OFF IN THE WOODS STILL NO MATCH FOR REIGNING CHAMPS
February 4, 2013
Mark Laskowski buried three ginos on Monday
Adding two capable players from one of the league’s better clubs could not help Off in the Woods stick with the Puglisi Classico Honey Badgers Monday night at the Buffalo House. The reigning league champions controlled the initial faceoff and wasted little time drawing first blood, striking just over 30 seconds in on a tap-in from the slot. Puck possession stayed with Pugsuns for the vast majority of the contest and chances came in droves until the Honey Badgers went up 8-0 to “end” the game. With the biggest boot hockey tournament in North America less than a week away, play carried on in the grossly one-sided affair until regulation expired with the Honey Badgers holding a commanding 13-1 edge on the scoreboard. Off in the Woods was able to muster four shots on goal, only one of which came before the struggling squad had surrendered eight goals against. Goaltender Cory Bellamy was summoned to the bench in favor of an extra attacker – likely because guys were somewhat jokingly fighting over ice time – right as Off in the Woods grabbed the puck in the neutral zone, making for an easy tally (albeit one that does not count). Mark Laskowski put away three goals on his way to taking Pugsguns.com Player of the Game honors for the second time this year. Bellamy, who had just one save on the night, ran his personal record to 10-0 while recording his seventh shutout this winter. The Honey Badgers (12-0 overall) swept the season series with Off in the Woods in completely dominating, fashion winning all three meetings by identical 8-0 scores. Just one more opportunity to take the ice remains before SuperBoot XXI commences on Friday evening, and that will come on Thursday when Pugsuns clashes with Rustic Bar for the first time this year -- puck drop is scheduled for 9 pm.
HONEY BADGERS OULAST LOST TAVERN 2-1 IN DEFENSIVE BATTLE
January 28, 2013
Sam Maddy -- Pugsguns.com Player of the Game
A disastrous start put Puglisi Guns in an early rut Monday night against Lost Tavern, but the Honey Badgers mustered just enough offense to edge their gritty counterparts 2-1 at the Buffalo House. Lost drew first blood almost instantly off the opening faceoff, putting the defending champions in a situation they had yet to be in this winter -- behind on the scoreboard. After winning the draw back to its own blue line, Lost gained the zone along the wall and marched straight to the net for a quick tap-in. Clearly shell-shocked by absorbing a huge blow to kick off the contest, the Honey Badgers fought through scads of minor miscues (passes slightly off the mark, mishandled and over-run loose pucks, fanned-on clearing attempts to name a few) to break even into the half. Chris Stafne came through once again, notching the equalizer on a bit of a dribbler from the high slot. Stafne tied things up 1-1 after corralling a weak pass off the stick of an opposing defender and firing on the run. Lost’s goaltender got a piece of the shot and appeared to make the save before the puck trickled behind him, sneaking across the goal line. Things would remain locked up deep into the second half until Sam Maddy sent a seeing-eye slapshot through a host of bodies and into the back of the net to give Pugsguns a 2-1 lead. The Honey Badgers dramatically dodged bullets the rest of the way, making the slimmest of margins hold up as Lost Tavern attempted numerous point shots and created a few chances off the rush in the closing moments. Down a man with less than a minute to play, the Honey Badgers (11-0 overall) cleared the puck the length of the ice when it mattered most to establish a franchise record for wins in a regular season. Cory Bellamy recovered and stopped every shot after having his five-game shutout streak snapped in authoritative fashion immediately after puck drop. He kicked out a few juicy rebounds and ended up flailing desperately out of position on more than one occasion, but benefited from his defenders tying up sticks as well as a few Lost shots sailing wide of a yawning net. Pugsguns (now 2-0 in one-goal games) will need every bit of the next 72 hours to recuperate for Thursday’s tilt against Buffalo House Ross. Opening faceoff between the Honey Badgers and their arch-rivals is set for 7 p.m.
PUGSUNS OVERPOWERS OFF IN THE WOODS 8-0...AGAIN
January 24, 2013
Chris Stafne had eight points Thursday night.
