Today, we played our first game of the season against the Southern Oregon Spartans. We won 6-5, but I don't think it should have been that close. We were the better team for the most part of the game; we just threw grade A opportunities at the other team with stupid turnovers and silly mistakes. In the first period, we came out flying. By the time the buzzer sounded, we were up 4-0. Then we went into the locker room and must've thought the game was over because the next two periods were pretty ugly, definitely not the kind of hockey the Junior Steelheads are accustomed to playing. The game was back and forth from the second period on, obviously, as the final score ended up being 6-5. It was our first game together as a team, and there definitely were some bright spots. Bright spots don't mean anything, though; we want a bright game through and through. But that's what exhibition games are for anyways. We got a few of the kinks out, and I think this week we can now really focus on the things we need to focus on to be a better team and fix our mistakes. After seeing what kind of back and forth game is caused by our team not playing to our system, I think everyone will respond in practice and really focus on the fine points of the systems we run. Because they work. And when we execute properly, no one can play with us. But it takes time to learn and perfect the things that we are taught here. Anyway, we won tonight. It wasn't pretty, but we won and (here comes a cliche statement..) there's only one way to go from here: up.
Personally, I think I played lights out tonight. I played a great game. I was physical, I was getting shots through from the point, and I played aggressively but smart at the same time. I had two assists, maybe even three! After the game, our assistant coach called me and congratulated me on the great game I played even though the team might not have played very well all together. He told me he thought I was one of the best players on the ice, and he said I'm a completely different player than I was last year. I'm much more confident and just an all-around better hockey player. He said he's proud of the strides I've taken, and he's excited to see what happens to me in the next year. He said after this year, he thinks I'm going to be one helluva college hockey player. It was great to hear, but I know I have to keep working to get better and keep taking strides because I know I can be even better. And I'm hungry to be the best player I can be, so why not take advantage of this great coaching and do just that? I'm psyched! I want to play better each game. That's my goal. He also told me he wants me to take some of the young defensemen on the team under my wing because they need mentors and role models. They have all the tools to be great hockey players; they just need to start putting everything together, and he thinks I'm a perfect guy to help them do that.
I'm really excited about the season finally starting. I was rearing to go before the game. I had shivers and the whole deal in the locker room before stepping on the ice for warm ups. I just knew I was going to play well today, and that's the kind of attitude I want to have before every game.
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