Game reports:
Jan. 29: B-CC 10, Walter Johnson 0
When Nathan Gelfand–Toutant scored with 2:36 remaining in the third period, he put the JV Barons ahead of Walter Johnson by 10-0, which triggers the “mercy” rule and ends the game. It also ended the JV’s season. And, oh what a season, which featured dramatic improvement and at times, dominance. This teamwork was reflected in the last game, where eight different players scored at least a goal, and all skaters recorded at least one point.
Thomas Krogh opened the scoring at 4:38 of the first period, assisted by Nathan Gelfand-Toutant and Sean Vaskov. “TK” has made an excellent transition from goalie to skater. He has used his experience as a goalie to help him at both ends of the ice. He knows the importance of going to the net. He also never forgets his origins and always helps on defense.
Ben Austin doubled the lead at 11:58 with an assist by Harrison Pratt. Ben joined fellow seniors Sean and Alex Vaskov, Matt Kaplun, Paul Steinitz and Ben Shakelton, who brought strength and leadership to this developing team. Their guidance is crucial to sustaining the Barons’ legacy.
A mystery Baron (#35 – there is no #35 on the roster) scored at 7:51 of the second period. It is no mystery that Ben Austin assisted him.
Sean Vaskov closed out the second-period scoring at 14:07. The game’s score sheet might be the holiday greeting card for the Vaskovs, since the assist went to his twin brother Alex. Sean had so much fun skating out in his previous JV game that he decided to repeat his magic against Walter Johnson.
JV captain Matt Kaplun only took 41 seconds of the third period to make it 5-0 Barons with an assist to Krogh. And the rout was on. Steinitz at 4:56, Asmuth at 6:26, Krogh again at 9:49, but this time the Barons were a man short, and it featured assists to Gelfand-Toutant and Alex Vaskov. When Harrison Pratt, who has been buzzing around the net all year, scored with 2:50 left to play, Walter Johnson inexplicably called time out. This reporter has no idea what was discussed, but it must have been brilliant and insightful to give hope to the beleaguered Wildcats and convince them that the challenge of a nine-goal deficit with two minutes and fifty seconds to play could be met. Alas, it may have been a tad optimistic, since Nathan Gelfand-Toutant beat Wildcat goalie Jacob Euler with a shot just inside the far post to end the game. Nathan is arguably the most improved player from the start of the season.
Steven Holbrooke played the entire game in net. He stopped 13 shots on his way to a shutout. Steven had an excellent year with a save percentage of 92.9. By comparison, Tim Thomas of the Boston Bruins currently leads the NHL with a save percentage of 93%. Sean Vaskov also had an excellent season. I don’t know his save percentage, because he’s not my kid. This kind of success does not come from good goaltending alone. Credit must be heaped on the defense. Watching this defense reminds the refined hockey observer (me) of the great Montréal Canadiens teams of the 1970s. Brendan Casey’s size and reach compare favorably to Larry “Big Bird” Robinson, while Peter Asmuth’s stickhandling reminds fans of Serge “le Senateur” Savard. Finally Alex Vaskov’s all around talents are unmistakably like Guy “Pointu” La Pointe. But wait! Just like the incredible Ginzu knives, there’s more. Les Canadiens didn’t have anyone to compare to Nathan Shearer nor Paul Steinitz. Is it just possible that the 2007-2008 JV Barons are better than the great team that won four consecutive Stanley Cups? That’s a rhetorical question if there ever was one.
One thing is for certain. The photos that Michael Pratt circulated show that the key to this team’s success is dour solemnity.
Coach Balto reflects on the season:
When I became the head coach for JV, I came to every practice and game with one thing in mind. Play the game with respect, play every shift as hard as you can and come to every practice ready to become a better hockey player. Over the summer, I read a quote in a USA hockey coaching article. It was: "Practice without improvement is a waste of time." Every time the kids stepped on the ice, I wanted them to become better hockey players.
Considering our bench was always short, I believe that the kids worked extremely hard. We played a hard system but one that would help out our short bench. It’s a great ending to a season when 10 goals are scored by 8 different players. That's how you know your team is improving, when everyone is producing.
