Spring 2000 Game Updates

Game 1
Americans 5, Dead Wings 3.
Season Record 1-0-0.

Nice Save!
(Sugar Land, TX) Starting out the season against the Dead Wings has become tradition. However, starting out game down 2-0 isn't the way the Americans chose to start out the season. After losing last year's leading scorer Wade Fischer to the "salary cap" the Americans knew that new players would have to step up to fill the void. Bruce Burak was the first to answer the call with a goal that brought the Americans back to a 2-1 deficit. Tim Madden's goal made it 2-2, and in the 3rd period Burak scored his second goal of the game (twice the goal output from all of last season) to make give the Amerks their first lead at 3-2. Brendan Hilton stepped in front of a clearing pass and made it a 4-2 cushion, and Tim Madden added his second goal of the game with a shot that the Dead Wing's goalie Jesse Bell is STILL looking for. With a 5-2 lead, the Americans victory seemed assured. However, nobody had accounted for the "barcolounger effect" which lead to giving up a doubly shorthanded 3 on 5 goal to give the Dead Wings life at 5-3. After a penalty-fest, calmer heads prevailed and the Americans escaped win #1 against a greatly improved Dead Wings team.

Game 2
North Stars 5, Americans 4
Season Record 1-1-0.

Too Much, Too Little, Too Late.
(Sugar Land, TX) The always gracious Americans spotted the Stars a four (count 'em) FOUR goal lead. Even though four goals is a sizable hole, it was almost shallow enough for the Amerks to escape. After regaining consciousness, the team battled back with four of their own to lose 5-4 to the Stars. If anyone has a clear recollection of this game, let me know more details as I accidentally deleted all the scoring. But, then again, maybe that's for the best.

Game 3
Oil Kings 5, Americans 2.
Season Record 1-2-0.

Oil Kings Drill Americans.
(Houston, TX) What can you say? Younger, faster, better pretty much sums it up. The young guys skated circles around the old guys and demonstrated what happens when you play together as an "A" league and tournament team vs a bunch of guys who get together once a week. Highlights were few and far between for the Americans, but did include goals by both Bruce Burak and Pee Babine and a 100 save performance by goalie Mark Yocum. (save statistics have an error factor of +/- 3% due to the frequency and rapidity of the shots and inability of the scorers to accurately record the shots....much less run the clock properly. If Billy Bob were to rate the game, it'd be 2 hacks, 3 checks, good refs, no breast shots, 3 posts, one IHL player, 16 old guys, and one teenage goalie, (get well PHIL!),

Game 4
Americans 3, Houston Brew 3, OT
Season Record 1-2-1.

A Good "D" Is Your Best "O".
(Sugar Land, TX) Geoff "Help" Hodge has never been known for his stellar "D" performance, but it was his two goal offensive production that kept the Americans from falling to 1-3 on the season. After the Americans gave up 2 goals on one shift midway through the 1st period, Paul "GW" Staszesky got pissed. With the Americans shorthanded and down 2-0 in the second period, "GW" forechecked his way behind the net, hustling the puck past 3 Brew defenders and passing it out to a wide open Keith Lerner in front of the net. Lerner's shorthanded goal provided the spark for a 3 goal rally that put the Americans up 3-2 in the 3rd. The Brew Crew drew even with just 5 minutes left in the game on a breakaway goal from Eric "Don't Press Charges" Powers and the game went to OT. Both teams had power plays in OT but neither could break the deadlock and it was time to kiss the sis, drink a beer and take a point apiece on a pretty evenly played game for both teams.

Game 5
Blackhawks 6, Americans 5
Season Record 1-3-1.

Not Enough Bruce.
(Sugar Land, TX) In his inaugural season with the Americans, Bruce Burak had a total of one goal. Versus the Blackhawks, Bruce broke out for a three goal performance. After the Americans took a 1-0 lead, the Hawks evened he score. The Amerks pulled ahead 2-1, but then fell asleep as the Hawk's star #29 answered with a hat trick to give the Blackhawks a 4-2 lead where it remained for much of the game. The 3rd period saw the Hawks extend their lead to 5-2. After the Americans answered to bring it to 5-3, the Hawks scored a goal :30 seconds later, regaining a three goal lead. Two late goals by the Americans were not enough to salvage a win and the Oldsters fall to 1-3-1 on the season. A good time for a bye week for all to let the aging bones heal and get ready for the next battle March 15th vs. the Panthers.

Game 6
Americans 4, Panthers 1.
Season Record 2-3-1.

