Still Work to Do

We won both our games this weekend 4-1, and I can say that we dominated the other team.  We were relentless the first night, playing pretty close to a complete 60 minute game.  When we play to our systems, teams don't know what to do because we spend the majority of the game in their zone.  They tire out and can't get anything going at all.  Our goal this weekend was to play a 60 minute game because last weekend we really only played well for 10 minutes.  The defense especially played really well on Friday night, and I think that's what allowed us to dominate the game.  I played physically and impacted the game with my passing and ability to keep the puck in the offensive zone.  In fact, my coach said to me during the game that he didn't want me to play so physically because he needs me to stay healthy and these were only preseason games.

On Saturday night, we won again 4-1.  Seattle definitely played a more chippy game, trying to get under our skin because they realized that was the only way they would be able to beat us.  We were a faster, bigger, more skilled team and they started trash talking us, trying to take us off our game.  I felt like they were trash talking me every chance they got, which means they must've thought I was making an impact on the game.  At one point, I was standing in front of their bench before a face off, and one kid waved his stick in front of my face and poked me in the neck.  I just let it go and got back at them later.  I probably could've fought, but I realized it was only a preseason game and we were playing a team that was not nearly as good as us, and that's exactly what they wanted us to do:  play their kind of chippy game.  I didn't think I played particularly well on Saturday night, but I did play very well on penalty kill.  We had a few 5-on-3 penalty kills that we killed off and gave us a lot of momentum in the 3rd period.  I was aggressive and got my stick into passing lanes to break up plays.  Then, when we got on the power play we took advantage.  On a 5-on-3, I scored on a one-timer from the point. I blasted it past the goalie, then skated in front of Seattle's bench, stared them down, and didn't say a word.  I didn't have to.

Overall, we played well this weekend, but I know we can play better.  Good news is it's only preseason and our regular season starts next weekend.  I'm excited to see what we can do in this league.  Here are some photos from this weekend.  One is the view from the house I stayed at in McCall.  It was basically in the Cordillera of McCall, and there were some unbelievable houses back there.  It was very cool to be able to stay there.

Schedule's Out!

Our schedule is online!  Some games that jump out at me are the games in Boulder in February, our games against El Paso over Thanksgiving, and our games against Fresno.  Should be fun, and it all gets started tomorrow!  Preseason games up in McCall tomorrow night and Saturday night against the Seattle Totems, from the NORPAC, who we also played to a 2-2 tie last year at the National tournament.

Idaho Junior Steelheads - 2011/2012 Schedule 

http://www.idahojuniorsteelheads.com/leagues/schedules.cfm?clientid=4849&leagueid=17107

New Responsibilities

The other day, our coach pulled a few of the veterans aside and said that he was appointing us captains of the team.  We have some great leadership on the team this year, and I'm excited about these new responsibilities with an "A" on my jersey.  He told us that he expects captains to be an extension of himself, and if we think any of the responsibilities that go along with that are too much to handle, we need to tell him.  But I know being a captain is something I want to do wholeheartedly.  I think I'm the kind of person and the kind of player who will only become better in that role, whereas he said there are some players who get appointed captains of teams and then halfway through the season the coach has to take away the captaincy because it's too hard for the player to focus on his own game.  I'm really excited about this.  It's a big deal to be a captain on and off the ice, and I'm up for the challenge!

Already our young defense corps is in need of leadership.  Today, during practice our coach called all of us out; he basically told us that right now we suck as a unit--our forwards are being held back by our lack of ability to make a pass and handle a simple 1-on-1--and he said we need to be better.  Like I've said before, we have a lot of young defensemen who will take some time to learn, but they also need some good leadership.  And, as one of the only returning veteran defensemen, that responsibility falls squarely on me.

 I think I've had a good week of practice, but at times it's hard to motivate these young guys.  I think I've played my ass off the past week, trying to show the younger guys what they need to do, but honestly they hadn't really responded until today.  Getting called out like that is not fun.  And I hate losing to forwards in drills.  They've been beating the defensemen in almost every drill all this week.  Before practice, I told all the defensemen in our locker room that we need to have a better practice and play every drill like it's a battle between us and the forwards.  We need to compete harder.  In a 2-on-1 backcheck drill, where the coach is looking for the D to step up and play the body at the blue line, our D men were backing up and letting the forwards come into the zone.  So, our coach blew the whistle and let us know he's not happy with the defense right now.  Then, the drill continued, and I was the first one to go.  I stood up the play perfectly at the blue line, and I think something clicked right then.  After that, all of our defensemen were standing up and being physical.  I think getting called out by our coach lit a fire in some of our young guys, but I think it partly had to do with the way I responded as well.  There are definitely going to be a lot of opportunities for the returning defensemen and veterans on the team in general to stand up and lead by example in practice and in games, so our young guys can respond similarly when they see their leaders leading.  Anyway, I'm really excited to see what having an "A" on my jersey will do to me as a player.  I know it will make me better, but I can't wait to see how much better.  And, by the way, our coach said that our D looked much better after he called us out, so it's good to know we are already improving.

Brutal Win, But a Win Nonetheless

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.

First Game Tomorrow. Finally!

