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Boot Hockey is Back By Matt Youngquist
The Rocks Boot Hockey team looks forward to taking to the ice for another season.Last year was the Rocks inaugural season and we played like it.With only two wins last year they look forward to a redemption season and show that they deserve to play in the state of hockey.Although the Rocks started out poorly in the first part of the season, they played better down the stretch.Winning their first game in playoffs and nearly pulling a win in the second game.
In 2010, the Rocks will be sporting new sweaters in an effort to actually look like a team.Although the new digs cannot make the Rocks a better boot hockey team, some key additions in personnel hope to propel the Rocks to some more wins.The Rocks are returning seven of the core guys this year and adding three rookies to the team.
Listed below is a preview of the roster:
The Veterans
#11 Matt Youngquist (Forward/Coach)
Youngquist has high expectations to live up to this year as the new coach of this hockey team. Matt, who has taken over for John Maslow, was the leading scorer last year and supplied the spark for the offense all year long. Most notably he had a point on every Rocks goal over a two game stretch, but he needs to improve his defensive play to become the complete package though.He hopes to lead the Rocks on the ice as well as from the bench to more victories this season.
#32 John Maslow (Goalie)
For starting the year in catchers gear Maslow progressed into a very good goalie over the course of the season.Once Maslow was set up with some goalie pads, you could see improvement most notably in the playoffs.The one strike he has against him is his age, as one of the oldest players on the team he looks to use his experience to make the team better.
#17 Colin Sehnert (Defense)
Probably one of the smartest guys on the team and not the kind you learn in books.This guy knows hockey.Colin is another guy with a receding hairline but hopes to use that experience to his advantage by being in the right place at the right time.Even though Colin was primarily a defenseman he stepped up and played a big part in the offense and the Rocks look for that again.
#24 Luke Sather (Defense)
Luke was a key free agent pick-up after the season began last year.Sather has got the goal scorer’s touch for the game of hockey.For a guy known for power he has the soft touch to pick corners all day long as well as playing tough in the defensive zone.The Rocks will look to Sather to play both offense and defense if they want to win some games.Hopefully there no ice fishing trips planned during the season.
#3 Spencer Ingaldson (Defense)
Just like in baseball, Spencer plays the game with a calm and cool demeanor.Last year it took some time for Spencer to adjust to the game, being he is from South Dakota, but really settled down by the end of the year.Spence plays good positional hockey and the Rocks need him to step up and be a leader in the defensive zone as well a cause some havoc on offense.
#25 Paul Bissonette (Forward)
It was a surprise how good this guy was at boot hockey.Paul has the knowledge of the game and can put the puck away when he has the opportunity to.Paul needs to start creating his own chances in the offensive zone to become a true leader of this team.As during the baseball season, the question with Paul is can he stay healthy?
#2 Andy Podmolik (Forward)
Chumbawamba put it best about this guy, "I get knocked down and get up again, they aren’t never going to keep me down.I get knock down and get up again..."This guy spends more time polishing the ice then the Zamboni does.But what Pods lacks in pure skill he makes up with hustle.He is everywhere on the ice and if Pods can learn to control his speed he could be one dangerous player.
The Rookies
#18 Aaron Larson (Forward)
It was Larson's first year with the Rocks baseball club and the Rocks hockey club hopes he can produce just like he did in the summer.Larson is a product of Lakeville hockey and Gopher coach
Don Lucia certainly missed out on this stud.If Larson can live up to his own hype, the Rocks are in for a good season.Look for Larson to try to give Youngquist a run for the point championship.
#7 Mike Andrea (Forward)
Just like Larson it was Mike's first year with the baseball club and he looks to make a big splash on the hockey team like he did this summer.Andrea is another product of the Champlin Park system that groomed Youngquist as well.Probably not as dynamic as Youngquist, but Mike plays the game with more intensity and hustle than anybody else on the team.If he brings that same intensity to the rink as he brought to the diamond then the sky is the limit for him.
