11-20-03 Good job. That will pay off if we produce some offense Monday night. If not? Experiencing a different position will improve your game. It also makes you value the position you occupy .Sure it is not easy or comfortable, but it will prepare you to take advantage of situations or act appropriately in a coverage situation. Thanks Neil for letting us and keeping us in there. You played a great game. Bring your A game on Monday. We are ready to beat those guys and I expect it. Show them three periods of Laker Hockey.

11-14-03. Great game. That was good hockey. Just for the record, or there lack of, We play to win. We had them on there heels and were out playing and shooting them at the end of the game. They got a bounce. I'd do that again in a heart beat. It's just one point in a warm up season. As for those of you who did not have a great game. At least you showed up! Everyone has games that are not up to there standards. Its tough when others around you are doing the same, but play thru it. Offense is a concern. Its not just the goals, I see shots not being taken, rebounds not being gotten to, and passes not completed in the zone. In a positional move to gain a better perspective of where who are suppose to be and how you should be playing it, I want D on the wings next game and forwards are playing back. Kevin, Chuck, Tom, & Lou will start at D. Utilize this OPPORTUNITY to see how important that break out pass is, what advancing the puck can open up, what a screen can create, what back checking does, etc. This will make us a better team.

11-9-03 good win. Bout time against an A team. Solid team play and way to battle thru a low scoring game. That finish is so very important. Make sure you have it in the tank and in your mind to have the best shift of the game at the end. Neil bailed us (or me) out several times on those breakaways. Ask your self what you can do differently to prevent an odd man rush. Lets continue to get more shots off and put them on. Our game is coming around. Friday night will be a great game. Plan on having that game winner! Be prepared.

11-2-03 Nice try boys. A half game will not cut it. We came out strong and put them on there heels, but could not sustain it. Ask your self if you played your best game. And if not a yes, than why? Were you out of shape, tired, were not mentally prepared, nourished, equipment, attitude? It was not the level of play. I know that we can compete and beat those teams. But it will take all those to make it happen. It is a sacrifice, absolutely. But that is what we need  from each and every one of you. The rewards are great and you do know how that feels. Lets gear up for that next opponent and play some Hockey. Thanks.

Just some opening season notes for 2003/04.

Looking forward to another season of Laker's Hockey. Enjoy it. Make the most of that locker room time, your pre-game routines, the exercise, the bench moments, and most of all the thrills out there on the ice when you do your best and also watch your teammates do the same. Take some well deserved pride that you are Champions, and that is well deserved. But with that comes added responsibility and opponents stepping it up. Make the most of that challenge.

This pre-season is a ten game warm up. I personally think that it takes away from the game not having a play off, but it is what it is. It does reward consistency and place a higher emphasis on each game. So be ready to play each game.

Our roster took some hits and we are going to make the most of it. There will be more ice time available for the regulars and the subs will be forced to pay a premium for the privilege (.00). Mike P. is taking the fall off & Jeff W. is now in for only some weekend games. Jeff Z can not do weekends.

LOOK UP TO THIS GAME ON MONDAY. DICKS IS AN OLD SCHOOL RIVAL AND ITS ABOUT TIME WE PLAY THEM AGAIN. BRING YOUR A GAME!

How does it feel to be a Champion?

I'll tell you what it feels like from my perspective. It feels damn good. Make no mistake about it, we won and earned it. Do not feel like it is now over, because it has just begun! What a great season. You were challenged and you delivered. Thank you for all of your dedication, effort, commitment & support. It was very evident that there was a tremendous amount of individual growth & development out there. YOUR team has ingredients that every team in that league strives for. It was a pleasure to play and coach with each and every one of you. I am most certainly looking forward to next year. There will be a roster addition and a big hole to fill, but I know the NUANGOLA LAKERS will be carrying on the dynasty.


Couple of other things;

The Zeigler challenge is on, but a date has not been assigned. Probably next week.

