Johnny Upton from Slapshot!

Okay, so you already know that Brett's bag is still MIA. Well, this "guy" in the bathroom overhears Brett talking about his lost bag and offers to let him use his equipment. Pretty cool, huh? Alright, I can do ya' one better. The guy that offered is named Alan Nicholls who played Johnny Upton in the movie Slapshot. How awesome is that!

Giant beer coozie

Mac with his giant beer coozie hockey glove.

Windjammin'

We are currently hanging out at the Upper Deck Pub in the Windjammer Inn enjoying some $3 Labatt Blues. We've got 11 out of 12 players, with Buddha being the only exception. He's still on the road somewhere. Latest ETA on him is 6pm arrival.

There is a general reception tonight, so we'll get a chance to meet some of the folks who will be kicking our butts tomorrow.

Brett's bag didn't make it from Charlotte, so he and the rest of our group are headed to Play It Again Sports to see if they've got some replacement gear, just in case the bag doesn't catch up with us today.

Don't know nuthin' 'bout history...

When you travel with a history teacher you get to take pictures of historical plaques like this one in Plattekill NY for future reference. There will be a test for all the Ice Holes.

On The Road/In The Air

Me waiting outside for Kent at 6am

A bit of a tense moment this morning, but everything seems to be working out okay. Knowing that both main routes to Charlotte are a bit of a craps shoot as far as travel times go, I urged everyone to get an early start. Kent picked me up at my house around 6:15am, and we arrived at the airport with plenty of time to spare. We were hoping the others weren't too far behind, because the traffic was start to back up even as we came through the traditional "congestion" areas. Most everyone made it okay, althought there were some reports from some of the group that they had some stop and go, which, apparently (according to Z at least) Brett isn't too fond of. Being the autophile that he is, he felt like any time he spent going under the speed limit was just cause for making it up by going over the speed limit. At least the troopers seemed to be busy elsewhere this morning.

Scottie was the one we were concerned about. He texted me (while driving, no less - we'll have to talk to him later about that) that he was pretty hung up on I-85 and didn't know if he would make the flight. I wasn't too worried about getting him to VT today, as there were several flights headed up later, but it is nice when everyone can arrive at one time (see blog archives from several years ago for a prime example of this). I won't keep you in suspense - he made it, but just barely. He walked up as they were boarding the final passengers for the flight.

So, all present and accounted for on this flight. If you've been reading the blog, you already know that Buddha is headed up with his dad, so we should see them later today. I talked to Mac last night, who flew up a day early (he flies standby, so he wanted to make sure he got there on time) and he was already gracing the guests at the Best Western Windjammer to his new Speedo. And OS and Linda, I hear, were well on their way today, after a failed try at flying standby yesterday. Excellent.

Chilling' at 35,000 feet

Oh - I got a tip from a random guy at the airport concerning hockey cages (the face protection on our hockey masks for those of you not versed in the lingo). One common complaint is, although they offer unriveled protection against premature expiration of your teeth and eyes, they, for some, can be a little visually distracting. This guy suggested using a cage made for lacrosse. Apparently, the openings in front of the eyes are a little larger and offer better, unencumbered vision. I'll have to try that when I get home.

More later...

 

Planes, trains, and automobiles...

Ah, the joys of travel. While the rest of the boys wait for Scotty to make the plane, Dad (aka Jacko) and I are slogging through an hour long traffic backup on I-287 in NJ. We've taken an alternate route through Bernardstown and it is no faster. We've given up and stopped for a snack at the local train depot. Dad is excited to have his New York Times. Perhaps there is a train to Burlington?

On the plane

Most of us are currently in our seats on our plane waiting for departure. I say most of us because Scottie is running a little late. We're hoping he'll make the plane, but I'll let you know how that turns out.

Happy VD!

Happy Valentines Day to everyone in the Ice Hole nation. A special shout-out to our wives and girlfriends (pray that they never meet) who are being abandoned on this special day.

