Tales From The Pitch - Ice #2

Aries 8, 2078, m249

Skate or Die

My last article touched a bit of a nerve among some of the players in the ISMO. I pointed out, correctly, that their skill at skating was somewhat lacking. I was reminded, correctly, that it is not that critic who counts. It is very easy to point out the shortcomings and failing of others, but much harder to get into the arena yourself and experience difficulty firsthand. In short, I was asked to put my money where my mouth is and try on a pair of skates and see if I could do better. 

So I arrived at the arena in Mareotis and met with team captain Jonathan Moore of the Phantoms. After some awkward introductions I was taken into the makeshift change rooms and showed my gear. I had flashbacks to getting to suited up in a MAFL uniform because the technology is quite similar. Now, I'm not going to re-hash what has already been mentioned about the modifications of Football League EV suits, but let me just confirm for you: I looked amazing. Like a sleek Mercury getting ready to deliver messages for the gods of Olympus, I stepped out onto the ice. And that's where everything went wrong. 

My immediate reaction was one of bewilderment. That was mostly due to the fact that suddenly I was looking up at the ceiling. My first official action on skates was to fall right on my back. The ice was doing its work numbing the pain. I'd need more before this adventure was over. Captain Moore managed to stifle his laughter long enough to help me to my feet. "Isn't as easy as it looks, eh?" 

After several fractured and comically hilarious attempts, I am able to stand on my own two feet. Moving forward though? That would be my next challenge. I gingerly stepped forward in a sliding motion, moving millimeters at the time. I was positive that moving at such a slow pace would keep me upright. I was incorrect, and my hubris was rewarded with severe elbow pain from falling forward onto the hard ice surface. 

Once upright, the mechanics of skating are explained to me. The blades dig into the ice and I propel myself along with the power of my legs. In theory anyway. But I am able to glide across the length of the arena. The rest of the practice goes like this: I skate, I fall. I turn, I fall. I breathe the wrong way, I fall. In short, from what I can see it is nearly impossible to do anything on these infernal contraptions without falling. 

The players in the league might not be graceful on the ice, and they might occasionally fall, but they aren't flat on their keister for ninety percent of the game. So, they have one up on me. Look, for those completely unfamiliar with anything to do with ice skates, this is a really hard sport to perform the most basic skills, let alone master. 

The captain gave me kudos for actually coming out and trying it, so I think I won some brownie points there, but I could also see that they enjoyed making me suffer as they must have for so many of the early practices. 

I have no idea if this sport will catch on with Martians, but I do know that it is hard, and that the athleticism of the players should be acknowledged. Also, my butt is cold and bruised. 

Sands Bite The Dust, Again

Aries 7, 2078, m248

It’s been a tough exhibition for the Sands so far as they’ve been shut out of almost every game they’ve played so far. They were not able to break the losing streak today. In fact, they were utterly crushed by the Moles 4 to 0.

It is becoming obvious that poor planning on ISMO’s part has entered a team into the exhibition that is way out their league (so to speak). The Sands just have not been remotely competitive and that has got to be demoralizing.

Half way through the exhibition schedule, Sands can't catch a break losing their 4th in a row.  Right-to-Left: Mitchell Cruz (Captain/Defenceman), Priya Christensen (Goaltender) and Jessie Andersen  (Forward)

“We’re trying our best out there, but something is just not coming together,” says Sands captain, Mitchell Cruz.

The Moles were extremely aggressive today and clearly stunned the hapless Sands.  The Moles earned a total of 5 penalties by the end of the game. 5 minutes into the game, Vicky Li was sent to the box for  highsticking. Not 30 seconds after, Campbell was penalized for cross-checking a Sands defender while scrambling for the puck.

Even a 2-player advantage of a minute and a half, was not enough to give the Sands the break they needed to score a goal. The Moles played a tight defense to kill the penalty—with forward Bryan Taylor sticking close to the net to protect Sam Bailey from the barrage of shots coming from the Sands.

Hall was swapped in for Campbell while she waited out her penalty.

The Moles aggressive strategy was evident in the stats. They kept the pressure on the poor Sands the whole game, leading to twice as many scoring chances as the Sands.

“We came out hot,” said Campbell of the Mole’s performance today, “we never got over confident, and we kept the heat and pressure on them for the entire game.”

Moles forward Vicky Li gets a little air in front of the Sands box.  Li had 2 goals in the game. 

An early breakaway by Taylor got him past the Sands defense line as he scored the first goal of the game at 1:50 minutes into second period. Taylor’s goal would be followed by a beautiful shot by Vicky Li as she swooped around behind the net and tipped the puck right past Christensen’s left skate. 

The third period would be sung to a similar tune as Campbell broke away from the pack and charged Sand’s goalie down the mid-right, and faking a shot before firing it true to the top-right corner of the net. With 5 minutes to spare, Vicky Li scored her second goal to bring the final score to 4-0. 

Sand’s forward, Jessie Andersen, made a valiant effort today—intercepting and breaking the Mole’s plays multiple times today. But she just was not able to hang on the puck long enough to make a difference.

Spirits were low in the Sands locker room after the game as players were largely silent after their fourth defeat. 

“I know this is just an exhibition game,” says Andersen, “ but it still smarts, you know? I mean, no one likes losing.”

Today’s win puts the Moles at 3-1 while the Sands remain at 0-4

More to Ice Sports than Hockey

Aries 9, 2078, m249

If soaring down a 3 kilometre frozen shaft sounds a little extreme, it is because it is.

ISMO R&D releases footage of Jamie Mulensar, test skier, making  the harrowing high speed descent down a track that has been dubbed “The Abyss”.

Excavators have modified the previous mining vein into a combination downhill and ice track descending more than 5000 meters.

With slopes ranging from 35% to 65%, portions of the course feel like free fall.

Jamie, a drop ship pilot, knows the importance of precision control traversing between ports and orbital cargo transports.  He has been part of the subterranean ski project for more than 6 months.

“No aspect of this is for recreational activity,” he explained after his run, “I trained on the phase 1 track and phase 2 ‘mini-giant’ tracks for months before attempting Abyss. Now there are three of us that can make it down in one piece, so we have started getting serious about time trials.”

What Jamie fails to share is the 5 other testers that have quit the program due to injury.  According to trainers, there have been 2 life-threatening injuries on the mini-giant course.

“To be fair,” said Oslo Drummond, and ISMO engineer, “Only one injury was from the downhill skiing... the other was from a mishap on the sled.”

ISMO claims that skiing will become a recreational activity soon and that their work and research today will directly inform how public facilities will be designed for safety.

Jamie, like many of the other nouveau athletes makes light of the risk, “You’ve got to crack a few eggs to make a new sport.”
 

Mateo Magic

Aries 1, 2078, m249

It was a close game for the Wildcards. And it was Mateo Martinez’s day to work his magic.

The 27-year-old San Olympus native continued his whirlwind scoring pace, sinking the two goals that lead to the Wildcard’s victory. After today’s performance, Martinez leads the league with a mind-blowing 14 goals after just three games.

“My teammates are really giving me lots of nice chances, so just doing my part,” said Martinez, laughing. “The Phantoms gave us a really good scare today. So we’re lucky to have come back from behind to win.”

The Wildcards’ comeback capped off a highly entertaining back and forth game which saw both teams snapping off the puck and intercepting plays at an electric pace.
 
Tia Halvorsen for the Wildcards opened up scoring after just 3 minutes of the first period with a sharp angle shot that slipped through the Phantoms goalie, Vivien Lewis.
 
The Wildcards would add to that lead as Carl Lindberg beat Lewis with a one-timer from the left circle just before the end of the first period.
 
