Taras Novoseltsev- BAP Goalie Story.

[TarasNovoseltsev]

Re: Taras Novoseltsev- BAP Goalie Story.

wow 187 views, I want more comments!

[shinderhizzle84]

Re: Taras Novoseltsev- BAP Goalie Story.

Yeah. I kinda wrote too much I think.

you can never write too much if it's written well.

that last post was really well done, if they had a smiley face that had somebody clapping, i would post it for you, lol.

that last scene of you ordering chicken fingers from room service reminded me of this nhl commercial. great imagery in all the various scenes, lots of good detail, and definitely some interesting insights into taras' mind.

i liked the part where she mispronounced his name, hehe. wait a second, i would too!

[TarasNovoseltsev]

Re: Taras Novoseltsev- BAP Goalie Story.

you can never write too much if it's written well.

that last post was really well done, if they had a smiley face that had somebody clapping, i would post it for you, lol.

that last scene of you ordering chicken fingers from room service reminded me of this nhl commercial. great imagery in all the various scenes, lots of good detail, and definitely some interesting insights into taras' mind.

i liked the part where she mispronounced his name, hehe. wait a second, i would too!

haha thanks. I want you to update Miko too. I hope more people will write more BAP stories than just 4 or 5.

[TarasNovoseltsev]

Re: Taras Novoseltsev- BAP Goalie Story.

My first AHL game is coming. Oh and Miko, you are now my rival European goalie.

[shinderhizzle84]

Re: Taras Novoseltsev- BAP Goalie Story.

My first AHL game is coming. Oh and Miko, you are now my rival European goalie.

hehe. i hope you DIE!!

well, not really. but if you're my rival, then i hope you do BAD in this game! mwaahahahha!

[Bolts_26]

Re: Taras Novoseltsev- BAP Goalie Story.

very good job with this.

Your writing is comparable to Shinder so that is saying a lot! Keep it up!

[TarasNovoseltsev]

Re: Taras Novoseltsev- BAP Goalie Story.

GAME 1. VS THE SHARKS
-First Period-

It was now Saturday, I had been preparing for my first AHL game through hellish practice. Each practice I exceeded the number of shots by 30. This helped my game out a lot I found out.

It was September the 4^th, my First AHL game. As I got dressed in my usual Hurley t-shirt, and a pair of blue jeans, the game rang through my head. I had to be sharp out their on the ice. I couldn’t allow any goals against me. We were playing the Worcester Sharks, a team that I knew nothing about. It didn’t matter though; at the end of the game I would be victorious.

As I reached the locker room, in my street clothes, I noticed that the other players were wearing nice clothing, gold watches, and other expensive things. I looked like a bum compared to these guys, how could they take me seriously now? Getting dressed was easier for me now, that I had proper equipment. Back home, I used to wear goalie pads that were way too big for me, and it caused for an awkward goaltender. I didn’t say a word as I put my brand new equipment on, and my teammates kind of left me alone. There were some who were in a conversation, and whatnot. I chose not to get involved in meaningless conversation for two reasons. Number 1, I didn’t speak English, and 2 I wanted my head clear for the game. It was time for us to walk through the corridor to the entrance of the ice. When we stopped at the entrance of the ice, I noticed all of the technical people that made it possible to broadcast hockey on television. There were lots of cameras, wires, and people with headphone on. This was the first time that I had seen a behind the scenes of television.

The announcer from above, belted out the starting line. “And now, the starting lineup for you 2008-2009, Penguins, starting at left wing number 38… Adam. Henrich.” Henrich then skated onto the ice with the loud cheers from the hometown crowd; he stopped at the blue line. Also starting, number 14, Jeff. Taffee. Taffee slowly glided to the blue line to the same cheers. Starting, number 26….Nathan Perrott. Perrott skated to the blue line to join his team mates. Also starting, number 5… Joey Mormina. Mormina followed the same way as Perrott. Starting, number 13… Adam Goligoski. Goligoski took his time skating to the blue line. Starting at Goaltender, number 62… Taras Novoseltsev. As soon as my feet touched the ice, the crowd barely cheered for me. I guess they didn’t know who I was yet. I hardly paid any attention to them as I skated to the goal net. The American National Anthem went by smoothly, and the crowd sang along to the words.