Chris Stafne had a hand in every goal as the Honey Badgers hammered an
overmatched Off in the Woods club by a score of 8-0 Thursday evening at the
Buffalo House. A gigantic differential in puck control and scoring chances presented itself from the start and the end result was never in question from the opening faceoff. Pugsguns
buryied early and tacked on goal after goal until the referee did the humane thing and stopped the vastly unfair fight, ruling it a knockout victory for the good guys well before regulation time ran out. Several inches of snow swirling amid frigid, single-digit temperatures made it nearly impossible
to move, much less fire the puck, delaying the end result significantly. A game
that could have easily ended in front of halftime under ideal conditions lagged
into the second half, but gave everybody a chance to work on adapting to a treacherous
sheet. Learning to deal with mounds of snow is about the only positive that
could come from a matchup of teams on opposite ends of the league pecking order, and Honey Badger coach Quinn Carlson is believed to have been pleased with his club's effort. The first-year bench boss has had no problems keeping his club focused and on point every minute of the season despite attending just half of the team's games in person. Extensive time studying game film, and communicating via Twitter has helped make up for work, weather and health-related absences. Carlson has Pugsguns (10-0
overall) out to its best start in franchise history having already matched last season's record win total -- outscoring opponents 68-6 in the process. The Honey Badgers have now bumped up against Off in the Woods on two occasions and each time the
defending league champions made the mini voyage north up I-35 with a convincing 8-0 victory in tow. Cory Bellamy struggled to keep warm in the cage but stopped both shots he faced in collecting his fifth straight shutout
and sixth of the season. Stafne recorded four goals and dished out four assists to bag his second Pugsguns.com Player of the Game award in 10 career outings. Matt Dodd
and Mark Laskowski buried two goals apiece and, along with Stafne, figured in on every Honey Badger tally. The Boys are back at it next Monday
(Jan. 28) with a 6 pm tilt against Lost Tavern.
HONEY BADGERS MANHANDLE LEAGUE NEWCOMERS
January 17, 2013
Mike Messina lit up the box score Thursday.
There are more than a few top tier teams in the esteemed Buffalo House Boot Hockey League. The Rustic Trombones, as their hilarious name may suggest, are not one of them. Proof of that was given to the Puglisi Classico Honey Badgers Thursday night when they laid an 8-0 nuking on the league’s newest club, maintaining puck possession throughout the majority of the abbreviated contest. Matt Dodd, Mark Laskowski, Brock Sather and Mike Messina scored first-half goals for the Honey Badgers before the game "ended" due to an eight-goal differential on the scoreboard, giving the reigning league champions five mercy rule victories on the year. Cory Bellamy was not forced to make a single save in goal, but recorded his fifth shutout of the season (and fourth in a row) nonetheless. Play continued well past the 8-0 mark and Pugsguns led 19-1 when the clock expired, but individual stats do not count once the mercy rule – a win for the team ahead by eight – goes into effect. Messina finished with two goals and two assists before it was all said and done (one goal and one assist, officially) to land player of the game honors for the first time in his career. The 2007 Duluth East graduate came into the year amid speculation he could be doomed to endure the dreaded sophomore slump, but continues to impress in his second season of competitive hockey. “Chris Stafne made it possible for me to put the puck in the net,” Messina said. “It’s such an honor to be named player of the game. These kinds of things are what you dream about as a child.” The Honey Badgers (9-0) have yet to set a makeup date for Monday’s clash with Buffalo House Ed, and will resume play next Thursday against Off in the Woods.
PUGSGUNS OWNS CLASH OF PREVIOUS TITLE WINNERS
January 14, 2013
Brock Sather sniped a beauty Monday night.
Frigid weather and some of the worst officiating seen in years created a stressful start, but the Honey Badgers found their vaunted offense in the second half en route to walloping Buffalo House Reaver 7-2 on Monday night. The two teams (which have combined to win the last three league championships) took turns lugging the puck up ice and creating in-zone opportunities and a little over seven minutes in the top line of Matt Dodd, Chris Stafne and Mark Laskowski got the good guys on the board. Reaver would respond by creating a turnover that led to a goal of their own, keeping the contest close into the half. Just as they have most every time they've been in a tight jam at the half, the Honey Badgers stacked up the shot opportunities against the opposition to quickly pull away in the latter frame. A Reaver second-half marker did little to bother the defending champions, who racked up six tallies over the final 20 minutes of play. Brock Sather came away with the prettiest goal of the night, sniping under the bar from a few feet inside the blueline despite firing an off-balance wrist shot. That goal, combined with a persistent battle level in tough areas on the ice landed Mr. Sather Pugsguns.com Player of the Game honors for the evening – officially announcing his candidacy for league Rookie of the Year consideration. Brad Skurich battled brutal weather for the second time in as many outings manning the cage and made 14 saves in goal to run his personal record to 2-0 on the year (and 5-0 lifetime). Pugsguns (8-0 overall) has not allowed more than two goals in any single game this season. The Honey Badgers take the ice again Thursday night against the league’s newest members in the Rustic Trombones.
