LANDON HOCKEY 2 MOUNT SAINT JOE’S 1

A couple of thoughts are relevant as precursors to discussing tonight’s game:

• Every team that plays the Bears this season will have the game circled on its calendar-As a group of nice teenage boys, competitive as they may be, it is HARD to keep the pedal to the floor when you score two quick goals

• Landon has won 36 straight games

• Landon is the DEFENDING MAPHL and IAC champions

• The WaPo ranks the team #1

These thoughts are not meant excuses, but observations hopefully explaining why today’s match against MSJ was a little underwhelming. Equally importantly, this match was an opportunity for the Landon players and the coaches to recognize that all MAPHL and IAC opponents have the talent to come back against an early lead.

The Bears took the ice with a full complement of Fs and Ds plus two healthy Gs. MSJ had only ten skaters, so when the Brown “sweatered” visitors scored a goal only 29 seconds into the game and only 3 minutes later upped the score to 2-0, the Bears may have easily forecast that this early trend meant a lot of goals in the 46 remaining minutes. To add to that overconfidence, GoalieORLANDO AREVALO did not face a shot on goal until 6:06 of the 1^st period. The Bears D stifled all Gaels effort to enter the visitors’ O Zone and forechecking by all 5 Landon skaters kept the puck in their O zone for most of the period.  

END OF 1^ST PERIOD LANDON 2 MSJ 0; SOGs: L 16 MSJ 4

The Bear control of the puck continued for much of the 2^nd period with lots of great forechecking, erasing Gael initiatives by stealing the puck and good body checks. Offensively, the boys in Brown made a lot of clever passes (maybe too clever) and cycled the puck well. Unfortunately, the end results of these offensive forays tended to be wrist shots up into the protective nets above the boards or booming slapshots wide of the goal. MSJ heard the first referee’s whistle and effectively dealt with the Bears’ power play. [Also, it seems that the Landon faces goalies that all must be related to Kenny Dryden.]

A nice MSJ breakout pass moved the puck up into the Landon D zone and a big slapshot dented the net @ 5:57

END OF 2^ND PERIOD LANDON 2 MSJ 1; SOGs: L 8 MSJ 4

While the Bears’ forwards offensive maneuvers and the occasional defenseman’s rush resulted in no more goals. The Landon defense and their young goalie were stalwart. There was a late Landon penalty and the aggressive forechecking on the man down team resulted in some of the better offensive opportunities.

FINAL SCORE LANDON 2 MSJ 1; total SOGs: L34 MSJ 12

Landon Scoring

Time of goal               goal scorer                 assists                                     

@ 14:31                       ISAAC PORTER                       CHRISTIAN MEIKE, JOHN WELLINGTON

@ 11:48                       DAVID LACKNER                  JOEL ROSENZWEIG, JACK BARTON

THAT’S A BEAR AWARD—  in a night in which the Landon defense held onto a lead for 46 minutes, quite, stay-at-home defensive play was critical to the victory. On a day on which he was named a semi-finalist for the incredibly competitive, national Intel Science Talent Search (for details, click onhttp://www.landon.net/cf_news/view.cfm?newsid=898),  it may be a little underwhelming for MIKE ANDERSONto receive the somewhat less prestigious THAT’S A BEAR award for his protection of the Landon goalie, his careful, but aggressive play at the blue line and overall solid, smart play!

BEARS v. GONZAGA 1/25 4:30PM @ FT, DuPONT