It was time to start the game. The head referee skated to the faceoff circle, and dropped the puck. We won the faceoff, and passed the puck up the ice. The sharks easily intercepted the puck and took the puck all the way back to me. This were I made my first save of my career, on a easy glove save by a lazy wrist shot. I waited for the ref to take the puck form my glove, and as he did, I felt pretty good about my current position. We took a bad tripping penalty by Alex Goligoski, 1 minute into the game. This caused me to be extra alert on my game. The Sharks were able to shoot the puck twice off of the opening faceoff, but I stopped them dead in their tracks.

Then my first goal against came. It was a bad rebound goal by Cory Larose, to make it 1 to nothing for the Sharks. After the goal, I hit my stick against the ice hard. I could not believe I let in such a crappy goal.

Luckily we came through and scored two goals in the first period to make it 2 to 1 for us. Then the game became a roller coaster of ups and downs. I let in a goal by the Sharks that was caused by our own defensemen standing in front of my view. I couldn’t see or find the puck, and before I knew it, it slide right past me, to make the game 2 to 2.

It was clear after looking up at the scoreboard that our offensive wasn’t getting it done. We weren’t shooting the puck, and we were getting outshot badly. The shot total for us was 20, and for the sharks it was 29. I knew that when we went back to the locker room after the first period, we would all be in for a scolding. The buzzer sounded for the end of the first period, and the announcer stated that it was a 2 to 2 game. I skated to our bench and proceeded to the corridor to our locker room. When I reached my team’s locker room, I took off my helmet, and wiped the sweat off of my forehead.

-More to come-

[Bolts_26]

Re: Taras Novoseltsev- BAP Goalie Story.

ahh, suspenseful!

Hope to see how the first game goes by!

[TarasNovoseltsev]

Re: Taras Novoseltsev- BAP Goalie Story.

Game 1 VS THE SHARKS
-Locker Room/Second Period-

Coach Bylsma entered the locker room to a bunch of tired, sweaty, beat up group of men, and he didn’t let that bother him. “You have to shot the puck to win games,” Bylsma shouted at his forwards. “The job of a defenseman is to take the puck away,” he shouted to the D men. I awaited my criticism from the coach. “And Taras, you got some nice saves out there, but watch the rebounds, and the garbage goals, ok,”? I nodded to him, fully aware of the fact that I needed to perform better in the game. Our rest time was over and it was time to return to the ice. We suited up in hockey gear and got back onto the ice, to the cheering of the fans. It was nice to hear the fans praise us even though we had played so badly in the first period.

After the ref dropped the puck to start the second period, we lost the faceoff and gave the Sharks puck possession the left side. Hopefully the defensemen would do a better job this time of handling the opposing puck possession.

Luckily, Brenden Buckly took a bad tripping penalty which allowed us to go on the power play. This was it, the time to take hold of the game. I would keep a watchful eye on who had the puck in case it flew back my way. We kept pretty good pressure on the opposing goalie during our power play. Then the sharks made another bad penalty opportunity for us, it was now a 5 on 3 scoring chance. We had to score here, we just had to. I kept my eyes on the puck as my team mates passed it along the opposing side. We were making good passes and trying to get a man open for the one timer to get ahead in the game. To my dismay, the 5 on 3 didn’t make anything happen, but the second penalty did. We were able to score a goal by Bill Thomas at 3:44 on the power play to make the score 3 to 2 for us. We were ahead. I would make damn sure that we didn’t get behind. I wasn’t going to allow another puck cross into the net, this was my house and I was here to protect it.

