The Yellow Sting had a tough Friday evening on the Nov. 19, as they fell to 1-5-2 in a crushing 7-1 defeat to the Grey Stars.
The two teams play in the Central City Arena Hockey League, in the Youth 14-16 Ball Hockey division. The Sting have had a tough season. They have yet to register a win, and with only two games remaining, it’s not likely for them to turn it around.
The game against the Stars was more of the usual according to Abhinav Ram, part-time assistant coach for the Sting. Ram played three seasons in the Central City Hockey League and is now a volunteer coach.
The Sting played tentatively throughout the game. Their offensive chances were few and far between; whenever they got the ball in their zone they would dump it down the length of the rink and retreat to a defensive shell. This strategy is fairly common even in the NHL. When teams have a lead late in the third, they play a defense-first style in order to choke off the opposing offense.
However, the Sting weren’t employing the strategy with a lead late in the third period — they were doing it while trailing for most of the game. In fact, according to Ram, it isn’t even a strategy. The defense is playing scared. As soon as they get the ball in their end, they just slap it down the ice. As there is no icing in the league, they aren’t being penalized for it.
The forwards aren’t being given much to work with as they rarely get a pass from the defense in transition. As such, the offensive game is virtually non-existent. The players are instinctively throwing away the ball as soon as they get it because they don’t have confidence in their ability, and with the way the season has gone they haven’t had the time or the chance to develop that confidence.
Ram says he hopes the players are able to put this season behind them and have better luck with their new teams next season.
