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Post by Alex Goldsmith on Nov 26, 2008 21:12:31 GMT -5
Hey everyone,
USC in action again for the third and final game of this road trip tonight at 8 PM Beijing time (4 AM PST). The team has a free day today to break off into groups and explore the city.
Happy Thanksgiving to everyone! Hope you can tune in.
Thanks,
Alex
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Post by usclaw77 on Nov 26, 2008 22:36:05 GMT -5
Alex and Trojans: We are psyched to hear a great performance later today for game # 3. Play a great game and have a Happy Thanksgiving dinner to follow! We will be thinking of you all. We are so proud to have such a great group representing USC. Everyone be safe. FIGHT ON !!
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Post by caravaggio on Nov 26, 2008 23:50:07 GMT -5
Dante Sr is back in Calgary and ready for Game 3. Drat that I missed Game 2. Great that young Dante did ok. I'll listen to the replay on the archives. Was team 2 totally different characters from team 1. Did you have a respectable Chinese Goalie. Did Dante's suits fit him.
Keep it going!!
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Post by Alex Goldsmith on Nov 27, 2008 6:54:44 GMT -5
Glad to hear that you're back Dante Sr. It was an absolute pleasure meeting you here in Beijing.
To answer your questions....
Team 2 played a lot better than team 1, but so did USC. The Trojans were over their jetlag, and being able to hit certainly helped. The other goalie looked good at times, but not great. I'm not sure about Dante's suits. I do know that mine from the same place are fantastic (I'm wearing one right now).
Trojans start warmups in about 7 minutes!
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Post by caravaggio on Nov 27, 2008 9:11:06 GMT -5
Great 7-2 win to sweep all 3 Beijing games. Alex, as usual, listening to you was just like being there. Clark had a terrific game. Sounded like our goalie was also outstanding. Izzie's interview should have been longer. Happy Thanksgiving.
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Post by usclaw77 on Nov 27, 2008 9:57:08 GMT -5
Alex: The McClanathan's are checking in -- we heard the entire game on your live broadcast, including the entertaining pre-game interview with Coach Wilbur (geez - what else would you expect we would be doing at 4am to 6am?). What a great final leg of the road trip! Super calling of the game, Alex. You really brought your BEST to the show and what a joy to hear your description of the Team's wonderful win. From our perspective, it sounded like the referees and linesmen were mere spectators in this match -- there seemed to be very few stoppages of play and do the referees even know about concept of penalties (they also seemed quite bent on having all face-offs in neutral ice -eh?). On the other hand, it did make for a very exciting and rapid pace of play. We were exhausted listening to all the close calls on defense, and with the "stoppage time" extension of the 3rd period (as you cleverly called it), who knew when the game would ever end. The team seemed to play very balanced from beginning to end (with that little bump in the road when the Beijing Emperors scored 2 goals relatively quickly to tie the score at 2-2). But what a fantastic rest of the way for the Trojans to completely dominate the scoring. Give the entire Team and Coach Wilbur our best wishes and congratulations on their China Road Swing -- USC was well represented in all regards. Clark must be quite stoked after tonight's performance. Give him all our love and congrats. We can't wait to review Clark's goals on Mr. Lewis' video "replay" (especially the 2nd goal which sounded like an ESPY moment). Be safe to everyone. A HAPPY Thanksgiving to all, and return safely to the USA. BTW -- can you give us the return flight number and time of arrival in LA? Looking forward to your game summary. FIGHT ON !!!!
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Post by Alex Goldsmith on Nov 27, 2008 13:15:27 GMT -5
USC beats the Beijing Dragons 7-2. The Trojans saved their best for last, bringing it all to the table against a team that was about as good as the Hokay Club team. It looked like it could be a tight match, until USC scored 5 unanswered to break open a 2-2 tie. Every line except for the second got a goal. Rich Dyer had a fantastic game to finish off a fantastic road trip. The Trojans' games are done, but their trip isn't. They fly home Sunday, landing at noon, technically before they take off here in Beijing. Not sure about the flight number McClanathans...
