NorCal Revisited Part 5: Motorcycles and hockey do mix with surprising results.

Long time, no see! I'm starting 2018 with the conclusion of an adventure that I started back in July 2017. Yeah, I admit to being that far behind, but I have reasons. I will say that it is extremely satisfying to come back and finish telling this story, especially because the circumstances that prevented me from completing this no longer exist.

The last half of 2017 had been inundated with incidents and events that have kept me away from my blog space (not to mention grad school), but I hope to add to the random stories throughout this year. As for the tales of this vacation from July 2017, let's just say that not long after my ride home in the triple digits (both in temperature and in mileage), my work life went into a tailspin and far out of my control, and that waking nightmare didn't end until September. Anyway, I'm very glad to be back and I'm determined to stay on track the best I can. So, without further adieu, I get to talk about the part of my motorcycle vacation that involved a hockey tournament.

Video Killed the Hockey Goal Judge: My Stint in the WCHA

For the last two seasons, I have had the privilege of acting as a goal judge for home games for the NCAA Division I women's ice hockey team of The Ohio State University. Here's what it entails:

1. Watch the play.
2. Watch the puck being shot at the net.
3. If the puck completely crosses over the goal line, hit the goal light button and make a bunch spectators happy. And depending on the period, it could either be fans of the home team or the opposing one.
4. If video replay is unable to determine a goal, I get asked via intercom to provide my summary of the play and confirmation of whether or not the puck went in.

Appeasing my professional hockey cravings with Cleveland's Lake Erie Monsters.

As much as I'm not a fan of the state of Ohio, I am glad that there are multiple professional hockey teams here that aren't in the NHL. Like many a hockey fan out here, seeing the NHL's fourth league-wide work stoppage in its history drag on without end isn't helping my need to see flying pucks out there (when I'm not playing goalie in my own games) so I've had to look for some alternatives. Fortunately, there is hope here in the Buckeye state as there are several teams in both the ECHL and AHL, the leading 'AA' and 'AAA' professional leagues in North America, respectively.

Now that I reside in NE Ohio most of the time for my job, I am less than 30 minutes away from the Quicken Loans Center in downtown Cleveland, home of the Lake Erie Monsters, the AHL affiliate of the NHL's Colorado Avalanche. For Christmas, Matt surprised me with tickets to the next home game and a jersey to wear to my first AHL game!

That was a surprising Christmas present!

I've followed AHL teams for a while, especially during the 2005 NHL lockout. Attending an actual game was a whole new experience for me as there are no AHL teams in California, only the Ontario Reign, Stockton Thunder, San Francisco Bulls, and Bakersfield Condors of the ECHL which is a tier below the AHL. I did have the privilege of watching the now-defunct Long Beach Ice Dogs (IHL/ECHL) a few years ago when my best friend gave me a row of tickets for my birthday, which was my only minor-league experience back home. Other than those teams, anyone who watches the LA Kings, the Anaheim Ducks, and the San Jose Sharks will just have to sit tight and wait for both the NHL and the NHLPA to stop with the contractual fisticuffs.

The hockey equipment workshop...

As many of my friends know, if I'm not on my motorcycle, I'm out at the hockey rink either stopping pucks or shooting them at the net. Now, having a tight budget and playing this very equipment-oriented sport usually doesn't mix, but when your other half works at the rink, a lot of stuff can be repaired or installed without the need to pay for those services. It also helps that he's awesome with a sewing machine.

So here's a couple of the fun alterations and projects that we've done in the past few weeks.

Project 1: DIY goalie pad knee stack upgrade

Problem: Goalie pad does not provide enough support while in a kneeling or "butterfly" position. At times, the knee area will directly hit the ice. Examples of said position are below.

Solution: restuff current knee stack/padding area and add an additional stack.

Longest. Shootout. Ever.

It wasn't the normal day at the hockey rink.

During a regular season hockey game at the Dublin Chiller on Wednesday, I found myself involved in the longest game I've ever played in my 16 years in hockey, 12 of those as a goaltender.

My current women's team in the Columbus Area Women's Hockey League (CAWHL), the Blackhawks, found themselves with a 1-0 lead going into the 3rd period. A deflected shot trickles past me with about two minutes left in regulation which forces overtime. We go through overtime still tied at 1-1 and enter into a shootout.

For those who don't watch hockey, a shootout is when the teams alternate on a 1-on-1 between a single player and the goalie until someone scores. A "round" is each team taking a turn shooting on the opposing goalie. Think soccer penalty shots. On steroids.

