Showing posts with label Pineyro. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pineyro. Show all posts

Friday, May 1, 2009

Intramural Men's Soccer Championship Game

At 10 o’clock last Monday night, the lights over the practice soccer field on the UT campus lit up as a crowd gathered around the sidelines. It was time for the men’s intramural soccer finals.

For the past month, the intramural playoffs had been ongoing in order to determine the best team on the UT campus.

This year, the finalists were the Bomb Squad and the unnamed Black Team.

About twelve minutes into the match, a forward from the Black Team drove down the wing and turned to the middle while launching a shot past the Bomb Squad’s goalkeeper.

“Yeah, I just got a little bit of room in the middle there and just took my chance and it went in” said the goal scorer known as “Shakes”.

Fan of the Black Team, Qalben Hussein, described “Shakes” ability on the pitch. “Yeah, he’s one of the best. You see his ball control and speed, and it just sets him apart from the rest.”

For the vast majority of the first half, the Black Team dominated the play, but one mistake may have cost them the game. Late in the first half, Bomb Squad was awarded a free kick, and the ball was skillfully placed inside the near post to tie the match.

After halftime, Bomb Squad knew they had to step up their play and they did so. Just four minutes into the second half, a Bomb Squad player made a great cross and the receiving player tapped it in. Then, just two minutes after that, another Bomb Squad player sent a long shot straight into the goalkeeper, but the shot was too much to handle and it deflected into the net giving Bomb Squad the
3-1 lead.

Late in the game though, the Black Team tried to muster a comeback. A brilliant corner kick was sent into the box and it was there that a skilled midfielder was able to deflect the ball past the goalkeeper for what was considered the goal of the match.

“That was a great goal.” said Hussein, “To be able to head the ball in like that takes a lot of skill. It’s too bad they couldn’t come back and tie it up.”

Bomb Squad was able to hold on for the remainder of the game and win the intramural championship in a very well-played game.

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

First Series of Playoffs is Complete!

Congratulations to the Vancouver Canucks who, last night, completed their sweep of the St. Louis Blues in an overtime victory.

The Canucks had come out strong in the series, winning their first two games at home. As the series shifted back to St. Louis for the first time in 4 years, the Blues simply couldn't get it going against All-Star Goaltender Roberto Luongo.

Vancouver is one of the strongest teams in the West. They won their division this season, and rightfully so, this team is stacked.

The Sedin twins lead a high-powered offense that can convert an alarmingly high percentage of their chances -- and that's not even their strong point. A strong defense led by Mattias Ohlund and Kevin Bieksa, supplemented with strongman Sami Salo is a tough wall to break through. And even if you do break through that Defense, you have to face, arguably, the best Goalie in the league in Roberto Luongo who, when on his knees, is still HUGE in net.

It was nice to see the Blues in the playoffs, but injury problems really prevented them from making a run. I look forward to seeing them in the playoffs next year, as they have a great young team.

The Canucks however, have earned time to rest and watch some more playoff hockey.

For video highlights of the series, click here.

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Eastern Conference Quarterfinals Update

Well, playoffs have been here for a full week now, and its been a week full of surprises, no-shows, and suspensions too. I'll take you through the Eastern Conference mathcups, and what's been going on within each series thus far.

Boston Bruins vs Montreal Canadiens- Well, the Canadiens came into the playoffs on a pretty good run, though some injuries to their defense (Markov and Schneider) caused some concern. So far, though, the Canadiens have looked like they simply don't care to be in the playoffs at all. Boston has been all over the Canadiens, taking a 3-0 lead in the series. Remember, the Canadiens made it into the playoffs over the Florida Panthers only on a tiebreaker system. Many are now wondering if the Panthers should have taken that spot over the Canadiens, but thats neither here nor there. Bruins need one more win to take the series, and they will.

Washington Capitals vs New York Rangers- Well, i don't think anyone expected the Rangers to go into 2nd seeded Washington and take the first two games of the series. Game 1 was unfortunate for the Caps who had a no-show in net in goalie Jose Theodore. Theo let in 4 very save-able goals in a huge playoff game. Good news for the Caps is that, despite losing game 2, rookie goaltender Varlamov only conceded one goal. As the series went back to New York, everyone expected the caps to come out hard -- and they did. winning 4-0 was just what the Caps needed. Now, they need to even up the series and start over. Rangers can take a firm grip on the series by winning the next game and take a 3-1 lead over the Caps.

New Jersey Devils vs Carolina Hurricanes- The Devils and Carolina have traded games so far in this series, and this could be the best matchup of the Eastern Conference. Both teams have strong goaltending and and explosive offense. The difference in this series will be the Defense. The team that can halt the other's offense will take this series. The current series is 2-1 in favor of the Devils. Should be a great game tonight.

Pittsburgh Penguins vs Philadelphia Flyers- Well, this series has all the makings of a 7-game series. Pittsburgh won both games at home only to lose on Sunday in Philadelphia. If Philly can get their offense going, and keep star players Crosby and Malkin at bay, they can have a good chance at winning this one, but i still think Pittsburgh will take this one in 6 or 7.

