Split personality. Liking the arts, especially opera, and hockey and Los Toros. I know, I know THAT one is non pc currently. But I can't help it saw some in Spain and got hooked, but good.
But on the other hand right now opera and hockey are in the forefront!
The weather could not have been better [made up for the be-fogged and be-rained one earlier ;-)], but sadly the Rampage lost to the Rochester Americans 3-2. BTW I really like those read-white-blue jerseys, but I do like the Rampage warm up jersey more-muy caliente
!!!Of course, it was not a BAD game, but a loss is a loss for Rampage fans of which there were over 6,000, although there seemed to be more.
Noisy ones, at that!
The first period started, as did the one the last game we saw, with an early goal by Rochester by -of all people - Johan Larsson- Second Star of the game
Crabb shadows Gillies
with Colton Gillies ( both ex Aeros) and Irwin in just a hair over 2 minutes into the period. On a power play, yet, thanks to Megan.
Rob Madore
Rob Madore standing as tall as 5'10 (176 pds) can be Third Star of the game
Nathan Lieuwen
was in goal for Rampage, Michael Houser was recalled to be backup, due to Markstrom's injury (?) earlier.
Nathan Lieuwen for Rochester at 6'5 (186 pds) played Goliath to Madore's David (lol). Since Rampage played (to quote seat mates) like 'girls hockey' (they did root for Rochester - I may add!) the scene in front of Madore frequently was like this:
Madore did acquit himself rather well stopping 34 of 37 SOGs throughout the 3 periods.
Rampage managed one goal on the 2. A power play goal by Janik, Gilroy and Martindale
Janik Goal in 2.period
and 1 in the 3. by Howden with Shaw.
Both teams had 2 penalties each, and a power play goal each. Penalty kill was adequate.
Called up by Rampage, Wade Megan played quite aggressively, perhaps too aggressively. Megan sitting for hooking allowed the first PP goal for Rochester.
Especially in 1. and 2. there was some sloppy passing and stupid mistakes by Rampage players. Although they picked up some speed and managed to shoot 3 more SOGs (8) then in the 1. (5).
Only in the third did they seem to have found their rhythm with 15 sogs. And every time I looked Kilroy (oops) GILROY # 97
"was here" defending (he also did a get an assist).
But it just wasn't enough to carry the evening.
Rochester out shot and out scored them - albeit just by one, a, PP goal by Tardif (First star of the game), Adam and - again - Larsson.
Lieuwen had a few close calls,
Close call-but no goal
but managed to stop all but the 2 of 28.
Two more ex-Aeros were present, Drew Bagnall
Bagnall-Nr.4 the C
sporting the C was on the ice seemingly all the time.
Hackett still Nr. 30
And Hackett as BUG skated during warm ups and later to help the team celebrate its win!
So.. they did it again. An OTR win versus Peoria. 2-1
And a newbie named Mike Radja - below scoring a 'flying goal' and his stats
2007-08 U. of New Hampshire H-Eas 36 19 24 43 32 2007-08 Syracuse Crunch AHL 2 0 3 3 0 -- -- -- -- -- 2008-09 Fresno Falcons ECHL 8 7 6 13 4 -- -- -- Regular Season Playoffs Season Team Lge GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2002-03 Waterloo Black Hawks USHL 56 17 16 33 45 6 0 2 2 4 2003-04 Waterloo Black Hawks USHL 55 17 23 40 4 12 4 5 9 35 2004-05 U. of New Hampshire H-Eas 42 8 12 20 28 2005-06 U. of New Hampshire H-Eas 38 8 9 17 26 2006-07 U. of New Hampshire H-Eas 33 19 18 37 12 -- -- 2008-09 Rockford IceHogs AHL 57 11 12 23 20 1 0 0 0 0 2009-10 TPS Turku SM-li 25 6 3 9 12 -- -- -- -- -- 2009-10 Syracuse Crunch AHL 31 7 7 14 12 -- -- -- -- -- 2009-10 Bridgeport Sound Tigers AHL 17 5 5 10 6 5 0 1 1 4 2010-11 Augsburg Panthers DEL 49 11 8 19 26 -- -- -- -- -- 2011-12 Elmira Jackals* ECHL 32 17 17 34 20 2011-12 Binghamton Senators* AHL 3 0 1 1 2 2011-12 Peoria Rivermen* AHL 2 0 0 0 0 2011-12 Houston Aeros AHL 1 0 1 1
helped with the Broda (again) goal. Where Kassian got the second helper!