By the time I reached the 17th round of this ordeal, I said to the referee next to me, "I think I just broke a personal record in shootouts." Before this, the two longest shootouts I've ever been in before (and won) that were 16 rounds (Playoffs in El Segundo, CA - 2000 - which also happened to be my very first game on ice) and 12 rounds (Tournament Championship Game, South Bend, IN - 2011).

It wasn't until the 28th round of this goaltending duel that the hockey game was called by the captains and we ended in a tie. So, for the time being the CAWHL Blackhawks and Red Wings possess the only tie game in league history. I was quite bummed when I had to stop blocking pucks, it was such a good streak? I wonder though, is calling the game like that even allowed? Regardless, it's another game that will be hard to replicate for a very long time, if ever.

A typical Wednesday night...I'm surprised I still bend like that at times. 

Easing off the throttle...

This is quite an unusual Sunday for me. Typically, I would find myself working out at the gym before a hockey game with my men's team or running errands on the motorcycle. But right now I am hobbling around between my table here at Panera and for refills of my bottomless cup of iced tea. This is thanks to an onset of plantar faciitis in the right foot that has let me writhing in pain and unable to travel long distances by foot. Fortunately another member of my hockey team moonlights as a goalie so they're not short a netminder for the second consecutive game in a row. In fact, they're also looking forward to my return! This also gives me some peace of mind - the last time I had plantar faciitis (in the same foot, mind you) was about four years ago as a consequence of a twisted knee I injured in a game, and the team I was playing for at the time cut me permanently from the roster after I had served as their top goaltender for three years - I think they just needed an excuse to give me the boot.

What an insane two weeks this has been. After sixty hours of driving from here to Utah and back followed by five straight days of springtime insanity at the store and catching up with e-mails and special projects in between, I guess something is reminding me that I need to slow down just a tad until the rest of me catches up.

Life, love, and the privilege to play hockey.

Since I'm at the hockey rink several times a week, I often see younger hockey players practice while their parents watch. Some of them are quite enthusiastic and even cheer for their kids during mundane scrimmages or drills.

Sometimes I'd even hear a positive comment or two directed at their kid, something like "You did a great job out there." or "I like how you fought for that puck and didn't give up on the play."

When I think about my own childhood experiences in hockey (or anything else for that matter), I find that interaction between parent and child to be quite strange and awkward. All I remember was the lack of compliments despite my successes, the non-existence of affection that was usually replaced with a surplus of insults and discouragement. This pattern continued throughout my younger years and it has only been by my move across the country a couple years ago that their nagging and complaining has finally diminished to just very deep and painful memories.

Now, besides the motorcycles that are obviously one of the loves of my life, I've enjoyed watching and reading about hockey for as long as I could remember, which was pretty strange for a young Asian girl growing up in the suburbs of Los Angeles. Perhaps it was the equipment, the cool uniforms, or the finesse of the players as they would glide across the ice with ease. Or maybe it was that damn Disney movie. Regardless, it was a sport that hooked me once I scraped up the $15 to buy myself a street hockey stick and ball and strapped on those rollerblades nearly a decade and a half ago.

Hockey Haikus for the Frustrated Goalie

And here's something for the rainy evening.

I was going through some old blog archives from several years ago and had to bring these amusing hockey-related haikus I wrote back to the surface. I produced these in the midst of a 26-game losing streak (I'm not making up that number, by the way) while playing on three teams in three separate leagues. Since I couldn't really control what was happening on the ice, I figured I'd vent a little in classic 5-7-5 syllable poetry. That's my English degree at work, people. Huzzah.

Here's Another Hockey Miracle to Believe In - Los Angeles Times

I was looking through some old files and found this old article from 1999 about the good old days when I was just a young roller hockey goalie playing in an outdoor rink in Carson, CA and the hockey coach and community that brought many people together to enjoy the wonderful sport of hockey. It's funny to think that this was eleven years ago. Have fun musing about my past.