Of course, for all of the latest news on all of the matchups and other hockey topics, just check out NHL.com

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Playoffs Begin TONIGHT!

Just wanted to update tonight's schedule. Again, i'll stick with the Eastern teams only:

New York Rangers at Washington Capitals 7PM

Philadelphia Flyers at Pittsburgh Penguins 7PM

Carolina Hurricanes at New Jersey Devils 7:30PM

Should be some great matchups as we return to the rush of playoff hockey. This marks the beginning of 2 months of hard hits, beautiful goals, and players giving it their all to move on in the race to win the Stanley Cup.

Enjoy!

Draft Lottery

Last night the annual draft lottery was conducted by the NHL. For those who don't know, the draft lottery is the way in which the league decides who picks in what order for the upcoming NHL Entry Draft.

Unlike the NBA, however, the NHL doesn't guarantee the first pick to the worst team in the league. Instead, there is a lottery in which each team that did not make the playoffs the previous year has a certain chance to move up or down in order.

Since teams only can move up four spots, only the five teams with the fewest points this season -- the Islanders, Lightning, Avalanche, Thrashers and Kings -- were in the running to claim the top spot.

Interestingly enough, no teams moved from their actual spot, and everyone will pick in the order that they were in for the regular season standings.

The Islanders won the lottery and get the first pick of the NHL Entry Draft. Most likely, they will take OHL Phenom John Tavares, but they could also go for Swedish defensman Victor Hedman. It all depends on what direction they want to take the franchise. Build from the defense, or grab the flashy center.

With the state of their fanbase, i'd say they take Tavares, hands down.

The full list of draft positions, and picks per round can be found here.

NHL Playoff Matchups Announced

Well, yesterday the NHL Playoff matchups were released, so here are the goods...

Again, for convenience, i'll sum up the Eastern Conference Matchups only. If you want to see the league-wide matchups, go here.

(1) Boston vs. (8) Montreal- As far as i'm concerned, this is bad news for the Bruins. Even though they dominated every team this season, the only team that could really usurp the Bruins in the first round is their long-time rival Montreal Canadiens. In a playoff matchup, things get heated, and even moreso with a rival on the ice for 7 games straight. If Montreal can feed off of that rivalry and win a couple early games, they could take this one in 6 games. My prediction: Boston wins in 5.

(2) Washington vs. (7) New York- This should be an interesting matchup as Washington has scoring prowess, but the Rangers have strong goaltending in Henrik Lundqvist. The real deal breaker in this series will be defense. The team that can get the lead and hang on for the full 60 minutes is the team that will win this series. I expect a long series between these two: Caps win in 7.

(3) New Jersey vs (6) Carolina- A month ago, i'd say the New Jersey Devils would win this series in 4 games, but since the deadline, Carolina has been one of the strongest teams in the NHL. Their renewed scoring ways and strong goaltending are a formidable opponent. If the Devils can play the way they've played all season, they could win this one out in 5 or 6.

(4) Pittsburgh vs (5) Philadelphia- Ah, the battle of Pennsylvania. Two teams i personally hate. Can't they both lose? No? Well, i take Pittsburgh in 5 games here. The Pens have better offense, better Defense, and a better goalie. That being said, the Flyers have found a way to win all year. With the added rivalry of two Pennsylvania teams, who knows what will happen here. Still, Pittsburgh in 5.

Those are my predictions.. Next up, i'll talk a little bit about the draft lottery, and who won in that area.

Monday, April 13, 2009

The End of the NHL Regular Season

Yep, it's finally here. Sunday marked the last day of regular season games for the National Hockey League. 16 out of the 30 NHL teams will battle it out to determine who wins Lord Stanley's Cup.

Before we get ahead of ourselves, let's recap the season by briefly talking about each team. To make it simple, I'll organize my notes by division standings and i'll only do the Eastern conference.

Atlantic
New Jersey Devils- Despite losing arguably the best goalie since Patrick Roy for most of the season, the Devils proved that their previous success isn't just because of great goaltending. Guys like Zach Parise, Jamie Langenbrunner, and Patrick Elias really elevated their play to not only keep the Devils in the race, but in the top 3 in the entire conference. Big props to Backup Goalie Scott Clemmensen for rising to the occasion.

Pittsburgh Penguins- After a strong start, the Pens slumped for nearly two months. Partly due to an inconsisstent and young goalie in Marc-Andre Fleury, and injuries to their defense, the Pens were in danger of missing the playoffs after nearly winning the cup just a year ago. But with the return of Sergei Gonchar to the blueline, and Fleury's resurgence to his stellar play, the Pens earned their spot.

Philadelphia Flyers- The Flyers were arguably the most consistent team throughout the season. They never really pushed towards the top of the conference, but they were never in danger of losing out and missing the playoffs. Despite overall consistency, the same cannot be said of their goaltending. Biron and Nittymaki both had their struggles this year, and that should give some Philly fans some cause for concern going ahead.

