Stories and comments from the Summer 2023 Season:
Summer 2023 – Game One & Two ReCap - By Louis D'Arcio – August 15, 2023
Bruins Split Opening Games
The
LI-Bruins started their inaugural season in Midnight Hockey with a loss to
the All City team and a win versus the Rebels.
Game one on August 1st showed the rust
of not playing together in over a year against a squad that plays all year
long, as well as, for a number of years.
The 2 teams traded goals in the first to get to the break tied 3-3.
The Bruin goals came from Brenden Cooper (2) and James Brue.
In the 2nd period All City scored a rare short-handed goal
that was equalized 3 minutes later by Liam McDonald. All City quickly
rebounded less than a minute later and potted their 3rd goal of
the period with less than a minute remaining.
The final period was all All City with a blitz of
3 goals in just over a minute, coming in at 12:24, 11:52 and 11:19.
After that they went into defense mode and no matter how hard the
Bruins tried, they couldn’t light the lamp.
What a difference a week makes, August 7th
had the Bruins line up against the Rebel at the Newbridge Arena.
It looked to be a low scoring game as both teams were unable to get
on the scoreboard in the first.
A minute and half into the 2nd, the
Rebels got one past Bruins netminder, Kevin Reis, to take an early lead.
The Bruins were not worried and continued to press offensively and
were rewarded 2 minutes later with a Liam McDonald goal.
On the ensuing face off, Liam grabbed the loose puck and drove
straight to the net and scored again, ten seconds after the first. The quick
counterattack from the Bruins put the Rebels on their heels for the rest of
the game. Four more goals (about
2 minutes apart each) from Brenden Cooper (2 again), Patrick
McDonald, and Danny Hickcox locked up the win.
A Mike Carleo tally early in the 3rd was the icing on the
cake.
The Bruins will take to the newly resurfaced
Iceland on Wednesday, August 16th for a 9:45PM puck drop against
the Long Island Express. Make
sure you check in with your availability via the GroupMe app.
Summer 2022 – Game Five ReCap - By Louis D'Arcio – August 12, 2022
Bruins
Clip Falcons, 11-1
The
Blue Falcons are new to the league but won the Spring 2022 Open E division
cup.
They are a good skating team that is hard to play
against, that is, when everyone shows up and when they have their starting
goalie.
The Bruins lucked(?) out and faced a short
bench and a fill-in netminder.
That didn’t change the team’s approach.
The Bruins again played their game and
reaped the rewards.
The Falcons started the game with 8
skaters and were moving well, getting into the offensive zone but could not
sustain the pressure against the solid defense of the Bruins.
The Bruins created some offensive pressure
of their own but didn’t see an immediate reward.
That changed about midway through the
opening period when Brenden Cooper scored twice in 11 seconds, both off
Patrick McDonald set-ups.
His second one came off a feed into the
slot that he rang off the right post, but the puck hit the goalie as he slid
across the crease and bounced back into the net. That was a precursor to the
kind of night this Falcons’ back-up would face.
Twenty-eight seconds later, Pat
McDonald (Sr) grabbed a loose puck in the
Bruins end, skated all the way to the top of right face-off circle and fired
a partially screened shot on net that the goalie didn’t have time to react
to and just like that it was a 3-0 game.
The McDonald family wasn’t done yet, as
Liam scored with 52 seconds left to close out the period with a lead of 4-0.
The floodgates really opened up in the
second as the Bruins poured in six goals: Patrick McDonald (2), and one each
from Liam McDonald, Mike Carleo, Eddie DeNicola and Brenden Cooper (hat
trick).
Most of the goals were the result of the
Bruins taking advantage of the undermanned squad, but some went in off
misplays by the beleaguered goalie.
The outcome securely in place, the 3rd
period was just the Bruins trying to keep the puck moving and kill the
clock.
James Brue scored at 8:28 to push the
tally to 11-0.
The Bruins were trying to get goalie Kevin
Reis a shut-out but an uncharacteristic defensive zone lapse led to the
Falcons cracking the egg with a minute and 20 seconds left.
The Bruins next game is Monday, August 15th
at 9:45PM at the Iceland Arena, in New Hyde Park, against Local 3 of the D
division, the first of 2 crossover contests.
Summer 2022 – Game Four ReCap - By Louis D'Arcio – August 8, 2022
Bruins Win Again!
The
Bruins winnings ways continued with a 5-2 win over long time opponents,
Bladerunners.
The defense once again led the way keeping
the other team to mostly outside or ineffective scoring chances. The Blades
didn’t get on the scoresheet until midway through the second period after
watching the Bruins score twice in the first.
Goals by Patrick McDonald and Roy Cooper
staked the Bruins to a nice lead 4 minutes apart in the first.
Even though the Bladerunners cut that lead
in half it didn’t dampen the Bruins’ resolve, as they answered back with
another Patrick McDonald goal 20 seconds later.
An Anders Kirleis blocked shot and
recovery, led to a pass to Lou D’Arcio, who made a short breakout pass to
Patrick.
He skated through the defense and buried
his 2nd
one of the night.
The third period saw much of the same action as
an Eddie DeNicola centering feed was deflected into the net by a Bladerunner
defenseman (a goal that would have made Sports Center’s top 10, if it wasn’t
an “own goal”).
Thirty seconds later, the Bladerunners
scored to make it 4-2 but that was as close as they would get.
Liam McDonald finished out the scoring
with another laser of a shot that left the goalie shaking his head in
disbelief.
The Bruins next game is Thursday, August
11th
at 8:00PM at the Iceland Arena, in New Hyde Park, against the Blue Falcons.
Summer 2022 – Game Three ReCap - By Louis D'Arcio – August 10, 2022
Bruins Flush Dump, 7-2
The
Bruins didn’t know what to expect facing the Dump-n-Chase, a team tied for
the top slot in the standings.
They were high scoring one game, then
defeated handily the next.
The Bruins always seem to play their game,
their way, all the time, so they didn’t seemed worried.
The game started out normal enough, a few
rushes each way.
The Dumpsters seemed to have one guy, #81,
who had some wheels on him (and should be playing a few levels higher) but
otherwise they looked like another regular team.
On their second shift the Bruins dumped
the puck in the zone and were maintaining control and as captain Lou D’Arcio
sent the puck back behind their net he was crosschecked hard into the boards
by one of their forwards.
D’Arcio got back to his skates and
returned the favor to the goon and that should have been that.
The Dumpster player then jumped him and
yanked him down to the ice while trying to punch him over and over.
D’Arcio kept his cool, just trying to push
him off until the refs came in and broke it up.
Penalties were assessed, Lou got 4 minutes
for the crosscheck and the Dumpster Diver, #68, got five for fighting, 10
minute major and an ejection (and most likely a game suspension).
With players from both sides cooling their
heels in the box, the game continued with both sides even up.
The Bruins then sent a message to the
Dumpsters by scoring 2 goals 10 seconds apart.
Phil Coiro recovered a loose puck in the
offensive zone and lit the lamp at 10:10 and on the ensuing face off Brenden
Cooper carried the puck in and passed to a waiting Ed DeNicola, who made no
mistake shooting the puck into the net.
To add some salt to the wound, Roy Cooper
made it 3-0 about five minutes later.
The second period had the Bruins keeping a
lid on things until one of the other family groups stepped up, the
McDonalds.
Big brother Patrick scored at 8:31 off a
pass from Liam McDonald to make it 4-0.
The Dumpsters scored a power play goal
from their speedster to break the shutout.
As the period wound down the Bruins found
themselves shorthanded again but “Big Daddy” Pat McDonald grabbed a loose
puck at the defensive zone face off dot and sent the puck towards the
Dumpster net.
The goalie saw it coming and nonchalantly
tried to deflect the puck into the corner.
Instead he directed it just inside the
post to give up an own goal (and a shorthand tally for Pat) with just 14
seconds left in the period.
The Bruins kept their foot on the gas and
scored 2 more goals in a two minute gap midway through the last period.
First, James Brue scored from a Brenden
Cooper feed and then Liam scored his team leading 6th
goal as brother Patrick returned the favor and passed him the puck.
The Dumpsters were frustrated all night by
the Bruins team defense and even their superstar was getting frustrated,
getting chippier as the game went on.
He finally scored a meaningless goal with
just under 2 minutes left so he had something to tell him mommy as she drove
him home after the game.
Next up for the Bruins, is long time
nemesis, the Bladerunners this coming Thursday night, 10:15PM at the
Newbridge Arena.
Summer 2022 – Game Two ReCap - By Louis D'Arcio – July 28, 2022
Bruins Ground Aeros
The
Bruins improved to 2-0 with a convincing win over the Aeros, a team they
hadn’t faced before.
It looked like it was going to be a tough
match at the beginning with the Aeros mounting an aggressive forecheck from
the drop of the puck but the Bruins were able to weather that storm.
Despite having some good skaters they
were unable to outmatch the veteran Bruins defense.
The “D” took what
the Aeros threw and them and gave it
right back.
As the period went on, the Bruins offense
found their stride and hit them with a combo that saw 2 goals scored in 50
seconds midway through the session.
Liam McDonald scored, unassisted, at 9:43
after skating past the defenders and undressing the goalie.
Not wanting to be left out, Eddie
DeNicola fired a bullet into the net off a sweet centering feed from
“Mighty” Mike Carleo, who was making his Summer 2022 Bruins debut.
The next period saw Liam once again
popping the twine off a pass from big brother, Patrick, a minute and 29
seconds after the face-off. The rest of the period was just a chess match as
both sides attacked and defended without giving up too many quality scoring
chances. A Chris Twomey roughing penalty halfway through the 2nd,
gave the Aeros some life but the PK unit handled it easily. The Bruins
scored again with 59 seconds left to bookend the period, this time
“Lightning” Lou D’Arcio grabbed a Pat McDonald Sr. wrap around pass off the
back boards and threw a hard wrister into the crease and off a defender’s
stick to stun the goalie and the Aeros.
The Bruins had one goal for the final
period, to secure the shut-out for stalwart goaltender, Adrian “Rocky”
Harmaty.
The B’s kept pressuring the Aeros,
keeping them pinned in their own zone for stretches of time. At 10:52, Liam
McDonald complete his hat trick with another unassisted tally.
At this point the Aeros knew they had no
chance, but to their credit, they continued to play hard. The final nail in
the coffin came with 0:33 seconds left when the father/son duo of Roy and
Brenden Cooper made the 6th and final goal of the night.
Roy took a nice pass from Brenden in the
crease and slipped it passed the beleaguered goalie to end the game.
The Bruins next game is Sunday, July 31st
at 7:00PM at the Iceland Arena, in New Hyde Park, against the
“Dump-n-Chase”.
Summer 2022 – Game One ReCap - By Louis D'Arcio – July 18, 2022
Bruins Down V2 in OT
On a hot
July night HLI started the Summer 2022 season. The LI-Bruins were matched up
against a new opponent, ominously named V2, like the weapon that terrorized
Great Britain long ago, would they be as terrifying tonight to this team?
V2 had played in the Spring session and came out
that way, skating and passing as a team. The Bruins, on the other hand,
needed to shake off the rust of not being on the ice together since last
September. The play went back
and forth until V2 snuck one past Bruins netminder, Adrian “Rocky” Harmaty,
with just under 6 minutes left in the first period.
Harmaty was making his debut as the #1 goalie for the LI-Bruins this
season after leading his other team, the Skateful Dead, to their first
Midnight Hockey championship this spring.
The Bruins bounced right back two minutes later when Patrick McDonald
Jr score to tie it and less than 2 minutes after that Brendan Cooper scored
to give his team the lead.
The see-saw battle continued into the middle
stanza with a Bruins powerplay goal by Liam McDonald sandwiched between V2
goals in a 3 minute span late in the period.
The power play goal, Liam’s first of the season came just 11 seconds
into the man advantage off a nifty centering feed from big brother, Patrick.
It looked like the period would end in a tie but V2 managed to stun
the Bruins with a period ending goal with just 16 ticks on the clock left.
It all boiled down to the final 15 minutes of the
game… the third period. The
McDonald brothers were at it again, leading the Bruins attack, first Liam
and then Patrick scored to regain the lead. A very short lead as V2 tied the
game just 15 seconds later. The
final five minutes of the period were tense and deliberate as neither side
wanted to make a mistake and lose the game.
Regulation ended with the Bruins defense controlling the puck deep in
their zone as the timer went off.
The Bruins were not happy going to overtime and
it was noticeable as soon as the puck dropped.
They played aggressive and pushed V2 onto their heels.
A strong forecheck by Brenden Cooper drew a tripping penalty halfway
through the five minute overtime period.
V2’s PK unit was able to hold the Bruins off the scoresheet but not
keep them out of their zone.
Less than 30 seconds after the power play ended, the Bruins youth struck
again, Patrick found Brenden near the V2 net and the young Cooper snuck the
puck past the stunned netminder, ending the game!
The
LI-Bruins will take to the ice again on Thursday, July 21st at
10pm at Newbridge Arena against the Aeros, another new opponent.
The Bruins will bring their veteran defense and youthful offense and
look to make it two wins in a row.
Stories and comments from the Summer 2021 Season:
Summer 2021 – Game Seven and Playoff ReCap - By Louis D'Arcio – July 13, 2022
Bruins Drop Season Finale and Lose Playoff Game
The Bruins closed out an uneven season with a hard fought loss to the Bladerunners in the semi-finals. After a close loss to the Executioners to cap off the season, the Bruins fell behind the 8-ball early on, trailing 4-0 after 2 periods. They came to life in the last period with a pair of goals (Liam McDonald and Mike Brue) in the first 4 minutes. The Bladerunners scored their 5th goal but it was countered 19 seconds later when Mike Brue scored his 2nd of the game. The Bruins kept pressing but couldnt close the gap and with just under 2 minutes left, the Blades locked up the win with an empty net goal.
Thanks for everyone's hard work and let's have a more successful season in 2022.
Summer 2021 – Game Six ReCap - By Louis D'Arcio – September 4, 2021
Misfits Manhandle Bruins 7-4
In the topsy-turvy world that is summer hockey, the Bruins ended up on the
short side of the stick in a cross division contest.
The Misfits, from E1, seemed to be firing on all
cylinders and kept ahead of the Bruins throughout the game.
They struck first about 5 minutes into the game but
were tied by a Mike Carleo tally two minutes later.
They lit the lamp again soon after on a screen shot
and again 23 seconds later on a defensive zone turnover to close out the
scoring in the period.
The Bruins pressed and scored 11 seconds into the 2nd,
off a face off win and rush by Carleo.
The Misfits would score another pair 2 minutes apart
mid-period as the team was pressing for offense.
Roy “the Better” Cooper scored with a minute left to
keep it a 2 goal differential.
Mike Carleo scored his third of the game late in the
final period but it was sandwiched between a pair of Misfits tallies.
It was a valiant effort but when the other team has
a few players that should be playing 2 levels higher, it makes it a harder
hill to climb.
The Bruins final regular season game is this coming
Sunday, September 12th at 10pm
at the Bethpage Arena against the Executioners.
A win that night should lock in a playoff
appearance.
A good sign is the Bruins have always bounced back with a win
after each loss this season, so everyone bring your “A” game!
Summer 2021 – Game Five ReCap - By Marc Hedquist – August 28, 2021
Bruins Rein in Chaos 8-2
Returning to some normalcy in the summer of ’21,
the LI Bruins reconvened for their 13th
go round as one of Hockey Long Island’s pioneer teams. Halfway through their
sunshine sprint the B’s find themselves in a two way tie with long time
nemesis the Bladerunners after a resounding 8-2 win over Chaos to raise
their record to 3-2.
Captain “Lightning” Lou D’Arcio, who has
made the Bruins team his own as the last full time original member
remaining, graciously stepped aside on this evening as Lightning Lou and his
usual high octane offensive skill set was neutralized as Lightning was the
only one in the lineup besides goalie Kevin “21 Saves” Reis and the zamboni
driver not to record a point…”See what happen was…!”
After a tight first period and a half that
saw the Bruins overcome two separate one goal deficits the offense clicked
into high gear as some old time Iceland house league families the Brues and
the Hedquists got things going on the scoreboard.
Glenn, Michael and James Brue each chipped
in a goal while Marc “Father Time” Hedquist (game tying goal), coming out of
and then going immediately back into retirement,
brought down his son James (Game Winner)
as they also added a one and one apiece to help spark a seven consecutive
goals attack. Liam “Over a Billion Served” McDonald added two goals, Dave
Aldorisio had one and Mike Donovan (ably filling in) served up 2 assists as
the Bruins enjoyed a rare laugher at Bethpage Arena.
The Bruins return to Bethpage on Tuesday August 31st 9:20PM in a crossover game against the E1 Misfits.
Stories and comments from the Summer 2020 Season:
League did not play season
Stories and comments from the Summer 2019 Season:
Summer 2019 – Season ReCap - By Louis D’Arcio – November 28, 2019
Cruel, Cruel Summer
Sorry for taking so long to finish up the re-caps!!
The Bruins had a tough summer season, starting
off in their usual E League slot, then moved up to the D level.
That’s when things started going south,
after winning their first match against a depleted Rats squad the team
stumbled and lost the next four in a row, putting them on the brink of not
making playoffs.
After making 2 gut check wins to end the
regular season and some outside help, it appeared as if the Bruins grabbed
the last playoff berth by virtue of holding the first tiebreaker against the
Rats, who also owned a 4-4 record.
The capricious Hockey Long Island gods had
other plans for the Bruins and forced them to play a wildcard tiebreaker
with said Rats.
On a late September Thursday night, a
bare-bones Bruins squad skated against a fully stocked Rats bench, a mirror
image of their first meeting.
The Rats shot out to a 4-0 lead by the end
of the first and then cruised to a 9-2 final.
The teams’ playoff hopes were dashed
before the rest of the squad could play a real playoff game.
The league usually does an admiral job of
handling all the teams and keeping competition balanced but this writer
feels they dropped the ball in this case, making the Bruins play a wildcard
game when one wasn’t needed.
Hopefully this sting will be remedied next
summer when the team comes back for sunshine hockey.
I just want to thank everyone who played this summer for all their hard work and effort. I look forward to seeing you all back with that same drive next July. Special thanks again to Marc Hedquist and Neil Pratesi for helping me out during the season. Have a safe and successful Fall/Winter and Spring campaign with your respective teams!
Summer 2019
– Game Five ReCap
- By Louis D’Arcio – August
20, 2019
Bruins Slide Hits Three
The Bruins struggles this summer continue as they
met long-time opponent, the Bladerunners.
A shaky start caused the Bruins to be back
on their heels as the Blades scored twice in under 3 minutes midway through
the first.
The second period began much like the
first with another goal against just over a minute in on the power play.
That was the first goal surrendered by the
Bruins all summer.
The Bruins began showing some life but
were ineffective as the Bladerunners defense kept stifling the offense, and
any shots that made to the net were deftly handled by their goalie. They
added a fourth crushing goal with 7:30 left in the period.
Fatigue started setting in on both sides
as the third period began, but the Bruins were able to overcome it, finally
outshooting the other team 12-8.
At
11:39 the Bruins went on the power play and scored 44 seconds in as Chris
“Young Gun” Oliver finished off a flashy 2 on 1 with Jeff Corso.
Oliver buried a cross slot pass before the
goalie could react.
The Bs kept pushing and were rewarded with
another goal 5 minutes later as Pat “the Big Man” McDonald slid down to the
bottom of the face-off circle and blasted another Jeff Corso pass into the
net.
The team kept pressing but it was a case of “too
little, too late”.
The loss sank the Bruins to the bottom of
the “D” division.
Next game will be vs. the Executioners 8PM Sunday August 25th at Bethpage Arena.
Summer 2019
– Game Four ReCap
- By Louis D’Arcio – August
8, 2019
2G1P: 2Much
It’s always an interesting contest when the
Bruins face off against 2G1P as you never know if it will a straight up
hockey game or a battle of clutching and grabbing.
The Bruins, a little short staffed,
managed to score 2 goals a minute and half apart as the first period wound
down, at 4:03 and 2:32.
Marc Hedquist and Brenden Cooper both
scored off Mike Carleo feeds.
That lead was short-lived and the Gippers
bounced back and scored twice in 7 seconds during the closing minute to stun
the Bruins.
The Gips outshot the Bs, 19-3.
Just over a minute into period two the
2G1P scored again, this time it was the Bruins who did some stunning as Mike
Carleo scored his first of the game to tie it back up.
The Gippers offense exploded again for 2
more goals in 22 seconds around the nine minute mark and again at 0:20 and
0:01 to take a commanding 7-3 lead into the final period.
The Bruins were again painfully outshot,
21-6.
The Gippers didn’t waste any time as they
scored goal number 8 just under 2 minutes into the period. At that point
they eased their foot off the accelerator during the rest of the third
period only outshooting the Bruins 12-3.
Mike Carleo scored another goal at 7:16 to
make the final score 8-4.
This writer has to give credit to Bruins’
goalie, Kris Hernandez, whose acrobatic and inspired play kept the score as
low as it was… Kris saw a lot of pucks and managed to fight most of them off
as a tired team tried to compete.
Next game will be vs. long time rivals the Bladerunners 11:10PM Monday August, 19th at Newbridge Arena.
Summer 2019
– Game Three ReCap - By Marc Hedquist – July
31, 2019
Gangbang
The 2-0 feel good start to the Bruins summer
slate came to a screeching halt in a Sunday Night 10-1 massacre at the hands
of the Bangers.
The overmatched Bruins surrendered early
and often as odd man rushes came in bunches as the highly skilled Bangers
had their way with the ‘slow’ Bruins. Kris Hernandez kept a brave face in
net despite facing a truckload of rubber. Pat McDonald, Sr’s low snapper
from inside the circle late in the third kept the Bruins from being shutout
otherwise not much went right as the Bruins also suffered two devastating
injuries. Anders Kirleis’ summer season came to an end after a tangle up
resulted in a sprained MCL that will sideline the Bruins star defenseman for
1-2 months.
Glenn Brue also will be shelved for
several weeks as his own entanglement led to a badly sprained wrist. Those
losses coupled with the usual, and expected vacation conflicts, has the
extremely shorthanded Bruins heading to next Sunday’s 8PM
Summer 2019
– Game Two ReCap
- By Marc Hedquist –
July 31, 2019
Exte
Despite some youthful additions, the Rats were no match for the lethal Bruins offensive attack as the killer B’s peppered the Rats with over 50 shots on goal in a 6-3 win to move to 2-0 in the summer season. The scoring wealth was once again spread quite evenly as Bruin newbie Jeff “Killer” Corso led the way with two goals and two assists. Pat “Junior” McDonald, Marc “Crash test Dummy” Hedquist and Eddie “Beethoven” DeNicola all contributed two points while Brendan “Great Dane” Cooper, Anders “Orr” Kirleis, Pat “Senior” McDonald, “Lightning” Lou D’Arcio and Gordy “Howe” Wong all chipped in a point each. Kris “Big Kris” Hernandez earned the win in his Bruin debut by turning aside 20 shots. The now elevated to ‘D’ League Bruins square off next against the Bangers this Sunday in Bethpage.
Summer 2019
– Game One ReCap
- By Marc Hedquist –
July 18, 2019
Rude Welcome
The Long Island Bruins celebrated year 29 as a Hockey Long Island franchise
by serving up an 8-1 beat down of the Gentlemen as the summer slate enters
year number twelve as long time holdouts Lightning Lou D’Arcio and Marc “The
Angry Swede” Hedquist remain as the last OG’s in Bruins team history.
Mini Veteran Mike “Black Belt” Carleo
continued his ascension up the team stat sheet as he posted yet another
multi-point game (3 Goals, 2 Assists) to pace the attack.
Newbie Jeff “The Portledge Panther” Corso
broke the cherry on his Bruin career by posting a two-point night with a one
and one. ‘Fast’ Eddie DeNicola, the music man, found time between his
intermission organ playing to pot two goals. Glenn “Have a...” Brue chipped
in two assists as did Hedquist while Pat “Bifocals” McDonald, Jr. and
Lightning Lou added one apiece.
Of course no Bruins summer game would go
without mentioning Neil “Old Reliable” Pratesi, in addition to playing his
stellar defense for the 40th
straight year, he also nabbed four assists to tie a career high.
In net Kevin “OBP” Reis continued the
legacy of great goaltending emanating from the OBP offices as he picked off
right from where he left off as the Championship Spring title winning goalie
posted 16 saves in the opener.
Next game will be vs. long time rivals the Rats 8PM Sunday July 21st at Iceland Arena.
Stories and comments from the Summer 2018 Season:
Summer 2018 – Wildcard Game ReCap - By Louis D’Arcio – September 8, 2018
Panthers Maul Bruins, 5-2
It
came down to one game, the whole summer season ended with a wildcard matchup
against the Panthers.
The Bruins were 8-2-0 lifetime in regular season
action against this squad but were winless in the postseason, with a 0-1
record. After Tuesday night’s game, that record is now 0-2.
The Bruins started strong with Mike Carleo
converting a Lou D’Arcio breakout pass into his team leading 8th
goal just 2 minutes into the game.
Things then settled down as both teams had chances
but no success, until with 2:33 left.
The Panthers managed to outwork the Bruins in their
end and light the lamp to even the score.
A late delayed roughing penalty in the waning
seconds of the period ended in a goal with 20 seconds left.
The Panthers added to their lead 3 minutes into the
middle period and stretched it further with 1:22 to go.
The Bruins were sagging but not broken and with the
puck deep in Panthers territory, defenseman Gordie Wong buried the biscuit
to cut the lead in half.
Wong benefitted from the excellent work of Chris
Viscusi and Neil Pratesi as they kept the puck in the zone.
The surge of energy from that last second goal
helped propel the team into the final period but they were unable to get
through a surprisingly efficient Panthers defense.
As the clock ticked down and the Bruins pushed
harder, the Panthers got a lucky break and were able to score a
back-breaking 5th goal with
just 1:25 to go.
I’d like to thank all the players who worked hard,
game in and game out, to try and make this another successful summer.
We head back to our regular winter and spring teams
and wait for flip-flop season to come together and make another run at the
Summer HLI Cup.
Some goals for next summer, besides the title, Marc
“Mr. Glass” Hedquist’s 300 point as a Bruins, Chris Viscusi’s 100th
goal, “Lightning” Lou D’Arcio’s 150th
team point, Patrick McDonald, Jr’s 100th
team point and Neil Pratesi's 100th game played.
So let’s try and make next summer extra memorable.
Until then be well and again, thanks for all your
effort.
It’s always a pleasure seeing all these familiar faces in the
locker room come every July.
Summer 2018 –Game Eight ReCap - By Louis D’Arcio – September 2, 2018
‘Busted!
The
Bruins had no answer for the re-tooled Ghostbusters and were crushed 12-1 in
the regular season finale.
Earlier in the season the Bruins managed a 6-4 win against a tough squad but
it seems some missing players and some new ones were on hand to close out
the season with a 5 game win streak where they out-scored their opponents
42-9.
The Ghostbusters went up 4-0 after the first period, scored 2 more in the
second until Eddie DeNicola finished off a Chris Viscusi feed to break the
shut out with 6 minutes left in the period.
The Ghostbusters added 2 more before the stanza ended.
Four more goals in the 3rd and running time turned the
game into a rout.
The Bruins went from possibly finishing first and getting a favorable
playoff seeding to ending up in 4th place and battling in the
wild card slot. It seems as if
things are never easy for the Bruins.
The playoffs start Tuesday, September 4 at 10:40 at Newbridge Arena against
the Panthers. The summer brings
single elimination playoff format, so bring your “A” game!
Summer 2018 –Game Seven ReCap - By Louis D’Arcio – August 20, 2018
Bruins Escape Panthers, 8-6
The
Bruins bounced back from their last game loss with a hard fought match
against the Panthers with a white knuckle, down to the wire 8-6 win.
The game started off with the Bruins testing the Panthers’ goalie, Bobby
Conklin, early on. He made some
saves but was leaving rebounds.
Marc Hedquist found one such rebound at 12:43 to give the Bruins an early
lead. An Eddie DeNicola goal,
off a sweet passing play from Mike Carleo and Hedquist, made it 2-0 six
minutes later. As the timer ran
down the Panthers cut the lead in half with 11 ticks of the clock remaining.
The Bruins picked up where they left off in the first with a goal at the
12:13 mark from Mike “Red Light” Carleo. The Panthers pounced about a minute
later to make it 3-2. Making a
statement, the Bruins scored at 10:34 and 10:00 to stretch the lead to 5-2.
The goals were scored by Liam McDonald, using some fancy stick and
foot work, and Chris Vickery, who stepped into a loose puck to light the
lamp. Three minutes late Carleo
added to his team leading goal total with another pretty goal as he moved
through the Panthers’ defense.
Up 6-2, the Bruins seemed to relax and the Panthers sensed it.
After an extended stay in the Bruins defensive zone they were able to
find the back of the net and cut the lead in half again.
The Panthers were outshot in the 3rd period but were able to
score twice, once at 8:23 and again 4 minutes later to make it a real game,
6-5. The goal at 4:10 was on a
bizarre call from the referees.
As the teams battled for the puck around the net, it got dislodged
from the moorings, instead of the play being called dead and a penalty
assessed to the guilty Bruin, they called the penalty and awarded the
Panthers the goal. Pat “This Is
What a Goal Looks Like, Ref” McDonald
Jr. would score the eventual game winner at 1:42. He had some help from
little brother, Liam, and Chris Viscusi.
The Panthers again jumped on some sloppy defensive zone play to make
it 7-6 a mere 18 seconds later.
The Panthers called a time out to make a plan.
The Bruins were ready for them this time and kept the play deep in
the Panthers end, preventing the goalie from making for the bench.
Finally, with the extra man on the ice, the Panthers made entry into
the Bruins zone but a loose puck was corralled by Anders “I’m Still Here”
Kirleis, who flipped it into the neutral zone.
Chris Viscusi chased the puck into the corner and fired a bad angle
shot into the net with 2 seconds and finished off the wounded Panthers.
The empty net goal was redemption for Viscusi, who earlier missed an
open net while standing behind the Panthers’ goalie.
The Bruins play their final regular season game with a rematch against the
now surging Ghostbusters. It should be an interesting game, as the
Ghostbusters will have played the night before to catch up with the schedule
before the long holiday weekend.
The game is on Monday night, August 27th at the Newbridge Arena
at 9:40PM.
Summer 2018 –Game Six ReCap - By Louis D’Arcio – August 15, 2018
2G1P Too Much For Bruins
Every
team is bound to have a stinker, that one game they wish they could have
back, for the Bruins that game, a 7-2 loss, happened last night.
A flat start saw them staring at a 2-0 deficit just a minute and a
half into the game. The
revitalized 2G1P went on to score twice more to finish the period with a 4-0
lead. The Bruins tried to play
catch up but were always a step behind or a bad hop of the puck away.
The Bruins finally got on the board at 10:14 of the second with a “family
affair” goal. Pat “Big Daddy”
McDonald connected with Patrick Jr. on a nice cross zone pass.
Pat Jr. carried into the 2G1P zone and slid a pass into the slot
where it was deftly redirected between the goalies pads by his brother Liam
to make it 4-1. The goal was the
young McDonald’s 4th one this season and second since getting the
permanent call up from the farm club.
2G1P regained their 4 goal lead about 3 minutes later.
A goal mouth scramble with 34 seconds to go saw Marc Hedquist jam in
a Mike Carleo rebound.
The final period saw the Bruins making some pressure but the opposing goalie
and defense held them at bay. A
mid period goal saw their lead increase to 6-2 and a power play goal with
under a minute pushed the final score to 7-2.
The Bruins make another attempt at beating a D-division team this Sunday,
August 19th, when they meet the Panthers at Iceland Ice Palace at
9:30PM
Summer 2018 –Game Five ReCap - By Louis D’Arcio – August 12, 2018
Bruins: To Serve Morkmen
Fresh
off a stinging loss to the Executioners the Bruins faced another usually
tough opponent, the Morkmen.
Although this season hasn’t been good to them they
are always a threat with their gritty style of play.
The Bruins, like in that old Twilight Zone episode,
had a recipe for dealing with them and like any good meal, it may not always
be easy to prepare but at the end, the Bruins stuck a fork into the well
done Morkmen with a 5-2 win.
The Bruins took an early lead at 11:35 of the first with a goal from
Mike “Magic Man” Rodrigues with a little help from Mike Carleo and Marc
Hedquist.
The Morkmen made some noise as the period went on but were
stymied by young Bruins netminder, Kevin “Here I Am” Reis.
The period ended with the Bruins holding a slight
edge in shots 9-7.
The Morkmen lit the lamp just over in minute into the middle stanza
off some hard work to tie things up.
The Bruins would have none of that and went back on
the attack.
The Morkmen goalie, their best player, held firm but just 2
minutes later, Roy “The Invisible Man” Cooper, left incredibly all alone at
the side of the net, tapped in a pretty cross-ice feed from Glenn “Rowboat”
Brue to retake the lead. This writer believes that was the easiest goal for
Cooper in all his long years of playing… but that’s what a savvy vet does
out there.
The Bruins continued pressing and at 7:39, in the middle of a
line change, Liam “I’m Back” McDonald stepped into a pass from big brother,
Patrick and rifled the eventual game winner over the surprised goalie’s
shoulder.
Even being down 2 goals didn’t deter the aggressive Morkmen
and they managed to blast a hard rising shot over Reis’ shoulder at 4:53.
Unfortunately, that would be the last time they
turned on the red light.
The Bruins went into shutdown mode and kept them on
their heel the rest of the game.
Fifteen minutes to beer time and the Bruins still needed to add a
cushion, a 3-2 lead is still a lead but a lucky bounce for their opponent
could change things up.
Thankfully the zebras finally opened their eyes and
assessed the Morkmen with an interference call just 31 seconds into the
final period.
The Bruins powerplay,
0-4 so far this season, needed a wake-up call.
It wasn’t looking good for the man advantage until
with just 30 seconds to go, Gordie “Eagle Eye” Wong snaked a point shot
through traffic into the back of the net to puts the Bruins up 4-2.
Now it was dessert time, and the icing on the cake
was delivered by Mike “Shake and Bake” Rodrigues as he went end to end,
around every Morkmen player and then faked out the goalie for his second
goal of the night.
ESPN even gave it an honorable mention the next
morning, only because no one video-taped the goal!!!
The Bruins square off against the always
raucous 2G1P, in a cross division match-up on Tuesday night, August 14th,
9:30PM at the Newbridge War Memorial… remember to put on the foil, boys!
Summer 2018 –Game Four ReCap - By Louis D’Arcio – August 2, 2018
Bruins Axed By Executioners, 4-3
The summer season began
with an easy match against the toothless Wolfpack, then the always tough
Bladerunners and the surprisingly resilient Ghostbusters to leave the Bruins
sitting alone in first place with a 3-0 record.
The next game, with the
Spring 30E champs, Executioners, would be a real test.
