There has been a common thread running through each of the Maroons last two games. In games on Sunday against the Vipers and on Monday against the Polar Bears, the D2 Division leader Maroons have come out flat, spotting its opponents an easy and quick two-goal lead. This trend has team management concerned enough that on Wednesday it intends to take an unusual step.

On Friday, team captain Tom Hebert will travel to Colorado Springs, Colorado – the headquarters of USA Hockey – to seek a change to Rule 637 which would allow a team to waive the first period of the game and proceed directly to the second period. Said Hebert, "The way I see it, we’ve been pretty horrible in the first period, but stellar in the second and third periods. Given this, the rule change I’m proposing just makes sense."

Longtime hockey commentator Don Cherry thinks Hebert may be on to something. "If you look at every other team sport, the games or matches are played in halves or quarters. Hockey has always bucked the system, and it’s time for our sport to fall in line with basketball, football and baseball. Allowing a team to play just two periods would allow that." When reminded that baseball actually has nine innings, not halves or quarters, Cherry quipped, "What do you want from a stupid Canuck?" and then abruptly walked away.

Despite its first period trouble, the week has been a good one for the Maroons. On Sunday the team traveled to the State Fair Coliseum for some mini corndogs, a visit to Machinery Hill, and a 5-2 victory over the Vipers. The team benefitted from goal-scoring by the usual suspects (Matt Heilicher, Jonathan Fogel and Jeremy Warsett), as well as from winger Chris Cords, making his second appearance of the season in a Maroons sweater. Equally significant was the team’s seven minor penalties, a feat all the more amazing due to the absence of defenseman Rich Fromstein, a frequent penalty box occupant. Fromstein’s absence from the game was explained by team management as being due to an "upper body injury or ailment," though anonymous sources report this as meaning that he had the sniffles.

Fromstein was not concerned about losing his place at the top of the penalty minutes leaders. "All it will take is one fight, a check from behind or a few really good uses of profanity and I’ll be back on top where I belong," said Fromstein.

The Maroons’ success continued on Monday night in a match-up against the Polar Bears. The team certainly showed the fatigue of their late return to town on Sunday night during the first period, however after falling behind 2-0 the team rallied with nine unanswered goals to win 9-2. Yes, you read that correctly. Nine unanswered goals. Center Matt Heilicher surpassed Jonathan Fogel in the race for to lead the team in goals scored with two (bringing his season-to-date total to 8), including one assisted by left wing Mark Franklin. Right wing Jeremy Warsett had two goals of his own, with the remaining goals scored by defenseman Lynn Nelson and forwards Fogel (his first assisted goal of the season), Pat Diamond, Joel Ginsberg and Marc Berris. Though blueliner Rich Fromstein returned to the lineup, he was unable to claim ownership of any of the team’s six minor penalties, causing some to wonder if he isn’t mellowing with age. "Rich used to be downright ornery out there, and now he’s become somewhat docile," said teammate and friend Mark Franklin. "I really don’t know what to make of it."

After five games the Maroons remain unbeaten, and holds sole possession of first place in the D2 division. Additionally, the team has three of the top ten D2 point leaders (Fogel, Heilicher and Warsett), four of the top ten goal leaders (Helicher, Fogel, Warsett and Diamond), and two of the top ten in assists (Warsett and Ginsberg) and penalty minutes (Michael Stephens and Ginsberg).

The team next faces the Ice Dogs on November 30^th for a sold-out game at the Charles M. Schulz Highland Ice Arena.