Sunday Afternoon Broomball - Evil Petting Zoo

Sunday Afternoon Broomball - Lake Nokomis
(Evil Petting Zoo, Captain: Ian Gilby)

Date	Time	Opponent	Record	How'd we do?
Jan. 6	12:30 PM	Little Blue Can	1-0	This porridge is too cold (Van Cleave)... this porridge is too hot (Nokomis)... okay, you get the point, but it's sure better to be on the winning end. EPZ started the season out with a bang (for once) dominating a non-fully shoed Little Blue Can (a young, less "mature" EPZ perhaps?) 9-0. All around... good play with some great ball movement (practice makes perfect?).Highlights included a hat trick by Mr. Gilby, some wicked shots by Pants, (what I believe is) the first non-tourney goals from Hatti (top-shelf) and Jeffrey and a shutout pitched by the two-headed dragon (anyone remember Super Bowl?) of Bic and Steph. Impressive... and despite a bit of a breeze, pretty darn fun. Chaska... here we come!
Jan. 13	2:30 PM	Blue Banshees	2-0	Splish Splash... last one in the pool has to do Steph's laundry! On ice that was surpassingly fast in spots (and surpassingly wet in others ("you can see down to the sand!" - Mad Hatter)), EPZ jumped out to another impressive win (course, it was the same opponent as last week). The game started out a bit tighter, but in the end, was another shutout route (11-0?). So far, we're averaging 10 goals a game (can we keep it up?). Highlights included Teeth (or lack of) with another handful of pretty goals, Joey and Stan adding a few more points, Jeff keeping his goal-scoring streak alive, the gals not even allowing a shot on D and a bribe of two pitchers of beer if we give them a goal (which we didn't. Now who's got their priorities out of whack?). No matter. Good playing.
Jan. 20	1:30 PM	Broom-Ha-Has	3-0	(from Bill) We kicked some more butt in broomball. The team had only one guy with broomball shoes, but the BEST GOALIE EVER! No exaggeration - he was f'n awesome. (now, from me) Highlights included tropical drinks on the beach, my first SCUBA lesson and some nasty peeling due to excess sun exposure.
Jan. 27	1:30 PM	Team Gilligan	4-0	After a little private investigating, here's what I found. We kicked again (and this team had shoes!). Highlights included Nikko (the Jodi variety) leading off the scoring with a pretty goal, Gilby with a couple of hat tricks and Pants finishing them off with the shot of the season. Interesting enough... we still have yet to give up a goal.
Feb. 3	11:00 am	It's a Wonderful Life	5-0	Six minutes versus four and a half games... the difference between how long it took to give up our first goal last year versus the our first opponent's goal this year (and it was a laser shot at that). Yes, riding Jeff's "let the other guys f-up" philosophy (it's a "Texas Rules" kind of thing), EPZ closed out what must be our first undefeated regular season. Craig, using sheer determination muscled in the first two goals. Gilby made it three with a sweet one on four breakaway. Pants added like his eight goal of the season, and the day was finished off with a scrappy goal by Nikko (the Jodi variety) at the buzzer. "Nice Try" "Good Touch" "Your Heart was in the Right Place" "Theoretically Correct" - No matter... it's time for the play-offs. Bring your A-game and team spirit (ala the Patriots?), and leave your curse words for the ref (who me?), poisonous miniature elephants and booze at home. See you Wednesday.
Feb. 6	8:00 pm	Conzinga	6-0	"Cover number nine!" "Watch number nine!" - You can try, but it's not going to happen. Gilby (a.k.a. number nine) got the scoring starting for with two quick goals (and helped to relax a very serious EPZ). Bill added another with one of his patented bouncy-spinners that has made him a menace in the pro circuits. Sclich added a fourth with a top-shelf blast and Gilby put the nail in the coffin (overused?) after receiving a beautiful feed from Hatti. Couple this with the shutdown D of the gals and some quick-reflex keeping by Mr. Hembre, and we give you the final score of 5-1 (we can't all win in a 20 minute, excruciatingly slow, overtime). Good way to start the play-offs... so let's keep it going. As Leif exclaimed last night "Let's Take This Thing!"
Feb. 7	7:00 pm & 8:00 pm	12 Minute Penalty & Never Win Face-Off	8-0	To be honest, I don't remember too many details (too excited?) or what happened when, but it sure was a spectacular night of EPZ broomball. We won the first game 7-4 (after GOTW officially recognized Jonny's goal) and took the second game 7-3. EPZ was led by the "not-visible by the human eye" reflexes of our goalie Leif (a Phoenix rising from the ashes?) who kept us in both games early on. Other highlights (again, garbled) included Steph with her donkey back kick from all fours for the steal, Stevens second goal that capped the night, Gilby scoring on an impossible angle, Hatti launching a shot that blew by the keeper and Craig scoring on a coast-to-coast goal that pulled us away in game two (and allowed me to let out some of the butterflies in my stomach). I also wanted to say that I had a great time tonight (sure, winning helps). I even loved cheering from the sidelines when someone scored... high-fiving, hugging, smiling (course, it's nice after being nervous and serious all day). It was great to look around at everyone so excited. Except of course, the person who made the save, stole the ball or scored the goal... they always seemed to stay the most modest. Now, that's a pretty cool team to be a part of (and heck, we've got some game too!). Keep it up... one more to go.
Feb. 12	9:30 pm	Something With Seafood	8-1	Recap