Hi Everybody!
It’s a long mail. Please read to the end 😉
It has been a fun and intense week of floor ball with 2 games in 5 days.
This week we played our final two games of the Fall series.
STANSTAD 5/12
On Tuesday we played a school-night game away at Stanstad. Stanstad has struggled this season and was hungry for a win. At the same time our boys were a little overconfident going into this one. Elias was still out sick meaning that Sune filled in as goalkeeper for the second game in a row. We were also without Mateo which left us without two trained attackers between Sune and Mateo.
Stanstad opened the scoring in the first minute leaving the boys a little shellshocked. We were having a difficult time organizing ourselves and smoothly substituting players. In an attempt to regroup and regain focus we took a timeout 8 minutes into the first period. One minute after the restart we scored and tied the game at 1-1. We were still a little unfocused and not playing our game as Stanstad was very aggressive in pressuring the ball and winning the ‘steg 1’ battle. The remainder of the period was a back-and-forth affair as Stanstad ended the period with 2-3 lead. Even though the scoreline was close we were leaving ourselves open in the back and not controlling the play in our offensive zone. We could also consider ourselves lucky to not have picked up a penalty from our substitutions.
At the break we adjusted our lines in an attempt to reassert ourselves by trying to create a more potent attacking lineup while securing our defense. Stanstad maintained their constant pressure and kept us at bay, and they eventually scored again 7 minutes into the second period. We continued fighting and were rewarded with 3 goals in three minutes and our first lead of the game. However, Stanstad also continued to fight and scored twice before the final break. The second period ended with a 5-6 lead to Stanstad.
Going into the third period we knew that we would have to dig deep in order to regain the lead. Early in the period we leveled the score. Sune made a handful of really good saves down the stretch and 5 minutes into the period we regained the lead. It was clear at this point that the match could really go to either team. The boys stayed positive and kept working. The last 5 minutes of the game felt like 15.
The boys hung on and claimed a tight 7-6 win! It was not our best performance but a good lesson of the importance of perseverance for the team going forward!
The match honours went to:
Sune – Most Blocked Shots – Sune took home the honor for the second game in a row as he once again stepped up and filled in between the sticks in Elias’s absence. He made some really good saves which really helped us keep this game in reach. He made a few great saves in the third period to help us secure our win!
Jonatan – Hardest Blocked Shot – Jonatan won this award with a nice, perfectly ball-shaped bruise on his knee. Levi was also a contender, but Jonatan’s bruise was a bit more swollen.
Pietro – Mr. Hustle – As Oscar took home this honor after our last match, we wanted to give him the responsibility to decide this games Mr. Hustle recipient. His motivation for his decision was that Pietro gave 110% throughout the game and never let off no matter how frustrated we were at times throughout the game. Pietro had good mental toughness and supported his team with his play and positivity.
Oscar – Game Ball – Oscar had a very good all-around game. He was solid on defense. He regularly pressured the ball carrier. He was taking and communicating on the court. He was focused throughout the game. He also made good runs forward on found himself in prime attacking positions several times throughout the game.
As a team it was not our best performance, but we managed to pull out a good result 😊.
BJÄRRED 10/12
Yesterday we played our final game of the Fall series away against Bjärred. The boys had a very positive approach to this game after the comeback win earlier in the week against Stanstad. We had a 10:00 match start and historically speaking we tend to really struggle with morning games. We were glad to have our starting goalkeeper Elias back from illness, but we were without 4 other players today: Sune, Viggo, Max and Mateo. Due to our reduced squad we decided to start the game with a type of player rotation that we had not tried before. As long as everyone remained focused, we were confident the boys would be able to understand the new substitution system. Everyone responded very well, and we were able to use the new substitution system the entire game. 😊
It took about 1 minute for Bjärred to open the scoring. About a minute later we tied the game. The first period finished 1-1, but we were very pleased with our play. Our substitutions were working, we were pressuring the ball and on offense we were unlucky not to find the back of the net on a few occasions.
It took us about 10 minutes into the second period to score and take the lead only for Bjärred to tie things up again about 40 seconds later. A few really good saves from Elias kept Bjärred from taking a multi-goal lead. We also had some really good sequences of play where we combined ‘steg 1’ and ‘steg 2’ only to be denied by Bjärred’s shot stopper. Even though the second period ended with a 2-2 scoreline, we were very happy with how the boys were playing and performing so we decided to continue with the initial game-plan to the end of the game.
We tried to impress upon the boys that if we played our game, kept focused on defense and won the final period then we would win the game. The boys all seemed focused and eager to get on with it. About 4 minutes into the third period, we broke the deadlock and once again regained the lead. However, about 4 minutes later, Bjärred scored and once again tied the game. We encouraged the boys to keep focus and continue working. About 90 seconds later we scored and regained the lead. Three minutes later we scored and for the first time in the game had a two-goal advantage. The final three and a half minutes was very tense but boys remained focused and held on and claimed victory for the day!
It was an all-around good team performance, and I am so proud and happy for the boys!
The match honours went to:
Elias – Most Blocked Shots – Elias did a really good job coming back from illness and made some keys saves throughout the game. During an intense second period he kept them out and never allowed Bjärred to take the lead even though they had a handful of good chances.
Jonatan – Hardest Blocked Shot – For the second game in a row! Not only did Jonatan play a very good all-around game, but he had the bruises to show for his tremendous defensive play as well. One block even caused him to need an early substitution. Ouch!
Knut – Mr. Hustle – Knut was on point all game and gave 110% in every shift. He was after the ball constantly and frustrated Bjärred’s players repeatedly by pressuring the ball and cutting off passes. He got back on defense and constantly covered gaps the entire game.
Carl – Game Ball – Carl had a terrific game! He did a good job with substitutions. He was after the ball throughout the game (steg 1). On offense he got his head up and found his teammates leading to two assists. He embodied everything we have been working on all season both individually and as a team.
Good jobs guys!
Practice next week as usual.
I hope to see all the boys at practice on Tuesday!
All the best,
Bob