I believe they learned a lot about coming to practice to have fun, but more importantly how hard work makes you a better player.
Overall, I had a blast working with the kids this season, and I can't wait to see how much they have improved next year playing Varsity.
- Reported by John Holbrooke
Jan. 29: B-CC 10, Walter Johnson 0
On Tuesday night, the JV finished big, beating Walter Johnson 10-0. Thomas Krogh and Sean Vaskov, who skated out, each got two goals and an assist, and freshman Nathan Gelfand-Toutant got a goal and two assists. Goalie Steven Holbrooke got the shutout.
- Reported by Steve Hull
Jan. 23: Whitman 4, B-CC 2
Who was that Masked Man?
In their penultimate game of the year, the JV Barons spotted Whitman a 4-1 lead. They then could only score one goal down the stretch and lost, 4-2.
JV goalies Vaskov and Holbrooke either said that they would not attend the game or gave the coaching staff mixed messages on their availability. Both were out damaging their skin, one through high altitude (Holbrooke) and the other through low latitude (Vaskov). Panicked, the B-CC coaches issued an appeal for goalies. Tim Jones of the Richard Montgomery Rockets answered the call. He created somewhat of a stir amongst the B-CC parents who wondered who was the goalie wearing Richard Montgomery colors.
Mr. Jones played respectably, but he perhaps regretted his spirit of volunteerism, as the Barons showed him a lack of support that led to four quick Whitman goals. These four goals were sandwiched around an impressive goal by the Barons. Thomas Krogh took the puck in the lower right corner near the goal line. He passed the puck to Paul Steinitz in the slot, who immediately shot and scored. The goal gave the Barons a bit of hope as it made the score 2-1. Alas, it was followed by two quick Whitman scores. When Steven Holbrooke replaced Jones five minutes into the second period it was 4-1.
B-CC instituted the “Global Warming” attack. There were wild and abrupt fluctuations from hot to cold for no apparent reason. Paul Steinitz scored in the second period on an extraordinary shot. He shot from behind the goal line, and the puck caromed in off of Berk, the Whitman goalie. The goal gave some hope as it narrowed the score to 4-2, but that was it. That was the final score.
The JV’s final game of the year will be Tuesday versus WJ, 7:30 pm at the Wheaton Open Air Coliseum.
Last week, the JV Barons beat the Howard County provisional team 15-1. They also had a game against Good Counsel cancelled due to weather.
Overtime:
Six to eight Whitman varsity players attended the game. This exceeds the total of the B-CC varsity players who have attended JV games this year.
One of the few losses for the JV this year was a 4-2 loss to Long Reach. Long Reach played at Laurel just after the B-CC varsity’s game against WJ. Long Reach used all of its varsity players in the game against the B-CC JV except one. That player is a good one, Nathanael Rojas, who is the MSHL player of the month.
- Reported by John Holbrooke
Jan. 4: B-CC 4, Churchill 0
The JV Barons dominated and disposed of the Winston Churchill Bulldogs, 4-0, Friday afternoon at the Wheaton Open Air Ice Valhalla. It was their best and most complete performance of the season.
Previous coverage of the JV Barons has noted their gift for dramatics. Holding true to form, the Barons completely controlled the first period and outshot Churchill 8-3. Still, the Barons waited until there was only 0.2 seconds left to open the scoring. Paul Steinitz beat Bulldog goalie Chris Yoo in the top left corner of the net at 14:59.8 of the first period. He was assisted by Thomas Krogh. Steinitz’s calm was reminiscent of the final game of the 1988 Stanley Cup finals, when, toward the end of the second period, Wayne Gretzky skated down the right wing for the Edmonton Oilers. While the crowd screamed for him to shoot, the “Wayner” waited until a teammate was at the far post. The teammate (I’ve forgotten who it was) tapped Gretzky’s pass in the goal just in time to light the red lamp before it turned green to signify the end of the period.
“Gretz” Steinitz impatiently scored only 12:26 into the second period on an assist from Ben Shakelton. The rising wrist shot beat Yoo’s glove once again to the upper right corner.
