KC Scouts Friendly Game against the Saints - New Years Eve

KC Scouts 0 - Saints 1

It's New Years Eve! Can you believe it? While some of you are getting ready for a crazy night ringing in the new year, and others are planning a quiet night at home, we are plotting our hockey weekend! Alex is playing games all weekend long, and we wouldn't have it any other way! He will be playing both as a KC Scout (Friday and Saturday) and as a St. Joe Griffon on Sunday. So, get ready, there will be lots of pictures, lots of action and hopefully very little time spent in the penalty box!

Today, Alex played as a KC Scout! It was a GREAT game!

The KC Scout team is made up of players from 3 houses - St. Joe (Alex's team), The Outlaws and Pepsi Stars. It is an impressive team that has only played 1 other game together. This weekend, they are having a "friendly" tournament with the KC Saints. (This is Alex's former team). I'm not sure how friendly it will be, but it will be exciting!

We showed up at our old house - Line Creek - home of the Kansas City Saints. Alex played for this house for 2+ years before moving north to play for St. Joseph. It was kind of fun coming back to Line creek - getting to see faces we hadn't seen in a while and getting to see some of the boys that Alex had been playing with for the last couple of years. Once they got on the ice though, there was no memory of being former team mates - both teams were out to WIN!

Denny was nice enough to get me access to the Penalty Box to take pictures (seems fitting doesn't it...) so I was in the thick of it for the entire game. We only had 1 player in the box for the entire game! (But, I think I may have made the dad who was working the penalty box a little bit mad, because his son is who ended up in there. When he got out, I asked him if he usually spent time in the box (because lord knows my child does!) Needless to say the dad quickly responded "NO" and didn't speak to me the rest of the game. Note to self - don't ask that question tomorrow...

Even though I wasn't making friends or influencing people, I was getting some great shots of the boys playing their hearts out!

This was a great match up of skills - both teams had to work hard to control the puck and keep it on their opponents end of the ice, so the crowd was able to watch an exciting game all 3 periods.



Wyatt staring down his competition



The one thing the Saints team has in their favor is that their goalie is most likely the best in the city. Of around 100 shots on goal, he has only let about 6 in... this isn't good odds for our team...



That's what happens when you mess with a KC Scout!



Somebody is going to get the puck!

Alex even had time to pose for the camera...

Mom, stop taking pictures of me!

But most of the time, Alex was all business...

Here's how a hockey player really looks...

In the end, both teams did great - but the Saints did get 1 into the net. Hey, we will take 1 scored against us - this is an outstanding team. They just better be ready for us tomorrow!

That's all for now!

Happy New Years! And PLEASE... tonight of all nights - definitely stay out of the penalty box!

Week 10: St. Joseph Giffons vs. Carriage Club

St. Joe 0 - Carriage Club 5

Hi everybody! I kind of fell off the blogger planet and am finally back! It has been crazy busy at the Bowman house in the last 2 months but hockey has continued to be the mainstay of our weekends. I've even taken alot of pictures, but I've just not managed to get them posted out for the world to see...


This is Oliver the Pug - I don't have a good reason to put this up on the blog other than he is a cutie...

 Okay, so now that I have gotten back into your good graces by showing you a really cute picture of Oliver...
I hope that everyone had a wonderful holiday! Since I've been out of the blogger loop for the last couple of weeks, I should let you know that the St. Joseph Griffon's have been on the ice kicking butt and taking names! Well, except for this game. This game shall go down in Griffon History as the game that made men out of our boys...

Carriage Club is the 1 team in our league that has an outdoor rink. This is actually kind of cool because I've been told that real men play hockey outdoors. Well, our boys got to be real men in -22 windchill weather with snow...


Even the heaters in the box didn't help...

 Since our boys had to endure the cold and wind, we parents stood outside as well -each praying that our kid would be the one to come across the ice to sit by the fire, so we could sit by the fire as well... IT NEVER HAPPENED. I asked Alex about it at the end of the game and all he would say was that he wasn't going to be the 1st one to skate over... (As a point of interest, I would have been FINE if he has skated over first...)