Refusing to go quietly, the Phantoms roared back in the second period as Aaron Bello’s lethal snapshot after just 40 seconds of play whizzed past a screened Jules Arquette for the Phantoms’ first goal of the game.

Four minutes later, Phantoms defender Alex Gaumond took possession of play in a surprising breakaway down center ice, deftly dodging an aggressive play by Wildcard defender Arquette, to backhand the puck.

With less than 20 seconds left in second period Peter Lehmann tipped a shot from Gaumond into the net to bring the score to Phantoms-3, Wildcards 2. 

Phantoms took the lead 3-2 in the 2nd period, but were unable to fend of Wildcards #2, Mateo Martinez

And when the third period started, the Mateo Magic Show would begin.
 
Right past the two minute mark, Wildcards’ Amelia Harris delivered a beautiful 180-spin pass that freed up Mateo Martinez for an one-on-one with Lewis. Martinez’s uncanny sense of timing gave him an edge as he faked out Lewis, and slapped the puck between the goalie’s pads to bring the score back to a tie.

A 12 minute stalemate of blocked shots, brilliant saves, and breakneck passes was broken in the final moments of the game.With less than a minute left to play, Martinez sliced through the middle of the ice and between defenders to get a shot off, beating Lewis’ high glove side for the winning goal!
 
With this win, the Wildcards move to 3 and 1 for season while the Phantoms drop to 1 and 3.
 

Khimik - Checkmate

Aries 6, 2078, m249

Today’s 2 to 0 Khimik win over the Cosmonauts resembled, in many ways, a tightly contested chess match. This should come as no surprise for the two heavily rostered Russian teams.
 
The game was peppered with shrewd moves, crafty counters, and secure defence, which prevented very few openings—not unlike the many chess-match games we saw during the MAFL season.
 
While ISMO hockey and MAFL Football are similar in their use of chess-like strategies and tactics to generate openings, the pace of the matches are a sharp contrast.  they vary quite significantly in pace of match.
 
MAFL football have more stop and go motion, leading to more broken plays and turnovers. ISMO hockey is more fluid and distinctive in its smoother puck movement, transitions and longer possessions.
 
The unbroken plays of ISMO hockey naturally leads to more scoring chances. This has created an ever-changing dynamic between the defenders and forwards as they support their goalies in protecting the net. Suffice to say, this interplay is becoming one of the most exciting and defining aspects of ISMO hockey.
In today’s match, Khimik goalie, Veronica Danilenko, was shielded from 21 of the 27 shots the Cosmonauts attempted, by the coordinated efforts of the Khimik forwards and defenders. The Cosmonauts were equally focused on protection as their defenders and forwards blocked 28 shots.

The focus on keeping their goalies fresh, has enabled players to be more involved in the play—frequently making passes to start an offensive rush, something not so common in MAFL yet.  
Today’s game was also light on penalties, quite unlike the MAFL matches we’ve grown used to.
Without the luxury of numbers, penalties mean a razor-thin margin of error for the offending team. 

For a tense two periods, there were no mistakes as both teams countered each other’s offence and kept the scores at nil. Not until the third period did an opportunity present itself.

Khimik #50, Ruslan Vasiliev score twice in the 3rd to beat Cosmonauts 2-0.

Four minutes after the start of the third period, Khimik forward, Ruslan Vasiliev’s shot deflected off the well-intended stick of Cosmonauts’ defender Katy Fedin, and into the net for the game’s first goal!
 
Three minutes of scrambling back and forth. And Vasiliev scores again!
 
In his second goal of the game, Vasiliev redirected a long pass from Petrovyh, to bounce the puck off the skate of Cosmonaut defender Vitalia Bruian, and past Cosmonaut goalie Marius Hansen.
 
“We had very few chances as their whole team played solid defence,” said Cosmonauts’ Anna Fedin. 
 
Khimik goes to 2 and 2 with this win while the Cosmonauts drop to 2 and 2 with their loss.
 

Lessons From Today's Match

Aries 1, 2078, m249

Sands Lack Hands

Their 4 – 0 loss to the Cosmonauts at Noviymir was the second time the Sands have been blanked this season. Overall, they’ve lost all three of their exhibition games games, and have been outscored 19 – 2; which includes their season debut bloodbath, a 9 - 0 loss to the Wildcards.

They’ve mustered up a paltry 37 shots in total for all three games – the lowest of all the teams.

“Their players look like they have hands of stone out there”, said one fan after the game.

Sands’ Captain Mitchell Cruz was unable to dispute the fan’s assessment of their play.  “Things just aren't clicking for it yet,” said Cruz, “But we won't give up.  Even though this is an exhibition, we really want to give the new fans a good show.”

Some are wondering if the team’s poor play can actually be attributed to bad planning on the part of ISMO.  With all the teams assembled by the organization over the last 8 months, the exhibition teams represented the 'best' from the 15 teams in the program.  The Sands may be better than the teams that didn't make it, but simply be uncompetitive in this pool.

Blood Thicker Than Water

Meanwhile, Cosmonauts Captain Anna Fedin and her sister Kate may represent the future for the sport.

“We have photos of us skating when we were little back on Earth,” said Anna Fedin, the older of the two sisters. “According to our parents, we loved it.” 

Even though they haven't done it for years prior to signing up to the ISMO training camp, both women have a strong affinity for skating.  According to Dr. Elisna Katrine, a member of the ISMO training program, "Both Fedins are highly receptive to induction techniques, so are expected to continue to improve at an accelerated rate."

Their skating ability has, no doubt contributed to their early success.  Anna debuted the season with a hat trick that led the way to a 4-1 win over the Phantoms. She leads the team in points with 4 goals where Katy has 1 goal and 4 assists.  
 
“We are just having fun out there,” said Anna. “Happy that ISMO has given us a stage to play on.”
 

More Space, More Skills, More Speed.

The prototype rinks of ISMO are giving the players a spacious canvas to push their athletic artistry.
 
“All that open ice makes a difference”, said Katy Fedin. “It seems like night and day when compared to the footage of Earth hockey we've studied . I'm not sure that game would even work under our conditions here.  If you have the speed and stick handling skills to control the puck, there are lots of scoring opportunities as odd-person situations happen more frequently.”
 
This was clearly demonstrated in the Cosmonauts 4-0 win as they frequently ran well-timed and well-executed line changes which are paramount in 3-on-3 play. On the flip side, poor execution plagued the Sands throughout the match leading to many an odd-person rush for the Cosmonauts who converted for a few goals.
 
Speed plays an important role in all aspects of the 3-on-3 game. The Cosmonauts have the edge in this aspect, chasing down the Sands and steal control on multiple occasions. 

Less obvious, but just as important is the mental speed of the players and the team. Having this speed allows individuals to make snap decisions on an almost instinctual level, and allows the entire team to alter their point of attack or defense on the drop of a pin.

Defenders as Goalies, Goalies as Playmakers

Marius Hansen, Cosmonaut Goaltender.

“Smaller teams means more flexible roles.” This fact is quickly becoming the maxim, especially in the interplay between goalies and defenders.
 
Teams have already begun to incorporate their goalies into hybrid roles. And those with superior puck handling skills will help their offence either through a breakout pass or as the receiver of a pass when the team needs to regroup or make a line change.
 
In today’s match, both goalies lead their respective teams in passing: Priya Christense with 7 passes (Sands) and Marius Hansen (Cosmonauts) with 8. Overall, 60% of the exhibition games played so far have seen a defender block more shots than the goalie, while goalies have led their respective teams in passing in 50% of games so far.