A personal thank you to Kristine for being the best hockey wife on the planet!

Mac: I apologize for the heading of this post. I can see how it might be confusing to you.

And we're living here in...

Allentown!

Dad and I are halfway to Burlington. While the rest of the Holes are busy playing the Steamers in Greensboro, Dad and sampling the local cuisine, starting at the bar. Best of luck boys!

Hitting the road

A 9 day road trip with your dad. What could possibly go wrong with that idea? Well, after finally getting all the gear and bags in the car, (the delay was my fault, not his) the car wouldn't start. After a quick trip to the auto parts store for jumper cables, we were back in business.

We're now in southern Virginia and dad is driving. After verifying that my car can actually do 85 mph, we seem to have found our groove. Heading to Allentown, PA to stop for the night.

Pond Hockey With A Little Maple Flavor

It's February folks, and that means it's time for another Ice Holes' road trip!  After three glorious years making an impression on Eagle River, WI, the Holes' Pond Hockey Selection Committee decided to take a departure from the northwoods and try something new.  Following careful consideration of hundreds of possible destinations (well, okay, there were really like, three - four, maybe, tops) this year's winner is Colchester, Vermont, and the Lake Champlain Pond Hockey Classic.

So along with the excitement of a new tournament and new locals to make an impression on, there comes some concerns.  Namely, this is a much smaller tournament, which means there are fewer skill divisions.  Which means the tournament doesn't have a division that's one step higher that "Over 40 and Boy Do They Stink".  The closest we could manage was an "35 Plus - Just For Fun".  Now, I'm hoping the "Fun" part of "Just For Fun" means that we won't be facing skaters who, at any time during their hockey playing days, have been paid for their hockey talent, hail from Canada, or don't have at least one artificial hip or knee.  We would be quite content facing opponents who have extremely limited hockey experience and just decided, on a whim, to go enter a pond hockey tournament.  I'll let you know how that turns out.

On to this year's teams.  Most of the group are veterans of past pond hockey outings, with a couple newbies.  Filling out the roster of team "Ice Holes" is yours truly, Jim "Z" Zaleski, Rich "Sue 'Em All" Keshian, Brett "LeDouche" Ross, and newcomers (to the pond trip, at least) Steve "OS" Reinhalter and Jack "24" Lauer.  (By the way, "OS" stands for "Old Steve", which is not to say that he's THAT old - we just once had two Steves on the team, and OS was the older of the two.  Also, by the way, his wife, Linda - a lovely, sweet lady - hates that nickname, so in consideration of her feelings, we will probably be using it even more than usual in this writeup.)

Filling out the roster of "Ice Holes Number 2" (I know, really original, huh?) is Chris "Buddha" Dewar, Kent "Good With Wood" Grubbs, Erik "Woo-Hoo" Rasmussen, Mac "Mac" McGovern, Scott "Gellin" Gelenberg, and Chris "Akmed" Vrettacos.

Most of us will be flying out Thursday morning, which leaves me a day to cram all of my hockey gear plus any clothes that will also fit into my hockey bag, hoping it all weighs under 50 pounds so the airline doesn't slap me with an "oversize/weight" baggage fee.  Having done this before, I've gotten fairly good at hovering at the 49lb mark.

As in the past, keep a lookout for contributions from our special correspondent, Buddha, who I hope will be able to post now and then.  He's actually driving up, accompanied by his dad, so he may have some "tales from the road" while you're waiting for the rest of us to arrive in Vermont.

We'll also be Tweeting and Facebooking for more of that live reporting feel, so be sure to follow us for the play by play reporting.  The links to our accounts can be found on the team's website at www.holeshockey.com. 

Stay tuned - it should be another memorable Holes' road trip, complete with a plethora of inappropriate quotes from Mac.

Namaste, my b*tches!

USA Hockey Adult Classic - Day 2...and done

Ice dog

Well, day two of the tournament held much promise, but in the end was bittersweet.