Laker social and award banquet is scheduled for May 24, 4:00. Details will follow.

Spring summer league; I am going w/ the over 35 Wed. night beer league. Kenny, Bob & Mike exspressed interest in this also. I will help you field a team, but someone will need to manage. Let me know if you want my help in this.

3-25-3 How cool was that? Way to bring your A game. That jump won the game and that was a huge game. Well done and you deserve to be in the Champion bracket. Now what? Can you finish? How bad do you want it? You'll have officially two shots at it versus the winner of the Bears/Daves game played on Sunday, 3/30. Probably 4/2 or 4/3? Be prepared for a team that will be desperate, must win/offense, and intimidated. It will be a great game.

3-16-3 THANKS! I want to sincerely thank each and every one of you for playing in that game. You all played hard and we won and had fun out there. That was a hockey game. How about that Daves team. Who would have thought that they were capable of such composure and control. That goalie deserves a ton of credit. He stoned us! It goes to show you that you need to be prepared for any type of game out of any opponent. I think we did a very good job of keeping our heads and not getting down on lack of points. It was very clear to me how individuals wanted to win that game by how they played. Just for the record and because I was asked about it, I chose to shuffle those lines for a couple of reasons. There was frustration over the score. I wanted to avoid OT. Some looked tired. And I thought what the hell. Also worth noting, I do know what it is like to sit. Many a time I was glad to just get a shift, never mind one during a crucial point in that game. It all comes back to you. I do not know if you noticed, but Mike was out there killing a penalty with a few minutes left in the game and he got good support from the bench. That is Laker hockey. OK, NOW THE PLAYOFFS BEGIN. It is true, that first round is the most dangerous and we survived it. Now it is the Bears and it is going to be a great game. You know what to do and how to go about it. But just as a refresher, I will drop you a note.

03-09-03 Great win TEAM. Way to finish strong. What type of game would you rather play in? A blow out w/ points all around, or a hard fought, tight scoring battle where every shift could make a difference? Bob said it well about our regular season, "there were a ton of close games". The beauty of that is the learning curve. We know as a team, we can play any type of game thrown at us. We have the composure and confidence to win those types of games. Watch that factor as we enter these playoffs. Continue to challenge yourself to play your best. Winners rise above distractions and obstacles. A winning team uses its abilities, chemistry, and fortune. We have all those ingredients on the Lakers. Dont let your teammates down; make sure you are a contributor! Bring it on.

03-01-03 Way to take care of business. That was a fun game to be in. Great show of strength being down two goals and then coming back with five. Thats what being patient and having confidence is all about. Remember that as we roll into the playoffs. Being able to play different styles of games is a great advantage and one we have used very effectively this season. Now;

Get ready for Thursdays game vs. the Bears. Always great games and a full hour of hockey. Throw in season ending standings and playoff positioning and the makings are there for a super game. Let's be ready to take apart there d, work the net, and hold that lead.

02-23-03 Some wins are not going to be pretty and that is a prime example. That is why you wear equipment. Be prepared to face more of that Sunday. Your discipline will be challenged. There was some breakdown in our defensive zone. It was to frequent that we were unable to get the puck out. Focus on your position at that critical time. It is far better to be percise. Note, I will no longer refer to it as a breakout? Also on the lines; if you are double shifting, you have to show you have the legs to back it up. That will show in the third period. Take it from someone with rapidly deteriorating skills, take those quick shifts and watch your positioning. Plan on finishing the season strong and going into the playoffs hot. The schedule is in our favor and lets use it. Goal is the championship!

02-16-03 OK, OK, enough with the crying. You can not say we did not play hard or have our chances. Those were three good lines out there. That was wild pressure in there end and scares alot of teams. They stood up strong. Grow from it and persevere. Someone needs to step up in games like that. And there is no reason it could not have been you. Shame on us for taking a SHORT BENCH FOR GRANTED. Every team goes up against a hot goalie. Just because you have the best goaltender in the league does not mean he is going to win games. He can't, he can just stop us from losing and that is not going to happen all season. It's up to you to play the system. What is your role on the team? If you don't know, ask. ZERO penalty minutes for us that night. I challenge you to match that Monday, and I'll guarantee you a win.

