Fall League Underway

Monday, October 13^th Results

Black 12  Orange 2

Yellow 6 Blue 4

White 19  Green 13

Hockey returned to the Reynoldsville Rollerdrome last night after a long summer of entertaining hockey in Brockway.   Not only has Noah gotten good at hockey, he appears to have gotten good at drafting as well.  Based on how his team played last night, it looks like opposing teams could be in for a long fall on Monday nights.  At least Orange can say they got their beating over with for now.  This game was close until the 2^nd period, but Noah and his team started pulling away.  Noah appeared to lead the way with goals (did not get to watch too much of this game) but he has a very good mix around him with Laken, Troy and Braxton fitting in well in last nights win.  Laken had a really nice goal in the first period on a nice set up from Noah.  Tony Conforto made his Reynoldsville goalie debut and didn’t do too bad considering it was his first night trying to stop a ball instead of a puck. The previous night, he had pucks flying at him from all angles.   It didn’t help having to play against a high flying team last night.  Rob Reed got the first goal for Orange but the game was getting away from them by then.  Orange should get better as the season goes on.  Zac Gray, Robb Reed, Alex Waddell and Jason Stamler were all a part of last years fall league team that was one win away from a championship.   Noah finds his fall league team in Brockway one win away from a championship and looks like he will have a championship caliber team in Reynoldsville on Monday nights. 

While we do not have a final score yet, team Yellow picked up an opening game win over team Blue last night.  Yellow led most of the way but only had a one goal lead midway thru the 3^rd period.  Coltyn made his debut skating out for yellow and appeared to skate pretty well.  Once he gets more comfortable possessing the ball, he will be someone to watch out for.  Bob was very pleased with the way his goalie, Kaden Coulter, played.    Clint was very busy in net for Blue and although his team lost, it appears that it was no mistake that Zach took him with his first pick.  Clint kept his team in the game until the end.  Cory and Bob played on last years fall league championship team and appear to be ready to try to lead the way to another championship this fall.  Both led the way for their team last night.

The Kline’s must have been watching a lot of film before Saturdays draft took place.  Not only did Noah draft a good team, it appeared that his Dad did as well.  Sometimes teams with top end talent take a while to adjust to one another.  That did not appear to be the case in this game.  Team White found themselves up 9-2 before new goalie Cody Schaeffer could blink in eye.  Ben and Andy scored early and often in this game.  Adam skated out to form out their roster and appeared to fit in pretty well in his skating role.  Team Green made a nice charge in the 2^nd period and actually drew to within 2 goals midway through the 3^rd period and had a chance to inch closer when Dave Jewell appeared to set Brian up in front of the net which would have closed the deficit to 1, but Bubba was able to make his best save of the night.  Just a couple minutes later, the game was all but over after some more Calvert/Rossi connection.  Vinnie has not played since XHL ended last spring, but he hasn’t lost his goal scoring abilities.  Him, Dave Jewell and Tyler Waltman all led a nice rally for Green until White pulled away again in the 3^rd period.  Both goalies were busy with Cody Schaeffer trying to adjust from stopping a puck in Brockway to stopping a ball in Reynoldsville.  It will take some time to adjust.  Bubba has not played much hockey either.  Dave Jewell did not play in the summer league in Brockway but will be another part of a father/son duo this fall (Jake/Noah, Adam/Braxton, Cory/Coltyn and now Dave/Matt).  

Just a reminder, we are planning on having another Christmas/New Years tournament in late December/Early January this year followed by XHL season starting up in January.  If you are looking to play and don’t have a team, feel free to mention it to us.  If you are reading this write up and playing in the this league, reach out to me with your shirt size and if you prefer cotton or polyester.  We did not get a chance to ask everyone last night.

Standings after Week 1

1.      Black 2 (12/2)

2.     White 2 (19/13)

3.     Yellow 2 (6-4)

4.     Blue 0 (4-6)

5.     Green 0 (13/19)

6.     Orange 0 (2/12)

Bob Anderson (Yellow)

1.      6-4 win over Blue last night.  What can you say about the overall team effort and the game overall?

I thought we played a pretty solid game .  We had one rough stretch early in the third period where they scored 3 straight goals to tie the game 4-4.  We didn't panic though.  We were able to get the lead back soon after and added an insurance goal later in the third period.  Regardless, we were pretty structured and played good defense as a group.

2.       Kaden and Clint appeared to put on a good showing for their respective teams.  What was your impression of them, in particular Kaden, since he is your teammate in this league?

I've never played on a team with Kaden and am looking forward to a season with him.  He played a solid game.  Other than a few minutes where our defense got a little lax, he pretty well shut the door.  As for Clint, he's always a challenge to score against.  He made some really good saves to keep his team in the game.  

3.      Cory did not play all summer or even last winter.  What's it like playing alongside him and what did you observe from Coltyn?

I'm always happy to draft Cory on fall league teams.  We've played together a lot so we have really good chemistry.  He is versatile...can play up or back, and sees the court well.  He's a really good passer and can score some big goals when we need that too.  As for Coltyn, he is a hustler.  I think Peach called him a "wild man."  He already thinks the game very well.  I can tell already that he's going to be a great player for a long time.

