I definitely agree with you goalkeepers are truly amazing. Generally I'm a defender,  i guess. Anyway, once i volunteered to fill in for our goalkeeper who was out injured and noone else was willing to take up the role. What can I say our team isn't that professional. Well, all i can say was big mistake...i didn't realise how skilled you had to be, plus the fact that you had to have a super fast reaction time to do a good job..and its not something you can gain over a couple of days. We were thrashed 5-1 by a super top team, but as hockey is a team game i guess i can't completely blame myself. :) But after that i had a whole new greater level of appreciation for our goalkeeper.

So belfastchick I need to ask you for tips cos you seem like a pro. Then maybe once i master that i can try something that needs even faster reflexes like air hockey. All the best for recovering from your injury...let us know how that goes. :) I don't have that many interesting stories myself except for the usual hidden hockey action that noone sees- the stick tripping and like you said the stick to the face/ball to the throat stuff.

That's so cool. I've never been to hockey camp before but that sounds really fun. I can just barely skate so ice hockey is something i guess i should try a little later. Wow, 6 hours playing hockey...that must be totally fun and you sound like a complete pro.

I haven't actually been to an ice hockey game and in Australia i guess the field version is more well known but i have seen a bit of it in movies and stuff (like mighty ducks, bad example i know.) But how popular is ice hockey in America compared to nbl, baseball and American football? And do you have any out female players? Just wondering

Thanks ice_boi

I don't know that much about ice hockey...but what does power shooter mean? ..sorry if its really obvious question.

i definitely agree with you on the scars..WritingisTherapy ...and i can just imagine how rough and vicious it must get on ice...at least grass is a little softer. :) BUt ice sounds like way more fun.

I know what you mean with the injuries, glycerine, i've had heaps of hand injuries, torn ligaments and finger fractures. Wow, "junior" international level, even getting anywhere close to that is really amazing.

And i'm kind of curious..what are the main differences between field hockey and shinty? I kind of read a little on wikipedia about it but it was too complicated for me..so i'm just going to ask you because you have direct experience. :)

As for the link i really should have tested it out before posting...but i don't want to risk the link thing again so i'm just going to post the whole article.

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Here it is...

http://www.smh.com.au/news/sport/alyson-carole-and-their-baby-with-a-little-help-from-a-friend/2007/06/30/1182624233831.html

 Alyson, Carole and their baby, with a little help from a friend

Liz Hannan
July 1, 2007

FORMER Olympic rivals Alyson Annan and Carole Thate have sealed their love with the birth of their first child - a son.

Sam Henk Brian Thate was born six weeks ago in the Netherlands, where the retired hockey greats have lived since a friendship blossomed at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney and led to marriage.

Ms Annan bore Sam, who was conceived using the donated sperm of a friend. "One of the great gifts of life is being able to have a baby, but a greater gift is having someone help you," she said.

"We have been blessed twice."

Ms Annan is regarded by many as the greatest female hockey player. She played 228 internationals for Australia, while Ms Thate (pronounced tar-ta) played 168 for the Dutch, with four years as captain.

Ms Annan won gold at two Olympics - Atlanta in 1996 and Sydney - consigning Ms Thate and the Dutch to bronze each time.

On the night the Hockeyroos celebrated victory in Sydney, Ms Annan and her husband of two years, former Argentine hockey player Max Caldas, decided to separate after an unhappy year.

Five months later Ms Annan told The Sun-Herald that a friendship with Thate which developed during the Games had grown, unexpectedly, into love after she moved to the Netherlands to play.

In late 2005, the couple were married, sharing a common hope that they could have a child.

"I had wanted to have a baby for a long time," Ms Annan said from their home in Amstelveen near Amsterdam. "I was ready. But having a family is different for us. We had to plan it."

Their most important choice was between a known or an unknown donor. They chose the former, a friend who will have little role in their son's life.

"Sam does not have a father, he has someone who helped bring him into the world," Ms Annan said. "After Sam was born, he stopped by the hospital, held him, said he was proud of us and then left us.

"He has his own family. He is happy with what he has got."

Ms Thate, who is finalising the legal adoption of their son, describes Ms Annan as "a born mum - but you could see that before Sam was born".

If things continue well, the couple - "Mama" and "Mami" - will try for another child later this year, also carried by Ms Annan.

"I think motherhood is the most amazing thing in the world," Ms Annan said.

"You see your child grow in your stomach, then you give birth. It is a big responsibility but there is no part of motherhood I find daunting. It comes very naturally to me."

The couple hope to instil in their son a love of sport.

"As soon as he can hold a hockey stick in his hand he will have one. Then a football," Ms Annan said.

"But if he tells us he has more fun playing volleyball, then he can.

'We want to bring him up so that he plays outside and is active. It is too easy to put kids in front of television or computer."

Ms Annan, who was raised in Sydney, is grateful for the opportunities the Dutch people have given her, not only professionally - she works at Cruyff Academics, established by Dutch football star Johann Cruyff to provide education for athletes - but personally.

"Our relationship - and now Sam's birth - has never been frowned upon," she said. "We live in a street where there are 20 kids under the age of three. Everyone has accepted us as a couple. We are talking about sending Sam to a Christian school."

Whatever the future, she says she is happier than she has ever been.

"Being a mum is feeling the satisfaction of winning a medal every day," she said. "Every laugh, every smile is amazing."

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Thanks everyone for replying...i didn't know if there would be that many hockey players here...but i'm glad there are. :)

Congrats to your Bulldogs on yet another National Championship, as the championship stays out west yet again this year. I think Harvard might be cursed. Phenomenal regular season (perfect in the ECAC) but can't pull out the big win when it comes to playoffs.

I used to play and now follow both D1 and D3, but mostly D1 because of my alma mater (ECAC baby). Here's hoping the D1 national championship comes out east one of these years!!

Love Pronger because he plays for my favourite team ever. Not so fond of the jerseys, although they are way better than the eggplant and teal.

I hate Crosby. He's a whining bitch. And I hate anyone who has ever played for Pittsburgh. I blame a friend, he always said that Anaheim would never win the Cup and that the Pens were the best team ever.

Ovechkin is amazing.

I don't watch or follow hockey that much. I check Anaheims stats all the time but that's it.

Hart's obviously going to Ovechkin now that the Caps made the playoffs...that's crazy that they sat in 14th at the halfway point and now they're 3rd.  I guess he deserves it, but if they didn't make it to the post-season I don't think I would have given it to him.  Iggy's not been playing so well for us and I'm kind of disappointed...our checking line has arguably been the best for us but now that Yelle's injured that could change.  Canada downed Russia a couple days ago at the WWHC, next up is China I think.  TV coverage doesn't start till the playoffs so I guess we'll have to wait till then to watch.

Man.  :( 

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