The first period was a feeling out session as the
teams traded chances for the full 15 minutes. The teams bent, but did not
break in the period with the Executioners holding the barest edge in shots,
7-6.
The Bruins ramped up the attack in the second
period, outshooting the other team 11-6 and finally breaking through to open
the scoring with 5:58 left.
Pat “MVP” McDonald Jr worked the puck through the
offensive zone and made a sweet play to Eddie “Zamboni” DeNicola at the side
of the net.
Ed scored his 5th
of the season with a nice move that sent the goalie sprawling to the ice and
helpless to stop the puck from going in.
The Executioners didn’t win the HLI Cup in the
spring by just giving up and about 3 minutes later, lightning (not Captain
Lou) struck twice in 27 seconds.
The
Executioners
took advantage of some rare defensive zone lapses to close out the period
with a 2-1 lead.
Both squads were held off the board for most of the
3rd period when with just under
7 minutes to go the Executioners lit the lamp, and at 4:11 they pushed their
lead to 4-1.
The Bruins, battered but not broken, persisted and even
though being outshot 9-5 kept pushing.
When a roughing call was made against veteran Roy
“110lbs soaking wet” Cooper it seemed as if the Bruins were finished.
However the team had faith in their PK unit, which
so far this season was perfect, and not only did they keep the
Executioners
from scoring but they banged home a short-handed tally!
An
Executioners
clearing attempt was kept in the offensive zone by Gordie Wong, who rifled
it back into traffic in front of the net, where it was deflected in by Matt
“I do so shave” Oliver to cut the lead in half with 2:12 left.
After a time out, the Bruins went back to work and
with netminder, Kris Hernandez on the bench,
were
rewarded with Mike “I’m sober tonight” Carleo’s 5th
goal with 39 ticks of the clock to go.
Unfortunately on the ensuing face –off the Bruins
were unable to get back into the O-zone before time ran out.
Final score, 4-3… too be continued, as we will
probably see the Executioners in the playoffs.
Just a few other notes, thanks again to Kris
Hernandez for filling in at the last minute when it seemed as if all men’s
league goalies were on strike this week and couldn’t play!
Welcome back to Chris Twomey making his summer
return to the Bs.
Finally, on a personal note, just want to say how
proud I was to see Matthew “Faster than my dad” D’Arcio make his LI-Bruins
debut!
He played well and, at his own risk, almost deflected in an
Anders Kirleis slapshot!!
The Bruins square off against the always
raucous 2G1P, in a cross division match-up on Tuesday night, August 14th,
9:30PM at the Newbridge War Memorial… remember to put on the foil, boys!
Summer 2018
–Game Three ReCap - By Lou D’Arcio & Marc
Hedquist –
July 28, 2018
Bruins Scare Ghostbusters, 6-4
The Bruins took to the ice against the newly minted Ghostbusters squad the
other night and not even their snazzy jerseys could put a scare into the Bs.
The Bruins owned the first period, taking a 2-0 lead on an early goal by
Chris Viscusi barely 3 minutes in and then a late goal with 1:29 left by
Mike “Boy Toy” Carleo.
The second period saw things settle down as the teams traded goals. The
‘Busters caught the Bruins napping right off the opening puck drop and cut
the lead in half. Midway thru
the stanza, Chris “Twinkletoes” Viscusi broke in alone and scared the goalie
out of his jock to regain the 2 goal lead.
It seemed that the Ghostbusters finally got their powerpacks charged up as
they started the final period with a run of 3 unanswered goals, the first
two about 2 minutes apart at 13:27 and 11:32 to tie the game.
Six minutes later they took their first lead and the Bruins thought
they saw Slimer behind the other bench.
That sighting was short-lived, as Gordy “I got this” Wong finished
off a beautiful give-and-go with Pat “The Friendly Ghost” McDonald, Jr. to
tie it 27 seconds later. The
Bruins took the lead for good with 1:44 left when Marc “Cement hands”
Hedquist buried the biscuit off a feed from Viscusi and McDonald, Jr.
Carleo got his second of the night as he hammered the final nail into
the Ghostbuster coffin with an empty net goal 35 seconds later.
I guess the Bruins were a little too scary for this team, especially
led by McDonald, Jr (and his four assists) and Viscusi (3 pts).
The Spring 2018 champs, Executioners, are next up, this Tuesday, 9:00PM at
Iceland War Memorial Arena. The Wolverines on the team I’m sure would like a
little payback for the playoff losses.
Summer 2018
–Game Two ReCap - By Lou D’Arcio & Marc
Hedquist –
July 17, 2018
Bruins See-Saw to Victory
Playing the Bladerunners is always an adventure; you never know which team
will show up... the skilled veteran team or the Haas goon squad.
Lately, the talented squad has been playing as was the case Sunday
night in the Bruins thrilling 6-5 win.
The Blades started strong right from the opening face-off, driving into the
Bruins zone and getting several point blank shots off.
The Bruins responded with a Gordy “Howe Now” Wong rush that resulted
in a 1-0 lead when the goalie didn’t hold the near post and let the
defenseman sneak one past him just 1:18 in.
Two minutes later the Bladerunners evened things up as the volley of
traded goals begun. The rest of
the opening period was tilted towards the Blades as they held an 11-5
advantage in shots but net-minder Scotty “The Ginseng Kid” Riggs (24 Saves)
and his slick glove hand kept things level as he allowed his Bruins
teammates to regroup and reset as period number one came to a close.
The second period, like the first, started well for the Bruins as
they again took a lead, this time Liam “The Other” McDonald scored his first
goal of the year off a nice feed from big brother, Pat Jr. at 11:31.
Starting to get their legs under them the Bruins controlled the play
for most of the period. With a
chance to expand their lead first a 5 on 4, then 5 on 3 power play the B’s
were stymied by the Blades as the power play lacked bite.
Feeding off that momentum, the Bladerunners again tied the game with
about two and half minutes left in the period.
As time in second period was winding down, a big scrum ensued along
the sideboards in the Bruins end, with most of the players involved trying
to free the puck a Bladerunner D-man pinching along the blue line got caught
with his pants down as Liam McDonald outraced the defenseman to puck and
went in on a breakaway. The
young McDonald smoked the goalie with a nice rising shot for goal number two
on the night which regained the lead 3-2 for the Bruins as the middle stanza
ended.
Finding their second wind the Bladerunners scored two quick goals just 16
seconds apart to jump back in the lead 4-3 as all the Bruins positive play
in the second was quickly neutralized.
Unfazed, the veteran Bruins tied it again about a minute later when
“Crazy” Eddie DeNicola fired a quick shot from the face off dot that caught
the net- minder off guard to even things at 4-4.
Six minutes later, Matt “The Kid” Oliver broke his summer hockey
cherry with a nice shot through traffic to put the Bruins ahead for the
third time in the game. As the clock
wound down the Bruins made a push into Bladerunner territory hoping to put
this one to bed but a Blades counterattack at 1:45 resulted in a tie yet
again. Not looking to be
outworked, the Bruins, off the ensuing faceoff, pushed deep into the
offensive end crashing the net with reckless abandonment.
The grit paid off with 70 ticks remaining as DeNicola banged home a
rebound just 35 seconds after the Bladerunner tally to take back the lead
once and for all for the resilient Bruins.
For DeNicola, the winning goal was his fourth in just two games as he
heads the 2-0 Bruins stat sheet leader board.
The Sunday night twilight series continues again this week July 22nd,
8:00PM at Newbridge Arena against ‘Bill Murray and his’ Ghostbusters.
Summer 2018
–Game One ReCap - By Marc Hedquist –
July 11, 2018
Newcomer Eddie “Mr. Holland’s Opus” DeNicola put home two biscuits as he
showed the crowd what a good high school Physical Education teacher can do
for your ice hockey prowess.
Oldcomer Mike “MMA” Carleo took a break from Play Station Hockey ’18 to put
a pair of his own in against an exasperated bunch of Wolfie whiners as they
felt Carleo’s presence was too great for E League play.
Strangely, they had no gripes about Lightning Lou D’Arcio’s hockey
acumen despite the fact that young Louis garnered his own two point evening.
Slow and steady Pat “20/20” McDonald, Jr. continued his slow rise to
the top of the Bruins stat sheet as he added a tally and a helper.
In between the pipes, Scotty “Runner Up” Riggs filled in admirably as he
turned aside 19 shots. Well done
Ginseng boy! It was a solid
opener against a patsy opponent but things turn quickly as the rugged
Bladerunners, who have turned into a mini dynasty since we have seen them
last, enter the frame this Sunday night July 15th 8:00PM at
Iceland again.
A warm Bruins welcome to Matt Oliver “Twist” and Gordy “Howe” Wong as they
became the 99th and 100th skaters to don the Blue,
White and Gold in the LI Bruins 20 year history.
Stories and comments from the Summer 2017 Season:
Summer 2017
– Playoff Game One
ReCap - By Louis D’Arcio –
September 13, 2017
Defeat, Not Repeat...
The Bruins were looking to have back-to-back championships for the first
time in the team’s almost 20 year history but they got bit by the hungry Ice
Dogs. It was a weird season,
being bounced around 3 divisions over the short 8 game season.
It was tough to get a feel for the competition, seeing each team only
once. That didn’t let you always
see their full bench because in the summer there are always people missing
one game or another. The Bruins
had the same issue, not always fielding a consistent line-up.
Injuries also took their toll on the team, especially come play-off
time. There were a few players
fighting nagging injuries or unable to play this last game.
The game started out well enough with Mike Carleo scoring at 9:30 of the
first and the team keeping the Dogs off the board for the first period.
They would get the equalizer midway through the second period but it
was still a close match so the Bruins weren’t panicking.
Heading into the 3rd period tied also wasn’t a problem as
the Bruins had strong final periods most of the summer.
The Dogs didn’t want to take a chance and capitalized on 2 early
miscues at 13:55 and 11:52 and then went into lock-down mode. They held the
Bruins to only 8 shots and most of those were single shots with limited
rebound opportunities. The
Bruins shortened the bench down the stretch to try get back into it to no
avail. The Ice Dogs sealed the
victory with an empty net goal with 16 seconds left.
The Bruins now head back to their regular teams for the Fall/Winter and
Spring hockey seasons and we will try to reach for the HLI Cup again next
summer. I want to thank all the
players for doing their best and I look forward to playing with you all
again.
Summer 2017
–Game Eight ReCap - By Marc Hedquist –
September 13, 2017
Carleo Curse Continues
In the locker room before the last game, the Bruins were joking that all the
team losses happened when sparkplug center, Mike Carleo, was out of the
lineup… well that held true again Tuesday night against the Mayhem-D.
“Magic” Mike had an early day at work and the 11:10 start time was
just too much for him.
After drawing first blood on Liam McDonald’s first goal of the season, the
Bruins walked away from the first period tied, 1-1.
Mayhem took a lead just 25 seconds in the next period and again 2 ½
minutes later. The Bruins answered with another goal by “Little” Liam 21
seconds after that to close the gap.
A shorthanded goal by Brenden Cooper, off a Pat McDonald Jr set-up,
tied the game at 7:20 and gave the bench some hope.
Real mayhem broke loose when the Mayhem scored 2 goals in 30 seconds
and then one more just about a minute later to double the score to 6-3.
The Mayhem was swarming in the second period, outshooting the Bruins
14-6.
The Bruins turned up the heat in the 3rd firing 16 shots at the
Mayhem netminder, who was more than up to the task, turning aside all but
the final 2. The Bruins finally
broke through with goals at 0:16 and 0:07 to make the final score look
closer than it was.
The playoffs are here and the Bruins have been slotted to the E1 division
against the Step-Dads, Ice-Dogs and Wolfpack for the
title repeat.
Summer 2017
–Game Seven ReCap - By Marc Hedquist –
Sept 7, 2017
Big Mack Attack
In another cross division match-up the LI-Bruins faced off against the
Panthers of E1 division. It was
a see-saw game with both sides getting chances.
The Bruins lit the lamp first on a Pat McDonald Jr solo effort in
which he undressed the Panthers’ netminder. The Panthers tied it about six
minutes later before Mike Carleo took the puck from the ensuing face-off and
drove through their “D” and whistled home a goal just 10 seconds later.
The Bruins would add 2 more rapidfire goals by Ian “Housecalls” Mack on a
putback of his own shot at 11:28 and Pat Jr. doing the same at 11:15 of the
second to take a commanding 4-1 lead but the Panthers still had some bite
left in them. They scored about 3 minutes later to make interesting at 4-2.
Big Mack stepped up his game and drove to the net and padded the lead again
2 minutes later.
The Panthers made a run in the third scoring midway to make it 5-3 and then
again with just 1:57 left. They took a time-out to regroup and pull the
goalie but “Mad Doc” Mack euthanized the big cat with a nice tap-in empty
net goal after a foot race to retrieve puck deep in Panthers territory.
The goal also gave Ian a hat trick for the night.
The win cements the Bruins playoff slot, the only thing still in the
air is which division it will be in.
Summer 2017
–Game Five ReCap - By Marc Hedquist –
August 12, 2017
Less than two minutes into the game this one looked like it might get away
from the Bruins as they spotted 2GIP a couple of gimme goals at 14:30 and
13:08. As always however with
Tyler “Brick Wall” Rideout in between the pipes the Bruins are never out of
it as he righted the ship leaving the deficit at just two as the Bruins
escaped the first period mess.
In the second period real hockey appeared for the Bruins as Papa Bear Brue
sent a zone breakout pass to Marc “3 D’Arcios” Hedquist who then hit Baby
Bear Brue in stride for a short side snipe to get the Bruins within one.
After the second of two consecutive foolish stick infractions by the
2GIPpers, “Lightning” Lou D’Arcio slammed home a loose biscuit in the crease
after Papa Bear Brue released a Seeing Eye puck from the point.
For young Louis he additionally gained some traction in the all time
Bruins goals career list as he now sits just
94
goals off the lead!!!!
Despite dominating the second period the Bruins left the period still
chasing at 3-2 as a giveaway late in the second after some porous clearing
attempts resulted in an easy tap in at 3:50.
Fortunately, the hiccup didn’t last long as Papa Bear Brue, after crashing
from the blue line, found a Hedquist rebound shot sitting on the goal line
where he promptly burrowed it home to even things again at 3-3.
Two minutes later the see-saw swung back to 2GIP when a batted down
puck in front of Rideout jumped over his shoulder for 2GIP’s final lead of
the game at 9:45. Using their
speed Baby Bear Brue and Pat “Ronald” McDonald deftly converted a two on one
to tie it again just 1:49 later.
With both teams a bit gassed and a bit tentative Papa Bear Brue seized his
opportunity to go on a little coast to coast mission as he went from goal
line to goal line untouched before ripping one past the helpless 2GIP net
minder. Adding to the excitement
of the goal was Papa Bear Brue’s exclamation point celebration as Brue
howled in front of the 2GIP bench.
There is however, no confirmation on whether or not Papa Bear said
“Suck It!
Coaching like a real pro and making it about the team, D’Arcio cleverly
benched himself to get Mike “Leg Lock” Carleo on the ice for defensive
purposes with under a minute and a half.
The move paid off immediate dividends as Carleo pushed the lead to
6-4 on a blue line snapper when the 2GIP goalie got lost asking for
directions to the bench. A late
goal by 2GIP made it interesting at the end before Baby Bear Brue, who
endured numerous hacks cleared the zone one final time for the 3-1-1 Bruins.
The Bruins head to Bethpage 10:40PM on Monday August 14th where they will take on the Bucs in game six of the summer schedule.
Summer 2017
–Game Four ReCap - By Marc Hedquist –
July 31, 2017
In what has become a familiar summer refrain the Bruins remained undefeated
all-time against the Wolfpack as they held back the pack 5-2 to move their
record to 2-1-1 on the season.
Getting some help from the back end the Brue Crew Mike and Glenn each took
Neil “Chiseled Veteran” Pratesi passes to stake the Bruins to a 2-0 first
period lead that they never relinquished.
Kenny “77%” Santo combined with fellow graybearder “Lightning” Lou D’Arcio
for the third goal before Pat “Little Red” McDonald pushed the lead to 4-1
as the teams traded sides for the third.
Locking down defensively, the Bruins allowed just eight third period shots
that
The Bruins return to the ice Wednesday August 9th 9:45PM at
Iceland where they meet the rough and rumble 2GIP boys as the Bruins return
to D2 as the yo-yo schedule continues.
Summer 2017
–Game Three ReCap - By Marc Hedquist –
July 27, 2017
‘Dads drop Bruins in OT 4-3
The Bruins see-saw schedule continued in game three as they returned to E1
for their inaugural matchup vs the spry and youthful Step-Dads in which the
Bruins erased a 3-0 deficit only to fall in overtime 4-3 with just 26 ticks
left on the clock to drop their record to 1-1-1.
After a scoreless first, the speedy Step-Dads tilted the rink in the second
as they peppered Bruins net minder
Mike “Mr. Referee” Brue nifty top shelf snipe on a breakaway with a pesky
defender draped all over him got the Bruins to within one at 7:44 of the
third before Mike “Black Belt” Carleo bulldogged his way to the cage for the
equalizer with just under three minutes left in the game.
With all the momentum firmly in hand the swarming B’s couldn’t get the
winner in regulation so they headed to their first extra frame of the season
where the Step-Dads quite simply dominated a gassed Bruins squad.
The 30 year age differences between the teams for most of the Bruins
players finally caught up with them as they got caught scrambling late in OT
only to see a seeing-eye ‘puck’ slip past Rideout.
The Bruins remain in E1 for game three as they entertain the Wolfpack as the
summer rivalry between the teams continue for a 5th straight
year.
Summer 2017
–Game Two ReCap - By Marc Hedquist –
July 17,
2017
Offensively the Bruins only mustered 18 shots, most of them on the perimeter
as the Stingers big defensemen cleared the crease quite easily in spite of
the Bruins forwards best intentions at crashing the cage.
Old men Kenny “76%” Santo potted a wrister off a corner feed and Marc
“Fingers” Hedquist pushed home an end board rebound for the only goals of
the night.
Summer 2017
–Game One ReCap - By Marc Hedquist –
July 13,
2017
Bruins Blank ‘Dogs 4-0
Some new faces may have been added but the early methodology is still the
same, strong goaltending from Tyler “Goose Egg” Rideout, stellar defensive
play from a quartet of grizzled veterans starting with Neil “Fountain of
Youth” Pratesi, Pat “Contacts” McDonald, Glenn “Mr. IceCats” Brue, Anders
“Bobby Orr” Kirleis and opportune scoring from a host of gritty forwards,
with the exception of Captain “Lightning” Lou D’Arcio who as usual, other
than collecting money made absolutely no contribution on the offensive side
of play with the exception of a dazzling saucer pass to no one!
Mike “Duck Dynasty” Carleo’s snipe from the point with some cross-town
traffic in front of the net gave the Bruins all they would need as his game
winner to be found a home at 8:54 of the first.
The stubborn Ice Dogs, to their credit, hung tough despite only
registering just 15 shots until the third before the Bruins stretched their
legs a bit with a three spot.
Kirleis’ end to end rush left a juicy rebound where Marc “Film Class”
Hedquist slid it in five hole at 11:39 of the final frame.
Hedquist’s gate crashing potted him a second one at 8:19 as a
centering feed from Carleo behind the net ricocheted to Hedquist’s stick for
an easy tap in. Carleo netted his second on a snapper just inside the circle
to close out the scoring at 5:11 after a prototype 200 foot D’Arcio assist
as Hedquist blindly through one out of his zone to Carleo who weaved his
magic for the fourth and final goal.
The Bruins return to the ice on Sunday July 16th for another
early one 7:45PM at Newbridge vs. the Stingers as the HLI offices have
decided to bump the B’s to the D2 Division after their decisive win over the
‘Dogs.
Lastly a big Bruins welcome to our newest member Joe “O’ Canada” Marinello
who despite a 20+ career in Mens Hockey League pulled a rookie move by
forgetting the beverages. The Wolverines would be ashamed!!!!
Stories and comments from the Summer 2016 Season:
Summer 2016
– Playoff Game One ReCap - By Marc Hedquist –
September 18, 2016
Seven Year Itch…Scratched!
Thirty three seconds is all it took as Pat “Little Red” McDonald’s (1 Goal,
2 Assists) unassisted opening tally gave playoff MVP goaltender Tyler
“Vezina” Rideout all the goals he needed as his season long dominance was
just what the doctor ordered as the LI Bruins finally shook off their Summer
slump garnering their first title since 2009 and their fifth overall in the
franchise’s 18 year history with a 5-0 blanking over the Bladerunners.
Rideout finished with an amazing 9-1 record, 2.00 GAA and a sparkling .921
save percentage to make his first Bruins campaign one for the record books.
Youngster McDonald has now passed Dad, Pat “Big Red” McDonald in games
played as a Bruin as his quiet leadership and scoring prowess has now become
a staple on the Bruins summer circuit.
His three points in the final clinched the season scoring title from
Chris “Oktoberfest” Viscusi (1 Goal, 1 Assist), Marc “Reggie Dunlop”
Hedquist (1 Assist) and Mike “Boston Tea Party” Brue (No Goals, 2 Hours of
Homework), who all battled hard for the Hart trophy before bowing out to
baby faced Patrick.
Brendan “Figure Skates” Cooper also found his stride in the playoffs as this
emerging star put together a spectacular two game set that propelled the
Bruins into a three line scoring attack that was relentless on opposing
goalies. Defensive specialist Pete “8 Guys is Enough” Giano’s lockdown play
in the defensive zone was also buoyed by his beautiful tap in goal to close
out the scoring.
Defensively, the Bruins were led by the indefatigable Neil “Fountain of
Youth” Pratesi who shone all season long bettering skaters 30 years his
junior. Joe “Tin Man” Mocniak just gets it done game in and game out as the
best compliment you can offer is you don’t even know he is there nor do you
have to worry. Glenn “Buddy Holly” Brue can bring the skill or the grit as
he also leads with a quiet confidence. Wolverine Blue Liners Chris “The
Hammer” Twomey, whose physical presence is always respected and welcomed,
and Anders “Steady Hand” Kirleis rounded out the Bruin wall as this six pack
of defenders help Rideout lead the league with just 20 goals in just 10
games.
Lastly, a big thanks goes to Lou “Sure Shot” D’Arcio who makes coming to the
rink fun as he runs a great team, a great website and most importantly is
always willing to be the butt of the joke.
Of course if the rest of us still skated that poorly after 26 years
of playing we would have to accept the abuse as well.
For Goodness sakes Lightning, can you please sign up for a skating
class and lose the leotards!!!
Summer 2016
– Playoff Game One ReCap - By Marc
Hedquist –
September 15, 2016
McDonalds Happy Meal
After getting through period one tied at 1-1 as their only goal was scored
by high flying Brendan “Super” Cooper on an assist by dear old dad Roy
“Coop” Cooper, the Bruins turned to another father-son tandem Pat & Pat, Jr
McDonald to put the game out of reach once and for all. Twenty seconds into
the second period’s opening shift the Bruins found some success cycling down
low getting several chances before son hit dad as he left his point spot to
find some room in the slot for a stick side wrister to make it 2-1. Fifty
two seconds later the duo hit pay dirt again as young Patrick spotted an ice
hugger through traffic to make it 3-1.
Marc “Shut Up Lou” Hedquist and Little Cooper added third period goals to
finalize the stat sheet. Lastly, special recognition to Pete “The Shadow”
Giano whose defensive prowess on 2G1P’s top scoring threat can not be
overlooked.
Summer 2016
- Game Eight ReCap - By Marc Hedquist –
September 1, 2016
Bruins Claim Regular Season Title
For the 4th time in
nine summers the LI Bruins have claimed the regular season title after
defeating the D2 Morkmen 5-2.
The paper title will once again be rendered meaningless if the Bruins don’t
shake their playoff demons when they begin their championship quest in the
Semis vs a very determined 2GIP squad.
As for this one
Summer 2016
- Game Seven ReCap - By Marc Hedquist –
September 1, 2016
Bruins Roid Rage 9-2
After a few nail biters the
Bruins were gifted with a clunker as they dismantled an overmatched Rage
squad from start to finish in a cruise control 9-2 thrashing.
Mike “Sure Shot” Carleo, Pat “Little Red” McDonald, Marc “The
Scoring Leader” Hedquist and Roy “Super” Cooper all netted a pair around a
Neil “Still the Real Deal” Pratesi wrister to lead the offensive charge.
Carleo converted a Hedquist D’Arcio type assist when the sniper’s errant
shot deflected in front where Carleo deftly slid it home.
Carleo’s second was assisted by Cooper on a low riding laser that
skittered by the Rage’s hapless netminder. Hedquist made it 3-0 when he
slammed home a Viscusi assist to maintain the status quo.
Moving to the second Cooper went Crosby on us all as his end to end rush
resulted in his first ESPN highlight reel goal since little Roy was using
his buckaroo card at Roy Rogers restaurant. Pratesi made it 5-0 as his point
a game streak continued. Patty Junior lengthened the lead to six when he
weaved his way to the glory hole for his first of the evening before
Hedquist swiped a pass from Patty in front of Viscusi to steal his second of
the night. 264-181 not a chance Floor Doctor!
The Rage finally broke the shutout in the third before Cooper netted another
gem and McDonald feeling bad for Captain Lightning Lou D’Arcio scored to
give Lou his team leading 5th ‘D’Arcio’ Assist.
For those unaware a D’Arcio assist comes when there are teammates on
the ice with talent who chase down and convert 3 on 1 dumps to the corner
just as Lightning is skating to the bench.
Or of course when Lou falls on top of the puck and his teammate pries
it free then scores. Lastly, and
in a rare occurrence, which can lead to a D’Arcio Hat Trick of Assists, when
D’Arcio goes to throw a check after being “upended” and trips over the puck
the opposing team, bent over in laughter, forgets about Lightning’s
linemates who take in the biscuit for a goal!
The Bruins shoot for first place in the finale vs the Mork and Mindy Morkmen.
Summer 2016
- Game Six ReCap - By Louis D’Arcio –
August 23, 2016
Fresh off a tough loss to
perennial division powerhouse, Bladerunners, the Bruins suited up for a
rematch with 2G1P, who they defeated 4-1 to start the season.
It looked to be tough match as both teams had something to prove.
The Gips needed a win to stay in the upper half of the division; the
Bruins didn’t want a 2nd loss added to their season.
The Gips seemed to seemed to have learned a lesson from the previous game,
they couldn’t outskate the mobile and crafty Bruins’ defensemen so they
tried to keep a hanger just outside the offensive zone and hit him with a
home run pass. It worked once or
twice but they forgot that the Bruins goalie, Tyler Rideout, was more than
ready for them. That tactic
worked for them about 5 minutes in when it led to a 2 on 1 and they scored.
The lead doubled about 3 minutes later when a miscue during a goalmouth
scramble led to a Bruins’ own goal.
That gave the Gips some energy but the Bruins continued to fight back
and broke through with just under 2 minutes left, when Mike “BC” Brue banged
home his first shorthanded goal of the season.
The Bruins kept the pressure up and 57 seconds into the 2nd
period, Brenden “The Other BC” Cooper, scored a nifty powerplay goal to even
things up. The Gips bounced back
and scored twice in 2 minutes to regain their 2 goal lead.
A confused fan tossed a hat onto the ice thinking his bestie scored a
hat trick. The refs laughingly
tossed it back at him. The Gips
were feeling pretty good about themselves at this point and thinking the
Bruins were down for the count. The
veteran Bruins had different ideas and continued to work and play their game
and 2 minutes after the last goal from their opponents, Pat “Irish Eyes”
McDonald Jr., knocked home an even-strength tally to show them the team was
not done. Chris “S.A.” Twomey
scored another powerplay goal to tie the game at 4:12 of the 2nd.
The teams battled to a standstill for the rest of the period.
The third period was a see-saw battle with neither squad able to take
advantage of their chances. As
the clock ticked down the Bruins took some bad penalties but the PK stayed
perfect and with 43 seconds left McDonald Jr. once again lit the lamp with a
goal mouth chip in goal off a Mike Carleo feed.
The stunned Gips called for a time out and then pulled the goalie.
The Bruins defense tightened their belts and outworked the Gips and their 2
man advantage. A clearing dump
went into the corner to the left of the Gips net and as the clock ticked
down to zero, McDonald Jr. hustled and grabbed the puck and tucked into the
open cage with one second left to punctuate the Bruins comeback.
The final 2 games of the regular season have been posted and it seems the
Bruins will be using Iceland as their line in the sand as they try to
recapture the HLI Cup. Game 7 is
this Wednesday, August 24, 2016 at 9:30 against the Rage and the finale is
on Tuesday, August 30th at 9:30 with a cross-division contest
against the Morkmen from D2. A
strong finish here will leave the team in good position come playoff time.
Summer 2016
- Game Five ReCap - By Louis D’Arcio –
August 13, 2016
Bladerunners Snap Streak
The red-hot Bruins were cooled off by their old nemesis, the
Bladerunners.
It appeared to be a re-run from last summer’s meeting between
these 2 teams where they ended the Bruins’ 5 game streak.
The main difference between then and now is this
time the Bruins had a short squad, only 2 subs, and stayed in the game until
there was just under 6 minutes left. That’s when the Bruins’ tank ran dry
and they couldn’t generate consistent offense, even with a clock running
down last hurrah.
The Blades jumped to a quick 2 goal lead with goals at 13:49 and
then 7:08 in the first.
The Bruins tried to counter but couldn’t get the
puck past the defense and goalie.
Another pair of goals opened the second period for
the Blades, one at 14:07 and the other 22 seconds later seemed to put the
Bruins in an insurmountable hole for the night.
However, these weren’t last year’s Bruins and just
about 2 minutes later, Mikey Brue worked his magic and scored a goal and
just to prove it wasn’t a fluke he scored again about 2 minutes after that.
The
Blades didn’t seem worried and kept up the pressure on the undermanned
Bruins bench.
As the second period neared the end, Glenn “Papa Don’t
Preach” Brue decided he couldn’t let his scion have all the glory and buried
a sweet shot through traffic as Capt. Lou parked his carcass in front of the
crease and was tangled up with a Blades defenseman.
The Bruins weren’t done; they kept pressuring the Blades in the 3rd
period again and again until Brue the Younger once again asserted his
dominance on the other team.
Brue was sprung from his end by some nice passing
and then skated around his opponents as if they took skating lessons from
“Lightning” Lou.
He then cut to his left and drove to the net and
undressed the goalie with a wicked wrist shot to the top corner.
Now the game was tied with 4 unanswered goals and
the Bruins knew they had kicked over the hornets’ nest.
The Bladerunners aren’t the E league’s reigning
champs for 3 consecutive seasons for nothing.
They turned on the jets and forced a turnover and
scored just 29 seconds after the Bruins tied it.
They added an insurance goal 2 minutes later to lock
up the win.
Even though the Bruins lost, the Blades know this is a team to be
wary of, if they meet up again and the Bruins have their full squad they
know the outcome won’t be a foregone conclusion.
The Bruins’ next 2 games are: Wed, Aug 17, 9:30 at Iceland in a
rematch with 2G1P and then Wed, Aug 24th,
9:30 at Iceland against the Rage.
Make sure you check in with Lou or Marc and let them
know your availability.
Playoffs are around the corner so every game counts.
Summer 2016
- Game Four ReCap - By Marc Hedquist –
August 7, 2016
The red-hot Bruins barreled their way through another blowout as
they skinned a bothersome Panthers squad 7-1 to remain at the top of the
heap in the E1 standings as they reached the halfway point of the HLI summer
season.
Kenny “91%” Santo
fitted his tan noggin with a Fungool Square Fedora as he stretched his way
to his first Bruins Hat Trick since John Kucelin was still spitting Red Man
on the IceCats logo at Iceland.
He also assisted on a Chris “The Missing Link”
Viscusi goal as The Floor Doctor had two goals and an assist. Fellow old
school line mate Marc “5 Fingers” Hedquist had two assists to round out the
line’s nine point night.
Brendan “Pooper S…” Cooper and Roy “
Despite all the scoring and undefeated record it was only a matter
of time before Captain Lou “Albano” D’Arcio set the record straight on the
who the baddest man on the planet was as his unsuccessful charging attempt
late in the game resulted in a Slip-N-Slide crash into the boards as his big
hit attempt on some dude that looked like J-Lo went for naught.
For an encore Captain Lou increased the comedy as he
couldn’t get in or out of the box.
Looking Good Louis!!!!!
The workmanlike Bruins now face their biggest test of the year when
they head to
Summer 2016
- Game Three ReCap - By Marc Hedquist –
August 4, 2016
Six Goal Second Silences Monkeys
Facing the Evil Monkeys for the first
time ever the Bruins erupted for six goals in the second period as they
cruised to another laugher 7-2 to move their season record to 3-0.
Spreading the wealth once again the Bruins saw nine players reach the
scoresheet. “Lugnuts” Lou D’Arcio amazingly led the way as he notched a goal
and two assists. Mike “Baby” Brue and Tim Fulton “Reed” also had a one and
two. Father-Son tandem Roy and
Brendan “Coop and Coop Lite” Cooper helped each other out as Brendan
assisted Dad on a second period tally. Pat “Le Grande Orange” McDonald
plugged along with another two point night on a goal and an assist. Neil
“The Professor” Pratesi and Anders “Kallur” Kirleis added an assist each.
Tyler “C.C” Rideout registered 22 saves between the pipes.
Summer 2016
- Game Two ReCap - By Marc Hedquist –
August 4, 2016
Bruins Attack the Pack 7-1
Picking
up from where they left off in game one, the Bruins peppered the Wolfpack
with 26 shots as they cruised to a 7-1 laugher as five different Bruins
tapped twine while nine found their way onto the scoresheet.
Streaky Marc “6 Fingers” Hedquist tallied two more goals to go along
with one helper to pace the offense. Mike “The Wilkes-Barre Bruiser” Carleo
chipped in a goal and an assist. Mike “
Transition assists from the backline were contributed by Neil “Still
the Deal” Pratesi, Joe “The Gentleman” Mocniak and Glenn “Cold” Brue as the
graybeards held the line in front of Tyler “Rock Solid” Rideout who turned
aside 17 shots to garner his second win.
Summer 2016
- Game One ReCap - By Marc Hedquist –
August 4, 2016
Bruins Break 2016 Seal with 4-1 Win
The LI Bruins returned to the rink for the 9th
consecutive summer in the Hockey Long Island E1 division for yet another
crack at that elusive 5th
title.
In the opener it was a pair of goals each from old school
Bruins Chris “Oktoberfest” Viscusi and Marc “7 Fingers” Hedquist with a
little help from Pat “Little Mac” McDonald (3 Assists) that propelled the
B’s past a very game 2GIP squad 4-1.
Newcomer
Stories and comments from the Summer 2015 Season:
Summer 2015
– Playoff Game One ReCap - By Marc Hedquist
–
September
4, 2015
Dumped!
This one had a bad vibe early as the Bruins losers of two of there previous
three didn’t have the feel of a championship team as they struggled to get
shots or generate any kind of offensive zone pressure.