So, they endured miserable cold and snow while playing the Carriage Club team. Neither team really wanted to be out there. And, with the challenge of being outside on top of not being equipped with face warmers and glove warmers, etc. our team struggled and lost. The Carriage Club team played a good game despite the adversity.



Alex with his cold face




Going after the puck




Can you see the snow?

 We are glad our 1 outdoor game of the season is over, but seriously, when it isn't so cold, it's a great place to be!
I'm cold all over again just looking at these pictures! Stay warm, and stay out of the penalty box!

Week 7: St. Joe Griffons vs. Independence Jr. Mavericks

Griffons 10 - Jr. Mavericks 0

Stats: 5 Wins - 2 Losses

It was quite the weekend for the St. Joseph Griffons! (Way back in November!!!) Hockey was on everyone's mind! It started early Saturday morning and didn't end until VERY LATE Sunday night when Alex and Denny got home from practice. In fact, here is the face I got from Denny when I told him when practice was on Sunday night...



I'm gonna get home from hockey practice when?



HA HA HA! I couldn't help myself!

Actually, thankfully, Denny took Alex to hockey Sunday night, because they didn't get home until after 11:00 PM - I was already asleep when they got home, but that is a different story for a different blog...

As I was saying, hockey started early Saturday morning...

Denny and Alex headed out to St. Joe to play another Stars team while I headed off to work. Don't be jealous that I got to go into the office on Saturday while all of you slept in... Alex and his team were rock stars who showed another Stars team from Pepsi who's boss on the ice in Kansas City Pee Wee Hockey. The Final Score? 6-3 St. Joe - Go Griffons!

Saturday Night, a number of the Griffon's players met to go watch the Missouri Mavericks play the Dallas Oilers in hockey at the Independence Events Center - home of the Missouri Mavericks! We stayed at a hotel so the boys could hang out  and swim before the game.



Hockey players in a pool is always a sight!



What you can't see are the parents at the table hanging out enjoying their beverages while the boys splashed and played. A good time was had by all! After pool time, we cleaned up and met for Mexican before heading over to watch the Mavericks win another hockey game!

It had everything - penalties, goals, fights, broken hockey sticks, more fights, cheerleaders, Alex on the jumbo-tron, more fights, Alex eating nachos, more fights, Alex eating cotton candy, Denny eating peanuts, more fights, Alex on the jumbo-tron a couple more times, and one last fight that got 2 players kicked out of the game. Hockey at it's best! Did I mention all the eating and Alex being up on the big screen? 

We got back to the hotel and the first thing Alex does is to walk into the hotel's pantry looking for something to eat. The only thing I could say was "REALLY?" and then walked to the elevator. He soon followed and crawled into bed. He was asleep before he knew it...

Sunday morning we were up and at them early again. I have to insert here that I should get to sleep in at least 1 DAY on the weekend! I'm just sayin...

We had breakfast - well, Denny and I had breakfast. Alex had more like a medium size pig. The breakfast was a buffet in the hotel. The amount of bacon that this child put on this plate and then consumed was incredible. We are working on teaching Alex about portion control - clearly it didn't work this morning...

After breakfast we headed to the rink and get ready to take on the Jr. Mavericks...

It was a great game! For the Griffons that is...

Alex scored his first goal as a Griffon! Way to go Alex!!!!



This is what you look like when you have just scored a goal...



Alex, in fact scored 2 goals and had 2 assists. He even got to play Left Wing instead of Defense for the 2nd part of the game! He looked GREAT!



The Mavericks have surrounded Alex...




Alex is taking him out...





They all go down - Alex is taking one for the team...

 


It seemed like a good idea at the time...



The Mavericks are a new team this season and while they didn't score, they played their hearts out. They may be green this season, but they are going to be a team to watch come next fall!



The Griffons watching the win!



 


It's good to have friends on the ice with you...



So, another great hockey weekend. I will be better about getting my blog updates out now that the holidays are past. Stay tuned for more exciting hockey adventures, and as always...

Stay out of the penalty box!

