"We'll Take It

but we don't necessarily have to like it."

"I'm trying, I'm trying...

"but Ray thinks 'Anger Management' is a Triple A Aggressive Growth Stock Fund."

The Softer Side...

"Abigail, you don't believe those things about daddy, do you?"

The 'Trap' Game

The Pearl River Pirates returned to the ice this evening to face the Glacier. The Pirates were playing a team already eliminated from championship round contention and no doubt might have been looking ahead to their Sunday morning contest against undefeated Millbrook. That said, the 'Hooter' can't be too disappointed with our lads on ice performance in their (7-3) trimming of the squad from Pennsylvania. A three goal outburst within 90 seconds three minutes into the first period clearly established which team had the more skilled players. Leading three nothing after one period the teams exchanged goals during the balance of play. But it would take all three periods plus overtime to establish the Glacier as a 'dirty' team. Their chippy play was more than condoned by lax refereeing and unsportsman-like coaching.
The Hooter delighted in seeing six different players put the puck behind Glacier Goalie Breen. 'Rushing Ryan' McLinskey's goal was the highlight effort of the night with him neatly tucking the puck in at the near post after a mad dash up ice through and around four defenders. The price Ryan paid was a post game trip by a sore losing opponent as the players headed to the locker room. Irate Buc fans and family took no solace in the self imposed restraint shown by Steve McCullough and Ray Krok as harsh words were hurled at on ice officials and between opposing parents. Lucy Krok opined to the Hooter, "Thank God, my son didn't use his usual four-letter-word vocabulary with Kaylee standing there." Hooter chortled, "Yeah, he's using two syllable words now. Let's get him a thesaurus for his birthday!"

A Title-Worthy Game

"From the opening face off against the Conquistadors...

Pirate Pride Held Sway

"to the tying goal."

Conquer who?

The 'Hooter' turned wryly to the group of Conquistador dads standing next to him and calmly said, "this ain't Toronto" as the group appealed for a ruling that Luke Myers' tying goal late in the third period should be disallowed. The shot from the point was deflected by #55 near shoulder height but if there were replays in youth hockey games Obama hasn't mentioned it yet. It was fitting that this game end in the 5-5 tie based on the complete and exhausting efforts put forth by both 13 man units. Liam McCullough, standing in for Sean Gordon in goal, was at his all time best. He thwarted at least a dozen scoring chances by an opportunistic Marlborough squad during the contest. Our Band of Pirates showed enormous character in this cliff hanger. Down 1-0 after 30 seconds and two nil midway through the opening stanza their resiliency came to the forefront. The two late first period goals by Dillon Krok were negated by the aggressive forecheck of the Conquistadors as the Bucs fell behind 4-2 early in second period. Another Krok 'rock' made it 4-3 at the close of the second period. The lads refused to be deflated, even when Dolan Ocasal's rebound knotted the score at four, was answered by the Conquistadors, who coming off a penalty kill midway through the third period, tallied on a defensive lapse. Trailing 5-4 with 70 seconds remaining in this barn burner Coach McGee pulled Liam as the Bucs swarmed the attacking zone for one final flurry. "Toronto, we have a problem" giggled the 'Hooter' to the opposing goalie's dad as Lucky Luke made the marvelous deflection to send one set of parents back to the hotel very happy.

Your HVHL Squirt A Champions

"Congratulations to a dedicated group of skaters and coaches who make us so proud."

Ham or Hamlet

The Grumpy Geriatric turned to Nana Lucy as they headed back across the Tappan Zee Bridge and quietly said, "I've got to change the blog." The Hooter was all set to go with the theme that epitomized this dates Championship game at the Westchester Skating Academy. "To be or not to be, that was the question" that would determine the Hudson Valley League Champion. Who wanted it more, which team would capitalized on a late costly mistake. Indeed the ebb and flow of the contest did not suggest an ultimate winner until the empty netter in the waning seconds cemented the 5-3 victory for the Pearl River Pirates. Defensive lapses enabled the Hudson Valley (aka Newburgh) Polar Bears to take a 2-1 lead entering the second period. Having had the contest squared at two, then losing the lead in the opening seconds of the final period, the Polar Bears struck for a mid-third period goal to tie the match yet again. The Bucs who had found their legs in the second period, carried that momentum into the third and could have easily been derailed by their equally resilient opponents. But staunch net minding at one end of the rink was complemented by hard work in the offensive zone by our gritty bunch. Ultimately a loose puck arrived at a fortuitous time with Dillon Krok unchecked in the high slot. He fired the winning wrister with barely three minutes left in this nail biter. As the Grumpy Geriatric sat at the keyboard he realized that this was the Perfect Hockey Day. Hockey had come full circle in his life. On the day the team he was passionate about as a ten year old was honoring his childhood heroes at MSG, these ten year olds were honoring him in some strange way with their superb effort at the WSA. Thank you boys!