The Goal Diggers, our female friends from Greensboro, started off their day at 9am. They had a hard time against their first opponent, losing 5-0. Tough way to start off the day.

And as much as I'd like to tell you that the Ice Holes fared much better, alas, it was not to be. As you may already know if you read the Twitter feed or the Facebook page, we ended up losing our second game 5-1. A game we should have been much more competitive in. We had some differences of opinion with the officiating and some very poor attitudes, but in the end, we were our own worst enemy, setting up the other team for most of their goals by giving away the puck as very inopportune moments. With two losses out of our three preliminary games, we figured we were about done for as far as advancing to Sunday's semifinal rounds, so we resolved ourselves to just have some fun and try to put in a good showing.

Heading into our final game for the day, we were up against a team that we faced in the State Games earlier this year, and lost to fairly badly. We were determined to not let that happen again. We might lose, but we wanted to make them work for it.

In what turned out to be a very spirited game, the officiating once again played a larger role than it should have, with very inconsistant calls detracting from what was shaping up to be our best effort of the weekend. We actually scored first in the game, which was, well, a first for us. We got up two goals before the other team put a point on the board. After that, it developed into a back and forth game, with neither team gaining more than a one goal lead on the other. Late in the third period, we thought we'd gotten a good goal to put us up again, but the refs somehow found a way to wave it off. I think the official excuse was that the follow-through on the close-in shot knocked the net off its moorings. Really?

In the final minutes, the Holes took the lead once again, and this time it didn't get called back. It took an empty net goal from Mike Fierschnaller, however, to seal the deal. Holes win 6-4!!!

Now for the kicker. It turns out that three of the four teams in our pool had 1-2 records, so we all tie, right? The first tiebreaker was goal differential. We ended up one goal behind the team we just beat in goal differential. Had our goal that was waved off stood, we would've advanced due to the fact that we tied that last team on goal differential, but beat them head to head. Bummer. But hey, that means we get to sleep in in the morning instead of playing an 8am semifinal game. Lemonade from lemons, folks.

Some assorted pictures from today's activities:

Our pals the Goal Diggers

The Holes' executive committee

Jon L focuses for the game

Adam's "angry face"

Your 2012 USA Hockey Adult Classic Ice Holes team. If some of us look pissed off, it's cause we're cussing at the Zamboni driver, who was yelling at us to get off the ice as we were trying to get a team photo after our final game. For the record, it took about 10 seconds to take the photos, during which time, the Zam covered about 5 feet. Don't worry folks - at no time were we in danger of getting run over.

Doug Thomas inspects damage caused by blocking a slapshot with his metatarsals

Pat livin' it up at Texas Roadhouse (on the birthday saddle)

The birthday brownie

Cranberry vodka cocktails at the Hampton Inn

Once again, cranberry vodka cocktails at the Hampton Inn

So, overall, not a bad weekend. I wish everyone a safe trip home, and thanks for tuning in.

 

USA Hockey Adult Classic in Charlotte - Day 1

Ahhh...Eagle River. Good memories.

As we have done the last few years, the Holes are once again competing in the USA Hockey Adult Classic tournament in Charlotte, NC. Indian Trail, more specifically (south-southeast of Charlotte). We wrapped up game one of our guaranteed three-game stint with a loss. We didn't play too badly, but we didn't have things running like the typically well-oiled machine that expected of the Ice Holes. After all, we did win this thing two years ago. Of course, we're not living in the past - I'm just sayin'...

This year's tournament team includes many of our "regulars" with a few bonus players. We're overrun with Dougs, for one thing. One of which is Buddha's brother, Doug (or Doug-o, or Sluggo) is joining us once again, along with Doug Thomas and Doug Ecklund of the Penguins in our Greensboro league. Along with the two Penguin Dougs, we have another Pens recruit, Mike Fierschnaller - their points leader. We're hoping he can provide us with some needed firepower. Also along for the ride is former Penguin, but oft Hole (at least on the travel teams), Pat Fillippa. We feel especially honored to have him on the trip, as he is celebrating his birthday on Sunday. Hopefully, we can help him celebrate by playing in the semifinals on Sunday morning.

