So happy together

Phone calls, flowers, electronic greeting cards and email messages were received from around the globe today in honor of Gilly's birthday. We took a collective step back and reflected on our appreciation for one another; a celebration of the true meaning of life, family and good friends. There ain't nothing like it!


Tonight I will let the sportswriter from the Chronicle tell his version of Yaron's hockey story (see below). My story (posted a few nights ago) was told from a mother's / wifes point of view. Here's the reporter's angle:

Sports
By David Goldberg View all articles from David GoldbergArticle online since March 7, 2006, 13:47
Inspired goal keeps Canucks’ first-place hopes alive
Four-goal second period leads Côte St. Luc midgets to a 5-3 win over the Rockets

Chronicle, Charles Montgomery Côte St. Luc netminder Aaron Blauer gets his glove up on this shot as forward Shaun Waisgrus looks on.

By DAVID GOLDBERG The Chronicle

Trailing 2-0 early in the second to the St. Laurent Rockets on Monday night, and admittedly not playing their best hockey, the Côte St. Luc midget Canucks were looking for something, anything to give them a spark. That’s when Yaron’s dad entered the rink. “My dad just got out of the hospital with a brain tumour, and when I saw him come into the building, that really got me pumped up,” said Canucks’ defenceman Yaron Schwager. “I saw an opening and I intercepted a pass, and then I just took it from there. There was someone in front of me and I couldn’t even see the goalie, so I just shot and hoped it would go in.” And in an inspiring post-goal celebration, Schwager skated over to where his father was seated and saluted his ailing dad by pointing his stick up towards him. “He gave me a thumbs up,” said Schwager. “That meant a lot.”

The goal meant a lot too, as the Canucks hijacked the rest of the period, dimming the Rockets’ red glare. In short order, Cory Klumak scored twice and Yoni Loeub added another to give Côte St. Luc a two-goal cushion. Klumak’s pair travelled a combined total of about six feet, but they were two big yards in the Canucks’ quest to finish in first place. The win set up a Friday night showdown against rival MRO. “We had a great breakout from our zone on the first goal, and Adam Fried took a point shot which their goalie redirected just wide,” said Klumak. “It came off the boards and I shot it in off of his back.” Klumak got the Rodney Dangerfield treatment on his second goal, as St. Laurent showed him no respect ... no respect at all. “Shaun (Waisgrus) drew both their guys to him, and I was thinking, ‘Hey, how is this possible?’” said Klumak, who found himself all alone in front of the St. Laurent net. “He made a great pass to me and I just put it upstairs.” The teams traded goals in the third. St. Laurent scored midway through on the powerplay, with Canucks’ goalie Aaron Blauer down and out on a rebound. But Côte St. Luc put the game away for good with a late empty-net goal courtesy of Ryan Warner. The first period was, according to Canucks’ head coach Sheldon Krakower, typical of what he’s seen all season. “We don’t start the games like we finish them,” said Coach K. “We know what the problem is, but neither I nor the players have been able to figure out how to cure that problem.” After a brutal defensive zone giveaway gave St. Laurent an early 1-0 lead, the Rockets managed to slither a weak goal past Blauer. “I just completely missed it,” said the honest netminder. “It was deflected a bit, but I should have had it.” Not one to make excuses, Blauer did admit that things didn’t add up too well for him at times against St. Laurent. “I missed my afternoon nap because I had to study for a calculus test, and I’m not right without my nap,” said Blauer, who woke up in time to make some terrific stops in the second and third periods. “I felt responsible for the deficit, but I just tried to keep working my hardest after that. And I knew the team would bounce back.” Now they’ll have to show a lot more bounce on Friday, as both players and head coach are well aware. “We’re going to have to work hard and do a better job covering them in our zone,” said Klumak. Coach K said the team has been focussing on the MRO game for the last month. “Tonight was not good enough — we’ll have to have a lot more intensity on Friday,” said Krakower. “Like us, they’re an offensively gifted team, and we’ll need great goaltending to beat them. We’ll have to play a perfect game, but I think we’re ready for them.”
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