Here's Another Hockey Miracle to Believe In - Los Angeles Times

Ride Report: Hockey Heaven is in...Michigan?! My journey to Perani's Hockey World

I decided yesterday to hop on Eleanor and shoot straight up to Flint, MI to see the Perani's Hockey World location there. I received a hot tip to visit that place after going to the North Olmstead, OH location last year and speaking to an employee who then told me that the Flint location was filled with "nostalgia and random old hockey stuff hanging off of walls." Sounded like fun. The catch? Weather was going to be anywhere from 45-50°F during daylight hours to the mid-30s in the evening, which would be a slight problem at prolonged highway speeds. I went through all my warm gear suited myself up with the following:

Top:
BIKERS COMFORT IN ACTION ST-Wind Balaclava
Schampa Warmskin Skinny Shirt
The North Face Technical Fleece Jacket
Gerbings T-5 Heated Gloves
Aerostitch Roadcrafter Jacket

Bottom:
Schampa Warmskin Skinny Pant
Vega Meridian Pants
Aerostitch Darien Pants
Alpinestars Web Gore-Tex Boots

Additionally, my Garmin Zumo 550 that had served me well for the last 65,000 miles had been sent back to Garmin after screen failure in Chicago. So, in its place, I rigged my HTC Incredible phone to the bike using a Universal PDA clamp mount from RAM Mounts to my bike and connected its power via the rarely-used 12V plug inside my front driver's compartment and an extremely slim 12V to USB adapter so I could use its navigation and listen to the very free (and very awesome) Pandora Internet Radio. This isn't a waterproof setup by any means; but it was just fine because there was no chance for precipitation at all.

Random Ride: One-Day Introduction to Canada

One of the perks about living in Ohio is that Canada only is a few hours away. Being a long-time hockey player, I've grown to be very picky about the quality of my goalie equipment. I've often complained over the years that the inaccessibility of (good and comprehensive) hockey stores is rampant all over the United States, which makes a lot of sense because the sport itself isn't taken as seriously as it is in the north. So, one of my goals after moving here was to visit the Don Simmons store in Fort Erie, Ontario, Canada, a little custom goalie equipment shop just over the border. I had that opportunity yesterday as part of a one-day escapade to our neighbor to the north. Matt planned out this ride after realizing that he had a complete day off, a rarity for him nowadays because he works two jobs.

So Matt and I decided to take a day ride to visit Canada. We set out yesterday at 6AM and rode a direct route via I-71 and I-90, crossing Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York. With only two stops for gas and quick snacks we made it to the US/Canada border via Buffalo, NY right before noon. Crossing the border took less than five minutes with a passport check. Note to all you riders out there: only one motorcycle at a time at the customs and toll gates.

Our first stop was the Don Simmons Store in Fort Erie. After staring and drooling at their website for so many years, I had the chance to go and actually try on their products. (I had purchased a set of Simmons 992 goalie pads about five years ago and have been a fan ever since.) Rick at the store was wonderful and took the time to help me out. I spent almost three hours playing around and testing the equipment for the proper combination of gear I'd like to move to when I can afford the upgrade. I did get out of there with a new goalie pelvic protector; a strange but very much sought after souvenir for me.

For a late lunch, we rode to Niagara Falls and watched the falls from the cruising comfort of our bikes. We then parked the bikes and had a buffet meal at the Casino Niagara before hitting the video poker for a few minutes. Thanks to a lucky four-of-a-kind, I turned $5 into $20 and we got back onto the bikes to ride west toward Michigan. Surprisingly, this was the first casino where the entire establishment was completely non-smoking (smoking gamers had their own area blocked off by doors). I guess you can pull that off here, because that certainly wouldn't fly in Las Vegas.

Instead of going back the way we came, we traveled around Lake Erie by riding westward on the 402 toward the Michigan side of the border, gassing up at Canadian Tire and winning $2 on a lotto scratcher in Brantford (home of Wayne Gretzky). We passed some other famous cities and sites that were also accessible via 402 such as Straftord (home of the Stratford Shakespeare Festival), Simcoe (home of former Sharks defenseman Rob Blake), and a nudist beach. We didn't stop again until we were about ten miles from the end of 402, filling up again and switching over to rain gear after a light sprinkle hinted at the heavier rain up ahead.

The northern bridge back to the US (entering into Michigan) wasn't as smooth. The Memorial Day weekend traffic, combined with a light rain, turned the wait into an uncomfortable stop-and-go for almost two hours. We finally reentered the country a little past 11PM and ended up sleeping for a few hours in a hotel south of Detroit before waking up at 6AM to ride the last two and a half hours back home via I-94, I-75, and US-23. If it wasn't for the last border crossing we would've been home by about 11PM that evening. Note to self... when planning an Iron Butt run, do not involve crossing into other countries for the possibility of delays.

If you're planning to take this route, expect to pay a few tolls. It's approximately $6.00 total per person for entry and exit at the border and $3.00 the end of the New York turnpike en route to the border.

