No' Goalie, No' Problems

On Sunday afternoon, Kevin Durkin got the phone call he had waited for his whole life. The self-proclaimed Pool-Boy Extraordinaire was finishing up his shift at work when his phone rang, and Red Army Alternate Captain Mark Hendricks was on the other line.

"Where are you?" Hendricks asked Durkin.

"I'm at work."

"Can you play today? We have a game."

"I'm in. What time?"

"Kid, you got three minutes."

"I'll be there in two."

"Really?"

"No. Sorry, got caught up in the moment. Felt like a movie scene there," Durkin said. "But I can be there in fifteen."

And fifteen minutes later, he was. But in those elapsed fifteen minutes, the first period was played, and somehow, someway, playing with five skaters and without a goalie, the Comrades outscored the Puck Ewes 4-3.

"I'm not really sure how that happened," Captain Steve Hand said. "We out-hustled them and we were smart with the puck. Plus we blocked a lot of shots."

Jason White, who finished with a team high seven blocked shots, six of which came in the opening frame, talked about the importance of team defense.

"[Expletive] Stefan Sopko," White said.

Hendricks and Mike D'Ignazio supplied the offense in the opening frame. Hendricks struck three times while D'Ignazio tallied on a mini-breakaway.

"The way the offense is clicking right now, even without a goalie, there is the belief that we can out score teams," defenseman Jamie Simek said. "Plus, we're proving we still have that commitment to defense. It's a dangerous duo, like gasoline and fire, or pole dancing and senior citizens. People get hurt."

When Durkin did arrive, and things returned to normal, the Comrades continued their relentless puck pursuit and flexed their offensive muscles.

Hand converted a two-on-one break with Hendricks to push the lead to 5-3. Immediately following that, Pete Collis buried a D'Ignazio feed on another two-on-one.

"We have a higher conversion rate than the Mormon church," D'Ignazio said. "Bazing! Boom, God roasted!"

D'Ignazio struck again later in the period as did Aaron Duda, who netted his first goal as a Comrade. Despite a late goal by the Puck Ewes to end the frame, the game had lost its competitive charm entering the third period.

"It's good we're winning right now, but we can be better." Pete Collis say. "That being said, I should probably stay on offense though. I mean look at the Quest! Look at the Quest!"

Duda tacked on his second of the game in the third, a marker which came on the power play, and the Soviets were able to skate away with an impressive 10-4 victory.

"Playing them is always a measuring stick," Hendricks said. "And right now, our dicks are bigger."

THREE STARS:

3: Jason White

2: Mike D'Ignazio

1: Aaron Duda

OTHER NOTES AND QUOTES:

- Pat King missed his second game this season because he had to sell cars. The forward was unavailable for comment however as he was greasing his hair back and deciding what bad tie to wear.

- Durkin has now allowed just one goal in the last five periods of play. "I'm seeing the puck well, I definitely feel it. Plus, first periods are over rated."

- Hendricks is off to the best start in his career, with 20 points through three games. The forward's best point total came in early 2010 when he reached 65 points. Asked if he thought it was possible, Hendricks said, "Whoa, one quest at a time, pal."

- Duda was not available to reporters after the game, as he was too busy cleaning his skates.