Here are some notes from the game:
- Clark McClanathan was the MVP of the game, but he'll have to settle for 1 goal and 2 assists instead of two goals. After talking things over with Clark and his fellow linemates, it was apparent that Joe Scialfa got his first career goal for USC. He finished off a puck that, in all fairness, was heading in anyway. But a goal's a goal, and Clark didn't get that one. He'll have to settle for an assist on that one as well as Szentveri's goal, however....
- His 'second' goal was unbelievable, a highlight reel goal to be sure. Clark puts the puck between the defender's legs, gets it, and rockets it past the Dragons goaltender.
- Veteran defenseman Ryan Seals got involved in the scoring, going on a 2 on 1 with Comisar and blasting the puck into a vacant net.
- Coach Wilbur sent out the 'pink' line (defensemen Ozaki, Lewis, and Schauffhausen) to start the third period as a way to wake the team up and get them to put their foot on the Dragons' throat. Which they did, great coaching move.
- Max Szentveri asked me after last night's game to pretend he had scored a goal in the late stages of tonight's game even if he didn't. Well there was no pretending about his goal, the final one for USC. Sorry to say that I absolutely butchered the call, mixing up Szentveri and McLinn. My bad, Butters.
- Tonight's game had it's own timing quirks. First off, no scoreboard or clock yet again. Second off. the first period timed out at 15 minutes. Third off, the third period ran several minutes over the 20 minutes, even though the "timekeeper" kept waving to the referee that the game was over. Fourth off, the intermissions were even shorter than last night's game, as anyone listening can attest to.
- I think the referees were picked off the street a few minutes before game time. One was wearing a hoodie and no striped uniform. Both had no idea about the rules of the game. They called literally no penalties the entire game, even when Caravaggio accidentally, but blatantly, high-sticked a Dragon in the helmet. This was a clean game, but it wasn't that clean. One of the most infuriating and consistent referee gaffes was the insistence that shots tipped into the netting by the defending team led to a faceoff at neutral ice. Completely false. There were also clear offsides calls blown 10-15 seconds after they would've happened. The McClanathans' assessment that the referees were mostly spectators and a joke was completely accurate. That fact led to....
- One of the most bizarre things I've ever seen while broadcasting a hockey game. Alex Lofthus scores on a 2 on 1 rush to put USC up 3-2. He puts the puck past the Dragons' goaltender in the dead center of the net. As Lofthus is celebrating a bit, the linesman skates over to the post, looks for a seconds, and waves his hands for no goal. He calls the referee over. The referee looks at the post and side of the net, has a few words with the linesman, and then calls no goal as well. This led to a protest from both benches. Both the Trojans and Dragons wanted the goal to count, which then led to an incredibly awkward moment. While the referees set up for a faceoff in the Dragons' zone on the far faceoff circle, both teams set up at center ice for a draw following a goal. Only after the Dragons yelled at the referees for a bit did the goal "count" and play was resumed from center ice. Both teams literally overruled the referees' decision. That's the first time I've ever seen (and probably ever will see) something like that.
- In general the game was a friendly both in reality and in feel. Both teams looked like they were legitimately having fun out there. If the game had been extended a period, there was a feeling that both teams would have loved to keep going. It was great to see.
- Helping that feeling to some degree was the fact that the entire Dragons team spoke English. The team was a mish mash of ex-pats from the US and Europe. The game was pretty low on contact, but high in congeniality.
That's all I've got for right now. The triptophan is starting to kick in big time.
USC plays UCLA next, with a chance to win the Crosstown Cup on home ice in a two game set with the Bruins.
Thanks to everyone who tuned in live. It helps to know that I've got an audience and are getting through. I appreciate all of the compliments, it truly does mean a lot to me.
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!!!
Official scorers coming soon.
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Post by Alex Goldsmith on Nov 27, 2008 13:17:52 GMT -5
USC goals this game:
Scialfa (McClanathan)
Landsinger
Lofthus (Joyce, Schauffhausen)
Seals (Comisar, Gawlik)
McClanathan (Bush, Caravaggio)
Comisar (Schauffhausen)
Szentveri (Seals, McClanathan)
All goals even strength because there were no penalties.
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