HONEY BADGERS MAKE QUICK WORK OF OFF IN THE WOODS
January 7, 2013
Scott Michela buried two goals in Monday's nightcap
Less than two hours after completing a tough game, the Puglisi Honey Badgers had a much easier go of it in the nightcap to complete a sweep of their Monday night twin bill. Scott Michela buried a pair of goals to pace the offense as the Gold and Black breezed to an 8-0 victory over Off in the Woods, a club sponsored by the league hosts from the Buffalo House. In what turned out to be the team's second mercy rule shut out of the season, the Honey Badgers imposed their will on an Off in the Woods team that was playing in a back-to-back doubleheader. Both forward lines were able to establish a consistent forecheck, and the defenders allowed just three shots on goal while orchestrating clean breakouts throughout the night. The few times Off in the Woods was able to threaten with a shot opportunity, bodies and sticks caved on the puck carrier to prevent any opportunities from being gained against the Honey Badger net. Chris Stafne, Matt Dodd and Mark Laskowski each recorded at least one goal, keeping their line among the most productive around the Buffalo House Boot Hockey League. The Honey Badgers (7-0) have now rattled off three consecutive shutouts and are outscoring opponents 45-4 on the year. Following the season's lone off day on Thursday, the boys come back for the newest biggest tilt of the season next Monday when they square off against Buffalo House Reaver -- the 2010-11 league champions. Opening faceoff in that highly anticipated matchup is set for 7 pm.
PUGSGUNS SLIPS PAST BUFFALO HOUSE DIVATZ 1-0
January 7, 2013
Tony Huberty scored the game winner against BH Divatz
More often than not, a boot hockey game plays right into the hands of the Puglisi Honey Badgers by turning into an offensive slugfest. Monday night was the exact opposite, but the Honey Badgers got the one goal they needed to clip Buffalo House Divatz 1-0 in the front end of a Monday night double dip. Tony Huberty struck for the game's lone tally in the second half, burying a rebound on the doorstep off a point shot from Mike Messina to break a scoreless tie. The Honey Badgers stacked on the scoring chances before getting the game-winner from Huberty, but that marked a season low as the boys ran into an incredibly hot goaltender. Opportunities came in droves after the goal as well, but added insurance was not in the cards with the way the Divatz netminder was playing. Divatz had just one additional player beyond the required five, so depth became a factor in the latter portions of the contest. With the opposition running on fumes, the Gold and Black (6-0 overall) played a strong puck possession game to make the lead stand. Divatz was able to generate a few odd man rushes -- a few too many given the circumstances -- but had the majority of its attempts kept to the perimeter. Cory Bellamy made 14 saves to record his second shutout in as many chances and third on the season. The two teams will square off again Feb. 11 at 6 pm in their final meeting of the year.
HONEY BADGERS BURY BUFFALO HOUSE ED 5-0
January 3, 2013
Dano Jacques winds up Thursday night as teammates look on.
A bit of a slow start resulted in the most competitive game through this point of the season, but the potent Puglisi Honey Badger offense finally broke through in the latter portions of a 5-0 win over Buffalo House Ed on a calm, cool Thursday evening. The game's first half saw both teams mount plenty of chances, but Matt Dodd came away with the only goal in that stretch to put his club up 1-0 at the break. While the second half continued to be a fast paced, back-and-forth affair, the scoring went just one way as the Honey Badgers (5-0 overall) erupted for four second-half goals. Brock Sather struck for his first marker of the season and Dodd added three more to come away with four for the game -- giving him a team-leading 13 goals on the year. Cory Bellamy turned aside 18 shots to record his second shutout, improving to 4-0 on the year and dropping his goals against average beneath one goal per game. The Honey Badgers have now outscored Buffalo House Ed 14-1 and rolled up a pair of victories in two meetings with the rival club this winter. Following a pair of matchups early in the year, the two teams will not meet again until wrapping up their season series on Jan. 17. After a weekend off, the boys will return to action next Monday night with a doubleheader at the Buffalo House.
PUGSUNS PULLS AWAY LATE IN 4-1 WIN OVER T-BONZ
December 27, 2012
Mark Laskowski scored all four goals against T-Bonz.