This is definitely something to keep an eye out for as the team strategies evolve and mature throughout the season.

“I don’t want to just lead my team in passing, I want to lead in scoring,” joked Hansen. “Before this season is over, I’m going to score a goal”. With the breakout play of ISMO so far, Hansen’s playful proclamation could easily become a reality.

Moles Upset the Cards

Minas 28, 2078, m249

After 2 convincing victories over the Sands in week 1 of the exhibition games, the Wildcards came into Mareotis the undefeated favourites in their matchup with the 1 and 1 Moles. However, the Wildcard’s dominance last week became a distant memory as the Moles upset the Wildcards 4–2 with a balance of relentless offence and sound defence.

The Moles opened up the match with a flurry of offensive scoring chances which finally broke the Wildcards at just under four minutes of play.

The Moles’, Kara Okeke created a turnover at center-ice and delivered a beautiful cross-ice to a streaking Captain, Janice Campbell—allowing her to break in and blast a shot over the glove of Wildcard goalie, Jules Arquette.

“Kara knows where I like to go since we used to play recreational field hockey before ISMO,” said Campbell. “With all this open space, I was able to get free and she fed it perfectly to my sweet spot where I was able to open the scoring.”

The on-ice chemistry of Campbell, Okeke, and Laura Hall (all friends from San Olympus) is quickly silencing early critics of the Moles for having too many female players. 

After Campbell won the opening faceoff back to Hall, Hall was able to rush up-ice drawing the attention of two defending players who got crossed up, allowing Hall to drop the puck to a freed up Bryan Taylor.

With Campbell taking out the other Wildcards player with a well-timed check, Taylor was able to use his speed to get to the open and fire a wrist shot past Arquette’s glove side to score a second goal for the Moles.

Wildcards Rally

The Wildcards would finally respond with an unique goal at 6:28 that took advantage of the circular ramps encircling the rink. To avoid Okeke’s defense, the Wildcards’ Tia Halvorsen skated up the ramp past center ice and just before the Moles’ blue line to deliver an odd angle shot mid-way up the pike. This caught the Moles’ goalie off-guard for the Wildcards’ first goal of the game.

“To be honest, I lost sight of the puck for a brief moment as Tia went up and before I knew it, the puck came past me at such a strange angle”, said Moles’ Goalie, Sam Bailey. “I guess that’s something new to work on in practice.”

The Moles responded to the goal by aggressively taking control of the puck. Utilizing a series of crisp passes which allowed Taylor to score his second goal of the game to give the Moles a 3 -1 lead.

In the aggressive protection of their lead, the Moles inevitably incurred four straight penalties which dominated the 2nd period of play as Vicky Li, Laura Hall and Fredrick Mattila (twice) each spent time in the box. Yet each time, the Moles’ were able to use their superior passing and puck control to mitigate each penalty.

Third Period: The Final Countdown

With the ugliness of the 2nd period over, the 3rd period opened with a beautiful pass from behind the net from Laura Hall to Fredrick Mattila who slapped it through the five-hole for the 4th goal of the game.

The Wildcards were able to squeeze in another goal with Martinez tipping a shot from the side of the net from Harris with 6 minutes left in play, but were ultimately unable to close the gap. 

The buzzer sounded with Moles 4 and Wildcards 2.

“This was a really good confidence booster for us”, said Campbell. ”All of our forwards were able to put the puck in the net.  We made some stupid mistakes in the second, but our defencemen and Sam (Bailey) shut down their powerplay opportunities.”

The Wildcards will look to regroup against the Phantoms in Week 3 at Mareotis while the Moles will take on the Sands at Noviymir.

The Game I Thought I Knew

Mina 28, 2078, m249

Even though hockey has, like most sports, diminished from its hey-days, I grew up in a hockey family back on Earth.  I played in a junior league before college until an injury started to steer me away from the game.  I was sure I severed all tied with it with when I decided to move to Mars, to a planet with no sports at all.  Yet, here we are.

Most of the young Martians I know have never heard of the game until now, not basic exposure via an Earth feed or game title.  They know little to nothing of the legendary superstars or the speed and physicality of the sport.  It was fast, furious, and heavy hitting.

Today, was my return to a game I thought I knew.  

Khimik takes to the ice.  The team was named after the Chemical Engineers that first starting recreational ice skating on the frozen water deposits north of Korolev.

The Phantoms played against Khimik at Korolev's K-Rink and I was going to give this new ISMO version a chance.  I always enjoyed the 3-on-3 element of hockey and with “Bigger rinks!” they promised, sounded convincing. With dramatically different physics and amateur players, however, I had reservations.

As I sat with 250 other curious attendees in the small seating area around the rink, everyone I talked to, agreed: "This is not your dad’s hockey."  

You would expect switching from Aero Football to the pace of hockey to be overwhelming, but even comparing it to tradition hockey, beyond the obvious differences with the rink, the key difference was the pacing.

I was amazed at how little stoppage there was. The circular ramps kept the puck in play and it was amusing (if not funny) to see the players attempt to navigate it. There were few penalties and rough-housing, but when players were sent to the penalty box, the effect of going one player down was massive.

At the start, it was back and forth action as teams traded chances off the rush.  Before, finally, a goal!  Khimik took the lead  7:51 in the first period. 

Khimik forward Ruslan Vasiliev evades Phantom defender Alex-Gaumond.

With these compact teams, players were forced to take on multiple roles throughout the game.  They morphed and evolved through the game as the captains, Jonathan Moore (Phantoms) and Alex Yanovna (Khimik) got creative. The Phantoms used all three of their 3 forwards late in the game on a power play while Khimik responded with 2 defenders to kill the penalty.

This all made for an amazing flow of action throughout the game. 

As the players flew by, so did the time. With 15 minute periods, before I knew it, the game was over and Khimik hung on to narrowly escape a Phantoms come-back, and win the game 3 to 2.

I was pleasantly surprised by today's match.  This kind of hockey builds on familiar roots while  introducing appropriate derivations that for Martian conditions and tastes.  Putting my fondness of the sport aside, ISMO has been transparent about the experimental nature of sport, so if you come into a game with an open mind and with the right expectations with respect to the players' skill level, there is a lot to enjoy.

Ruslan Vasiliev is the lead scorer for Khimik adds 1 more goal bringing his total to 4 in the last 3 games.

Tales From the Pitch: Hockey Edition

Aries 2, 2078m m249

Ice, Ice, Babies.

I know, I know, there’s no pitch in hockey. Well it’s my column and I’ll keep the name that has garnered me legions of adoring fans. I also get to start off this column by relaying huge news: football isn’t the only sport on Mars anymore. Ice hockey is here.

When we first heard rumours of a football league on Mars, it sounded like a crazy flight of fancy, but it turned out to be the most exciting sporting event on two planets. So I had wanted to keep an open mind when I first heard about a group of engineers and miners had come up with the idea of bringing ice hockey to the Red Planet. But I did keep hearing rumours that no one knew how to skate, which, historians tell me, is a key component of playing ice hockey.

I got a chance to check out out my first game this weekend, and the rumours are exaggerated. But not by much. There wasn’t much grace or style to the game. It was sloppy, it was at times brutal, and once it was borderline embarrassing. But don’t judge the sport just yet.

The matches are held on a surface covered in ice, which continues up a curved area surrounding the rink. The theory is that a fast-paced game would allow for players to skate across the ice and up the sides to weave around their opponents, but mostly I just saw a lot of athletes crashing into each other. There were moments where it was like watching toddlers play.

Now the setup is impressive. Atmosphere is pumped into the enclosed arena, so no EV suits are required for players and spectators enjoy a more intimate experience compared with viewing from Spectator Transports. 

