoils after the first twenty.
The real talking point was Tyler Plante though, who was trying to play through the pain barrier. It was sad to see a nettie in such agony, and once Martin made it 2-1 Devils then you just wondered how much longer this would go on for. Levi Nelson levelled matters almost straight after and then came the smart decision. Brad Day replaced Tyler to thunderous noise levels that had to be believed for both men, and you sensed that the team wanted to win the game not just for themselves and give Thommo the reaction he was looking for; but for their injury stricken team-mate. I've seen it happen so many times in football on a Sunday morning.
Mike Duco, another one whom some had raised questions over, put us ahead and we were putting the Devils under the cosh. Third period and we dominated that as if to say "We're having these two points!", and it took a freaky goal from Carl Hudson to level matters. Day was doing a remarkable job as relief and offensively we were the ones who looked like adding more to our tally with Ben Bowns being forced to bail out his side many times: we went into overtime and "The Bash Brothers" (Eddy and Fitzy) combined to set up Mam's wee favourite (and yours too Samantha) Dowdy to spin and fire in an effort that Bowns got a bit of but couldn't keep out. It was a character 4-3 overtime win and stuck those wheels back on after they'd come a bit loose.
All in all, it was a fantastic weekend and I must pay a shed load of thanks to those who made it for me. Just goes to show that the hockey family are one hell of a great bunch of people, you can't ask for more.
We picked fellow Steelers supporter Rosie en route, and made excellent albeit serene progress down the M1 to Nottingham: arriving at the hotel just after 2pm. A quick freshen up and the obligatory purchase of the lottery tickets ensued (believe me if I had forgotten then my life wouldn't been worth living as I would have had to face the wrath of my Mam) before meeting up with some other members of the hockey family (Sue, Danny, Kathryn and Kevin) for a meal in Hooters which seems to be usual thing now before a match at the NIC these days.
After the meal, predictably I had a Philly Cheese Steak, it was back to the hotel to get into costume and posing for a picture in the NIC itself for one of the Panthers official photographers. As for the game, it was one of them games that had a good side and a bad side to it. First period we should have put the Panthers out of sight but had just Luke Ferrara and Tyler Mosienko's goals to show for a lead. Even when Panthers pulled it back to 2-1 thanks to Kolnik, we responded immediately for 3-1 with a great finish from Mathieu Roy. My subconscious was already dreaming of a birthday win, and as we entered the last 5 minutes of that second period: we looked on course for that.
But once Myers made it 2-3, I noticed heads dropping and Panthers scented blood. Clarke levelled matters with a nice finish and just before the end of the period: Andy Bohmbach added a fourth to turn the game upside down. A laser from Mosey went through Tyler and the net too for 5-3, and it was the correct decision to award it despite what some around me were thinking. Yet Cullen made it 5-4 with 12 minutes left and maybe the pendulum would swing back our way? Alas not, Myers added his second and Panthers' sixth before MacMillan completed the scoring in a very strange hockey game with an empty netter with just over 2 minutes left.
Credit my Panthers friends, they were all admitting they were second best for the majority of the game but that was two points that we just let get away, such a disappointing end to a game which we should have won and in some sense, convincingly too. However rather than wallow in self pity and stay locked into my hotel room after the game, I got changed, freshened up again and went out for a few cheeky drinks or so. That I have very little memory of as I had a few, and have apparently made an agreement with one of my Panthers mates to swap one of my Steelers tops for one of his Panthers ones. Heck I must have been steaming. Still a good night despite the result..
Sunday morning and I was feeling a bit fuzzy to say the least. Head was delicate and I was heading to the bathroom at an alarming rate, perhaps that late night kebab was not the best decision I made. Eventually after an energy drink, I began to perk up and it was soon time to head back home as we had those Cardiff Devils in town at 5. That game was one we need to get a reaction from after the above events in the NIC the night before, and listening to Thommo's post game reaction just kinda summed up what we were feeling: we were literally hurting.
With Tom Pering in charge again, it was a tasty game it has to be said which some interesting decisions made by the number 41 in stripes being the talking point. It got to a stage for some that they were chanting "Bring back Hicksy!" after another weird call by the official, which is kinda rubbing the proverbial salt into the wound in some cases. Ben O'Connor opened the scoring, and by gosh he needed that goal after some had been questioning his performances recently but only for Devils player-coach Andrew Lord to share the spoils after the first twenty.
The real talking point was Tyler Plante though, who was trying to play through the pain barrier. It was sad to see a nettie in such agony, and once Martin made it 2-1 Devils then you just wondered how much longer this would go on for. Levi Nelson levelled matters almost straight after and then came the smart decision. Brad Day replaced Tyler to thunderous noise levels that had to be believed for both men, and you sensed that the team wanted to win the game not just for themselves and give Thommo the reaction he was looking for; but for their injury stricken team-mate. I've seen it happen so many times in football on a Sunday morning.
Mike Duco, another one whom some had raised questions over, put us ahead and we were putting the Devils under the cosh. Third period and we dominated that as if to say "We're having these two points!", and it took a freaky goal from Carl Hudson to level matters. Day was doing a remarkable job as relief and offensively we were the ones who looked like adding more to our tally with Ben Bowns being forced to bail out his side many times: we went into overtime and "The Bash Brothers" (Eddy and Fitzy) combined to set up Mam's wee favourite (and yours too Samantha) Dowdy to spin and fire in an effort that Bowns got a bit of but couldn't keep out. It was a character 4-3 overtime win and stuck those wheels back on after they'd come a bit loose.
All in all, it was a fantastic weekend and I must pay a shed load of thanks to those who made it for me. Just goes to show that the hockey family are one hell of a great bunch of people, you can't ask for more.
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