The weekly Red Liners game should have a matter-of-fact event, but it started out as with a player roulette. One player missed the team bus after oversleeping his alarm. Two previously benched players snuck onto the team bus in hopes of playing. Two players was brought up from the minors (Chicago and Michigan affiliates) to play in his first Heartland game. In the end, the coaching stuff brought together the core fifteen players. The game was a very close affair. Unforuntately, the Liners would fall behind by a single goal, losing 3-2, their close game yet.
All of the scoring would occur during the first period. Neither team could capitalize on a few power plays in the remaining two periods. The scoring started quickly in the first period off a bad line change that gave a Snatcher a breakaway goal. But the Liners regrouped and charged against the Snatchers. In a mad scramble for the puck, Kryan found the upper far post with a laser wrist shot. Minutes later, the Snatchers would come back by popping in a loose puck in the Liners’ goal crease. Once again, the guys and gal in red came back with the Kryan line but with PJ. He snuck his way through the Snatch D very fox-like and deked their goal to score the tying goal. In the closing minutes of the first period, the Snatchers got a fortuitous goal from a high wrist shot that was partially gloved by Rocket, the Red Liners goalie, but the puck dribbled out of the glove and rolled into the net.
For the remaining two periods, neither time to find the back of the net. Several breakaways were stopped by Rocket to keep the goal difference at one. The Liners had a few shots on goal and traffic in front of the net, but the puck always seemed to get blocked by a wall of Snatchers. Even with a power play for the final two minutes of the game, the Liners could have build enough traffic to slip the puck by the Snatch goalie.
With several new players and last minute line changes, the inexperience of playing together was evident. Players drifted in their positions, often ending up on the same side of the ice or grouped together. The defense would stare at the puck and not notice the uncovered Snatcher floating near the goal. All players were clearing pucks or passing across the ice where they were frequently intercepted instead of along the boards. With the summer sessions in full swings, practice sessions will hopefully be organized to work on these and other issues.