As luck would have it, the Sharks kept taking penalties. A holding call on Jonathan Tremblay made us go on the power play again. We had recent success during our 1 man advance; I knew that we could up the score. Our power play was short lived, as Mark Letestu took a penalty to make it even. “Damn it,” I thought to myself as I circled the crease. I watched the ref drop the drop in the faceoff circle in our own zone, a quick shot by the sharks made me stop the puck glove hand, I released the puck to the forward standing beside me and he took it up the ice. I watched the play as our even penalty situation would be short lived. Jeff Taffee took a holding penalty that made it our turn to be on the defending side of the power play.

I was ready for anything. I set up my stance and watched the ref drop the puck. Not even 8 seconds after the puck was dropped, the Sharks took a high sticking penalty. I sighed a sign of relief, and returned to my stone like stance. It became a night of the living penalties. The Sharks took yet another penalty to make it a 4 on 3 power play for my team. We were able to score a goal on the fluke of the Shark’s own defensemen, who’s skate had pushed the puck past his own goalie. I had to laugh at this, and I am sure someone else was laughing with me. I didn’t want my laughter to be visible, so I hid my grin underneath my mask. We were now up 4 to 2, and I knew that I had to keep the lead. It was my sole responsibility to make sure they didn’t tie up the game.

In the 8^th minute of the game, things became more eventful. We scored a goal, and yet a few seconds later, I managed to make a mistake that cost us a goal. I tried to retrieve the puck from the boards and pass it to my teammate, but the puck took a bad bounce and ended up in the stick of the Sharks. It was basically an empty net goal. I hung my head down as I skated back to the crease. The score was 6 to 3 for us, there was no way that we could blow this lead. There was 3 minutes left in the second period, I had thought that we were ok, until the Sharks scored again to make it 6 to 4, on a wrist shot that got away from me. “No, this will not happen again,” I said to myself determined to win the game. The Sharks would score again, this time off my own defensemen that was standing in front of me. My confidence had become shaken after the goal. It was now 6 to 5 with 2:11 left on the clock. “I can do this, just hold them,” I repeated again and again to myself inside of my head.

The horn sounded ringing throughout the hockey stadium that it was the end of the second period. We were up by one goal, but I had let in 3 goals that period. It was not the ideal way that I wanted to play out there. I glided along to the corridor and made my way to the locker room. I sat in my locker space, and removed my helmet. The coach was in his office rubbing his forehead. I could tell that he was distressed about my play out there on the ice.

3^rd Period/ Locker room

“How the hell do we blow a 4 to 2 lead,” Bylsma said angrily. “I will you, by not playing like a time. We need to be tighter in the offensive zone, and damn it watch the turnovers for god sake!” “You’re lucky as hell that the Sharks took those bad penalties The Coach then left the locker room to let us soak in the score. Before too long it was time for the last period of the game. I got up from my seat and rid myself of my anxieties, as soon as my blades hit the ice. I was ready to close this game off with a win.

4 minutes into the 3^rd period the game was now tied by a shot through the five hole. The score was now 6 to 6. I had let myself down badly.

There was only 9:36 left in the game and we had possession in their zone. I watched the puck fly around until the ref called another faceoff in their zone. We lost the puck and the Sharks kept driving to the net hard. Shot after shot was coming to me.

It would be a few minutes the Sharks would score again because of a bad penalty taken by Jeff Taffee. No.. it was my fault, I said inside of my head.