Week 5: St. Joe Griffons vs. Stars 4

Griffons 3 - Stars 1

Stats: 3 WINS - 2 Losses

It was a GREAT morning for hockey! I keep thinking that if I say it with enough enthusiasm, getting up at 5:30 AM to get ready for a hockey game won't seem so bad... sadly, getting up at 5:30 AM for just about anything is pretty bad.  BUT, getting up at 5:30 AM for GRIFFON's Hockey is a lot better than most other things I could be getting up for!

This was our first really cold morning for hockey - which means our first really cold game in the rink. The ice rink was FREEZING! I know - all of you reading this are probably thinking - of course it's freezing, it's an ice rink. But truth be told, the ice rink is usually not too bad, unless it's cold outside. I had on a sweatshirt and a fleece lined coat with gloves and by the end of the game (a really awesome game I might add, but I will get to that in a moment...) my hands were numb - which makes taking pictures a real challenge.I think maybe this may be an opportunity for me to go shopping for more appropriate hockey wear... more to come on this.

Now, for Griffons hockey!




Alex gets hit 20 seconds into the game

 


It puts him on the ground




The Stars player high tails it out of there because he realizes that Alex is going to get him...



As the mom of the player that just got nailed on the ice, your first instinct is to throw the camera down (Note that Denny wouldn't be very happy with this) and run across the ice to make sure that your child is okay. (note that Alex wouldn't be okay with THIS...) SO, really, I am in a no-win situation. So, I just stay where I am at and say very inappropriate things under my breath...Fortunately, Alex was up in a second and going after the player and was bound and determined not to be hit like that again. Happily, he wasn't.



Griffons know how to the keep the puck away from the Stars





The boys played a GREAT game! At one point, we had 2 kids in the penalty box (and shockingly neither of them were Alex), and the Stars still couldn't score on us!

In the end, we held them off and won the game! It was a great feeling coming off a loss last week.

Next week is a bi-week for us, so no game.

As for Alex...

Alex made his 2nd team - the Kansas City Scouts. He begins practice this week for them. So, he is going to be 1 busy hockey player! I will be in Phildelphia this week, so there won't be any pictures to post, but hopefully Denny and Alex will have some cool stories to share and I will be able to update the blog.

Until then...

Stay out of the penalty box!

Week 4: Griffons vs. Saints

Griffons 4 - Saints 8

Stats: 2 WINS - 2 Losses

So, we knew the day would come when Alex would have to play his old team. We were ready for it. Alex was a bit nervous - you can understand. It's hard to face the kids you have been playing hockey with for the last 3 years.... I was actually looking forward to seeing all of our hockey friends!
Well... strangely enough, I didn't recognize 1 person besides the coaches...

Alex knew a bunch of the players - they were last years travel team. So, the Saints have a really good team this year. BUT, so do the Griffons!


Alex doing what he does best... guarding the net.



 The Griffons came out onto the ice and did a great job of holding their own. The Saints were undefeated going into this game and our boys new they had their work cut our for them.  The good thing is that we scored against them - which surprised the Saints. They have had a couple of shut outs...



Nothing like a fist bump after a goal

 The Saints were a challenging team - but we gave them a run for their money. They knew when the game was over that they had to fight for the win...



Alex going after the puck

 All in all, a bittersweet game. We lost, but the boys looked great!

Week 3: St. Joe Griffons vs. Stars 3

Griffons 5 - Stars 4

Stats: 2 Wins - 1 Loss

Heading up to St. Joe Saturday morning for the game was an interesting ride. Our pre-game routine on the drive in is to always rock out to Def Leppard - it's the best "get ready to take charge on the ice" music you could ever find! The plus side is that I am their biggest fan, so, really, it's a win-win for everyone! Alex and I have our favorite songs - Pour Some Sugar On Me, Foolin, Photograph, Rock of Ages, etc... (There really are just too many to mention...) We have the stereo turned up really loud and I am doing my typical singing at the top of my lungs. My boys have just learned to go with it...

