Akwesasne get blown away by 8-3 bombing attack from Brooklyn!

As we filed onto Hanger #5 at the Aviators Sports and Events Center we had confidence in our Brooklyn Aviators. We are riding a winning streak and we seem to have good results when we do battle with the Warriors. The fans were ready for the action to come and the Aviators were ready too!

FIRST PERIOD action saw the Aviators bombing the Warriors on POWER PLAYS and this is what set up the Warriors for their loss. L.Schott #10C who is playing very well for Brooklyn found the net behind A. Thompson #27G to make it 1-0 at the 7:50 mark of the first period. This was a a POWER PLAY goal for Brooklyn.

C. Mignone #27RW snuck the puck in with 5:15 left in the first period to make the score 2-0 in favor of Brooklyn.So far it is a clean game and the skating is looking good. Goalie A. Thompson #27G was yanked and D. Plouffe #79G was put in the front lines to face the Aviators attack.

Once again the ugly head of the POWER PLAY rose again for Akwesasne giving Brooklyn a man up again. L. Schott #10C netted his second POWER PLAY score in the first period to make it 3-0 Brooklyn at the 15:53 mark of the first. The first period ended 3-0 for the Aviators and the fans were having a great time at the expense of the Warriors.

SECOND PERIOD action found P. Dagenias #26RW for the Warriors who found goal at the 1:26 of the second period to make the match 3-1 in favor of Brooklyn. Guess who found net again in the second period at the 3:14 minute mark, you got it P.Dagenias #26RW. I guess that the NHL pays off when you play in the FHL, you think? This made the score 3-2 still in favor of Brooklyn.

The fans were getting a bit shaky at this point seeing the Warriors making such a fast come back. Could we lose our lead this fast and not answer the Warriors, let's hope not? N. Petriello #9RW of the Aviators found the Warriors net at the 3:37 mark which made the match 4-2 Brooklyn.

Once again the POWER PLAYS for the Aviators sent the Warriors packing their gear and warming up the bus. J. Felten #20C on a power play for Brooklyn hit the net at the 16:29 mark making it 5-2 in favor of the Aviators. Can you say another POWER PLAY goal for Brooklyn by H. Coxe at the 16:56 mark, score update.... Brooklyn 6 and Akwesasne 2. 

THIRD PERIOD wasn't that bad for the Warriors but penalties were going to bite them in the butt again! It appears as if the Warriors have a learning problem and can't stay out of the sin bin. The Warriors found the Aviators net at the 9:10 mark by Van Hoot #15D who shot the puck pass J. Pierre #38G, score is now 6-3 Brooklyn.

Here come the POWER PLAYS again, getting old isn't it? C. Mignone #27RW hit the back of the net at the 14:14 mark on still another POWER PLAY. It's almost enough to make a grown man cry, that's if you were rooting for Akwesasne. Score in now 7-3 Brooklyn, one more time.

How about one more POWER PLAY goal for Brooklyn? K. Trentowski #17D at 15:07 bingo, score. This made the match 8-3 Brooklyn and this is how the game ended. Going to be a long bus ride back home for Akwesasne.

See the numbers that did the Akwesasne Warriors in: 21 Penalties for a total of 101 minutes while Brooklyn had 11 Penalties for a mere 39 minutes. 

Power plays: Akwesasne 0 for 2 and Brooklyn 6 for 10.

Tomorrow we go up to Danbury and I'll be there to let you know how the game goes from a Aviators fan point of view. 

Article by Clifford F. Zeman

Plouffe Stand Tall As Warriors Win In OT

 

Massena, NY - The puck is dropped for the first and less than a minute in Casey Swamp gets taken into the boards early by Harrington as the teams begin shoving and jawing at one another.  Penalty called and Akwesasne goes on the power play. David Lun manages to get a mile behind the Warriors defense for a breakaway but David Plouffe shuts the door for his first stop as the Warriors kill off the penalty. Cape Cod goes to the power play next but fail to generate any real chances as Akwesasne presses and keeps the Bluefins from setting up. Shortly after killing the penalty Akwesasne gets on the board as Mahfouz pull his defender creates a two on one and feeds it to Nicolas Corbeil who goes top shelf, 1-0 Warriors. Warriors go on to successfully kill another penalty. A couple turnovers and the Bluefins are pressuring the Warriors but Plouffe has been up to the task thus far. The teams are back and forth trading chances to close out what has been an energetic first period but the Bluefins outshoot Akwesasne 21-6.