Adding to the lack of flow were the frequent visits to the sin bin as
the Bruins were penalized eight times in what certainly felt like some
questionable zebra calls.
After spotting the Dump a 2-0 lead the Bruins finally got on the board at
1:25 of the first when Pat “The Farmingdale Flash” McDonald converted a Mike
“Give Me an Ice Cold” Brue snap shot to gain some momentum as the B’s headed
to the second. That momentum was
short lived as the Dumpers scored on their first shift to put the lead back
to 3-1. That lead grew to three
goals when the Dump scored again at the 8:52 mark to make it 4-1.
Looking to spark the Bruins Mike “Oliver Queen” Smith singlehandedly
answered the bell 28 seconds later on and end to end rush to make it 4-2.
Then with just 1:53 left Jon “Cavs” Cavallary gave the Bruins their
biggest shot in the arm yet when he cut the lead to one with period three
just seconds away.
Before that could happen a ridiculous high sticking call on Pat “Senior”
McDonald for being too strong gave the Dump yet another power play, one of
their five on the night, which they capitalized on with 23 ticks left in the
period. For all intents and
purposes it was the final dagger for the disillusioned Bruins.
Moving to the third the elder Bruins trailed 5-3.
Once gain Smith gave the Bruins hope as he cut it to 5-4 with four
minutes late but it would be the last for the exhausted Bruins as they
allowed the Dump to cash in on two open netters.
A special thanks to all the guys for a fun summer together and a big thumbs
up to Lou “Leotards” D’Arcio for running the team.
Summer 2015 – Game Eight ReCap - By Marc Hedquist – August 26, 2015
The Bucs Stops Here
Playing for the second time in
three days the fatigued Bruins were simply a step behind all night long
until it was too late as they fell to the E2 Bucs 7-6 in what turned out to
be a gnarly contest before it was all over.
Continuing a trend that surely needs to stop as the playoffs approach, the
Bruins spotted the Bucs the lead just 52 seconds into the game.
Brendan “Port Jeff Ferry” Lloyd evened it up halfway through the
period but in sloppy fashion the Bruins allowed the Bucs to regain the lead
19 seconds later to put the Bruins on their heels again.
Moving to the second the Bucs bumped the deficit to 3-1 five minutes in as
the stagnant Bruins offense looked for a jumpstart.
They found that spark when Pat “Mr. Consistent” McDonald, Jr. took a
beautiful open goal feed from Lloyd to get the B’s to within one at 5:31.
Then just three minutes later Marc “Toe-Pick” Hedquist brushed up on
his baseball skills as he knocked a floating puck towards the crease where
he was able to chip it in for the tying goal at 1:33.
Looking to get to the third tied at 3-3, the Bruins got caught with
their pants down as a lazy clearing pass led to a shot on goal that Scott
“Katy” Perry pushed aside only to see a Bucs player whack it back into the
open side for a go ahead goal with just 7 seconds in the period.
The momentary lapse damaged and deflated the Bruins psyche as the
scramble to tie it was wasted in a moment of brain cramping.
Seizing that momentum the Bucs swarmed the Bruins early in the third as they
potted three goals in the first four minutes to grab a commanding 7-3 lead
before the fun started.
Having had enough of Kids on the Block hockey Glenn “Clark F&#@ing
Season One is now over.
As of now the 6-2 First place Bruins will play next Wednesday September 2nd
8PM at
Summer 2015 – Game Seven ReCap - By Marc Hedquist – August 24, 2015
Bruins Take Dump…7-6
Mike “Half Gallon Spit Bottle”
Carleo’s unassisted goal at the 2:46 mark of the third period held up as the
game winner as the Bruins capped off a three goal third period to overcome
their third multiple goal deficit of the night as they won a thrilling 7-6
shootout against new to the league foe Dump-N-Chase.
With the win the Bruins clinched the E1 regular season title for the
first time since 2011. It may
also serve as a preview to the opening round of the playoffs as the 4th
place Dump is expected to be the Bruins Semi-final opponent when the
playoffs begin on Wednesday September 2nd at Iceland 8PM.
Not playing like a fourth place team Dump-N-Chase attacked early and often
outshooting the Bruins 10-7, and seizing a 3-1 first period lead that
smelled much like the funk from the previous clunker against the
Bladerunners. The only offense
from the Bruins came from an old Wolverines pairing as Karl “Mr. Mayor”
Pfeffer found Marc “Lance Armstrong” Hedquist in front on a two on one
tally.
The second period brought more chaos and confusion as the Dump notched
another one just 24 seconds in to make it 4-1.
Looking to right the ship Captain Lou “Lombardi” D’Arcio screamed and
yelled at the team to get their heads out of their asses or he was shipping
them all back to military school…oh wait that is what he told his 10 year
old’s team, my bad. Actually it
was D’Arcio’s backhanded flip to the cage where Glenn “Bulldog” Brue nestled
it in before roofing one to cut the lead in half.
Twenty three seconds later, Pat “Lasik” McDonald, Jr. ( 1 Goal, 4
Assists) bullied his way through three defenders before sliding one past the
goalie’s stick side to cut it to one at 4-3.
The momentum however didn’t last long as the young Dumpers retrieved
their two goal lead as a bad change left an odd man rush that goalie Chris
“Rat in a Cage” Schuster (23 Saves) denied first before the rebound was put
back for a 5-3 Dump lead. Mike
“Arrow” Smith knocked the lead back to one again at the 8:54 mark when he
sniped a laser from just inside the blue line with some cross-town traffic
in the crease before the stubborn Dump pushed it back to 6-4 as period two
came to a close.
Surprisingly, the elder Bruins still had wind in the third and began their
march just four minutes in when Hedquist tallied his second on another top
shelf wrister. The play fully
developed as McDonald opened up the lane with speed before dishing the
biscuit. Jon “
The Bruins wrap up the regular season slate on Tuesday August 25th
8:30PM @
Summer 2015 – Game Five ReCap - By Marc Hedquist – August 9, 2015
Short-Handed Bruins Burn Toast
Despite dressing just six skaters, the shorthanded Bruins had just enough in
the tank to double up the Psychedelic Love Toast 6-3 behind a pair of goals
from Mike “Making Friends” Brue and Marc “Open Net” Hedquist.
Oddly, it wasn’t the young Brue who started the scoring but the wily old
veteran his Dad Glenn “Papa Bear” Brue who opened the scoring at 9:01 of the
first on a sharp angle shot from the sidewall that weaseled its way through
traffic to put the B’s up 1-0.
Senior Brue returned the assist favor to Hedquist five minutes later when he
found him in the slot where Hedquist slid a backhand under the goalie’s pads
for a 2-0 period one lead.
In the second Pat “Harry Potter” McDonald played a little tic-tac-toe with
line mates Brue, Jr. and Hedquist before roofing a wrister past the prone
net minder for a 3-0 lead. After a brief stoppage in play to award Brue a
Golden Stick for his first career assist, play resumed.
As the period came to a close Iron Mike “Dangleberry” Carleo, who was rock
solid on defense took his first break after 29 straight minutes on the ice
only to see wanna be defensemen Lou “Dump and Don’t Chase D’Arcio get
undressed as the Toasties finally scored at the 14 second mark of the middle
stanza to make thing mildly interesting as the teams headed to the third.
Things got even more interesting when PLT scored just over a minute into the
period to make it 3-2. But as
quickly as things got tight the Bruins answered just 30 seconds later when a
McDonald rush up the left side led to a Hedquist two on one conversion for
the 4-2 lead. Less than a minute
later D’Arcio finally joined the stat sheet as he found Brue, Jr. in front
for an easy tap in. PLT added
another tally at 8:45 to make it 5-3 before a fired up Brue, Jr. sealed the
deal with an empty netter as line mate Hedquist took notes on how to shoot
into an empty net after a previous gaffe that assuredly would have found its
way onto YouTube if there were any fans at the game to film it.
The high flying Bruins take their 5-0 record to the 18th of August at Bethpage 10:40pm where they cross over leagues for an undefeated matchup against the despised Bladerunners who have long been HLI’s version of the 70’s Flyers.
Summer 2015
– Game Four ReCap - By Marc Hedquist –
August 4, 2015
Bruins Trip the Gip 7-3
Lloyd’s first two top shelf lasers three minutes into the game staked the
Bruins to a lead they would never relinquish.
To 2Gip’s credit they had their own firepower as they closed the
first period down just 3-2 after Mike “Wind Tunnel Tested Hair” Brue sniped
the third goal of the period for the Bruins at 10:38.
Period two was all Bruins as they peppered 15 shots including a Pat “Little
Red” McDonald, Jr. wrister goal and a gorgeous wrap-around by Lloyd to put
the game out of reach at 5-2 after two.
In the third Lloyd completed his Superfecta on a three deke shorty before he
was mercifully pulled for the game as a not too happy Commissioner “Diamond”
Dave DiCola looked on from the press box.
The fate of Lloyd’s Bruins career may rest on his acceptance of a
begrudging move to a defensive position.
Time will tell on that one.
Marc “The Swede” Hedquist notched the last tally at 3:10 of the third on a
deflection off a Mike “The Hammer” Taggart point shot to close the books on
this one.
The Bruins return to Iceland for a 10:10PM start this Friday vs. PLT unless
of course the IceCats aren’t holding another scrimmage.
Let Lou know your status if you are coming or not.
This isn’t the Wolverines!!!!
Summer 2015 – Game Three ReCap - By Marc Hedquist – July 31, 2015
Sweet 16 Party
For starters with Glenn unable to ‘reel’ in his 12 year old, oops
I mean 17, year old son from the goal crease, Mike “I Never Saw a Shot I
Didn’t Like!” Brue played the part of a college co-ed on Spring Break as his
beer funnels turned into non passes and shots from every corner in the
arena.
Only a temporary restraining order from Captain Lou “Albano” D’Arcio kept
the young tyke from asking for every puck that went into the net.
Oh how youth is wasted on the young!
J.
Also unbeknownst to Senior Brue would be his confidence building
in fellow young bucks Mike “The Scranton Imbiber” Carleo and Pat “Specs II”
McDonald who also ran roughshod with impunity over the hapless Ice Dogs
defense as they too were sharks in the water as they stared comically down
the long ass neck of Mr. Brue before tasering another biscuit past the
outmatched goggle wearing giraffe between the pipes.
Not looking to be left out of the fun Mike “The Big Red Stache”
Smith also went end to end on a few rushes before scoring against a real
goalie Scott “Katy” Perry who made his Bruins debut a memorable one.
Scott, you really were a firework let your colors burst!
Representing the old guard offensively on this night was Marc
“Lady Byng Dumb-Ass” Hedquist and D’Arcio who combined to score six points.
Hedquist had two goals and four assists and D’Arcio brought the
water bottles.
Also contributing to the victory was Mike “Beverly Hills Cop”
Taggart, Pat “Specs I” McDonald, and Mr. Blues himself Neil “Still the Real
Deal” Pratesi who thankfully kept as many shots as possible from reaching
Glenn “Thanks for Not Taking My Stick This Week” Brue.
The 3-0 Bruins return to
Summer 2015 – Game One & Two ReCap - By Marc Hedquist – July 21, 2015
Bruins Control Rage 7-3
The 2015 LI Bruins followed up
their week one overtime win vs the Wolfpack with a solid 7-3 victory over
the Rage to move to 2-0 in the E1 HLI Summer standings.
Lou “Leotards” D’Arcio led the way (No, this is not a misprint!) with
two goals to pace the attack.
The first one came from behind the goal as Lightning Lou snuck a seventeen
mile an hour laser inside the goalie’s right boot.
The second goal was more conventional as he took a goalmouth dish
from Mike “Please Write About How Great I am” Carleo that he nudged home
into the open cage. Joining the
two goal count was Mike “Red Line” Brue whose first period shortie (second
in 2 games) on a great hustle play by John “Here Comes the…” Cavallary broke
the seal at 5:10 of the first.
Brue’s second came on a snapper just outside the circle late in the third.
Despite losing all his strength a la Samson after a compromising
haircut Chris “Newlywed” Vickery also had two tallies as he slammed home two
slot feeds from Marc “Who Took My F*@#ing Stick” Hedquist.
Rounding out the scoring was Cavallary who was aided by his brother
Matt “Stripes” Cavallary to earn the four paying customers free Garlic Knots
at Papa John’s with the lucky seventh.
Anchoring the defense in front of the Bruins goalie Chris “Rat In the
Cage” Schuster (18 Saves) was “Real Deal” Neil Pratesi, Glenn “The Hammer”
Brue, Pat “Norris Trophy” McDonald and fellow Rat Doug “Blow Your” Horn.
The First place Bruins return to the ice next Monday July 27 9:40PM @
Iceland vs. the Ice Dogs.
Stories and comments from the Summer 2014 Season:
Summer 2014
– Playoff Game One ReCap - By Marc Hedquist
– September 6, 2014
Third Time’s the Charm!
Having been manhandled the previous two meetings at the hands of the
Bladerunners, the LI Bruins found sweet revenge as they stole victory from
the jaws of defeat as Brenden “Baby Bottle” Lloyd notched two ESPN highlight
goals in the last 1:14 of the game including the game winner at 0:29 to lead
the B’s to a thrilling 5-4 D-1 Playoff Wild Card win.
The big ‘W’ moves the Bruins to the Semi-Finals on Tuesday September
9th where they will meet the Boomer-led Wasps at 7:50PM @
Newbridge.
For the Bruins it was poetic justice as they overcame 1-0, 3-1 and 4-3
deficits to finally take the lead late and steal a game of their own as it
had so often had been happening to them during their trying 2-5-1 regular
season. After spotting the ‘Runners with a goal less than a minute into the
game, Mike “Please Write More About Me!” Smith off a dazzling feed by Lloyd,
slammed home the tying goal at 11:35 of the first.
The tie remained for nearly five minutes before the Bladerunners
struck twice in three minutes on 2 on 1 put-backs that were initially saved
by a sprawling Mike “I don’t do Warm-ups..or Autographs for that Matter”
Towers only to see unguarded crashing forwards tap in two freebies.
Sensing a need to open things up a bit the B’s swarmed the offensive
zone peppering 15 shots in the second period.
At the 13:13 mark the Smith and Lloyd hockey firm engineered another
textbook 2 on 1 tap in to draw the Bruins within one.
Two minutes later defenseman Glen “Solid as a Rock” Brue weaved the
vulcanized rubber through a maze of skate legs into the back of the net for
the equalizer at 11:04. From
there, the Bladerunners led by their star player number #9 Johan Van Rotten
Crotch again grabbed the lead as the second period wound down to move the
teams to the third separated by a goal.
In the third it was all about the netminders as both Towers and his
counterpart in the ‘Runners cage exchanged Lundqvists to keep the score at
4-3 as three minutes hit the clock.
Pressing the action, the Bruins got caught short in their own zone
and ended up with what looked like the season’s death knell only to see the
Midas Golden Glove of Towers miraculously snag a top shelf laser.
Feeding off that web-gem the Bruins finally turned the tables as they
tied it just over one minute later on a winding and meandering rush by Lloyd
that saw him use his impressive stickhandling skills to find just the right
time and space for an in tight snapper that brought the teams level at 1:14.
After losing the draw the puck remained in the Bruins zone before
they were able to take huge advantage of a Bladerunners colossal goof on a
poor line change as the Bruins broke the zone.
Sneaking back door along the wall, Lloyd took a chip out from Smith
and was unbelievably in alone with no one in sight.
It was almost criminal for the Bladerunners at that point as Lloyd
undressed the goalie with several dekes before putting the winning biscuit
in the basket. And despite
feeling like they stole the game, the 38-22 shot advantage clearly spoke
volumes about the Bruins play as they hope the dance continues a little
longer when they meet the Waspies on Tuesday.
Summer 2014
- Game Eight ReCap - By Louis D’Arcio –
September 3, 2014
Bruins Flop In Third
Another thing hurting the squad is there is not enough screening of the
goalie, the team is getting the puck into the zone well enough and
controlling it, but the netminder gets to see most of the shots.
On the occasion a screen or traffic in front happens the puck has
gone in, as was the case with Mike Smith’s lone goal in the 2nd
period. There was congestion in
front of the net from the forwards so when Smith took the shot, Wings
goalie, Chris Reidy, didn’t see it coming until he heard the referee’s
whistle. That’s something that
needs to be worked on, especially against the Bladerunners.
So everyone get ready for this Friday night’s single elimination contest
against the Bladerunners. Even
though we lost both regular season games to them, we should be able to beat
them as long as we play the full three periods.
The game is this Friday, September 5th, 10:40PM at
Newbridge in Bellmore.
Summer 2014
- Game Seven ReCap - By Louis D’Arcio –
August 31, 2014
Bruins Cut By Blades Again…
Just as the Bruins were trying to get on a roll to get into the playoffs
they met up with their long time nemesis, the Bladerunners.
After falling to them 5-2 earlier in the season, the Bruins looked to
turn the tables on Blades and their captain, “Hook” Haas.
The Bruins felt good at the start of the game with some good speed and
pressure from the “Finally All Here” line of the Cavallary brothers, Jon and
Matt and Rich Sherron. They
moved the puck well and forced the other team deep into their own zone.
The other lines worked well too but as been the case this summer, the
other team seems to always get that first goal.
The Blades scored on a nice solo effort from a former member of the
NYPD ice hockey squad at the 5:39 mark of the first.
The Bruins did tie it up just 18 seconds into the 2nd period when
Karl “The Bodyguard” Pfeffer won the opening face-off and then stole the
puck from a Blades defender who misplayed the puck in the neutral zone.
Pfeffer drove hard to the net and buried the equalizer.
The Blades would regain the lead with a power play goal a little over
three minutes later. Undaunted
the Bruins continued to press, out shooting their opponents 12-10 in the
period. Mike “Duck Dynasty”
Carleo blasted home the tying goal with 5:56 left off a beautiful centering
pass from behind the net by Scottie “Smurf” Riggs.
Riggs had controlled the puck behind the net for a bit, keeping it
away from multiple defenders until he saw Carleo sneak into the slot.
Feeling good about themselves the Bruins kept trying for the go-ahead
goal only to see the other team get it with 40 seconds left.
Try as they may in the 3rd period, the Bruins couldn’t
tie it up again.
The Blades took advantage of the Bruins taking chances offensively to
score twice in four minutes to end the game with a 5-2, flashing back to the
game 3 loss a month earlier.
The only good news from the night was that the Bruins secured the fifth and
final playoff spot. The last
regular season game is this coming Tuesday, September 2nd,
10:40PM at Newbridge Arena against the 3rd place LI-Wings.
The play-offs then begin on Friday, September 5th, again
10:40Pm at Newbridge with the path to the HLI Cup being blocked by the
Bladerunners. If there is one game against them we need to win, it’s this
one. Remember summer playoffs
are single elimination, each win sends the other team home to lick their
wounds. Let’s make sure it isn’t
our team.
Summer 2014 - Game Six ReCap - By Marc Hedquist – August 25, 2014
Battling Bruins Stuck In Neutral
The opener against the Boomer Esiason led Wasps saw the Bruins
holding a 2-1 lead with just over five minutes remaining after goals by Mike
“I Finally Graduated…after 6 years!” Smith and Aaron “Ebola Jersey” Pratesi
only to see the Wasps sting the sleepy B’s defense for two goals in 39
seconds to steal game one 3-2.
Game two was more of the same late game banana peel slip up as the
Bruins traded goals with the Stingers for nearly three periods on goals by
Mike “I Have 2.3 Million in School Loans To Pay” Smith, Chris “Slippery”
Vickery, Brenden “Baby Face” Lloyd
and Matt “Here Comes the” Cavallary before finally seizing the lead with
1:37 left on a second goal of the game by Lloyd.
Yet for the second game in a row the Bruins got caught with their
pants down as they allowed the tie-breaker with 35 seconds remaining and
then the back-breaker with just one tick left on the clock as the failed
point may come back to hurt their playoff chances in the 6-5 loss.
Heading to the spacious Bethpage Arena for the third game was still
no help as the big bad Bladerunners smothered the Bruins attack in a
dominating 5-2 beatdown as the Bruins Mike “Five Colleges Later..” Smith
provided the only offense with two tallies as the B’s dropped to 0-3 alone
in the D1 basement.
Playing with needed desperation in game four the Bruins held serve
against a very skilled Crokers club to turn the tables a bit as a they got
huge goals from Wolverine Alums Scott “Martin” Riggs of Lethal Weapon fame
and Chris “No Pads” Vickery as well as goals from Brenden “Baby Oil” Lloyd
and Mike “Rats Nest Chin” Carleo.
It was Vickery’s goal that really made a difference as his tally with
just over a minute and half left ensured the Bruins would garner their first
point of the season.
Unfortunately the Bruins would only get one as the Crokers bullied their way
to an overtime goal to earn the win 5-4.
The next two games pitted the Bruins against Redrum in a modest Home
and Home series. For the Bruins
to have any chance at post-season play they would have to earn the sweep.
Mission accomplished as the Bruins lit the lamp for seven in the first game
as the Bruins got two goals from newbie Rich “Roller” Sherron, one from
Brenden “Baby Food” Lloyd, one from Mike “Check your beard, I lost my keys!”
Carleo and a Hat Trick from Mike “Ebay Buys Old Textbooks!” Smith to pace
the 7-4 romp.
The next Redrum game was more of a methodical breakdown as the Bruins
leaned on “Montreal” Mike Towers in net to keep Redrum off the scoresheet
long enough to get their offense going.
Smiling Mike obliged for a whopping three minutes as he whiffed
Curtis Granderson style on Redrum’s first shot of the game to put the Bruins
in a 1-0 hole.
No worries here though as loud mouth Assistant Captain Marc “Hamstrings”
Hedquist, returning after a three game absence, finally inspired the troops
by making sure no one could hear Team President and Captain Lou “I was once
traded for a puck bag and a player NOT to be named later” D’Arcio.
Silencing D’Arcio would be crucial for the success of the team in the
future as the speedy D’Arcio often confuses the team with his elaborate
strategies like “shoot the puck more,” “don’t take penalties” and my
personal favorite…”guys if we are leading after three periods we have a good
chance to win this game!”
Whether it was the comedy relief or skill is to be determined but after
Towers’ clunker the Bruins scored four straight en route to an easy 5-2 win.
Goals were provided by Brenden “Baby Toys” Lloyd, who had a pair,
Jeremy “Sniper” Yan, Rich “Hockey
Pants” Sherron, and Glen “Coors” Brue who now holds a one goal lead over his
son Mike “Coors Light” Brue in the family scoring chase.
With five points the Bruins head to an important game seven matchup
with the Bladerunners on Monday 8:00PM at Newbridge.
A win would be a huge boost to the Bruins playoff aspirations.
See you then!
Stories and comments from the Summer 2013 Season:
Summer 2013 - Game Six ReCap - By Louis D'Arcio – August 25, 2013
Bruins
murdeR
Redrum
After eking out an overtime win over Redrum at the last meeting, the
LI-Bruins were a little cautious about this rematch.
The Bruins wanted the win to improve their standing in the division
and put themselves in a better position come the playoffs.
The Bruins put the pressure on early and were rewarded when Mike "Almost
Done" Smith took the puck deep to the Redrum goal line and put the puck on
the net. The goalie was caught
off balance as he slid across the crease to make the play and the puck went
in with just 37 seconds off the clock.
That helped the Bruins' confidence and they continued to attack.
Just over 2 minutes later the red light went off and Lou "New Stick"
D'Arcio deflected a Chris Viscusi point shot from the high slot that caught
the netminder leaning the wrong way.
Seeing a pattern here, the Bruins continued the assault on the
beleaguered goalie scoring 4 more times before the period ended to take
command of the game. High
flying Brendan Lloyd scored a natural hat trick (including one on the
powerplay) within 4 minutes, from 7:20 to 3:25 and then Chris "Facebook"
Vickery buried the biscuit on a nice breakaway to close out the period.
The shutout bid for Mike Towers was spoiled as the Redrum scored early in
the 2nd period but Matt DeMauro got it back a few minutes later after some
nice passing with his linemates, Lloyd and Smith.
Lloyd (his 4th of the game) and DeMauro (his 2nd) scored again to push the
total to 9 goals for the night.
DeMauro's goal was short-handed, the first one on the season for the Bruins.
A Redrum powerplay goal with 7 minutes left made the final 9-2 but by
that point there was never any doubt to the outcome.
The team played well, especially in their own end, not allowing the
Redrum to get set up or generate too many scoring chances.
The smart defensive play helped keep the offense flowing.
Special thanks to Scotty "New Helmet" Riggs for filling in and Joe
Mocniak on making his long awaited season debut.
The next and final game of the regular season is on Tuesday night, August
27th at 10:30PM at the Bethpage Arena against the Crokers.
Bring your best game because playoff seeding is on the line.
Summer 2013
- Game Six ReCap - By Marc Hedquist
– August 14, 2013
Bruins Harpoon Whalers
The Bruins four goal third period broke open a close affair as they dropped
the Whalers-HC 6-1 to reclaim the top spot in the D2 standings as the summer
slate nears its conclusion.
Neil “Cat in the Hat” Pratesi with a rare opportunity to play on the front
end made the most of his first shift as he slid the biscuit in on the short
side for a 1-0 lead. The teams
traded chances the rest of the first period (Mike “Eiffel” Towers, 16 Saves)
to no avail as the Bruins took the one goal lead to the second where the
Whalers quickly got the equalizer two minutes in.
The defensive struggle took a fortuitous turn for the Bruins two minutes
later when Eric “Heads Up!” Healy unloaded a Wolverine blast from the point
where it hit Lou “Coach of the Year” D’Arcio’s skate as he set up his grand
derriere in front before conveniently landing on the stick of Chris “Vic”
Vickery who promptly roofed it for the eventual game winner.
Taking the one goal lead to another period the Bruins pushed the action to
be sure there would be no let down on this night as the bend but don’t break
Whalers defense finally snapped as the Bruins cashed in four tallies. The
first one coming by way of Brendan “Baby Face” Lloyd who registered yet
another weekly unassisted coast to coast highlight reel goal.
Mike “The Kid” Carleo’s heavy handed wrister off a Glenn “Goggles”
Brue assist made it 4-1. The
team’s fifth goal by Kenny “Tan in a Can” Santo was an absolute thing of
beauty as three old school Bruins Chris “The Missing Link” Viscusi, Pistol
Pete Giano and Santo weaved the puck as if on a string giving and going
before a wide open Santo snapped in the finish.
Not looking to be outdone, fellow old school Bruin D’Arcio’s blind
backhand pass from just left of the crease found a home as well after Carleo
tapped in the smooth feed for the sixth and final goal to put this one to
bed.
The Bruins meet Redrum for a second time this Wednesday August 21st
9:30PM at Cantiague as the old school Bruins will need to step it up even
more as the annual college exodus begins.
Summer 2013
- Game Five ReCap - By Louis D'Arcio
– August 12, 2013
Bruins Jump on Pucks!
The game started off on quick pace and the Pucks struck first 2:24 into the
period off a missed coverage down low.
The Bruins didn't falter and kept pressing the play in the Pucks end.
The Pucks defense seemed to have trouble with the Bruins fore-check
and at 5:31 Kenny "Oil Can" Santo forced a turn-over by a defenseman and
took the puck in and scored to tie the game.
Not content to sit back and let the period end all even, the Bruins
kept rushing the puck. There was
less than a minute left when Mike "Rollerball" Carleo carried the puck down
the left wing side and left the puck for Lou "Double Drop Pass" D'Arcio, who
took control of the puck but misplayed it onto the stick of Bruins d-man,
Chris "The Short One" Viscusi.
Viscusi wasted no time in taking advantage of D'Arcio's gaffe and rifled the
puck into the net, using the captain as a screen.
The Bruins slowly took control of the game in the second period with smart
defensive zone play and quick outs and a continuing fore-check.
That play paid dividends as Chris "The Other Chris" Vickery
intercepted a clearing pass high in the Pucks' end and snapped a laser of a
shot over Reidy's shoulder for the insurance goal.
The third period was pretty much as repeat of the second as the
Bruins maintained their composure and heads-up playing.
The Pucks pulled the goalie as time ticked down but the Bruins held
them off for the nicely deserved win.
The next game is on Tuesday, August 13th, at 11:15PM at Iceland against the
Whalers-HC. Also on the schedule
is another matchup against Redrum on Wednesday, August, 21st, 9:30PM at
Cantiague Park. Make sure you
let the team know your availability for the game.
Summer 2013
- Game Four ReCap - By Marc Hedquist
– July 31, 2013
Croker Choke!
After spotting the Crokers the opening goal, the Bruins responded with four
straight goals. Marc “Fungus
Fingers” Hedquist redirected a Neil “Don’t Forget the Hat” Pratesi point
shot for the second consecutive game to even it.
Next Kenny “Nice Dome” Santo conveniently got in the way of a Brendan
“Neck Guard” Lloyd slapper for a deflection goal to make it 2-1.
Lloyd then notched the first of Natural Hat Trick off a Glenn “The
Puck Terminator” Brue outlet pass to make it 3-1.
Lloyd struck again on a rare Penalty Shot after being hauled down by
a less than friendly Choker D-man to push the lead to three.
The Crokers responded three minutes later to make it 4-2 before Lloyd
closed out period two with his third on a snapper through traffic that found
the back of the net to make it 5-2.
The three goal lead should have held up, but to the Crokers credit they used
their imposing size to bully their way to the cage throughout the third
period where the Bruins simply didn’t respond.
Even another stellar performance by
Mike “Leading All Goalies in Points” Towers, 27 Saves, wasn’t enough to stem
the tide as the Bruins surely let this one slip away.
With five points through four games the Bruins inched closer to a playoff
berth as this version of D2 is probably the most competitive Summer slate
yet.
The next game is on Wednesday, August 7th, at 9:15PM at the Newbridge War
Memorial against the new to the division, Lucky Pucks.
Also Glenn you owe us a puck after your ferocious 118 MPH slap shot
shattered the puck in two off a crossbar laser.
Summer 2013
- Game Three ReCap - By Marc Hedquist
– July 23, 2013
Santo Slam Lifts B’s in OT
Kenny “Silly Putty” Santo’s slam dunk whack on a loose puck in the crease
elevated the Bruins to a thrilling 4-3 Overtime win over Redrum in game
three of the Summer schedule.
The see-saw battle started slowly for the Bruins as they were clearly a step
behind in spotting ‘The Shining’ crew a 2-0 first period lead.
Only a spectacular stanza by Mike “Back in Business” Towers (29
Saves) kept this one from getting away from the Bruins.
Regrouping after the first intermission the Bruins got a huge break at 12:19
of the second when a Glenn “Scotty Bowman” Brue’s point shot deflected up
into Mike “Rollerball” Carleo’s chest and then landed in the crease for an
easy tap-in to give the Bruins life making the score 2-1.
After several more stellar saves by Towers, the Bruins then evened
things up on a coast to coast unassisted gem by Brendan “Hagelin” Lloyd at
5:27. Four minutes later Lloyd,
taking a great breakout pass from Brue, mirrored his previous gem with
another end to end rush that gave the Bruins their first lead as period two
came to a close.
Looking to answer quickly, Redrum knotted it again at 12:52 as both goalies
put on a show for the remainder of the third to earn both clubs at least a
point in the standings before beginning the ‘free hockey’ session.
Taking advantage of a poor line change Neil “The Real Deal” Pratesi kept the
biscuit in the zone, poised himself and then snapped a low rider towards the
cage which Marc “BBQ Ribs” Hedquist nicked just enough to keep the goalie
from getting a clean glove on it as the puck temptingly sat in the crease
for the determined Santo to send it flying like a recycling bin on Tulip
Avenue into the back of the net for the exciting game winner.
The Monday night Bruins return to Iceland, sorry again Johnny O, next week
July 29th at 9:30PM vs. the undefeated Crokers as league play
hits the halfway mark. Please
let Captain Lou “Icing” D’Arcio know if you will NOT be able to attend.
Summer 2013
- Game Two ReCap - By Marc Hedquist
– July 16, 2013
Buzzkill
Facing last year’s champs, the Stingers, the Bruins looked to establish
early D2 supremacy as league play hit its second game.
After a resounding first period in which they out shot the Bumblebees
11-6, the Bruins also held a 2-0 lead on goals by Mike “The Red Dragon”
Smith, making his season debut, and Chris “ZZ Top” Vickery and looked to be
on their way to another blowout.
A second period tally by the Stingers was then neutralized as rookie fill-in
Dave “The Gladiator” Zalayet netted two consecutive goals to push the lead
to 4-1 as the middle stanza wound down.
Inexplicably from there, the Bruins simply shut off the engine as
they watched the Stingers ‘steal’ the period with two goals in the last 1:13
of play to make it a game heading to the third.
With momentum clearly on their side the Stingers swarmed the Bruins
cage as they notched two more goals in the first three minutes of the third
to completely erase the three goal deficit and take a one goal lead.
To the Bruins credit, they responded with two of their own as Smith, moving
up to forward evened it at 5-5 before Brendan “Budweiser Shirt? Shouldn’t it
be Coca-Cola” Lloyd got the lead back at 7:33.
Even with the lead something just didn’t feel right as the
out-hustled Bruins coughed it right back as they allowed the tying and
eventual winning goal in a 19 second span.
The Bruins gave it one last gasp with the empty net but on this night
it was not to be as the Bruins dropped to 1-1 and learned a valuable lesson
about slowing up.
Hopefully the Bruins can find 45 minutes of hard work in their next game as
the D2 dogfight is sure to be a challenge.
Summer 2013
- Game One ReCap - By Marc Hedquist
– July 13, 2013
Bruins Wallop Wolfies, 7-2
Picking up from where they left off last summer the high flying Bruins began
their 2013 sunshine slate with a 7-2 decimation of the Wolf Pack in the HLI
D2 opener for both teams.
Mike “Rock-N-Roller Hockey” Carleo bringing his usual grit, netted a Hat
Trick to pace the 58 shot onslaught.
Fellow youngster, Brenden “Carey Baseball” Lloyd, who found a soul
mate in #27 from the Wolfpack, dazzled both teams alike with his speed and
acceleration as he posted two highlight reel goals in a three point evening.
Representing the old
guard, Marc “Shoe Size?” Hedquist parlayed his good fortune in being teamed
with Carleo into a four point evening as he netted one while earning three
‘D’Arcio-style’ assists. Chris
“No Nickname Yet” Vickery rounded out the scoring as he and fellow
Wolverines John “Johnny O” O’Hagan and Eric “Heels” Healy found themselves
playing with more than two subs for the first time since Christmas!
Matt “Matty Thumbs” DeMauro, Chris “Oktoberfest” Viscusi, Kenny “Jack
Lalanne” Santo, “Lightning” Lou D’Arcio, Greg “Doc” Persak as well as
Hedquist thank Glen “Coach” Brue,
Mike “Vezina” Towers and the rest of the fellas for keeping the Bruins team
in action for what hopes to be another enjoyable summer run.