And the first goal was by Fontaine, Di Salvatore and Penner on a PP.
All came in the First Period.
Sunshine Kid Kuemper is getting more assured in the net.
And another Spur of the moment BUG was sitting on the bench.
AND Gillies, if clearing waivers this morning, will be seen again with the Aeros.
The days of voluminous singers - male or female - are passe! At least Downunder!
Terracini: ''You go to a movie and you see people who look exactly right for that role,'' he says. ''They're consummate actors and they're completely involved in what they are doing, so their performance is totally believable"
Hmm, I guess he never heard about those repeat takes 2, 5 or more - just to get that bit of movie scene right? Just saying!
So he wants it to be more lifelike?
Perhaps like those pesky TV reality shows?
The result :
Voices likeTHESEmay never be heard if the "big cheese"of Opera Australia has his way.
Good Bye, my Dears :-(!
It was nice to have
'heard' you - on YouTube :-)!
Ah, and lest I forget:
Aeros stay in West Division, one of three in the Western Conference, each with 5 competing teams.
Gillies
by artandhockey
signed a two year contract with the Wild for over $ 800.000 which gives him a real spot in Minnesota vs. Houston - depending on camp outcome, of course.
I am getting more and more hyped up for next Aeros hockey season.
New faces, new (it is hoped) ideas, new combinations of players!
A win would be great when going to Milwaukee for the last one or two games.
But: Will the Ads adjust to the 'newish' Aeros play?
But: Will the ice conditions make that much a difference?
Ah, well all these questions will be covered exhaustively tonight and the after the game by various parochial bloggers, the "official blog of the Aeros", the semiofficial bloggers at T3I, and the actual print media guy.
So I shall meander over to the IIHF and report on results there from yesterdays games for those of you, cher readers, who can't or won't spend time on the net:
But I feel it is interesting to say the least, since several of those skating there now are in, or will be with the NHL and AHL teams next year.
Jason Zucker (IIHF Juniors) signed by Wild
That second half of the trade for Anton Khudobin (BTW since with the Bruins he played 4 games and recorded a .942 % svs), Mikko Lehtonen,
for instance, has been reported to have signed with KHL for next season, so the Wild managed to get ONLY Penner for Anton for sure. Of course, it is possible the Wild may buy out that contract.. but....
So my poor country Austria again the loser with 2 versus Belarus with 7
(and Belarus was not exactly a forerunner up to now) SIGH!
Slovakia vs. Latvia 5-2, Russia vs Denmark 4-3 and Norway vs Switzerland 3-2.
Hmm, that begs the question: are Austria and Switzerland - being so 'hilly' and better known for other winter sports (skiing), - less prone to manage flat surfaces (just kidding).
Also you may notice that Italy, also a 'hilly' (in the North) nation did not field a team competing.
And France (also hilly) was not exactly a "burning up the ice" team as well. Again am kidding! Although Austria has supplied a few, a very few, good to excellent hockey players to the NHL
(Vanek, An
dreas Nodl
Michael Grabner..etc.).
Not sure why Slovakia, Czech Republic and Slovenia (all hilly countries to some extent, as well) do so much better in hockey? Goalies (Vokoun, etal), giants-not in basketball (Chara) - and many other skaters.
Is it because these neighbour states of the former USSR followed the example of state athlete training -get them young and they'll do better (vide China's 'baby' athletes!!).
But then where IS Hungary?
Any way just some nagging questions while sorta following the IIHF over there!
was much better than expected.
I really went for one, well maybe three, reasons.
One: Susan Graham. I just enjoy her voice. Her composer was all I expected.
I have heard/seen her so many times I lost count, but every time I feel soothed, and filled with warmth by that unexplainable quality she has - it is subjective of course!
Two: wondering how Dolgov (seen in Tosca and liked) and Goerke (seen as Ortrud for which did not care much, then) would sound. I honestly admit, I was blown away by Christine Goerke's Ariadne.
Even though her strong big steely voice is still not my cup of tea, her presentation was superb!
Alexey Dolgov was a more than adequate Bacchus. But at times seemed to strain to keep his own in duets with Gorke's overpowering Ariadne.