Alex seemed a little bit out of sorts, so we turned down the music just enough that we could hear each other, and I asked him what was up? He seemed a bit quiet this morning. He told me that he was nervous to play this game since the Stars 3 were undefeated and had already scored 16 goals in just 2 games, and on top of that, hadn't let 1 goal scored on them yet. I told him that I could see where he might be a bit nervous, but that he and his team were very good and that they could just as easily go out there and show them how good the Griffons really are. Of course, Alex looked at me like I had no idea what I was talking about and just went back to rocking out to the music. It was another mother/son moment that clearly he will look back upon with fond memories... Once we got to the rink, Alex seemed to calm down and the team got ready to go. Who knew the excitement we were about to witness...

Once on the ice, the Griffons look really good. The game starts, and within 2 minutes, the Stars have scored. Oh, no I think. This is going to be a repeat of last week. 1 minute later, they score again. I am standing under the scorekeepers box since I am taking pictures, and I look around the rink and can see the concern on everyone's faces - everyone, except the boys on the ice. It is at this moment that the boys stop, look at each other, and without saying a word, come together as a team. It was actually a pretty amazing moment that I was glad I was able to witness. 3 minutes later, the Griffons had scored a goal - the first goal scored on the Stars 3 team this season! So, at this point, it didnt' really matter what happened, because we would be the team that got the puck in the net on them first. Little did I know, that was the beginning... Shortly after that, we scored again! We were on our way!



Alex Taking Charge of the Puck



Alex had a GREAT game! He was on the ball (or puck as it would seem) every time he was on the ice! He and the other defensemen did a great job of passing the puck, knowing where to put the puck, and just generally being right were they needed to be throughout the entire game. The team looked awesome!

Sending the puck to another team member

It was fun to watch because as the Griffons really came together as a team, you could see the Stars 3 team start to come apart. They had been used to dominating on the ice, and it was clear that our boys were showing them that their time was up...

How many Stars 3 players does it take to get the puck away from a Griffon?

By 3rd period, the score was tied, 3 to 3. We score and are now winning the game! This is awesome! It lasted for a total of 50 seconds, because they come back and score, so now it is tied 4-4. We have less than a minute left in the game and all we have to do is keep them away from our net so they can't score! We will take a tie against this team! (That is what all the parents are thinking!) But... that isn't what the Griffons are thinking. OH NO! We have less than a minute left - we can win this game!

Block the puck any way you can!

With less than 8 seconds left in the game, we come back and score another goal - it's now 5-4! The crowd is seriously going wild! I have stopped taking pictures because I am cheering and yelling too much to hold my camera! (I later realize this isn't the smartest thing I could have been doing as I then won't have any pictures of the winning moment... Consider this a lesson learned...)

But, as we all hold our breath for the LONGEST 8 SECONDS OF OUR LIVES...

We watch our boys play the best game of their season and beat the number 1 team and show them that the Mighty Griffons are a team to be reckoned with...

WAY TO GO GRIFFONS!!!!

Game 2: St. Joe Griffons vs. Pepsi Stars 2

Stars 2 -  Griffons 0

Stats: 1 Win & 1 loss

You win some.... and you lose some...

The boys showed up and played a great game, as did the Stars team. Within the first 30 seconds, the Stars had scored a goal, which would shake the confidence of any team, and it definitely shook ours! But the Griffons came back and held the team off. The Stars did end up sneaking 1 additional goal in the net during first period. Our boys regrouped and came back 2nd and 3rd periods and held them off!

Alex skates up on the Stars player with every intent on stealing the puck...

There are some very strong players on the Griffons...As this is only their 2nd game as a team, I think they have done really well working together.

As 1 Griffon goes down, another is there to take the puck to the net.

Sometimes when a player gets the puck, all they want to do is get rid of it... but where to hit it...

Oh man! The Griffons are all around me!

This was a very well matched team. The game started out with the Stars powerfully charging our team, but once we got into our groove, we went back and forth, up and down the ice. Both goalies did a great job. We had lots of shots on goal, as did the Stars 2 team. This means that even though 2 pucks made it into the net, our goalie still kept a whole lot out of there!  Way to go Griffons! 