02-09-03 Some things to take away from a great game. I can deal with saving that win for the finals. Those are great measures of how we need to improve in areas. We need to step up against the better than average teams and be confident to be patient. Were you in the right frame of mind for that game? Was your body in it's top physical condition? Were our lines the best they could be?
Our goal is to win the championship. We can move back in to first place with a win on Sunday. Let's have some more fun out there and take the Bears.

02-02-03 What a way to break out of a scoring slump! That was a fun game to play. There were a lot of great things happening last night. The best was the bench. I saw guys jumping to get back out there and play hockey for three periods. We are a well rounded team and when we play together like that and have that kind of fun, no one is coming close. Remind yourself how loose we were (despite not playing for 10 days). Keep skating hard, digging, and getting that pass off hard & quick and we all might have a Tom W. night! We are now back in a tie for first with the who we play Sunday at 8:30. We also have a game in hand on them, so this game will secure that top spot for us. Keys to that game; keep your heads! They cannot match our speed and will take the penalty. Do not  retaliate and make that powerplay work. Screen the goalie. He gets easily distracted and off his game. Get to him early. Use our points. They do a decent job down low, so look to get it high and get it off quick out there, drive the net and look for that loose puck. Key in on staying close to there one skater who usually is all of there offense. GUARANTEED star of the game for who ever fakes Sal down to the ice with a shot and goes around him!

01-22-03; Good point boys. Neil earned it for us. A 0-0 tie is a rare and beautiful thing in hockey. I really believe that it makes you a better player because everyone of us, besides the goalies, is saying, geez, I had a chance to win that game. Next time make it count and bury that goal or make that pass, first shift or last. No question about how we missed some of our team. You add a Steve, Jeff, Rick, Mike, & Greg and there are points on the board. Way to hold down the fort and not loose any points to the first place team (they are I point ahead with the extra game played). Our goal of undefeated is still in tack. I am thinking of trying to shake up our offense a little bit (one goal in two games is a concern). Email your thoughts on why we are not producing, I would appreciate them. On tap is the Sharks 10 days from now. Always a fun game and a great opportunity to snap our scoring drought. Bring your O and lets have some fun.

01-15-02;Thats the way to play boys! Way to stay composed in a close game, and they don't get any closer than that. We played a great game and there goalie kept them alive. Way to roll those two lines of wings. You need to be prepared for that kind of ice time. Challenge yourself to get better wind and strength for that third period. Centers did solid job of two way hockey and not double shifting paid dividents. D allowed 11 shots and few of those were chances. Think about how to shake that coverage on the point. Neil, great goaltending and seeing the ice. Stay focused in there and caution to those centering passes. Opponents will wise up to that. Coordinate a check off with one D in the same spot all the time. Forwards be prepared to catch that puck with your hands, turn up ice, take a stride, and then put it on your stick.

Having confidence will carry us right to our goal. Something to think about for next game; Being undefeated and in first will cause other teams to challenge us with there best game. You will need to be prepared to be surprised against who you are playing regardless of there record or past performance. Next game is the Predators. We have the opportunity to really make a statement against them. Mostly to put that last game against them behind us. Secondly, a win will really seperate us from them in the standing and as of now, they are our biggest threat. I am challenging all of you to stay out of the box against them. Beat them on the ice with our lines, skill, and netminding. We let them be close last time and it won't happen again.