Growing weary of the “Paul Steinitz Show,” Matt Kaplun scored a power play goal from a skirmish five feet off of the right post. Ben Shakelton assisted him again. The power play lasted only ten seconds after a Bulldog had been penalized for slashing goalie Steven Holbrooke. The distempered Bulldog (perhaps a trip to the veterinarian is in order) had slashed Holbrooke’s glove after yet another frustrating save.
Rather than dozing on cruise control, Steinitz caused the ice to be littered with hats by scoring his third goal and the Barons’ final goal. Both Brendan Casey and Nathan Gelfand-Toutant assisted. This was a breakthrough game for Gelfand-Toutant. His physical play at both ends of the ice set the tone for the Barons, and he was unlucky that he did not score as he consistently paid the price for his position at the front of the Bulldog net.
All played well. Nathan Shearer broke up two breakaways with dives that broke Bulldog hearts. Sean Vaskov and Holbrooke were flawless in net, but shutouts are rare when it’s all left to the goalies. Alex Vaskov, Casey, Peter Asmuth and Shearer were so solid that the Great Wall of China seems comparatively flimsy. Asmuth also led several attacks with smooth stickhandling. All of the Barons were solid killing their three penalties, which included a five-on-three disadvantage in the second period.
Respect must be paid to Bulldog goalie Chris Yoo, who prevented a runaway with solid goaltending.
JV Coach Sam Balto summarized the effort in his post-game remarks. He credited all for playing well from goal line to goal line. Balto noted with satisfaction that these same Bulldogs had beaten B-CC JV 3-0 in the season opener. This 4-0 victory was incontrovertible evidence of the Barons’ progress.
Overtime:
It is common to select three stars after professional hockey games. This is often frustrating when the selector is some bonehead who doesn’t appreciate and understand hockey as well as I do. Today, Steinitz would clearly be the first star. Equally true would be to select the entire team as the second star.
Microsoft Word recognizes Gretzky in spell check. That’s very cool.
The movie The Rocket is available in DVD.
Hockey Weekend Across America will be 15-17 February.
- Reported by John Holbrooke
Dec. 21: Long Reach 4, B-CC 2
JV Barons Can’t Escape Long Reach
Two periods of Baron dominance were stymied by the technically brilliant Long Reach goalie, Kathryn Dembowski. When Long Reach took the tiller in the third period, B-CC did not respond, and Long Reach skated to a 4-2 win at the Wheaton Open Air Rink Friday evening.
An early scramble in front of the B-CC net was neither controlled nor cleared by the B-CC defense, so Long Reach opened the scoring at 1:30 of the first period. Showing no flair for either drama or suspense but a gift for hockey, Matt Kaplun waited only 42 seconds before equalizing at 2:12. He was assisted by Thomas Krogh. Perhaps Kaplun does have a theatrical bent. He stole the limelight again, forging a lead for the Barons at 7:05 of the first period. This time he was assisted by Paul Steinitz.
The Barons continued to press their advantage, but Long Reach (I don’t know the Long Reach nickname, perhaps the Long Reach Conclusions?) knotted the score at 2 on a nice backhander by Brett Heinbauch. Mr. Heinbauch’s shot was the culmination of him skating through the B-CC defense. He shot it from the slot slightly to the left of goaltender Steven Holbrooke.
Sean Vaskov replaced Holbrooke midway through the second period. About 90 seconds later, he was screened on Sean Whitelock’s shot from the blue line. It’s tough to save something that you can’t see. It was also an excellent shot. It beat Vaskov above his right (stick) hand and went into the upper left hand corner of the net. Ms. Dembowski continued her goaltending mastery (feminine: mystery?) of the Barons.
The third period was all Long Reach. They outshot B-CC 12-4. Vaskov was superb in net, but after a flurry of shots, Long Reach’s Anthony Meoli scored to make it 4-2. He was assisted by Josh Moore. That’s how it ended. It could have been much worse. Vaskov made several excellent saves, and Long Reach hit the goalpost twice. It was a fair result.
Overtime:
B-CC hockey all-time great Mike Montross was one of the two referees for the game.
The first African American player in the NHL, Willie O’Ree, is profiled in this article from the NY Times.
