Steve Meadows was a big contributor in the second half of the game for the Ironmen.

Ironmen Still Looking For Complete Game
March 25, 2007

By Neil McEachern
DELTA, British Columbia (CP) ------ The Ironmen played a rare matinee game on Sunday against a Cobra team that has had their number all season. These two teams have matched up very well throughout the season and Sunday would prove much of the same.

The Ironmen, with what seems to be an ever-changing line up continue to try and find some chemistry on the ice.

The Ironmen played the first period in its customary “feeling out” style. It seems that the Ironmen would often rather see how their opponents want to play rather then establish a game plan conducive to their own style. It wasn’t until late in the period (1:45), while the Ironmen were on the Power Play that Grant Wittal with a head of steam gathered the puck in his own end and rushed coast to coast beating the Cobra goaltender for the first goal of the game, collecting the lone assist was Dave Toyoda. As the Ironmen rarely score the all important first goal, this should have been the catalyst the team needed to spark the offence, however, with only 7 seconds remaining in the period and the Ironmen clearly on their heels the Cobras fired the tying goal past Toyoda.

The second period was clearly all Cobras, building on their late first period goal and frustrating the Ironmen into penalty trouble 6 times to the Cobras 3 in the middle frame. The Cobras scored 4 unanswered goals to take a commanding 5-1 lead heading into the third period.

As has been the case many times this season, many players would rather rely on individualism rather than use other players on the ice. This has been evident when breaking out of their end and also while attacking in the offensive zone. The Ironmen must learn to trust their teammates and distribute the puck more frequently should they want to make noise in the playoffs. More passing and less dangling will no doubt provide for less more offense and less turnovers.

The Ironmen clearly had their work cut out for them as they entered the final frame, down, 4 big ones. As much as the Ironmen have struggled to put up the wins this season, something that has been different from years past, is the fact that they will not give up even when the chips may be stacked against them. There is a sense of pride with this team and that shows character. It’s those times when the odds are stacked against you that we look for a spark, something from someone willing to step up and take charge. This exact situation arose from a veteran player, someone that has seemed at times to carry the burden of a losing team entirely on his shoulders. Steve Meadows, on this day decided he was going to make a difference in this game and he did. Meadows started skating and distributing the puck very well in the third (2 things that make for a good defenseman). Meadows with great wheels and passing, re-ignited the Ironmen, converting a pass from Rick Makarowski at 14:38 of the third period. For whatever reason Meadows came alive and so did the Ironmen. The Cobras had difficulties in their own end and it seems right on cue the penalty parade to the Cobra’s box commenced.

The Ironmen return to the ice this on Tuesday at 8:30 pm against the Eagles on the Canadian rink.

Luc Trois Etoiles

La Première Etoile - Steve Meadows

La Deuxième Etoile - Mark Steele

La Troisième Etoile - Grant Wittal

Rick Makarowski had a four point night in the 6-3 win over the Phantoms.

Ironmen Terrorize Phantoms With Thrilling Comeback
March 23, 2007

By Brent Kelly
DELTA, British Columbia (CP) ------ It was a battle of first versus worst on Friday evening as the cellar dwelling Ironmen took on the first place Phantoms. The Ironmen have not tasted victory in nine games. A loss or a tie against the Phantoms in this game would make it ten games without a victory for the Ironmen.

The teams played it fairly even through the opening 20 minutes of play with the Phantoms holding a slight edge in shots on goal. The Phantoms opened the scoring 6:48 into the game to take a 1-0 lead. The Phantoms added to their lead scoring a power play goal with 3:42 left in the 1st period.

The Ironmen wasted very little time getting back into this game scoring their first goal of the game 1:07 into the second period. Neil McEachern pounced on a pass from Brent Kelly deep in the Phantoms slot to make it a 2-1 game. Rick Makarowski also assisted on the goal. The Phantoms restored their two-goal lead just under six minutes later to make it a 3-1 game. The turning point in this game occurred midway through the middle frame thanks to one of the prettiest passing plays of the season. This brought the Ironmen back within one goal and gave the ironclad crew all of the momentum. The goal occurred after some great passing between the line of Makarowski-McEachern-Kelly. Rick Makarowski made a beautiful pass to Neil McEachern who wasted no time getting the puck to Brent Kelly who was waiting all alone beside the open net. The Ironmen were stoked after this goal and you could feel that a comeback was in store. The Ironmen tied up the game courtesy of a Rick Makarowski solo effort scoring while shorthanded. Dan Riley scored the go-ahead goal shortly after that just before time expired in the middle frame. Robert Burrows and Neil McEachern assisted on the Riley goal.

