1. Two hard fought wins against team black. What can you say about the overall team effort in both those wins last night?
Two great wins last night for sure. Very impressed with our team and how we were able to get both wins and not have to play a game 3. Hats off as well to the black team on a great series. They are a very good team and the series could have gone either way. It was a good clean series and I was fun to compete against them. My body on the other hand hates me right now. I’m sore in places that I didn’t even know existed but I have a week to recover and do it all over again.
2. A 5-0 lead got down to 6-5 at the end. Were you worried at all and what do you think went wrong that helped them get back in the game?
I was definitely a little bit concerned when they got within a goal or 2. I was drained at that point and it seemed like they had a lot of gas left in the tank. However I knew if we stuck with our game plan and played smart that we should be able to hold on and get the W. Plus I knew that tournament Bob wouldn’t allow them to score that tying goal as long as he wasn’t in the penalty box haha.
3. What do you think made the difference in winning those 2 games last night?
I think the biggest thing for our team and this has been true all season is getting an early lead. Granted we had a 5 goal lead in game 2 and still only won by 1 but it’s never easy playing from behind. As Bob said in last weeks interview everyone needs to step up and contribute and I feel that we did a very good job of that over the course of the series.
4. What can you say about Jason Iseler’s play in subbing for Fred?
It has been great playing with Jason again for several games this fall. He is a veteran player that knows the game very well and knows the little things that need done to be successful. Doesn’t hurt that he’s a great guy as well and I really enjoy talking hunting with him.
5. Know anything about team white?
I was absent for the regular season meeting against the white team so I haven’t had a chance to play against them yet. I can tell you that they are almost like an All Star team though from watching them play on Monday night. As others have stated not sure how Brian was able to pull it off in the draft but hats off to him. It is going to take all that we have and then some to win but I am looking forward to the series and we will see if the underdogs can knock off the white team. The USA beat Russia in the 1980 Olympic Quarterfinals so why can’t team Orange take down White?
Dave Glass Interviews Bob Anderson
1.) Two very hard-fought games against Black. What were your impressions of that team? What do you think the difference was for Orange to move on? I knew our series with Black could go either way. They really impressed me this season as a group and they were coming in pretty hot. After playing them, my impression didn’t change much. I was impressed. Even after falling behind 5-0 in game two, they didn’t quit. That showed a lot of heart. I thought Trenton Bembenic really had a stand out season, much the way Vinnie did a year ago in the Fall. And Llew played the best hockey this session that I think I’ve ever seen him play. The rest of their team really stepped up as well. They have nothing to be ashamed of! As for the difference, I think scoring first really helped us in both games. We were able to dictate the tempo for a lot of both games. And when you’re playing two games in one night, it’s much easier to preserve some energy when you are playing with a lead. 2.) I’ve noticed your role has been a little different than usual. You’ve been attacking a bit less, defending a bit more, trusting your teammates to pick up the offense much of the time. Would you agree with that assessment? Are you changing your game a bit? I agree and I think I’ve changed my game a bit this season because of the personnel we have. You sort of have to adapt to the strengths of your teammates and see where you are most needed. On this team, I think me staying back gives some of my teammates the best chance to succeed. But if we fall behind, I trust them to pick me up if I start taking a few more chances. 3.) White completely overpowered Pink tonight- even in the first game they controlled play. What do you think the biggest key will be for your team next week? Everybody knows that White team is loaded so that was no surprise coming in. Even earlier this season when they struggled a bit, I knew they were still the team to beat. That said, we aren’t going to hand them the proverbial trophy. We have to make them earn it. That means playing even smarter and executing when we have chances. The challenge is not being able to focus on stopping just one or two guys. You have to stop the whole squad. 4.) The big question- after years of being your brother’s captain, now he’s built his own squad that- on paper- is at least a match for yours, if not the favorite. Are you excited to face him? Apprehensive? Do you think the family connection gives you any useful ‘inside info’ that will help you against his team? I won’t lie. I would have preferred that someone take them out prior to us. Team Blue had the best chance last week when they only had to win once and White didn’t have Cody. They came very close but couldn’t quite finish the job. And team Pink had a chance to put White on their heels by stealing game one, but White found a way. That’s a sign of a good team No matter what, I’m excited to have a chance to extend our season another week at least. My goal every fall and winter season is to make the finals. Win or lose, that means less down time between seasons. I don’t think being brothers makes much of a difference from a strategic standpoint. Everybody knows what everybody else likes to do in the league. We’ve been playing with or against each other for years. It’s a matter of executing and getting a bounce sometimes. Good luck to Brian and the rest of the White team next week! And good season to Team Pink as well.
...