"It was a group effort tonight," Schram said. "Everyone stepped up and I really liked the way the offense back checked. The defense were awesome too. Just an awesome, awesome game." Schram then wrung out his shirt, producing fourteen gallons of sweat.
The scoring started early for the Soviets when Pat King fired a wrist shot that beat the Puck Ewes goalie, Andrew Jenkins, short side.
"It felt so good to score," a relieved King told reporters after the game. "I know it wasn't my vintage top-shelf-where-Daddy-hides-Hustler shot, but it was a goal. Right now, a goal is a goal is a goal. And a win is a win is a win. And a ch-ch is a ch-ch is a ch-ch."
The Puck Ewes stormed back to tie after a rare lapse in the Soviet defense allowed an opposing forward to weave into the slot and pierce Schram.
It would be the only time the game was tied.
Mark Hendricks gave Mother Russia's Boys the lead back when he fired another wrist shot, similar to King's, that beat Jenkins seven hole. Hendricks had peeled off after shooting and didn't realize he had scored until he heard the fans watching from upstairs erupt in celebration.
"I thought maybe Pat had jammed home the rebound, because when I shot the puck it looked like Jenkins had a read on it. It's really a testament to the saying in hockey that if you throw the puck on net good things happen."
"Sometimes a pass is good though," King added.
"Good...things...happen." Hendricks said.
The score remained 2-1 until the Soviet power play, which has been lethal in the playoffs, was given two minutes to work their magic. Ben Breiterman only need thirty seconds. Early in the power play, a loose puck was corralled by Breiterman and the Norris trophy candidate sniped a shot top shelf where Buck hides his rifle.
"Steve was setting the screen in front and I don't think (Jenkins) even saw the puck," Breiterman said. "Our line of me, Steve, Tony, and Brad have become the power play unit of the year. It seems it's always our line's turn to go out when we draw a penalty. It's really been working lately. We're one win from the best hooker party Northern Virginia has ever seen."
Despite the first period ending 3-1 in favor of the Red Army, the players were still not happy.
"No lead is safe, especially against these guys," Tony Horton said. "We talked about maintaining the same style of play and continuing to drive to the net."
Brad Lotocki echoed his teammate's sentiments.
"Bear cavalry!" Lotocki said, skinning the hide of a water buffalo.
Unfortunately, Horton and Lotocki's wishes did not happen. The two goal lead was halved when a lost face-off early in the second frame cost the Soviets. The Puck Ewes were able to get off an unmolested slap shot from the point and the puck found its way through a haze of bodies and past Schram.
"Someone has to be at the point on that one, and they capitalized again on a defensive let up. It's frustrating to play these guys because they only need one chance to make you pay," Ryan Odell said. The defenseman than paused, smiled, and continued, "It's also frustrating to play Ryan Odell, because not only can you not get the puck past my shin guards, you also get a complimentary punch to the chest if you try to skate by me. Now if you excuse me, it's hot tub night."
Steve Hand added another set of stripes to his captain uniform when he jammed home a loose puck on the doorstep later in the period. The Red Army is 8-0 when the captain scores a goal, and an even more impressive 9-0 when he registers a point.
"I shouldn't take all the credit on the goal because Tony made a fantastic play to get the puck to the net, but I'm going to anyways. Go me. Boom. I just said that. Print it."
The period would end at the same score, with the Red Army two goals in front of the first place Puck Ewes.
The emotion of the bench?
"Cautiously optimistic," King said. "We were happy with the score and how we were playing, but we had to keep it up... Viagra style."
The Soviets started the period flaccid however, as the Puck Ewes scored the luckiest goal of the game on a puck batted out of midair. After a shot went wide of the cage, it rebounded out in front where Hoefer and Hendricks tried to swat it away, but the puck ramped up a stick and floated in front of Schram and a Puck Ewe forward managed to baseball swing it home.
"They got lucky on that one," Schram said. "But I suppose it's the law of averages. It seems like we were the ones getting all of the breaks with the posts and crazy goals lately. They can get one. Just one though."
The Comrades calmed down as the period progressed, and made the Puck Ewes skate the full length of the rink if they were going to score. Hendricks and King skated a shift where they iced the puck four times.
"Gotta love that no icing rule," Hendricks said, before adding. "And that no offsides rule."
The Soviets experienced a scare late though, when Horton was whistled for tripping. With a little more than ninety seconds remaining, the Puck Ewes called their time out before going to the extra man.
"I wanted to be out there," Scott Hoefer said, who's father and girlfriend were two of the fifteen to twenty fans in the Plex. "There was no way I was letting them get one past us."
The iron will of Hoefer, coupled with the Iron Curtain, staved off the first wave of attacks. Breiterman and Odell took the first shift as well, and were replaced by Lotocki and King after a Hoefer clear. With twenty seconds to go, the puck was dropped in the Soviet zone after a blocked shot had deflected out of play.
The puck was tied up by King and Lotocki was able to jump in and swat it to center. The Puck Ewes tried to muster offense in the dying seconds, but even with Horton in the box and Jenkins on the bench, the two man advantage was thwarted by yet another Hoefer lead penalty kill.
The clock struck zero. The Soviets swarmed Schram and the fans cheered. For the first time in franchise history, the Red Army is within one win of a championship.
No words.
Well, maybe eight.
Hell yeah Comrades, let's
THREE STARS:
3: Steve Hand
2: Ryan Odell
1: Andy Schram
3 comments:
well done comrades
Keep that razor on the shelf brother.
nice job guys, BEAR CAVALRY
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