The Ironmen successfully killed off a pair of 3rd period penalties and did so while netting their second short-handed goal of the game, when Rick Makarowski set up Bryan Robinson. The Ironmen put the final nail in the Phantom’s coffin after a nice rush from defensemen Craig Ahlstrom produced a point shot fired just wide of the net. The rebound from the lively end boards kicked out to Tim Brown who backhanded a one-timer past the Phantom goaltender to close the scoring.

This was a great team effort from the Ironmen who outworked the Phantoms in the second half of the game to score five unanswered goals against the division leaders. The Ironmen put together a much better team game against a team that seems to rely far too much on getting their cherry-picking forwards behind their opponent’s defense. On most nights it seems to work, however not against the Ironmen.

The Ironmen return to the ice this Sunday afternoon at 12:30 pm against the Cobras on the International rink.

Luc Trois Etoiles

La Première Etoile - Rick Makarowski

La Deuxième Etoile - Neil McEachern

La Troisième Etoile - Brent Kelly

Neil McEachern had a strong game for the Ironmen at both ends of the ice.

Ironmen Fade Against Bothersome Devils
March 18, 2007

By Rick Makarowski
DELTA, British Columbia (CP) ------ Looking to avenge their last tough loss, the Ironmen were forced to take on the Surrey Devils Sunday night. This bout was the team’s sixth and final regular season game against Surrey, where the previous two games resulted in both teams handing out lopsided scores.

Early play was a feeling out process with both teams satisfied in the neutral zone. However, it was the Devils who hit the board first just under ten minutes into the game. The Ironmen finished the first period out shooting the Devils, with one uneventful power play.

Just over halfway into the second period, the Ironmen pulled even with a scud-missile by Rob Burrows. Neil McEachern and Rick Makarowski assisted the launch. The Devils rebounded with their second goal less than three minutes later. In consecutive games, the second period was the turning point. Although the Ironmen only gave up one goal, they ran into penalty trouble, and once again they failed to score on point-blank opportunities. Perhaps the penalty kill tired the Ironmen shooters. Rob Scott ran over ‘the goalie’ on an attempted deek. On a short-handed breakaway, Neil McEachern simulated his Whistler two-attempt penalty shot, by managing two shots.

The third period saw the Devils extend their lead to 3-1, with just over ten minutes remaining. However, showing life, the Ironmen cut the lead. Pat Brown scored on a low stickside shot, from Tim Brown and seasoned vet, Mark Steele. That was it though, as the Devils rounded out the game with two spoiled goals. Regrettably, the Surrey Devils once again could not win in style. The classless Devil started his anticipated trash-talk once the Devils secured the game.

Fortunately, the Ironmen can look to remove the distaste with a match-up against the Phantoms, Friday night.

Luc Trois Etoiles

La Première Etoile - Neil McEachern

La Deuxième Etoile - Pat Brown

La Troisième Etoile - Robert Burrows

Trevor Williams played a strong game on the Ironmen blueline.

Ironmen Follow Canuck Trend In One Goal Loss
March 15, 2007

By Rick Makarowski
DELTA, British Columbia (CP) ------ On Thursday night, the Ironmen crew modeled a recent Canuck trend by jumping out to a quick lead, only to allow it to slip away in the later half. Thank goodness the likes of Bertuzzi and Jovanovski are no longer around for the Ironmen watchers to imitate their behaviours, or the result could have been much worse for the men of metal.

Riding the energy from an enthusiastic warm-up, the Ironmen propelled to a 3-0 lead. The Ironmen dominated the play early using a strong fore-check and rock-solid blue line presence. It was evident the Stingers were feeling the heat. Tim Brown from Steve Meadows and Bryce Wittal, Paul Savage from Pat and Tim Brown and Pat Brown from Trevor Williams potted the goals. On the brink of being out of the game for good and inspired by some key saves, the Stingers hit the score sheet with only 30 seconds remaining in the first frame.

The second period was the turning point for this contest. Once again, the Ironmen promoted a crippling power play, including a failure to score with a five on three advantage. Adding insult to injury, the Stingers stunned the Ironmen with two short-handed markers.

The third period saw both teams exchange limited scoring chances, but it was the Ironmen who packed it in late in the game. After a Dave Toyoda save, the puck lay unobstructed for enough time to allow a Stinger player to trot in to flick in the winner. Perhaps Tim Conway was extending his movie series "Dorf On Golf" to "Dorf On Hockey".