Three: Laura Claycomb: a saucy Zerbinetta with incredible vocal and physical agility, high notes, and enormous breathcontrol. I have seen her sing Handel (and like her rather much in either opera), as Verdi's Gilda (sososo-I know that it not what most thought) as Donizetti's Lucia (she did wow me with that).
The smaller roles were filled with youthful enthusiasm and pleasant voices by current (Wheeler, Deonarine, Martin, Dyakov, Peake, Touhy) and ex-Studio (Kolbet) members, and other comprimario singers.
The last two times I saw Ariadne, I was underwhelmed and - I admit it - bored by less than inspired conducting, less then adequate singing (truly I don' t even remember who sang - either time),
and a blah staging and sets. Static sets, boring staging! No sign of the theater within the theater concept..
Neither flashy nortrashy staging! What more need I say.
So, maybe this production had its flaws, very minor ones but overall I like the (is camp the right word?) staging, sets and costumes. They seem traditional, but then this is one opera where traditional (though camp) works for me - LOL!.
I am rather tired of some over the top 'modern' productions in which the directors' will takes precedence over the composers' musical ideas and moods!
So, call me an old foggy!
I don't care.
I liked this production, especially the end..why chandeliers? Why not-it seems a fitting starry end ;-0!
I liked the theater within an old private housetheater concept.
I liked the onstage set changes and machinery as may have been used way back then!
Liked the 'campy' Echo in thecloud...sung by Brittany Wheeler.
Liked the way Summers coaxed dulcet but also powerful tones from the orchestra.
It's probably only due to having been brought up with the sound of the Vienna Philharmoniker playing Strauss, that the strings seem to miss something, that something that the Vienna Philharmoniker seem to do so well! Did my ears deceive me, or did I hear a note or two from Brahms Lullaby? Well, never mind. Strauss took it and composed his variations and they did sound lovely, as did the frquent small waltz like movements.
And then Hugo von Hoffmansthal brought some of that kind of Galgenhumor the Viennese excel in, to the libretto and contents. In the 'funny' parts AND the solemn ones.
After all, Ariadne sees Bacchus (god of Wines!!) as the angel of oblivion, to help her drown her sorrows!
If that is not a bit of irony/sarcasm, I don't know what is! Don't you?
And not only that, but having the Master of the House via his flunky, the Mayor Domo (a speaking role -Jon Kolbet) demand that an opera seria be merged with a harlequinade! BECAUSE he paid money for it - and money talks (and pays for singers and dancers and entertainers, eh?) is sooo ironic!
A spoof on opera seria, diva and divoallures,
composer's self importance,
the 'heart of gold' of a 'less virtuous than she should be' Zerbinetta!
And so on! So it was then and so it still is, don't you think?
Ah, well.. am I reading too much into it? Perhaps.
If you want to know what goes on in this opera, I'll let you google for it ;-)!
Goerke and Dolgov
Kolbet, Graham, Rosel(dancemaster)
Zerbinetta Troupers: Gleadow, Dyakov, Touhy, Peake and Claycomb
Overall it was a surprise and a very pleasant one! At least I think so!
But honestly, no more Ariadne auf Naxos for a while! The 'third's the charm' as they say,
and that's it for me!
AND ANOTHER REAL PLEASANT SURPRISE: In the 2. battle between Airforce and Navy (lol), the Aeros shut out Admirals 2-0 in Round Two Game 2 in Milwaukee with goals by Peters, Wellman, Earl and Gillies, Ortmeyer and Scandella. Hackett getting his FIRST ever play off shut out! GO AEROS.
Three more games for sure right here in Houston TUESDAY, THURSDAY AND FRIDAY!
Despite large attendance at the game and the corresponding NOISE Rockford wins 3-2 over Aeros.
The Icehogs skated as if it mattered not and they really have nothing to loose, sitting at the last spot in the West with just 55 points.
In the 1. no goals, lost of furious skating, no penalties.
At start of 2. Rockford scored (Taafe), then Klinkhammer (kinda appropriate lol).
Then on a PP, Casey Wellman scored a goal for Aeros and for quite a while in 2. and 3.
it seemed destined to be a lonely goal!
Scuffle
Hackett rising from the red sea
Dangling legs and open ears ?
There was seldom a cohesive play!
Lots of scuffling-no penalties called for that:
Earl loosing pucks, passing it behind him directly onto the stick of Rockford player.
Pretty passing wasting PP minutes-sounds all to familiar!
Collisions with Icehog players send a few Aeros to the bench for Jody Green's tender care-thankfully nothing serious!
