Joe and Jamie's Blog

I was finally able to redeem my Christmas present on President’s Day. Jamie had bought me tickets to go see my favorite hockey team play, the Pittsburgh Penguins. They were playing the New York Islanders at the Islanders arena, the Nassau Coliseum in Long Island.

I have been to a couple hockey games before with my father, but this was the first time Jamie had ever gone to one. She enjoyed watching the game, so I was very happy. I like the sport, actually my most favorite to watch. It is constant action, not like baseball that takes 40 minutes just to strike out or football that has 15 seconds of game time for every 20 minutes of TV timeouts.

This was my first trip to the Nassau Coliseum though, the other times I went my father got tickets to the New Jersey Devil’s arena, called the Continental Airlines Arena at the time, now the Prudential Center I believe. The stadium was very nice and well kept, crowds weren’t that bad at all considering it was a day off for most people. I just love the highway robbery at the concessions though, but that is everywhere now.

Maybe we can snag some more tickets later in the season. I want to see some other teams play, so we should be able to find some open games. It’s tough getting tickets because these local teams only play the Penguins so often at home. I’m still loyal to my Penguins, even though many years ago they traded my favorite player…now get this, to the team I hate the most (New York Rangers)! Just swell!

The Islanders wound up winning the game in a shootout. For those of you not up to what happens in a tie in hockey, they play a 5 minute period with only four guys on each time (normally five). If it is a tie after that, three players from each team go to a one-on-one shootout with the goalie, whoever scores more wins, if it still ties then it is a tie. Final score after shootout, Islanders 3, Penguins 2. Enjoy some pics from inside the arena.

Scoreboard

Rink before the game, nice and smooth

Shot of stands at Nassau Coliseum

Penguins trying to score

Go Penguings Go!

Waiting for ice girls to finish shoveling the ice

Full rink shot during game

Faceoff down near Pittsburgh's end

FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! Yes there is always one in hockey!

Although the season is coming towards its end, I love this half of the fall season. Tymor Park out in Lagrangeville/Union Vale/Amenia (whichever it is) has wonderful scenery from the field. You can hear the sounds of people hunting in the forest in the near distance, bike riders come out of the trails in the woods and the trees are just a great site. If you don’t mind the occasional frost on the bleachers in the morning its a good day. The indoor season has started up, I need to get a camcorder so I can video one of the games in there, pictures through the netting are horrible.

I thought I would just share of the park’s surrounding area with everyone that may not have ever come here before. I need to explore this area some more. I like how its only fifteen minutes from my house now but you feel very far from the city life. Nothing but cows and horses out here.

Go Orange Team, Go!

Saturday was the start of the EHWSL spring season. The teams played a round-robin just to get everyone used to playing together again. Amazingly Jamie’s Orange Team won both games. Things are changing this season, a lot of players have not returned due to work/money conflicts of being pregnant. Teams are a bit more even on the skill level, should make for a very interesting season, as long as everyone shows up. It was a beautiful day out when it was supposed to rain. My face was sun burnt at 9am and it was about 70 degrees, if not more. Below are pictures I took to keep me occupied on the sideline.

Here are some of the surroundings. I love taking landscape photos. It was such a beautiful day out. The EHWSL plays on Tymor Park over in the Union Vale, just outside of Lagrange. It is a very well kept park with 3 baseball fields and a soccer field.

I know I promised some pictures of the game at the Net, but they all came out crappy because the camera kept on focusing on the actual net rather then what was beyond it. Also there was crappy lighting for photos and apparently this camera isn’t very good for fast action. I will take more from inside the actual playing area next week at the last game of the season. They girls did good, another tie. This puts them tied for 3rd. A big step up from last.

This week has been a little hectic with multiple tests and reports due, as well as new projects getting wrapped up at work. I haven’t had much time to spend on my websites or even posting here, so I figured I would sent out this little blurb.

Tonight there is another indoor soccer game at the Net. If I can remember for once I will bring my camera and take pictures. Jamie’s team is actually doing very well this season, so far their record is 1-2-1 and they aren’t in last!! They lost to some tough teams, but even then the scores were very close.

Saturday kicks off the outdoor East Hudson league. To me these are a lot more fun and exciting, probably due to the longer game time and normal size playing field, compared to the fast pace, small indoor turf. It will be good to see some faces that I haven’t seen since last fall. They are opening the league with a round-robin tournament, so all teams will be there. Once again, I hope to have my camera.

I’ll update everyone this weekend with some photos and news.

This sunday was the EHWSL’s 2nd Annual Shamrock Tournament. For those of you who don’t know, Jamie is on the board and plays soccer for them. This was the second Tournament that they held indoor at the Gold’s Gym on Titusville Rd in Poughkeepsie, aka The Net. Jamie started playing for EHWSL right after the first tournament, so for us this Sunday was something new. Jamie played all day from 1:00 to 9:00, I don’t know how she and the other girls did it, I would have been dead after 3 hours. Since I am such a nice guy (aka sucker), I was in charge of the scoreboard on one of the three fields throughout the tournament. I would have been bored just sitting there, plus I love helping out this organization, so that’s why I did it. So if you are reading this Amanda (head cheese of the EHWSL), stop saying sorry, I had fun!

Jamie’s team didn’t do so swell in the women’s open competitive division, I believe they were 1-4 with the 1 win being because the other team didn’t show up! It was great time though, all the players from the outdoor league came to play for this tournament, so it was good seeing people that we haven’t seen since December. Jamie also played in a co-ed division after her open division was complete. Her co-ed team technically tied for first in points being 4-1, but since the only team they lost to was the team that tied them in points, Jamie’s team came in second.

Throughout the winter Jamie plays against/with most of the EHWSL players at The Net to keep them occupied until the spring when the outdoor EHWSL season starts. Jamie is captain of the Black Diamonds. You can view her regular teams indoor stats here. You can find out more information about the EHWSL by clicking the banner on the right. Myself and my company sponsor the EHWSL because it is a great organization and needs all the help it can get to provide women in the area with the only soccer league available in the area. The closet ones are Long Island, but there may be one in Westchester that recently formed.

I stupidly didn’t take my camera, so no photos yet. I am hoping that I will eventually get some from people that are there and revisit this post to display them.