Putting the tough defeat aside, the Ironmen had some bright spots.
Noticeable this game was some good neutral zone passing by the defense, often hitting the forwards on the fly. Complimenting this, the Ironmen demonstrated at times they have the ability to cycle deep in the opposition zone.

The Ironmen can build on these qualities in their next contest March 18th against archrival Surrey Devils.

Luc Trois Etoiles

La Première Etoile - Tim Brown

La Deuxième Etoile - Trevor Williams

La Troisième Etoile - Robert Burrows

Rick Makarowski scored his 100th career Ironmen goal versus the Cyclones.

Opportunity Knocks But Ironmen Fail To Answer
March 10, 2007

By Brent Kelly
DELTA, British Columbia (CP) ------ Desperate for a win the Ironmen faced off against the Cyclones on Saturday night for the second meeting of the season between the two teams. The Ironmen won the first game 4-2 back on January 14th, which was the last time the Ironmen won a game.

The Ironmen had some good pressure early in the opening period courtesy of two Cyclone penalties at the 16:38 and 11:11 marks. During the man advantage the Ironmen had a couple of quality scoring chances but were unable to capitalize. As the opening 20 minutes wore on the Ironmen began to sit back and that is when the Cyclones struck, scoring the first goal of the game at the 6:33 mark. The Ironmen penalty kill, which has been solid all season long, was dispatched a few minutes later but they snuffed out the Cyclone power play. The Cyclones took a 1-0 lead into the 2nd period.

The two teams traded chances in the first half of the period, but it was the Cyclones scoring their second goal of the game at the 7:50 mark. A Cyclone player managed to get in behind the Ironmen defense to create an odd man rush and leading to the goal that gave the Cyclones a 2-0 lead. The Ironmen responded after some good fore-checking forced the Cyclones to retreat and eventually turn the puck over. Neil McEachern stripped the Cyclone player of the puck and fed Rick Makarowski who buried his team leading 16th goal of the season. Brent Kelly picked up the second assist. The Ironmen had gained life from that goal and had a few very good scoring opportunities, the best came when Makarowski fed a wide open Steve Meadows in the slot only to be foiled by the ringing sound of iron.

The Ironmen had two more excellent scoring chances in the 3rd period but were unable to capitalize and get the equalizer. By the midway point of the period the Ironmen got themselves into a little penalty trouble which cut into their offensive opportunities. The Cyclones went up by two goals at the 3:52 mark to finish off the scoring at 3-1.

Based on the standings the Ironmen should have been desperate to win this hockey game, unfortunately they failed to play desperate hockey against a team that was ripe for the picking. Opportunity came knocking but the Ironmen did not answer.

In this game Rick Makarowski scored his 100th career Ironmen goal. Makarowski is only the 4th Ironmen player to join the 100 Goal Club.

The Ironmen return to action against the Stingers on Thursday, March 15th at 6:45 pm on the Canadian rink.

Luc Trois Etoiles

La Première Etoile - Rick Makarowski

La Deuxième Etoile - Neil McEachern

La Troisième Etoile - Craig Ahlstrom

Don Lobo was solid in his return to the Ironmen nets.

New Blood Same Result As The Ironmen Tie On Another One
March 3, 2007

By Brent Kelly
DELTA, British Columbia (CP) ------ The Ironmen went into their Saturday night game against the Pirates looking like a very different team…in fact they were a very different team with five new faces in the line-up. The new look Ironmen was not a result of the trading deadline, but rather a consequence of missing eight regulars from their line-up. Included in the missing eight was ‘Rocket’ Rick Makarowski who had his impressive consecutive game streak of 110 games halted. The Ironmen were forced to call-up replacements from their farm club in Coquitlam.

The Ironmen controlled the play for the majority of the first two periods, but they were unable to turn that into goals. Although both teams were very close in terms of shots on goals it was the Pirates that had the better quality scoring chances despite being outplayed by the Ironmen. Don Lobo and his yellow pads were solid turning away everything he faced through the first two periods in the Ironmen nets.

The Ironmen got on the scoreboard first when Mark Steele hooked up with Bryan Robinson 3:32 into the third period. Robinson showed some good hands and an excellent second effort to stuff the puck in the net from a very sharp angle. The Ironmen took a 2-0 lead 2:06 later when they converted on their only power play of the period. Brent Kelly spotted Tim Brown breaking down the left wings boards; Brown then sent a beautiful pass to his older brother Pat who was going hard to the net. The Pirates wasted no time responding making it a 2-1 game just 12 seconds later. The Ironmen could not get any breathing room and looked to just be hanging on when they surrendered the tying goal with 2:45 left on the clock.

