First weekend down...

Well I managed to surrive my first weekend in the Czech. We had practice again on Friday night and then played two games on the weekend. I should explain that my team plays in two leagues here. One which is the Czech national league, and the other one being the EWHL, or the European Hockey League. The teams in this league are Salzburg, Vienna, Zargba, Slovakia, Slovina, Budapest, Berlin, and I think that's it. I am not completely sure on that one though. So we played our first EWHL game and played against Zargba. I think that is how you spell it...it is the capital of Croatia for those of you who don't know. Unfortunately they were pretty bad. I guess they are not playing any home games because they are having problems with their rink. That pretty much explains everything. We won the first game 12-0, then the second 14-0. It was pretty tough to get up for the second game after beating a team by that score. Yet my coach was not sastified with that and at the end of the second game with 6 minutes remaining he said he wanted us to score three more goals. Hum...I guess he does not believe in the mercury rule. I honestly felt bad for the other team.

I am happy to report that in my first game I did not get any penalties! But of course of in the second game I got 3, and actually one on my first shift...oops. So I made up for the first game. It was nice to get on the ice and into a real game with the team. I must say that I look pretty European on the ice with my jersey covered with sponserships. It's a home jersey but the front is actually half red/half white, hum...that could become confusing. But I enjoy having red and white colours again, kind of like the old Wisco days. I post some pictures when I get a chance.

Practices are really interesting with the whole langauge barrier. By the end of last season in Switzerland I was at least able to understand practices for the most part and had all the German hockey terms down....here that's not the case. I have absoultly no idea what my coach is saying, and forgot that helpless feeling. I only know the word 100% because that is what he says all the time, as in we need to be doing the drills full out. I usually have some one by my side who will translate after. Sara and Chelsa are pretty good with the langauge and can usually help me out. I am trying to learn a Czech word a day, and so far that's going not too bad. But I am honeslty horrible when it comes to second langauges so this will be interesting!