MVU-Milton boys hockey recap

A couple of unrelated thoughts on the MVU boys hockey game with Milton on Wednesday night.

(To read the game story I wrote, you'll need to buy the St. Albans Messenger.)

First of all, how about Milton goalie Nikki-Lyn Lauziere (below)?

The junior - who I think its the only girl playing on a boys hockey team this winter - was nothing short of  incredible, stopping 46 shots against a high-flying T-Bird offense.

Sure, MVU lit the lamp five times, but it could have been 15 with as many quality scoring bids as they put forth.

Milton only has 14 players on its roster, but they all contribute and their conditioning is impressive as they seemed to keep pace with the deep and talented T-Birds for all 45 minutes.

The game was the second for the T-Birds without their charasmatic coach Jason Brace, a former BFA-St. Albans stud who took over last winter for long-time coach Kevin Spears (who was at the game in a Yankee hat - booo! - last night).

Brace will not coach the T-Birds the rest of the season and for good reason: he's being deployed to Afghanistan along with his mates in the Army National Guard.

Brace is a communications specialist and will be gone - but not forgotten - for about a year.

In his abscence, assistants Luc Choquette (himself a fine player for Spears back in the day) and John McDonald.

Choquette said he'll be in contact with his head coach - and good friend - throughout his deployment and that Brace is very proud to serve.

Choquette said the MVU players are also very proud of their coach and hope to see him off when he deploys in early January.

He's wishing Jason and the rest of those deploying in the weeks to come the best of luck in Afghanistan. I'm extremely proud of your service and sacrifice and I appreciate you doing more than your fair share to protect the liberties we all so often take for granted.

My thoughts go out, too, to the families they are leaving behind. You are unsung heroes in your own right. Stay strong and know that there are tons of people who are ready to help and support you in any way we can.

Busy weekend on tap

I'm planning to do a double-dip this evening starting in Swanton where the MVU girls basketball team hosts North Country. Then I'm sliding down I-89 (hopefully not literally) to catch the Essex girls at BFA-St. Albans.

These photos will appear on my other site coldhollowphoto.com later this weekend.

Tomorrow, I'm back in Swanton to shoot the first quarter of the Enosburg-MVU boys basketball game and then over to the Collins-Perley rink to cover the final game of the BFA-St. Albans girls hockey tournament.

These photos, some of which will be in Monday's Messenger, might not be uploaded until early next week. Check the winter sports list on my website to find out when they are uploaded.

Speaking of the Collins-Perley rink, the recent renovations there are impressive to be sure.

Still, I can't help but wonder why they couldn't have included a little more money for a better sound system. Granted, I'm listening to the PA system from the wrong side of the rink - near the benches. Maybe the sound is better on the spectator's side.

But from where I sit, the player introductions and goal and penalty announcements sound like they are being done by Charlie Brown's teacher. 'Mwwwhrrhaa, mwwwhrrhaa, rraahhra, rraahhra."

And the national anthem sounds like it's being played by F-16s ... poorly.

But those are minor annoyances, to be sure.

Overall, the place has never looked better.

Now we just need to give the gussied-up old girl a new name.

Might I suggest Henry 'Doc' Tulip rink at the Collins-Perley Sports and Fitness Center.

What better nickname could a rink have than 'The Doc'?

Just my two cents.