Theft of Service?

"Too many of them against too few of us."

Poor Us!?!

"No, Ray, I said 'POROUS' as in too many holes" commented the 'Hooter' at the conclusion of this evenings 3-3 tie at Sport-o-Rama. 'RJ' Krok was trying to ease 'Pop Tom's disappointment in tonights outcome by explaining that the Pearl River Pirates competed against one of the top Squirt teams in New Jersey. The Pirates had opened a 1-0 lead after one period but defensive lapses had them scrambling to tie the game at three midway through the third. The Pirates could not sustain an offensive attack at all and greatly benefitted from goalie miscues on two of their three goals. Dillon Krok assured his father and the grumpy geriatric that "tomorrow is our league championship game; we'll come out firing on all cylinders." Number 22 explained it thus to his bewildered elders: "Tonight, the two teams were virtually equal. The best in southern New York against the best in northern New Jersey. We're Pirates; they're Bandits. They nearly robbed the game from us, we just stole it back with that goal in the third period!"

Too "Blanking" Good

"Hey, Bears Coach, 'if it was football, it would've been close."

Shooting Gallery

...on the attack all night.

The First Step

"I decided to save my voice" rasped the 'Hooter' to Terry McLinskey at the conclusion of the convincing 7-0 blanking of the Bear Mountain Bears in the opening round of the Hudson Valley Hockey League playoffs at Sport -o- Rama when nary a hoot was heard in the 3rd period. The Pearl River Pirate Squirt A team was primed for victory as attested to by their dominant four goal lead after twelve minutes of action. The squad was never seriously challenged in this one sided affair with six different players chipping in goals. Midway through the third period with the seven goal lead and chippy play marking the Bears' attack, Coach McGee pulled back on the throttle and had his worker bees protect Sean Gordon's shutout through puck control and a spread attack in the offensive zone. An irate Linda Krok caused the Hooter to blush when she turned to the 'bearded blogger' as the strategy unfolded as said, "the Bears coach s...ks; if Chris won't run up the score, my Dillon will run 'em into the boards at least." Husband Ray, time keeper extraordinaire, quipped, "Lin, it's in the DNA! Dill got two minutes for mouthing off in the third period."

The Journey to Geneseo Begins...

"Pop Tom, the Pirates Cove blog could read like one of your tennis blogs except, of course, these are all victories" commented Nana Lucy at the conclusion of the Pearl River Pirates sweep of their four opponents this weekend. Indeed with scores of (4-1, 7-1, 3-1, 5-3) our band of Bucs took a solid step in building their confidence that they will be very competitive in the New York State Championships, Squirt Division one month from now. In less than 40 hours - from Friday at 6 PM through Sunday at 9 AM - the Pirates grew as a team. The much heralded Mamaroneck Tigers visited Sport -o-Rama to open the series and were felled by a three goal third period onslaught by a Pirate attack that was both tenacious and resilient in the 4-1 victory. Coach McGee mixed and matched in the following morning contest at Rye Country Day School. By giving most of his forwards time on the backline and rotating his staunch D-men topside against the over matched Rye Rangers, 7-1, Coach Mac gave the squad a fresh challenge while advancing the individual skills of each team member in their new role, albeit temporary. A secondary benefit was realized a scant six hours later in Stamford Ct. Playing from behind for the first time in weeks against a formidable Greenwich Blues team, the lads were a tad fresher than otherwise they might have been, rallying to erase the one goal deficit and come away with a very satisfying 3-1 triumph. But past was truly prologue come 7:30 Sunday morning. Back at Sport -o- Rama to play the Saints (with our own impenetrable Sean Gordon in their net) the Pirates had their emphatic statement game. Down 3-1 at the mid point of the second period 'the-never-say-die' bunch saw their hard work reap the rewards of a three goals in three minutes third period resulting in a tremendous 5-3 victory. As the Hooter left the building to soothe his hoarse voice, Nana Lucy charged with driving a beaming Dillon Krok home, opined "Too bad this wasn't a night game Dill. Pop Tom snores so bad, his throat's so sore now, I feel like I'm wasting this victory!"