Game 2 Notes from the Insiderrrrr

Game 2 of the series — and the first-ever Sandwich Bowl (definitely not the last) — delivered an extremely tight game of hockey, at least early on. The opening few shifts saw the Banditos come out flying and set the pace, but that momentum didn’t last long. Much like Game 1, after a slow start, it was the Spartans who gradually tightened the screws and took full control.

The breakthrough came when Dumas buried his first of the season, putting the Spartans up 1–0. Not long after, the league’s leading goal scorer added another to make it 2–0. From there, the game settled into a low-event grind — heavy neutral-zone play, turnovers galore, and very little sustained offense either way.

With about 6–7 minutes left in the second half (six-seven hahahahaha), Captain Heise delivered what proved to be the dagger, scoring the third goal and effectively deflating whatever sail the Banditos thought they still had. Finally, sniper Iano sealed it with an empty-netter, locking in the 4–0 win.

Between the pipes, Eric D’aNacho wasn’t overly busy, but he was flawless when called upon, stopping everything to record his first career CDHL shutout. Postgame, the standout netminder didn’t miss his chance to fire a few shots of his own:

“Yeah, I mean… I started thinking about those sandwiches after the first half, to be honest. The boys in front of me did a great job locking it down. And I think I could open my own bakery now with all the muffins those guys were fluffing my way.”

Shots fired.

In the red corner, Captain Kyle was asked about staring down a 2–0 series deficit and what needs to change:

“Yeah, you know, a 2–0 lead is the worst lead in hockey, right? We gotta be better. Plain and simple. Starts with me. Zero points in two games — that’s gotta change.”

League vet Monty echoed the sentiment, in his own way:

“Yeah, I mean, it’s tough for sure. But you gotta find ways to win. I gotta do my part. I’m too busy worrying about the weather pregame instead of getting here early to warm up and activate these hips. Back in my prime, they used to call me Shakira — ’cause my hips didn’t lie. But now… I’m more like Domo Arigato, Mr. Roboto.”

While confidence doesn’t appear shaken on the red side, yellow is riding high. The good news? Game 3 is right around the corner, and it will undoubtedly set the tone for the rest of the series.