The Ironmen had the best chance of the overtime but they were not able to cash in. The Ironmen did do a much better job with their change on the fly line changes in the extra frame, but this is something that they will have to continue to stay on top of should the situation arise.

The Ironmen were the stronger team in this game but the combination of being unable to get many quality scoring chances and some very questionable officiating were both major factors that prevented the Ironmen getting two points out of this game.

The Ironmen are back in action for another Saturday game when they face the Cyclones on March 10th at 8:00 pm on the International rink.

Luc Trois Etoiles - Courtesy of Robert Burrows

La Première Etoile - Bryan Robinson

La Deuxième Etoile - Jerry Franko

La Troisième Etoile - Don Lobo

Jerry Franko scored his first goal of the season in the tie with the Eagles.

Defensive Struggle Nets Ironmen A Point
February 24, 2007

By Luc LaRouche
DELTA, British Columbia (CP) ------ Perhaps a better headline would be 'offensive struggle' as Saturday's tilt saw the Ironmen and the Eagles engage in their own offensively challenged turtle derby. Finishing in a 1-1 tie, this game was far from a work of art but as I like to say, a bad game of hockey is still better than the best game of cricket.

I do give the Ironmen credit for what was one of the most lop-sided shot totals you'll see in this league. Anytime you outshoot the opposition 48-26 you must be doing something right. More likely, the scorekeeper was on speed.

Speaking of speed, both teams looked rusty in that department, seemingly trying to skate and move the puck through quicksand. The first two periods saw both teams keep zeroes on the scoreboard although the Ironmen had the better chances to score. Whether it was solid goaltending from the Eagles keeper or lack of finish from the Ironmen, it was apparent there was going to be no room for defensive mistakes if the red and white crew hoped to skate off with a victory. Unfortunately, it was the Ironmen who buckled first as the 3rd period began with a defensive meltdown in their own zone leading to the Eagles opening the scoring just 39 seconds in period three. Again, credit the Ironmen for not letting this turn of events lead to a total collapse. Instead they had some pretty decent chances as the period wore on and were winning the time of possession battle thanks in large part to five 3rd period penalties handed out to the Eagles. The defense started to get involved offensively as Steve Meadows skated down from the point and worked the puck with Dan Riley who fed Todd Fraser for a shot on goal. Jerry 'Dial-up" Franko pounced on the puck and slid it past the goalie as Meadows drew a crowd in front of the net. The goal yielded Franko's first goal since the invention of high speed Internet, it was scored at 9:02 of the 3rd period. Dan Riley and Todd Fraser collected the assists.

Tied at 1, the two teams played it fairly close to the vest for the remainder of regulation time although there were some tense moments at both ends with neither team able to finish. The best chance came in the dying seconds of regulation when the Ironmen left the Eagles untouched and able to move the puck at will in the Ironmen zone. This forced David Toyoda to make one of his best saves of the night with less then three seconds left on the clock.

The 5 minute 4-on-4 overtime period had was barely underway when noted goon Robert Burrows was sent off along with an Eagle for co-incidental roughing penalties. Steve Meadows fared no better on the next shift as he was flagged for taking down an Eagle on a 1-on-1 rush toward the net. As Meadows said his prayers in the sin bin, David Toyoda and the rest of his team did a great job of killing off the penalty and in effect the clock, preventing the Eagles from snagging the extra point. It would have been nice and not unexpected for the Ironmen to come out and win this game outright, thereby putting some distance between themselves and the cellar-dwelling Eagles. Instead they'll have to settle for remaining a point up on them and focus on their next opponents, the much-despised Pirates, who will do battle with the men of metal on Saturday March 3 at 7:00pm. The Ironmen will be looking for a measure of payback as the Pirates have won all 5 previous meetings this season.

Luc Trois Etoiles

La Première Etoile - Neil McEachern

La Deuxième Etoile - Jerry Franko

La Troisième Etoile - David Toyoda

Trevor Williams scored his first goal of the season in the loss to the Stingers.

Ironmen Doubled By Stingers
February 17, 2007

By Brent Kelly
DELTA, British Columbia (CP) ------ The Ironmen faced an enhanced Stingers team on Saturday evening. This was the third meeting between the two teams this season. The Ironmen have been unable to get the better of the defending division champs thus far, losing 3-1 on December 14th and 2-1 on November 5th.

