The Kid Steps Up
Last year, we wrote about the first Geek Sequel. The first progeny of a Geek to join the squad seemed poised to take after his Dad, ensuring a lengthy, but mediocre career.
However, after a lukewarm entry onto the Geeks squad last year (the stats don’t lie – well, as far as you know they don’t), and missing training camp, The Kid was leading the team in scoring moving into last night’s match against the QSDM stars.
Then, seemingly inspired by the utter lack of talent on the rest of the team, The Kid banged in a hat trick as part of a 4-1 win. The first goal included an inspired visual distraction from Herbie Orser, with a triple Hamill Camel (we have a recent sample of Herb’s work here). It is clear that the Kid, now with a very healthy lead in scoring, does not understand the risks – he will likely be working the door next week, as part of Woolley’s overall “March to the Scoring Crown” initiative. For the moment though, the stats don’t lie (as we said before).
The Kid also began to exhibit the benefits of skating with veteran Geeks, including trying to stick-handle out of his own end while being the last man back, and ignoring his linemates while trying to bag the elusive fourth goal. His experienced linemate, Dave Maclachlan, took him aside to straighten him out – although some said that they were overheard making a marginally unethical arrangement around point-hoarding.
The Kid would have had a natural hat trick, supporting a shut-out, had long-time netminder Higgins not elected to try out the poke-check he’d recently seen on television. After the poke-check (well, a pass to the QSDM forward) ended up with the puck in the net, Higgins claimed that “it’s only a fad, I’m an old-school goaltender”. I guess that means you give up a lot of bad goals.
The most tragic event of the evening, however, was when former goal-scorer Ken Hoy (shown here prior to the collapse, surprisingly enough), asked the referee to be ejected from the game after a minor body-contact incident, claiming that he ‘simply couldn’t continue’.
This was after his son had scored two goals, and it was speculated that Ken could not bear watching the complete collapse of his own career on the ice, while being replaced by his own offspring. On the other hand, he was the first guy in the bar.
One other note from this game – the mighty Alber, formerly of the thirty point season, managed to scramble for a goal and an assist – his first points of this season. How the mighty have fallen.
On other fronts, the Geeks continue to suffer from injuries. Tony has returned after a nasty groin pull suffered during that advanced movement known as ‘the stride’, while Eric hopes to return from a serious back injury incurred while getting onto the ice. It has been suggested by some that the “Old” part of “Old Geeques” is becoming a little too accurate, but time will tell.