Next game is already posted as the Bruins return to Johnny O’s favorite rink
Iceland on Monday July 15th at 9:30PM.
Stories and comments from the Summer 2012 Season:
Summer 2012
- Playoff ReCap - By Marc Hedquist
– November 12, 2012
In
what has become nothing less than an annoying yearly ritual, the LI Bruins
concluded their third consecutive Summer with yet another playoff clunker in
a 10-6 walloping at the hands of the Bolts. And as with the previous two
this one watched the high powered regular season Bruins reduced to a pick-up
game roster as the three Mikes: Towers, Smith and Carleo were called to duty
elsewhere.
Left to fend for themselves, Brendan Lloyd (4 Goals)and his youthful magic
was the only recourse for the impotent Bruins offense despite Captain Lou's
never ending confidence in old timers like himself! So once again, the
Bruins are left with good memories of Wings and Beers at TR's as this
powerful lineup must now wait and hope that eventually a playoff game will
be scheduled before September.
Summer 2012
- Game Eight ReCap - By Marc Hedquist
– September 1, 2012
Killer Bees
The post Smith era began with an disconcerting ambush by the Stingers in the
regular season finale as they swarmed the helpless Bruins 8-2 in a game that
wasn’t even that close.
Hopefully, it will turn out to be a blessing for the Bruins, who wasted a
chance to claim the regular season title in the process, as they now fine
tune the pieces in order to make a run at the Summer Championship.
The focus will still be to keep Mike “MVP” Towers getting good looks
in goal while the forwards will now have to back check more than before in
Smith’s absence.
As for this one the speed and aggressiveness of the Stingers was never
matched as they raced out to an 8-0 lead before the Bruins took a little
pride in the finish as Matt “The Port Washington Powder Keg” Wilkoff and
Kenny “Jack LaLanne” Santo each muscled home goals for the Bruins within a
minute of each other midway through the third to at least build off
something as the playoffs now officially begin.
The 3rd seeded Bruins will next meet the Bolts 10PM @Cantiague on
Sunday September 9th in the D2 Semi-Finals with a Championship
berth at stake.
Summer 2012
- Game Seven ReCap - By Marc Hedquist
– August 26, 2012
Smitty’s Pair Lead Bruins
If game seven is to be Mike “Red Dragon” Smith’s finale then he definitely
went out in style as his two third period goals were the difference in the
Bruins 4-2 win over Redrum.
The see-saw battle was highlighted by another super focused effort by Mike
“Dear Co-Workers, Mike is NOT as good as he says!” Towers who turned aside
27 shots as his MVP campaign cranks into high gear.
The Bruins Pat “Ray Charles” McDonald, Jr. got things started first for the
Bruins at the 10:24 mark of period one when he slammed home the puck on some
goalmouth traffic after Eric “Highway” Healy, getting some time at forward,
brought it in on a wing side rush.
The scoring then went on vacation for period two as both teams were
turned aside 10 times apiece as the goaltenders engaged in a little pitching
duel.
After a missed defensive assignment, Redrum finally broke Towers shutout
streak just over a minute into the third before Brenden “Better late than
never” Lloyd regained the lead for the Bruins on a glittering skate kick to
stick move that was dexterously cashed in on the stick side past the
perplexed Redrum net minder. On
the play, Lloyd was set free on a great outlet pass from the steady Pat
“Stevie Wonder” McDonald, Sr. who has not missed a beat in the defensive
zone.
Taking advantage of their only power play of the night Redrum again evened
it at 6:11 when a rolling puck barely eluded Towers after two point blank
saves. If there ever was a
credence to the ‘Third time’s the charm” motif, then surely Smith proved it
as his eventual game winner came on a wrister from the point with some well
created front door commotion.
The shot was an exact replica of the previous two draws where John “Face-Off
Specialist” Klemmer cleanly won the draw back to Smith while Kenny
“Anatomically Correct” Santo bull rushed the net for the screen and Marc
“Chris Snee” Hedquist blocked the winger at the circle from getting to
Smith.
Smith then put the cherry on top with his second of the game on a short side
snapper at: 53 seconds as Redrum strangely did not pull their goalie. With
the win the Bruins clinched a first, second or third place finish with one
regular season remaining as the Bruins begin the post-Smith era on Tuesday
August 28th vs the Stingers @ Iceland 10PM.
Summer 2012
- Game Six ReCap - By Marc Hedquist
– August 18, 2012
Towerrific!
Someone call the cops, there’s been a robbery! Led by the Lundqvistesque
performance of Mike “Stonewall” Towers, the LI Bruins took the sting out of
the bumblebees as they edged the Stingers 5-3 to move into sole possession
of first place with two regular season games remaining.
Even with a shortened roster, the Bruins once again had trouble getting
going as they found themselves down by a goal late in the first.
However, with Towers reeling off ESPN Top 10 saves the Bruins finally
found their way when two way defenseman Aaron “Bull in the China Shop”
Pratesi split two defenders before snapping one on goal that he slyly swiped
from underneath the net minder’s glove for an easy put back.
Next, with just under a minute Pat “Shifty” McDonald Jr. wheeled his
way through the entire Stingers defensive corps before going back hand to
give the Bruins the lead at 2-1 as the period came to a close.
Moving to the second John “Mr. Triathlete” Klemmer found himself some
unwanted junk in the crease for an easy tap in after yet another Pratesi
rush put the Stingers on their heels.
Forty one seconds later on the same shift Pratesi notched his second
of the night on a cannon blast inside the circle that engulfed the goalie
before trickling in to make it 4-1.
To the Stingers credit they kept the pressure on as the Bruins fatigued just
a bit to open the door with a spinning goal eight feet out in front of a
screened Towers. Things got real
interesting from there 50 seconds later when a defensive breakdown led to a
two on one that the Stingers converted to make it 4-3 with over three
minutes remaining. The gassed Bruins parlayed an immediate rush that didn’t
produce results but it did help wrest some of the momentum back.
But like it always does it all came back to Towers who turned away 14
shots in the third including three in the last minute before Pat Junior
closed the refrigerator door with his second of the night into the empty net
as this one was finally put in the books.
The Bruins return to the rink next Wednesday August 22nd 8:15PM
vs. Redrum as they look to clinch a playoff berth in the hotly contested D2
dash.
Summer 2012
- Game Five ReCap - By Marc Hedquist
– August 8, 2012
Little Mac Cornholes Stalkers
Pat “Junior Big Mac” McDonald’s shorthanded rush up the right side
culminated in a house invasion goal for the Bruins as they held off a stingy
Stalkers squad 5-3 to raise their record to 3-2 on the season.
Despite
out-shooting the Stalkers by a whopping 47-21 margin the Bruins couldn’t
shake free of the gritty Stalkers who used their physical play to their
advantage to keep most of the Bruin shots on the perimeter.
Early on, the Stalkers skill set also made life difficult as they
swarmed the Bruins ended repeatedly in the first stanza.
Fortunately, Aaron “Mark Howe” Pratesi and his dad Neil “Gordie Howe”
Pratesi as well as fellow blue-liners Mike “Fulton Reed” Smith and Joe “Mr.
Consistency” Mocniak were simply ‘in the zone’ on this night as they formed
an impenetrable wall in front of “Iron” Mike Towers as only a few
self-inflicted Bruin gaffes assisted the Stalkers offense.
Still, after one, it was the Stalkers who led 1-0 before Kenny “The
Situation” Santo’s bee-line to the cage resulted in a tip-in goal off a Marc
“Shut Up Lou” Hedquist feed from the wing at 11:43 to even it at 1-1.
Two minutes later the Bruins took their first lead of the night when
Lou “Apollo Oh No!!” D’Arcio, whilst talking about who the hell knows what
with the other team during the action, found himself in the path of a Smith
slapper that conveniently bounced off ‘Speedy’ and into the net to make it
2-1.
The Stalkers responded with just over five minutes to go in the second to
level it again at 2-2 before Matt “Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah” Wilkoff
cashed in on a spectacular all around effort by his line made up of Pat “Big
Mac” McDonald and Junior Mac as they circled the Stalkers cage like unfed
piranhas before Wilkoff muscled one in from the doorstep.
With the lead in tow, the Bruins headed to the third where they continued to
get good shots before yet another helter skelter scramble in their own zone
led to a Stalkers equalizer at 11:16.
The teams traded punches for the next six minutes until a D’Arcio
trip gave the Stalkers their first man advantage of the evening.
And just like in ‘The Show” the open space was ably taken advantage
of by the fleet-footed Junior Mac who singlehandedly wrested the lead back
once and for all. On the play,
Junior, a lefty, rushed along the right boards before cutting and twisting
in front where three swats at the puck by the over-matched defense failed to
deter young Patrick who then slid the biscuit into the oven for the rousing
game winner. A second Santo
tally into the empty net with 0:02 on the clock finalized the stat sheet for
the victorious Bruins who now head to Sunday’s grudge match with the
Stingers with first place within reach for both teams.
Game time is 10PM at Cantiague.
Summer 2012
- Game Four ReCap - By Louis D'Arcio
– August 4, 2012
Bruins Banged Up
The Bruins tried to get back into sole possession of first place the other
night against the Summer 2011 and Spring 2012 E1 division champions,
Bangers, but fell short. Plagued
again by the summertime short bench bug, the Bruins played hard and were
competitive but couldn't muster up the needed rally down the home stretch.
A quick Bangers' goal put the Bs on their heels for most of the first
period, a second Banger tally towards the end of the first made things look
bleak. However the Bruins
bounced back after that one with a goal 13 seconds later from Brenden "Kid
Dynamite" Lloyd.
Goals two minutes apart at 9:45 and 7:21 of the 2nd put the Bruins ahead for
the first time all game. After
that it seemed as if the Bs relaxed and the Bangers took advantage of 3
defensive zone miscues within 1:16 span to go up 5-3.
A couple of Bruins penalties during the 3rd kept the team from
getting any go offensive flow going.
It was a well played match and when the rematch comes about, I
believe the Bruins will turn the tables on this team.
The .500 Bruins return to the ice this Monday August 6th at 8:00pm @ Iceland
where they lock horns with the Stalkers.
Remember to contact Captain Lou or Marc with your availabilty.
Summer 2012
- Game Three ReCap - By Marc Hedquist
– July 27, 2012
John “Wendy, I am going to bash your brains in!” Klemmer’s front door axe
slam off a Brenden “Bieber’ Lloyd rebound with just five seconds remaining
in the second period held up as the game winner as the LI Bruins shone
through with a 3-2 nail biter victory over Redrum.
The wide open affair was highlighted by two great goaltending performances,
but for the Bruins it was all about Mike “Lundqvist” Towers (23 Saves) who
kept the Redrummers in check long enough for the Bruins to get the offense
on track. After spotting the ‘rummers a 1-0 lead, the Bruins broke even 36
seconds later when an Aaron “Del Zotto” Pratesi point shot was re-routed by
the spear of a hockey stick by Marc “Wendy, give me the bat!” Hedquist.
The next ten minutes or so were all about Towers as he played angles
perfectly to completely fluster the Redrum attack.
The adroit and skillful play gave the Bruins a chance to break ahead
which they did at 3:15 of the second when Mike “
Moving to the third it was once again time for Towers to shine as he kept
the Redrum attack as lost as Jack Torrance on the grounds of the Overlook
Hotel for nearly the entire period as just one clunker got through for the
3-2 final.
The 2-1, tied for first place Bruins return to the ice this Tuesday July 31st
at 9:30pm @ Iceland where they meet last year’s summer Champs, the Bangers.
Summer 2012
- Game Two ReCap - By Louis D'Arcio – July
16, 2012
Bolts Shock Bruins
It was a dark and stormy night, the teams gathered at the Bethpage Arena as
the clouds gathered their strength and prepared to unleash a torrential
downpour. Inside the two squads
took to the ice, oblivious to the tumult outside.
The Bolts had a full squad of young speedsters while the Bruins
fielded a group of wily vets and talented youngsters.
The game started off on a fast pace and didn't let up, the play went up and
down the ice and even though the Bolts had an edge in speed,
the Bruins ended up outshooting them 14-6, despite that imbalance the
period ended 1-1. The Bruins
struck first on the first of 6 powerplays in the game.
Brenden "Stick-um" Lloyd notched his team leading 3rd goal (as well
as 3rd PPG) off a brilliant cross-crease pass from Mike Smith at 8:38.
The Bolts would even the score with a goal almost 4 minutes later
when they took advantage of a defensive zone lapse and put one past Tom
Fellner (filling in ably for Mike "MIA" Towers).
The Bolts added another goal at 9:28 of the second to take the lead.
Try as they may, the Bruins were unable to generate good scoring
chances against the Bolts butterflying netminder who was assisted by his
hatchet wielding defensemen.
Every time a Bruin reached for the puck, they would
whack away at you until they knocked it off your stick or knocked you
down. A strategy unnecessary for
the skilled lads. Six minutes
into the 3rd, the Bruins notched the equalizer but were caught on a rare
defensive miscue and the Bolts retook the lead, this time for good as they
would score into the empty net
with 16 seconds left in the game.
The game was closer than the final scored showed, as both teams had
good chances, the Bruins were snakebit by a badly bouncing puck that seemed
to want to avoid their sticks.
The Bruins regrouped in the locker-room and now await their next challenge
from the league. As soon as it
is posted, we will contact you with the details.
Summer 2012
- Game One ReCap - By Marc Hedquist –
July 10, 2012
Bruins Chase ‘Pack 7-4
The LI Bruins opened their fourth summer fling a winner as they defeated the
scarlet clad Wolfpack, and their 50+ fans, 7-4.
It was as expected a very well played affair for a D/E matchup as the
youthful additions on both teams made the game play awful fast for some of
the grey bearded veterans.
One of those seasoned veterans Lightning Lou D’Arcio got himself an early
Christmas present as he found himself centering Bruin newcomers Serge
“Savard” Kats and Mike “Mikey Dip” Carleo on the first line.
After pinching himself, Lightning more than held his own, as he
registered a goal and two assists to lead the well balanced attack.
Early on, it looked a bit shaky for the Bruins as they were quickly out-shot
5-0 with the first one eluding Mike “Mikey T.” Towers (26 Saves).
The 1-0 Wolfpack lead looked like it had room to grow as the Bruins
followed up the slow start with a two minute hooking penalty one minute
later. Sensing a need to reign
things in a bit Mike “The Cortland Kid” Smith took the biscuit from his own
end on a coast to coast visit before tasering the twine a la top shelf to
level the scoring at one apiece.
After a win on a defensive draw, Aaron “
Carleo notched his first ever as Bruin on a put back after a D’Arcio pancake
flip to move the lead to 3-1 after one.
In the second Kats scored his first Bruin tally off a sneaky rider
through the five hole halfway through the second.
D’Arcio then completed the line’s trifecta when he registered his
goal at 1:53 of the second on a short side backhand from six feet out to
make it 5-1 after two.
Brenden “Baby Face Nelson” Lloyd established his presence as a Bruin force
in the third as he deftly took full length passes and turned them into
highlight reels as he scored the next two on one on two moves against guys
twice his size to amp up the value on his rookie minimum salary as Coach
D’Arcio must now consider cutting himself to preserve cap space in 2013 for
young Lloyd. Lloyd’s first goal at 12:30 joined the Library Club as he went
top shelf to join ‘Smitty’ in the children’s section.
The next goal came off a rebound as Matt “Camp with the Kids” Wilkoff
watched happily as Lloyd cashed in on his doorstep wrister to move the lead
to an insurmountable 7-1 margin.
To the Wolfpack’s credit they did make it interesting with three late
tallies but realistically it was just window dressing as the Bruins had this
one well in hand.
The Bruins return to the rink some time next week as the schedule has not yet been posted. Whether the league leaves the B’s in D2 or E1 will be determined after several more contests. Stay tuned!
Stories and comments from the Summer 2011 Season:
Summer 2011 - Game Ten ReCap - By Marc Hedquist – September 25, 2011
Bubonic Plague Fells Bruins
In what has suddenly become an alarming trend, the Bruins, after yet another
dazzling regular season, posted their second straight Summer time playoff
clunker as the high hopes for an HLI warm weather title sank like a rock in
a semi-final sleeper 3-1 versus the hated Rats.
An early goal by Joe “The Shark” DiDominica was quickly followed up by an
offensive peppering that saw the Bruins post nearly 7 shots in one first
period shift. Yet Rats net minder, and former Bruin, Lou Orquera, denied his
old friends as the Bruins just couldn’t get the two goal advantage.
As the game moved on, the frustration grew and the Bruins
unnecessarily pressed the action which led to several defensive miscues that
the Rats, to their credit took advantage of.
It is always tough to play the single elimination games because one
hot goalie is all it takes for a favored team to be dismissed.
Details aside, several bounces, deflections, calls and plain old luck just
didn’t seem to be on the side of the Bruins on this night.
The defining moment came as the Bruins trailed 2-1 midway through the
third when a Bruins breakaway was deftly turned aside by Orquera. Seconds
later, literally, just like you would see in a scripted movie, the Rats came
up ice and scored the backbreaker as a harmless snapper from the point
caromed right onto the stick of a wide open Rats forward who was lost down
low. If anything ever screamed,
“Tonight’s not your Night, then this play was it.
So its now back to face each other as the Bruins split back apart into the
various Over 30E teams until we reconvene for another Summer fling.
Special thanks to Lou “The Captain” D’Arcio for running the team.
Summer 2011 - Game Nine ReCap - By Marc Hedquist – September 2, 2011
Bruins Quiet Mean Machine, 5-2
In what could be a potential Championship
preview, the LI Bruins bested the Mean Machine 5-2 to claim the 2011 E1
regular season title as well as the number one seed in the playoffs.
After a
scoreless first period, the Bruins offense broke free when they scored four
times.
Marc “Sean Avery” Hedquist returned after a three
week/game absence to score the first goal when he rolled one up and over the
arm of the Machine net minder following a great cross ice feed from Aaron “8
Teams” Pratesi to get the Bruins even at 1-1 after a Machine goal just 1:30
earlier.
Three
minutes later the Bruins took the lead 2-1 when Pat “Junior” McDonald tapped
in a goalmouth feed after two great passes from Kenny “94%” Santo and Lou
“Mary Kay” D’Arcio who earned his first real assist of the year when his
perfect pinch and precision pass kept the play alive along the sideboards.
The Machine evened it up for the last time
a minute later before the Santo line added two more tallies for the 4-2
lead.
On the first goal, the eventual game winner,
Santo muscle-pucked another goal up and over the shaky glove hand of the
Machine net minder before McDonald’s right side cross over breakaway put the
lead at two goals with just under a minute left in the second.
Santo’s assist on the play gave him his
fourth point of the night which equaled his career record for a game.
Playing
shutdown defense in the third period, Mike “Vezina” Towers (23 Saves) turned
aside eight more shots to register the victory as his defense in front of
him also got to join the party as Neil “The Real Deal” Pratesi’s two on one
rush ended with a Karl “The Big Fella” Pffefer tally to finalize the scoring
at 5-2.
Kudos to Neil, Aaron, and fellow blue-liners
The
Bruins return to the ice next Wednesday September 7th
at 9:30PM at Cantiague when they face the Rats in the E1 Semi-Finals.
The winner of this contest will play the
Bangers for all the marbles (and the trophy).
So let's get it done!
Summer 2011 - Game Eight ReCap - By Louis D'Arcio – August 27, 2011
Bruins Burn Toast
It's been a long time since the Bruins and the Psychedelic Love Toast (PLT) faced off against each other. The PLT are a strong team, having won the Fall 2010 E division title, so the Bruins knew they would have their hands full. However, as is sometimes the case in summer hockey, their bench was short due to injuries and missing players.
The Bruins went right at the understaffed Toasties but led by ex-Bruins defensive stalwart, Chris Zanelotti, they held their ground until the period was almost finished. Aaron "Mike Smith Who?" Pratesi scored with about 4 minutes left and then doubled the lead just 37 seconds later. After a spirited PLT rush at the end of the first, Mike Smith showed that he was still a force to be reckoned with by scoring with 1:05 left.
Afterwards the Bruins defense worked at keeping the weary PLT forwards to the outside and away from Mike Towers. Pat McDonald, Jr. got on the scoreboard with a goal with 6:27 left in the 2nd. He tallied a second time just 46 ticks of the clock into the 3rd, giving him 5 goals in the last 3 games. Smith would join the other 2-goal scorers with his own second goal to finish off things later in the period. With a 6-0 lead, the defense just buckled down and helped Towers preserve the shutout. A big nod to "Doc" Persak and Roy Cooper who worked their butts off as the 3rd set of wings, generating a number of excellent scoring chances throughout the game.
Our next game is this Tuesday night, August 30th at 9:40PM in New Hyde Park at Iceland Arena versus the Mean Machine. A win over the Machine will allow the Bruins to finish first overall and gain a first round playoff bye. A loss will see the Bruins play the 3rd place Bangers at 8:10PM at Iceland. I don't know about you but I would rather have the extra time off, so make sure you bring your "A" game and let's skate off with the win.
Summer 2011 - Game Seven ReCap - By Louis D'Arcio – August 20, 2011
Bruins Slip Past Bangers
The good thing about summer hockey is that you get to play new teams that you don't see in the other 2 sessions, the bad thing about summer hockey is that you get to play new teams that you don't see in the other 2 sessions. Such was the case with the Bangers, a group of young bucks trying to make a name for themselves. To be fair, they are a talented bunch and if they played that way it would have been a fun contest, but they also are a chippy, whiny group (a possible product of their age or not). Not content with just playing hockey they felt the need to get a little something extra in as they played... a little hook here, a slash there, maybe a cross-check for good measure and when those kindnesses were returned in kind, they didn't like it one bit.
The Bruins got on the board first with Pat McDonald, Jr.'s 3rd goal in 2 games, a nice finish in front with assists from his linemates, Matt Wilkoff and Pete "Gator" Piciulo. They play would continue to seesaw until the Bangers tied it with 1:32 left in the period, usually a goal that late will deflate the other team, but not these Bruins. Forty-seven seconds later "Mighty" Mike Smith took a pass of the left wing boards and using Lou "Traffic Cone" D'Arcio as a screen, whistled one past the startled netminder to regain the lead.
The second period was almost a carbon copy of the first in terms of the back and forth play. The Bangers would again score late to tie the game but this time the Bruins were unable to quickly put them back down.
That put all the pressure into the final period as both sides looked to get that go-ahead tally. After numerous tries the Bruins finally broke through as "Gator" Piciulo found an open Mike Smith and sprung him loose. Smith easily buried the biscuit as he almost always does in those situations. After that, the Bruins shut down the Bangers, who even with the goalie on the bench were unable to generate any more scoring chances.
Due to a quirk in the league, the Bruins will be getting a ninth game to play (yet to be scheduled) so that we will get a chance to play every team in the E1 division at least once before the playoffs. To accommodate that, the league has taken away one of the victories over Yard Sale (E2) and so we remain in a tie for first with the Mean Machine. We will face them in the regular season closer and more than likely in the playoffs as well.
Our next game is this Sunday night, August 21st at 10:00PM in Hicksville at Cantiague Park versus the PLT (Psychedelic Love Toast). Let's keep the ball rolling and hold on to first place with another win.
Summer 2011 - Game Six ReCap - By Louis D'Arcio – August 13, 2011
Bruins Declaw Panthers, 5-3
A rematch a year in the making, the Bruins took to the soft ice at Newbridge looking to avenge last year's playoff ouster at the paws of the Panthers. The Bruins started fast but were stoned on some early chances by the cats netminder, Snagglepuss, and his Target-branded jersey. They also managed to score first at the 10:00 mark off a nice passing play down low that caught MVP-candidate Mike "the puck stops here" Towers going left to right. The scales were balanced two and half minutes later when Mike "Real Deal" Smith carried the puck into the zone and unleashed one of his patented blasts that caught Snagglepuss off guard.
Smith would light the lamp in early in the 2nd with a low hard point shot through traffic. The Panthers showed some moxie and tied the game5 minutes later. The pace was fast and furious and a bit chippy as both sides looked to get back on top. Kenny "the Hammer" Santo, finished off a nice set of passing plays with a turn-around shot that went under the goalie's five-hole as he tried to follow the puck's movements. That put the Bruins on top and let their undermanned defensive squad breathe a little easier.
The third period was another battle as both side scrapped and fought to get to the puck. At 3:08, Captain Lou D'Arcio took an ill-advised defensive zone double minor penalty. The little kitties licked their chops sensing some goals mixed in their kibble. Well, their eyes were bigger than their bellies as the Bruins smacked them down on their mangy tails with a pair of short-handed tallies within 30 seconds of the penalty. First, Pat McDonald, Jr. made a last second deflection of a Kenny Santo shot on net. Twenty-two seconds later, Patrick was at it again, this time he took control of the puck along the boards in his own end, broke past a defender, skated in and scored, cleanly beating the goalie. The demoralized Panthers would score with some powerplay time left to close it to 5-3 but that was all. Then those jungle cats showed their true colors... yellow.. with a cowardly goal mouth scrum with Gino Giambalvo. As the G-man jostled in front with one player another tried to sucker-punch him in the head from behind. The zebras threw the 3 of them out so as to let the game end mercifully for the declawed and defanged Panthers.
The Bruins look to lock down their strangle-hold on first place this coming Wednesday night, August 17th, at 11:00PM in Cantiague Park against the Bangers, a new team to the HLI family. Let's hope that the managers at Cantiague have their fog condition under control for this game.
Summer 2011 - Game Five ReCap - By Marc Hedquist – August 7, 2011
Dirty Rats Done Dirt Cheap!
In what could only be referred to as an Over 30E smorgasbord, the LI Bruins bested the dirty Rats 4-1 to match their season record as they moved from first place in E2 into first place in E1 on the same day.
The Bruins got two goals apiece from Terry “The Terminator” Smith and Marc “Winnie the Pooh” Hedquist as the pair of regular season Wolverines were able to beat Wolverines back up goalie Scotty Riggs, who like Tom “Vezina” Fellner one week earlier, sold his soul to play for the hated cheese-eaters.
With Smith dominating the action with his slick stick skills, Hedquist cashed in on the first one after retrieving yet another Oscar the Grouch garbage goal just 2:12 into the first as both Smith and line mate John “The Headless Horseman” Klemmer outclassed the Rats defense all night long.
Smith added his pair of tallies in the second as he went top shelf twice to move the lead to 3-0. On the first one he converted his own put back and on the second one he blazed past an infestation of vermin before banking one inside the top of the cage.
Freeing up the Smith line was the Kenny “Tan in a Can” Santo, Matt “Freight Train” Wilkoff and Lou “Dump and (Don’t) Chase” D’Arcio line, who despite not putting up any points, excelled as a first time trio.
Only a late tally by the Rats kept the night from being perfect as Mike “Panama Jack” Towers (22 Saves) was stellar between the pipes again for the Bruins.
The Bruins return to Newbridge this Wednesday August 10th at 7:45PM to face the Panthers who unceremoniously dumped the Bruins from last year’s playoffs.
Summer 2011 - Game Four ReCap - By Marc Hedquist – July 29, 2011
Power Outage!
In what may be their E2 Swan Song, the LI Bruins unplugged High Voltage in an 8-2 onslaught that clearly swung the uneven power balance in the B’s favor.
Mike “Power Bar” Smith was his usual dominant self as he racked up three more points to go with his team leading seven goals as he vaporized the Volts on the first two goals of the evening on electrifying top shelf snappers that had teammates and foes alike bedazzled. Ahh to be 21 again!!!!
From there old timers from the Blue-Bruins took to the offensive stat sheet as Marc “Family Skate Hazard” Hedquist swatted a mid-air crease crosser from John “The Vulture” Klemmer before Lou “Holy $%&* Two Goals Already” D’Arcio stuffed home some loose bread crumbs on the doorstep for the 4-1 period one lead.
The second period was more of the same as Pat “SHHH” McDonald Jr. created some room to roam before he found Matt “Camp Crystal Lake” Wilkoff in front for another slam dunk tally before the Volts snagged a second goal off Mike “Rock Solid” Towers to make it 5-2 entering the third.
But with just two subs the Bruins simply out-motored the Volts as Hedquist baseball batted his second goal of the night out of the air after a great flip pass from Kenny “ButterBean vs. Johnny Knoxville” Santo. Showing true Blues pride Wilkoff engineered the gem of the evening on the next goal when he played a bit of tic-tac-toe with McDonald and Greg “Doc” Persak before a glittering redirect while camped on the doorstep. And of course with the two minute warning it officially became Klemmer time as he made yet another friend before scoring his patented Oscar the Grouch Garbage Time Goal to finalize the 8-2 score!
The Bruins next make their foray into E1 on the Friday August 5th at 8:45PM vs. the Rats at Newbridge.
Summer 2011 - Game Three ReCap - By Marc Hedquist – July 24, 2011
Return Engagement!
Despite a 10 team Summer league to battle within the Bruins found themselves in a rare home and away matchup with Yard Sale who the Bruins ably handled the first time around. This time was no different as they silenced the rather chippy Yardees 6-1 to move to 2-1 on the season.
Mike “The Phenom” Smith continued his role as team leader as he registered his first Hat Trick of the season to lead the offense. His first came on a top heavy wrister that squeezed off Big Bertha’s breasts before tumbling into the back of the cage to give the Bruins the 1-0 lead. Roy “Almost 50” Cooper notched the next one on the Power Play when his blast from the point found the short side at 9:34. Then with 1:03 remaining in the first, Smith lowered the boom again as his coast to coast Picasso gave the Bruins a 3-0 margin after one period.
The Yard Birds got their only tally past Mike “Vezina” Towers early in the second before Smith completed his ‘Trick’ at 2:58 on a mirror gem of the second goal.
Joining in on the fun Kenny “Stylin’ Santo muscled his own wrister between Bertha’s pipes to make it 5-1 before John “Jack LaLanne” Klemmer then closed out the evening with a shorthanded twine tapper on a swift and spectacular rush up the right side to close the curtains at 6-1.
A special thanks to Terry “Skoal” Smith and Matt “Summer Camp” Wilkoff for filling in and playing their usual solid game.
The Bruins retake the ice on Tuesday July 26th 11:10PM at Iceland in a big mid-season showdown with last year’s runners-up High Voltage.
Summer 2011 - Game Two ReCap - By Marc Hedquist – July 17, 2011
Bargain Hunting Bruins!
The Bruins made their first trip to the Yard Sale a smashing success as they shoplifted the aforementioned and oddly named co-ed crew 8-3 to grab their first win of the ’11 Summer sprint.
Mike “The Cortland Kid” Smith and Marc “Mr. Suspension” Hedquist led the way as they each tallied a pair. Hedquist got the first on a one timer after a gorgeous rush and dish by Joe “H.G. Wells” Mocniak who continues to be a Hall of Fame of Blue-liner without even knowing he is on the ice. Smith executed his patented end to end weave and whip as he drone dropped a biscuit in a six inch space for the 2-0 lead. Goal number three arrived via the shovel and smack antics of Lightning Lou D’Arcio who got his first since Bieber-mania hit the D’Arcio household. After a brief hiccup, Smith got the eventual game winner when he lemon squeezed the tater between the pads of Yard Sale goalie Henrietta Lunqvist to make it 4-1. The goal trading continued throughout the second and early third as Hedquist sandwiched his second between two more Y-Sale light-lampers to push it to 5-3 before the Bruins moved to the next gear to finish with three consecutive goals to put this one to bed.
Aaron “Like a Good Neighbor” Pratesi notched his at 7:40 which was then followed by John “Making Friends” Klemmer’s twine tapper at 6:05 before Kenny “The Exercise Yogi” Santo sealed the stat sheet shut with his own at :44 to put the cover on the jar for the 1-1 Bruins.
The Bruins return to Newbridge this Friday July 22nd at 7:45PM to face High Voltage who may or may not be bringing the Wizard of Oz cast and their own sound system. Either way it should be another strong challenge for the Bruins as summertime makes the ‘E’ League as competitive as it gets.
Summer 2011 - Game One ReCap - By Louis D'Arcio – July 13, 2011
Bruins Stumble Out of the Gate
Looking to recapture the glory of the Summer 2009 season, the Bruins took to the ice against the East Coast in E league play. The ECs in their olive drab jerseys looked a little unsteady as the game began and allowed the Bruins to take an early 1-0 lead off a Pat McDonald goal, beautifully set up by John Klemmer. The Bruins continued to press their advantage but a defensive lapse 4 minutes later let the ECs tie things up with a rebound goal.
The Bruins regained the lead in the 2nd when Pat McDonald, Jr. (not wanting to be shown up by his dad) took a corner feed from Doug "the other brother" DiDominica and took his time to wrist a goal through the goalie's "5"hole. The Bruins looked to have things under control but the rust of not playing together for 10 months reared its ugly head a number of times and allowed the ECs to get some odd man rushes in, only the mid-season form of netminder Mike Towers kept things from getting out of control. A late period powerplay goal, off a lame diving attempt of an EC forward, allowed the Coasties to tie the game again and then with 27 second left in the period they scored to finally take the lead.
Try as they may in the 3rd period the Bruins were unable to get one past the diminutive goalie of the East Coast. He made a number of good saves and was also helped by a bouncing puck. An empty net goal sealed the win for the ECs with just under 20 seconds left.
The Bruins skate against the newcomers, Yard Sale, this Friday night, 9PM at Newbridge Arena in Bellmore. Hopefully the rest of the squad will be there so we will put our best foot forward and get the first win of the season.
Stories and comments from the Summer 2010 Season:
Summer 2010 - Play-off Game One ReCap - By Marc Hedquist – August 28, 2010
Jungle Cats in the Bathroom
Any way you slice it, the only appropriate word for the Summer 2010 LI Bruins hockey season is disappointment. The unforgiving single elimination playoff format rendered two months of solid hockey useless and when things were back to square one the 4th seeded Panthers took full advantage of their underdog role as they pounced early and often before staving off a late rally by the bedazzled number one seeded Bruins to drop them from championship contention with the 6-5 win.
For whatever the reason the Bruins mustered nearly nothing in the first fifteen minutes of hockey as they found themselves in a gaping hole as they fell behind 2-0, 3-1 then a whopping 4-1 after the first period as the Panthers hit Home Run breakout passes at will while they unabatedly camped out in Pete Zsamboky’s kitchen garnering two rebound goals one of which came on an absolutely inexcusable three on none.
After getting caught on the ice for the first two goals Chris “No Jet Blue for You” Viscusi’s line stoked a brief spark as Viscusi with help from Kenny “97%” Santo freed up Marc “Curious George’s Friend-The Man in Yellow” Hedquist who got the Bruins on the board at 2-1 before Viscusi halved the lead 4-2 at the 11:50 mark of the second. Viscusi continued his push as he found Hedquist a second time at 4:45 to give the Bruins their best dose of momentum all game long as they cut the margin to one at 4-3.