BUZZZZ went to foghorn to indicate the end of the game. I held my head down as I skated towards the bench to get to the locker room. When I reached the locker room, I just sat there on a wooden bench with my hands on my head trying to wonder where I had lost my game. Coach Byslma walked in with a clipboard which didn’t last very long in his hands. Coach had thrown the clipboard against the stone wall in an act of frustration. “How the **** do we go from leading 4 to 2, to losing the game 6 to 7.”? Coach looked at me square in the eyes. “Maybe we wasted all of this time and money getting you here to America Taras, **** you probably don’t understand what the hell I’m saying anyways.” “Sort your **** up boys, we are having a two practice a day routine until I see some improvements with your play. Get plenty of rest boys, you will need it for tomorrow.”
I watched the Coach walk to his office and slam the door shut, the blinds had jumped when he slammed the door. I felt ill at the thought of me losing the game like that. I didn’t even touch my pads, I just sat there frozen. It took a few minutes to regain my composure, shower, and get dressed to go back to the hotel. I was planning to sit in the hotel all night thinking about the game. It was a far taxi back the hotel. I didn’t say a word to the taxi driver when he picked me up from the hockey stadium. I couldn’t get over the game, it was stuck in my mind like a nightmare. I arrived back to the hotel verily late, around 11:00 pm. I went back to my room and ate a cheeseburger with fries. All I really wanted to do was go to sleep. I wanted this day to be over. I shut off the television went to my room and set the alarm for 5 am. It was going to be a better day tomorrow I told myself before I instantly fell asleep. My bedroom window was always open, even as a kid I liked to hear the city in the late hours of the night. This was my way of calming down and relaxing, listening to the city, I was now a city boy, and no longer a farm boy.


END GAME STATS


WORCESTER SHARKS
GOALS 7
SHOTS 74

W/B Penguins
Goals 6
Shots 69



Taras Novoseltsev

SA S GA GAA
74 67 90.5 7.03

[TarasNovoseltsev]

Re: Taras Novoseltsev- BAP Goalie Story.

Sunday, September 5^th

It was a long morning I soon found out. The alarm clock burst out its usual annoying tone to wake me up. I got up from my bed wiped the sleep from my eyes, and headed for the fridge. I opened the fridge and got out a can of coke, and some grilled chicken that I had eaten last night after the game. I had only begun to eat my food when there was a knock on the door. “I wonder who that could be,” I thought to myself.

I answered the door and to my surprise, it was Olesya. “Get ready, I set up an interview with the press, they are doing a story on you.” “Where the interview taking place”, I asked. “Downstairs in one of the conference rooms, now get ready, the interview is in 2 hours.” “Thanks for the warning,” I said sarcastically. I sat back down and finished my meal and my coke cola. Today was supposed to be a rest day, after the harden game last night. I didn’t really need rest, and my body was never the kind to want to just sit around all day. I was actually happy about the interview, and the interest that the Pittsburgh media had with me.

While I was getting ready, I thought of what kind of questions they may ask me. It would probably be an easy interview; maybe they would just ask me how I like America, blah blah, blah. I would tell them that I liked Pittsburgh and the warm weather. I would talk about the city, how everything was so close to me, the mall, the food, the night life… that I haven’t checked out yet.

I got ready rather quickly. There was only an hour until the interview. Olesya met me outside of my door; I was wearing my brand new suit. “Ah, you look good,” she said, gazing me over. “The suit is pretty comfortable, I would never have something so nice back home,” I told her. We walked along each other to the elevator, and rode it to the lobby floor. “Here is where your interview will be,” Olesya said pointing to a large room. “All that just for me,” I asked her a bit nervous. “Don’t worry you will be fine,” Olesya reassured me.

There was only 30 minutes into the interview. I wanted to enter the room early, and Olesya occupied me into the room. The large room was painted all white, and there were lots of tables and chairs for the media to sit. I didn’t think that there were going to be a lot of media types here. I took a seat at the table where I would be taking questions soon. Olesya sat next to be as she would be translating what I said to the media.

It wasn’t very long till some media people started to enter the room with cameras, and lots of pads of paper. The first to enter the conference room sat in front of us, and more poured in at the same time. They filled up 4 rows of seats and it was time to start the meeting. Olesya spoke, “Taras will be taking your questions one at a time. He will be answering in Ukrainian and I will be translating his words to you all, let’s begin.”