Most showed up for the autograph session, including the healthy (Fraser, Kalus) and injured (Cuma) scratches.
In the 3.Makarov made it 3-1 for Rockford.
Both teams had 3 on 5 PP chances, but only Gillies, with a puck from Buck, raced toward Toivonen and SCORED a shorthanded goal (5 on 3)! It really was an awesome thing to see. It happened so darn quick I could not catch it with my camera at all.
A real beauty of a goal! For that alone the afternoon was a winner!
Even if the AEROS lost by 1 point!
RED KNIGHT!
And in the last couple minutes Aeros poured it on, but could not prevail against Hannu Toivonen,
a RED knight for The Icehogs saving 36 of 38.
He just had a real good afternoon, saver after save!
He's real quicksilver, and so flexible.
Matt Hackett in net for Aeros with 18 of 21, a couple times he too, tried saves with everything... doing a reasonable Khudobin imitation..sprawling. Revenge will be enacted, we hope, on Wednesday March 2.
In the West Aeros trail Admirals, followed by Texas, while OKC and Peoria are tied for 4, Rampage and Wolves tied in 5 all photos below by artandhockey..
Catch!
Ah, that feels good!
Ortmeyer faces 4 foes
If one can't beat Hannu, one just joins him in the net!
Yes, it's true.
The night sky somewhere over Meyerland Plaza was filled with bursting multicolored sparks.
A fitting end to a smashing (and I mean this literally) game.
It's been quite a while since the glass reverberated like shots!
Bodies slammed into boards so frequently -THUMP, THUMP, THUMP.
And the raucous fans went wild.. "hit'em, get'em"..
and so on right at my right ear. It still feels numb!
Leaving the numbers game to the experts,
here is my take on this afternoon game.
Apparently the talking to the guys by the coaches about
'puck management',
'the best defense is offense',
'don't let the others have any 'space', etc.
Ortmeyer, he with the 2 assists
worked. A rejuvenated team stormed out and took on arch rival Rampage.
Body checks de rigeur.
'Humpty dumpty' falls on both sides.
Ortmeyer and McLean (chivalry is not dead yet-Mc Lean lent a helping hand up to fiormer mate)
Tangling with foes any which way.
This was a good game.
Not a great game, but both teams worked at it.
Both scored 1 goal in the First, with Hollweg on a PP, and Fredheim (Ortmeyer, Gillies) shortly after.
Hackett got his 'moxie' back, after all that words starts with a M(ontoya in the net), not with a C(limie)! Just kidding.
Even though it was a good game, it lacked the DRAMA of last night...
no fights to speak of- tee hee -
but for the last few minutes.
Lots of "to'ing and fro'ing" all through the 2.
with heavy work for Hackett and Montoya .
But then the Third... Earl getting feisty.. jabbering?
Montoya, stunned, on knees after that Daoust, Rau Earl goal!
No, I DON'T wanna look at that dratted Nr. 62!
Patting the Winner
The Scrappers's goal to make it 2 Aeros - 1 Rampage.
And after that it's back to
Rampage pounding Hackett - he saves.
Aeros pounding Montoya - he saves.
A stranger interlude: did the net break, did the puck break it?
What happened?
I was so intensely watching referees and others seemingly reweaving the net..
Inspection
Net fixed?
And now it's back to the game, guys!
I caught only the tail end.
Gillies with Ortmeyer (he's again much in evidence-good move to sign him) makes it 3-1 with an empty netter on a PP, yet!
Fans ecstatic, as are the Gillies huggers!
and few more pictures-enjoy
all by artandhockey's trusty little 'pic-snapper'!;-)
Hackett at work
A dropped stick, yet a save!
Brandon Buck "I'm just protecting Matt, Sir"!
Intermission Entertainment of the cuter kind
Hackett in full form!
Oh, just look at that little puck!
Number 1 Star of the Game with big grin!
Aeros ready to play!
When it came to the anthem...
there was this one male/boy singer who was so darn off pitch, but he made up for it by singing loudly.
The sopranos of this group sounded really very good, however!
But then the second choir presented such a variety: another patriotic song -was it America the beautiful, or what. Well, never mind they were hardly audible from a certain location.
On the other hand the cute little skaters in unison and the small drill team were rather pleasant to look at!
I truly hunger for trained opera singers' presentation of the anthem.
, An
..etc.).
