Japan Postgame Recap
March 16th, 2010Live Game Blog vs. Japan
March 16th, 2010Final, USA 6-0.
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With one minute remaining, I must be off to perform media duties. I hope you enjoyed the blog! Team USA ahead, 6-0, with 63 seconds left!
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DESCRIPTION: Another neutral zone turnover turns into pay dirt for Team USA. Nikko Landeros used his huge frame to fend off a defender, put the puck to his forehand and fire a shot low and to the back of the net. You have to feel good for that man, who let out an audible cheer above the crowd upon scoring his first career goal. He is the only rookie on Team USA.
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6:06 GOAL!!!!!! Nikko Landeros! USA 6-0
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6:18 An offsides call eliminates another U.S. two-on-one chance.
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6:58 PENALTY OVER Adam Page gets caught on a partial breakaway, but still musters a tricky left-handed shot that nearly escapes new Japan goalie Shinobu Fukushima.
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Chants of NI-PON!! are loud here at the UBC Thunderbird Arena. (That’s JA-PAN! in English.)
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9:00 PENALTY: USA’s Tim Jones off for interference.
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DESCRIPTION: Howard was due. He was sprung free just inside the Japan blue line and was free and clear. Instead of trying to be too cute, he simply reared back and fired a shot high over Nagase’s blocker from between the rings. Nagase’s night is done.
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10:50 GOAL!!!!! Joe Howard! USA 5-0
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Steve Cash, in 120 minutes played so far, has stopped all 16 shots faced.
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Mike Blabac between the pipes. It’s his first CAREER IPC action, and first Paralympic action.
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GAME ON! Team Canada has just arrived for its game tonight against Norway… they are watching along the glass.
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Five minutes to puck drop! For those interested in the identity of your humble blogger, feel free to click on the “About the Author” link on the right side of your page.
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Apparently I missed a concert by The Weakerthans up at Whistler last Sunday. Dang it!
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END OF PERIOD 2, USA 4-0. Shots were 7-1 in that period, 13-5 now overall.
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DESCRIPTION: Taylor Lipsett and Taylor Chace broke in on a two-on-one from just inside the offensive blue line. This time, the defenseman opted to take away the passing lane. Lipsett passed the puck under his sled to his left hand and shuffled a shot past Nagase’s blocker side.
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0:57 Joe Howard ROBBED by Nagase on a breakaway.
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1:38 GOAL!!!! Taylor Lipsett! USA 4-0
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2:30 Adam Page hits the crossbar! One more pipe to go!
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3:00 Emmerson hits the pipe! PING!
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Brad Emmerson is very good about protecting the puck and maintaining possession under pressure.
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Japan’s trying to spring that breakaway now, leading to a breathless pace.
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5:30 PENALTIES OVER
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DESCRIPTION: Alexi Salamone used his usual shiftiness to deke around two defenders, slip through traffic to the slot and fired a shot high over Nagase’s glove.
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7:37 PENALTY: Japan’s Naohiko Ishida called for holding. 4×3 USA Power play.
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8:24 PENALTY: Japan’s Satoru Sudo had to interfere with a speedy Bubba Torres to prevent a breakaway.
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8:33 PENALTY: Taylor Lipsett in the box for charging.
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8:40 Cash stops a pure breakaway by Japan’s best, Daisuke Uehara. Team USA’s defense surrounds him to thank him.
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9:47 GOAL!!! Alexi Salamone! USA 3-0
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10:18 Joe Howard floats another backhand into Nagase’s chest from the same spot as two minutes ago. He shakes his head in disappointment.
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11:03 PENALTY Japan’s Naohiko Ishida called for hooking.
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12:00 Big chance for Joe Howard at the left side of the cage, but he can’t elevate the puck over Nagase.
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13:05 PENALTY OVER
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For those requesting video, it appears that ParalympicSport.tv is now showing this game on tape delay beginning at 10:30 p.m. PDT. Disappointing news for us all.
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14:40 GREAT chance for Japan’s Takayuki Endo, but he fans while wide open between the rings.
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Annnnnnnnnnnnd we’re off!
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Shots were 6-4 in favor of the U.S. in the first.
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90 seconds to go!
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While the U.S. has a healthy rivalry with most of its opponents, a certain friendship and mutual respect exists between Team USA and Japan. Their coaching staffs even teamed up to play against referees on an off day at the 2010 Japan Para Ice Sledge Hockey Championships last January.
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The crowd is packed in tight once again tonight. While many U.S. hockey teams are used to chilly receptions from fans at tournaments held in Canada, the fans here have been great. While the cheers for Japan do ring a bit louder, this humble blogger suspects that comes from the natural inclination to root for an underdog. Players, coaches and staff alike have felt at home here with our neighbors to the north.
