R2005F Week 3: Road Warriors 10, Reapers 2

Reapers played with only five skaters for much of the game after a fight erupted between Scott E. and an opposing Road Warrior. Scott E. angrily responded to a stick in the throat, and a melee ensued where Scott E. bloodied and marred the face of his challenger, after successfully sliding the helmet off so he could render some blows. Scott E. was tossed from the contest, but I believe he will be able to play next week.

Besides escaping a mercy defeat and avoiding the embarrassment of a shutout, that was the only Reaper battle won on this hockey night. A shortened Reaper bench could not matchup to the larger Road Warrior squad. A rash of penalties were taken by both sides, as the refs called it fairly tight after the fight incident.

Despite equipment problems early on, goalie Shaun played admirably in defeat, especially in the last period, when, despite the onset of fatigue, the Reapers were able to exhibit some decent team play, scoring twice, and as stated, successfully thwarting the full throttle Road Warrior attempt to mercy us. Reaper goals were tallied by Don and Scott S. who scored on a bullet of a shot. Also, an absolutely gutty performance by Steve S., who is still reeling from the after effects of an automobile accident earlier in the week, yet nothing could keep him from lacing up his skates and giving 110%.

Hopefully, we can add some skaters to our roster, as it appears that several who pledged to play this season have flaked out on us, including Chris, who was a no-show last night and didn't notify anyone of his absence, unlike last week, where he was tied up in procuring a new puppy. Roger did not return my call and Tim T. (Don's brother) has not participated in a game this season. I reckon some folks would rather play video games or watch football than play hockey — a sentiment I cannot comprehend, I must confess.

A positive aside — I believe that had we had a full bench, we could have easily emerged victorious in this contest against last season's league champions (and a team we have beaten before and defeated by only one goal in the playoffs). We're still struggling offensively, but I see signs of improvement and greater teamplay. While we may not be blessed anymore with gifted goal scorers, as a team, if we work hard, we can beat any team in this league.