Were back for the second period and in under a minute Akwesasne is heading to the sin bin. 1:10 into the second and Cape Cod sets up and bangs in it’s first goal on the power play to tie it 1-1. A big hit by Frey on Swamp and there is a penalty called for interference as Akwesasne goes to the power play. Not long after that call Jean-Rene Forget goes off to even things up. Akwesasne manages to kill off the remaining minute as the teams return to five on five play. Less than a minute later Pierre Dagenais puts the puck in the net to make it 2-1 from Dan Tessier and Jean-Rene Forget.

The third is more of the same as Warriors continue the march to the penalty box but manage to kill off a couple. Midway through the third Brad Surdam knots it up for the Bluefins from Hutton and Sabky. 2-2. A late penalty by Patrice Bilodeau send the Warriors into overtime down a man.

The Bluefins are all over the Warriors and manage to get some quality chances on Plouffe but David is standing on his head tonight and keeps them in it. They kill off the four on three and shortly after Sylvain Deschatelets connects with a streaking Nicolas Corbeil who freezes the goaltender and goes top shelf to win it for Warriors 3-2.

David Plouffe stood on his head in his return between the pipes stopping 47 of 49 shots to keep the Warriors in it. Corbeil also had another strong performance but the lack of discipline continues to hamper the Warriors as they took eight penalties but did well on the penalty kill (7 for 8)

FHL Road Trip: Akwesasne Warriors

Two days, two games. A trek that started in Hogansburg, NY at 6:00 am Friday morning. The Warriors boarded a bus heading for Danbury, Connecticut to take on the always entertaining Danbury Whalers. Akwesasne coming into this trip had lost three straight and were looking to turn things around on the two game road swing.

The nearly six hour drive led to a stop in Newburgh, Ny just outside of New York City where the team and management stopped for dinner and to relax a little bit. After eating the team had some down time before jumping back on the bus so they grabbed a soccer ball and started kicking it around.

Roughly three hours later the team was back on the road to finish off the 45 minute drive to Danbury enjoying some nice scenery while crossing a bridge along the way

5:00 PM, Danbury, CT - We arrive at the beautiful Danbury Ice Arena only to find out we are too early and they are not ready for us. A welcome change as the team has had some bad luck recently forcing games to be delayed. Every detail was planned out this time around and the guys are left to wait it out.

6:40 PM,  Most of the guys are dressed and ready for warm ups some so ready they even strike a pose. Danbury however goes out for warm-ups unexpectedly early and the team is forced to rush out as the clock is ticking down. Warriors slowly trickle onto the ice and prepare for battle.

7:35 PM, Puck drops. Akwesasne @ Danbury A great game recap by new addition to You Call That Hockey?  - Alec Kessler

Post game - The guys ran out of gas in the third I wish I was talking about the team bus but it was the players. After a very entertaining 40 minutes of play the Warriors came out flat. Danbury took advantage immediately lighting the lamp with four straight in the third period, two in the first 1:04 of the period and another tough loss to write home about for Akwesasne.


Around 11 pm, the team has it's post game meal and head straight for the bus to begin the trip to Hyannis, Massachusetts.

3:30 AM, The entourage arrives in Hyannis, Massachusetts dead tired and ready to get some rest. After about 20 minutes the rooms are sorted and everyone begins disappearing for the night. My room mate for the trip is hard working rookie Sam Sanford currently on a three game tryout contract. A long day comes to a welcome end.

Around noon time the next day Director of Game Day Operations and video guru Keith Papineau gives me the opportunity to be one the first few to view the new Warriors commercial.

