Author Archive: Eric Coulson

Ice: Squirrels Battle Back for Victory

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For the third straight game, the Screaming Squirrels surrendered the first goal of the game, but unlike last week’s 4-2 defeat, the Squirrels’ opponents weren’t able to build on their early lead, and timely goals from the Flying Finn, Tero Moberg, and assistant captain Ben Sumner were all that would be needed to knock off a strong Highlanders team.

Goalie Eric Coulson had a very strong game in net, seeing the puck extremely well, making all the saves he should have, and keeping rebound opportunities to a bare minimum. There was little to be done on the one Highlanders goal, as an errant pass (or was it a shot?) was deadened by defenseman Doug Winter, and landed right on the stick of Rahul Paris standing all alone just above Coulson’s crease. “I didn’t even know that guy was there all by himself. It’s like he materialized out of no where. I certainly would have made a different save selection had I’d known he was there.” No doubt, the double pad stack was not an ideal save selection.

But again, it was all the Highlander’s could muster. D-man Des Richelsen was throwing his ample weight around all night long after getting the verbal sparring going early with Highlander Joe Burkhardt. Former (and soon to be again?) Squirrel Jason Nehmer said post game, “What the hell was Des’s problem tonight? He nailed me hard twice.” Big Des took two penalties in the second period for playing the body rather than the puck, but he quickly learned his lesson and started playing the puck first, before dropping bombs on poor Highlander players. Des also brought the offense from the backend by spearheading the rush up ice that led to Sumner’s first of the young season, a well placed wrist shot along the ice.

Tero brought his typical junk yard dog mentality to the lineup for the first time this season (filling in for an injured Dan Carter and missing Rob Meyers) and scored what turned out to be the game winner on a perfectly placed wrist shot just inside the far post. Said the big Finn, “I was thinking I would try to go around him but then I looked and saw that spot.” Well played sir!

The Squirrel’s penalty killing deserves mention as well. The Highlander’s were 0-5 on the PP despite what seemed like ample time in the zone. Squirrel’s defensemen Winters and Charles Wolstein blocked shots with aplomb, forwards Tony Richelsen, Brent Machado, and Jeff Headlee denied time and space well and were ferocious battling for the puck, and rookies John Burke and Bill Rand were effective in clogging up passing lanes and generally creating havoc for the oncoming Highlanders.

A VERY satisfying win for the Squirrels against what most players thought was a somewhat more skilled Highlanders team. We buried our chances and denied theirs thanks to tenacious D and a stone wall in net.

Next game is Tuesday, May 18th @ 9:50 PM on the Resor rink against the Laughing Skulls. Who’s on beer duty?

Game Details
Scoring Shots on Goal
1 2 3 Total
The Highlanders 0 1 0 1
Screaming Squirrels 0 0 2 2
The Highlanders 26
Squirrels 30
Scoring Summary
Period 1
(no scoring)
Period 2
The Highlanders – Rahul Paris (Jason Nehmer) , 3:56
Period 3
Screaming Squirrels – Benjamin Sumner (Desmond Richelsen) , 2:48
Screaming Squirrels – Tero Moberg (Brent Mochado) , 7:17
Penalties
Period 1
(no penalties)
Period 2
Screaming Squirrels – Desmond Richelsen – (Interference Minor), 2 min , 8:00
Screaming Squirrels – Desmond Richelsen – (Roughing Minor), 2 min , 11:58
The Highlanders – Nick Newman – (Unsportsmanlike Conduct Minor), 2 min , 11:58
Screaming Squirrels – Brent Mochado – (Tripping Minor), 2 min , 14:24
Period 3
The Highlanders – Nick Newman – (Body Checking Minor), 2 min , 4:38
Screaming Squirrels – Brent Mochado – (Tripping Minor), 2 min , 8:48
The Highlanders – Jon Funk – (Tripping Minor), 2 min , 9:51
Screaming Squirrels – William Rand – (Interference Minor), 2 min , 15:00

Rosters
The Highlanders Screaming Squirrels
Goalies
Name Min Shots Saves
33 Nicholas Labarre 45 30 28
Name Min Shots Saves
30 Eric Coulson 45 26 25
Players
# Name G A Pts PIM GWG
3 Matthew Journy 0 0 0 0 0
5 Joe Burkhardt 0 0 0 0 0
8 Jon Funk 0 0 0 2 0
11 Abram Fox 0 0 0 0 0
12 Rahul Paris 1 0 1 0 0
17 Nicholas Minarik 0 0 0 0 0
23 Dave Loudon 0 0 0 0 0
36 Nick Newman 0 0 0 4 0
68 Axel Deneselya 0 0 0 0 0
88 Jason Nehmer 0 1 1 0 0
# Name G A Pts PIM GWG
7 Doug Winters 0 0 0 0 0
8 John Burke 0 0 0 0 0
9 Charles Wolstein 0 0 0 0 0
10 Brent Mochado 0 1 1 4 0
12 Anthony Richelsen 0 0 0 0 0
19 Benjamin Sumner 1 0 1 0 0
21 Desmond Richelsen 0 1 1 4 0
44 William Rand 0 0 0 2 0
61 Tero Moberg 1 0 1 0 1
77 Jeff Headlee 0 0 0 0 0

Brewins 4, Squirrels 2

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Squirrels Reminded What It’s Like to Lose

After giving up the first goal in a game in God knows how long (man, I wish I had that one back!), the Squirrels stormed back in the 1st period and answered with 2 quick goals less than a minute and a half apart. Squirrels new comers David Burke and Dave Fronapfel assisted on fellow new comer Jeff Bobeck’s first of the season. The goal was very “Knuble-esque” coming from the edge of the crease after Brewins goalie McNeil made the initial save. On the next shift, the Squirrels continued to swarm the offensive zone, and “Mr. T” (what? I’m no Chris Berman, ok!), Tony Richelsen potted his first of the young season with Rob Myers getting credit for the assist.