Unfortunately, the ugly head of complacency reared its ugly mug once again as the feel good momentum was trampled upon just 42 seconds later as the Panthers snuck in two goals one minute apart to move the lead back to what would eventually be an insurmountable three goal lead.
Moving to the third the Bruins wasted a golden opportunity as they were unable to cash in on a four minute advantage to begin the period. They had to wait until the halfway mark to score as John “The Postman” Klemmer” parlayed a Doug “Doug E. Fresh” DiDominica dish into the back side of the net to make it 6-4 with 7:04 to go. With the Bruins desperately scrambling to make a late run the zebras inexplicably called their first penalty of the game on the Bruins as Doug E. Fresh was sent off on a four minute slash at 3:14 which made the hill even bigger to climb. Aaron “Spring 2011!” Pratesi after having about eleven shots blocked found daylight as his blast at 2:35 got the Bruins to within one. Looking to their best skilled players the Bruins gave Viscusi and Rich “Petersen” Goetchius an extended shift that almost paid dividends as Viscusi was hauled down by three Panthers to draw an even up at 1:55.
Six to seven shots were blocked before Zsamboky was pulled at 1:06 giving the Bruins a man up advantage but as desperate as they played the Panthers simply had the answer as their shot blocking and grit in front spelled too little too late for the disenchanted Bruins who saw their back to back quest go up in flames.
In 2001 the Bruins stole their first title in a similar 4th vs. 1st fashion, so I guess according to the Hockey Gods, payback is a bitch as the Bruins who outscored the Panthers 11-2 during the season and would probably beat them nine times out of ten will now have to wait another twelve months before they seek their time at the top.
A special thanks to Lou “Loose Change” D’Arcio for organizing the team and best of luck to all as you head back to your Fall and Spring teams.
Summer 2010 - Game Eight ReCap - By Marc Hedquist – August 14, 2010
Bruins Stop by the ‘Shore’
Fuhgeddaboutit! Who knew Mike the Situation and his Jersey Shore boys were such good hockey players? Apparently, filming was delayed long enough for the crew to suit up for the Stingers as the Bruins regular season finale turned into a mini fiasco before order was restored and the LI Bruins found themselves alone on top as they clinched the regular season title for the first time since the Spring 2005 Championship run with a 7-5 win over the buzzing bees.
Seven different Bruins tapped twine including Lightning Lou D’Arcio and Aaron “The Nose” Pratesi who put up two highlight reel goals to give the Bruins a boost when they needed it. Kenny “95%” Santo got the scoring started once he figured out which side the left wing was on. Aaron “The ‘Stache” Pratesi engineered the next goal after a patented bull-rush to the cage before D’Arcio’s slick redirect pushed the first period lead to 3-1.
Joining the scoring fun in period two, Doug “Hailing from Moose Balls, Maine” DiDominica and Real Deal Neil bumped the lead to 5-1 before the Stingers struck twice in 21 seconds to quickly send the Bruins to the canvas and get within two at 5-3. Mike “Master of Ceremonies” Smith promptly seized the momentum right back as he sliced his way through traffic en route to a 6-3 margin. The Stingers got it to 6-4 at 3:37 as both teams made the most of their minimal shots on goal.
From there the festivities kicked into full gear as the Ray Charles Stingers wrongfully accused young Michael Smith of some inappropriate play which led to a scrum in front of the penalty boxes where visitors were given ten minute passes and game ejections. The heat from the action also rose to the stands as poor Pete “Gator” Piciulo minding his own business, had to contest with bearded Italian ladies and 19 year old punks who probably had the time of their lives yelling at a Mens’ League Hockey Game. FUCKING LOSERS!! Get a Life!!!!
The bright side to the chaos was that both teams were spent from wasting all their energy during the silliness which benefitted the Bruins who tacked on a Joe “Five Teams” DiDominica insurance goal to put the game out of reach 7-4 before the Stingers scored a late tally to make it 7-5.
In all likelihood it could be a sneak preview of the upcoming E1 playoffs which begin next week for the Bruins as they will play next Thursday August 26th 8:10PM at Iceland against an undetermined foe as of press time.
Summer 2010 - Game Seven ReCap - By Marc Hedquist – August 14, 2010
Lost at Sea!
For the first time since July of last year the Bruins found themselves on the loser’s end of an HLI game as they dropped to 5-1-1 after being pushed around by a chippy East Coast crew 5-4.
The Coast, who apparently had enough of their own ‘losing’ streak, entered the fray with their own five game streak as this first place vs. last place matchup certainly did not go as planned for the shorthanded Bruins who took to the ice without top scorer Chris “Vacation Boy” Viscusi as well as Norris Trophy Winner Mike Smith. Mix- in the absence of Joe “Bulldog” DiDominica and fellow blue-liner Joe “Mr. Steady” Mocniak and you have the makings for a step up game. Unfortunately, all the talk in the world about ‘we can still win without those guys’ did not come to fruition as the Bruins were outhustled and outmuscled early and often by the creeps from the Coast.
Despite outshooting the Coast 9-8 in the first period the Bruins found themselves down 4-1 after one as repeated defensive lapses, poor help from wandering forwards, and crease comfort for the Coast put them in a serious hole. Matt “Five for Fighting” DeMauro stemmed the tide at 1:05 to give the Bruins life at 3-1 only to see the first of two last minute tallies by the Coast knock the Bruins back on their heels.
The Bruins made a nice run in the second as they righted the ship, gunning twelve shots in the period led by newcomer Rich “A young Tommy Petersen” Goetchius who scored on a dazzling rush at 12:43 and Aaron “Bull in the China Shop” Pratesi who sneaked one in on the short side while the Bruins were up a man at 5:35 to cut it to 4-3. Inexplicably however the Bruins gave up yet another clunker in the last minute of the period that, as expected, really deflated the Bruins bench.
The Bruins tried to keep the charge going in the third as they outshot the Coast once again 7-2 while Goetchius got his second highlight reel goal to make it 5-4. A few near misses followed, but in the end the Bruins simply didn’t get to the front enough to clean up the junk as they were hacked and whacked thus keeping rebounds at a premium. Throw in a DeMauro ejection and a questionable interference call on Roy “Mr. Half-Share” Cooper and the Bruins remaining forwards kept their cloak of invisibility for all 45 minutes as they punched in their MIA time card.
The Bruins wrap up the regular season next Thursday August 19th 8:10PM at Iceland as they will regardless of this loss make the playoffs and look to put together two solid games to defend their title. Win or lose in the finale the Bruins now know they need to do more than just show up. In the end maybe the Coast swept in some common sense for the Bruins.
Summer 2010 - Game Five ReCap - By Lou D'Arcio – August 10, 2010
Call of the Wild
Like something out of National Geographic, the Bruins squared off against the Panthers. The unstoppable juggernaut against the sleek predator, who would win the contest? The Panthers, small in numbers, but swift on the icy plains charged the Bruins from the get-go but were repulsed every time. Pete "The Big Z" Zsamboky protected his net with fierce determination, turning aside every chance that managed to get through his defenseman. The Bruins, led by Chris "Little Bear" Viscusi struck first blood midway through the first period. Viscusi was ably assisted by Aaron "Boo-boo Bear" Pratesi who is having another MVP caliber season.
The nail-biting continued deep into the 2nd period until Aaron Pratesi lit the lamp with the eventual game winner with just about 2 minutes left in the stanza. Strong work by Matt DeMauro and Mick "I'm back!" Owen put the whole play into motion. As the clock ticked down to end the period, Roy "Fuzzy Wuzzy?" Cooper took an ill-advised high sticking penalty to give the feisty Panthers a long power play to start the last period.
The Bruins stood their ground and even pushed the attackers back and then the fleet of skate, Viscusi, aided and abetted by his partner in crime, Pratesi, Jr. scored the first short-handed goal of the season for the team. That goal seemed to let the wind out of the Panthers' sails, but the diminutive one was not done for the night less than 5 minutes later Viscusi scored again to complete the hat-trick and cement his lead in the Bruins scoring race, 6 points ahead of the idle "Angry Swede" Hedquist. Seems Hedquist is busy scoring all his goals for the Wolverines and showing up with no mojo left in his stick. Mick Owen picked up his second helper of the night and wonders of wonder, Lou "Loose Change" D'Arcio finally got off his schneid and got on the scoreboard for the first time this season. The Panthers would spoil Big Z's shut-out bid two and a half minutes later. The Bruins regained the 4 goal cushion in the final four minutes when Matt "Blue Man" Wilkoff popped the twine off a Ed Hornbach pass. In the end, the Panthers' goalie is who kept the game from being a laugher as he turned aside 31 of 36 Bruins shots, while his squad only managed a total of 19 shots on goal. It was almost a 2-1 ratio in the Bruins favor.
It was a tough game until the 3rd when the lack of bench support started to show on the Panthers. In the "There go I but for the grace of God" file, the Bruins want to thank their fill-in skaters who helped make the difference in the game: Roy Cooper, Mike Feldbaum, Chris Ryan and John Bentrewicz from the LI-Blues and finally, Ed Hornbach from the Wolverines. The Bruins were hit hard by vacations this week and these guys stepped in ably to help out.
On Thursday, August 12th at 7:45Pm at the lovely Newbridge Arena the Bruins will once again go against the East Coast and their olive drab jerseys. Even though they have been having a dreadful season, they played the Bruins tough last time and no less should be expected this time.
Summer 2010 - Game Five ReCap - By Marc Hedquist – July 30, 2010
Knot This Time
Despite outshooting the Banshees 31-22, including a decisive 12-5 margin in the first, the Bruins simply couldn’t shake their ‘D’ League counterparts as their modest four game winning streak ended in a 3-3 tie.
For the suddenly challenged offense it was once again all about the Smith, Pratesi and Viscusi Bruins law firm as they put together all three goals to keep the Bruins aloft in the E1 standings with three games to play.
Mike “Geometry” Smith engineered the first goal on a patented end to end juggernaut after taking a soft dish from Aaron “Spring 2011!” Pratesi. Smith weaved his way through three defenders before snaking one in on the long side. Later in the first he mirrored the same effort before dishing down low to Chris “Plane Ticket Out of Town” Viscusi who nimbly stopped and flicked a wrister over the goalie’s glove side for a 2-0 first period lead.
The barreling Banshees bullied their way to the next two to equalize it 2-2 as they took advantage of some sloppy Bruins defense five minutes into the second. From there, Viscusi rang true again to regain the lead 3-2 at the 6:28 mark of the second as the teams moved to the third.
Just three minutes in the Banshees stole another one more complacent play in the Bruins zone led to the game tying goal at 9:00. The Bruins controlled most of the action late third and well into the overtime but they could not solve the riddle of the Banshees goaltender who was sharp denying several in close chances to steal a point for his club.
The Bruins now hold a two point lead over the Blue Thunder as they look to hold onto the top spot as the playoffs approach but not before three games in two weeks starting this Sunday August 8th 10:00PM at the Bethpage Arena vs. the Panthers.
Summer 2010 - Game Four ReCap - By Marc Hedquist – July 30, 2010
Bruins Cruise the Coast
Four up and four down so far for the 2010 summer LI Bruins who notched yet another workmanlike win over East Coast 4-1 to remain in the E1 catbird seat as they reach the halfway point of the season.
Four different Bruins scored as they met some steady play in the East Coast cage but not enough from garnering a victory while several regulars were missing in action.
Kenny “Family Night” Santo got the Bruins on the board first as he bulldogged his way through some traffic to the front en route to an opening goal at 13:54 of the first. That 1-0 lead travelled to the second period before scoring leader Chris “Speak Up” Viscusi worked his magic for the eventual game winning goal at 11:11 to make it 2-0.
Next, Roy “Pool Director” Cooper unleashed his fury on a point shot slapper for a 3-0 lead. Minutes later Cooper made his first MTV cameo as he got into a brief tussle with one of the Jersey Shore cast members earning him a goal and a seat in the sin bin.
The Coast made it somewhat interesting by scoring late in the second to make it 3-1 but Pete “The Pistol” Zsamboky (13 Saves) turned aside the rest while Aaron ‘The Junior GM” Pratesi sealed the deal when he converted on a neat spin-a-rama at the 7:08 mark to put the finishing touches on this one.
The Bruins head to Newbridge next Monday August 2nd at another early time 7:45PM as they take on the Banshees in a D/E crossover.
Summer 2010 - Game Three ReCap - By Marc Hedquist – July 22, 2010
Bruins Pummel Panthers
Mike “Norris Trophy” Smith’s laser beam blast from the point at 1:39 of the second broke open a tie game as the Bruins captured their third straight win with a 6-1 thumping of the Panthers in the E1 summer run.
Red-hot in the red car, Chris “Red Barchetta” Viscusi opened the scoring at 11:49 of the first before the Panthers broke even at 7:10 as Tom “Mr. Wolverine” Fellner, (12 saves) making his Bruins debut in net, shut the door the rest of the way while he patiently waited for the Bruins offense to begin its attack en route to his first career ‘W’.
Following quickly on the heels of Smith’s goal, Gino “Cotton Candy Chest” Giambalvo stole the puck just 22 seconds later while tussling behind the Panther cage and adeptly dished the rondelle de hockey to the big eyed Pete “Gator” Piciulo who promptly one timed it home for the 3-1back breaker goal.
The Bruins pushed on further in the third as they spread out three more in the final frame as Marc “Nice BreakawayL” Hedquist one timed a Smith feed while sailing through the slot. Aaron “Balance Beam” Pratesi then tried the same sailing route as he converted a Hedquist feed before Smith closed things out at 0:37 with his second of the game on another low ice missile.
From there it was onto the bar as the Bruins partied with Roger Daltrey the rest of the evening, while Greg “Doc” Persak finally succumbed, after 14 years of playing with the Bruins, to the temptation of greasy bar food. Kenny “64%” Santo explained the hidden values of the game ‘Operation’. Roy “Coop” Cooper explained to Hedquist how he was open in front despite playing right point on defense, and of course Lightning Lou “Lurch” D’Arcio chronicled the history of his knowledge of hockey while illuminating all of those patrons interested in knowing what it felt like to finally not shoot a pancake flip wrist shot and still be rewarded with an Addams Family bell ringer. Better luck next time Captain Messier.
The Bruins return to the ice next Thursday July 29th 8:10PM at Iceland as they meet East Coast in game four.
Summer 2010 - Game Two ReCap - By Marc Hedquist – July 14, 2010
Bruins Silence Thunder
Chris “Phuket” Viscusi’s backhander 4:11 into overtime gave the Bruins an exciting 5-4 win over Blue Thunder as they moved to 2-0 in the Summer season sprint.
After trading single goals in the first, the Thunder at 1:48 in and Mike “Mikey Red Cap” Smith’s end to end rush at 3:37, the Bruins and Thunder traded two apiece in the second as the see-saw kept teetering.
Marc “100” Hedquist notched both for the Bruins as he neatly tapped in a Viscusi crease-crosser before getting a lucky bounce as a back wall rebound off a Smith laser from the point kicked out in front for the open net slap in.
Moving to the third a sloppy clearing attempt by the Bruins gave the Thunder the lead again at 9:59 before the Bruins responded on a beautiful goal by Gentleman Joe Mocniak just four minutes later. And when needed, goaltender Pete Zsamboky (21 Saves) came up big to send the game to overtime where the aforementioned Viscusi (6 points in two games) took the bull by the horns for the second straight game as the Bruins found a way to get it done again.
Summer 2010 - E1 Game One ReCap - By Marc Hedquist – July 10, 2010
Buzz Off!
Taking their first steps on the road to a title repeat the LI Bruins reconvened for their 2010 Summer jaunt with a hard fought 4-3 win over the latest new kids on the block, the Stingers.
With eight original Bruins in the fold and a solid core of returning baby Bruins from last year’s Championship club all the pieces are in place as the eight game season will come quickly so there is no time for adjustments especially in the single elimination playoff format.
For an opener this one couldn’t have been better as the lightning fast pace kept everybody’s feet moving as both teams pushed the action as neutral zone hockey was a constant push and pull as evidenced by the small total of shots on goal as only 32 combined biscuits made it to the net minders.
Fresh off his dazzling play in the morning police league, Chris “The Amsterdam Grasshopper” Viscusi broke the seal on the 2010 stat sheet as he whistled past three defenders en route to a 1-0 lead at 10:10 of the first. Locking down on the defensive end, Mike “Smitty the Seawolf” Smith, Aaron “Are you 30 yet?” Pratesi, Neil “Jeez, when were you 30?” Pratesi and Roy “Super” Cooper were an iron curtain in the first as they only allowed two shots to get through on Pete “Do Any Goalies Have Easy Names?” Zsamboky as the Bruins kept it at 1-0 after one.
Things opened up a little in the second offensively as the Stingers took advantage of some time at the point which resulted in a tip-in that eluded Zsamboky. From there Aaron and Neil played a little game of father-son catch before Aaron slid one in to regain the lead 2-1 at 7:09. Then with just over a minute Viscusi tallied his second of the game as he knocked home a Joe “I’d like to Buy a Vowel” DiDominica goal mouth feed to make it 3-1 after two.
To the Stingers credit they answered early again as they scored within two minutes of another period to tighten it at 3-2. Looking for a spark and a boost to the lead the Bruins looked to two old stalwarts again as Viscusi streaking up the left side found old reliable Kenny “91%” Santo bearing down the middle full speed where he dexterously chipped home the eventual game winner at 11:01 of the third.
The Stingers made it interesting at 1:24 with the goalie pulled but in the end Zsamboky with Smith and Aaron Pratesi paired on defense kept the rebounds cleared as the Bruins grabbed a game one ‘W’. A good start to what hopes to be a good Summer. Next game is Tuesday July 13th at 7:45PM at Newbridge as the Bruins meet another inaugural opponent-Blue Thunder.
Stories and comments from the Summer 2009 Season:
Summer 2009 - E2 Championship Game - By Marc Hedquist – September 3, 2009
Verminated!
Ten days before the Hockey Long Island Summer season began a collection of unemployed LI Blues, Sharks, Mustangs, former LI Bruins and some teenagers looking to pass the time by playing some organized hockey during the dog days of another New York summer sizzler were in desperate need of someone to step up and captain a Hockey Long Island team.
Two months later, under the stewardship of Lightning Lou D’Arcio, this motley crew of hockey talent steamrolled their way through the E2 landmine to lay claim to Summer greatness as the Long Island Bruins returned to the promised land for the first time in four years after exterminating the dirty Rat(s) bastards 5-2 in the single elimination Championship game.
For this version of the LI Bruins it was all about the offense as the once low scoring B’s continued to tap twine as they averaged a whopping six goals a game in the three game playoff jaunt. After disposing of the East Coast Crybabies behind the five goal outburst by Mike “The Card Counter” Smith who is now barred from playing any more games with an opponent born before 1989 according to the new HLI guidelines manual, the Bruins called on Kenny “The Berkshire Bomber” Santo to help fend off the Wolves as he registered a Hat Trick in the grueling semi-final match. Escaping that game gave the Bruins all the confidence in the world as a full squad against the Rats was simply going to be too much for the Bubonic Plague carrying vermin to handle. And sure enough, even after falling behind 1-0, the Bruins dropped anchor in the Rats zone and peppered former Bruins net minder Lou Orquera with 32 shots including 17 in the first period alone.
Smith got the Bruins even 1-1 at 6:47 with another patented end to end dazzler, and as expected young Miguel was once again sent to the Principal’s Office for being a naughty monkey. Not to worry though as Eric “Chicken Pox” Reiger, who obviously is not taking enough of his Flintstones vitamins, wryly slid under the watchful eye of HLI Gary Bettman’s radar to flick it five-hole on the Power Play after a Rats roughing penalty gave the Bruins the man advantage at 1:35 of the first.
Moving to the second the Bruins cool heads, which were getting frequently rattled, somehow were misconstrued as retaliatory penalties as the Bruins apparently found no friends between the sin bins. Three consecutive roughing calls kept the Bruins pinned deep but still no nuggets found gold as Mike “The Baltimore Oriole” Towers was back in top form after loaning his crease out in the Wolverines game. Towers’ 23 saves were more than enough as the Bruins, unlike in ’08 finally scored enough to get Towers his own Williamsport Championship T-Shirt.
During the second rough Reiger took advantage of some open ice to race in unassisted for his second of the game as the shorthanded tally was his second of the game and 8th of the season in just four games.
Several minutes later the Bruins newly minted first line of Mick “The F*%#ing Ripper” Owen, Joe “I Love the Euro Stars!” DiDominica and Marc “That’s Right Chucky Cheesers, 99 Goals!” Hedquist constructed a Tic-Tac-Toe goal worthy of any SportsCenter top ten play as Hedquist, who still can’t stickhandle past a three year old if his life depended on it, completed a full speed tap in after a glittering dish to the front by Owen on a three on two rush to make it 4-1.
The frantic Rats battled the Bruins to a stalemate for most of the third period as old friend Matt DeMauro desperately tried to get the Rats within striking distance which they did at 2:50 to make it 4-2 only to see Hedquist etch his team leading 9th of the season on an icepick backhand to put the final nail in the coffin off yet another charge by Reiger.
Despite all the scoring by the forwards though, it truly was the Quarterbacking at the point by Aaron “MVP” Pratesi that led this season’s attack as Pratesi, while being ably assisted by proud Dad Neil, was downright dominant with his puck control and tempo setting pace which helped define the Bruins character. Obviously not having the puck can deter an opponent as much as dropping six goals a game on them. Pratesi’s mastery with the puck did just that.
Not to be left out of the character talk is Original Gangsta, or rather Original Bruin Greg “Doc” Persak whose easygoing disposition always makes him a team favorite. Doc’s goal in the Semis was also a turning point as it was by far the biggest of his career and it gave this playoff push the boost it needed. Adding to the theme of unselfish team play were Ken “Rat Tail” Classon, Chris “The ‘Stache” Thorndike, Doug “Vas Deferens” DiDominica, Joe “Plus/Minus +54” Mocniak who never gets beat, Roy “Hangin’ with Mr.” Cooper, John “The Postman Always Rings Twice” Klemmer and the other Father-Son tandem of Pat Jr. “The Librarian” and Pat Sr. McDonald “AKA Craig Helmetless MacTavish” who all made huge contributions which didn’t always show up in the stat sheet but were certainly noticed by their appreciative teammates.
And lastly, a big thanks goes out to Lou D’Arcio for not only running the team but for picking guys that all had the same agenda: Having Fun and Winning. So with that we’ll see you all next summer as we prepare to win a title again in ’10. Just don’t plan on playing anywhere near the E2 league as we have already been scheduled to open against the NY Islanders who will be playing in HLI’s B League. There is however no truth to the rumor that Mike Smith won’t be allowed to shoot slap shots at DiPietro!
Summer 2009 – E2 Semi-final Game - By Marc Hedquist – August 29, 2009
Bark at the Moon
Screams break the silence, waking from the dead of night, vengeance is boiling, he’s returned to kill the light, then when he’s found who he’s looking for, listen in awe and you’ll hear him drop three goals on the Wolverines as Kenny “The Silent Assassin” Santo rectified his absence from the LI Blues stunner over the Wolverines in the Fall 2008-2009 Championship by helping the LI Bruins move one step closer to the promised land as they shocked the Wolverines 6-4 in the 2009 Summer Semi-Finals despite missing four regulars.
With Mike “Vezina” Towers, Mike “Norris” Smith, Eric “Hart” Reiger and Joe “Lady Bing” DiDominica all MIA the Bruins would have to go old school if they were going to prolong their summer jaunt. Leading the charge was none other than Greg “Doc” Persak whose positive energy and dedication shone through early as he trickled in the opener at 14:33 of the second period to put the Bruins in front for the first time 1-0. The Wolverines responded with the equalizer three minutes later to even things at 1-1 before Marc “Valium” Hedquist continued his good groove against the Wolverines by scoring two straight. The first on a scrum in front and the second on a stick side wrister after a great drop pass by Aaron “MVP” Pratesi, who willed the defensive play all night long, to move the lead to 3-1 at 3:40 of the second.
The Wolverines powered their way to the net a minute later to get it back to 3-2 but then with the momentum swinging, Santo engineered the first of his trick with just 27 seconds left in the period on an in tight slot snapper to move the lead back to two.
Heading to the third the Wolves brought it full throttle as they cut the lead to one at 5:14 to make it 4-3, but fortunately the bend but don’t break goaltending of David “Ratso” Rizzo, who filled in admirably for Towers, and rock solid defense of Pratesi, Joe “Bobby Orr” Mocniak, Pat “The Irish Rover” McDonald and Neil “The Real Deal” Pratesi held the Wolves at bay long enough for Santo to strike again. This time on a beautiful catch and tip in over the Wolves net minder’s shoulder at 4:36 as the Bruins answer just 38 seconds later seized the momentum back and restored the two goal lead. The Wolves again cut it to one just 50 seconds later but with things getting tight Santo completed his trick after being found naked as a jay bird by teammate Mick “The F&*%king Ripper” Owen at the red line for the easy open net tap in.
So after 10 games the Bruins return to the finals for the first time since the ’05 summer run for glory. Hopefully this one will turn out a lot better as the Bruins meet old friends Lou Orquera, Tommy Petersen, and Matt DeMauro in a Bruins vs. Rats rematch of the summer 2001 classic.
Game Time is again 7:45PM at Newbridge this Tuesday September 1st. You know the deal: Same Bat Time, Same Bat Channel.
Summer 2009 – E2 Wildcard Game - By Marc Hedquist – August 24, 2009
Hurricane Smitty Floods Coast
Playing their third game in six days the hapless East Coasters were swept off the island as Mike “Smitty” Smith unleashed a Category 5 as his five goals led the LI Bruins to a 7-1 rout in the opening round of the HLI 2009 Summer Playoff Championship Chase.
Despite being asked to play with one hand behind his back and his eyes half closed, Smith was simply too much for a whining bunch of Coasters who would have been better off yelling at their inept net minder than ‘whooping’ at Smith.
End to end rushes, snappers and slappers from the point, and a Lemieux-like dominance by Smith was a special treat for the Bruins who were victorious in the playoffs for the first time since the Summer of ’05. The Wild Card win now pits the Bruins against the E2/Over 30E elite Wolverines who are always in the way of anyone’s Championship. Game Time is slotted for Friday August 28th 7:45PM at Newbridge.
Not to be left out, Aaron “$60, Are You Kiddin’ Me?” Pratesi added another tally to his growing resume as did Mick “The Quick” Owen who dazzled young Mikey with his own end to end dipsy-do move. Unfortunately for Owen the Coasters didn’t feel the need to ‘whoop’ it up after his gem. Sorry old timer!
With several guys missing, including Mike Towers, the Bruins Vets and Rookies alike will have to maximize their effort this Friday if this Summer fun is to continue. So be ready to bring it!!!!
Summer 2009 – E2 Game Eight - By Marc Hedquist – August 20, 2009
Lightning Strikes!
In 1973 the NY Knicks were celebrating their second Championship, the Islanders were celebrating their 12-60 last place finish (Haha, Suck It!), the Mets were about to engage in another miracle playoff run, and somewhere on the gritty streets of Corona, Queens sat a little bushy haired Italian kid singing ‘Me and Julio Down By The Schoolyard’, eating a Rainbow Ice while wearing Capezios shooting a rolled up sock that doubled as a hockey puck against a metal garbage can goalie.
Three and a half hours later, this budding superstar recorded his first Hat Trick of his hockey career. Of course since this young paisan with locks of a lion’s mane was the only one to confirm the trick as no other kids were actually present he will have to be trusted in this instance.
Fast forward to August 18th at approximately 11:00PM on the chopped up ice of Iceland Arena, Lightning Lou D’Arcio finally revisited his glorious past as the 36 year wait finally ended as D’Arcio took a centering pass from his perennial antagonist Marc “Puck in the Throat Boy” Hedquist and tranquilly pancake-flipped the biscuit home for the elusive second Hat trick of his illustrious career as the LI Bruins romped over the reservation less Tribe 10-2.
The win gives the Bruins the third place spot in the E2 playoffs which begin this Sunday August 23rd at 9:15PM at Newbridge vs either East Coast or Skate for Joe. But for the high flying Bruins the enjoyment of this cash for clunker will be fun to revel in for a few more days. For the Bruins the only thing missing was the free Chili from Wendy’s as they put up double digits for the first time since last year’s 11 goal outburst over the Panthers.
Kenny “Tony Robbins” Santo in his second tour of duty with the Bruins got it going early as he bull rushed his way to the net just 17 seconds in to convert another dazzling pass from Eric “No Scoring Title for You” Reiger to put the Bruins in front 1-0. Exactly three minutes later Hedquist slam dunked a crease skidding helper from Mike “Mapquest” Smith to make it 2-0. Reiger got his own tally just over a minute later to make it a three goal margin. To the Tribe’s credit they slipped one past Iron Mike Towers to cut it to 3-1 but it was all about false hope at that point as the Bruins would add three more in a first period six-pack. D’Arcio got his first at 6:42 to make it 4-1, Aaron “Keep It Up Wiseguy” Pratesi rolled out a highlight end to end rush on the next one (Sorry buddy but you can’t legally win a scoring title if you don’t even know what a Roy Rogers Buckaroo Card is) before Chris “What Would You Do For a…” Thorndike Bar capped the outburst at 3:44.
Period two was more of the same as Smith, after scoring one into his own goal a la Steve Smith, dialed up his own long distance display to make it 7-2. Doug “Out to Stud” DiDominica then got the eighth lamp lighter with just three seconds left in the period after a great faceoff win and dish from Reiger.
The final stanza, despite having the game well in hand, got very interesting just a few minutes in when D’Arcio got his second as a puck tidily rolled up and over the goalie’s outstretched arm at 12:18. That gave the Bruins all the incentive they needed as D’Arcio’s teammates lined up like drunk fraternity brothers at an Amsterdam whorehouse to see if they could pop young Louie’s cherry. Pass after pass, dish after dish D’Arcio was denied, several wristers were turned aside, one low corner snapper clanged off the outside of the post and one chance on a one timer was pad stacked by the Tribe netminder as the prospects of a trick dimmed. Then finally on the fourth minute of his last shift, (Of course you can’t get tired if you can’t skate!!!) D’Arcio found his way to back side of the net where a puck came skittering. In one fell swoop D’Arcio 9-ironed it home and there was Bedlam in Belgium as just 31 ticks remained. The Bruins benched erupted as they awaited the conquering hero who aptly…skated to the wrong bench! What a f&*#king tool!!!!!
See you all on Sunday!!! Bring your game faces because there are now free Championship hats at stake.
Summer 2009 – E2 Game Seven - By Louis D’Arcio – August 14, 2009
Sharks Terrorize East Coast
All that was missing was John Williams’ score as the team took to the ice. It would have warned the East Coast players as to what was in store for them… a shark attack. The Bruins came into the game looking to cement a playoff spot and with the inspired team play they did just that. Leading the way was the top line of Mick Owen and the DiDominica brothers, Joe and Doug. Playing like their other team’s namesake the Sharks, they swarmed into the offensive zone and circled and attacked and attacked until they smelled blood. Owen scored the crucial first goal to give the Bruins a 1-0 lead in the first. They would later be on the ice for two more goals which helped cement the lead for the team.
It was a bit surprising to see the officials being whistle-happy as they called a combined 18 penalties and were not taking guff from anyone. A crucial moment came early in the second as the Bruins were killing off a double minor penalty to Joe DiDominica. The Bruins were trapped in their zone when Roy “Birthday boy” Cooper recovered the puck and began skating it out over the blue line, he spotted a wide-open Ken “100%” Santo along the boards and head-manned the puck to him. Santo put on a burst of speed, got past a back-checking defender and let loose a bullet of shot that caught the top corner over a surprised goalie’s shoulder. The short-handed goal would turn out to be the eventual game-winner as the EC broke Mike Towers’ shut out bid early in the 3rd period to make it 4-1.
However, that was all the East Coast would be able to muster offensively and defensively as well. The Bruins would score 2 more times to put the game out of reach at 6-1. The “Shark line” scored 2 times in the 3rd, both were direct results of excellent teamwork, the first goal, just 37 seconds into the 3rd came off a nice give and go between Joe DiDominica and Aaron Pratesi with Joe D. burying a one-timer. About 5 minutes later, Pratesi Jr made the perfect pass to Mick Owen to put the Bruins up 5-1. Aaron also had a powerplay goal near the end of the second period. Pat McDonald finished up the scoring with a sweet end to end rush that he tucked into the net just under the goalie’s glove.
Mike Towers was again a standout between the pipes making the saves he had to make to kep the team in the game.
The Bruins will face off against the Tribe this Tuesday, August 18 at 9:40PM in New Hyde Park at the lovely Iceland Arena. Please make sure you can attend, even though we should have clinched a playoff berth, a win against the Tribe will give us a better seeding.
Summer 2009 – E2 Game Six - By Marc Hedquist – August 6, 2009
Bruins, Tribe, Smoke Peace Pipe
In an exciting see-saw battle that pitted two teams looking to make some Northern progress in the standings the Bruins just couldn’t shake the Tribe as they put a lip-lock on their sister in a 2-2 tie.
Despite another night of juggled lineups as the Bruins finally welcomed Doug “Coitus Interruptus” DiDominica as well as old friend John “The Postman Always Rings Twice” Klemmer to the roster mix the Bruins wasted two leads and allowed a goal with 11 seconds in the second period that really took the wind out of their sails.
Mike “Chucky Cheese” Smith dazzled both teams alike when he went end to end before slam dunking in the opener at 11:17 to post the Bruins to a 1-0 lead. The Tribe answered six minutes later after several rebounds were whacked at before finally finding a home as the late breaking Bruins’ forwards didn’t play enough two-way hockey.
In the second the Bruins continued to swarm but repeatedly were denied by a solid Tribe net-minder who was Towersesque on this night as he stopped at least 35-40 Bruins shots. With a delayed penalty an extra attacker gave the Bruins their second goal when Klemmer stuffed home a hard rebound shot from off the backboards after an Aaron “Sesame Place” Pratesi shot just went wide. The goal uplifted the attack but again no shots found twine. That frustration coupled with the late goal served to keep the Bruins bogged down as they simply couldn’t get the go ahead goal on this night.
The seven point Bruins now rest side by side in third place with the Tribe as the quest for first place probably will fall short with just two to play. Hopefully an outside shot at second and a bye will still be a viable option when the Bruins pair off with East Coast next Thursday August 13th 9:15PM at Newbridge.
Summer 2009 – E2 Game Five - By Marc Hedquist – July 31, 2009
Contract Hit Cancelled!
With golden clothed Goombas circling like vultures heading to the mattresses, the LI Bruins, well fed with pasta and cannolis, did their best Vito Corleone escape and eluded The Mob in a 6-3 victory.
The win, their second straight, bumped the Bruins back over .500 at 3-2 as they now look forward to a matchup with the Tribe for a shot at third place as the climb in the standings continues.