The players have different equipment depending on their positions and though the razor sharp blades seem precarious, they are programmed with a safety feature that causes them to retract before impact. It will allow players to keep all of their fingers and toes while on the ice.

The exhibition games are to test the viability of the sport, the workability of the rules, and the interest level of the fans.

I mention all of this because I think this sport needs to be given a chance. We’ve been spoiled by the success of MAFL and now we are expecting any other sport that comes our way to operate at the same level but within a fraction of the time. That isn’t fair to the hardworking men and women that are trying to create something new. MAFL had its rougher moments as well, but we tend to forget those occurrences now that the league is a huge success. Martian Ice Hockey has a lot of kinks to work out, but I saw a diamond in the rough out there today. All the components are there for an amazing sporting experience. We just need to give them a chance.

ISMO Hockey Roundup

Mina 22, 2078, m249

Fredrick Mattila, of the Moles.

ISMO concluded their first ambitious weekend of ice hockey in the 3 Northern settlements.  With each matchup a 'double header' seeing the paired teams repeat play on Saturni and Solis, the games delivered a taste for the new sport.

The small seating capacity at the prototype rinks ensured a sell-out crowd for the opening weekend.  Largely reserved for media, partners friends, and family, the audiences were enthusiastic and generally encouraging toward the amateur players.

Mareotis

The Cosmonauts delivered a convincing win over the Phantoms in game 1 at Mareotis.  Despite outshooting the Cosmonauts 30 to 20, the Phantoms were only able to beat goaltender Marius Hansen once after a wild scramble in front of the net allowing #75 Peter Lehmann to sneak the puck past him. 

Otherwise, the game was almost entirely carried on the shoulders of Anna Fedin, captain of the Cosmonauts, who netted a hat-trick and an assist.  Vitalia Burian also scored late in the 3rd period to make it a 4-1 game.

Early in game 2, it looked as though the Cosmonauts would repeat the prior day's victory. Goals by Anna Fedin and Yaro Novak allowed them to take an early lead.

The Phantoms held the Cosmonauts off during the 2nd period and closed the gap to 1 after a point shot by Jonathan Moore beat Hansen.

Phantom defenceman Alex Gaumond got the equalizer in the 1st minute of the 3rd period.   

The go-ahead goal came after Peter Lehmann was fed on the wing by Gaumond and snapping a powerful shot Hansen's open side.

Lehmann would add an insurance goal 6 minutes later, ending the game 4-2.

"It was a great start," said Anna Fedin who had a total of 4 goals over the two games, "It is an entirely different game compared with practise games.  We would have liked to sweep the series, but we are not disappointed in our performance as a team."

Noviymir

It was a sleepy start in Noviymir as the Moles and Khimik fumbled for much of game 1.  In fact, both teams looked rather scared at the onset.  There were long stretches of slow, aimless passing mixed in with other cringe-worthy moments.

The first goal by Ruslan Vasiliev in the 2nd period wasn't pretty.  He fanned his shot, slipped, fell, and yet somehow unintentionally got the puck passed Moles goaltender Sam Bailey. 

The following goal by defenceman Andrej Petrovyh was more convincing.  A wrist shot up as Bailey went down gave Khimik a 2-0 lead.

The Moles would eventually get one back in the final minutes of the 2nd period, ending the match with a 2-1 score.

Fortunately for the spectators, the pace of game 2 did not resemble the awkward and sluggish play of the opening game.  

According to Janice Campbell, captain of the Moles, "We psyched ourselves out and, as as result, it wasn't the game we wanted to play.  Today, we promised to play for ourselves and it made a huge difference."

Through much of the game, the Moles were in lock-step with Khimik.  Fredrick Mattila would counter goals by Alex Yanovna and Ruslan Vasiliev to earn a hat-trick and end regular time at 3-3. 

It would be Campbell to score 6 minutes into overtime for the Moles win 4-3.

Korolev

Unlike the Noviymir games, the Sands were heavily outmatched against the Wildcards as they played at the K-rink. Mateo Martinez singled handed scored 11 goals, 7 on Saturni and 4 more on Solis.  

"We were obviously outclassed by the Wildcards," said Sands captain, Mitchell Cruz, "I think we are all new at this, so we'll take this as a learning experience and come back harder next week.

After this weekend's display, the Sands have an obvious skill deficit.  The 5 week round-robin schedule is unlikely to provide the adequate time to further development of skills or team chemistry, so the Sands may endure further humiliation before the exhibition series is complete.

Next Week

Starting next weekend, teams will play just one match a piece.  

Moles will face the Wildcards in Mareotis; Sands will visit Noviymir to take on the Cosmonauts; and the Phantoms will make the trek to tackle Khimik.

Wildcards Dust-off the Sands

Mina 22, 2078, m249

This was a double-header weekend for the ISMO debuted Martian Ice Hockey in Korolev, Noviymir and Mareotis.  The Korolev series featured The Sands versus the Wildcards, playing back-to-back on both Saturni and Solis. The small spectator capacity at K-Rink was sold out with more than 250 curious attendees from across the colonies in attendance.

Game 1

The Saturni game was a showcase of dominance by the Wildcards.  The first goal came at 2 minutes and 30 seconds into the first period by Wildcards forward, Samuel Marquez, who fired a shot through the legs of Sands goaltender, Priya Christensen.

Before the end of the first 15 minute period, Carl Lindberg extended the Wildcards lead to 2-0 after a intercepting the puck from Sand's captain, Mitchell Cruz.

By the 2nd period, Sands seemed to lose composure and Mateo Martinez stole the show.  Martinez, scored 5 consecutive goals against the Christensen who received little defensive support from her teammates.

In the 3rd, the Sands tightened their defences, but not enough to stop Martinez from netting his 6th and 7th goal before the end buzzer.

Of game 1, Martinez said, "We're very confident.  Based on our practise games against Mareotis based teams, we know there is huge range in skill and competency, but having not played against the teams from the other home rinks, we just wanted to come out strong.  We are, I am, very happy with the results." 

Jules Arquette earned her first shutout stopping 12 shots from the Sands.  Christensen faced 26 shots in the 9-0 loss.

Game 2

On day 2, the Sands had hoped to forget Saturni's game.  They came out aggressive in the first half of the period and were able to draw first blood.  Forward Jared Foster snuck around Wildcard defender, AmeliaHarris, by arcing around the ramp.  His first shot was blocked by Arquette, but was able to quickly flip the rebound under her pads.

The Sands, however, were not able to hold the lead long.  Carl Linberg responded with 2 goals before end of period taking the wind out of the Sands offense.

Martinez made a repeat of his game 1 performance with a hat trick over the course of the 2nd period.

Jesse Andersen would get another goal on the board for the Sands in the 3rd, but Martinez would get the final word in the game.  With 7 minutes remaining, Amelia Harris made a beautiful pass for Martinez to tip passed Christensen.

Wildcards win the game 6-2 and sweep the Sands on their home rink.

Over the two games, the Sands were clearly outplayed.  They made a combined 24 shots on goal compared with 46 by the Wildcards.

"We were outplayed on both days by the Wildcards," said #28 Mitchell Cruz, Captain of the Sands, "When Carl (Lindberg) got that shorthanded goal in the first, we lost our momentum.  We are just going to keep at it and do our best in our next game against the Cosmonauts."

Moles Visit San Olympus

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Janice Campbell, Captain of the Moles.

The hockey teams of ISMO started a promotional tour this week.  With media events planned in every major colony, this is the first intimate exposure of winter-style sports on Mars.