4.      It was very long summer of hockey in Brockway, between the league, the Randy Carlson, the 4th of July tournament and the fall tournament.  What was it like trying to transition to playing in Reynoldsville last night?

I reffed the first game.  Believe it or not, I think it helped me adjust a bit to the speed and, at times, chaos that goes with playing in Reynoldsville.  Like everyone else, it'll take a little time adjusting back to playing with a ball and being able to stop on the wood floor.  I also have to speed up my processing in Reynoldsville.  There isn't as much time or space to wait for plays to open up.  

5.       We don’t get near as much interest for the fall league draft as we used too.  Do you wonder if the days of organized hockey could be fading away as these years pass by?

I try to be an optimist, but I do think we're starting to see a decline in numbers and interest in the fall league in particular.  XHL still seems to do well and the summer seems to hold steady with 6 teams every year.  But you and I both had to send out a lot of texts just to get enough for 6 teams in this fall league with only 1 sub per team.  Some people, who normally play, declined in favor of taking a break.  At some point, we may have to drop to one league in Reynoldsville and one in Brockway.  I hope not though.  I still enjoy playing and it's a great way to get some cardio once a week.

Zach Smith (Blue)

1. 6-4 loss to yellow last night. What can you say about the overall team effort in the loss? I thought clint played great. We didn't help much in front of him to mitigate the high danger chances he faced. I know my effort wasn't good enough, and I need to work on my game if we are going to improve.

2. The game was close throughout. What do you think made the difference for them over you guys? They out hustled us, and they had better passing than us. I had too many turnovers in that game that need to be cleaned up. I think we had our chances, but I missed the net or had my shot blocked way too often.

3. After being a part of recent new goalie struggles in Brockway, You decided to draft Clint in this league. How do you think he did last night?  He was our best player by a wide margin. It's nice to have him back there, but we can't rely on him to make up for our mistakes up front as often as we did that game.

4. You and Bob are teammates in the summer time. Whats it like trying to play against him and the teams he assembles?  I seem to meet him in the finals on tournaments and leagues we have all the time. He seems to get the better of me most of the time, but it's always fun to play against good competition like him.

5. Rumor has you going to a new team for XHL. Is that rumor true or would you rather not say anything yet? I am going to a new team. Hopefully, we can compete and have a great season. We will have a lot of talent that should do well together.

Tony Conforto (Orange)

1. Your Reynoldsville debut in net last night. What was it like transitioning from a puck in Brockway to a ball in Reynoldsville? To be honest I wasn’t sure if I even wanted to play anymore after sundays game in Brockway. Having the memorial service for my mother Friday threw off my whole focus and mindset. I fell behind in our first game and zoned out only to be screamed at in front of my wife and teammates. Very discouraging and was not able to get back into the mindset to compete. I am thankful that this team is allowing me time to transition to ball from puck and encouraging my development. Next week I am hoping to be fresh, focused l, and ready to go!

2. Its only one game, but how would you compare the 2 style of play in Reynoldsville to the style of play in Brockway as you sit back in net waiting for a shot to come? The game is much faster pace in reynoldsville due to the smaller court, harder surface, and the ball is more unpredictable with bounces.

3. You skated out for several years but decided to transition to a goalie. What made you want to try it out? We were losing Tony Dodd and I had an opportunity to buy a full set of gear so I figured I’d give it a try as we always seem to be looking for netminders. I prefer skating out but know I need to keep with it to gain experience and grow my game.

4. What encouraging signs did you see from your team in last nights loss? The team played very well in front of me, Adam had a great game in net. I think we will be fine if I pull my head outta my ass and start making saves lol

5. We know you are a Miami Dolphins fan. What do you think has gone wrong with that organization in recent years? Injuries, coaching? Culture? Not really sure but it’s like being a kid waking up on Christmas morning every year expecting toys and getting socks and underwear instead. Every year as a dolphins fan we think “this is our year” then Boom! Concussion, interception, fumble etc….

Adam McKinley (Black)

1. Back to Monday night hockey in Reynoldsville. How did you feel following a night of skating out for White and goalying for a team that looks championship legit? I felt pretty good. I was a little concerned about how I would play, being I haven't goaltended in awhile, but I felt I was seeing the ball well.

2. What was the impression of the your (regular) team last night? I think we looked pretty good out of the gate. Once we get a feel for each other, I think we're going to be alright.

3. What kind of progress have you noticed in Braxton since he started playing organized hockey last fall? I think he's become a lot more aggressive in his play and has become a more well rounded player.

4. We have seen 4 father/son duo’s recently, with Dave and Matt set to be the 4th along with Cory and Coltyn. Are you feeling old yet? I'm not "feeling" old yet, but I'm seeing the reality of it. It's hard to believe our kids are playing with us.

5. We have seen several new people playing goalie recently (Cody, Tony, Braxton, Ava, Brian). What words of advice can you give to someone starting out and how to keep their head up when they have to go through their share of struggles? Stand up until you have to go down. Play at the top of your crease. Look around and try to read the play. Communicate with your team. Work on small parts of your game in order to get better. If your struggling, look for the small successes and try improve the weaknesses.