For the second time in three games the Ironmen gave up the first goal of the game on their very first shift, as the Stingers scored 1:08 into the contest. Once again it was Ironmen penalties that seemed to settle the metal men down. The Ironmen were assessed a total of five 1st period penalties. The Stingers were called for interference with 1:42 left on the clock, but the Ironmen power play was very short lived as Neil McEachern was called for (new NHL) interference. By the end of the first period the Ironmen had killed off four of their five penalties with one still carrying over to the 2nd period.

The 2nd period began with both teams having four skaters side, thanks to the two late 1st period penalties both teams were assessed. The extra room on the ice seemed to benefit the Stingers as they collected their second goal just 27 seconds into period two. Perhaps the Ironmen penalty killers were now a little drained as the Stingers netted their first power play goal just 43 seconds later to take a 3-0 lead. Rather then pack-up and go home the Ironmen responded. Robert Burrows made a smart play at the blue line to get the puck deep into the left corner where Rick Makarowski fished it out to the high slot. Brent Kelly quickly pounced on the puck to wire it past the Stingers goaltender to make it a 3-1 game. The Ironmen momentum was very short lived as the Stingers went on to add three more goals before the conclusion of the period, to take a commanding 6-1 lead into the 3rd period.

To their credit the Ironmen kept their heads up and continued to battle. They went into the third period determined to make something positive out of this game and they did. The Ironmen came out hard and may have caught the Stingers napping as the Ironmen made it a 6-2 game 33 seconds into the 3rd period. Rob Scott scored one of his patented muck and grind, whack away in the slot goals. Dan Riley and Robert Burrows picked up the helpers. The Ironmen added another goal thanks to one of the best Ironmen power play efforts in recent memory. The trio of Makarowski-McEachern-Kelly were excellent cycling the puck down low and in behind the Stingers net. They also utilized the men on the points who did a brilliant job of snapping the puck around and getting shots though to the net. The goal eventually came after Kelly gave McEachern the puck, he spotted Makarowski at the right post and Rocket Rick roofed it top shelf for one of the few Ironmen highlights on this evening. Sadly for the Ironmen just when they seemed to regain some positive momentum it would be snuffed out moments later, which was a frustrating theme on this night. The teams traded goals the rest of the way with the Stingers scoring at 8:31 to make it a 7-3 game. The Ironmen replied at 6:15 when Brent Kelly, Rick Makarowski and defensemen Trevor Williams connected with a nice give-and-go passing play, leading to Williams scoring his first goal of the season. The Stingers closed the scoring at the 4:18 mark to make it an 8-4 game.

The Ironmen continue to struggle to achieve any type of consistency in consecutive games. It is not clear if it has been the long layoffs between games, the short bench or a combination of these things that have lead to the inconstant play. Whatever the reason is the Ironmen need to buckle down now and get back to playing a strong defensive team game as they are on the home stretch of the season.

The Ironmen host the Eagles on Saturday, February 24th at 4:15 pm on the Legends rink.

Luc Trois Etoiles

La Première Etoile - No selection

La Deuxième Etoile - No selection

La Troisième Etoile - No selection

Brent Kelly scored the lone Ironmen marker to tie up the game.

Ironmen Scare Up A Point Against Phantoms
February 8, 2007

By Brent Kelly
DELTA, British Columbia (CP) ------ The Ironmen returned from another long layoff between games on Thursday evening to take on the division leading Phantoms. The Phantoms have strung together an impressive 5-0 record since being relegated to Division 4.

The Ironmen had some trouble with their shift length in the early going and were very scattered in their play. It may have been a roughing penalty Rick Makarowski took 3:50 into the game that forced the Ironmen to settle down. The Ironmen penalty kill was flawless and Peter Aragon was the best Ironmen penalty killer as has often been the case this year. There was no score after the first period of play.

The men of metal have been very good when shorthanded this season, however it is a different story when they have the man advantage. The Ironmen power play is more like a power outage. All season long the Ironmen have been squandering their opportunities with the man advantage and this game was no exception. The Ironmen wasted a lengthy two-man advantage in this game. It seems that every time the Ironmen get a power play everybody abandons team play and clicks into individual mode. Peter Aragon had another solid period for his team making some critical saves. The Phantoms did get one past Aragon in the middle frame when a weary Ironmen player was unable to pick-up the Phantom player all alone in the slot. The Phantoms took a 1-0 lead into the third period.

The Ironmen tied up the game 1:49 into the third period. Brent Kelly and Rick Makarowski played a little game of catch behind the Phantoms net before Kelly banked a wraparound off the goaltender’s pad. Dan Riley collected the second assist. The Ironmen penalty killers were dispatched on two more occasions to kill off two separate Craig Ahlstrom penalties. The Ironmen power play also had another kick at the can with just less than four minutes remaining in the game, but they struck out again.