The event in San Olympus was hosted by the 7 players of the Moles and attracted more than 60 attendees. The curiosity was, in part, fuelled by the fact that 3 of the Mole players are local residents. Though based in Noviymir, the Moles are entirely comprised of outside talent.   

Attendees included media and invited members from the public.  They were treated to a deep immersion experience of Martian Ice Hockey as well as a holographic sneak peeks of half a dozen other sports that are currently under development at ISMO.

Janice Campbell, a San Olympus resident and captain of the Moles, explained the set up, "There are two teams based out of Noviymir that will be playing in the exhibition games, but ISMO actually has created 5 teams in each of the hosting settlements, so we all share the same respective rinks and resources."

ISMO hockey is a mixed gender sport.  The Moles are the only team in the exhibition that feature more female players than men, not unlike the Titans squad of Aero Football fame.  Similarly, the team is already experiencing ridicule by their competitors, driving up the pressure for the Moles.  If the MAFL is any indication, Campbell's team could have an advantage in a game that may favour the nimble, especially under Martian conditions.  Unlike Earth variations of the game, boards are replace with circular ramps that dramatically change contact points.

When asked how the team was assembled, Campbell explained, "When ISMO began recruiting for players, 6 of us who regularly played recreational field hockey decided to apply together.  We all got in, but only 3 of us (Laura Hall, Kara Okeke, and I)  were able to get the extended leave from work to stick with the program.  We easily could have been split up into different teams, but they kept us together, which is a big advantage for us.  We've been able to build on that team chemistry and aim to leverage that."

All of the teams are comprised of only 7 players.  1 goaltender and typically an even split of forwards and defensemen.  Only 3 players per team, in addition to the net minder, are allowed to play at any given time, but teams can rotate players and lineups at their own discretion.

As a non-professional organization, the teams are lean and do not have coaching or support staff, making the role of captain that much more critical.

"We have closed channel communication systems, so it isn't difficult to coordinate changes," said Campbell, "But it does get hard keeping track of what's happening.  We have to be very disciplined or the chatter becomes disruptive, especially late in a game when everyone gets tired."

Games are broken down in to 3 fifteen minute periods.  Infractions are penalized by taking an offender or substitute off the ice for 1 or 2 minute intervals.  In the case of a second penalty, the opposing team is allowed an extra player on the ice.

When asked how the sport compares with Earth-style ice hockey Campbell responded, "I've never played ice hockey on Earth before, but we've studied both historical and modern forms of the game."  After a pause to collect her thoughts, she added, "But if I have to compare, I think the guys at ISMO have cooked up something distinctively Martian.  I can guarantee you that the generations of players that come after us will make this into a legendary game."

Training Day Flash Backs

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Cezar Vadvua, assistant manager of the Amrita Immortals.

On sub-level F of Amrita, through a nondescript set of unmarked doors is Gymlu-F,  this is where I first met the Immortals 15 months ago.

"It’s a fine day for football."

At least that’s what Cezar Vadvua, the club's Assistant Manager, told me. 

“Actually, it will be much better when we get outside, but with dust season, we will spend many days in the gymnasium.  Either way, we meet here daily to work-out and practice,” he explained.

The beauty of that first training camp was the sneak peek into the making of a team.

“Where’s Andam Mirza today”, I asked.  Then, Andam had only been appointed the Manager for the Amrita Immortals two months prior.

“Andam left me in charge as he had meetings at MAFL headquarters”, said Cezar. “Better him than me. I prefer to be with the players instead.”

There were 11 of them who showed up that day. “This isn’t your full squad, is it?” I asked their scouting director Ivo Zapletal.

“Not at all”, replied Ivo. “Today’s practice was optional because some players are still transitioning from their jobs.  Don’t worry, we’ll have a full team suited up when the season starts.”

I noticed a few players helping each other with their EV suits.  I point this out to Cesar who looked up their numbers: Laurien Hagendoorn and Ronald Donovan.

“We practice in full gear as often as possible.  Even when indoors,” explained Cesar

Ivo proudly pointed out another pair practicing deft dribbling and passing.

“I found Ran Naik and Akkilic Talpur from the Kingfisher club," beamed Ivo,  "A few of the players came from that recreational athletic group. We were quite selective with who we recruited.” 

Cezar drew my attention young woman who was mid-jump.  It seems like she hung in the air for an impossible amount of time, almost touching the gymnasium ceiling.

“That’s Chamunda Badal. She's on our shortlist for goalkeeper.”

I noticed another player who was kicking the living hell out of a neatly placed row of balls. He was in standard indoor trainers, making thundering shots at the wall.  I vividly recall his posture and obvious natural abilities with handling the ball.

"He's new, a local lad," said Ivo, "He came in from the top, through a connection with the owner.  He's definitely got moves."

The three of us approached him. 

"I’m Uday Lanka," he introduced himself to me with a confident smile.  

Yes, that is the day I met season 1's Most Valuable Player.

Of course, it came as no surprise to me when Mirza eventually announced Lanka as team captain, though I may not have been able to predict then that Lanka would become the league scoring leader with an unbelievable 14 goals. 

“It’s going to be a fine season for football,” Cezar said to me.

Indeed it was, but that was only the beginning.

It has come full circle as I have been invited to visit Gymlu-F yet again.   

"We are hosting trials and early training camp," wrote Cezar, "You never know who we might discover."

The beauty of training camp days... A sneak peek into the making of a team.

Ice Sports Exhibition Games Announced

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No matter how you look at it, our planet Mars is a cold, cold place.  

Though temperatures at our equator can reach 20ºC during the summer, this tends to be more of an inconvenience than a reward for the colonies that have to manage the extreme fluctuations between day and night.

Rarely have we celebrated the frigid reality of the world we call home, until now.

After months of previews and sporadic reports, ISMO has officially announced the 6 teams that will be participating in the first ever Martian Ice Hockey exhibition games.  

Exhibition teams - Wildcards, Sands, Phantoms, Moles, Khimik and the Cosmonauts 

The teams are made up of pilot players from across the settlement, but are all based in either Noviymir, Korolev, or Mareotis.  These are the locations ISMO has prototype rink facilities, so most players have temporarily relocated to participate in the unique opportunity.

The first round exhibition schedule begins in 2 weeks on Mina the 21st. Corresponding to this, tour groups have started selling vacation packages in hopes of attracting early adopters and supporters to the ice-towns by offering first-hand inclusive experiences.  Packages include skate lessons with players, viewing access to afternoon practise sessions, and tickets to the 'doubleheader' games played on Saturni and Solis. 

First round Exhibition Games, Mina 21 & 22:

• PHANTOMS vs. COSMONAUTS - Played at Mareotis
• MOLES vs. KHIMIK - Played at Noviymir
• SANDS vs WILDCARDS - Played at Korolev

For those who are curious but unable to make the trip to the northern settlements, virtual broadcasts will, unfortunately, not be available.   

"We are intentionally keeping these games exclusive and close to our chests at this stage," said Fredrick Seulovik, President of ISMO. "This is a dynamic process for us and we'll see where these exhibition games take us.  Broadcasts will be coming soon."

With a mission to foster Earth-style 'winter' sporting events, in addition to Martian Ice Hockey, ISMO is expected to reveal a number individual and team oriented experimental games.  Rumours indicate that courses have been carved into retired mining facilities that could conceivably host a variety of 'downhill' competitions.  

Turning our cold climate into some kind of positive for sports may have its own challenges, but with the ongoing set-backs in our global-warming initiatives (most recently with delays in the Magnetic Dipole Field projects), Mars isn't likely to get warmer anytime soon. 

MAFL Chronicles - China Crisis?