01-07-03; GREAT WIN! Super team play. Way to close them out in the third period. There were a lot of strengths out there; passing, positioning, defensive coverage, picking up rebounds in front, bench morale, shifts, energy level. That loss hurt them and it felt real good to us. We have our best start on record and we all showed that a layoff will not affect us. Lets set the realistic goal of finishing undefeated for the season, then taking the playoffs. Everyone is picking up there game and with that comes greater success and enjoyment. Challenge yourself to improve on an aspect of your game. Pick out one thing to focus on like a breakout, drop pass, face-offs, backhand, footwork, anything.

Some housekeeping; Pay up in full ASAP (it is fair and it is a burden on the team if you are not). Sign in every game! (We almost lost two players to a suspension because a few did not sign in. Make it a part of your routine). THANK YOU

12-23-02 Odd Game; Three full lines, slow start, way to many penalties, game winner in OT. I am looking at it as we broke out of our notorious bad start to a season slump. Lets build on this and make it a season for the record books. We have all the ingredients. Please clear up the finaancial picture. Each of you must pay there way. Make sure you are payed up from the fall and them get this years in. Half for 1-1, and 1/2 for 2-1. .00 per man total. Have a great holiday and I'll let you know next game ass soon as schedule goes out.

12-10-02; Beautiful win by the Lakers. Best passing and positioning of the season resulted in a clinic & greatest output on record. Great goaltending and getting the dog monkey off our back. Only thing better would have been to have three full lines out there instead of two. 7 -3 record is very impressive and we are playing very good. We have made great strides as a team and all of you deserve credit. Unfortunately the season championship is now out of our hands. We are in first place by one point, but the Bears have a game to play vs. the Predators on the 15th. Let the puck fall were it lands. We are ready for the winter season. We will continue to improve and realize the importance of each and every game. Look forward to playing with you on the 22nd.

11-25 Way to keep it up team. Having fun, playing hard. Lets finish strong and get our names on 1st place.We have one game left on 12-10 @10:00 vs. Old Dogs. I will see if there is ice available that off week.

11-21 GREAT WIN! Solid team effort and great offensive production, solid D against the best player in league, and stellar goaltending. Shifts were well managed and there was continual effort out there. Two centers did a commendable job double shifting. Minimal penalties. Here are some keys to the game to focus on out there for Sundays game against the sharks at 8:30; Isolate there key player, watch there breakout (hanging), payback for our breakdown in the third last game.

11-18 Way to come back with a win boys. Good team play and tempo. Nice job slowing it down on break outs and in there zone. Be ready for the Bears on Wednesday. We can beat them if we are on top of our game. Watch your defensive coverage and pick your chances. Go Lakers!

11-14, Back to 500 hockey with two straight losses. Mental preparation is vital and it did not look like we were there. It gets you the bounces and the breaks and wins games. We have the skill level to go against that team, but we have to be on top of our game. try some different approaches to your pregame. We all have allot of things in our heads and you need to seperate from it if you are going to contribute.

Here are some changes being implemented for next game. The warm up drill of breaking in & out is to be played in slow motion. Work on POSITIONING and accurate passing. D plays it tough and dont give anything. Secondly, I will do my hardest to establish even forward lines. I have been giving that privilege to the D and it is time for a change. Let's get set to have some fun against those Predators.

11-10, Losing doesnt feel good. We lost, why? We worked hard out there, but not hard enough. It was our D. Four goals should win us those games. We need to do a better job of supporting Mike. We did not key in on there goal scorer and get in his face. Putting one guy on that caliber of player is not enough. We need as a team to be able to adjust when we play a team with that type of threat. There must be a partnership out there with D & O. Centermen or a wing need to be aware of that scorer and stay close with them. Get in there face constantly and draw that penalty. Let him know he is not scoring with you on the ice. Switch positions if you need too! It means giving up the O and probably taking and drawing some penalty minutes, but we will beat them and frustrate his game. D, dont be giving up the breakaway. We have a recognizable habit of pinching in and combine that with hanging or great speed and they will get there chances. Stay between him and the goal and push him to the outside untill backup can arrive. Mike, dont second guess yourself. Either stay in or out, up or down. We all support you out there and appreciate you being able to stand in there. We will repay them. We are gaining balance on scoring, breakouts, and passing, please focus on staying home and in position.