3:00 PM, Dinner is served at a restaurant across the street from the arena. Heaping plates of food are delivered to the tables as everyone takes in the intense Bruins/Canucks game. Loud chatter as everyone discusses the game and arguments over penalties can be heard in the background.

5:15 PM, Hyannis, Massachusetts - The team is packed up and heading for the Hyannis Youth and Community Center. A nice arena which is surprisingly small inside due to having two ice pads.

6:30 PM, -  The guys are out for warm-ups. I get my first glimpse of the Bluefins 

7:05 PM, - Puck drops on the first period. The Warriors come out flying as Ahmed Mahfouz strikes 33 seconds into the first frame. The guys are all smiles but it doesn't last long as the Bluefins hit back three and seven minutes into the game. Miguel Delisle scored his second goal in two games to even it up after a very entertaining first period of play.

The second period houses a lot of back and forth play. Cape Cod strikes midway through the period and it's followed shortly after by a minor tussle between former NHLer Billy Tibbetts and Akwesasne tough guy Mike Stacey who was more than willing. Tibbetts glove was off and he threw a punch that didn't faze Stacey at all but Tibbetts backs off from the challenge and both were given 2 minute roughing minors. The rough stuff doesn't go away as Kris McCarthy and Cory Bellamy had a shoving match with Bellamy trying to get McCarthy to drop the mitts until Ahmed Mahfouz skates in and goes straight after Bellamy, both men go down before any good punches can be thrown. Both are given a double minors.

The third period comes undone for the Warriors again. Miguel Delisle score his third goal in two games and fourth in four games is starting to look like the Delisle of last season where he produced better than a point per game. With time on the power play and an increased role it would not surprise me to see him return to form. However, it was Cape Cod's three goals in the third that sunk the Warriors for good. An empty netter sealed the deal and extended Akwesasne's losing streak to five games.

10:30 PM, After the post game meal the team heads for the bus as they load up and hit the road. With only a couple stops along the way it was a long quiet ride home. Getting back to the starting point in Hogansburg, NY at 6:30AM was the closing of a fun but disappointing trip.

Back home Wednesday the Warriors will have all of their starters back in the lineup to welcome the unlucky Danville Dashers who come to town to take on a sleeping beast. A wake up call has been issued with this five game losing streak and it's time for the Warriors to step up in a big way. With 22 scheduled games left to go it's going to take an Aviator like run to redeem this team. If everyone shows up there is no reason this stacked team can't get it done and if all else fails a big shake-up may be necessary.

Next up: Danville

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In closing I would like to thank team owner Darby "Buggo" Oakes for allowing me the opportunity to make the trip. I really appreciated this new and fun experience which I hope to be able to do again someday. I met some great people along the way and travelled with some of the best.

Warriors Special: David Plouffe Interview!

JF: Hello David!


Plouffe: Hi Joseph


JF: Okay lets start out with a fan submitted question.What do you do in preparation for a game?

Plouffe: Well I try to eat all the time, The same lunch, I'm at the rink an hour before the warm-up. Once I'm there I prepare all my stuff and I listen to music.

JF: Any pregame rituals?

Plouffe: I have to many rituals to explain each of them, I think all the goalies have a lot of small rituals

JF: Was the red avatar on your helmet your idea?

Plouffe: Yes , i was inspired by the movie, but took the Warriors colors

JF: How do you feel about fellow goaltender Adam Thompson?

Plouffe: I think Adam & me form a really good team, he has a lot of experience and helps me in some situations. It's important to have a good competition between both goalies.

JF: What championships have you won in your career? Which one means the most to you?


Plouffe: I think all of the championships are special and hard to win, but the one with the Cornwall Comets was special because I won the MVP as well. 

JF: Your off to a slow start this season with a 6-7 record. A few people feel you play best in the second half of the season. Would you agree?


Plouffe:  I don't think it's true for all my years, I try to be at my best for all the games. But for sure, after Christmas, in hockey language, it's a new season, and everybody steps up, so the goalies have to be really good in every game.
For this year, we had some bad games, I try to keep the team in the game, but sometimes it's hard. For sure, the warriors have to step it up and be better in the second part of the year, because right now, you don't see the real warriors....