This was definitely a scenic, long distance quick run. I'd recommend trying this one on a non-holiday weekend to avoid the border traffic. Otherwise, it's beautiful during this time of the year. The weather ranged from 70°-90°F all day and with the exception of the rain at the end, it was quite pleasant.

Route is below. Approximately 780 miles. Very doable in a day but it'll keep you on your bike for most of it...if you're up to the challenge.

View Larger Map

Weekend Adventure in Cleveland - Part 2

After that wonderful lunch at Antonio's Restaurant in Parma, I ventured about 20 miles further into town to Perani's Hockey World in North Olmstead. Dubbed as "The Toy Store for the Hockey Player," it is one of 17 locations for this chain that has stores in Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Ontario (Canada), and Texas. This was going to be fun for me, especially because I had known about this store as a fledgling goalie over ten years ago who was looking for equipment online and eyeing a pair of McKenney leg pads (Perani's is the largest seller of McKenney goalie equipment.). Sure, Southern California spoiled me with the size and selection of stores such as Hockey Monkey and Hockey Giant. But, this particular store had something that those two couldn't accomplish because of their newness, business demands, and size - bringing back a sense of friendliness and nostalgia.

If you're looking for throwback hockey equipment, this store is where you'd want to be. This Cleveland location is quite small, about a quarter of the size of Hockey Giant's old Anaheim store, but it's chock full of gear from at least a decade ago, if not older. I was there toward closing time, so I had a chat with one of the guys who was showing me their selection of new goalie pads (the popular brands here are McKenney, Vaughn, and RBK). Later in the conversation, he took a ladder and brought down a dusty pair of brand new Koho pads from the early 90s (think Felix Potvin's first gen pair when he was playing for the Leafs) and another pair of brand new pro stock Franklin Pads that were made for Sami Jo Small, goaltender of Team Canada's Women's Olympic team. The latter was very tempting to buy - they were on closeout for $150 negotiable - but I restrained myself and continued to browse and venture into the player's section where they stocked one piece and two piece pro stock sticks from Innovative, Franklin, TPS (the old rubber models from ten years ago), replacement blades from long-retired NHL-ers, and aluminum shafts for shimmy hockey.

I was a good girl and only got out of there with an new pair of skate blade soakers and a bumper sticker. From what the employees tell me, the flagship store in Flint, MI is up to the ceiling in old hockey gear. That would be a fun place to visit someday.

When I think about my own set of goalie gear, I've retained several pieces over the years (most specifically my chest armor and my pants) because of my refusal to transition over to the more bulky equipment that restricts movement and, despite all the new bells and whistles, hasn't given me an excuse to spend several hundred dollars on new stuff. Sometimes there's no school like the old school, and when it's comfortable, it stays.

Speaking of hockey, it was off to my hotel room in Mayfield Heights for a quick rest and then to the Cleveland Heights Community Center for the first game of my two-game hockey weekend. This facility is quite nice, is funded by the city, and has two rinks running during the winter months, one Olympic-sized and one NHL-sized. The latter becomes a gym half the year which was obvious when I saw the basketball hoops retracted into the ceiling. Here's a shot of the Olympic rink where we played our first game.

This first team, the Cleveland Heights Ice Hawks, was a much hated rival of the Dayton Fangs. It took me half a period to realize this after three penalties and a near scrum in front of the opposing team's net. They even had a huge defenseman that I nicknamed "Sasquatch" because of her dirty play. We did persevere and won the game 5-4 in regulation with a nice shot from my defenseman from the point that found a corner of the net. That win put my record to 2-0 all-time for Dayton. Now to go for a road trip sweep tomorrow against a new foe in an exhibition game.

Weekend Adventure in Cleveland - Part 1

I spent this weekend in Cleveland for a couple hockey games with the Dayton Fangs, a team based out of Dayton (about 1.5 hrs. from Columbus) that adopted me in October after their goalie went down with a knee injury and opted for season-ending surgery. These away games marked the second and third that I've played in net for them, and I've enjoyed their team's spunk, drive, and personality. I was fortunate to get this weekend off after being denied the request from work the first time around and used the opportunity to give Eleanor (my Yamaha FJR1300 for the new readers) some exercise, a new area to explore, and to give my heated Gerbing gloves to the test. So, before the first game, I went for some food and sightseeing.

I left Columbus a bit hungry, so I made my way to Parma and Antonio's Restaurant. If you're a Drew Carey fan, you've probably heard him plug this restaurant quite a number of times on many of the shows that he's been on. This is the famous restaurant that makes the pizzas that he has shipped across the country for his show's crew and other special events. I was very curious to taste why he has remained so loyal to this eatery in his hometown.