BIG GAME on Wednesday! Could really be first place for the season. Bears are playing like an A team. We need to identify there threats and control them= Yani and Neelson. Take advantage of there weak line.

11-02-02 Nice win against a nemesis. Great puck control, offensive pressure, and shift management. Limited penalties and good discipline. These are all things that we have to maintain as constants if we are going to get there. We must be able to perform that way against any opponent. Be prepared for next weeks game, you will be tested. Here's something each of you can help the team out with; SIGN IN before you get on the ice. Either hit it on your way in, bring it in to the locker room, or go thru the lobby and sign on your way out to the ice. Don't waste valuable practice/warm up time.
ALSO, A WORD OF THANKS TO BOB BECKER FOR HOSTING US AFTER THE GAME. THAT'S WHAT MAKES US A TEAM.

10-25-02 Another good win. Remember how great it feels and bring that desire to your next game. Look at the positives that were evident; Teamwork, passing, defense, shot totals, shift management, focus. It's about time we won a low scoring game. With Neal on, we can win those types of games. It will require discipline on everyone's part. Is your head going to be in it when it comes down to it, even if it's your last shift?

Some points that are worth focusing on for our run to the championship:

There was no warm up out there. Get to the game earlier. Stretch. And be ready to get out there and warm up the goalie then work some drills. Neal was out there by himself for 5 minutes. Warm ups should go like this, slaps from the blue, wrist from the slot, backhands in close. Then forwards on the red, D on the blue for a break in, then out. Don't waste this valuable time signing in, stretching, or renewing past relationships.

Forwards are advancing way to far out on the breakout. Discipline your self to stay within the circles in our end. Don't be so concerned with the speed of the break, focus on the smoothness and the passing.

Continue to have fun out there, before, during, and after.

Let's show the Old dogs what they are long over due for on Saturday.



10-21-02 GREAT win boys! Super energy, decent control of emotions, good shift management. Besides the great goaltending, there was solid backchecking by forwards. Our passing was hard and accurate and everyone could see how that got them running around. I believed that opened up the points and we did a fairly good job of hitting the point and covering out there. Our breakout still needs work. I did see alot of heads up and looking for the puck and the pass, but... the forwards MUST wait for the D to advance the puck to them. Most of the time they were almost to the blue line or past it. TWO passes before we leave the zone is what we need to instill. Forwards can also circle behind the D and pack them up. Stay with this drill! Also D, one of the pair should position themselves as a safety pass option for Neal when he is looking for that breakout pass. This is a great skill and we need to make the most of that ability. Fridays game is going to be much more difficult. We need to key in on Carponetti and shut him down.
9-12-02Just a few words to start out the season with boys.We have the potential to take first this year and it is my priority. There are going to be a few things along the way that will need to happen. Team commitment and support are foremost. Ask your self what are your personal goals for the year? What is your role on the team? How can you improve upon this? What contributions do you make or are you capable of making?
Several of you have asked for some systems to be taught and orchestrated. These will be the break out and the power play. Also we will revisit some of our past ones; face offs & offensive organization to name two. Stay tuned for a write up of each of these.
I am asking something from each of you in order so we can be the best. Are you coachable? You need to let me know if not. I try my best to lead by example and motivate you. I am very conscious to not go overboard or push too hard (it is just a game and a recreational one at that). I will try and work with each of you individually and ask you what do you need & what does the team need. I am more than open to trying new ideas and combinations. The Lakers biggest strength is the tightness that exists amongst us. But that has not been winning us championships!
Lets go at this as a team. Little things like being on time. Stretching before stepping on the ice so you maximize warmup ice time. Coming out on the ice together as a team. Supporting each other on the bench. Short shifts. Controlling penalty minutes.