I used to watch O’Ree play for the San Diego Gulls of the old Western Hockey League in the late 1960s. His speed made him a real fan favorite. He was certainly one of my favorites. He is being honored at tonight’s Rangers-Bruins game in New York.
I noticed that Wheaton Outdoor is actually named the Wheaton Open Air Rink. That sounds like a fragrance, and, in truth, the rink certainly smells like hockey. Whew, bracing!
- Reported by John Holbrooke
Dec. 20: B-CC 4, Wootton 4
The Wootton Patriots opened and closed the scoring. In between the JV Barons scored a season high four goals. It all evened out in a frustrating 4-4 tie.
Denis Castagnola of Wootton opened the scoring at 9:26 of the first period. Wootton had dominated the first period, and it was only goalie Sean Vaskov’s heroics that kept the score at 0-0 for almost ten minutes. It was also notable in that it was the first that anyone has scored against Vaskov in a JV game this season. Vaskov continued to play well, but conceded a second Wootton goal less than two minutes before the end of the period.
Things looked pretty bleak for the Barons, staring at a 2-0 deficit and being thoroughly outplayed. Fortunately, Baron Nathan Shearer seized the moment, and he scored on a wrist shot from the blue line. Shearer’s colleague on defense, Brendan Casey, fed him the pass that led to the goal. Harrison Pratt was not credited for an assist, but his alert play at the front of the net screened Wootton goalie Keith Zegowitz and was crucial to the score. That’s how the first period ended.
Shearer is a consistent contributor to the JV Barons. He has tremendous poise with the puck, stickhandling out of danger, then making great passes to set his teammates away on the attack.
Early in the second period, Shearer also had a hand in the next goal. He passed to Shakelton who shot. Shak’s shot didn’t find the net, but it stalled tantalizingly on the goal line. Alert Ben Austin drove the net and knocked it home to even the score at two.
Goalie Steven Holbrooke, who had replaced Vaskov midway through the second period, went behind the net to control the puck. He took an awkward pratfall, but while falling, he passed the puck to Paul Steinitz. Wootton appeared distracted by Holbrooke’s tumble. Steinitz took full advantage by completing a long pass to Ben Austin, who was behind the Wootton defense. Austin faked left, goalie Zegowitz bit on the fake, and Austin lifted the puck for his second goal, which lifted the Barons to a 3-2 lead with only 25 seconds left in the second period. Holbrooke was credited with an assist, very rare for a goalie.
Wootton’s Garret Schaffel equalized the score at three at 2:06 of the third period, but when Nathan Gelfand-Toutant scored at 4:14 of the third period, on an assist by Matt Kaplun, life again looked rosy for the Barons.
Wootton stormed back. Their best chance came with 3:40 to play, when forward Carl Sperling sliced though the B-CC defense. Alone in front of Holbrooke and at top speed, he crossed from Holbrooke’s right to his left. Sperling slid his shot toward the far post. Holbrooke dove while extending his left (catching glove) hand. Dell Comics used to have a super hero named Elastic Man who could extend his limbs to ridiculous lengths. Similarly, Holbrooke extended his left arm and nudged the puck around the post.
Undaunted, Wootton continued to attack, and they pulled their goalie in favor of a sixth attacker. A skirmish at the left post was tantalizingly out of Holbrooke’s reach. Alert Alex Markenson pounced on the puck and knocked it in with 55 seconds left. The game wasn’t over. Both teams had chances, but it ended at 4-4.
They say that a tie is like kissing your sister. It isn’t awful, but you would much rather be kissing someone else’s sister. The Barons were within 55 seconds of that. Alas, it was not to be.
- Reported by John Holbrooke
Dec. 14: B-CC 1, Whitman 1
A tie score often tells you nothing about a game. So it was when the B-CC JV Barons tied the Whitman Vikings, 1-1, at the Wheaton Outdoor Rink last Friday. The Barons dominated Whitman in shots on goal (30-18) and scoring chances, and the Barons even had fewer penalties than Whitman.
It didn’t matter.
