Ashley’s Hopslam suffered a first-round defeat at the hands of defending champion Ice Men 3-7 Tuesday night on Varsity Ice. The loss leaves a much improved Hopslam team looking to the Spring with more questions than answers.
“Does anyone know what happened?” asked GM Mark Woods. “Anyone? Anyone?”
“Bueller?” added Woods.
“We ran into a really good team,” answered defenseman Steve Gorham.
The Ice Men jumped out to a 2-0 lead after the first period, but forward Keith Kotimko blasted a shot past Ice Men goalie David Short, cutting into the lead. Kotimko repeated the feat in the third period, helped by center Scott Coates’ follow-up goal, but the Ice Men had already rolled up seven goals by then.
“If we could have played like that from the beginning, we’d either have won,” said defenseman Mark Woods, “or else have died from exhaustion.”
The team looks to reload for Spring season with the addition of Evan Feezel, whose youth and armful of tattoos suggest he may be a really good hockey player. Scouting reports confirm that he in fact is young by the team’s aging standards, and that there are several tattoos on his person.