#1 Mo Young
We hope that Mo's tenure with the hockey team is longer than the two games he played for the baseball team a few years ago.Although never formally trained in the art of the puck, Mo grew up next door to Matt so you know he will be good.At 6'6'' the Rocks hope that Mo can be a dominate force and control play in front of the net in both the offensive and defensive zone.Mo will have to get nasty though
because some people question if he wants it bad enough.
Look for future boot hockey updates in the future.Go Rocks!
Rocks Fantasy Football: Week 8
I hope everyone enjoyed a safe Halloween and managed to stay away from any Gopher football players.Overall, it was a tough week if you are a Gophers fan.There are several instances to choose from, such as:
·Not one, not two, but three players on the nationally ranked men’s basketball team are suspended indefinitely including Trevor Mbawke who is facing a December court case for an alleged assault of a woman in Florida.Classy.
·Two members of your Golden Gopher football team put a real scare into a couple of University students outside a campus pizza joint late Saturday night.Apparently, they were dressed as Gopher players trying to tackle the opposition.In this case, they were flagged for a 15 yard unsportsmanlike conduct call because one of the players tried to tackle the intervening police office.Come on. We all know that the Gophers can’t tackle.
·The Gopher men’s hockey team swept Alaska Anchorage over the weekend scoring 9 goals.Why is this bad news you ask?Through 6 games, the Gophers have a total of 12 goals.The good news…none of Donnie Lucia’s guys showed up on the police blotter.
·The Gopher football team defeats Michigan State on Halloween.Again, how is this bad?Well, it likely guaranteed that Mr. Recruiter, Tim Brewster will be he for another year.Here’s hoping that the Gophers lose their remaining three games.
·Adam Weber lost 195 pounds over the weekend.His secret, he dropped Eric Decker.
Five star PG, Cory Joesph enjoyed his official visit to Minnesota this past weekend. He got to watch the Timberwolves on Friday and of course attended the football game on Saturday. What is concerning is that Cory is actually thinking of going straight to the Wolves as he is pretty sure he could start for them now.
Living in a condo in Minneapolis has its perks, but the one thing that’s missing this time of year is the nostalgia and gimmicks behind Halloween.Our living arrangement doesn’t yield for many of the ghosts and goblins knocking at your door, so we travelled to Woodbury to join in on the Sehnert’s celebration.When dusk settled in, the neighborhood was transformed into a scene from Charlie Brown’s Halloween special.I swear I even saw the Great Pumpkin.Lots of kids + Lots of candy = happy dentists.Here’s hoping for good dental plans.
Even though it was a day late, we got a knock at our door on Sunday afternoon from a trick or treater wearing a scary costume.He was dressed a lot like Paul Bissonette.
And onto this week’s games…
First, two things that have been on my mind for some time:
1.Can someone at Fox replace the stupid dancing robot with stats of other games during their NFL telecasts?CBS has a fantasy football ticker.Fox.Nothing.
2.Why do the Cowboys have dark home uniforms when they never wear them?This really confuses me.
With 5 weeks left in the regular season, there are only two teams that have secured their playoff destiny.At 7-1, GLBT Pride has a two game lead on the top spot and a bye in the first round of the playoffs.Conversely, at 1-7 Team Funky Bunch’s season is over.One could argue that it actually died on draft day.Team Funky trying to play the role of spoiler actually had a chance to all-but-eliminate his opponent’s playoffs hopes.Heading into Monday night’s game, Funky was beating Real Mean Play Baseball by a score of 86 to 72. Fortunately, Real Mean had two members of the Saints team yet to play and wins easily 99 to 86.After the game, I received the following email from Real Men’s owner, Colin Sehnert:
First, I am assuming you contacted Leintz earlier in the week to remind him to check his FF team and to start 8 guys.It’s the first time in a month he has changed his lineup.Hey, the jerk-store called…I am not above a cheap win.I’ll take anything I can get at this point.