The second period was a bit…well…I believe adjectives that were tossed around in the locker room post game to describe the period included “crap”, “brutal”, “terrible”, “ugly”, and several others that are not appropriate for a family oriented site such as we’re running here. The Squirrels were often caught running around in the defensive and neutral zones and generated very little offensive pressure of their own. A blown coverage in the defensive zone and a neutral zone turnover led to the Brewins 2nd and 3rd goal respectively and the Squirrels were unable to sustain any offensive pressure to get the game tied back up.

The Brewins put the proverbial nail in the coffin in the 3rd period with a point shot that hit a forest of legs and hockey pants and Eric was unable to locate until it settled peacefully to his left, where a Brewin player calmly tapped the loose biscuit into a yawning, wide open net. A flurry of chances by the Squirrels late, after pulling Eric from the net, were thwarted and the Squirrels were forced to taste defeat for the first time since late February.

Rookie Squirrel Doug Winters said during the post game news conference (AKA, beer-consuming-post-game-chill-out) “We need to learn how to play together.” As the season wears on, the team will no doubt become more adept at anticipating each other’s tendencies and expectations of their linemates. This humble author has a few pointers for my teamates:

1) you better have fun

2) wingers gotta crash the net/get yourself to an open spot. If you’re rushing the offensive zone with your linemates, 3 abreast, one of you that doesn’t have the puck needs to get your ass to the front of that net as quickly as you can and keep your stick on the ice while you’re getting there. Just put your head down and go to an area just outside the crease where you can create havoc with the goalie’s vision and concentration, possibly deflect a shot, and/or slam dunk a rebound opportunity. Hockey stop when you get there, don’t just hussle your butt off to get there only to cruise lazily right on by. The other person without the puck needs to make himself available to the puck carrier for a pass. This will likely entail getting no farther than 2 or 3 stick lengths from said puck carrier so as to create the opportunity for a short, high percentage pass. Wing to wing passes that span the width of the ice do not connect successfully as often as short, 5-7 foot passes and they allow defensive players to clog up passing lanes and break up passes, effectively turning the puck over and allowing a counter attack. If, in the offensive zone, you don’t have the puck, you need to be trying to get yourself into an open space with no one between you and the puck carrier.

3) defensively, everyone’s head should always be on a swivel. Don’t watch the puck exclusively. Watch your assigned man and/or area of the ice and deny time and space to that person or anyone who comes into your assigned area. Close gaps between yourself and the opposing offensive puck carrier by denying them time and space before they even get the puck. Help your feeble goalie clear those rebounds as he’ll give up a ton of them and is not skilled enough to always keep them out of harms way. Always try to be mindful of where you are in relation to your net behind you so that you’re not inadvertently creating a screen. It’s up to me to let you know when you are and I have to do a better job of that.

4) you better have fun

Next game is Wednesday, May 12th @ 10:10 PM vs. The Highlanders. Please set your attendance in Pointstreak as soon as you can. Who’s on beer duty?

Game Details
Scoring Shots on Goal
1 2 3 Total
Screaming Squirrels 2 0 0 2
The Brewins 1 2 1 4
Squirrels 22
The Brewins 25
Scoring Summary
Period 1
The Brewins – Steven Lippman (Mark Mey) , 4:39
Screaming Squirrels – Jeffrey Bobeck (David Fronapfel, John Burke) , 9:01
Screaming Squirrels – Anthony Richelsen (Robert Myers) , 10:22
Period 2
The Brewins – Mark Mey (unassisted) , 11:30
The Brewins – Mark Mey (Michael Pesci, Steven Lippman) , 14:01
Period 3
The Brewins – Jeff Verthein (Mark Mey) , 5:53
Penalties
Period 1
Screaming Squirrels – Desmond Richelsen – (Hooking Minor), 2 min , 4:39
Screaming Squirrels – David Fronapfel – (Tripping Minor), 2 min , 13:51
Period 2
Screaming Squirrels – Desmond Richelsen – (Interference Minor), 2 min , 7:42
Screaming Squirrels – Desmond Richelsen – (Slashing Minor), 2 min , 11:30
Period 3
Screaming Squirrels – Daniel Carter – (Roughing Minor), 2 min , 7:45

Rosters
Screaming Squirrels The Brewins
Goalies
Name Min Shots Saves
30 Eric Coulson 45 25 21
Name Min Shots Saves
35 Ron Mcneil 45 22 20
Players
# Name G A Pts PIM GWG
7 Doug Winters 0 0 0 0 0
8 John Burke 0 1 1 0 0
9 Charles Wolstein 0 0 0 0 0
10 Brent Mochado 0 0 0 0 0
12 Anthony Richelsen 1 0 1 0 0
17 Daniel Carter 0 0 0 2 0
18 Robert Myers 0 1 1 0 0
19 Benjamin Sumner 0 0 0 0 0
21 Desmond Richelsen 0 0 0 6 0
22 Jeffrey Bobeck 1 0 1 0 0
42 David Fronapfel 0 1 1 2 0
44 William Rand 0 0 0 0 0
# Name G A Pts PIM GWG
3 Michael Pesci 0 1 1 0 0
4 Kali Wood 0 0 0 0 0
04 Jeff Verthein 1 0 1 0 0
5 Michael Adams 0 0 0 0 0
7 Daniel Weiss 0 0 0 0 0
9 Mark Mey 2 2 4 0 1
19 William Mosberg 0 0 0 0 0
55 Peter Bulcavage 0 0 0 0 0
75 Andy Gray 0 0 0 0 0
78 Steven Lippman 1 1 2 0 0