The five-minute overtime solved nothing as the teams skated to a 1-1 final. The Ironmen snapped the Phantoms five game winning streak, however I am sure this is a game the Ironmen feel they could have won. Selfish long shifts from a couple Ironmen players, some poor line changes and far too much individual play were factors working against the Ironmen in this game. Throw in some bad ice conditions and that didn’t help much either. However that is not much of an excuse as the bad ice was a much bigger factor for the run and gun Phantoms.

The Ironmen have to wait over a week…yet again, before they can return to action against the defending division champion Stingers on Saturday, February 17th at 8:30 pm on the Legends rink.

Luc Trois Etoiles - Courtesy of Neil McEachern

La Première Etoile - Peter Aragon

La Deuxième Etoile - Brent Kelly

La Troisième Etoile - Dan Riley

Ten-year veteran Brent Kelly played in his 444th career game for the Ironmen.

Undermanned Ironmen Drop Another One
January 30, 2007

By Brent Kelly
DELTA, British Columbia (CP) ------ The Ironmen took to the ice on Tuesday evening against the Surrey Devils. The Ironmen have had problems filling their line-up this season and that continued as they went into this game very undermanned. The Ironmen had only eight skaters as they faced the Devils for the fourth time this season.

Things started off bad as the Ironmen surrendered the game-winning goal on their very first shift of the game. At the midway point of the period the Devils made it a 2-0 game. The Devils were given a power play with 6:11 remaining in the opening period and did not waste it scoring with the man advantage to close the first period with a healthy 3-0 lead.

The second period was a repeat of the first period with the Devils collecting another three goals. The first two goals were scored at even strength and the third goal was scored on the power play.

In the third period the Ironmen managed to keep the Devils to just one goal when they scored goal number seven with 6:02 remaining in the game. The Devils had five penalties in the third period while the Ironmen only had one.

It is true that the Ironmen were very undermanned in this game, however they played a very passive game and elected to sit back. The Ironmen offered each other very little in terms of puck support at either end of the ice, there was zero fore check and not nearly enough short give and go passes. The Ironmen went 0-8 on their power play and the Devils were 2-4.

Regrettably the Ironmen have to sit on this loss for more then a week, as they remain idle until their next game. The Ironmen face the first place Phantoms for the first time this season at 9:45 pm on the Canadian rink.

Luc Trois Etoiles

La Première Etoile - No selection

La Deuxième Etoile - No selection

La Troisième Etoile - No selection

Paul Savage had a very strong game for the Ironmen in a losing cause.

Second Period Penalties Bite Ironmen
January 21, 2007

By Brent Kelly
DELTA, British Columbia (CP) ------ After a solid effort in their last outing defeating the Cyclones, the Ironmen returned to action on Sunday evening against the Cobras. The Ironmen are still in search of consecutive wins for the first time this season. So far the men of metal have been unsuccessful in their attempts to achieve back-to-back victories.

The opening period was pretty even in terms of play; the Ironmen took three penalties that they killed off successfully, while the Cobras took four without any damage being done. The Ironmen held a slight edge in shots on goal out shooting the Cobras 10-9.

The Ironmen got into penalty trouble early in the 2nd period and the Cobras converted on their power play to take a 1-0 lead. Just over two minutes later the Cobras added another goal at even strength. The Ironmen penalty problems continued which led to the demise of the Ironmen on this night. The Ironmen racked up a total of 12 minutes in penalties during the 2nd period. The most damaging was a rare double hooking infraction issued to Brent Kelly. Kelly made a great defensive play outside his blueline only to immediately follow that up with trying to get too cute. Kelly’s attempt at being fancy caused him to be stripped of the puck and forced him to into taking a penalty. While in the sin bin Kelly’s team was victimized twice. The Cobras out shot the Ironmen 14-7 in the second period and held a commanding 4-0 lead.

The Ironmen managed to stay out of the penalty box in the 3rd period, but were clearly fatigued from having to kill all the 2nd period penalties to mount any kind of a serious offensive attack. Neil McEachern (who has played some of his best hockey of the season over his last few games) scored the lone 3rd period marker on a nice wrap around to spoil the Cobra shutout. McEachern’s 7th goal of the season was unassisted.

The Ironmen will have to play a much more discipline game when the return to action on Tuesday, January 30th at 9:45 pm to face the Surrey Devils on the Legends rink.

Neil McEachern scored the game winning goal to give the Ironmen their first win of 2007.