A reporter with a plaid suit stood up and spoke. “How was your flight from Ukraine to the United States." Olesya translated the question to me and I answered. “The flight was long, but I enjoyed reading about America in some magazines. It was interesting to read about the culture that I was about to live in. So far, America has been good to me, and I hope to stay here for a long long time, hopefully I will sign with the Pittsburgh Penguins so I can stay here and become a American citizen. I wish to learn the language a lot better though.” A man asked another question promptly. “Bob Lex here, what kind of culture shocks has you experienced here in Pittsburgh if any at all.” Olesya translated the question. I thought of what to say. “Well, there is everything here in Pittsburgh, cheeseburgers, good food, nice clothes. I like the culture so far because everything is in one place such as the mall.” The reporter laughed and smiled at my answer.

"Bull Durham here, ( lol) you took 67 shots last night, how did that feel, and is the American Hockey League much different from the ones that you played in Ukraine."? Olesya took time in translating the question to me. "Last night wasnt my best game, but it felt good to be in goalie gear again. I had a period of a month of not playing goalie, and it wasnt hard to adjust to it all it. As for the leaegues, well I think everyone here both in the AHL and the Russian Super League, wants to win games and want to be succusssful. A difference though were in my pads, they felt better than they did in Russia, I think its because of the superior make of the company CCM. I like them alot."

“Paul Black here, I was wondering if you will be learning English, or if the coach has made it mandatory for you speak English.” Olesya relayed the question to me. I answered clearly, “My coach has not told me to learn English, nor has he said anything about it. I have been reading English phrase books, and I hope to have a English coach teach me the language so I will be able to speak in English properly. This will take a long time to learn the language and a lot of hard work, but I believe that it will be beneficial to my career.”

A bald man this time spoke from the third row. “How is the food here compared to Ukrainian food.”? Olesya translated my answer. “There is a lot more fried food here. My favorite food so far is a cheese burger or chicken fingers. I enjoy both of those a lot, and I order them a lot from room service. They don’t have to ask what I want to eat, the chiefs already know that I will order a cheeseburger and fries.” I laughed at my own answer.

This time a woman stood up and asked her question. “There are a lot of prospects coming up such as recent Finnish goalie Miko Lehtinen; do you think that there is a competition between European goalies for an overall number 1 ranking for goaltender in the NHL?”

Olesya translated and I answered carefully. “Of course there is a competition. Every palyer wants a chance to be in the NHL,its a dream of all hockey players young and old. As for Lehtinen, I havent seen him play yet, so I can not make any remarks on his game or his style. But yeah, there is a competition with any kind of sport. We all want to be the number 1 man on the team. Also, I have heared all of the hype about Miko, and I await to see if any of its true.” I took a drink of water after answering the question and awaited another one.

“One last question please,” stated Olesya looking around the room. A man wearing a dark red suit stood up and asked a question. “Robert Row here, do you think your first game was a reflection of how well you will be playing in the season for the penguins.”? Olesya translated the last question for me and I answered. “No. The first game was a warm up for me. I will do much better in front of the net than the first game.” A few cameras flashed I front of me, and I smiled.

“Thank you for your time and questions,” Olesya said while standing up. She told me to stand up as well in Ukrainian, and I did so. “Thank you,” I said in bad English, hoping that they would understand me. I excited the room with Olesya; she told me that the conference had gone well. “I hope they liked me,” I told her. “They do, and they will,” said Olesya. “I have some other business to take care of, I will talk to you later,” Olesya waved goodbye and walked to her car. I decided to go back up to my hotel, and take a nap to try and relax. I needed to be ready to go for Monday morning's practice.

[derrickthomas58]

Re: Taras Novoseltsev- BAP Goalie Story.

Please tell me the SHOTS amount is a typo?

[TarasNovoseltsev]

Re: Taras Novoseltsev- BAP Goalie Story.

Nope, 74 hard SuperStar setting shots. >.<

My chest was hurting after the game.

[GoldenJet]

Re: Taras Novoseltsev- BAP Goalie Story.

Holy c***, 74 shots and he's dissapointed.

[TarasNovoseltsev]

Re: Taras Novoseltsev- BAP Goalie Story.

Holy c***, 74 shots and he's dissapointed.

We Ukrainians, are pridefull people.

[TarasNovoseltsev]

Re: Taras Novoseltsev- BAP Goalie Story.

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