Hopefully after the win the league won’t ask to move Lou D’Arcio off the roster as he registered a career high three assists. If not for D’Arcio’s heroics the Bruins might have lost 10-0. D’Arcio will now have to use all his powers in Michael Corleone fashion to ensure that the league understands that Mike Smith and Eric Reiger are here to stay. Teflon D’Arcio will obviously make Commissioner David DiCola an offer he can’t refuse.
As for the game Joe “Joey Two Times” DiDominica led the way early as he put the Bruins ahead 1-0 on a slapper just outside the circle. The Mob countered with one late in the first before they grabbed the lead three minutes into the second. On the play Aaron “Fuhgeddaboutit” Pratesi lost control of the puck in a rare defensive lapse. Sensing a need to re-establish his dominance he rushed up the ice and scored the equalizer just 55 seconds later on a fade away slap shot, the first of its kind. Apparently D’Arcio taught him that move in practice except for the part where D’Arcio falls into the penalty box.
Like father, like son Neil “You Talkin’ To Me” Pratesi then matched young Aaron’s goal with one of his own as he pumped in a slug five hole through a crowded crease to move the Bruins in front 3-2. The Mob got even a minute later as the teams headed to the third knotted at 3-3.
From there it was all about Mike “Mickey Blue Eyes” Towers in goal as he shut down the Mob attack with six key saves. His saves as well as the iron clad defensive play of Joe “JoMo” Mocniak and Mike “Little Mikey” Smith then gave the dormant offense a chance to awaken as Aaron “Little Prats” got his second of the game just three seconds into the Power Play after a great draw back to the point by Joey Two Times.
For both the teams the Power Play was critical as the Mob completely lost focus on the disputed call while the Bruins settled in with the one goal lead. The teams traded chances, as well as barbs, for most of the period before Marc “The Sicilian Swede” Hedquist got lucky on a semi-breakaway as he slid one stick side to provide a two goal cushion at 2:49 to give the Bruins the 5-3 lead. Realistically however, the goal was all about D’Arcio again as he yelled ‘shoot’ just in time for Hedquist to hear it.
Consigliere D’Arcio in typical leadership style purposely shot wide on his own empty net attempt so Joey Two Times could get his second goal at :17 to finalize the scoring as the cement shoes were not fitted on this night.
The Bruins return to the kid friendly time of 7:45PM Tuesday August 4th at Newbridge in their next contest.
Summer 2009 – E2 Game Four - By Marc Hedquist – July 29, 2009
Youth Gone Wild
Like the old Skid Row tune it was all about the pee-wees as Aaron “GM of the Summer” Pratesi and his protégé Eric “Roller Dude” Reiger double teamed an infuriated and frustrated Rage club as they accounted for all seven goals in a 7-2 blowout victory for the now 2-2 LI Bruins.
After gulfing down two Happy Meals, while enjoying some warm-up time on the McDonalds play area slides, Pratesi started things off first with a literal buzzer beating wrister to give the Bruins a 1-0 lead after one period.
The late arriving Reiger who had to first clean his room and put away his Big Wheels in the garage then took control of the action as the seven man Bruins squad desperately sought his energy. Reiger quickly posted two goals on nifty one on one moves to push the lead to 3-0 with the second one holding up as the eventual game winner. To the Rage’s credit they got within one at 3-2 as the rest of the Bruins gasped for air as play headed to the third.
With Mike “Off-Season Workout King” Towers penalized for a delay of game infraction the action tightened ever so briefly three minutes into the third. Unfortunately for the Rage however, one less skater only provided more room for Reiger who again established his dominance scoring not one but two dazzling short-handed tallies. Not to be outdone by his Rhode Island Ram classmate Pratesi registered his second goal of the night on another low laser. Reiger then finished his monster 5 goal, 6 point debut on the Power Play with just over five minutes as The Rage then became The Bitch as Reiger’s talent was simply too much for the whiners too handle. Hey skating clinics are offered all summer just bring your paychecks down fellas!!! In fact if you’re not sure where and when just ask Lightning Lou D’ArcioJ
To all the Bruins who missed the game we go right at again this Thursday, same Bat Channel, same Bat Time, for the kids who have no idea what that means we play Thursday July 30th at Iceland 8:10PM. Please bring down $20 for the new jersey.
Summer 2009 – E2 Game Three - By Louis D'Arcio – July 25, 2009
Power Outage Dooms Bruins
The Rats are always a tough team to play against, they are very aggressive and in your face, especially in the defensive zone and this last game against them was no different. The Bruins came to play and were in the game all night. It was a see-saw battle as both sides took and lost leads during the first two periods. The goaltenders, Mike Towers for the Bruins and Lou Orquera (former Bruin) for the Rats were stalwarts between the pipes letting few chances go in and leaving few, if any rebounds.
The Bruins felt good heading into the 3rd period and were looking to steal one from the undefeated Rats but an early power play goal put the Rats up 3-2. Then here is where things went south for the Bruins, awarded a 4 minute penalty the Bruins were not able to convert and to make matters worse, a short while later the Rats successfully held off a 5 on 3 Bruins powerplay. Had the Bruins converted at least one of those chances, things might have turned out differently for the team. The Rats padded their lead with a 4th goal midway through the period. The Bruins came close on the closing minutes as Mick Owens made a sweet spin move on a Rats defender, going from forehand to backhand to cut the deficit in half. As the clock ticked down, the Bruins called their goalie to the bench for an extra skater and then a late Rats penalty gave the Bruins a 6 on 4 advantage but they weren’t able to get one past the sharp Rats netminder.
The high speed summer session continues this week with 2 games in 3 nights. First the Bruins will suit-up against the Rage at Iceland at 8PM this Tuesday, July 28th and then the Mob visits on Thursday, July 30th at 8PM again at the Iceland Arena in New Hyde Park. These are winnable and MUST-WIN games if the Bruins want to remain in the hunt for a playoff spot. Make sure you are on time for the game.
Summer 2009 – E2 Game Two - By Marc Hedquist – July 20, 2009
Full Moon Fever for Bruins
Still feeling their way through the new season as an HLI enigma the Bruins welcomed yet some more new faces while bidding farewell to some others as they continue to search for an identity.
Doing that against any team is usually not wise, doing it against the Champion Wolverines is downright foolish as the Bruins dropped like a rock in a 5-2 defeat at the hands of the Golden Wolves who picked up right from where they left off from the Spring season.
Despite playing yet another stellar game in goal Mike “Eiffel” Towers got no support as the Wolves hunted the cage to go up 3-0 halfway through the second. Newcomer Joe “I’d Like to Buy a Vowel” DiDominica got the Bruins within two when he raced to the net to deftly redirect an Aaron “Firebird” Pratesi centering feed laser at 5:06. Just under two minutes later the Bruins got within one when Pat “The Quiet One” McDonald off a Mike “Helicopter” Smith pass buried one in traffic to give the Bruins life.
Unfortunately the third period saw too many unforced errors lead to two Wolverines goals as they shut down the Bruins the rest of the way to move to 3-0 on the season as they continue yet again to set the pace in the E2 dogfight.
The Bruins will get another crack at redemption this week as they head to Bethpage on Wednesday July 22 at 9:30PM vs. the Rats.
Summer 2009 – E2 Game One - By Marc Hedquist – July 17, 2009
‘New’ Bruins Maul Joes 8-1
After completing the multiple player introductions in the locker-room before the game it became abundantly clear that these were not your father’s Long Island Bruins. The 2009 reincarnated Summer Bruins host only three stalwarts from the bygone Bruins era: Captain Lou D’Arcio, Marc Hedquist and Greg “Doc” Persak.
Yet the infusion of youth and experience in this eclectic mix set the tone early as they lambasted a sloppy Skate for Joe’s club 8-1 in their season opener.
The Carey High School contingent led by Joe “No Shoe” Mione, Danny “DC” Costello and Matt “What’s The” Story got the ball rolling early when Mione converted at 12:25 to give the Bruins a 1-0 lead. Later in the period Pat “Sweet Sixteen” McDonald Jr. got his first career Hockey Long Island goal when he deftly took a double assist from line mates Mick “The Ripper” Owens and Marc “The Swede” Hedquist to push the lead to 2-0. Hedquist then got his first of the season as he went top shelf on a two on one after a great breakout pass from Owens for the 3-0 margin after one period.
Period two was more of the same as the Owens line stayed hot as Hedquist pushed the biscuit through traffic at 10:50 which was quickly followed up Costello’s first of the game when he muscled his way to the front before redirecting a Story dish for the 5-0 second period lead.
The Joes unfortunately broke Mike “Post Pioneer” Towers shutout just before the period ended as it was the only negative in an otherwise smooth and stress free debut.
In the third the floodgates opened with the Bruins adding three more to finalize the 8-1 score sheet. At 13:54, while on the Power Play, Hedquist got his Hat Trick when he deflected a mid air point shot from Neil “Breath Right Spokesperson” Pratesi, Costello notched his second on a dazzling short side wrister at 7:38 and Mike Smith completed the night at 6:40 with another short-sider.
The new Bruins get their truest test in the E2 League this Sunday when they meet the powerhouse Wolverines at 7:45PM at Newbridge. In all likelihood another Bruins blowout might necessitate the league to promote us to E1 so the game will have an obvious sidebar as well.
Stories and comments from the Summer 2008 Season:
Summer 2008 – D2 Game Eight - By Marc Hedquist – September 11, 2008
Bruised Bruins Head Home
Three months and a whole lot of onion rings later the LI Bruins reunion tour sadly ended with an agonizing 1-0 whitewash at the hands of the Bruisers in the D2, 2008 Hockey Long Island Summer Playoffs.
Obviously, the Bruisers didn’t get an advance copy of the script that was supposed to chronicle the return to glory of one of the former D2 powerhouses. So instead of reveling in the joy of another championship the empty handed Bruins now must wait until they reconvene next summer as they head back to their current teams while the ugly ass Bruin logo finds a nearby cave to hibernate in.
The challenge of playing at a level laced with college aged players was simply too much to ask despite a valiant effort by the Bruins whose lack of scoring finally caught up with them. Realistically if not for the heroics of our 2008 MVP Mike “Vezina” Towers the tireless Bruisers might have run us out of the building. To our credit that didn’t happen which in this instance only made the loss that more painful.
The iron-clad defense of Roy “Panty Hose” Cooper, Neil “Diamond” Pratesi, Chris “You’ll Never get a Hooking Call” Viscusi and Tony “Frequent Flyer Miles” Fiumara gave the Bruins a NJ Devils-like respectability but the lack of scoring punch kept the Bruins at bay for most of the season despite the 6-3 finish.
Fortunately, the good times had by all provided a grand impetus for us to give it another shot in 2009. So that is what we will do! No more nicknames from here on out just a promise to sharpen up the pencil and get after you all again next year.
Summer 2008 – D2 Game Eight - By Marc Hedquist – September 4, 2008
Bruins Skin Panthers
In what amounted to a little more than a playoff game tune up, the Bruins concluded their regular season action with an 11-4 thrashing of the D1 Panthers to close out their 2008 summer campaign with a 6 wins and 2 losses record.
The Bruins must now await their playoff seed as Team Ramrod completes their schedule on Saturday night. A loss by them will give the Bruins the regular season title and a number one seed. A win will give the Bruins the number two seed and a game this Sunday 10:00PM @ Cantiague in the playoff opener.
As for the Panthers it was all about padding the stats and grinding out a big win against an undermanned team that brought no subs to the table. To their credit and our good friend Gino “Ganutes” Giambalvo, who scored a goal, they gave us a good test for two periods before an avalanche of goals did them in.
The first period was highlighted by Jon “Big Ass Equipment Bag” Newman’s first of three as he procured the first Bruins Hat Trick of the season. Maybe his two game respite was a pretty good idea afterall. The second goal was pure Lou “Mr. Loquacious” D’Arcio who again refused to a score goal with his stick as he eloquently kept a Neil “Jet Blue Has Sunday Specials” Pratesi centering wrister from hitting him in the nuts only to see it ricochet into the net for his first of the season. Well done Mr. Editor!
Neil also played a part in the next goal when Marc “Motormouth” Hedquist scored the first of his two first period goals on a rebound off his own breakaway and a slam dunker off a picture perfect feed from John “Cuff ‘Em and Stuff ‘Em” Gaudioso to end stanza number one with a 4-2 lead. It could have easily been more but snakebitten John “Velcro Skates” Kucelin had not one, but two goals disallowed. One was a no-go because the net came off its moorings while the second was converted after a high stick. No worries Kuce you still lead the team in Russian Tea Bag Parties J.
Period two was the most entertaining of the night as Kenny “Looking Good at 94%” Santo scored on a sweet double deke breakaway after shooing away a pesky Panthers defender. Johnny G. converted his own breakaway goal on a speedy rush that ended with a 5 hole slider for his only tally of the night, and last but not least it finally came, as Greg “Doc” Persak made his long awaited house call as he scored his first goal since the 2005 season as he smacked home a crease biscuit at the tail end of a 3:45 minute shift. Talk about perseverance!
The final period got ugly and often as Roy “Gino Target Practice” Cooper tallied for the second straight game. Jon Newman fitted his hat trick with two sandwiched around Cooper’s goal, and Matt “Our Distinguished Gentleman” Wilkoff ended the festivities with goal number 11 at 2:02 to wrap things up.
At this time no talk is needed. We are in position to make a run at a title. We need two wins which is very possible with this team. Let’s go get it!!
All of you must follow the HLI website. Sunday morning will tell us if we are playing Sunday night or if we play that Tuesday. Otherwise keep those cell phones on.
Summer 2008 – D2 Game Seven - By Marc Hedquist – August 28, 2008
Bruins Silence Banshees
Feeling a sense of urgency after a mini two game skid, the Bruins put together their most sound defensive effort of the season as they put the clamps on the Banshees 3-1 to move back into what should have been first place but what now appears to be second for good as Team Ramrod, a late D2 entry, seems headed to the top spot regardless of the Bruins final game result.
Since second place receives the same bye as first place the point will turn out to be moot, but what was not moot was getting back to basics which the Bruins did after a 15 day layoff. Those basics came in three categories which were all done with model efficiency: solid goaltending, with the occasional ‘big save’, consistent back-checking from the forwards and quality puck control from the defensemen who have carried the team all season
Of course, finding the back of the net usually plays a part as well and the Bruins smartly reverted back to form as they grabbed another 3-0 lead yet again. The Mercurial John Gaudioso opened the scoring five minutes into the first when he converted a wraparound crease cutter from Tony “Grizzly Adams” Fiumara for the 1-0 lead. Exactly five minutes later Aaron “Jet Blue” Pratesi’s blast from the point eked its way through for the eventual game winner. On the play he was ably assisted by the finally arriving Mike “Fuhgeddaboutit” Guido who was stellar in his Bruins debut and by Chris “Pineapple Express” Viscusi who now holds the team points lead by one. (Not for Long, Shorty!!)
Moving to the second, the Bruins capitalized 10 seconds into the Power Play at 6:06 when Roy “Silky Smooth by Hanes” Cooper skirted one through an LIE logjam in front of the net as the entire Marc “the Claw” Hedquist, Kenny “Dr. Hook” Santo and the large guy John ‘The Croatian Masturbation” Kucelin line provided a Great Wall of China screen.
Heading to the third the Bruins walked down the same 3-0 dark alley that they always have but with the exception of a minor hiccup from goalie Mike “Alzheimer’s” Towers whose aimless wander cost him his shutout (HaHa J) the Bruins kept the Banshees at bay. Certainly, the effort was due in large part to the two way play of all three lines, notably Matt “I want a new T-Shirt, and a say in its design!” Wilkoff’s line of Lou “You don’t need to stretch, you don’t go fast enough” D’Arcio and Greg, Doc, “Shoeless Joe Jackson” Persak who took his own Pineapple Express late to the game. And not to leave anyone out Neil “Mr. Consistent” Pratesi (Jet Blue is having a Sale from Providence!) played his typical smart game on defense to round out the ‘W’.
The Bruins own round out of the regular season comes on Tuesday September 2nd 10:50 @ Iceland when they face the D1 Panthers and our good friend Gino Giambalvo. Please check HLI’s website for any playoff updates.
Summer 2008 – D2 Game Six - By Marc Hedquist – August 15, 2008
Swordfish Spear Bruins
One game maybe, two games maybe, but after five games of scoring an average of 2.75 goals a game it is not a slump, it’s a trend. This trend has suddenly put the Bruins in a bind after they dropped their second straight game, 3-1 to the Swordfish.
The loss now puts the hibernating Bruins in a 4-way tie for first place, a position they share with the Bruisers (4-2-0, 37GF/36GA), Banshees (3-1-2, 34GF/26GA) and the newly brought up Team Ramrod. Team Ramrod won their first 3 games in the E1 division by a combined score of 22-9 and in their D2 debut they pummeled hapless Bucs, 7-0. What makes this team dangerous at this juncture is that they still have 2 games in hand over the rest of the division. They can make a run at 1st place overall and grab a possible coveted play-off bye.
Coming out of the locker-room short-handed to start the game set up some early confusion for the Bruins. It was compounded by a Marc “Chipper” Hedquist 4-minute slashing penalty that produced a 1-0 deficit.
To the Bruins credit they held serve despite getting minimal chances which allowed a 2-0 lead to develop at 6:05 of period two.
Finally showing some grit, the Bruins halved the lead to 2-1 at 1:07 of the 3rd period on a rare powerplay opportunity. A Johnny “Porn Star” Gaudioso wrist shot scored to give the Bruins hope.
Thirty seconds later all hell broke loose after Hedquist was stoned in front of the goal. The ensuing melee resulted in a John “The Moscow Mauler” Kucelin brawl, a Hedquist-goalie-referee tussle and a mind-boggling power-play that we didn’t realize we had until it was too late as the Fish scored into the empty net. That was the final nail in the coffin for the team. All night long the Bruins and the zebras never saw eye-to-eye.
The struggling Bruins now will regroup with a lay-off until after August 24th and hope that college will start ASAP as they move into the stretch run of the season. Keep checking the website and your emails for the next game. As soon as the league posts it, you will all know.
Summer 2008 – D2 Game Five - By Marc Hedquist – August 8, 2008
Chickens Choke Bruins 5-3
Matching up with a speedy Southern Fried Chicken club who were nipping at their heels in the standings the Bruins tight game savvy finally failed them as they dropped their first of the season 5-3.
Things couldn’t have started any better for the Bruins who scored their fastest goal ever to open a game when Marc “Mangina Captain Morgan!” Hedquist converted a Lou “Four Feet Away” D’Arcio shot that caromed off the back wall and in front to a waiting Hedquist just 12 seconds into the open frame for the seal-breaker.
The Chickens responded halfway through the first as the Bruins allowed their patented two for one sale as they were victimized yet again by two goals in two minutes at 6:43 and 5:15 respectively.
Then with the clock winding down in the first the Bruins thought they found the equalizer when Matt “Nice Construction Hat” Wilkoff tapped in a loose biscuit only to be informed that the whistle was blown first.
Blown it was as the Bruins were errantly denied a goal for the second consecutive game. So instead of breaking even the Bruins trailed 2-1 entering period two. Forty-four seconds into that period the deficit bumped to 3-1 as the incredible words “a Chick just scored for the Chickens” was uttered as she snuck in the back door when both defensemen went to the shooter in the slot.
Needing to answer quickly, the Bruins parlayed their prettiest goal of the year when Kenny “91%” Santo painstakingly lofted the saucer from the sideboards across the front to the far post where Matt “Not to Be Denied This Time” Wilkoff slam-dunked it home to get the B’s within one.
After fending off several great Chicken chances, the Bruins fortunes seemed to ascend midway through the third when they were awarded a rare D2 League 5 on 3. Sensing a need to shake things up, Lightning Lou volunteered his line shift to Matt “Samsonite” DeMauro who promptly took advantage of the spacious ice time by surgically striking top shelf for the equalizer at 7:54.
Hoping to go to the well again the same line stayed out only to get caught up ice where a centering feed towards Mike “The New Kid” Towers deflected off Roy “Panty Hose” Cooper’s skate and into the net for a demoralizing, balloon bursting, shorthanded go ahead goal just 32 seconds later.
A mad rush with Towers pulled made it exciting late when the Bruins swarmed the Southern cage only to be denied three times before the cleared puck resulted in an empty netter and a disappointing visit to the loss column.
The well balanced D2 grind continues Monday August 11th 8PM @ Syosset when the Bruins play another inaugural game against the Swordfish with the hold on first place at stake.
Summer 2008 – D2 Game Four - By Marc Hedquist – July 30, 2008
The Bucs Stop Here 4-3
Like Bill Murray in Groundhog Day, the LI Bruins can’t seem to escape 3-0 leads and late opposing rallies as they did the do for the third straight game. Fortunately, the living on the edge Bruins came out on top again this time over the Bucs 4-3 to push their first place record to 4-0.
The win clinched a playoff berth in the Hockey Long Island D2-eight team dogfight that has yet to produce a dominant force which should make the single elimination tournament a very exciting one to say the least. With step one completed the Bruins will now set their sites on a first round bye which should come with a first or second place division finish.
Chris “The Double Bagging Ewok” Viscusi lit the lamp first at 10:04 of the first after a Marc “Mangina Malibu” Hedquist’s wraparound attempt kicked out to Viscusi who calmly top-shelved it for the 1-0 lead.
Matt “Don’t Worry Your Luggage is Safe” DeMauro made it 2-0 on his first shift of the second when he took a Roy “I’ll House the Ewok” Cooper dish and dexterously tasered it off the roof of the net for the two goal margin at 13:03. Two and half minutes later Aaron “The FireBird” Pratesi landed himself in the goal column for the first time as a Bruin when he converted a Viscusi centering feed with his own top shelf rocket that caromed off the crossbar and in for the Groundhog 3-0 lead.
Cruising into the third and unable to tack on any insurance goals despite peppering the Bucs goalie relentlessly the Bruins waited for the inevitable oops to occur. That oops came at 10:24 when an MSG-like bouncing puck skipped past the Bruins defense at the blue line with the Bucs on the Power Play. The ensuing breakaway was stopped twice by Mike “Stack ‘Em” Towers before the third attempt was finally swatted home to break the seal for the Bucs.
However, unlike in the previous games the Bruins answered with a fourth goal as another Hedquist wraparound found its way onto Viscusi’s stick, who despite getting knocked to his knees ( A Very Familiar Position for Our Little Ewok Friend) as well as turned around backhanded the puck with enough mustard to squeeze it past the Bucs goalie who errantly misplayed it into a 4-1 lead.
Sensing the game was under wraps, consciously or subconsciously, the Bruins put it on cruise control only to watch the Bucs score two goals in the last three minutes, including one on a ridiculous five second Power Play, to make it 4-3 with 65 ticks remaining.
Following a Bucs timeout, the Bruins quickly righted the ship as they pressured the Bucs in the last minute having one goal not awarded and another empty net attempt go awry before they cleared the zone one final time before heading to the ‘Bah’ still undefeated.
The Bruins return to Newbridge next Wednesday August 6th at 9:15PM to face SFC-(Southern Fried Chicken) for their inaugural meeting in what could amount to a mid-season first place clash.
Summer 2008 – D2 Game Three - By Marc Hedquist – July 22, 2008
Bruins Neuter Dawgs
Mike “Golden Glove” Towers made 21 saves and the Bruins had just enough in the tank too hold off a chippy pack of Rabid Dawgs to improve to 3-0 in the summer ’08 dash.
The first place Bruins again relied on the same formula by getting an early lead, doing their best to avoid stupid penalties and giving Towers every opportunity to get a clear look at the puck with minimal rebound chances. It’s a simple concept but one that doesn’t always take so easily.
Early on it was all about trading chances until the Bruins struck for two goals in 28 seconds late in the first period. On the opening goal Lou “Flick of the Wrist” D’Arcio made a nice pinch along the boards enabling Jon “Screw Kucelin” Newman to pick it up deep and head to the net one on one. The duel resulted in a goalmouth scramble with an out of position goalie which Marc “Stop Blocking Shots” Hedquist converted into a gimme open-netter for the first goal.
With the clock under one minute John “Spit Bottle” Kucelin powered his way up the left side forcing another goalmouth scramble where Chris “You Could Play Defense for the Blues” Viscusi hawked his own freebie for a 2-0 lead after one period of play.
In the second it was more Newman skills drills as he played keep away below the goal-line with the Bruins up a man. Patiently waiting for his opening he finally sprung a saucer into the crease where a well positioned Matt “Uh—I Kind of Like Playing with These Guys” Wilkoff tidily back-doored it home for the three goal margin.
Late in the second the Dawgs broke up the shutout as the Bruins began to show signs of fatigue despite a full bench. Heading to the third, and still awaiting the arrival of some youth in the form of MC Aaron “Fix Your Hat” Pratesi, the Bruins allowed a second goal at the 5:00 minute mark to put some real excitement in the air. Fortunately, the Bruins once again willed their way to a solid one goal victory due in part to a collective effort at the end with smart puck movement and spectacular goaltending.
As always the box score doesn’t truly reflect the efforts of certain individuals. Therefore, kudos must go out to Franco “ATMJ” Mezzoiuso who excelled while double shifting at center in his Bruins debut and Kenny “85%” Santo whose ‘square peg in round hole hockey’ kept the Bruins scrapping in the defensive zone when the noose began to tighten. Winning does make it easier but the Bruins resolve has been a lot of fun to watch so far.
The next Bruins’ contest will be Tuesday, July 29th , 7:45PM at Newbridge Arena in Bellmore, against the visiting Bucs.
Summer 2008 – D2 Game Two - By Marc Hedquist – July 16, 2008
Bruins Thwart Minions Comeback
Jon “Jonny on the Spot” Newman’s tap in off a Chris “Bleeding Balls” Viscusi bowtie centering feed with 9.1 seconds to go enabled the Bruins to avoid a demoralizing letdown after they yielded three goals in the last six minutes of the game as they prevailed over the Minions 4-3.
For the second straight game the Bruins raced out to a multiple goal lead as they got one goal in each of the first two periods for a 2-0 margin. After intercepting an errant cross ice pass at the red line, Viscusi broke in alone and deftly double deked a backhander past the prone Minions net-minder for the 1-0 lead.
Three minutes into the second John “Assists are for Sissies” Gaudioso stopped an Aaron “Roller Dude” Pratesi point shot and easily slid it into the net just seven seconds into a second period power play for goal number two.
In the third, shortly after leaving the box on a roughing call, Marc “I Am Not Telling that Damn Story Again” Hedquist chipped a Lou “Leotard” D’Arcio dump-in around a Minions defender where he then regained control for a semi-breakaway which he converted with a top shelf wrister for the 3-0 lead at 9:10 of the final stanza.
From there some bad luck and sloppy play allowed the Minions to gain some confidence as they scored first at 6:21 as a forward was left alone on the doorstep for a snapper low to the stick side. Thirty eight seconds later a harmless point shot deflected off a Neil “Dad” Pratesi skate and into the net to cut the margin to 3-2.
With 1:47 left the Minions, who had seized the momentum by now, scored the equalizer as a trailing forward finished a 3 on 2 for the game tying goal. In each instance Bruins goalie, Mike “Mr. Pioneer” Towers was completely absolved from blame as he played yet another spectacular game posting 19 saves.
Sensing the shift, John “Mr. Nair Boy Himself” Kucelin, once a Captain always a Captain, requested a timeout and suggested a lineup shuffle. The switch worked like a charm as the Bruins dominated the last 1:47 of the game before Newman’s theatrics sealed the deal.
The result was the kind of win that builds character and a sense of confidence that should hopefully carry through the season as this latest version of LI Bruins hockey continues to jell.
Please stay tuned to HLI for an announcement on the next game, time and opponent.
Summer 2008 – D2 Game One - By Marc Hedquist – July 13, 2008
Bruins Ice Bruisers 8-3
After nearly three years of inactivity the Long Island Bruins Hockey Club returned to action in style as they opened the Hockey Long Island D2 Summer Season slate with an 8-3 thumping of the Bruisers who were coming off a 14-1 ‘E’ League championship run.
Eight original Bruins, four LI Blues and a couple of new faces led the revival starting with Matt “I Gotta Work Real Early L” DeMauro who returned to the ‘point’ and posted two goals including one nifty end to end rush that gave the Bruins their first lead 1-0 just 90 seconds into the game.
That lead remained through one period before Marc “The Swedish Gimp” Hedquist sandwiched two goals between a Bruisers tally to give the Bruins a 3-1 lead. Chris “2011 New York State Teacher of Year” Viscusi’s top shelf laser and Matt “James Bonds” Wilkoff’s slot shot whistler finalized the second period scoring as the Bruins took a commanding 5-1 lead into the third.
In the third it was more of the same as DeMauro and Viscusi added their seconds before Kenny “Anatomically Correct” Santo found twine for the team’s final lamplighter at 10:47. Several Bruisers goals late didn’t diminish Mike “Eiffel” Towers spectacular Bruins debut as he made 18 saves to earn his first career HLI victory.
Also of note was Aaron “Mr. Finland Jersey” Pratesi’s solid performance at defense alongside Dad, Neil, as Mom watched from the stands proudly.
Of course rounding out the night festivities were the appearances of the truly original Bruins John “Mr. Clean” Kucelin, Doc “Bobby Nystrom” Persak and Lou “Legionnaires’ Disease” D’Arcio (Clean the Water Bottles ASAP! ) who were more than stellar in the opener.
Kudos to John “What’s with the Ski Cap?” Gaudioso and Jon “Sandals” Newman who both double shifted at center giving the Bruins a solid core in the middle all night long.
The Bruins head to Newbridge on Tuesday July 15th at 7:45PM to face the Minions in game two of the eight game sprint.
Summer 2008 – PREVIEW - By Marc Hedquist – July 4, 2008
Bruins Return After Three Year Hibernation
Pigs really do fly! The Long Island Bruins, after a three year inactivity period, will finally return to the ice this Summer as they prepare for what should be a couple of real fun months on and off the ice.
Four months of double secret probation meetings between Chris “The Hairy Goblin” Viscusi and Marc “The Swedish Gimp Shagger” Hedquist resulted in an easier than thought reunion between some long time Bruins and some new found friends with the LI Blues that resulted in a solid Summer team with no expectations or pressures other than to play hockey and have a good time.
Returning to lead the LI Bruins is none other than the original bad boy John “Sour Apple Martini” Kucelin who despite his wishes to blend into the background is, and always will be, our B’s Captain. With a team laden with veterans from two squads there will no problems keeping everyone motivated and in tune but if Kuce wants he can continue to remind us to stay out of the box!
In addition to Hedquist and Viscusi, old time Bruins Greg “Doc” Persak, Gino “Ganutes” Giambalvo, Joe “Joey Cans” Canino, Todd “Blumpkin” Krafchin, Kenny “Brother Love’s Salvation Show” Santo, Tony “Vacation” Fiumara, Johnny “Porn Star” Gaudioso and Lightning Lou D’Arcio will all break out the moth ridden jerseys as they prepare to make a run at title number four.
Adding to the fun will be the welcoming of several new faces from the LI Blues as the Bruins become the LI Blueins. Heading the cast will be Matt “The Bulldog” Wilkoff, the Father son duo of Neil and Aaron “Gordie and Mark Howe” Pratesi who will make sure that the forwards cover their points, Jon “Johnny New” Newman, and last but not least Roy “Hangin’ With Mr.” Cooper.
Like the ever changing drummer in Spinal Tap the Bruins appear to be headed in the same direction in goal as no one has committed full time but as of press time four offers have been tendered.
The eight game summer sprint of season is slated to begin sometime in the second week of July with a D2 or E League position. The league will announce our placement the second week of the season after all teams play at least one to two games.
Stories and comments from the Summer 2005 Season:
Summer 2005 – D1 Championship Game - By Marc Hedquist – September 3, 2005
Wild End For Bruins?
In what had to be the most agonizing loss in team history, the Wild dropped the LI Bruins 4-3 in the 2005 Summer 'D' League Championship, denying them a rare chance at back to back titles.
To compound matters, the loss has left the Bruins franchise in serious jeopardy of complete extinction. The cause is simply a loss of core Bruins over the years who have moved on to greener pastures whether that be retirement or to new teams. The upcoming weeks will dictate whether the Bruins roar again or not. Come to think of it, Bruins do roar don't they? I mean I already knew they shit in the woods but the roaring I wasn't so sure about.
As far as the game goes, it was the first loss ever in the Championship round where the Bruins had previously been 3-0 dating back to 2001. Early on in the first period it appeared the Bruins would cruise to an easy 4-spot after getting goals twenty seconds apart.
Pete "The Manhasset Maniac" Giano scored the opener after going wide left on a Chris "The Energizer Bunny" Viscusi pass before squeezing it under the Wild netminder Pablo Los Anos. Next it was Sean "Butter Knives" Grubard's turn as he took a Tony "Vacation Man" Fiumara pass from deep in our own end that he converted into a slip and slide move that staked the Bruins to a confidence boosting 2-0 lead.
Unfortunately, unbeknownst to any of the Bruins, it would be there final lead of the season as 1:27 later the Bruins would unleash their worst defensive series of play ever. It began with an odd man rush that resulted with an overindulgent Kenny "Slammin" Santo getting tied up with goaltender Adam "Scales of Justice" Mottola. Santo's diving hustle actually caused him to push the puck and Mottola over the goal-line. Despite a mild protest, the referees ruled that the puck crossed the line before the net was knocked off its moorings. Ironically, twenty seconds later, the Wild did the dew again as continued pressure and failure to clear the puck knotted the game at 2-2.
Recognizing a fighter in trouble the Wild launched another all out assault that amazingly produced another goal 48 seconds later for a 3-2 lead. The dazed and confused Bruins didn't know it at the time but the 1:08 meltdown had just cost them their title.
To their credit, the Bruins did manage to hold the fort by showing their Championship heart the rest of the first period, keeping the Wild scoreless. Things got even brighter when they tied the game 1:16 into the third period on a Mike "The Hammer" Bilbao goal. Suddenly, the 3-3 score didn't seem as bad as the Bruins play. Granted the stats will show that the Bruins out-shot the Wild 34-20 but for some reason the vibe just wasn't there. It was almost as if this game wasn't meant to be. Furthering that belief was the 1-1 tie in goals even though the Bruins out-shot the Wild 14-4 in the middle stanza.
For the players in the game it's not something you can explain you just feel it. That bad premonition came to full fruition halfway through the third when a high rising dump-in was batted down by two Bruins defenseman only to have it ricochet off a Wild forward who promptly split the two defensemen for an unabated breakaway. Having stopped the same explosive forward just minutes before on an eye-popping glove save Mottola took to the challenge. Unfortunately, the puck had just enough mustard on it to get through the key-hole sized five hole to land the Bruins in a one goal deficit with 7:01 left.
