March 27th…….Game One vs. South Korea

Well today started off with a bright and early wake-up call at 5:55am.  I tell ya, breakfast at the butt crack of dawn doesn’t taste quite as nice as it would at like say 9am…………it was an interesting breakfast; ham, cheese, peanut butter and jelly sandwich and corn flakes.
After that we were to get ready and leave for practice by 7am, practice was at 830am.  It was a good practice, the rink is cold but my goodness I sweat like a whore in church.  After practice we had to take ice baths, boy oh boy was that fun and HIGHLY entertaining, so much in fact I think I’ll make this a daily occurrence when I return home…………NOT!!!!!!!!  But it did make me feel better to ice these weary bones and to be honest you don’t feel a damn thing after five minutes of standing in FREEZING water up to the top of your quads.

After practice we were back to the hotel for a break and some down time until we left at noon for lunch.  I went online and spoke to some of my “peeps” and then I got ready to leave for eating time.  I had planned on napping but I spent my time trying to upload pictures to facebook and failed miserably!! DAMN THIS WIFI!!!!!!  Don’t worry folks the pictures are been taken, just ask anyone I’m pretty much driving them insane with pictures but I have to point out that this condition is hereditary (inherited from my mom and oldest brother) and as of right now there is no known cure haha.

Then we went off to lunch and that was good BUT I can’t deal with much more ‘heavy’ food before skating.  However, I must say that this is the best food we’ve received during the 8 world champs I’ve been to.  After the meal we returned to the hotel and I napped for about 45 minutes then made my way up to the extremely hard to find meeting room for our pregame meeting.  The meeting went well, it was short and sweet but we covered some essentials and then had our ‘team talks’ with the girls as captain and two assistants.  Not gonna lie I got a little teary eyed as I battle to put into words what this all means to me and the HONOR playing for your country truly represents but I feel I got my point across.  Then we were off to put on our formals and head to the game………pics to follow.

When we arrived at the rink the Koreans were already warming up so we, in true SA form, walked in singing on the top of our lungs.  It was great!!  I held everyone back so we’d walk in as a unified team; this was my attempt at intimidation as the Democratic Republic of Korea pulled with us back in Hungary.  That was the extent of that ‘confrontation’ then we were in our locker room getting ready for warm ups.  We started a new tradition this year of all putting or jerseys on at the same time (again pics to follow) to symbolize how much it really should mean to have this honor.  And also to take them off between periods and to look at the Protea on front as to remind us what we are playing for as the names on the back are, at this point, insignificant…………it’s for the greater good….the Country!!  It’s pretty sweet and I hope something that will continue.
Warm ups went ok.  Then it was GAME TIME……………
The first period started out, well how does one put it………….kak!!!!!!  A lot of nerves, a really fast skating team, hard little players that go, go, go like the energizer bunny……….Kieran said that games are won and lost within the first 5 minutes and he was RIGHT!!!!!  They came out fast and hard and they scored 3 relatively fast goals, all within roughly 6 minutes and from there until during the 3^rd period that is how the score remained.  The second period was nothing less then amazing!!!!!! We held them and we played our little hearts out.  We put in 300% effort, we got off a lot of shots (after been out shot 25 to 3 in the first period) and we tied the period at 0-0.  The third period was well played and well fought although they managed to sneak in 3 quick goals again towards the end of the period.

Shaylene put up an absolutely amazing performance throughout the entire game!!!  In true Debbie fashion (going with the rest of this season back home) I one time jumped over her leg pad, as one puck snuck thru under her butt, and hit it out……….well I essentially wanted it to get stuck under her butt so the whistle would go, but it went all the way back out the other way and was in play again, shortly after which the ref blew the whistle (prematurely Thank Goodness, haha) as it became a crazy mob in front of the net and she lost sight of it.  But this is NOT to take away from Shaylene’s performance between the pipes tonight, she had 51 shots on her with just 6 goals.  Truly an amazing improvement compared to when I saw her last, keep at it Shay and you’ll go far!!!
Our entire team, from first line thru the ladies who didn’t see ice time tonight as well as our back up keeper,  I’d say put up a great effort, a hell of a fight and left the tournament with a little more to think of regarding the SA Ladies…….we aren’t just that ‘walk over’ team this year.  Yes we went down, yes they beat us, but we gave them a run for their money!!  They were a very good team, highly skilled, disciplined and strong.  All in all a good game, a great competitor and very humble in their win over us.

And for those of you wondering………….YES I did get a penalty, a kneeing penalty……which at my age is a pretty dumb ass thing to do……….just saying!!  My knees are not the strongest and to think I’d ever purposefully stick it out to impede another player……….well shit, not even I’m that dumb!!!!!  She brought in the puck, made her move, I turned with her………..I got the puck along with a collision with her……..I go down, OW it hurts………..to be asked by the linesman if I’m ok as I need to go to the box for my penalty??!?!?!  I was in a state of shock I think with my skate over there, but none the less the call was made and the girls had an awesome penalty kill for 2 minutes.
I also got……best player of the game for South Africa, but as I said above we ALL put in a great effort and this award could of gone to any one of us.  I was extremely happy to hear “Best player of the game from South Africa……….Number 18…….DEBBIE MC LOUGHLIN!!!  Who wouldn’t be!  I played as hard as I could, I did as much as I can, definitely feel I left it all out on the ice, which I couldn’t have done without the amazing team I have who back up each other constantly.  Thanks to you all and thanks to Kieran for choosing me for this award!  (I am bound to now learn everything I ever wanted to know about Iceland with my new book ‘Ice and Fire’ haha!!)

After the game………same routine, ice bath, shower, then Kieran came in, spoke, a good ‘speak’ hehe……..encouraging when we needed it, although I’d definitely say we weren’t ‘hanging our heads’ in shame, we were pretty up beat and going with the flow, I think we knew we played well, of course we’d like the score to be in our favor but that wasn’t in the cards for us for this game so this is where we are at………after (and during) Kieran’s speech I entertained the girls either with my very dramatic reenactment of the ‘almost’ goal we got in the last power play of the game or with my remarkable resemblance of Captain Morgan as I ‘replay’ my supposed kneeing  penalty……see pic below:

After this we watched, what they called, the opening ceremony but that was a huge disappointment and then we were off to dinner.  And dinner was LAMB!!!!!!! YUMMY!!!!!  I miss lamb, like a LOT!!  After which we headed home, I went to see Doctor Carla, who is good at putting on a face of been a sweet and innocent lady………but deep down she has evil ways……….like when she sticks her fingers in your hamstring or quad……….LOL!!  But my goodness you feel AMAZING afterwards!!
I then got to speak to momma and Jeanna on the phone…….although Jadi and Dalene walked in my room when I was on the phone to Jeanna and sorta interrupted our call as Dalene was complaining about the Doc…….you see I’m serious with this evil talk…….haha!  Not really complaining but the massage she got hurt and she had us in stitches as she spoke of it.  But my g/friend is amazing and totally understands I only get to see these guys for 9 days every couple/few years so she let me go to ‘deal’ with little Dalene and her pains and Jadi laughing at her!

Now I’m in bed blogging it’s WAY past my bedtime but I want to do this while its fresh in my head and alas I am done!!  Fluit, fluit my storie is uit.

Tomorrow: game vs. Romania at 430pm please keep me and my teammates in your thoughts as we prepare to take on this rival in international competition!!