Actually Colin, it was Paul Bissonette who contacted Leintz.Paul’s turned into the Tim Donaghy of the Rocks Baseball league by rejecting valid trades and providing advice to others to help his cause.He’s trying to do all he can to make it tough on his opponents, even if it means calling Leintz to make sure he has a full starting roster. As for his Baby Jesus squad, they win and improve to 4-4.It wasn’t easy though as he holds on to defeat Just the Tip as Colston fails to make up the 30 point different heading into Monday night.Tips loss sets up must win situation next week as he faces off against Real Mean.Both teams are 3-5.A loss would likely eliminate each from the playoffs.
My sympathy goes out to Gunsville Sticks. He's come to drastic measures. For example, upon opening my email on Saturday, I had the following trade request:
Gunsville Sticks trades Jake Delhomme to Favre From Good
Favre From Good trades Tom Brady to Gunsville Sticks
There’s only one owner who would’ve made that trade and my name is not Jeff Leintz.
Gunsville Sticks starting QB, David Garrad, is the 18th best quarterback in the league.Not bad until you consider that there are only 12 fantasy football teams in the Rocks league.As it stands, Sticks puts up a putrid effort by scoring the least amount of points this week.On the flip side his opponent, GLBT Pride, was the highest scoring team of the week.It’s easy to say that these two teams are going in opposite directions.At least Sticks owner, Matt Youngquist can be happy that 70% of his boot hockey team has paid him for the 2010 season.
The second highest scoring team of the week went to my team, Favre from Good.I spent most of the better half of the week trying to reach out to teams in search of a WR.My team was without Tom Brady and Hines Ward this week due to bye weeks so I wasn’t very optimistic that I would win.I was willing to trade a RB for a back-up WR but all I kept hearing was “fair value”.Personally, I think some other owners have an unrealistic view of “what’s fair” especially when I’m asking for their back-up players, but that’s just me.In the end, it was one of the guys I wanted to trade that helped keep my fantasy football team afloat by defeating I heart Nickelback by a score of 107 to 88.After viewing this YouTube clip, I’m not sure I can trade him now.
I think it’s safe to say at this point that Body By Bacardi owner, Andy Podmolik, is seething at Gary Kubiak for pulling Steve Slaton in the first quarter.Faced with no other options at RB and without his two starting WR’s (injury and BYE), Slaton loses a key fumble.If Body was looking for him, he could’ve found him squandered on the bench.His replacement, Ryan Moats, explodes on the fantasy football radar by rushing for 123 yards and THREE touchdowns.So, why would this make Bacardi angry.Because he loses to Team Sho by one point.Team Sho is led by the rebirth of the 2002 LaDainian Tomlinson and Chris Johnson.
Speaking of being bite by the BYE week bug, no team was hit harder this week than Team Tripod who had both of his starting WRs facing a bye (Ochocinco and S. Holmes).It hurts as he loses to the hottest team in the league not named GLBT Pride.Lebowski’s Urban Achievers win for the 3rd week in a row.It was a full team effort as his team is lead by the scoring efforts of the Chicago Bears?That’s not a misprint.
Lastly, congratulations to the entire Rocks baseball team for upsetting Paul Bissonette.Not one Rocks player came out to his Rocks happy hour.From Paul, “Not one, I was pretty upset.I'm never trying to set something up for us again.”That’s what happens when you plan for a happy hour on a Monday in the far West Suburbs.Just sayin’.
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Minneapolis Rocks Top Row (l - r): Mgr - John Maslow, Blake Malloy, Ryan Cousins, Mark Fenstad, Nate Cousins, Aaron Larson, Jesse Retzer, John Bean. From Row (l - r): Jesse Tollefson, Brian Johnson, Adam Shoberg, Matt Youngquist, Andy Podmolik, Paul, Bissonette, Colin Sehnert, Mike Andrea, Bob Stefani. Not Pictured: Luke Sather, Jeff Leintz, Ryan Sele, Spencer Ingaldson
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