Ves Gets Off The Schneide.
(Sugar Land, TX) The Amerks rolled the dice on former teammate Kenny Veseleny who returns to the team after a near career ending auto injury and in game #6, Kenny racked up goal #1 on the season. With the St. Louis Twins (Tim Madden & Mark Yocum) off on holiday. (don't ask, don't tell) the Amerk's filled in with goalie Richard Dirusso whose shutout performance was ruined by a goal by Panthers Steve Santini. The fans went WILD, as Santini scores about as frequently as Haley's comet shows its face. The Amerks had built a 2-0 lead on goals by Brendan Hilton and Pete Babine before Santini's goal brought the Panthers to 2-1. Another Hilton goal made it 3-1 and Kenny V added the fourth goal on a blast from the high slot to send the Americans on to only their second win of the season. Geoff Hodge played prominently in both victories on the season. In win #1, Geoff scored 2 goals to guide the Americans to their first win in week #4. In this game, Hodge made the move to offense as a right wing. ESPN analysts have telestrated that move as critical to the Amerk's second win of the season. For more details, log on to www.espn.com

Game 7
Americans 7, Outlaws 6, (OT).
Season Record 3-3-1.

Pete Places Pucks Proficiently.
(Sugar Land, TX) With the Amerks roving reporter out of town on monkey business, BIG DAVE steps in to recount the thrilling OT Victory. (heavily edited for public consumption) "Peta scored 5 goals, and played like the King of Hockey. Bruce and Tim and Peta looked great together. Especially on the winning goal. In OT, w e had a face off deep in our zone. We won the draw, I gave the puck to Paul and he hit Tim on the far left side, who hauled ass down the ice. He took a shot and went to the slot, giving Bruce and Peta time to work he puck from behind the net back to Tim, who was all alone in the slot. He wasted no time, and it was Miller time. Brian was off skiing, so Geoffrey played what will probably be his last shifts on defense forever. Tony got the 2nd star of the game for going back for Hodge, hustling his A**. off. TAKE TWO...AS MADDEN SAW IT..."I was playing with bronchitis and a temp of 101 so I wasn't following the game to closely but they went up 1-0 and Pete was pressing to beat the "lady goaltender" (what a babe by the way). He finally did to tie the score 1-1. We went ahead 2-1 when one of their players shot the puck in his own net! Goal credited to Tony R. Then they scored a couple and we were playing catch up the rest of the way. I set Pete up on two that he banged home but at the time were only tying them, and they would turn around and score to take the lead. We finally evened out the score about 2 min prior to the end of the game on Pete's fifth, 6-6. That set up my goal 2 min into OT for the 7-6 win. My goal was a pretty side to side to side pass from Pete to Bruce to me." THANKS to the Cub Reporters for their firsthand perspective....Sounds like I missed quite a game.-JL

Game 8
Americans 4, Hooters 1.
Season Record 4-3-1.

Yocum Shuts Out Hooters (almost).
(Sugar Land, TX) Call it what you will. Brain fart, bad bounce, out-of-body experience, too much Bud tasting, J.G., bad karma...take your pick. The only goal that Hooters managed to get by Americans goalie Mark Yocum was a high flipper from beyond center ice that will live in infamy. In Mark's defense (defence for our Canadian readers) Chris Osgood...or for that matter CHARLES Osgood, wouldn't have stopped it either. That goal aside, Yocum played a stellar game in his first game back after 3 weeks in Beer school. After the Hooters took the 1-0 lead, Paul "GW" Staszesky picked off an errant clearing pass and found the top corner of the net to make it 1-1. Pete Babine added a point blank rebound shot to make it a 2-1 Amerk lead, and a sweeeeet wrap around goal, avoiding the hook of Hooters Russian Rocket, made it 3-1. Add an empty netter and Babine racks up a hat trick and the Americans surpass the .500 mark for the first time on the season.

Game 9
Americans 5, Ice Holes 2.
Season Record 5-3-1.

Babine's Trick Ices The Ho's.
(Sugar Land, TX) Seems like every week the Amerks have to dig out from a deficit, and this game was no different. After falling behind 1-0 just 5 minutes into the first period, Bruce Burak evened the score to put the Amerks back in the game 1-1. Pete Babine put the Americans up for good at 2-1, and late in the second Jim O'Neill took a pass from Keith Lerner and buried it past the Ice Hole goalie "Alice Cooper" to make it 3-1. At that point the win seemed assured, but it's never that easy. A penalty caused a shift in the Amerks defensive alignment and :12 seconds into the new lineup the Ice Holes struck to make it a 4-2 game. Pete Babine added two more goals, including on on a nice outlet pass from Goalie Mark Yocum to complete the "trick". The 5-2 final runs the Amerk's winning streak to 4 games. After the game, the Ice Holes Coach was more than accommodating, giving each of the winning players on the Amerks their full homage on a game well played. Overall, a quality effort. We look forward to facing the 'Holes again soon!

Game 10
Americans 4, Maple Leafs 3.
Season Record 6-3-1.