B-CC’s early dominance was rewarded when they scored at 5:52 into the first period on a shot by Ben Austin, who was assisted by Thomas Krogh. They outshot Whitman 9-3 in the first period. That promising opening was followed by a strong second period, where B-CC outshot Whitman 12-6. The tide turned in the third period, where Whitman outshot B-CC 9-6.
The Barons thought that they had gone up by two in the second period when the puck appeared to cross the Whitman goal line. Several Barons raised their sticks in triumph. The referee didn’t quite see it as the Barons saw it. Rather than crediting the Barons with a second goal, he calmly blew his whistle, retrieved the puck and skated to the nearest circle for a faceoff.
Whitman took advantage of tenacious goaltending and grit to stay close. Clearly the star of the game was Whitman freshman goalie Corey Berk, who despite his diminutive size always seemed to be facing the puck. Twice he was also very lucky. Two shots passed over his blocking glove and were headed for the upper right hand corner of the net. In both cases, the puck struck the shaft of his stick and caromed harmlessly to the corner.
With one minute to play, Berk left the net in favor of an extra attacker. There were several skirmishes around the Barons’ net. The puck then made it back to the left point. Whitman’s Justin Sherman’s shot appeared to be going harmlessly wide of the right post, but it caromed off Whitman’s Brendan Giuffre’s skate and into the net. Giuffre was credited with the goal. The clock showed that B-CC was only 1.9 seconds from victory when the shot crossed the line.
After the game, Coach Sam Balto gave credit to goalies Sean Vaskov, who stopped the four Whitman shots that he faced, and Steven Holbrooke, who stopped 13 out of the 14 Whitman shots. Coach Balto also lauded an overall strong team effort. He was disappointed that B-CC did not hold the lead and that the skaters did not block the shots at the end of the game.
Junior varsity sports are for learning and development. The JV Barons have now committed to memory that a strong team effort can still lead to disappointment. It was a tie, but it felt like a loss.
Overtime:
I may be too late on this, but the movie “The Rocket” is playing at the Avalon Theater. The movie is the extraordinary and true story of Maurice “The Rocket” Richard, whose tireless fight on and off the ice ignited a generation. As a young boy from blue collar Québec, Richard had a dream to play in the National Hockey League. Beneath his soft-spoken, working-class exterior burned a passion that transformed this young factory worker into “The Rocket.” Maurice Richard led the Montréal Canadiens to Stanley Cups in the late 1940s and throughout the 1950s. He was the captain of the team that won five straight Stanley Cups from 1956-1960.
- Reported by John Holbrooke
Nov. 30: B-CC 2, Wootton 1
The Wootton High School Patriots have an excellent program that consistently fields superb teams. The path to varsity success normally runs through the junior varsity. B-CC also has a proud legacy, so the JV Barons were keyed to take the measure of the Wootton JV at the Wheaton Outdoor Rink. The Barons met the challenge, winning 2-1.
The JV Barons had a relatively sparse crew of 10 skaters and two goalies. No matter, the Barons pounced from the opening faceoff, outshooting Wootton in the first period, 12-4. This aggression was rewarded when Matt Kaplun scored on a wrist shot from a sharp angle. Kaplun had a breakthrough game with poised stickhandling and a nose for the net. His improvement has been dramatic. If he continues at this pace, he has a bright future with the varsity. Despite their dominance, the Barons only led 1-0 after the first period. They were similarly strong in the second period but again only increased their score by one, Harrison Pratt converting during a power play on a pass from behind the net by Brendan Casey. But that was all the scoring that they could muster for the game.
When you only score two goals, the defense must be sharp. Alex Vaskov, Peter Asmuth and Brendan Casey were dominant throughout the game. After several strong attacks, Nathan Shearer dropped back to help the defense in the third period. Thomas Krogh also put in a strong two-way effort.
But the real story was goaltending, Sean Vaskov started and was both fluid and flawless. He has played 60 minutes of JV hockey this fall, and he has not conceded a goal. His skill and technique kept him in position to artfully meet every shot. Steven Holbrooke replaced him midway through the second period, and the Barons soon had a bit of luck. A Wootton pass from the right corner found an unattended forward in front of Steve. The Patriot quickly shot. Holbrooke partially blocked the shot, but the shot had sufficient strength to skip over his pad and into the net. The goal was disallowed. Confusion reigned but without dissent. The referee explained during the second intermission that the goal had been dislodged. As soon the net moves, play stops. Evidently, the hockey poltergeist of Wheaton Outdoor favors the Barons.