Before the start of the inaugural season, MAFL Commissioner Aiger Masing gave each team the task of chronicling their experiences over the 21 week season.  Each team was given the liberty to record their stories in the format of their choice.  This series shares some of the excerpts from these chronicles.   In this edition, we look at the captains from Tiangong and Huacheng.

Season 1 of MAFL will go down as a historic event for many but for the two Chinese teams, it wasn't a very encouraging start.  For the majority of the season, both teams languished at the bottom of the standings despite strong support from respective colonies.   

The following are excerpts from independent interviews with Stanislas Hachette, Captain of Tiangong Wuji, and  Qigang Lian, Captain of Huacheng Dong Ji.  

What were the expectations at the beginning of the season?

Hachette: Expectations were much higher than they should have been in Tiangong.  Being part of a new professional sport league was the buzz, so boasting about it pre-season got out of hand.  I warned everyone to be more careful about it. Most of my teammates had little exposure to football and I can honestly tell you that our exhibition games weren't strong indicators.

Lian:  It was very high... too high especially when you look at our actual performance.  That is why I and the whole team feels like we failed Huacheng.  I personally felt we would do better.  We brought together our team quickly compared with other clubs, so we felt well prepared from our extensive training as a unit.  We were able to demonstrate that with a strong start, but in many ways, this made the rest of the season very frustrating for us.

When did things started to unravel for your team?

Hachette: In the beginning, we were not very good. We lost our first three before we finally winning a match. And then, before we could get any momentum, we went on to lose 6 in a row.  There wasn't a defining moment, it was bad from the very start.

Lian:  We were 2 and 1 in our first three matches but then our pain began as we lost our next 6 matches. Many of our losses came at the hand of overtime.  This is what is upsetting because we could hold our own during the halves, but consistently lost in the shootouts.  We lost all seven overtimes. Even our very last match of the season against United went this way. 

Were there any distractions that stood out?

Hachette: I never expected so much pressure would come from a game. For us, our inexperience and a lack of dynamic, skilled players was one thing, but dealing with it mentally was our nemesis. We scored the fewest goals in the league and things like that really get to you.

Lian: There was no shortage of reports about Darkeem Dennis by the middle of the season.  He was a good teammate and he had the ability to score, but he was not happy.  He was recruited to our team and left his family and friends in Wendland for the opportunity to play sports.  It was hard for him to transition to life in Huacheng. He was becoming very lonely and distant the more we lost.  I think Darkeem going to Europa was a best move for everyone.

What were the highlights of Season 1?

A joyous moment in an otherwise dismal season - Dong Ji upsets Titans 3-1 at Olympus Park.

Lian: Our win over the Titans in Week 18 was glorious.  It was a definitive win and it showed us that we can compete against the elite teams.

Hachette: The passion and support from the fans has been unbelievable. At first, I wasn’t sure if people would care, but they did.  And they kept caring even though we weren't a winning team. I can't tell you how much that means and how much it motivates the entire team to be better next year.

Are you looking forward to next season?

Hachette:  Absolutely.  Despite the challenging year, the game an the fans are incredible.  I wouldn't trade going back to my old job for the world.  We are going to come back with a vengeance in season 2. Our manager is reviewing all our matches, so I am expecting a lot of positive changes.

Lian: We showed much promise in the 2nd half with some of our younger players improving significantly. But we have to learn how to win close matches. After we beat the Titans, we lost the next three matches to the Comets, Dynamo and United all in overtime. If we fix that issue next season, we can be contenders.

Wizards on Ice

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Thanks to MAFL, many people are familiar with Amanda Jacobsen.  Not for her engineering achievements in San Olympus or the program she runs at the University's engineering faculty, but for her contributions to Martian Aero Football League.  Indeed, her popularity has been the result of designing the actual ball.

With anticipation for ISMO's upcoming hockey exhibition, we've found 3 behind-the-scenes heroes that are solving problems to make ice sports possible. If Martian hockey takes off, it will be off the backs of innovators like these.

From left to right: Dr. Elisna Katrine, Byrono Mon-Omar and Lancer Quan.

The Game Designer

Lancer Quan has been on Mars for 5 years, originally contracted for a class 1 technical position with MIIRA Undertech in 2072.  His programming skills were essential for updating many of the old AI systems responsible for keeping colony infrastructure at Marineris running.

After finishing his 2 year contract, Quan didn't return to Earth.

"There was just too much work to do," he said in a virtual interview, "There are a lot of old robots and many facilities up here still build new robots on old specs, so Mars is unique in how autonomous units need to be refurbished."

It was after a chance meeting with Fredrick Seulovik, now founder of Ice Sports Mars Org (ISMO), that Quan became involved in the ice hockey project.  

"I needed a way to design the sport, to simulate different variations to make it our own," recalled Seulovik, "We couldn't do it in real life, so naturally, we expected to experiment virtually.  The problem was finding resources to do this kind of work because everyone on Mars tends to be locked into exclusive contracts.  Not only did Lancer have the technical skills, but he actual knew hockey!"

It was the kind project Quan never knew he was after. 

"Yes, I played hockey back home," Quan said, "It's was an amazing opportunity to be part of a sport I love, but used to suck at."

In a matter of weeks, his programs were generating and simulating millions of rink variations, rules, team combinations and emulating player skill levels.  Seulovik found the funding he needed to form ISMO, all based off of Quan's work.

"I really wish I could take credit for the halfpipe-style rink design," Quan says, "But reality is, it was all the machine."

The Protector 

Byrono Mon-Omar is an engineer in the Exo-Equipment division at Chariton Labs.  Many of his components are used in industrial EV suits as well as MAFL equipment.

"When I was asked to design sporting equipment for ice hockey," he explained, "I didn't think it would work the way they thought.  It wasn't until after a visit to Korolev and actually skating, I became excited about what we could do with a game on Mars."

Mon-Omar was tasked with solving two problems:  1) making streamlined protective equipment with inexpensive locally available materials and 2) reducing risks of blade injury from skates.

Early Prototype equipment based on Mon-Omar's design templates.

"I came up with a set of templates so that when gear is manufactured from different machines and different producers, it meets the specified tolerances for performance and safety."

If you ever find yourself in the unfortunate scenario of getting a skate in the face, Mon-Omar is the person you will thank for the smart-blade that automatically encases itself in milli-seconds upon imminent collisions.

Mon-Omar's contribution goes beyond safety too.  When you get a load of the retractable shielding and auto-inflatable padding, even if you've never heard of the sport, you'll have the sudden urge to become a goaltender.

The Dream Maker

Training someone to be an elite athletic performer doesn't happen overnight... or does it?

Traditionally, athlete's train from childhood to specialized in a single sport.  They invest tens of thousands of hours to become proficient (not necessarily even competitive).  Though every Martians tends to be fit because it is an ingrained necessity and part of our way of life, fitness does not equate to excelling at any particular sport.  And even for those that grew up playing Hoopz, Jamtrunkle, or Dodgebat at school,  a new sports that involves skating on ice and propelling yourself into the air demands a lot master. 

"No one wants to wait a generation for pro sports to happen," Evgeni Stolbova, VP of Skill Development at ISMO, explains, "So we are trying to do both things in parallel - fast track players to competency and teach the youth to play our sport."

Dr. Elisna Katrine might very well be ISMO's secret weapon.  Katrine is an expert at dream induction.  The technique is a proven and well documented process that has been used for treatment for decades, however it is controversial because it only works for roughly 25% of the population.  For this reason, it has never been widely adopted. 

The good news for Stolbova?  He only needs a a small number of players capable of performing on ice.  So the chance at accelerating 25% of his talent pool is a whole lot better than nothing.