The interior of the restaurant was dimly lit so it had a very romantic (and very stereotypically Italian) appearance to it. I ordered a lunch serving of shrimp fettuccine alfredo and a small, personal pizza (half mushrooms only, half pepperoni only) to try. The pasta dish came with a side of salad and a section freshly baked bread. The salad was very delicious with their homemade croutons; every part of the salad all the way down to the olives tasted as if they were handpicked. The bread was so soft and flavorful that butter was a complete afterthought. When the pasta came, I was immediately surprised by the flavorful smell of the cream and cheese from the alfredo sauce. The pasta itself was perfectly cooked al dente, and the shrimp was plump and tender. This fettuccine has definitely made it up there in my list of favorites, joining the ranks of one of my other favorite restaurants, Pasta Roma in Los Angeles.

When I was halfway through the alfredo, my server brought in the pizza. This pizza was very meticulously made. The mozzarella cheese was so fresh that it melted in the gooey, stringy fashion that you can't get with Papa John's (or any chain for that matter). The pepperoni and mushrooms were very fresh and complemented the cheese very well, and the crust had a light texture and taste that just made every bite enjoyable. This would definitely be a pizza I wouldn't hesitate to order for takeout.

Now I understand why Drew Carey will dish the dough to get a bunch of these pies shipped to LA. This experiment was well worth it and a lot of food for the price. If you're ever headed up to the Parma area and want some Italian, go to Antonio's - a definite stand-out in Cleveland.

Hockey in Columbus - First Thoughts

I am glad that hockey is considered to be a sport in this part of town.

Between Matt and I, we have visited four of the five ice facilities in the Columbus area. No, that's not a typo. I'm talking eight rinks in five facilities within 45 minutes of each other. Ironically, I mentioned Ohio being a "hockey state" to one of the players at today's drop-in hockey game at the Dublin Chiller and he shrugged his shoulders and replied, "Not really." After Matt was able to get a job at the Easton Chiller rink quite easily, I began to change my own perspectives on a sport that has has further designated me as an oddball of the West Coast.

Hockey and skating is so normal here that ice time is easy to come by. Matt and I went to a public skate on Sunday and we were only two of five people skating during the slot. I don't have to fight for a space to play as a goalie; in fact, the rink's happy when goalies actually do show up. It does beat the 2-week advance notice and $100 credit card hold Anaheim Ice used to put for their players...and the pick-up slot is only on Friday nights for 59.5 minutes. The Ice Haus, the official practice facility for the Columbus Blue Jackets, is open to the public and is so spectator friendly that the rink can be seen from across the street. In contrast, just getting into Toyota Sports Center in El Segundo is like entering Fort Knox. I guess they need to hide the fact that they also house figure skaters, I mean the Manchester Kings of Los Angeles.

The Chiller Rinks also have another strange concept: women's-only locker rooms. They're also equipped with a full bathroom stall and a shower. I felt really spoiled and alone at the same time; I was the only female on the ice both days I went to drop-in hockey. Going to have to work on that.

My only critique is that there is no full-blown women's league here. The closest thing to that is a single team in the Chiller's house league called "BOB" that is completely comprised of women and two travel hockey teams, the Columbus Capitals and the Columbus Bandits. In fact, I was asked to sub in goal for team BOB in October; I'm looking forward to doing that. Going to investigate those two travel teams as well, but I can't justify the $700 price tag that the Capitals put on their entire season. For now, I'm trying to stay in shape by going to random drop-in sessions of hockey when I can. Might as well while I'm still unemployed.

I guess anything hockey related in California will always be considered a novelty. Rink rentals are upwards to $400 an hour. The ice at most facilities feels like you're skating in a lake half the time. It's a sport reserved for the "rich." It is a change of pace to hop in my car and be at any one of these Chiller rinks within 20 minutes. And when CA starts recognizing sled hockey as a sport, I will be quite surprised. I got to see my very first sled hockey practice on the other ice rink after the drop-in time was done. Hockey and skating schools are in full swing here, completely transparent and very accessible. The young players aren't required to have skated since their fetal stages to be on teams, and every high school in the area has a team.

I still believe that I was an East Coast kid switched at birth. Hockey is a sport I take pride in and one that my family scorns, along with my passion for motorcycles. I am relieved to finally be in a place where I can be free to play hockey and indulge myself in what I love the most.