Wow where has time gone?! My two hockey seasons have started off with a bang and it's been a whirlwind last week or so. The Sun Prairie Rage (the women's team I play with) started with a win and a loss last weekend which is still very promising since we have had some roster changes for this year and only had 2 practices before the games. Next game is tomorrow which I have to miss due to work, grr, but I think the ladies can pull it off! Also this season I was elected assistant captain for the team which is the first time I have ever had such an honor. I think it's going to be a fun year taking on more of a leadership role on the ice.

Last night I had a team practice for the MGHA (a co-ed team I play with) and we did basic drills, passing, shooting, break-out drills and that was just fantastic. I think sometimes we forget that no matter what it really just comes down to the basics. The goalies were sharing the ice with us and when I asked one of them how it went she said "I never knew there were 3 basic parts to being a goalie, the rest just comes from those 3" see?? Basic skills and you build on them.  With the co-ed league we see many players, I won't say just the guys, that play to a different level and just want to stuff the puck in the net and get bothered with the little things like the basics.

Something I noticed the other day while at practice one of my teammates was shooting and as I was watching her feet it suddenly hit me that I was shooting wrong!! Since I have never been formally shown how to shoot this really should not have surprised me at all, however, I have been playing now for a few years and I was just discovering this now?! So I have added this to one of my "basic" skills that I want to focus on this year, that and backwards crossovers!!  See you on the ice!

Last night was evaluation night for the MGHA. We did some different things for evaluating players this year by doing a scrimmage for everyone instead of the typical drills that we have used in years past. Our league is growing by leaps and bounds which is awesome but we have 37 newbies this year so everyone is sort of stepping into a mentoring role - which is awesome.

I had almost forgotten over the summer just how big some of these guys are that I play with on Sunday nights. Last night I was plowed down by one of them and as I was scraping myself off the ice I was thinking about how if this was someone my size I wouldn't be sprawled out like this right now. I learned that you need to play a little differently when your opponent is 6'3" and 300lbs coming at you that relies on their brute strength rather than a skilled play. This is what I love about women's hockey, it's not really about how big and rough you can be, but who is smarter, quicker and takes the better shots. ahh...love my women's hockey nights. Don't get me wrong, when I play with my co-ed league I get a greater sense of satisfaction from stopping a play, stealing a puck or blowing right by some of those guys!! Not to mention the fact that we are developmental so we have all levels of skill which makes it a chance to learn and then teach others.

Happy Monday!

Last night was the UW Women's Hockey season opener against ND, which sadly we lost 2-0. The game was good, it's just the lines had not gelled together yet and that showed. Tough loss but I think it will be okay in the long run.

I loved to look around and see the fans pack the seats...

okay more to come...need to get ready for the rematch tonight!!

So I walk into work this morning to have a co-worker ask if the first UW Women's Hockey game is tomorrow...YOU BET!! Then, silly him, he asked if I was going to go...OF COURSE!! This time of year I schedule my days off at work around the hockey season, plan everything around the games and then I have 2 leagues I am playing with myself so it's a crazy time of year. I am really interested in seeing what they use for warm up songs this year. I found some awesome songs that way last year.

We had our start of season conditioning/practice last night I am ramped up for the season already - it was great to see the team back together and on the ice. Looking at our schedule for the season I am glad that I played most of the summer as we have 2 games next weekend already. The longest break I have ever taken away from hockey since I started was 3 weeks this past spring. We had finished the tournament in Toronto the end of April and I just needed a little time away from the ice. Never again my friends!! I found that 3 full weeks off the ice, doing nothing made for an unhappy player the next time :O)

I am interested...what get's ya'all pumped up to play?

It's hockey time...well almost at least. For some of us our season begins in just 3 short days, 3 more days to get some type of gear we just need to have, sharpen the skates, remove the tape off your stick from last season and be ready to hit the ice.

As an avid UW Women's hockey fan I received my season tickets a week or so ago, and I have been eagerly waiting until the first weekend in Oct to begin watching a few of their games each week. I really look forward to watching how graceful these ladies are on the ice, how they set up each play and execute it to perfection. I am so lucky to have the UW right here so I can watch these games week after week - not everyone get's that.

And don't ever get me started on the US Women's Nation team (which I won't mention has 8 current or former Badgers on it) this is going to be an awesome team to watch! The ramp up time between now and the Olympic Games makes this an amazing time to be a part of women's hockey around the world. Each country has done a great job of pulling the best female hockey players and I think it's going to be fun to see them go head to head for the gold!!

Unlike many ladies that I am seeing on here that have been playing hockey since they were old enough to walk or played because their brothers got them into it. I did not play when I was younger, I didn't have hockey in high school, my college hockey team rocked and I did see a few of the men's games but we didn't have a women's team. I learned to play hockey when I was 30 years old...and I must say I have been addicted since then. I think my schooling could have suffered had I been exposed any earlier to this sport. My viewpoint will always have that 'gee if I was just a little bit younger' tone to it I am sure, but I wouldn't trade what I have learned so far.

Hockey season't isn't just a season anymore, with fall leagues, summer scrimmages and some traveling tournaments it's not really a season at all, it's always hockey time!

Just because I don't seem to have any luck I am going to try this one more time. Just testing.