The Last Stand
The 108th edition of The Varsity Match between Oxford and Cambridge took place last Saturday.
It was Eli 24.7s last competitive hockey game.
Their best forward had a concussion. The guy who replaced him had a 102 fever and didn't play. The team was incredibly game but as thin as they'd ever been in Eli's four seasons. Plus, the game was at Cambridge.
"It's going to be the highest shot game of my career," he said. "In the eighties, probably. And we don't have much of a chance. But...there's always a chance. Maybe we sneak one in early and then hang on for dear life."
The live feed for the game didn't work, of course, because it almost never does, so I sat through the late afternoon and early evening wondering what had happened. I just hoped he played hard and was able to put one game in the context of a long, wonderful career in hockey.
Fifteen years, actually.
I messaged him to say the feed didn't work and what the hell had happened, and I finally got this response:
We lost 5-1. I wish you could have seen it. Gave it all I had.
Later, when he called me, he told me what happened when he skated off. He was exhausted and broken up about the game because it's the only game of the year that really matters. He was barely moving on his way off the ice and one of the announcers (from Cambridge) leaned out of the box and said, "Eli, 106 shots."
Eli said he just looked up and said, "What the f---?"
"106 shots. 101 saves."
106 shots. Oxford had 17.
Later, he sent me the video link (which worked) so I could watch the game. In the third period, after he'd faced over 85 shots, the score was 3-0 and they still had a chance. They just couldn't score, though, not until the it was 5-0 and they snuck one in.
It was the best game I've ever seen him play. 106 shots and he gave up less than 5 rebounds. He was dialed in the whole time. It sounds counter-intuitive to say he dominated because they lost, but it was as dominant as he's ever been.
On Sunday, he called again.
"Dad, do you know what I was thinking about before the game? That tournament in Dallas where there were baseball fields next to the rink, and we took those long walks and sat in the stands and talked. Do you remember which tournament that was?"
I did. I remember those conversations, too. It was a warm, sunny day, and the weather was perfect and we talked forever.
"Oh, and did I tell you that the last song I listen to, right before I skate out for warm-ups, is the one you had the DJ play for me when I walked into the lobby after winning the leveling tournament? 'She's a Bad Mama Jama.'" He started laughing.
I remember that, and the look on his face when he realized it was playing for him. It was the best weekend of hockey in his life, up to that point. He's been fortunate to have many even better moments since then.
"I think you may be the first goalie in history to have 100 saves in a regulation game," I said.
"No way." He laughed.
"The few times it's happened, it's always been six overtimes or something. I'll do some research."
"I hated losing--man, I hate losing that game--but having over a hundred saves in your last game is a nice way to go out," he said.
I researched, and as far as I can tell, it's only happened once, and had never happened before six weeks ago. A New Jersey high school goalie had 104 saves in regulation, and there were stories all over about it.
That won't happen with this game because it's England and hockey isn't as much of a thing over there. But it still happened. Eli managed, in his last game, to transcend Oxford hockey history and become part of hockey history.
Now he's done.
Here's the box score: Varsity Match box score.
<< Home