A Nice Start to the New Year for Black Hawk Hockey

Travis Triplett

  Nothing rings in the brand new year like walking over your opposition's limp carcass. Just ask the Black Hawk Ice Hawks.
  Black Hawk, eager to put a trying 2004 behind them, started off 2005 right with a dominating 4-1 victory over Ice Armor. The game was surrounded by enormous controversy when it was discovered that Ice Armor, a lifetime 0-23 at the Ice Centre, was moved down to the C2 division during the season-a move that was unprecedented and unexpected. Their season was moving at the same pace as the NHL's negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement.
  "All I can say about the whole thing is that there will be some serious yelling and screaming should they win the championship," said Chris "Roach" Edinger.
  However, with the brilliant team play of the Ice Hawks, few will have any worries about the new team on the C2 division block. One Mountain Redshirt would see to it that their futility streak remained intact.
  "We will give these guys a rude welcome tonight," said Adam Carr.
  "There is no way we are going to become their first victim. They will be 0-24 by the time this night is over."
  It looked like Ice Armor would have a chance at snapping their record-losing streak when they tallied a goal four minutes into the game. Black Hawk seemed to have the look of a deer staring in the headlights as they saw Ice Armor taking control.
  "There is nothing more dangerous than a wounded animal," said Tim Staples.  "Ice Armor had nothing to lose. We had to play with urgency throughout."
  Black Hawk saw their opportunity to tie the game on the power play and capitalized.  Ladd fired a shot from the point but missed the net. After ricocheting off of the boards, the puck ended up on the stick of Jim Avers. He soon had the Ice Armor net minder searching in vain for his athletic supporter as Avers tied the game at 1-1.
  Black Hawk would put the game away in the third period thanks to an Ice Armor miscue. Black Hawk stole the puck deep in the offensive zone and dished the puck to Jeff Moeller. All Moeller saw was open space the size of Gilpin County. He hit top shelf to give the Ice Hawks the lead for good.
  "I would have never heard the end of that if I missed the net," said Moeller, who played in his first game with Black Hawk after lending his services for the Marauders last season; one of Black Hawks' rivals when they played in the C4 division. Avers would add an insurance goal to pad the Ice Hawk lead.
  As Black Hawk built the insurmountable advantage, Roach put on a clinic between the pipes. After allowing the first goal of the game, he caught fire and made some mind-boggling saves, much to the chagrin of Ice Armor. It didn't matter where the puck was. Roach had some piece of goalie equipment swatting the shots away.  Ice Armor was going to have to find another place to deposit their trash as they continually heard from Black Hawk's net minder where they could put their offense. To add some spice to the game, he would, you guessed it, trip somebody in the crease and earn himself a penalty and accompanying five dollar fine.
  Ice Armor would find out the hard way about the devastating impact of a Tony Reda slap shot. A "Reda Special" deflected off of an Ice Armor player's cranium and the blow knocked him out temporarily. Even with a helmet and a full cage, he was still lacerated from the impact. However, he would stay in the game.
  Everybody: He's a hockey player.
  Jeff Pershin also made his mark on the game with some swift and blinding violence. An Ice Armor player had the misfortune of receiving a painful check from Pershin and found himself with some slush on his rear end and his eyes focusing on the rafters. It seems Carr and Reda aren't the only ones who can dish out punishment.
  With a minute remaining in the game, Ice Armor went for broke and pulled the goalie in order to gain an extra attacker. In the waning seconds Carr took a shot from near the other end of the rink at the Ice Armor goal. He fired a prayer toward the empty net and found the back of the cage. Cheers erupted as Carr finished demonstrating his sharpshooter skills. He wanted to celebrate by rearranging someone's dental work, but time expired
before he could dish out some brutality.
  "His grin was so big I thought his face was going to split down the middle," said Mike Wanner.
  The Black Hawk Ice Hawks hope to carry the momentum into Sunday's contest against the Conquistadors. Come on down to the Sun Microsystems Ice Centre for a 3:15 contest off of 104th and Highway 36. “It's your town and it's your team, so see ya there!”