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END OF PERIOD 1, USA 2-0. A big save by Cash as the horn sounds! He made four saves in the period, the most of any period so far this tournament for him.
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1:30 PENALTY: USA’s Taylor Chace whistled for elbowing.
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DESCRIPTION: Taylor Lipsett intercepted a pass at the U.S. blue line and broke out on a two-on-one with Greg Shaw on his flank. Lipsett slipped a pass to Shaw when the defenseman engaged, and Shaw buried the breakaway chance on the forehand.
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2:59 GOAL!! Greg Shaw! USA 2-0
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4:00 Andy Yohe sneaks wide open at the side of the net and then opts to pass to Josh Pauls at the top of the circle. A miscalculation that leads to an easy save for Nagase.
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6:50 PENALTY OVER. We’re already seeing that Japan has more skill and more creativity than the United States’ previous opponents at this tournament.
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Great forecheck by Greg Shaw keeps the puck pinned in Japan’s zone for over 45 seconds.
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8:20 A puck bounces off of Jimmy Connelly’s sled and NEARLY slides in past Cash.
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8:59 PENALTY: Adam Page is going off for hooking.
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9:51 Team USA is doing a great job of keeping the puck deep. Greg Shaw attempts a wraparound but is stuffed by Nagase.
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12:05 A 3-on-2 rush by Team USA goes awry when a pass for Alexi Salamone slides a bit too far.
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DESCRIPTION: After captain Andy Yohe held the zone, he skated to the top of the right circle and fed a pass to Page in the high slot. Page fanned on his first one-timer attempt, but slid a second effort to the far post and past Japan goalie Mitsuru Nagase.
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13:55 GOAL! Adam Page! USA 1-0
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You know where you are? You’re in the JUNGLE, Baby! GAME ON!!! (Game on!)
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Three minutes until puck drop! A huge Japanese contingency here. Vancouver has a very large Asian population, and games featuring Japan and South Korea have been well attended.
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In earlier action today, the Czech Republic jumped out to a 4-0 lead over South Korea before finishing with a 4-2 win, its first of the tournament. Meanwhile, Sweden edged Italy, 1-0. All four of those teams will be squaring off in relegation games beginning tomorrow.
VANOC did a fabulous job of filling this building for day games during the middle of the work week. Solution? Allow local schools to buy cheap ticket packages. Attendances in the high 4,000s made for great atmospheres in potential dog games. Plus, the kids were eager to cheer for anyone and everyone.
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It looks like ParalympicSport.tv is now airing the game on tape delay… so stick here for live updates from the game!
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While you’ll surely want to keep checking back to this blog for “witty commentary” and “brilliant insights”, this game is scheduled to be Web cast live at ParalympicSport.tv. Check it out!
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40 minutes to puck drop! Team USA is in its blues and ready to take the ice for warmups.
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Welcome to the live game blog for the U.S. Paralympic Sled Hockey Team’s final preliminary-round match-up against Japan. Puck drop is slated for 5 p.m. PDT. Drop by 30 minutes before the start of the game to get all the latest updates!
Remember, the most recent posts will appear at the top.
Family Day
March 15th, 2010Today, the members of the U.S. Paralympic Sled Hockey Team had the day off to spend with their families. A final “resting” day before the squad buckles down for its three most important games of the last four years.
With no team functions to recap, let’s answer some common questions about sled hockey:
“What are some of sled hockey’s special rules?” – The short answer to this question is that there are virtually none. Sled hockey IS full contact, and the teams play on a regulation rink. The three most noticeable differences are the size of the team (15 players versus 20 for an NHL team), the length of the periods (15 minutes versus 20 in an NHL game… see “size of the team” as the reason for this difference) and the penalty “teeing.” Teeing (or t-boning) is called when a player checks another player using the front of his sled rather than hitting from the side.
Former 2009-10 U.S. National Sled Hockey Team member Mike Hallman on a hand bike.
“How do sled hockey players train?” – Apart from skating, sled hockey players can do several training exercises to prepare them for gamedays. Weightlifting is imperative for Paralympic sled players, as upper-body strength is a key to stamina, acceleration and overall speed. Players can also build stamina through cardio work on apparatuses such as handbikes.
“Do the Paralympians have other jobs?” – Yes… and no. Team USA is so young that several of its members are still going to school. Some players, like Joe Howard and Taylor Lipsett pull down full-time jobs. Still others, like Andy Yohe and Steve Cash, took breaks from their jobs or education to train for the Paralympics this last year. Finally, some players are lucky enough to land endorsement deals due to their Paralympic experience. Don’t miss Alexi Salamone’s Visa spots here.
