We Are the Champions!
The trip to Vacaville was fruitful for the Seals. We won our first game 3-0, against a team made up of a lot of ladies I play with in the women's league. I was a bit put off that they hadn't asked me to play with them (though I fully recognize that many of them either know I'm on the Seals or didn't know me all that well so I wasn't likely to be one of their choices) and I guess that lit a fire under my ass. I played hard, shut down every breakaway that started to happen (Andrea may correct me on this but I don't remember anyone getting by me. The word on the street was that they took something like 5 shots the whole game, again this I can't confirm but it didn't seem like many at all...).

The second game was only 1 hour and 45 minutes after the first so I stayed halfway dressed, yes in wet shin guards, socks pants and yes, ick, underwear. But it beat putting that same wet stuff on again. Evidently the second team's goalie didn't show so they had someone who played goalie like I do -- not so good. We racked up 5 goals in the first period alone! That was more than we'd ever scored in a game, in just the first! The other team had some of the ladies who play for a different team, a team that had spanked Code Red back in November 13-2, including a woman scoring from BEHIND the net. So again, I had something to prove. We won 9-4 in the end, putting us in first place going into the championship round on Sunday.

Saturday night we stayed over in the hot vacation spot of Vacaville. We visited with an old friend and his wife, hit the outlets and then relaxed in our hotel, which was in the parking lot of the rink. No joke. I didn't know when I booked it but I was quite grateful for the proximity. Our room had a fly hot tub but no view of the rink. You can't have everything.

Sunday we got to sleep in a bit then headed over for the championship game, something the Seals have played in the past but lost. To the Squirrels. Who we were playing again this time. The last time we played them, in Vegas, I spent way too much time thinking about who was going to do what (I play with a lot of them in the women's league) and lost focus. This time, I pretended they were that team from Orlando that we played in Vegas, with nobody I knew. It worked because we stayed strong and our rockin goalie, Joan, came up huge again. We won 1-0!

Afterwards, our illustrious coach asked the world's best question: "Did everyone get a trophy?"

Oh yes, yes I did. It's monstrous and large and shiny. And it says First Place on it. The first First Place I've ever had. Wow. Go Seals! Arf!