For those who may not be aware, this Battle of the Barrel thing is quite the ordeal.
Every season, the week before the ACHA National Tournament features the most hotly-contested internal award of the year: a 3-on-3 tournament among the Bobcats that decides who gets their name on a green-colored construction barrel.
It's the stuff hockey players drool over. That, and women.
Yesterday, the Ohio hockey players convened on Bird Arena ice not to practice, but to divide themselves into four squads: red, green, blue and black. Four of the Bobcats' leaders captained the teams: Ryan Tessmer (red), Mark Tracy (green), Justin Farmer (blue) and Billy Hemann (black). Right from the drop of the puck, the chirps came heavy.
The opening game was a tight contest between the blue and green squads. Mike Schultz was buzzing for the blue team, and he teamed with Bryan Brown to put up a 3-1 win. Scott Karas came off the bench to get the win.
The red and black preliminary round game followed. Both were evenly matched, with defending goaltender winner Patrick Morse backstopping a loaded red team featuring Tessmer, Tyler Pilmore, Zack Barbis and Jake Holzemer among others.
Paul Marshall kept the red team in check, blanking them for the entire 10 minute game in a 2-0 win for the black squad.
The final two preliminary games were a 6-5 win for the red team over green, and a 4-2 win for black against blue. Red and black were the top two seeds for the semifinal round, each going 2-1 in the opening round.
Black could thank Jon Pietramala, undoubtedly riding on the coattails of his native Canada's gold medal victory the day before.
Before the semifinal matchup with the blue team, red team coach Jimmy Irwin was a confident chap.
We obviously have the advantage in this game
Irwin said. Better players better goalie. Their coach (Jay Mazzarella) is a big goof so he'll try to do something stupid and take us off our game.
Red advanced to the final with a 5-3 win. Pilmore and Tessmer seemed to be out there the entire time. What was this, the beer league?
But the biggest surprise was yet to come.
In a 3-3 game between green and black, the second semifinal featured a crazy, frenzied finish. Tracy and Steve Osacky were steady for the green team that seemed to hang around.
As time expired, the puck found its way to the slot, where it was jammed home by captain Tracy. Green advanced to the championship game to play for the barrel on a thaumaturgic finish.
I did all the momentum building on that shift then let Mr. Walter (Tracy) slither in and finish the dirty work
Osacky said.
It was red versus green. The winner got to hoist that beautiful barrel, and maybe drink something out of it after it was scrubbed down for an hour or six.
Morse made a slew of big stops on Molnar, Tracy and one on Alex DiMassa. Red won 3-1, and threw their gloves and sticks up as if they won the Stanley Cup. Delirium, they call it.
To no one's surprise, the winning team was not short on confidence or quotable chirp-age.
The best goalie was definitely ours
he won a championship didn't he? Tessmer said with a laugh. Marshall choked.
I have my name on the barrel three times. That's a record.
- Rob Mixer is a senior studying journalism and The Post's assistant sports editor. Send him all of your barrel rolls
comments
criticisms and tons of praise at rm234405@ohiou.edu.
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30845,2010-03-01 21:53:00,Police arrest Albany man for sexual conduct with minor,Athens Sheriff's deputies arrested an Albany man for allegedly having sex with a minor in the Wal-Mart parking lot
and they say this is not the first time he engaged in sexual activity with the girl.,Athens Sheriff's deputies arrested an Albany man for allegedly having sex with a minor in the Wal-Mart parking lot
and they say this is not the first time he engaged in sexual activity with the girl.
Mark C. Tober
37
of 28775 Gaston Rd.