Sled Hockey Equipment
“Where do players get their equipment?” – Most sleds are custom made and can be difficult to get, as every player requires different buckets to fit various frames. That’s why starter sled programs with appropriate funding are very important for the growth of the game. Team USA is using brand new sleds at this tournament donated by NASCAR driver Joey Lagano. The special sticks, however, are specially manufactured by mainstream hockey companies such as Easton.
“How does one get started in sled hockey?” – So glad you asked! Click here to find out!
Have more questions? E-mail me at alexc@usahockey.org, and I will try to answer them for you on Wednesday’s blog.
Czech Republic Postgame Recap
March 14th, 2010Jimmy Connelly Postgame Interview
Nikko Landeros Postgame Interview
**NOTE** With Japan’s 5-0 victory over South Korea, the U.S. has officially punched its ticket to the semifinals. Tuesday’s game against Japan will determine seeding.
USA vs. Czech Republic Prelim
March 14th, 2010That’s the game! 3-0 USA! Thanks for reading!
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1:55 PENALTY: USA’s Lipsett for interference.
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2:27 Taylor Chace with another hard shot from in close. He had four shots on goal coming into this period, and should finish with six or seven… possibly more than the Czech Republic as a whole.
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Shouts of USA and GO CZECH GO starting now as the final three minutes tick down…
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4:30 PENALTY OVER. Salamone misses a one-timer from the slot high. Another rush started by Taylor Chace, who’s had a heckuva game.
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5:55 Bubba Torres is in his old sled… no word on what happened to his newer one.
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6:42 PENALTY: USA’s Alexi Salamone is issued an elbowing penalty.
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8:20 Team USA has two great chances, one for Lipsett and one for Shaw.
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9:34 Josh Pauls gets a good whack at a rebound off of a Taylor Chace shot. Pauls is looking for his first career Paralympic goal.
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9:42 A good three-on-two rush for Team USA, but a centering pass intended for Brad Emmerson is intercepted by Vapenka.
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DESCRIPTION: Offensive zone puck possession led to a loose puck coming to the stick of Andy Yohe. Team USA’s captain slid a pass from the high slot to Connelly at the left dot, where the defenseman’s low one-timer beat Vapenka.
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11:16 GOAL!!! Jimmy Connelly! USA 3-0
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11:55 Taylor Chace denied again, this time on a breakaway.
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14:01 PENALTY: USA’s Andy Yohe off for delaying the game.
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Game on!
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We’ve got five minutes until Period 3!
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END OF PERIOD 2, USA 2-0. Shots are 15-4, USA.
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0:10 Taylor Chace rings one off the pipe. He’s had four quality chances tonight.
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DESCRIPTION: An end-to-end rush, Salamone used his speed to wheel around three Czech defenders, cut in on the right side and fire a shot high over Vapenka’s glove.
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2:38 Big glove save by Steve Cash.
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2:59 GOAL!! Alexi Salamone! USA 2-0
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5:30 Steve Cash denies a breakaway chance with a last second poke check. Meanwhile, Vapenka makes a point-blank stop at his own door stop. Things are opening up, and the crowd is loving it.
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6:15 Taylor Chace can’t bury a wide open wraparound chance. Backhand shots in sled hockey are extremely difficult, as balance is so important.
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7:02 A quick whistle robs Jimmy Connelly of an open-net rebound chance.
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8:19 PENALTY: The Czech Republic’s Berger is off for interference. This one’s getting a bit sloppy.
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8:45 PENALTIES OVER
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9:30 Brad Emmerson has a great chance from the left dot, but Vapenka makes a glove save.
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Here comes the wave!
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10:46 PENALTY: Team USA’s Chace is going off for goaltender interference.
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11:41 PENALTY: The Czech’s Jiri Berger is off for roughing.
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Team USA is using its speed advantage to play the dump-and-chase game.
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Whenever Tim Jones calls for the puck, he makes a distinctive “WHOOP!” noise.
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14:31 PENALTY OVER… and icing by the Czech Republic.
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Here we go!
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Joe Howard’s wife was just interviewed on the big screen here at UBC. For those of you who don’t read my game notes (for shame!!), Joe proposed to his wife eight years ago after Team USA’s Paralympic Winter Games win over Estonia… at center ice! Now there’s style!
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Team USA will need to kill off another 23 seconds of Czech power-play time once we get started once again. Both the players and coaching staff talked about limiting penalties following the team’s win yesterday, and while Howard might have a case regarding his infraction, the too-many-men penalties need to be eliminated.
As has been noted in an early feature on this blog, the iced benches here at UBC’s Thunderbird Arena are unique. Players are used to having to slow down coming on and off the ice and were therefore more cautious about changes in the past. The iced benches has certainly sped up the game, but it has also allowed for over-eagerness.
