Efe's 2010-2011 Season

**Efe** · 05-15-2011, 12:33 AM

İstanbul Paten S.K. 10
İzmir B.B. S.K. 8

So we had our last regular season game last night, against one of the best teams in our group. It was a two-game day for me as the football team I play for also had a playoff semifinal game at noon and then our hockey game in another 'state' (2 hour drive) at 9pm. Really bad ice, really bad boards, crappy small locker rooms and the rink gates (only one per team) are so small I have to side step to get in and out. Anyway, I was somewhat tired even though I didn't see much playing time in the earlier game. The coach told us that we would share playing time as usual, 30 mins each goalie with the other goalie starting.

Period one, we started off fast and go up two goals. Then the game settles down a little bit and the opposing team gets one back. We pulled ahead again to make it 3-1, and all of our goals are set up through passing and short flick-ins rather than shots. The goalie we're facing has played for the U20 and the Mens' national teams and he was on his game for most of the 60 minutes. Then suddenly we let in two easy goals, both sliding under our goalie and creeping into the net. The assistant coach (also a player, like the coach) tells me to warm up even though its only been 12 minutes since the puck dropped. There goes my dream of being able to rest some more to get myself ready to play the last half hour.

About 20 seconds after I'm told to get warmed up, they pull our goalie and I'm in the game! I get a couple of nice saves here and there, nothing too fancy or worth mentioning. Then a shot to the near post went off a forward's skate and right to another one of their players. I turned and started to slide but the captain (who seems to be fond of sliding often, as you'll see later) threw himself in front of the puck and crashed into me, with the shot going in under his arm. Nothing much I could do but it still got me riled up. A little later I let in another goal, this time a 1v0 when I couldn't react fast enough to move with the puck after going down in the butterfly. So in the end, a little less than 7 minutes and I'd already let in two goals. Not the kind of performance you want to put up when you're going in for the yanked goalie.

The second period was much better, for me and not so much for our team. I don't know why but we kept taking shots from the blue line even when it was obvious their goalie wasn't going to let them in or give us any worthwhile rebounds. I actually had to call over the assistant coach and tell him "we scored all our goals through passing and we've been shooting for 15 minutes now with no goals. tell them to go back to the passing game". The scoreboard read 5-3 and I was starting to get the feeling that the rest of the game was going to pass with us shooting a lot but not scoring and the other team holding on to the two goal lead and closing up. I had a couple of saves here and there plus a couple of man down breakaways where I closed up well enough that the opposing player had no choice but to pass it away or circle around. We won the period 1-0 (4-5 overall) but we really could have done much better goals-wise as play was always on their end.

In the third period, both teams had better luck offensively as we drew level and went up 8-5 before they scored to make it a two goal game in our favor. The goal was nothing too great, I overcommitted to the blocker side and the guy passed it back towards the glove side. The captain had gone sliding again and the puck hit him and stopped right in the middle of the crease. I scrambled to get back (because I was well past the blocker side post and on the goal line) but the forward that the captain had slid in front of easily put it in the net. Towards the end of the game I had a couple of dramatic saves, especially 'cause I was intent on not letting them back into the game. I know how our team reacts to that, they would lose morale and let even more men through and we might lose the game. We scored twice more to make it 10-6 and they got another two goals but by that time there was only two minutes of play left and we were just too good at playing with the puck and using up the clock.

Of course due to this being the second game of the day and almost midnight, at one point I started cramping up no matter how much I hydrated. There was 5 minutes and change on the clock and the coach asked if I was going to be OK, saying that the other goalie was ready to go in. I told him I was OK but I wouldn't mind if the other goalie came in. He said "Can you play? I'll only take you out if you can't play." so I stayed in and finished the game.

So, playoffs anyone?

**Efe** · 05-24-2011, 01:50 PM

I don't usually post about practices but this one I had to mention. I had a hell of a night. I did let in some lousy goals but I was overall rather sound and had a couple of highlight reel type saves. Of course those usually come as a result of being caught in the wrong place :) but what can you do...

One particular play (2v2 drill) I got a lot of applause for: the forward started going around the back but stopped and came back to the near post. I was headed to the back post when he cut back so I immediately stuck my opposite skate to the near post (pad facing in, with the unpadded backside to the forward) and immediate thought how unprotected I was. But I was right on time and I happened to kick the puck away, and I managed to get back on my feet just as the forward passed to his teammate at the far post. I did a butterfly slide over just as he got a shot off, which hit my blocker side elbow cup and landed right at the stick of the first guy. I stuck my blocker and stick in the lower corner and did a Luongo-style "around the world" roll, with the puck hitting my catcher side elbow cup as it rotated above my head.