Ironmen Out Battle Cyclones
January 14, 2007

By Brent Kelly
DELTA, British Columbia (CP) ------ After a disappointing finish on Thursday evening versus the Pirates, the Ironmen returned to action on Sunday looking to rebound against the Cyclones. The Ironmen have not seen the Cyclones since the 2004-2005 season. After playing the majority of their last few games undermanned the Ironmen had three forward lines and four defensemen in this contest.

The Ironmen did not get the start they wanted as the Cyclones jumped out to an early 1-0 lead, after a failed clearing attempt in the Ironmen zone. The Ironmen bounced back just over two minutes later when Todd Fraser scored to pull the metal men even. Neil McEachern and Chris Dawe picked up the assists. The period continued with both teams unable to convert on the two power play opportunities they each had during the first 20 minutes of play.

Early in the second period Steve Meadows made a great defensive play to foil an excellent Cyclone scoring threat. Meadows was assessed a body checking penalty on the play and with the man advantage the Cyclones regained the lead. The Ironmen answered right back 53 seconds later when Steve Coon ripped a shot past the Cyclone goalie, after some excellent fore-checking in the Cyclones zone. Paul Savage assisted on the goal.

The Ironmen took the lead for the first time in the game 42 seconds into the third period. Brent Kelly took a pass from Chris Dawe and skated down the left wing boards ending up in Wayne Gretzky’s office, where he spotted Neil McEachern in front of the Cyclone net. McEachern wired a shot past the Cyclone goalie to give the Ironmen a 3-2 lead. The Ironmen were content to grind it out the rest of the way and steer home their first victory of 2007. Dan Riley was credited with an empty net goal at the conclusion of the game. This was because a Cyclone player had knocked the net off before Riley could deposit the puck into the empty net.

This game was not a pretty game but more of a blue-collared variety. There seemed to be more mucking and grinding going on as opposed to freewheeling. The Ironmen forwards looked good pumping through all three lines efficiently, while playing a good two way game. The Ironmen defense was also solid, keeping their shifts short and high energy. David Toyoda looked steady in goal for the Ironmen making his first appearance in the Ironmen nets in a month. Toyoda made a few clutch saves throughout the game and shut the door in the third period.

Next up for the Ironmen is a game against the Cobras on Sunday, January 21st. The Cobras have snatched victory from the Ironmen in both of their previous two meetings. Game time is at 8:30 pm on the International rink.

Luc Trois Etoiles - Courtesy of Rick Makarowski

La Première Etoile - Brent Kelly

La Deuxième Etoile - David Toyoda

La Troisième Etoile - Jerry Franko

Rick Makarowski had a three point night for the Ironmen.

Ironmen Collapse Gives Pirates Victory
January 11, 2007

By Brent Kelly
DELTA, British Columbia (CP) ------ The Ironmen returned to action on Thursday evening against the second place Pirates. The Pirates have dominated the Ironmen this season winning all four of the previous meetings between the two clubs.

The Ironmen looked like they were going to continue their solid play in this game based on the early action and quick and smart Ironmen line changes. It was a good line change by Neil McEachern that lead to the Ironmen scoring the first goal of the game. McEachern raced from the opposition zone for a line change with Brent Kelly. Kelly charged into the Pirates zone going hard to the net, arriving just in time to backhand the rebound from a Robert Burrows’ shot to give the Ironmen an early 1-0 lead. The Ironmen were assessed the only penalty of the period when Rob Scott was issued a questionable tripping penalty. The Ironmen penalty killers were successful in killing off the Scott penalty and took a 1-0 lead into period two.

The Ironmen took a 2-0 lead at the 13:32 mark of the 2nd period when Rick Makarowski converted a Neil McEachern offering while in tight on the Pirate goaltender. Steve Meadows picked up the second assist. The Pirates got on the board 1:25 later to make it a 2-1 game. The Ironmen got their only power play of the game at the 8:04 mark and they made it count. Rick Makarowski scored his second goal of the game restoring the two-goal lead for the Ironmen with his team leading 14th goal of the season. Makarowski got his stick on a Steve Meadows’ shot from the point on the play, Trevor Williams also assisted on the goal. The Ironmen penalty killers were dispatched again at the 4:22 mark when Steve Meadows was sent off for holding. The Ironmen managed to kill off the penalty but surrender the second Pirate goal 32 seconds later to make it a 3-2 game. It was at this point that the very undermanned Ironmen looked as they had little left in the tank. They quickly gave-up the tying goal 59 seconds later with just 10 seconds left in the second period to make it a 3-3 game.