The Fabulous Dewar Boys

Another new face is John Makar. He has played in the Holes system before (Old Holes, Winston-Salem training facility), but this is his first go with the travel team. He had a rough start - arriving late due to horrendous traffic, but he immediately made an impact, scoring one of only two goals the Holes managed to put up in the first game. Speaking of the first game, the final score was 5-2. We got off to a slow start, allowing 3 goals in the first period. Credit must be given to the other team, which was clearly the better team on the ice this evening. I'm hoping we'll get another shot at them, maybe in the finals on Sunday - when we celebrate Pat's birthday.

Here are some shots of us licking our wounds in the rink's bar:

Waiting for the comp pizza and wings

Talkin' dirt with the Goal Diggers - our gal pals from Greensboro

Doug, Pat, and Mike doing their best to finish off the free beer

Meanwhile, Scott, Adam, and Jason were working on a scouting report for our next game

A Jim sandwich, with two of our favorite Goal Diggers, Cynthia and Mary

Yours truly and my Goal Digger wife

 

 

Home Again

Just a quick update to say everyone made it back to their respective destinations safely. The only hiccup involved, once again, Pat's plane from Chicago to Charleston. It was delayed, once again, for two hours. I just checked, though, and it looks like his plane has landed, and hopefully he will be on his way home soon.

I'll write up some closing thoughts on the trip tomorrow, but for now, sleep.

Chicago From 5,000 Feet

If you knew Sushi like I knew Sushi...

It's hard to have a great last meal when you're in an airport. Bryan, Jim, and I went rogue, passed on Jonny Rockets, and grabbed 3 seats at the sushi bar in the concourse. After some sake, some Kirin, some edemame, and some unagi, we're almost ready to engage with reality again in the morning.

Mac's Big Mouth

Okay, while we usually enjoy immensely the tidbits of commentary that flow freely from Mac's mind, we might need to work on his volume control. We were walking down the terminal, looking for a place to eat when one of us may have directed Mac's attention to a young lady exiting a jetway who was immaculately dressed. Mac's response was to stare and blurt out (about fifteen feet away, mind you),"Holy Mackerel!" Considering the slight smirk on her face as she passed, I think she heard him. We're proud that he can bring such joy to people and reassure their self confidence.

Sweet Home Chicago

We've just landed in Chicago. In the picture, if you look really carefully, you can see the Sears Tower. Go ahead and put you face right up to the screen - no wait - that's too close. Back up and clean that nose smudge off the screen.

Phil: The next shoe bomber?

Okay, this was not funny for Phil, but we found it hysterical. As we were sitting by the gate waiting for the plane, a lady came through handing out planeside check tickets. The plane we're on is small, and only small carry-ons will fit. She looked at Phil's bag and told him he would have to go back out and check it. This is the same bag he used on the trip up. Kinda ridiculous, considering they were going to hate check it anyway, but Phil headed back out through security. When he gets back, he tells us that a Toasty Toes that he had forgotten in one of his shoes had set the alarm off. They had to run a second test, while telling him that if it failed again, they would have to escalate to the "next level". I'm not sure, but I imagine that involved latex gloves and a private room.

Another legend in the Holes' chronicle is born.

The Cribbage Kings

Mac and Z are making good use of a little down time playing cribbage before our flight out of Wausau. We had a fine breakfast at Leif's this morning. Mac thoroughly enjoyed his big sausage, while it was Scotty that went for the breakfast burrito (I went that route last time around). I'm sure he's enjoying the lingering effects as much as I did last time, as well.

Plane seems to be on time, so we should be into Chicago around 5:15. We've got a bit of a layover there, so we'll have time to grab a bite to eat again, I'm sure.