Heavy snowfall made moving around very difficult and passing the puck even tougher yet, but a persistent Puglisi Honey Badger squad did what it needed to do in order to remain undefeated with a 4-1 victory over league Rival T-Bonz Thursday at the Buffalo House. Right wing Mark Laskowski collected all four goals for the Honey Badgers (4-0) who did not win by the eight-goal "mercy rule" for the first time in 2012-13. Laskowski's first tally came midway through the first half before the Bonz would answer on a heavy bomb through traffic by Jay Ridgewell. A strong goaltending effort helped T-Bonz limp into the break tied at 1-1, but Laskowski and the Honey Badgers would break loose a bit in the second half. The 2008 Marshall School graduate buried three times over the final 25 minutes of play to help the reigning champions survive the upset scare, claiming player of the game honors. Brad Skurich, making his first start of the season between the pipes, turned aside six shots to record the win. The Honey Badgers return to action next Thursday in a clash against Buffalo House Ed at 9 pm. The gold and black hammered Buffalo House Ed 9-1 on opening night and went 1-0-1 against that club in league play a year ago. Through four games this winter (20 percent of the season), the Honey Badgers are outscoring opponents 31-4.
MERCILESS HONEY BADGERS HANG TEN-SPOT ON LOST TAVERN
December 26, 2012
Matt Dodd notched a hat trick Wednesday night.
In winning a league title last winter, one would think the Puglisi Honey Badgers accomplished everything possible at one point or another during that memorable season. But prior to Wednesday's 10-2 drubbing of Lost Tavern, the Honey Badgers had never defeated their rivals from Cloquet, Minn. After striking first, the Honey Badgers found themselves in a 1-1 deadlock just moments later when Lost picked up the equalizer on a scramble in the slot. What looked to have the potential of a closely contested battle quickly slipped into blowout territory, thanks in large part to Matt Dodd, who came away with his third hat trick in as many outings. While Lost wasn't completely overmatched by any stretch, the Honey Badgers (3-0) simply mounted better and more frequent scoring opportunities throughout the night, gradually stretching the gap on the scoreboard until reaching the eight-goal "mercy rule" threshold just before the end of regulation. Cory Bellamy was spotty in goal, but has had little asked of him thus far this season and likely will need to no better than average in order to continue racking up wins. He's off to a 3-0 start and boasts a sparkling 1.00 goals against average through three blowout wins, but will give way to Brad Skurich when the Honey Badgers return to action tomorrow against T-Bonz.
PUGSGUNS PICKS APART POWERHOUSE 8-0 TO END WEEK ONE
December 20, 2012
Cory Bellamy made just one save to record the shutout.
The Puglisi Clasico Inc. Honey Badgers scored on the opening shift and continued to pile it on until the mercy rule was put into effect in an 8-0 rout of Powerhouse Thursday night at the Buffalo House. Cold temperatures and blistering winds made it a tough go out on the ice, but the defending league champions (2-0) would not let a bit of tough Minnesota weather prevent them from rolling up a second consecutive victory in convincing fashion. The Honey Badgers controlled the puck for nearly the entire game -- which lasted less than 20 minutes -- and Cory Bellamy made one save on his way to recording the easy shutout. Team captain Troy Thompson buried a goal and added an assist to earn player of the game honors. The gold and black will get a week off before returning to action for a rare Wednesday tilt the day after Christmas against Lost Tavern.
DEFENDING CHAMPS BLAST BUFFALO HOUSE ED IN SEASON OPENER
December 17, 2012
Kevin Jones buried the first goal of the year.
A couple huge offseason pickups made by the reigning league champions created more than a little buzz heading into the year. Those additions paid immediate dividends in a season-opening 9-1 rout of Buffalo House Ed Monday night, and could end up making the Puglisi Honey Badgers look like the Miami Heat of boot hockey before the snow melts in the spring. Chris Stafne buried two goals on his way to landing player of the game honors in his first career outing, and fellow free agent signee Kevin Jones put home a goal of his own in leading the Honey Badgers to the win. Joe Arbour, the third 'big fish' pulled in by the team over the summer, put several shots on goal and played a steady game on the blueline. Stafne, who skated with the University of Wisconsin-Stout the past two seasons, stepped right in on the top line with returning all-league performers Matt Dodd and Mark Laskowski. Early indications are that Stafne will be the favorite to be named the league's Rookie of the Year, while all three could be in for MVP caliber campaigns. Goaltender Cory Bellamy had a casual night in goal, making eight saves on nine shots and recording an assist (on a goal by Dano Jacques). Defenseman Mike Messina scored on a twisted wrister from the blueline, matching his goal output from his rookie season in the process.