"It isn't very much like dreaming at all," said Anna Fedin, one of the candidate pilot players on team Cosmonaut, "Your body shakes as it responds to the stimulus.  It was quite an unsettling experience at first, but I can actually sleep through the sessions now."

The process cannot make someone exceed their natural ability, nor does it replace the need for actual physical conditioning.  It simply accelerates development of motor skills.  According to Dr. Katrine, however, there are drawbacks.  The process can result in conflict with real-world training and experiences, so determining when to ramp down treatment is critical.

In the case of ISMO, the hope is this will bring the pilot players to an adequate level where the gameplay is entertaining to watch.  With exhibition games slated to begin next month by mid-Mina, the pressure is on.

Dream induction is prohibited in the MAFL.  The organization prides itself as fostering 'natural' abilities.

To that, Stolbova responds, "That's fine, but not everyone is born with EV suites and boost thrusters."

MAFL Chronicles - Titans Before & After

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Before the start of the inaugural season, MAFL Commissioner Aiger Masing gave each team the task of chronicling their experiences over the 21 week season.  Each team was given the liberty to record their stories in the format of their choice.  This series shares some of the excerpts from these chronicles.   In this edition, we take a glimpse at interviews with key players at the beginning, mid-point, and post season, featuring their top players: Readale Nash, Jube Terrell and Icilio De Sisto.

They were asked the same question at different periods of the season:

“What is it like to be the first generation of pro athlete on Mars?”

Pre-season

Nash demonstrated his abilities early in the season becoming Titan's more feared striker.

NASH

Tomorrow is our first match and I'm feeling a lot of anxiety.  

When I was recruited, it was a dream come true, but the last 6 months training with older players has been humbling.  Almost everyone is coming from some important job at the colony, so I don't feel like I belong here. 

I think I have the skills, but it isn't like playing with my friends back at school.  We've only had a handful of exhibition games, so it barely feels like we're a team.  I think the other players are suspicious of me because I am young.  That doesn't help.

If it wasn't for our coach [Salgado] I probably wouldn't be able to keep it together.  There's no backing down.  This is just too big a chance to do something different on this planet.

I'm just going to do my best for as long as this MAFL thing lasts.

TERRELL

This is a gamble, so it is exciting.  I really love teaching, so leaving that behind was difficult, but this is the biggest opportunity to impact the youth of our world.  I am completely onboard with the vision of MAFL and how this could stem some of the issues we are having culturally. 

I was born in 2047, so as one of the 1st gen Martian-born, I can tell you for a fact how difficult it growing up in a culture dominated by what our parents did and what life on Earth is like.

Being a professional athlete on Mars is something I am proud of and hope it will contribute far beyond whether we win or lose games.

DE SISTO

I lived in Spain on Earth as a child, so I do have memories of playing sports.  At that age, I'm not sure I would have thought about it as a job or a career.  Funny, I wouldn't have thought of it as a profession here on Mars either until last year.

When MAFL was announced, I thought it was a joke; a cruel one too since it sounded too good to be true.

I am scheduled to be starting in tomorrow's match, so it is an important one for me.  Unlike most of the other clubs, we have two goalkeepers on the roster, so there is internal competition.  I want to win and prove my worth.

We've never faced Wuji in exhibition, so we only know what we've researched about them, but, overall, I'm feeling confident.  I think we have the talent and the chemistry.

Editor's note:  Titans took the game 2-0 over Wuji.  De Sisto was awarded a goal at 18 minutes after Wuji goalkeeper, Seaton, misplayed his long kick.  Nash scored his first goal at 21:00.

Mid-season

Editor's Notes: Titans have an 11-1 record at the midpoint.  Nash is at his peak having 7 goals (only 2 behind Immortal's Lanka).  Terrell has yet to blossom and De Sisto holds the lowest goals allowed in the league.

Late bloomer – Terrell finds her legs after a slow start to the season, eventually becoming a force to be reckoned with.

TERRELL

If you asked me last month, I won't have had the same answer.  As a forward, getting goals is the mission, so even when your team is winning, if you don't score, you don't feel like you've done your part.

I didn't get my first goal until week 7 against Agre.  That was our 1st game against the Comets and I'm never going to forget it.  Since then, my confidence has been building and my control continues to improve. 

I certainly feel much more like a pro when I am able to get the ball in the net.

DE SISTO

I have fans.  That is something unusual to say, isn't it? Being recognized, strangers coming up to you, seeing colonists wearing our colours – it's all pretty amazing.

So far, I've started in goal for 9 of our 12 games.  I'm really proud of our standings and being the goto goalkeeper.

We were thrashed in our first go against the Immortals.  Both Usian Busara and I gave up 2 goals a piece to Lanka in the 3rd week.  I was pretty stressed leading up to our rematch on Dhanus 15th.  Lanka's a proven killer on the field, but I couldn't let that put me off my game.  We took that game 2-1.

Feeling like a pro has a lot to do with handling the defeat and the head games.

NASH

I love being a pro aero baller! 

I don't know if a lot of other players can say that.  You can see a lot of them are struggling out there.  This is what you get when you hang up a lab coat and get thrown on the pitch. Just because you are healthy, doesn't make you good. This is where I know being young has played to my advantage.

As a team we have a great rhythm and everybody knows what I can do.  In the beginning, I could tell people didn't want to pass to me, but now, I'm the striker.

Post-Playoffs

Editor's Notes: Titans lost 4-1 against the Comets in the MAFL Championship Finals. Coming into the match with key players already on the injury list, they suffered additional casualties through the 1st half that factored into the loss.

Goalkeeper of the Year, De Sisto carried the Titans to the end-game, only to miss the final match.

DE SISTO

Losing the championship was very hard for me, even more so because I was in the sidelines. 

I have many conflicting feelings.  Getting injured in the last few minutes of the semi-finals, that was a raw deal.  I felt very angry, especially because it was such a stupid accident between teammates.  I never would have imagined the scenario where Nash and I weren't in the match.  I feel tremendous disappointment.

From the other angle, when I think of what the Comets were dealing with after losing a teammate, it puts it back into perspective.

I think the only thing that will make me feel better is getting back on the field.

TERRELL

Beyond the letdown of losing the championship match, I feel a lot of personal gratification from what we achieved as a team and as a league.  

If you asked me before the season started if I could get 5 goals and an overtime win, I wouldn't have believed it was possible.

I do feel like a professional athlete and I think the world has changed dramatically after this season.  I think everyone involved in the MAFL should feel a sense of Martian pride.

NASH

I'm disappointed they wouldn't let me play in the finals.

A lot of people are saying we fell apart and everyone is asking why. All the haters out there are spreading vicious conspiracy theories, and it’s sad.  Look, we were the best team all season. Injuries took its toll on us and that’s why we lost.

End of the season I became a human target, but now I know what to expect for next season.  I’m young and growing stronger, so trust me, the Titans will be back.

---

Next in the series, we'll look at Tiangong and Huacheng's experience through the eyes of their respective captains.

Ex-employee Points Finger at Titans Owner

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Though Kamden Lewis is an icon, he isn’t free of blemishes.  His organizations on Earth and Mars are no strangers to controversy and he, himself, has been regarded as a volatile and temperamental businessman.

A most entertaining MAFL game is being played many weeks after the season finale.

This game involves attacks and volleys aimed straight at the Titans, but unlike Aero Football, these focus on the possible reasons why their dominating season did not translate to success.

The latest entrant to the game is one Gibb Brubeck, the former Operations Director from Titans’ head office. 