Sensing extreme desperation, Captain John "Sour Apple Martini" Kucelin opted to go with two lines the rest of the way in hopes of finding the equalizer. Several chances were denied by the Bruins themselves as Grubby Grubard continued to lose his edge just as he was about to pop the puck in. Marc "The Swede" Hedquist, who led the charge against the Bulldogs, never found his legs and completed his season on a disappointing note failing on three separate pass attempts to Pistol Pete Giano late in the third. Wingers Greg "Doc" Persak and Lightning Lou D'Arcio unselfishly stepped aside in the third as they never found their offensive groove. Todd "Blumpkin" Krafchin was frustrated all night as his Balls to the Wall 'A' game was matched by no one in a Bruins uniform. But the true mother-load found in the "not meant to be category" came at the expense of Mike Bilbao who was assessed one of the worst elbow calls ever.
With just 2:52 left Bilbao swarmed to the back of the net to get control of the puck. At the same time the Wild's top forward also went for the puck, the ensuing result was nothing more than good old fashioned Physics. When one guy is 200lbs and the other is 140lbs it doesn't take Ken Jennings to figure out who is going to get the worst of the collision. Sadly, after some acting right out of the movie "Heaven Can Wait" the Wild forward Peter Patsy, feigning death, remarkably came back to life a full five minutes later. Now during that time frame there was no call, only a directive that the face-off would be in the Wild's zone. Then in the blink of an eye, the referee Mr. Klein was sold on the call like a Kansas Farm Boy playing three card monty in East New York. The furious Bruins were forced to watch as their franchise player was escorted to the box for a backbreaking two minute minor.
Upon his release, with Mottola pulled, Bilbao and the Bruins mustered one good shot that ended with a rebound fifteen feet away as even the rebounds couldn't find a home. The subsequent clear on the final shot was iced by none other than Peter Patsy who biblically rose to put the final nail in the Bruins coffin.
For the record it was a great season as the 5th place Wildcard Bruins made a run that left the EC Caps and Bulldogs feeling as blue as the Bruins are feeling now.
In closing if this is the end for the LI Bruins due to a limited roster, awkward combination of 'C', 'D' and 'E' League players on one team and/or a short bench then maybe once again some things are meant to be.
Having said that, if those changes lead to the demise of the Bruins then I can personally say it has been a pleasure for these last 6 years. Hopefully, this will be a Michael Jordan Retirement Speech and the Bruins will reload for future engagements, but if they don't then I would like to publicly thank Captain John Kucelin, Lou D'Arcio and all of my teammates over the years for allowing me to write these silly articles. C'est la Vie.
---Only Matt Crafa can get thrown out of a Bruins Locker-room three years after being booted off the team!
---Huge Congratulations to Lou Orquera and the Rats who finally got off the schneid and captured an HLI Championship.
---Best of Luck to Doc Persak as he continues as a Bobby Nystrom impersonator, signing autographs and taking photo-ops. You know Doc, the Feds don't like that kind of stuff. That's why Pete "Esa Tikkanen" Giano stopping talking Finnish in the locker-room.
---Mr. Editor, Lou D'Arcio, Woodward and Bernstein just called. They need help on another epic piece that they are doing on why some people skate faster than others. They are calling it Deep Skate!
---Joe Canino, I expect to see you on the next American idol. I know you have been practicing all Summer. I told you I wouldn't tell anyone until now!!!!
---Kuce, George Lewis just called he said he wants a refund for the Summer 2001 game that he left early.
---Congratulations to Pete Sumski for being inducted into the Budweiser Hall of Fame.
---It's now official Dan Higgins will be throwing out the first pitch for the upcoming Red Sox-Yankees Series.
---On behalf of Marc Hedquist and Swedish Gimps all around the world I salute you.
---Best of Luck to Chris Viscusi on his lower back to top of head hair transferal surgery.
---Best of Luck to Kenny Santo as he has been hired as Jason Giambi's new Fitness Trainer. Stay away from "Cream" would you.
---Thanks again to all of the Bruins especially John Kucelin. If things don't work out...as Don Corleone once said, "It's not personal, just business."
Summer 2005 – D1 Semifinal Game - By Marc Hedquist – August 29, 2005
Bruins Kick Dogs 4-2
To quote from one of the greatest movies of all time, "The Godfather," sums up best this Summer's LI Bruins club. "They hit 'em with five shots and he's still alive!"
After sleepwalking through an entire season, the defending Spring Champion Bruins now find themselves vying for back-to-back jacks for the first time in team history. The opportunity has somewhat surprisingly presented itself after a stirring upset of long time tormentor the Bulldogs 4-2 in the Semi-Finals as the Bruins dished the 'dogs their first 'D' League loss of the year.
So throw out the 7-1 record for the Bulldogs because the 4-4 Bruins are hoping to conjure up images of the 2001 Summer run to the title. The last obstacle is a match-up with the hybrid Wild team who have many members of the Avalanche and LI Stars, two teams who would like nothing better than a little payback after seeing the Bruins skate off with the Spring hardware.
Last night's win was as hard working and dramatic as there has been in the annals of the Bruin history. From top to bottom each of the eleven skaters mustered up that little bit extra when it counted. The Bruins defense anchored by Todd "Dirty Sanchez" Krafchin, Mike "Elephant Man Shin" Vience, Daryl "Hey You Guys Going to the Bar Tonight?" Rubin and Kenny "Tan in a Can" Santo perfectly played solid stay at home defense when they needed to and attacking pressure defense to offense when the opening was there. That coupled with another gem from Adam "Cochran, Lee and Mottola, Esq." Mottola led to a dazzling play of defense that's only mishaps were self-inflicted after miscommunications on clearing attempts.
Offensively, it was all about Grubby, as Sean "MVP" Grubard's three point night, two goals and one assist was just enough to carry the Bruins. The early score however, was provided by Marc "Papa" Hedquist when he put back his own rebound after a dazzling keep in by Chris "Heart and Soul" Viscusi. Hedquist's goal came at 10:57 of the second after the Bruins wrenched away the momentum in a 0-0 first period. The 1-0 lead lasted deep into the second before two consecutive defensive give ups led to a 2-1 deficit as Bulldogs ace #27, Scooby Doo quickly converted to put some doubt into the minds of the Bruins as period number three began.
As period three began the younger Bruins, yes there are some teams that we are still younger than, began to cycle and swarm. The charge was led by Grubby on the offense and Krafchin on the point. Three times Krafchin broke out the offense finding Grubard at the redline. Grubard's game tying goal came about as he, Josh "Jet Blue" Levine and John "Skinny" Kucelin put shot after shot on goal as Bulldogs goaltender Chris Vience who just couldn't get a lid on the puck finally Grubard found the back of the net at 11:47 to tie it at 2-2.
Continuing their shift, the Grubard line found themselves again scrambling for a loose puck in the crease, as they attempted to bang it home a Bulldogs defender grabbed it while on the goal line. The result was the ever exciting penalty shot. Feeling gassed, Grubard deferred to Krafchin who promptly shot it right into Vience's bread basket for the pivotal moment of the game. The Bulldogs hoping to capitalize came on strong but Mottola was up to the task. Three quick saves were followed by the pass of the year which Mottola started to earn himself another point. His dish to Krafchin led to a rifle pass from our own end that somehow threaded a needle and ended up on Grubard's stick for a breakaway. Grubard's deke and dip led to a 3-2 lead with just under eight minutes.
Again the Bruins would have to hold off another charge from the Bulldogs. Instead of playing it safe however, the Bruins took the offense to the 'dogs again. This time it was Captain Kucelin who benefited as he knocked home a Levine shot before getting knocked back onto his head for a backbreaking fourth goal. From there the Bruins played puck control hockey mostly by Viscusi and Krafchin and victory had arrived.
The Bruins now move to Syosset Arena on Tuesday August 30th @ 8:45PM for their second consecutive Championship Chase. Basically to sum things up, if you watch another great movie, "Miracle", the United States doesn't knock off the Soviet Union and then lose to Fucking Finland!!! If I have to explain this analogy give me a chalkboard and I'll draw you a picture. See you all on Tuesday, even you Johnny "Pom-Poms" Gaudioso.
NOTABLES:
---Save the Bruins the Sequel Opens this Tuesday!!!!!
Summer 2005 – D1 Wildcard Game - By Louis D’Arcio – August 26, 2005
“Hed”-less Bruins Double Up Caps, 15-7
Last night’s Wildcard match-up between the Bruins and the EC-Caps certainly lived up to the billing… it was one wild game. Goals came in bunches all night long, a total of 22 tallies in all. Just imagine what the final score would have been had Bruin’s resident sniper, Marc “the Angry Swede” Hedquist did not take the night off to enjoy his new role of doting dad.
The game started off with the play going back and forth with no team having a clear edge over the other. It was about 5 minutes into the period when it looked like all hell was breaking loose with 4 goals scored over a span of 1:31. The Bruins started things with Todd “Look at the scoreboard!” Krafchin blasting home a right point shot off a Mike Bilbao feed at 10:42. The Caps countered 12 seconds later. Then Bruins’ Captain John Kucelin slammed home the rebound of a Sean Grubard shot 20 seconds after the Caps goal. Refusing to back down, the Caps found twine 59 seconds later to tie it up. That would be last time the Caps would threaten the Bruins lead. At 5:28, the Bruins scored twice within a 46 second gap to pull ahead on goals by Mike “Bull in a china shop” Bilbao and Sean “Grubby” Grubard.
The second period picked up where the first ended with 2 more goals in 1:44, the first one, a power-play goal by Josh “the Kid” Levine was followed by Mike B.’s second of the night. Bilbao was a force on the ice, running over any Cap player who tried to get in his way. The Caps scored almost 5 minutes later to close to 6-3 when the Bruins decided to open up a can of whup-ass on them. The “Killer” Bs pounded the Caps helpless netminder for 4 goals within 3:15 with scores by Mike “the other brother” Vience, Mike B. (2 goals) and another one from the Kid. The stunned Caps were able to muster a goal before the period ended but that just left them facing a 6 goal deficit.
The third period saw 8 more goals being scored but only 3 came from the Caps, who watched helplessly as their season wound down. The Bruins pretty much were scoring at will in the 3rd. Josh scored a natural hat trick (with 2 nice goal mouth feeds from “Lightning” Lou D’Arcio and another from Mike V.), Mike V. had his second of the contest from defense partner Darryl Rubin and finally, and mercifully, with 20 seconds left Mike B. put home his 5th goal of the night. I must mention the constantly hard working Chris “You’re calling that on me?” Viscusi for his 3 assists. The casket firmly sealed the Bruins look forward to facing the D1 division regular season champs, Bulldogs
The big challenge waits Sunday night, August 28, at Iceland at 10:10PM so make sure you bring your “A” game. Already this writer feels a bit of controversy has reared its ugly head. Originally this match-up with the Bulldogs (up to the afternoon before our match with the EC-Caps) was slated for Sunday night at 9:30 on the big ice at Syosset, a venue which favors the slick skating (not me) Bruins, but after we drubbed the Caps we were informed by league officials of the change to the Iceland arena, a smaller rink which seems to favor the Bulldogs, coincidence? Hmmm… I’ll leave that up to you conspiracy buffs.
Once again, the next game is August 28th, Sunday at 10:10 at Iceland in New Hyde Park. Make sure you have you dark jerseys, as well as, your whites.
Notables:
- Congrats again to the Hedquists on their new bundle of joy.
- Josh, you were right about my messing up the dates on the website.
- We had a nice post-game drink and snack at TR’s and Kenny didn’t over-tip again.
- Sorry Josh, no teriyaki chicken strips at TR’s.
- Kenny, remember to pack your helmet for Sunday!
Summer 2005 – Game Eight - By Louis D’Arcio – August 17, 2005
Scorpions Sting Shortened Squad, 7-2
Tonight’s game was meaningless in the standings, as the Bruins could finish no better than fourth overall and would still face the EC-Caps for the play-in berth. That said, an undermanned Bruins’ squad still put up a good fight against the D2 division leading Scorpions. The final score of 7-2 does little to show the valiant effort by the total of eight skaters who finally showed up.
The first period started off tentatively as just 6 skaters were there for the drop of the puck. Rationing out their energy against a well-stocked Scorpions bench kept them at bay for almost 5 minutes until they scored at the 10:23 mark. The Scorps would find the twine about 4 minutes later at 6:59 and then again at the 4:20 and 2:52. Adam Mottola was his usual steady man between the pipes but the Scorps had the advantage against the over-worked Bruins.
The second period started off where the last one ended with the Scorpions banging home 2 more goals in just over a minute to take a commanding 6-0 lead. The Bruins didn’t give up and finally were rewarded at 10:18 when Kenny Santo deflected a Darryl Rubin point shot to break the shut-out. Josh Levine keeping the puck in the zone started the whole ball rolling. The teams traded a number of chances but were both unable to crack the goalies.
Late in the third, with 4:32 remaining the Scorpions once again took advantage of a tired Bruins defense and scored to make it 7-1. The Bruins still kept plugging away, even though there was little chance of winning, and after a few close calls finally scored again. Captain Kucelin banged home his 3rd goal of the year (with 0:16 remaining) off a goal-mouth feed from Tony Fiumara, who skated the length of the ice and centered the puck from the deep right corner.
The Bruins now await the scheduling of their first play-off game versus the EC-Caps (most-likely) and will see how well they will fare in the “anything goes” single elimination Summer 2005 playoffs.
Make sure you show up for the games to give the team its best chance at securing another Summer title and to defend our Spring championship. If you owe Kucelin any money, make sure you bring it down with you.
NOTABLES:
- It seems the bar-keep at the Inn/Between was not happy with his tip; it seems he had hoped that Kenny would handle things instead of Lou.
- There were some good sights at the bar; thankfully Large Marge took the night off.
- Kuce had things a little backward and shaved off his “Play-off Beard” prior to the start of the post-season.
- I want to thanks everyone who did make it to the game and didn’t give up, regardless of the score.
- Make sure everyone else makes the next game and bring any monies you might owe the league. I don’t want to have to hold a top-less carwash to raise money, as I sunburn easily.
Summer 2005 – Game Six - By Marc Hedquist – August 12, 2005
Bruins Edge EC Caps 3-1
In a game devoid of excitement, the LI Bruins had just enough gas in the tank to squeak by an equally inept EC Caps squad 3-1.
Tony "Blue Line" Fiumara's first career goal as a Bruin at 9:39 of the second held up as the game winner. On the goal, Fiumara rushed to the slot to pick up a loose puck that he quickly smacked towards the goal. Catching a break, it deflected off an EC Caps defender and slid between the legs of the EC Caps netminder Vern Troyer.
The first Bruins goal of night came two minutes earlier on a Todd "Great Performances" Krafchin rush and blast from the blue line that whistled past the glove of a dumbfounded Troyer. Contributing to the goal was Adam "I will win the scoring title" Mottola who registered his 6th assist of the season to move into 4th on this Summer's scoring race.
"Paranormal" Pete Giano concluded the sloppy affair at 0:39 with an empty netter that somehow didn't deflect off the goalie who was sitting on the bench at the time. The low goals total was certainly unexpected after the Caps scored 0:21 seconds into the game, but minus the top scoring threats from both teams the outcome should have been expected.
The 4th place Bruins wrap up their Summer campaign with a D2 crossover next Tuesday August 16th 8:45PM @ Syosset against the Scorpions. Win or lose it appears that a third match-up against the EC Caps in the Wild Card play-in game is inevitable. Stay tuned.
NOTABLES:
---Let the Fun begin.....
---The LI Bruins faithful, after careful mathematical deliberations, minus L.L. Kool Kenny Santo's Tip-Included Restaurant Fee, have concluded that monetarily we may be shit out of luck! Therefore, on behalf of the team I am proud to announce the "SAVE THE BRUINS FUND" which will now be taking donations.
Please send your contribution to:
Jean Nilecuk
69 Blumpkin Blvd.
Myasspeekqueer, NY. 12345
---Lou-jack Lou D'Arcio, "I did it on purpose" when explaining why he flipped the puck directly into the goalie's chest on his first breakaway since the Reagan Era.
---Just a hint Lou-jack, the "E" is for Eye-chart.
---Speaking of, Greg "Doc" Persak is also pleased to announce that he will be starting his own team as well. The newly formed LI Lasers break ground on a new stadium this Fall. All milk carton Bruin players are welcome. Yes that definitely includes Joe "Can't make It" Canino, the mercurial Tommy "Can't Pay" Peterson and the newly tabbed Rich "St. Elsewhere" St. Angelo.
---In the meantime Doc's Fishing School still has openings as they set sail each Saturday and Sunday from the Nautical Mile. Bring your rubber...shoes and poles!!
---You gotta love Professional Player Pete Giano who manages to not work, play on five different teams and not pay a cent. What a country. Obviously this allows him to "drive" the five hours to Iceland---Not the rink, the Country!!!! I guess that extra money he saved was put towards a Flintstones Automobile because that's the only car driving to Iceland.
---Kudos to the chick at the bar whose nose was just about the same size as Lou's bald spot. Coincidentally she was just a smidgen less hairy that our own cute little monkey Chris Viscusi.
---There is no truth to the rumor that Marc "The Angry Swede" Hedquist will be selling his 1970's '45LP record collection on e-Bay. Donna Summer rocks you bitches!!!!
---Only in Bruinville can we devour four plates of Buffalo Penis and then the Inn/Between brings out the free food. No matter the girl Othello and her rotund friend would have easily kept us away from the freebies. "Just tell 'em Large Marge Sent You!!!"
---Lastly, don't be a jerk bring your money to the next game!!!!!
Summer 2005 – Game Five - By Marc Hedquist – August 9, 2005
Wild Collapse Dooms Bruins 6-5
Only a decision on how many teams make the Summer playoffs will dictate whether the Bruins inexplicable late game collapse against the Wild cost them their Championship quest after blowing a three goal third period lead.
The third period began with a 5-2 lead and a lock on second place in the 'D' League Standings. Goals by Josh "The Kid" Levine, "Pesky" Pete Giano, Todd "Big Toe" Krafchin and two by Captain John Kucelin had the Bruins primed for a solid win. Unfortunately, the short bench once again played a major part in a late game collapse. The Bruins slowly ran out of gas as the young Wild bunch chipped away scoring methodically every three minutes of the third to snatch victory from the jaws of the fatigued Bruins.
The shame of it was the wasted effort took some of the luster from the due recognition that should have been afforded to Captain Kuce who played one of the greatest games in his Bruin career. The newly svelte Kuce cashed in on a Marc "Pass Happy" Hedquist breakout pass that sprung Kuce on a breakaway that he aptly converted through the 5-Hole. On his second goal, the Kucelin-Levine-Hedquist line applied relentless pressure for nearly 40 seconds before Kuce pump faked a wrister, smoothly pulled it back and slid it under a dazzled Wild netminder. It was a big time goal that had the B's jacked up. Minutes later a Giano breakaway goal was more of a "finally" goal as Giano was rewarded with a fortunate bounce and roll as his breakaway had just enough steam to trickle into the net. Krafchin's goal was, what else, a great rush followed by a rocket. The great goals were exciting and inspiring, but on this night late defensive breakdowns, unlucky bounces, ill-timed penalties and empty gas tanks relegated the Bruins back to the bottom of the pile in 5th place.
The two remaining games pit the Bruins against the 4th place EC Caps and the D2 Leading Scorpions, our old friends from the E League. EC Caps game-time is 8:45PM August 11th @ Syosset.
---Move over Canino and make room for Doc on the Milk Carton.
---Call (1-800-Lou-Jack begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 1-800-Lou-Jack end_of_the_skype_highlighting) for all of your security needs.
---The Wild should have been called the Wild cards with every guy wearing a different uniform.
---Just a reminder in case you all forgot. We are still the current D League Champions so let's start thinking playoffs.
Summer 2005 – Game Five - By Marc Hedquist – August 4, 2005
Bruins Veto Caps 7-2
The suddenly revived Bruins won their second straight 7-2, as they pounded a lifeless Capitals squad that has yet to find a win in the 'C' or 'D' League. The win all but secured a playoff spot as the Bruins now find themselves back in the second place hunt as all six teams chase the runaway Bulldogs who are a lock as the team to beat in this year's Summer season.
The Bruins own bulldog, Mike "The Cuban Bruin" Bilbao put his seal of approval on another victory as he garnered yet another Hat Trick, a Natural Trio, late in the second period to put the game out of reach. The three goals were scored in 1:56, each prettier than previous one. The first one held up as the game winner while the second one was a Power Play goal that was scored in a record time of two seconds. On the record breaker, Bilbao used his patented face-off rush and shoot move that stunned the Caps defense and goalie.
Adding to the fun of the evening was Levitra Lou D'Arcio whose skills as a 40+ aged skater have only gotten better as he scored his third goal in two games. D'Arcio cashed in on two wristers as he found the G-spot all night long. Only a great save with 15 seconds left in the game denied D'Arcio his first career Hat Trick. Other offensive contributions came from Chris "Palmeiro" Viscusi who opened the scoring with a "doorbell goal", a ringer off the post while also adding three assists. The last of the Bruins goals came from Marc "Hazardous" Hedquist who finally found twine after 17 missed 90 MPH slapshots that had opponents and teammates alike ducking for cover.
Defensively Pete "The Pest" Giano filled in elegantly for the vacationing Tony Fiumara while Massapequa Mike Vience had his second solid game manning the blue line in his early Bruins career. Goaltender Adam Mottola had his two game scoring streak stopped but his G.A.A. continues to drop as he hopes to lead the Bruins to the Promised Land once again.
The Bruins move onto a huge match-up this Sunday August 7th 8PM @ Syosset vs. the Wild, an LI Stars/Stalkers/Avalanche hybrid that is currently making waves just above the LI Bruins in the 'D' League standings.
Notables:
---Please be sure to bring your money to the next game.
---Other than the nice new Islanders banners at Iceworks it was a rather quiet uneventful evening.
Summer 2005 – Game Four - By Marc Hedquist – July 31, 2005
Bruins Slice Sabres 5-2
How the mighty have fallen! Normally a Sabres-Bruins match-up would involve a highly intense, hard fought, grind it out hockey classic match-up that would constitute the best that HLI has to offer. Instead in the ever-changing and ever-unpredictable Summer season the result was a sloppy listless affair that, despite its ineptitude, still held out as a very important game as far as the playoff chase is concerned.
The Sabres entered the game in 6th place at 0-3, while the Bruins, after back to back defeats found themselves at 1-2 in 5th place. Clearly the winner would have a huge advantage in head to head tiebreakers if 5th place is still up for grabs in a month. To compound matters the Bruins, once again, played with a shortened bench as they were only able to muster eight players. However, one of those players was Sean "Grubby" Grubard who was making his first Summer appearance. His presence alone guarantees that the offense just gets better. As an added bonus the Bruins welcomed John Yuengling to the fold as he made his Bruins debut. Coupled with Grubard, the two line-mates were simply too strong for anything the Sabres threw at them. Grubard dazzled his way to his third career Hat Trick while Yuengling scored his first Bruins goal. More importantly was Yuengling's control and command of the puck as he dictated the pace which helped keep the Sabres at bay as they never really threatened.
Also chipping in on the offensive end were Loquacious Lou D'Arcio, who scored his first goal of the Summer and Goaltender Adam "Weezer" Mottola who registered not one, but two assists. With 12 career assists it is only a matter of time before Mottola finally nets a goal of his own.
The undermanned Bruins greet the Capitals next in another important regular season contest as the 'C' League dropouts look to leapfrog the Bruins in the tight 'D' League standings. Game time is Monday August 1st 11:15PM @ Syosset.
NOTABLES:
---Kuce would like to remind all of the team to SHOW UP!!!!!
---Kuce would also like to remind all of the team to PAY UP!!!!!
---Kuce would also like to remind all of the team to DRINK UP!!!!
Summer 2005 – Game Three - By Marc Hedquist – July 24, 2005
EC-Caps Clip Bruins 8-7
The Summer fun continues for the LI Bruins as they dropped their second straight to the EC Caps 8-7. Despite the loss the Bruins put forth a solid effort on the offensive end. Unfortunately, when you give up an 8-Ball on the defensive end the results are usually not too promising.
Going with two lines and half a team double-dipping due to a Saints game prior to the Bruins game, the pace was slowed down dramatically early in the first period in order to make it through three periods. That style, however, just doesn't sit well with the Bruins traditional mode of the attack, and after falling behind 2-0 two and half minutes into the game, that plan was completely scrapped.
Finding legs wherever they could Sanitation Boy, the Floor Doctor, Blumpkin and the Swede all took a deep breath and got after it. The plan paid off immediately when Sanitation Boy scored his first of two on the night. He also assisted on one to earn himself a three point evening. Chris "The Floor Doctor" Viscusi also added a goal and an assist. Todd "Blumpkin" Krafchin ripped home one amazing unassisted goal while contributing three assists. Marc "The Swede" Hedquist added two goals and three assists and Pete "Sherman" Giano tallied the other goal.
Normally those goals would be enough to grant us a surefire victory but on this night the EC Caps led by the Pane brothers were simply too strong. They combined for seven of the eight goals by the Caps and, simply put, they left a few Bruins forwards and defenseman naked in the wind as they weaved their way through the defensive zone at will.
To the Bruins credit they recovered from 2-0, 3-1, 4-3, and 5-4 deficits before the 8-5 deficit finally kept them at bay as they fell just short 8-7. The Summer sizzle finds it next opponent on Wednesday July 27th 9PM @ Newbridge vs. the Sabres. A loss could spell doom for the Bruins as the bottom two teams in the league will NOT make the playoffs.
---Thanks to Mike Vience for pitching in.
---"Guys, Guys, Guys!" is just not the same unless Kuce is saying it.
---What's with the freaking welding during the game? No wonder there were 15 goals combined, neither goalie could see!
---No more doubleheaders!!!
Summer 2005 – Game Two - By Marc Hedquist – July. 15, 2005
Bulldogs Maul Bruins 8-1
It had to happen eventually! The LI Bruins were defeated last night at Iceland in convincing fashion by the Bulldogs 8-1 for their first loss in nearly three months. Coincidentally, their last loss back in April was also administered by the Bulldogs who adeptly use their size and skill to contain the Bruins as well as anybody.
Having an undermanned bench certainly didn't help nor did the early knee injury to goaltender Adam Mottola who gutted it out on a real frustrating evening. The lone bright spot for the Bruins was the appearance of Mike Bilbao who originally was going to sit this season out. As expected, Bilbao scored the Bruins only goal despite being hacked and butchered all night long. You know going in how the Bulldogs and their 1990's clutch and grab hockey is going to play out. Basically, you can fight through it or you can fall by the wayside. On this night the Bruins chose the latter.
From the looks of things only Captain John Kucelin was interested in banging back as he ended up getting tossed late in the game after a pretty nasty scrum broke out between him and some fat guy on the Bulldogs. After slashing the guy over the head, Kuce was jumped from behind as the fat Bulldog tried to Bertuzzi Kuce through the Iceland playing surface. The sounds apparently appeared worse than the hit but it was enough for Kenny Santo to rush to Kuce's aid and tackle the little chubby off of Kuce. For his actions, Santo's respect from his teammate grows despite him also being issued a one game suspension.
The Bruins fall to 1-1 as it looks like it could be one of those Summer's again. Please check the HLI website as the next game scheduled is in a direct conflict with the LI Saints game of which many Bruins players are also committed to.
Notables:
---I think its time for a Joe Canino Milk carton
---Thanks to Dom DiMiceli for lending a hand...and not breaking a finger!!!!
Summer 2005 – Game One - By Marc Hedquist – June 30, 2005
Bruins Win OT Slop-fest 5-4
Bryan "The Flying Frenchman" Monette's goal, his second of the game, at 3:23 of overtime gave the Bruins a sluggish 5-4 victory over the Bucs in the Summer Season opener last night at Newbridge Arena. The goal came on a dazzling wide side rush that saw Monette completely cross the face of the crease before snapping a wrister on the wide side. It provided the Bruins with a big sigh of relief after they blew two separate two goal leads of 2-0 and 4-2. Thanks and praise also goes out to Adam "Mr. NY Yankee" Mottola who denied a Bucs breakaway with just over one second left in the game after a blown off-sides non-call.
After steamrolling their way through the Spring Season en route to an HLI Championship, several Bruins players departed for the Summer leaving the current Bruins in a skeleton crew mode. That coupled with the fact that the remaining Bruins were still in a Championship hangover stupor left this game open for the taking. The scoreless first period confirmed to the 'new' Bruins that they would indeed be in a close game for the first time in nearly two months.
In the second period they found their bearings as Todd "Bacon Strips" Krafchin pumped home a laser for a 1-0 lead. Four minutes later Pete "The Poker" Giano converted on a snapper to make it 2-0. The Bucs quickly rebounded 1:38 later as the Bruins finally got caught when a bad change left Mottola facing a 3 on 1 that he was unable to stop. That slip up was quickly followed by another one 1:24 later when again the Bruins were caught with their pants down resulting in a 2-2 tie. The trade off of goals continued when Monette scored his first of the game at 2:55 on a well used screen wrist-shot that pin-balled off both posts for the lead again. Chris "Calf Boy" Viscusi followed Monette's goal with his own wrister just before the end of the second to give the Bruins back the two goal lead.
Disappointingly, the Bruins fell flat on their face in the third as fatigue for several players playing back to back nights as well as perhaps the pressure of forgetting how to put a team away left the door open just enough for the Bucs to pry open, which they did. The recharged Bucs scored two goals in 43 seconds halfway through the third to create an exciting finish that the Bruins didn't seem up for. Only the aforementioned Mottola save averted a Bruins disaster with the clock expiring.
However, that missed attempt at the end not only revived the Bruins but it disheartened the Bucs who took to the overtime already satisfied with stealing a point. The second point would belong to the Bruins as they pressured the Bucs for the first three straight minutes before Monette finally delivered the goods.
After one game it is apparently obvious that a lunch pail mentality is the only thing that is going to get the Bruins in the win column this season. Guys that road the coat-tails this past season will now be expected to contribute offensively. Those people who felt like they got shortchanged last season will now have ample opportunities to put up or shut up once and for all. It will be an interesting season to say the least. Next game and time has not yet been posted as of press time so please check the HLI website for an update.
Notables:
---Captain Kuce asked that all of you bring down $230 for the season.
---Apologies to Daryl and Chris from "Hurricane" Hedquist who was taking out Bruins players all night long.
---Thanks to Lou for giving out 8 by 10 Photos of the Bruins Championship.
Stories and comments from the Spring 2005 Season:
Spring 2005 – Playoff Game Two - By Marc Hedquist – June 22, 2005
Title-town!!! Bruins Lasso 'Lanche 4-1
Vindication! After a devastating loss in the Fall 2004-2005 Playoffs, a season in which the Bruins held first place until the last game of the year but then were rudely bumped from the post season in the second round by an Avalanche club that finished last during the regular season, changes were inevitable.
Captain John Kucelin took the first step in hiring the first of four "mercenaries" as the Bruins welcomed Bryan "The Flying Frenchman" Monette whose skills as a helicopter pilot kept the third line afloat for most of the regular season as well as in the playoffs. Sorry Helicopter Boy, but third line's what you get when your high school team ice hockey team, Massapequa, beats a team that Marc Hedquist is coaching and Josh "The Kid" Levine plays for, Jericho.
The next big acquisition came as a tandem when Rich "Conan O'Brien's Boy" St. Angelo brought down Sean "The Real Deal" Grubard and Mike "The Hulk" Bilbao to inject an offensive charge that had never been seen in a Bruins uniform.
Rounding out the changes was the silent but deadly addition of Tony "The Quiet Man" Fiumara to man the blue line. Quite simply, Fiumara didn't get beat all year. He was an absolute stalwart who played in the same vain as long time Bruin Darryl Rubin who, coupled with Fiumara, had his best Bruin's season ever. Coincidentally it was Rubin who brought his PLT teammate into the mix. Great job Daryl!
Jelling a team with so many new faces usually takes several games but this one got off the ground after just one as the Bruins pounded the EC Caps 11-5 in the opener and never looked back. The Bruins went on to claim their second consecutive Spring Division Championship with a whopping 10-2 record, their best ever, and a number one seed in the playoffs.
That seed was crucial as the Bruins would need only a two game streak to raise the HLI Cup. The first game was all magic as the Bruins routed the Avs 10-1 to send the B's to the Final. As fate would have it the Bruins would meet the Avs once again in a grudge match that would be nothing like the first game. Contrary to their thoughts before the game, the Bruins did, and do, respect the Avalanche and knew they would come out flying, with or without reading my recaps for motivation!! My compliments on a clever strategy though Captain Jack!!!
However, we had good leadership on our side of the bench as well with our own Captain "Jack" Kucelin, who set up all the lines in the same order. He also kept everyone's head clear while preaching how important it was to hold off the Avalanche in the first period and how we would eventually wear them down. The plan almost worked to perfection save for a "Steve Smith" type mishap when for the second time in three games a defenseman, Pete "Esa Tikkanen" Giano got caught up with goaltender Adam Mottola that resulted in a gift wrapped 1-0 lead with just one second on the clock of period number one.
Instead of panicking, the Bruins did what they have done all year, they came out flying. Mike Bilbao took advantage of some open ice on a four on four to bag the game tying goal at 11:11 to make it 1-1 after a beautiful break out pass by Sean Grubard. Unfortunately, sloppy play led to three double minor roughing calls against the Bruins midway through the second period that kept the momentum from picking up any steam. Luckily during that time Adam "Vezina" Mottola staved off two breakaways and several odd man rushes to completely seize control of the game once and for all. We knew it and the Avs knew it. Two minutes after the last of the majors Chris "The Floor Doctor" Viscusi capitalized on a rebound shot by the far post as line-mates Marc "The Swede" Hedquist and Johnny "Porn Star" Gaudioso jostled in front. For Viscusi the game winner was a well deserved chippy as lady luck had been busting his hairy ass all year.
With the period winding down, Viscusi's line went on the offensive again as relentless pressure by the newly formed line had Avs players scrambling to clear the zone. They only managed a dump to the corner where Hedquist, who has never seen a shot he didn't like, rifled it at the net where it deflected off the skate of an Avs defender for a backbreaking two goal lead.
The third period was much like the second as the Bruins out-peppered the Avs 25-15 in shots over the last 21 minutes to keep the puck out of their own end. To the Avs credit their goalie had a solid bounce back game and the Bruins would have to settle for only an open netter by Mike Bilbao, his second, to finalize the scoring at 4-1. The only thing left at that point was the cork popping celebration that was made even sweeter by the appearance of Gino "Ganoots" Giambalvo, who just went through a serious surgery and looks great, and Matty DeMauro who finally waded through all the Florida floods to come back home for a brief visit.
The Champion Bruins now wait for the Summer to begin as they will be a two team competitor for the first time as the newly formed LI Saints break the ice while the Bruins take aim at defending their title this summer. Stay tuned to this site as well as the HLI site for info. Kuce will contact you all and inform you on the price for the league.
Notables:
---How serious is Mike Bilbao about working out? He heard they had a special at the NY Health Club on Bicep Curls and he skipped the Championship team Photo to get there!! Look at the picture and see if I'm kidding.
---Kudos to Rich St. Angelo for gutting out a very painful knee injury.