JF: Which team in the FHL do you like to play against most?

Plouffe: We play 1000 islands a lot, so I have to like to play against them. I like to play against Danbury, in Danbury, it's a good challenge with the big crowds out there.

JF: You played in the LNAH before signing with Akwesasne. What made you make the jump to the FHL? Which league do you feel is more competitive?

Plouffe: I made the jump to the FHL because in the LNAH, I have to drive three hours for home games, here it's a hour and a half and we have a bus for all road games, so it's less travelling for me. Both league are competitive. The FHL this year is better than last year. The LNAH has been around for about 20 years so it's normal if the league is more solid, but I'm sure the FHL will be more solid year after year.

JF: When did David Plouffe realise he was going to be a goalie?

Plouffe:  I started in nets when I was five years old because I'm in love with the equipment. Also Patrick Roy was a big influence on me.

JF: Do you feel you adapt your style of play from one season to the next based on defense or do you stick to what you know and improve on it each year?

Plouffe: For sure I have to adapt my style to the guys I play with. I like to play the puck around my net, so I have to talk and adjust my play with all defense.

JF: Anything you want to say to the fans?

Plouffe:  Thanks for supporting the Warriors, the second part of the season will be better for us, and we need all of you to win the cup. You are really important to the players and you make it fun.
Thank you David.

AKW@1000: Frustration, Privateers win 8-3

 

Tuesday night was a one sided fight filled game which saw the Privateers walk out with a convincing 7-2 win. Five fights some big hits and that was only the first of two games in as many nights. Tuesday night

A couple black eyes floating around on the ice as the teams came out for warm ups but everyone's out there for both sides. The players are flying in the first. A cross ice feed to Pelkey but Anthony gets his stick on it with a beautiful desperation save.


Privateers goal on a shot that may very well have hit the post and bounced out. Irrelevant because it's now 1-0. However there was no denying their second goal as Geonetti comes out of the box gets behind the defence and the puck take an ugly bounce over Van Hoofs stick leaving Plouffe one on one. A head fake to left froze Plouffe and Geonetti bangs it home on the his right. 2-0 Privateers

Paul Shantz was ejected for dragging a Privateer player around by the jersey. Two more get past Plouffe and the frustration is boiling over. With a rookie backup the team is reluctant to make a change.



The second gets off to a equally poor start as the Warriors let another one get by Plouffe 6-0. Six goals when the Warriors gave Plouffe the hook. Rookie Jake Lazore getting his first taste of action gets caught on a soft goal a minute into his first test but played well to close out the period. 

An ugly elbow to the face of Martin Beaulne gets called a high stick. Beaulne is bleeding with a possible broken nose. There is blood all over the ice as Beaulne gets led to the dressing room and the referee say two minutes. If you don't see the play be honest but the guys blood is all over the ice that should be an automatic 4 minutes at least. 


Third period and Akwesasne seems to have settled down finally. Applying pressure pays off as Martin Beaulne scores to make it 7-2. Some good scoring chances for the Warriors. A lot of neutral zone play as the clock winds down. Barring a miracle this ones over.


A big hit by Desormeaux on Jeff Winchester left the Privateers captain lying on the ice trying get his composure back. Winchester passed the puck up ice. He took a hit to make a play but he did see Simon was coming at him but he still fell awkwardly into the boards. He looked shaken up but he'll be fine.

A late goal by the Privateers ended things just like the night before 8-3 final. Another one sided hockey game as the Warriors carry on without key players and it shows up loud and clear on the scoreboards. These games are tough to watch and right now the Privateers have the Warriors number.

To summarise these games the Privateers have been having a field day with Plouffe in nets and the change to bring Lazore seemed to help even the game out a bit as Akwesasne didn't play with much confidence prior to his entry into the game. He let some ugly rebounds go but did well to get good angles and made some stops that have been going in a lot lately. For the rest of the team... Lets get it together! Your paid to practise you play for your love of the game. We'll be back.