New York Rangers- The Rangers, much like the Pens, started out strong, but found themselves slumping throughout the middle of the season. After the firing of coach Tom Renney, and subsequent hiring of John Torterella, the Rangers turned things around to secure the 7th seed in the Playoffs. Give credit to GM Glen Sather for picking up Nik Antropov and Derrik Morris at the deadline.

New York Islanders- Not much to say here. The Isles struggled from the beginning. Goalie DiPietro continued his injury woes and prevented the isles from ever contending for the playoffs this year. Though, they have a bright future. youngsters like Okposo and Comeau are bright spots on this team. Not to mention they'll most likely get Tavares as the #1 pick in the first round of the Draft. This team will be huge in a couple of years.

NorthEast
Boston Bruins- The Bruins are one of the most balanced teams in the league. Tim Thomas can steal games from the crease, Zdeno Chara has been a strong captain and physical force all year, and forwards like Kessel, Lucic, Savard and Rookie Blake Wheeler have shown a scoring prowess unmatched by any other team in the conference. It is no wonder the B's held the top of the conference almost all year. I can't wait to see how this team plays in the playoffs. Are they the real deal?

Montreal Canadiens- The Canadiens had their share of problems this year. Starting Goalie Carey Price was showing a lack of confidence throughout the year by playing inconistently and costing the Habs games throughout the season. Injuries also threatened their season with leading Goal Scorer Robert Lang slicing his achilles halfway through the season. With the resurgence of Price's top play, and Kovalev heating up, they Habs snuck into the 8th and final spot in the playoffs. Facing the top-seeded Bruins will be a tough, and highly anticipated match-up.

Buffalo Sabres- The Sabres are one of the best teams to not make the playoffs this year. Their lackluster play can be attributed to a weak defense, but most analysts would've put their money on Buffalo because of their scorers like Afinogenov, Pominville and Roy. Unfortunately for Buffalo fans, they'll have to rethink their strategy over the summer and try again next year.

Ottawa Senators- The Sens have had goalie problems for a few years now. The tandem of Auld and Gerber just wasn't a strong enough pair to keep the Eastern Conference scorers at bay. Despite their top 3 in Heatley, Spezza and Alfreddson being among the best in the league, their slumping couldn't turn it on in time to make the playoffs. That being said, the Sens were one of the best teams in the last quarter of the season. So who knows what to expect next season...

Toronto Maple Leafs- The Leafs are in trouble. I dont' see much they have to look forward to as this season ends. That doesn't mean they can't make some magic happen over the summer, but i just see big holes in all areas of this team and i'm not sure if they can all be addressed over the summer. Prove me wrong Toronto.

SouthEast
Washington Capitals- The Caps are so fun to watch. With the best all-around player in the league, Ovechkin, skating hard, hitting hard, and shooting often, it's no wonder the Caps are in the playoffs for the second time in a row. Secondary scorers like Laich, Kozlov, Semin and Backstrom really jump-started the caps to winning the SE division. Not to mention Defensman Mike Green (the green monster) breaking all kinds of records this year and being an almost sure pick for the Norris Trophy. The only question mark for the Caps going into the playoffs is their goaltending. Jose Theodore has played better than he is throughout the season, and i can't help but wonder how long that will last.

Carolina Hurricanes- For the latter half of the season, the Hurricanes really began to shine. Goalie Cam Ward led the team to a late surge that earned them a solid spot in the playoffs. Forwards like Eric Staal, Ray Whitney, and Erik Cole proved to be an offense to reckon with. Couple that with a strong defense, and you've got a formidable opponent heading into April.

Florida Panthers- Oh, the Florida Panthers. For the past 4 seasons.. so close, yet so far. This year, they tied for 8th place, but lost due to the tiebreak system. This was a team that was 5th in the conference in mid-march. But after the trade deadline, Florida lost 8 out of 10 to dig them in a hole that proved to be just too deep. With arguably the strongest goaltending tandem in the league, and possibly the strongest Defense in the conference, the panthers seemed like a force to be reckoned with. However, their lack of offense proved to be too much of a problem, and they lost out in the end. Maybe next year...

Atlanta Thrashers- The Atlanta Thrashers weren't meant to be great this year, so their wasn't much disappointment. That being said, the Thrash have much to look forward to. Bogosian and White seem to be top prospects who would make great secondary scorers to star Ilya Kovalchuk. Goaltending could be worse, but it's the Defense that they need to improve if they want to go anywhere in this conference. Look for changes there over the offseason.

Tampa Bay Lightning- The Lightning need to calm down. Over the summer they completely overhauled the team, but they did it very late into the offseason, and i felt it was too much change in too little time. Too much change can affect chemistry in the locker room and on the ice, and that was a deifnite problem this season. Marty St. Louis and #1 pick Stamkos had good years, along with Ryan Malone. Nearly every other part of the team needs serious improvement. Hopefully for TB, the GM can not be so trigger happy and do some smart and slow growth over the years to come.

So, that's that. I'm sure some people disagree with some things, but overall, i think i've given a fair asessment of the Conference.

The first round matchups for the playoffs should be announced today, so i'll post that as soon as i hear about them.