It's been a while since my last real hockey game, and I'm super excited to get back into games every weekend! I had a great practice today--I was more physical than usual and I just felt good on the ice--so I'm feeling ready to go. Before practice we had a team video session, where we watched a little of our game against the St. Louis Junior Blues at nationals last year. That was definitely our best game of the year, and it was fun to relive it for a few minutes, but tomorrow we start a new season. I'm going to have a new role as a leader, and I am so ready. I think we have a chance to be even better than we were last year...we'll see though. It is only the second week of the season. After practice, our coach stressed the importance of starting the game off well tomorrow. We win the faceoff and hard rim the puck into their zone, and then we chase it and pound them physically on the first shift. It sets the tone for the rest of the game. That's what we need to do tomorrow. We did a good job of that last year, but again, it's a new season and a new team. Nevertheless, it is an important thing to do because the rest of the team usually responds with more good shifts to follow the first shift when people are flying right when the puck drops. Not only is it important to set the tone tomorrow on the first shift, but it's also important that we start the season off on the right foot. We have the potential to be a really good team, however, we take the test tomorrow. Our assistant coach has stressed to us that all during the week, we prepare and study to take the test, and then on the weekend, when the puck drops, we take the test and we have fun. I'm ready to have some fun tomorrow.

It's Been a Blur!

This year is already starting to go by fast! I can't believe it's already almost halfway through September. This short week has kind of thrown me off, too. It doesn't seem like it should be Friday tomorrow. But anyways, the practices are going well. We have a very skilled team. The level in practices has dropped off a little bit as we've started to get into systems work, but that's understandable. We play to a system. It's a proven system and everything we do works. From our breakout, to our forecheck, to our backcheck, to our defensive zone coverage, everything is drilled into our heads until it becomes second nature. And the new kids on the team are just learning, so it might take a little while for them to feel more comfortable doing systems drills. But we have our first game this Sunday in Boise against the Southern Oregon Spartans, a team from the NORPAC, another Tier III Junior A league based in the northwest. It should be interesting to see what kind of players we have. I mean, it's hard to really tell what kind of players you have in practice. A lot of times, underlying characteristics of a person come out in a game. I'm excited to see who shows up and who doesn't, and I'm excited to prove myself too! It should be interesting to see how we mesh as a team, and our coaches have made it clear that they expect us to play very well in our first game this weekend. I've been a little hesitant in practice these past two weeks. Not super hesitant, just a little bit. My coach told me he wants me to work on being a tougher player to play against, and it's something I've focused on, but I need to be better. I need to be a leader on the team in the physical play because I can be. And when people are playing the body in practice, it brings up the level of play. I'm really going to focus on being more physical in the next few weeks; my coaches have told me they need me to play tougher because we lost the toughest defenseman in the league this year, who was my D partner last year. There's a big hole left in our defensive unit, and they need someone to fill it. I know I can be more physical, but I really need to focus on it because that's not how I play naturally. I do like how I play when I play physically, though. I tend to play more confidently and aggressively. I've been doing OK in practice, but I know I can be better.

BSU Mania

I'm sitting here, watching the Boise State football game as I'm writing this post...I think everyone else in the whole city is also sitting in front of their TV's, watching the Broncos take on the Georgia Bulldogs. Needless to say, it's a big game. Every BSU game is a big game in Boise. But when BSU has a chance to take out an SEC opponent, the game takes on even bigger importance. It's been the talk of the town here in Boise on the radio, commercials, on billboards in downtown, and even at the Boise hot air balloon festival this morning (more to come on this later.) The BSU football team is a BIG deal here in Boise. Almost every car I see has a Broncos sticker. It's wild, but I guess that's what happens when there is no major professional sports team in a city. People rally behind their teams. At the moment, the score of the game is 28-7...should I jump on the bandwagon?? Ah, what the hell. I'm already a Denver Broncos fan, and the BSU Broncos are not that far off, even in team colors. Go Broncos!

Today, we had a day off from on-ice practice, but we went on a team hike. Before the hike, my billet family and I went to the Boise hot air balloon festival...we had to wake up at 5:15 to be there on time and beat the traffic. It was worth it! I've been to the balloon festival in Steamboat, but it was a long time ago, and I forgot how cool it is to be so close to the balloons as they're getting blown up and launched. It was a beautiful morning.

My favorite part of the morning was watching a certain balloon get blown up. This ballon was designed to look like the famous blue turf at the BSU home stadium. There were field numbers all the way around the big, blue balloon and a huge BSU logo on the side, with a bucking bronco. When it was completely inflated and ready to get launched, the packed park cheered very loudly for their Boise State Broncos. That's some BSU mania!

The hike we went on was great too. It was a long hike, but it was very pretty. We started at about 8:30 AM, hiked for 3 hours or so as a team, and went way up into the hills behind Boise. There were a lot of great views overlooking the whole city and its green trees--Boise is French for "City of Trees" by the way, if you didn't already know. It really is a beautiful city, and I realize how lucky I am that I get to live and play hockey in a city that I might never have discovered had it not been for my junior hockey career. Anyway, it was a great team bonding event, and I'm looking forward to tomorrow, when we head up to McCall for the first time to do some community service and participate in a community parade. We're really going to try as a team this year to get more involved in the community and gain some interest with people who don't know what the Idaho Junior Steelheads and junior hockey are all about. Should be fun!