Main Man, Main Man Madden.
(Houston, TX) There were plenty of stars to go around in a hard fought 4-3 win, including some stellar goaltending from "Yeastboy" Yocum, but you gotta give Tim Madden the game puck for two scoring plays that made the difference against a young, hustling Leafs team. After the Americans fell behind 1-0 early in the first, both teams skated even to end the first period with a 1-0 Leaf advantage. Early in the second period, Madden hit Bruce Burak from behind the net to even the score at 1-1. While it looked as if the Leafs defenseman had Burak tied up, Bruce fought through the check knowing he'd been tied up MUCH tighter than that in the past!. The Americans took the lead at 2-1 when Geoff Hodge blasted a shot from the point past the Leaf goalie whose surprise was surpassed only by that of #27, Mr. Hodge. Tim Madden scored unassisted to make it 3-1 as his forecheck forced a clearing pass to rebound in off his shinpad leaving him one on one with the goalie. He shoots, he SCORES and it appeared as if the game was in hand. When the 3rd period started with the Amerks leading 3-0, it seemed that the hustling goal by Paul Staszesky was icing on the cake. It turned out to be critical as a couple costly turnovers by the Amerks turned into two late goals in a span of less than a minute to draw the Leafs back to 4-3. After a couple noogies and head slaps reality returned and the 4-3 win was salvaged to extend the Amerks win streak to 5 in a row in preparation for the season finale vs the North Stars next week.

Game 11
North Stars 3, Americans 2.
Season Record 6-4-1.

Second Verse, Same As The First.
(Sugar Land, TX) When the Amerks met the Stars in week #2, they spotted the Stars a 4 goal lead and came back to lose 5-4. This time the Americans fell down 1-0 early, but evened the score at 1-1 on a goal from Kenny Veseleny thanks to some hard work and a behind the back pass from Paul Staszesky. The North Stars were playing for a shot at the playoffs and it showed as they extended the lead to 3-1, with their 3rd goal coming on a 4 on 0 break. Americans goalie Mark Yocum stopped the initial wave, but the subsequent rebounds were beyond his legendary capabilities. Rod Fenwick gave the Americans hope in the third period, deflecting a Dave Stiller blast from the point past Joel Petty to make it 3-2. The Stars locked it down to hang on for the victory and an outside shot at the playoffs. With all due respect, with the success the Americans have had vs the Stars in the regular season, we hope they MISS the postseason! Congrats to the Stars on a game well played.

Game 12
Americans 7, Outlaws 3.
Season Record 7-4-1.
Playoff Quarterfinal Game.

Amerks Advance Past Outlaws.
(Sugar Land, TX) After a very slow start, the Americans got on track to take a 4-0 lead on alternating goals from Pete Babine and Brendan Hilton, but the Outlaws battled back to make it a 4-2 contest. After Outlaw Sean Anderson was ejected for fighting and poor judgment, the Amerks went up 5-2 as Babine completed his hat trick. But with the scrappy Outlaws, it's never over. Their their goal came on an odd man rush and a pretty pass back that left Americans goalie Mark Yocum no option but to watch the tap in to make it 5-3. Just as the 'Mo seemed to swing back in favor of the Outlaws, Tony Raia's hustling play in front resulted in a goal on a pretty top shelf back hander to lift the Americans to a 6-3 lead. The Amerks learned their lesson from the earlier meeting that the Outlaws would not fold up and go away quietly. But Keith Lerner's goal on a pass from Pete Babine (yes, you read correctly, a PASS from Pete Babine) sealed the victory at 7-3. Geoff Hodge tallied 4 minutes of penalties which gave him an opportunity to study the stock ticker from the penalty box to determine how his WWF investment was panning out. No word on who, and when playoff game round to will be held. Check back here for details.

Game 13
Maple Leafs 4, Americans 2.
Season Record 7-5-1.
Playoff Semi-final Game.

Maimed Man, Maimed Man Madden.

(Sugar Land, TX) In the regular season version of this meeting, the Americans won despite almost giving it away in the final minutes. In this game the Americans gave it away before the game even started. With the Leafs goalie MIA (Messier slang for STAY HOME) the Leafs begged for, and got, what they were missing all season: a decent goalie. With the addition of the Masked Marvel their team rating soared through the roof. But enough bellyaching (sorry Brian), the game was the Americans to win and they didn't. Brian Hughes picked the wrong night to eat Tex-Mex. His vomitus performance can be viewed on the Keith Lerner page. If that wasn't enough, Captain Facemask picked this game to have his face tenderized twice. He is rumored to be touring Madden Museum of Hockey Shields & Cages for this coming seasons newest facialware. So in recap, they scored, we scored, they scored some more. This of course means that Messier's 8th seed will play the underrated Leafs for the Championship. You can almost hear the captains meeting now, "so if you let us use Keener, we'll let you use the ringer goalie, and by the way we only have seven players tonight".

See ya at the teebox.

Madden is pictured here shortly after his ER visit to the Sugar Land Animal Hospital.