The Heartland Red Liners season comes to an end with a close loss to the Polar Vortex. Going into the final half games of the season, the Liners were 2-2-1. But the outcomes for this half of the season were quite different than the first half, going 0-4-1.
Aug 24: The Liners were up 2-1 after scoring two power play goals in the second period from Morty and Sam the Man. But Jokerit would get two goals in the last 5 minutes of the game to tie and then go head of the Liners who were until to tie the game in the closing seconds.
Sept 9: Blades of Steel have always been a thorn in the side of the Red Liners. This game was no different. The Blades would score early and often with their first goal after 68 seconds. The final score of 13-0 does not do enough justice as to the debacle this game was for the Liners. Nothing was going right.
Sept 13: The Liners fried to get on track against the Snatchers. Both teams would grab a goal in the second period (Eric “Ivory Teeth” Carlson off a rebound). Sam the Man would shoot in a last minute goal to pull the Liners ahead with 98 seconds left in the game. Unfortunately, a last second goal off a defensive faceoff by the Snatchers tied it up and eventual lead to a tie with neither team scoring in the shootout.
Sept 22: Coming off that tough tie that was winnable, the Liners came out flat against the Dekes of Hazard. Their opponents faster skating caught the Liners off guard leaning to a goal in the first 8 seconds of the game. The Liners were able to get a goal in the second (Kryan wristing into the upper corner) and third period (Javi on a breakaway). But the Dekes would eventually score 7 goals.
Sept 29: The final game of the season had a number of players on injured reserved. Several minor leaguers were brought in. The game was a back and forth affair. Neither team would score in the first period but Captain I-berg would get the first one off a breakaway in the second period. The Polar Vortex would come back early in the third period to tie it up off a lucky deflection. I-berg would get the Liners back in the lead off a on-ice shot off the blue line that slipped through the goalie’s five hole. The Vortex quickly replied with a goal of their own seconds later and then got the go ahead goal off a lucky rebound in front of an open net.
And so ends the run of the Heartland Red Liners. Many of their competitors upped their team skills by recruiting stronger players. The Liners also upped their game internally with trying to play better as a team and each working on 1 or 2 different skills that had been a trouble in the past. They await a rematch against all of their opponents in the next season.