Wootton has both talent and drive, and they outshot the Barons 9-6 in the third period. They were aided and abetted by some ill-conceived penalties by the Barons. The JV was whistled for five penalties in their opener against Churchill, and they were shown the gate four times during their match with Wootton. It is likely that many of the team will major in drama in college since most of the penalties were in the third period.
With two minutes to go in the third period, the Barons had yet another unfortunate indiscretion. Wootton augmented their power play by pulling their goalie for a sixth skater. With 1:33 to play, Guitton was wide open in the slot. His quick shot beat Holbrooke just inside the right post, 2-1, game on.
With their net still open, Wootton swarmed the B-CC net, but Holbrooke and his Baron brothers parried every thrust. With 11.7 seconds to play, Holbrooke froze the puck in his crease. No less than three Patriots drove Holbrooke and the puck into the net. That ain’t quite Kosher. The goal was disallowed, and the faceoff was outside the blue line. Wootton shot the puck into the attacking zone, but the Barons kept them sequestered in the left corner until the buzzer sounded.
This has been a challenging year for Holbrooke, and so it was Friday afternoon. He took the buzzer as a call to prayer, and prostrated himself accurately toward Mecca. His contemplative thanksgiving lasted only a moment as his spirited, if not spiritual, teammates surrounded him to celebrate their success.
In the reverie of the locker room, Kaplun recounted that he connected on his goal from a severe angle. Good news travels fast. Inspired by Kaplun, Ovechkin scored the next night from a severe angle for the winning goal in the Caps’ triumph over Florida. Rangy defenseman Brendan Casey said that he had gone deep behind the goal line during a B-CC power play and fed the puck toward the plucky Harrison Pratt. The puck took a slight deflection off of a Wootton skate directly to Pratt’s stick. Pratt said he just whacked it towards the net. Crude but effective.
Overtime:
Wootton was smartly accessorized with New York Rangers’ sweaters (hockey language for jersey) and hosiery, Montréal Canadiens’ pants and bright red Detroit Red Wings’ gloves. A Wootton plutocrat parent proclaimed that matching helmets were on order. Barons, you have the best looking sweaters in the league. That’s quite enough.
February 15-17 is Hockey Weekend Across America. Additional information can be found at www.hockeyweekendacrossamerica.com.
Word around the rink was that Vaskov and Holbrooke might be the subject of a House un-American activities hearing for tormenting Patriots. Really, it could happen.
Baron parents also looked rather smart in their creative and colorful Gore-Tex mummification.
- Reported by John Holbrooke
Nov. 14: Churchill 3, B-CC 0
Any sailor with even a lick of sense knows that you need a shakedown cruise to sort things out before your first voyage. The Winston Churchill Bulldogs (named after the former First Lord of the Admiralty) honored his memory with a shakedown against Wootton, and that advantage showed. The Barons had a slight lead on shots on goal, 26-25, but the Bulldogs had a clear lead in the only statistic that really counts, winning 3-0.
That said, there were many positives. B-CC only conceded one goal at even strength, and that was on a breakaway. Junior goalie Steven Holbrooke fought off several Churchill forays, but was victimized by Churchill’s two power play goals and a breakaway in his 24 minutes. Sean Vaskov was fluid and flawless, shutting out Churchill during his 21 minutes to close out the game.
The JV Barons also made several dangerous attacks with Paul Steinitz and Ben Austin leading the way. Harrison Pratt was also effective with his aggressive play around the net. Credit also to Steinitz and Thomas Krogh, who played both forward and defense. Alas, Bulldog goalkeeper Chris Yoo was on his game, and every foray was rebuffed. The Barons were also hamstrung by too many penalties. Five minor penalties for infractions such as interference and too many men on the ice should go away when the JV Barons get some more games under their belts.
- Reported by John Holbrooke