---Krafchin, yeah nice job on the jerseys Fatso!!! :)
---Lightning Lou, great job as usual on the site that we sometimes take for granted.
---A tip of the cap goes to Captain Jack Waslin and Roy "Hangin' with Mr. Cooper" for sharing a celebratory drink with the Bruins.
---Tom Petty and the Black Crowes just called. They said they were sorry that they stole Joe Canino from us.
---Tammany Ales, the new Sideline Grille, and the bartender might just be a "little" more attractive than the guy at the Grille.
---Fantastic season!!!!!!! See everyone soon!!
From the Hockey Long Island website:
D1 League - [draw] | [box scores] | [back to top]
Championship Game
D4 - Bru-Yeah! - Bruins wrap up D League crown with 4-1 grinder over the Avalanche
Raising the LI Cup again after a two year absence, the Bruins needed to work much harder to put away a determined Avalanche squad 4-1 to earn the D1 League championship. This match was vastly different than the previous match-up between these venerable rivals which saw the Bruins blow-out the 'Lanche. For starters, the Avalanche carried a 1-0 lead into the second. Secondly, the Bruins could manage just 4 shot first period shots whereas they previously scored four first period goals. Thirdly, the game was close throughout with the outcome in the balance right up until the Bruins empty-netter to complete the scoring.
The Bruins ultimately had a little too much for the Avalanche and eventually imposed their will in the second. They tied the score 1-1 four minutes into the second on a Mike Bilbao goal, his first of two. But the decisive stretch came later in the middle stanza when D1 League MVP Mark Hedquist led the critical push that put the Bruins in front for good. Hedquist first set-up Chris Viscusi on the far post for the go-ahead. He then potted the insurance tally off a strong fore-check effort. He stick-checked an Avs defenseman to create a successful odd-angle shot that somehow found the back of the net. In the third, however, the Avalanche would not fold. They generated several prime scoring chances but could not put the biscuit behind the formidable Bruin netminder Adam Mottola.
Winner's Bracket
D2 - LI-Bruins bury Avalanche 10-1
Pouncing from the opening, the Bruins scored four times in the first en route to a commanding 10-1 win over the Avalanche. The Avalanche briefly sparked in the second to close to 4-1. The Bruins, however, quickly snuffed any semblance of a rally and coasted to their one-sided victory. Sean Grubard had a hat trick and 2 assists for the Bruins
D1 - Avalanche escape EC Caps 7-6 in overtime
Loser's Bracket D3 - Avalanche foreclose on EC Caps 7-3
Wildcard D0 - EC Caps lord over Minions 9-3
Spring 2005 – Playoff Game One - By Marc Hedquist – June 16, 2005
Bruins Bury Avalanche 10-1
Whether it's the NHL or HLI, playoff hockey tends to bring out the best and worst in teams vying for a piece of that coveted championship hardware. The D-League First Place LI Bruins quickly found out that they were only interested in the playoff positives as they dismembered a hapless Avs squad 10-1 in the opening round of the 2005 Spring Post Season.
M.V.P hopeful Sean Grubard again led the offensive juggernaut as he pumped home a Natural Hat Trick late in the second period to go along with two helpers which were both aptly converted by Mike "Sandals" Bilbao. Fellow line-mate Rich "W............N..B..C!!!" St. Angelo also scored on a neat put-back before leaving the game late in the second with an undisclosed knee injury. Grubard's goals followed each of its predecessors in style and in fashion as he was launching 15 foot rockets like there was a upcoming ban on them, while Bilbao just bullied his way to the net all night long to put home a couple of gimmies.
The second line of Marc Hedquist, Johnny "Hollywood" Gaudioso and Josh "The Troublemaker" Levine also brought their 'A' game as they combined for the remaining four goals. Two were put home by Hedquist on neat redirections after precision passing from Gaudioso while Gaudioso converted a Hedquist redirection for his own goal to break the ice 1-0. Levine's goal however was the talk of the evening as a perceived goal hanging slight apparently was more than a frustrated and demoralized Avs crew could take. Following the goal, Avs Captain Jack "He'll get you high tonight" Waslin went hog wild as he called young Joshua every name in the book. The female anatomy selection was probably the most amusing of the terms chosen. After the dust settled the refs foolishly attempted to restart the game. That lasted about 20 seconds before Brian "The Flying Frenchman" Monette clocked an Avs punk who was crying all night long. Both benches emptied with some minor pushing and shoving before the Avs really went ballistic when Todd "Blumpkin" Krafchin suggested to the Avs that maybe it wouldn't have been such a rout if their goalie stopped the puck once in awhile. Leave it to Krafchin to rile up the fattest kid on the Avs. Caterers have a real knack for doing things like that!
Wisely at that point, the game clock was run down with just over three minutes to play and the LI Bruins found themselves in the Championship for the first time in two years. The game is scheduled for Sunday June 26th 9:15PM at Syosset where the Bruins will play either the EC Caps or the Avs again.
Despite not getting on the scoreboard, serious recognition has to go to defensemen Kenny Santo, Daryl "Heart and Soul" Rubin, Tony Fiumara and Joe "Morry" Canino who did an excellent job in our end all night long. Also, forwards Chris Viscusi, Doc Persak, Lou "Breakaway" D'Arcio and Captain John Kucelin must be credited for their outstanding, hard working efforts. Last, but not least, "As Adam goes so do the Bruins" has become a Bruins mantra for several years as Adam Mottola continues to shine in goal.
The Bruins now sit back and wait, soaking in, at least temporarily, a very satisfying start to the playoffs.
Notables:
---Captain Kuce plans to put up a flyer looking for Pee-Wee players outside the Avs locker-room certainly drew some laughs.
---"Get yourself a new goalie!", who would have thought it would cause such an uproar.
---Can someone maybe bring a water bottle next game?
---Nice benches at Newbridge, if you were playing Pee Wee with the Avs.
---1 More!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! NO LET UP!!!!!!!!
Spring 2005 – Game Twelve - By Marc Hedquist – June 7, 2005
Bruins Snag Regular Season Title
For only the second time in club history the LI Bruins can now call themselves Regular Season Champions after pasting a shorthanded EC Caps squad 7-1 in the Spring finale. More importantly it gives the 20 point(10-2) Bruins the ever-important two game bye as the D-League playoffs begin this week.
The Caps game was an unexpected breeze as they struggled to find just enough skaters before the drop of the puck. Conversely, the Bruins 19-man unit left their bench in a standing room only mode. It was actually laughable as four lines of forwards and three sets of defense re-enacted a quality Twister game as Bruins fought through human cobwebs in order to get their shift in. Fortunately, those aggravating inconveniences aren't such a big deal when you are winning. And since winning a Championship is the only goal after letting the Fall Season disappointingly slip away, most Bruins will make any sacrifice they can to get another piece of hardware for Captain Kucelin's trophy case.
As far as the EC Caps game goes it was over before it started, they knew and we knew it. Team Point Leader Sean Grubard led the way again as he assisted on four of the first five goals, two went to Todd "Blumpkin" Krafchin, one went to Rich "Minor League" St. Angelo and the other went to Mike "The Hulk" Bilbao who gets any nickname he freaking wants!!
Adding to the fun was line number two or better known as the Donut Line, for those not sure what this means you obviously will have to check certain line-mates professions. They were led by Johnny "The T-Shirt King" Gaudioso who ably assisted Lasik Lou D'Arcio and Marc Hedquist as they added to the seven goal explosion. Rounding out the scoring was Brian "Monsieur" Monette who doinked one off the post and in for the loudest goal of the night.
The Bruins now must wait to see how the Minions-EC Caps-Avalanche games play out before they get an opponent. One thing that is set for sure is the date and time. The Bruins will host a 10PM game Wednesday June 15 at Newbridge Arena. Simply put, there can be no letup!!!!
Notables:
---There was definitely a Tommy "Sesame Street" Peterson sighting. I know because I actually talked to him :)
---I can't believe Kuce didn't know who Morry was. I guess he was waiting for the Croatian version of the movie Goodfellas to come out!!!
---Happy fourth 21st birthday to Josh "The Kid" Levine who is going to have more trouble remembering his age than El Duque Hernandez.
---10PM Newbridge Wednesday June 15th---Be Ready!!!!!!!!!
Spring 2005 – Game Eleven - By Marc Hedquist – May 28, 2005
Bruins Overpower Avs, 6-3
With first place at stake the Bruins put together one of their most solid wins of the season as they upended the previously unbeaten Avs 6-3 to remain tied atop the D-League standings with just one to play.
The Bruins enjoyable evening started off rather inauspiciously when defenseman Tony Fiumara and goaltender Adam Mottola got their wires crossed and the result was an embarrassing "Steve Smith Type Own Goal" that gave the Avs a freebie at 12:53 of the first. The Bruins responded quickly just three minutes later taking advantage on the Power Play when Rich "I like this line Kuce. Can I stay?" St. Angelo converted a Sean Grubard goal mouth feed to make it 1-1. Later in the period it was line two's turn when a Marc Hedquist steal at the blue line turned into a Brian "Fat Lip" Monette backhander at 2:05 for a 2-1 lead that the Bruins would never relinquish. The Bruins opened up the offense in the second by scoring three times on ten shots as they scored five unanswered goals to make it 5-1. The first goal came at the hands of Sean "Point Leader" Grubard but realistically it was Mike "The Hulk" Bilbao who deserved all the credit as he maintained corner puck control for nearly 30 seconds while battling two to three Avs who, looking like they were throwing pebbles at King Kong, helplessly tried to wrest control of the puck. Becoming bored with the exhibition Bilbao neatly found a wide open Grubard for a gimme tap-in. Next it was time for some double dipping as Josh "The Kid" Levine scored twice in 2:43 for his first goals of the year. The first was off a typical Todd Krafchin assist who, as always, cranked another rocket off an opposing goaltender that Levine followed up. The second was a similar scenario but this time it was Daryl Rubin who put the point shot on board for Levine to convert. After a brief two goal hiccup to make things unnecessarily close at 5-3 the Bruins offense restored order at 3:04 of the third when Grubard converted his second of the game and team leading 13th goal of the season to put things away once and for all.
The Bruins move on to face the EC Caps for the third time of the year on Sunday June 5th 10:45PM at ICEworks in Syosset in the season finale. At stake is the ever important League Crown as well as a first round bye that would give Championship hopefuls one less game to get there. Strangely no one is sure what the format for the tiebreaker is as the Bruins have more Wins, more goals, less goals given up and the head to head goal differential in their favor against the Avs yet they are still listed as the first place team. A controversy for sure! Not to mention our extra game against the Over 30 C-League Teams that earned us that extra loss. Stay Tuned.
Notables:
---A quiet night at Captain Jacks was enlivened by the better late than never appearance of The Floor Doctor Chris Viscusi whose busy schedule has kept him on the sidelines for the past two weeks.
---More brilliant HLI scheduling lies ahead as the Spring playoffs commences with only weekend games...Unfreaking believable! Apparently the Summer playoffs will be played on Labor Day. DUH!!!!!!
Spring 2005 – Game Ten - By Marc Hedquist – May 22, 2005
Bruins Squeeze Past Bladerunners, 2-1
Any time you play the Bladerunners you know it's going to be a low scoring affair. The latest Bruins-Bladerunners installment was no different as the hack-a-hocks from the Over 30 C-League were once again set to show the Bruins how close you can keep a game despite not having any offensive talent whatsoever. The clutch and grab tactics, the blatant interference, the chippy and dirty play are all part of the 'Runners arsenal.
In years past the Bruins might have wilted but this year is a little different as the Bruins simply have too many solid skaters to shut down. Each week a different player stands up to the challenge when his teammates are stalled. This week's hero was Brian "Massapequa" Monette who scored both of the Bruins goals. The third period goals came at 10:03 on a skate around the net wrister that somehow found a home on the top shelf. That was followed by the game winner at 4:58 which wasn't quite as pretty was it was more than effective. Monette, as usual, had a head of steam towards the goal before being forced around the net. He found himself on the extended goal line where he sent the puck on goal. Fortunately it had just enough zip to squeeze past the Bladerunners goalie, who was an excellent goalie in his own right but still second best to our own Adam Mottola. Like in the past, a hot Mottola guarantees the Bruins a legitimate shot to win any and every game they play. This game a 22 save gem was just another example of Mottola's MVP significance to the Bruins faithful.
The first place Bruins again find themselves tied with the Avalanche (One game in hand) for the third straight week as the season winds down to what should be an exciting dogfight conclusion. The Bruins finish the regular season Wednesday 8:45PM at Cantiague against the Avalanche and then with another tight league game vs. the EC Caps on June 5th, time and place to be determined.
****For those unaware, HLI has crafted a new playoff format for our own D-League. The 4th place and 3rd place teams will play in a Wildcard round, single elimination, with the winner playing the second place team in a three team round robin. Basically what that means is, a first place finish just took on a whole lot more significance as it gives you one less game to claim a Championship. Something the Bruins haven't had a taste of in two years for those of you scoring at home.
Notables:
---Happy 40th to our own Lightning Lou D'Arcio!!!!!!!!
---Welcome back Josh "The Kid" Levine
---The Bladerunners should seriously consider Deck Hockey.
---Dear Kuce, Go F--- Yourself. Love Joe "Morry" Canino
---Dear Morry, Go F--- Yourself. Love Kuce.
---Sorry about the Chicken Tenders Kenny, but if you snooze you lose, The Swede.
---Powder Blue Jerseys, 10 pounds in weight before sweating, a stripe on one sleeve only, not to mention we look like a Roller Hockey team, that begs a question...ARE ALL OF YOU OUT OF YOUR F---ING MINDS???????
---Dear Tommy Peterson, the situation is becoming untenable. Please call Kuce with your intentions.
Spring 2005 – Game Nine - By Marc Hedquist – May. 13, 2005
Bruins Pop Caps 7-3
The Bruins finished the season series with the EC Caps by posting their second big win against the D-League newcomers 7-3. However, like in the first meeting, the score was not really indicative of how close the games actually were. In both games, Adam Mottola's clutch saves kept the Caps at bay while the Bruins offense seemed to take advantage of every opportunity that was presented. The Bruins raced out to a 5-0 lead as Mike Bilbao recorded a hat trick which included a shorthanded effort. Sean Grubard increased his team leading goals total to 11 as he scored again. Brian Monette slipped two more gems between the pipes and Marc Hedquist scored off the rebound of a Todd Krafchin laser that nearly decapitated the goalie to round out the scoring.
The Bruins now sit tied atop the D1 standings with 14 points with the Avalanche who still have a game in hand as both teams desperately try to snag the Division Title. The Bruins finish their crossovers this Tuesday at Newbridge when they face-off against the Bladerunners, HLI's favorite hacks. Game-time is 10:30PM.
Notables:
---I will have to graciously defer to Lightning Lou on this week's notables.
---Line of the Night (according to Kucelin) – “Get off the ice, Spliffy!” (Lightning Lou shouting to Pete Giano during an over-long shift).
Spring 2005 – Game Eight - By Marc Hedquist – May 1, 2005
Bruins Double Stars 8-4
The Bruins climb to the top of the D-league standings continued after a successful showing against the LI Stars. The depleted Stars are no longer the same team they once were but they still scrap enough to make the Bruins earn their points. The perpetually shorthanded Bruins were basically held in check for most of the first period as they managed only a 1-0 lead after the first of Sean Grubard's four goals halfway through the period. Making the shorthanded matters worse was everyone's favorite hot tempered Swede Marc Hedquist who was assessed 14 minutes in penalties after cold cocking a Stars turd. Hedquist did take solace in the fact that Joe Canino no longer leads the team in PIM's.
Todd "Kiss Me Cam" Krafchin made it 2-0 early in the second when he scored another of his patented point shot blasts. Two minutes later Hedquist, taking a feed from Pete "Mr. Vacation" Giano while shorthanded, knuckle-pucked a wrister through the five hole of Stars goaltender Thor, God of Thunder, who was more interested in face guarding players then stopping pucks.
The Stars finally got on board one minute later as one of their forwards snuck in the back door for an easy tap-in. Grubard quickly rectified that situation as he scored on the Power Play late in the second on a brilliant end to end rush that left Stars defenders standing at the station. Thirty seconds later Captain Kucelin cashed in on a rebound goal that neatly dropped in front of an empty Stars net. That brought the Bruins to period number three with a commanding 5-1 lead.
Adam Mottola, in his quest to make a game of things in the final stanza, allowed a red line dump-in skip past him for a 5-2 lead which gave the Stars some false hope. That was eagerly settled down by Lightning Lou D'Arcio who mirrored Kucelin's goal with his own slam dunk put-back for a second four goal lead. For Lightning it was his first of the season.
Strangely, Mottola remained disinterested in Lightning's exploits and promptly gave up another red line dump-in goal. Mottola's mishaps were apparently attributed to a lower leg injury. Since Mottola has been with the Bruins he has never had those kinds of mishaps so his excuse is hereby given a full pardon.
Sean Grubard made sure that the Stars had no illusions of a full comeback as he put up two more highlight reel goals to give the B's an 8-3 lead that finished up 8-4. The Bruins now wait nearly two weeks for their next big match-up when they meet the charged up EC Caps on May 10, 2005 at Iceworks in Syosset at 11:00PM.
Notables:
---SPECIAL THANKS TO MATT RUBIN FOR KEEPING SCORE!!!!!!!!!
---Try to guess which Bruin came up with the quote of the year, "I betcha that chick has Beef Curtains!"
---Bruins treated to both "Large" and "Marge" in the same bar.
---Speaking of, there were several bar stools that simply "didn't have a chance!"
---The Mistress of Tammany Ales looked fetching in her purple jumpsuit. (Two words-Control Top)
---In addition to "Large" there were several faces that only a mother could love including Lap Dance Louise who had her sights on Ringo Starr for most of the night until a fetching Bruins defenseman offered words of praise.
---The Swede reveled in Jim Morrison Night as the Doors cranked on the jukebox.
---The good music and sights obviously prompted 718 Todd to acknowledge a good LI bar when he sees one. Certainly that was "Some nice Butt-ercupping Action!"
---The Sports Authority called, Adam your new sticks will be ready before our next game. :)
---Chris Viscusi has officially requested that he be taken off Lightning's Line. Viscusi simply can't keep up with Lou anymore.
Spring 2005 – Game Seven - By Marc Hedquist – April 23, 2005
Bruins Win Tear-Jerker 5-2
For the second time in a month the Bruins played a Minions squad that was out way past their bed-time. The accommodating 8:30PM start time afforded the first 12 sets of Minions parents to get in free, each were given a souvenir HLI Puck signed by Commissioner John Reda. It made last night's game the first in HLI history to have a team literally play in a hostile environment. The Family evening contributed to an over excited lot of Minions who only got more annoying when they scored 35 seconds into the game. While the shorthanded Bruins (7 players missing) sorted out lines, the Minions found themselves in a rare three on one situation which they aptly converted on.
Four minutes later the Bruins found their groove as Ken "Mr. Jay" Santo finished off a nice tic-tac-toe play with Chris "Fur Boy" Viscusi and Marc "Fur Boy II" Hedquist to even it at 1-1. The Bruins focused more on defense the rest of the period knowing they would be short on man power the entire game. That situation only got worse when Joe Canino rudely broke up Family Night. After getting tangled up in the corner, Joe's stick accidentally clipped a Minions forward who was none too happy about the transgression. As they exchanged blows, Joe was jumped from behind by the puke's cowardly brother. Bruin teammates quickly removed the first Minion from the play while Joe Louis Canino went to town. One broken nose and a handful of tears later Joe was ejected and half of the crowd at Family Night was yelling at Joe. Joe in his infinite wisdom instructed an elderly spectator to "go home and have a stroke you old f--k!" Well put young Joseph! Unfortunately there is no truth to the rumor that Joe also took the kid's lunch money. In all seriousness if a kid is going to play dirty with the big boys then he is going to get his head handed to him.
After the fireworks settled down the Bruins found themselves shorthanded. Instead of continuing their defensive play the Bruins took to the attack. Several shorthanded chances were turned aside before Tommy "Cameo" Peterson cashed in just as time expired on the Bruins penalty. He was ably assisted by Lou "Leotard" D'Arcio and Daryl "The Quiet Assassin" Rubin who performed admirably in an extended role.
Two minutes later the Bruins found themselves down a man again. As the Bruins cleared the puck, forward Marc Hedquist pressured the goalie in the corner who lost the biscuit in his feet. Hedquist snagged it and quickly headed towards the unmanned goal. The chance for a goal seemed imminent. Unfortunately a thrown stick knocked the puck aside. The ensuing result was the first penalty shot in LI Bruins history. Hedquist quickly summoned Fur Boy Viscusi to do the honors but was denied by the officials. Having to stickhandle with everyone watching, Hedquist had two choices. He could use the Youngblood move or he could use the Mighty Ducks Triple Deke Move. Instead he went in at a pace that made Lightning Lou look like Eric Heiden. After a brief fake to the left, Hedquist lifted the puck just under the armpit of the lefty goalie for a less than stellar but still successful penalty shot. The goal gave the Bruins a 3-1 lead that found a friend just three minutes later when Todd "The Gooser" Krafchin blasted a rocket from the point that nearly tore a hole in the back of the net for a commanding 4-1 lead.
Having seized control of the game the Bruins sat back in the defensive mode the rest of the way. Only a bit of comic relief broke the monotony when another high schooler crashed into the boards and acted as if he broke every bone in his body. The laughable tears could be heard at the bench. After some treatment and a Happy Ending from Captain Kucelin the little Piss Ant skated off. Kuce would like to say "You’re welcome for the help you little bitch!"
Peterson added his second of the night halfway through the third and the Minions closed out the scoring with a meaningless goal at 1:51. The handshakes were without incident, and now we had to go find Joe. Unfortunately, by this time he had beaten up the kid's girlfriend, both maternal grandparents, the Labrador retriever and the neighbor's ferret. He did, however, leave the goldfish alone and as an added bonus he scored some digits off the young punk's MILF. Way to go Sparky!!!!
The Bruins traveling circus returns to the ice next Friday April 29th, 10:45PM @ Newbridge, where they meet the LI Stars.
Notables:
---You knew it was going to be an odd night when the locker-room ceiling collapsed. Only at Iceland!!
---Herb and Sherm, "Dude, Where's My Car?"
---In “The Where Are They Now?” Category, the Lucas looking kid from Little Giants is now playing forward with the Minions. His late second period appearance was due to a casting call mix-up with Little Giants Part II.
---Playing Hockey can be educational as Joe Canino now knows what Rhinoplasty is.
---Krafa Krafchin gets a two-minute minor for goosing the 8-fingered Swede during the third period action. Hey Now!!!
---The Bruins post game celebration was made even more special when Carrie Underwood from American Idol stopped by to congratulate the boys.
---Viscusi's wailing cries for Buffalo Fingers and Cheese Fries sadly went unanswered.
---New on the TR's Menu - Deep-fried Alligator Penis. Kenny says "They're to die for!"
---Hedquist's spatula shaped digit fails to hit the right button on the video quiz game and costs the N---ga Please Team 18,000 Points.
---In order to solve the problem, Lightning Lou and Fur Boy Viscusi opted for the TV version of the Nursery school magazine Highlights. Now find the pictures you little paisans.
---Dear Captain Kucelin, You can wipe that Blue Cheese Jizz off your face now!!!! :)
Spring 2005 – Game Six - By Marc Hedquist – Mar. 23, 2005
Bulldogs Collar Bruins 2-1
The Bruins second venture against an Over 30-C League team did not go as well as planned as the mighty Bulldogs physical play and clutch and grab tactics were simply too much for the Bruins too overcome.
Solid defense on kept both sides in check and chances at a minimum. Slippery moves by Zdeno Chara and Jacques LeFreak gave the Bulldogs all the offense they needed as Rich "Minor League Man" St. Angelo's late goal was not enough for the B's on this night.
The disappointing no calls early on set the tone for an evening where only the strongest would survive. It was not the Bruins on this night. The bruins now find themselves in a three way tie with the Avalanche (2 games in hand) and EC caps for the top spot in the Spring D-League.
Next game is Saturday April 23rd against the Minions at Iceland 8:30PM
Notables:
---Despite the Loss, Mike would like to give a shout out to his Posse! For the older Bruins Mike is saying that he would like to say hello to his many friends.
---First Santoism of the year is "I was a force to be reckoned with and they didn't score against me.
---Apparently Pistol Pete Giano's cure-all for a burning bunghole is a baby wipe. Thanks for sharing G-Man!!
---Attention all Cars there is a statewide A.P.B on Tommy "The Pugilist" Peterson.
Spring 2005 – Game Five - By Marc Hedquist – April 12, 2005
The Bucs Stop Here 5-3
After a four game swing in the D-League the Spring Bruins ventured off into the world of the Over 30 Bucs for the first time in two seasons. The Bucs, who could have easily been placed in the Over 40 League, have had the Bruins number in the past going 5-1 against them since 1998. They always play a strong stay at home game that involves a lot of physical play. This usually bogs down the Bruins and produces a real bad match-up.
This started off as another one of those times as the Bucs struck first and brought a 1-0 lead to the second period. But unlike years past, the Bruins, with their new infusion of youth, simply wore down the Bucs until it was time to turn it up a notch. So after trading two goals apiece in the second, one by Brian "Massapequa" Monette and the other by Todd "The Talented Fat Kid" Krafchin the Bruins switched to two lines for the third period and completely dominated the final six minutes of play. First they got the tying goal at 5:31 when Krafchin launched a missile off the shoulder of the Bucs goalie to even it at 3-3, then they got the game winner on Monette's second of the game after taking advantage of a line change.
On the goal, Krafchin head-manned the puck to Marc "8 Fingers" Hedquist who quickly redirected it to the hard charging Monette. Monette broke in one on two at the blue line and split the defenders like a 40-yard field goal before deking the Bucs netminder for the game winner. "Crabby" Chris Viscusi's 100-foot empty netter finalized the stat sheet.
The win moves the Bruins back into a tie for first with the idle Avalanche. The Bruins high velocity schedule keeps them in the Over 30 C League for the second straight time this Saturday as they meet Commissioner Reda's Bulldogs. Game time is 10PM April 16th at ICELAND.
Notables:
---Emergency 911 Lollipops now being sold by The Captain
---If Lollipops run low Eeyore promises to lend a hand.
---First Rich was unemployed now he has two jobs getting in the way.
---Tonight we were the first team ever in the history of hockey to get 3 unsportsmanlike penalties in one game without ever actually hitting anyone. Only in HLI.
---How the Hell can this be a big game if we have already clinched a playoff spot???
Spring
2005 – Game Four - By Marc Hedquist –
April 9, 2005
Avs Stonewall Bruins 4-2
The first big match-up of the Spring season pitted the high-flying Bruins against the defensive minded Avs who have had the Bruins number recently. Unfortunately, the Bruins were once again, left scratching their receding hairlines as they failed to break the code of the suddenly dominant Avs netminder.
The 4-2 loss drops the Bruins into second as they will play out their second straight season with a guaranteed playoff spot so other than damaging their psyche, the loss doesn't hurt very much.
Despite getting 35 shots on goal, which was a season high, the Bruins were only able to muster a Brian Monette unassisted lamp lighter and a Rich St. Angelo put-back which came too little too late to get the Bruins out of the hole. As with past Avs games the Bruins inability to stay out of the box came back to haunt them as they were forced to kill off two separate four minute slashing penalties. Although only one Power Play goal was scored the defensive mindset kept the Bruins offense in check when it should have been attacking.
An early 1-0 lead for the Bruins was never extended as good goaltending and the silly penalties broke the Bruins stride. The Avs sandwiched in three goals between the Bruins two, the last of which by St. Angelo at 3:50 of the third gave the Bruins life that was only short-lived as the Avs wrapped things up with an empty netter with 11 seconds left.
It was certainly a well-played game against an opponent that does respect us as we do them so hopefully we can race neck and neck with them to the wire in order to make a fun, challenging Spring season sprint to the finish line.
Notables:
---Kuce says bring your money$$$$$....Again!!!!
---There has been a hockey A.P.B. issued for Tommy Peterson...Again!!!!
---Mr. J's dynamic duo is back in stride...Again!!!!
---Pass the puck, Lou was open...Again!!!
Spring 2005 – Game Three - By Marc Hedquist – Apr. 4, 2005
Bruins Shellac Minions, 14-3.
The Bruins early season dominance continued as they lambasted a Minions squad that was out way past their bedtime. When the front doors to Parkwood Arena say first 500 kids under 18 get in free you know the game is going to be an odd one.
As it turned out the Bruins also caught a break when the Minions regular goaltender didn't show up. This led to an absolute blowout that did nothing more than allow guys to pad stats and break out of slumps. Once Rich "Centerman" St. Angelo returned to Lightning Lou D'Arcio's first line all the pieces fell into place as St. Angelo notched 3 points, 2 goals and an assist. Line-mates Marc "I'll Fight Your Dad" Hedquist (2 goals) and D'Arcio (2 assists) rounded out the line's 7 point night.
Line number two's success was once again spearheaded by Sean "Sit Down" Grubard who split his night with 2 goals and 2 assists. His line-mates Captain John Kucelin (1 goal) and Mike "I will undress you if you piss me off" Bilbao (1 goals and 2 assists) added to the spectacular performance by keeping constant pressure on the bedazzled Minions. Captain Kucelin has been especially motivated since this new infusion of youth. Hopefully, Mr. Sour Apple can convince Commissioner Reda to leave us in D.
The third line saw the return of the Doctor Persak and Pete "Esa Tikkanen" Giano. Coupled with Johnny "Hollywood" Gaudioso, who has shown what a difference he would have made last season, they all registered a goal apiece to add to the rout.
On defense, Todd "Crafa" Krafchin scared lives with lethal slapshots and big hits before scoring 2 goals of his own to go with an assist. Newcomer Scott “Matt LeBlanc” Koenigsberg, who should own a Brewery with a name like that, was a fun addition to the team as he filled in admirably for Adam "Box Seats" Mottola who was at the Stadium watching the Yankees blast the BoSox. That in itself is worth missing the game.
The Bruins rather quick schedule moves to this Wednesday April 6th at Cantiague 10:45PM as they meet the Avalanche in the last of their D-League opponents. Stay tuned to see if we go around again.
Notables:
---Bring Your Checks says Kuce the Accountant.
---No bar.... No Notables!
Spring 2005 – Game Two - By Marc Hedquist – Mar. 29, 2005
Bruins Blast Stars 7-0
The transformation continues!
The New LI Bruins recorded their second straight rout. This time a 7-0
whitewash, which came at the expense of their long time rivals the LI Stars.
At this point in time the Bruins are pretty much caught between a piss and a
fart as their legion of doom line makes them a tough nut crack in the
D-League but probably not enough to grab a title in the very talented and
very physical C-League. Realistically, the unlucky Bruins might be heading
towards a whirlwind.
After game one's breakout performance in which they totaled 9 points, the Bruins Fab Four of Mike Bilbao, Brian Monette, Tony Fiumara and Sean Grubard lit up the stat sheet again with a 7 point performance. The star this time was Sean Grubard who scored 4 goals. Each goal was prettier than the next as LI Stars' defensemen were toyed with all night long. Brian Monette was also especially crafty in starting the rush as his repeated transitions were tough for Bruins players to keep up let alone Stars forwards.
Certainly pleased with the new
high flying talent is Captain John Kucelin, who not only engineered several
of the moves but watched excitingly as several of his tip and touch passes
were converted into goals. Kucelin, who has stepped up his game in the past
two weeks, benefited greatly on the score sheet as he notched 3 helpers.
Johnny "Porn Star" Gaudioso cranked home his third goal of the season to
remind all Bruins that he is back as well.
The Bruins next move on to
play the Minions April 3rd at Parkwood at 10:10PM. Hopefully the Bruins can
put another win together...just not by too many goals!
Notables:
---Oscar the
Grouch...more like Oscar the Rack!!!!!
----The Bruins
have a new skim milk carton that they are sponsoring. This time however,
Rich St. Angelo's (Missing in Action) face will appear :)
---Can someone
please call me before the next game since I am apparently to retarded to
read a schedule!!!!!
---According to Tommy Peterson, I had a reason why I was late... I was ironing my shirt.
Spring 2005 –
Game One
Bruins
Dish Out Capital Punishment 11-5
After the disappointing finish in the Fall Season, the revamped Bruins returned with a vengeance in the Spring 2005 opener as they pounded the EC Caps 11-5 in the teams first ever meeting.
Newcomers Brian Monette (3 assists), Mike Bilbao (3 goals), Tony Fiumara (2 assists) and Sean Grubard (1 assist) combined for 9 points in their first game, in what many Bruins veterans hope, will be the beginning of a long successful career for all four players. The fresh blood brought a sense of optimism that had recently come into question since the exit of long time stalwarts Anthony Anastasio and Billy Honig. Hopefully, all four guys will be able to make the permanent commitment. Bilbao was especially impressive as he simply undressed EC Cap defenders on his 2nd and 3rd goals.
Of course some of the old guard was also itching to get back in the mix in order to prove that the playoff failure would be rectified as soon as possible. Todd "The Caterer" Krafchin got the ball rolling (puck sliding?) early when he scored on a patented Krafa rocket from the point. He followed that goal up with 4 assists for a 5-point statement game. Johnny "Hollywood" Gaudioso made a Dirk Diggler cameo as he scored his first two goals as a law-abiding citizen to add a little offensive spice to the evening. Ken "Sanitsanto" Santo played his typical hard-nosed game as he notched his first of the season to go along with two helpers.
Tommy "The Pugilist" Petersen,
Chris "MVP" Viscusi and Marc "Puck Magnet" Hedquist also tapped twine to
make sure they kept pace with the New Jones'. Of course any time Hedquist is
on the ice something funny, unusual, or supernatural is bound to happen.
Last night was no different as Hedquist scored a natural Hat Trick in 1:18
on the same shift. The first of which came off a point shot from "Bobby
Hull" Krafchin that ricocheted off his arm as he dove for cover. The next
two came after great passes by Santo and Krafchin again. Sometimes it is
better to be lucky than good.
Now despite all of the scoring
the Bruins sole success always goes hand in hand with the play of Adam
Mottola. And, as usual, he kept a tight game in check until the Bruins
finally broke out. The five goals against him should be proof enough that
the Caps had some legitimate firepower.
It is still too early to tell
which direction this season is going to take but the Bruins should have a
little better indicator when they meet their good friends the LI Stars this
Monday March 28th 8PM at Cantiague Park.
Notables:
---In the “Funny man” category,
Despondent Rich cracking a grin after the 18th telling of the Verbal Kint
Affair was worth its weight in gold.
---In the “No Shit Sherlock”
category, Lou proclaims, "I have never scored 3 goals in a game yet".... no
you’re kidding? :)
---In the “They give this guy a
weapon?” category, Johnny Porn Star states, "I didn't show up for the
playoffs because some guys would lose ice time. They lose ice time if we
DON'T win also!!!!!
---All is joy in Bruinville right now but one game does not a season make!!!!!!