The Ironmen gathered themselves between periods and quickly regained their lead 1:09 into the 3rd period. Rick Makarowski sent Steve Coon home free on the seldom successful and often over used Hail-Mary pass. The Pirates responded just over four minutes later to make it a 4-4 game. It seemed as this game may be headed for overtime until the Pirates took their first lead of the game with 4:07 left on the clock. By now the Ironmen were looking very lethargic and for the first time in a long time, some of the Ironmen players appeared to have given up. Perhaps they just did not have anything left in the tank. The Ironmen pulled goaltender Peter Aragon on two occasions in the last minute of the game in an attempt to pull even. However, the Pirates converted both times the Ironmen net was empty and made a game that the Ironmen should of won look much worse then it was. The Pirates skated away with a 7-4 victory.

The Ironmen will not have much time to figure out what went wrong in this one. They return to action on Sunday, January 14th against the Cyclones at 7:30 pm on the Canadian rink.

Luc Trois Etoiles

La Première Etoile - Rick Makarowski

La Deuxième Etoile - Steve Meadows

La Troisième Etoile - Neil McEachern

Neil McEachern had a great game for the Ironmen.

Ironmen Ring In New Year With Another Solid Effort
January 3, 2007

By Brent Kelly
DELTA, British Columbia (CP) ------ The Ironmen kicked off the New Year on Wednesday night taking on the Eagles in the first game of 2007. The Ironmen have improved by committee over recent games and are starting to play true Ironmen hockey. The men of metal have employed a solid team game with an emphasis on strong defensive play, great goaltending and a blue-collar effort.

The Ironmen were forced to go with a short bench in this contest dressing only ten skaters, while the Eagles had all hands on deck. It didn’t take long for the Ironmen to prove what they were made of, thanks to five 1st period penalties that spanned from the 16:40 mark until the 1:34 mark of the opening period. The Ironmen penalty kill was outstanding as they snuffed out all the Eagles power plays. Thanks to some great penalty killing and some exceptional saves by goaltender Peter Aragon the Ironmen were very much in the scoreless game after the first 20 minutes of play.

Perhaps the ice on the Canadian rink was tilted? After taking five 1st period penalties, the 2nd period was all about Ironmen power plays. In the 2nd period the Ironmen had five power plays of their own. However, the first couple of Ironmen power plays were wasted with the Ironmen failing to slow down the play. They did not break out as a unit and the man advantage was render useless because of far too much separation between the defensemen and the forwards. This in turn clogged up the neutral ice with Eagle penalty killers and Ironmen forwards that were positioned too high. By the third Ironmen power play the ironclad crew started to figure things out. They broke out as a unit, began to work the give and go and started to execute short crisp passes. Paul Savage scored for the Ironmen at the 9:32 mark to give the Ironmen a 1-0 lead. Rick Makarowski and Dan McIntyre picked up the assists. Although the Ironmen had some quality chances on their final two power plays of the middle frame, they were not able to beat the Eagle goaltender for goal number two. The Ironmen held a 1-0 lead over the Eagles going into the 3rd period.

The undermanned Ironmen continued to outwork the Eagles in the 3rd period and held the edge in play. On the rare occasions when their defensive game broke down, Ironmen goaltender Peter Aragon was there to bail out his teammates. Argon was absolutely outstanding throughout the game, but he saved his best for the third period with a mind-boggling stop on the Eagles top gunner. This was a game the Ironmen had definitely earned a victory in. However, they were unable to kill off a late high-sticking penalty to Nathan Aragon and the Eagles scored the equalizer with 5:18 on the clock. There was still more drama in store for the Ironmen when they were nailed with a penalty for too-many men on the ice with 4:39 left on the clock. Undaunted by this the Ironmen penalty killers were not about to let this game slip away, as they shut down the Eagles final power play. At the end of regulation time the teams were deadlocked in a 1-1 tie.

The Ironmen out shot the Eagles 3-1 during the four-on-four, change on the fly overtime. However, the extra five minutes solved nothing and each team earned a point for the standings.

The Ironmen have played very well over their last few games with many players MIA due to injuries and absences. It is clear that the players that have been in the Ironmen line-up recently are definitely drinking the Kool-Aid and they are getting positive results because of it. Hopefully those that have not been around much will buy in when they return. If that happens, it could be a very prosperous New Year for the men of metal.

The Ironmen are back on the ice on Thursday, January 11th against a tough Pirate squad they have yet to beat this season. Game time is at 8:15 pm on the Canadian rink.

Luc Trois Etoiles

La Première Etoile - Peter Aragon

La Deuxième Etoile - Neil McEachern

La Troisième Etoile - Dan McIntyre