In the end when I was getting changed after practice I cracked a smile as I couldn't help but think if this had anything to do with watching Timmy play amazingly in the last few weeks :D

By the way, playoffs are 11-12th June. A win on Saturday puts us in the final Sunday.

**Grape Ape #29** · 05-24-2011, 06:13 PM

Well done all around, Efe. And I love how he's become so iconic that nobody says his full name anymore. You know you've made it when you only need one name. Timmy!

**Efe** · 05-24-2011, 09:22 PM

Originally Posted by Grape Ape #29

Well done all around, Efe. And I love how he's become so iconic that nobody says his full name anymore. You know you've made it when you only need one name. Timmy!

Lol. As a long time Bs fan, I go with both but Timmy just feels more personal. Especially in a goalie forum Timmy is easier to use without someone coming out and asking who I'm talking about...

**Efe** · 06-09-2011, 12:47 AM

So we had back to back practices this week, our last of the season. The coach wanted to give us time to rest before the Friday playoff semi-final game (we practice Tuesdays and Thursdays) and also get our bodies used to playing two nights in a row as our next game will be on Saturday. Hopefully we win on Friday (means we get promoted regardless of the result of the Saturday final) and then go for gold on Saturday.

Those who have been following my threads know that last year a Canadian goalie playing in the pro league here had given me one of his one95 sticks as a present. That has been my game and practice stick since then with one of my older sticks as a backup. I was noticing that it had quite a bit of wear on it (slight fracture in the shaft, nicks here and there, etc) so I started looking into getting a replacement for next year. Eventually the shipping cost was too high (especially when the price of the stick is not so low) and I decided to let it lie until late summer when I would have to replace it.

Well yesterday when I was packing my bag for the final practice of the season I considered taking my backup stick instead but opted not to. Murphy's law states that the piece of equipment that has withstood hit after hit (including skates) all season long will break at only the worst possible time. So towards the end of warmups our coach (a pro-league level player with the national team) takes a slapshot and I extend my blocker and it goes off the shaft of the stick. Alas, my stick is a bit wobbly after that shot and I don't have to inspect it thoroughly to realize that the shaft has broken and is only held by one side of the carbon fiber.

Eventually it broke off towards the end of practice and this morning I sawed the jagged edges and placed the thinner (inner) portion of a shaft extension plug in between. Not the best solution but I'm going to tape it up a bit as well and see how it holds up during game warmups. Worst case scenario: using the backup...

**Admin** · 06-09-2011, 07:43 AM

That very reason is why I do not use composite sticks in goal. I bought one stick, lasted just over a month, and it broke exactly like that.

**Efe** · 06-10-2011, 02:37 PM

Tonight we won the semi 10-4. I didn't play at all. They started with this 40 year-old goalie who hadn't been playing for 10 or 15 years and had been practicing with us as recently as two weeks (so 4 practices).

Now I have nothing against coaching decisions, they are gonna go the way they believe is the best for the team. I wouldn't bat an eye if they told me the other goalie would be starting because even though he doesn't come to most practices (lives out of town) he has been at all the games. But when they bring in someone 2 weeks till the end of the season and start him, I do get upset.

Apart from that part of it, he played great and stopped many shots. The score might seem one sided but most of our goals were slapshots from the slot or 1v0s. They had good players and really made us fight for the win.

As I anticipated, 1 minute and 48 seconds before the game ended the coach/alternate/defenseman told me to get my helmet on and that I was going in. I waved it off and said no, the reason being that this goalie (regardless of when and how he joined the team) played a hell of a game and I didn't want them to take him out just to please me. Another point was that I felt like a kid whose parents are trying to fool him; less than two minutes left in the game and they're putting me in so I don't get upset or something. I would've been less upset if you didn't try to fool me.

Anyway enough ranting. We won, we're in the final and apparently already guaranteed a place in the pro league next season. I'll be riding the pine again in about 14 hours :)

**Grape Ape #29** · 06-13-2011, 11:54 AM

That sucks! All that hard work and determination just so a "Johnny com lately" can play. I would hazard to guess that he knows somebody. Doesn't seem logical outside of that.

Congrats on the win!