Here's to hoping this is our only home game with a 0 on the board...

It was a fun game to watch, although I am going to guess a bit more fun for the Stars parents...

Fun picture of the week!

Here is a shot of Alex going after the puck and taking out one of the Stars players in the process...

WOW!

Tonight, Alex has tryouts for Select travel - keep your fingers crossed! More to come!

The St. Joseph Griffons start off the 2010 Hockey season with a WIN!

FINAL SCORE: St. Joe 2 - Outlaws 1

The Griffons came in and showed them how it was done... Okay, it might not have started off that way, but it surely ended that way! 

First period was spent with the Outlaws and their GINORMOUS players really trying to intimidate the Griffons with their size. Our boys took it all in stride. They used the first period to get used to playing together and figure out their strategy. All of the boys looked great out there! By 2nd period, the Griffons had it figured out, and the Outlaws had worn themselves out. Apparently they have size, but not much stamina...

All the boys did a great job today! Alex played defense - we were anxiously waiting to hear what position he would be playing this season. As a defensemen, his job is to protect the goalie when the puck is on their end of the ice...



Alex doing what he does best... protecting the net.

By 3rd period, the Griffons took control... and showed the Outlaws who was boss...

Alex came in and played his heart out. In fact, he took one for the team! He was elbowed by one of the Outlaws that sent him flying into the wall. It knocked the wind out of him and left him lying on the ice. They coaches had to come out and help him off the ice! Of course, I went into "Mom" mode, and didn't snap 1 picture... oh well, next time...

Cool picture from the game...

I will try to have 1 cool picture from each game - this week, one of our guys was tripped and went flying through the air - the picture really doesn't do justice to how he flew, but it's the best I've got to show!

What a great game! Thanks to Grandma and Grandpa Bowman and Uncle Gerald for coming out to see Alex today! This was definitely a great way to start the season!

First Official Practice as a Griffon

So, it's Alex's first practice. As we drive up north to St. Joe, Alex is telling me that he is a bit nervous to meet his new team members. I tell him that he has met most of them before and that they really like him! I ask him for the 10th time if he has everything he needs and he tells me that he does, AND that it's a little late now since we are half way there. (Good point...) So, we get to the rink and Alex is pulling his hockey bag out of the back of the car and I hear, "oh no! I forgot my cup!" (And, no, this isn't a cup for drinking out of in case you are wondering.) I give him the look and tell him that he better hope that no one shoots the puck his way tonight... We get inside and he realizes that his shorts that hold up his socks are in the back of the car. (What exactly did he check on when he was confirming that everything was in his bag is what I would like to know...) I head out to get them for him. He is finally dressed and ready to go. He stands with the team, talking to the coaches and waits for the Zamboni to finish cleaning up the ice and then he and the team get out there to begin practice. For all of the drills, times around the rink, and overall practice for the night, this photo best exemplifies Alex at practice Monday night...

Kidding! Actually, this was part of a drill they did. He had to lay down, and when the whistle blew, he had to jump up, skate to the center of the rink and get to the puck first to take it to the net. Alex did a great job! He needs to work on his speed getting up - he was getting a bit too comfortable laying down... but he was speedy skater once he got up. Way to go Alex!

Hockey Season Is Getting Started!

Well, this is our last weekend before the 2010-2011 hockey season gets under way. What does this mean for the Bowmans? It means that beginning Monday night, it will be all hockey, all the time at our house!

WE CANNOT WAIT!

Hockey practice starts Monday night, and Denny is a bit bummed that I will be the one to bring Alex to his first St. Joe Griffon's practice. (Denny will be in class Monday night.) This is a big deal for Alex and Denny because we made the decision to have Alex switch teams this season. Denny wanted to be there the first time he takes the ice at practice with his new team. I will have the camera with me to capture the emotional moment... (I'm not sure how emotional it will be. Alex is 11 for crying out loud!) But, I will have pictures to post of the exciting moment his blades hit the ice at Bode Ice Arena for the first time as a St. Joe GRIFFON! You won't want to miss this...