Hockey Nights In Tisdale
Having attended games Friday and Saturday night I mentioned to a long time resident and hockey fan that I thought the Tisdale fans did not respond appropriately. He said they have always been like that and one of the reasons is that they go to a lot of hockey games. Just like us most of the folks in the stands had been to the Rambler game Friday night (at right) and the Trojan game Saturday night (above - don't be confused by the number of people on the ice that is a composite picture with the left hand side during the face off and play in progress on the right)
But if most Tisdale hockey fans go to a lot of hockey games Carol Abbott goes to a lot more. She is the music lady who handles CDs that match the moment from the time the whistle blows until the time the puck is dropped for almost every team that plays in the RecPlex. Its hard work and she is swapping CDs faster then referee's hand signals.
The Ramblers (above) began their playoff season within the Pasquia league with a smooth win over the Mistatim Warriors on Friday night. They began their provincial playoff Sunday with a game in Preeceville coming up short 8 to 5 so on Friday night the second in the two game total point series they will start the game out three goals behind.
The atmosphere around a hockey rink is distinct and unique to each prairie community from Pincher Creek to Bosevain and everywhere in between. Some communities view hockey with fanatical and boisterous zeal while others enjoy the game in a much more subdued way. But playoff season brings out the emotions and the enthusiasm and with four teams from Tisdale in Provincial playoffs we are entering into
The best part of the year with the awareness that with almost every game oblivion and the end of the season awaits a negative outcome. Year after year Tisdale is rewarded with some of its teams distinguishing themselves as provincial champions and the boys in the present "AA" midget team have ridden the road to provincial glory as Pee Wees and as Bantams. This year many of their teammates who had shared their triumph in the past are playing with other teams but the fans are still with them.
The Trojans have had a hot and cold season with some games they have seemed to have been invincible while at other times they have gone for several games a little lost. Saturday nights game saw them tap dance on the League's leading team, the Saskatoon Contacts, in the first period with four goals to one, then in the second there was a little disorder and the Contacts ended the period with two more goals making it 5 to 3. The third period was the acid test
and the Trojans defense was showing a little fatigue until Reagan Leslie took the
puck just behind the red line then magically advanced through the entire Contact
team including the goalie, to snap in goal number six, ending the game six to four.
Above. we see Mistatim pressing Rambler goalie Gil Hudon Friday night, with the leagues
top scorer, Barkley Swenson, on the extreme right of the image and the league's fifth
leading scorer Shane Magnus with his stick raised in front of the net. Below, the
whole of Mistatim's team is in view as Chad Olson scrambles for possession.