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END OF PERIOD 1, USA 1-0. Shots were 7-2, USA.
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Team USA’s penalty killing coverage has been great. The best chances have come on the rush, and have come from just inside the blue line.
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1:38 PENALTY: Team USA whistled for its third too-many-men penalty of the tournament.
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Team USA is just too fast for the Czechs. Potential breakaways at one blue line are turned into crushing hits at the other.
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2:50 Penalty over, and Vapenka turns aside Adam Page on a breakaway. Page couldn’t get elevation, and is being consoled by linemate Tim Jones.
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3:38 Nikko Landeros absolutely BURIES Jiri Berger in open ice. The Czech bench wants an elbow.
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4:56 PENALTY: USA’s Joe Howard will go off for interference. He checked a Czech opponent as both were rushing for a loose puck in the neutral zone.
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5:34 Steve Cash makes his second save of the night (I can’t remember the first…) on a low shot by Zdenek Habl.
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DESCRIPTION: Off a faceoff win, Alexi Salamone dropped the puck back to the blue line and Taylor Chace. Chace’s long shot was blocked by Vapenka, but Lipsett calmly collected the puck in the slot and roofed it for his third of the tournament. Power-play goal. Lipsett from Chace and Salamone.
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7:07 GOAL! Taylor Lipsett! USA 1-0
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7:14 Huge saves by Vapenka on jam efforts by Alexi Salamone and Taylor Chace.
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8:32 PENALTY: Czech Republic’s Zdenek Klima is off for teeing.
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9:02 Back-to-back offsides calls on the U.S.
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This is the same Czech team that held the U.S. to one goal just two months ago and beat Norway at the Japan Para Ice Sledge Hockey Championships.
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10:39 Shot on goal off of an offensive zone faceoff win by Greg Shaw. Taylor Lipsett fired the puck into the mitt of Vapenka, who is well known for his glove hand.
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10:43 Shot on goal by Tim Jones. The U.S. has been a bit tentative, but once again is playing solid defense and keeping play in front.
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For those of you who have not seen the game, Sled Hockey strategy frequently mirrors that of soccer. “Area passing” is important, and drop passes frequently allow for forward rushes.
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Most teams are employing what I’m calling a “Two-Door System” for line changes. One door (near the defensive end) is for defensemen only, and the other is for forwards. As hopping over the boards isn’t an option, this method makes a lot of sense.
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Nikko Landeros blasts a shot high from the left circle. Nearly had his first career tally!
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Team USA’s “Red Line” of Joe Howard, Bubba Torres and Alexi Salamone saw conspicuously low ice time in Game 1. It will be interesting to see if coach Ray Maluta is saving that line, which will be responsible for much of the team’s offense in future games.
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GAME ON!!! (Game on!)
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Czech goalie Michal Vapenka is sporting a haircut in which a goalie mask is shaved into the back of his head. Sa-weet.
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Players taking the ice!
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Boston Bruins legend Rick Middleton is providing PA commentary between periods for the fans here at UBC Thunderbird Arena.
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Seven minutes to puck drop! On the advice of one of our avid readers, I will try to put clock times on in-game posts. But none of this international timing stuff… the clock will be counting down from 15.
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One of tonight’s linesmen’s names is Kai Gunnar Thoeger-Andresen. Leaving aside its length, how cool would it be to say, “Gunnar is my MIDDLE name.” … Anyone?
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This building is already filling up with 20 minutes remaining until puck drop. Team USA’s 5 p.m. draws have been perfect for the weekend games, as families are showing up in droves despite the fact that Canada is not playing. Last night’s game, near capacity, welcomed nearly 5,500 fans.
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In earlier action today, heavily favored Norway once again toyed with fate in a 2-1 squeaker over Italy. Canada disposed of Sweden, 10-1, setting up a showdown between it and Norway for the top seed in Group B Tuesday night.
After our game this afternoon, Japan and South Korea will square off in a meeting that will carry significance for the U.S. no matter the outcome of Team USA’s upcoming game. A South Korea victory leaves open the door for a three-way tie in Group A, which would be settled by goal differential in the three teams’ meetings with one another. The U.S. was actually a victim of this very same tie-breaking scenario at the Japan Para Ice Sledge Hockey Championships last January, but emerged from its third-place seeding to win the title.
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35 minutes to puck drop! Team USA is looking sharp in its whites this afternoon as the players take the ice for pregame warm-ups.
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Welcome to the game blog for the USA vs. Czech Republic Paralympic Winter Games preliminary-round match-up on Sunday, March 14. Puck drop is slated for 5 p.m. PDT, so check back here 30 minutes before game time for updates!
Once again, remember that the most recent posts will be located at the top, so scroll down as the game goes on to review past plays and notes.