Brubeck claims Titans’ owner Kamden Lewis was aggressively looking to sell the Titans.  This distracting tone from the top was ultimately the trickle down theme that contributed to the demise of the Titans’ championship aspirations.

Were the Titans for Sale?

At 82 years of age, club owner Kamden Lewis isn’t getting any younger.  His lifetime achievements put other billionaires to shame – from the tech empire he build from the ground up, to championing the independent consortium for Mars colonization that realized San Olympus, to funding the start-up of MAFL and the creation of the Titans franchise.

While no clear succession plan is evident, the Lewis Empire is in no financial trouble according to its latest financial statements.

Brubeck however, points back to the fan appreciation night Kamden held as the genesis for talks with prospective buyers. 

 “The night was nothing more than an orchestrated sales platform for target prospects: Chen Tzu of the Tiangong, Darius Johnson of Columbia Hills, and Daniel Efferton of San Olympus”, said Brubeck. “These guys have also been tied to Lewis’ strip mine scandal. You just have to put 1 and 1 together to see something was cooking.” 

In response, Lewis' lawyer issued this statement, “Mr. Brubeck was recently released from his duties with the Titans organization. Clearly he did not take the separation well.  Mr. Lewis has no intention of selling the Titans."

Titans Manager, Salgado, also shared his skepticism of Brubeck’s allegations.

“I never got that impression from my interactions with Mr. Lewis”, said Salgado, “ In his frequent visits to the club house, there wasn’t any indication that he was looking to sell.  He’s deeply passionate about the sport, about San Olympus, and about Mars, so it makes little sense to me that he would consider flipping the club mid-schedule in our first season.”

When reached for comment, Efferton added, “I’ve never heard of this Brubeck guy. How would someone so junior be privy to any of Mr. Lewis’ business affairs?”

Perhaps MAFL Commissioner Aiger Masing put it best: “If you look at Mr. Lewis’ track record, he has always been about building something larger than himself.  Even if he had such intentions, when it comes down to why the Titans didn't win the championship, the simple matter of fact is this – the Comets were the better team that day.”

New Immigration Policy's Impact on Sports

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The chances of becoming a resident have just doubled.  praise from many in the budding sports sector as Martian Immigration Control plans to open doors to up to 10,000 new colonists over the next 17 months, 

Major changes to planetary immigration policy were announced this morning by Martian Immigration Control.  Representatives from all settlements unilaterally ratified updates to the restrictions imposed in 2062.   Though these amendments do not reverse the principles of the original accord, it does, significantly increase the inbound baseline while maintaining the 3% annual growth factor.

This outstanding petition has long been ignored until today, which represents a major reversal from big colonies, including Marineris, San Olympus, Noviymir, Tiangong, and Al'amal.  All of the councils from these settlements have been staunch advocates for gradual population expansion, where recent discussions even proposed reducing annual targets.

Last m-year (two Earth Years), there were 3,120 births on Mars, accounting for 1.5% organic growth.  Over the same period, we welcomed 4,500 new residents from Earth, however, only 65% of new immigrants typically last 12 months.  Unable to adjust to a completely different lifestyle, many opt to complete their contact term and return home.   Though recent statistics show an improvement in retention over the last 6 months (coincidentally overlapping with the MAFL season), life on Mars is not for every Earther.

The new program increases the cap to 10,000 for m249, which is more than double.  To put it in perspective, that would be like growing a new colony the size of Al'amal over 668 sols!

This will benefit both small and large colonies alike.  Communities like Osumi, Columbia Hills and, Mareotis have long had the capacity to support more residents, but with prior immigration levels, their populations has remained relatively flat.  The new rules will encourage growth in  smaller settlements while for the big 8 colonies, they will be able to fill employment vacancies faster by expediting requisitions through MIC. 

This policy won't impact colony populations in the near-term, especially factoring the time it will take for application services to scale, not to mention that nothing can be done about the standard 7-8 months required to traverse the distance between planets.  Though the first influx won't be felt until the end of m249, this will see more immediate increases in on our mechanized population.  In anticipation of infrastructure demands, these caps will likely be inflated in advance. Robots currently represents a 3-1 ratio in our general workforce, with recognized shortages in the construction sector.

What does all of this have to do with sports, you may ask?

This is, quite possibly, the biggest sports news of the year, according to analysts.

Not only are many speculating that the perceived success of the MAFL has influenced this sudden change in position, but for the first time, qualifications in sporting backgrounds will be recognized in the updated application forms.  Though widely understood that athletic capabilities on Earth means very little with respect to performance on Mars, this opens up opportunities to address needs in a plethora of supporting roles.   Sports management and business administration are obvious positions, but when you look farther downstream, the industry will be able to satisfy a variety of specialized functions in medicine, event planning, media and design.

"It is no surprise why we've had a hard time finding the right people to run our operation," said Aiger Masing, Commissioner of the MAFL "We, as a planet, have naturally spent decades recruiting scientists, engineers, and essential trades to Mars.  Now, we have clearly achieved a milestone where we need more diversity, more people to move beyond science and survival."

Fredrick Seulovik, President of Ice Sport Mars Organization, shared similar sentiments with the announced policy changes.  "You don't have to look far to find the mis-matches," said Seulovik, "I, myself, came to Mars as a chemical engineer.  My childhood love of winter sports is what inspired our venture into hockey.  Today, I'm reliant on parters on Earth, but now it will be possible to bring some of that expertise here.  This is an incredibly big deal."

Martian Hockey Promises Thrills, But Not Without Problems

Pisces 13, 2078, m249

Ice Sport Mars Organization presented their new rinks near Noviymir, Mareotis, and Korolev. 

The launch of a hockey league on Mars has sparked a wave of optimism, with council leaders celebrating "a new era in Martian sport." The highly anticipated series of exhibition games have been billed as proof that this maturing network of colonies is quickly amassing all the comforts of Earth. 

The one hitch, though, is no one can skate. 

In a glitzy, live-streamed press conference yesterday, founders behind the burgeoning hockey league — calling themselves the Ice Sport Mars Organization (ISMO) — promised a faster, more extreme version of the original. 

Less encumbered by gravity, top speeds will dwarf even the most elite players on Earth, ISMO claims. The puck is twice the size. Goalies won’t be confined to the net, with retractable pads so they can better join the action. Defenders are also fitted with pads for advanced shot blocking. And, most surprisingly, there won't be traditional boards. Instead the new arenas, built in subterranean ice mines, will look like halfpipes. The ice surfaces will be sunken into the ground, with ramped edges that players can skate up along vertical walls and even propel themselves into the air.  

“Our guys are going to be like acrobats,” ISMO president Fredrick Seulovik said. “They can get unbelievable air. They’ll be flipping and spinning overtop of each other.”

But that wasn't the case at a recent practice scrimmage. This reporter was granted an exclusive preview of the game and it was, well, underwhelming.

Players toppled over each other rather than flipping or spinning. Those who managed to stay on their feet were unable to effectively stop, hitting the ramped edges and catapulting themselves into the air, flailing. A goalie, desperate to return to her crease after joining in a rush to the opponent’s end, ungracefully crashed into her net.

There were two minor injuries and four equipment malfunctions in the span of the 45 minutes of ice time. 

“I don’t know if I can take this much longer,” one player muttered to another as they made their way to a makeshift locker room, which was really a heated tent beside the enclosed rink. 

Of the players I spoke with, none have ever skated before ISMO started training camps three months ago — except a few who played in pick-up games organized as a morale-booster for ice miners at a facility outside Korolev over the past year. 

Defenseman Martin Bartschi spent ample time on the ice, horizontally.

“Listen, it’ll get better,” said Evgeni Stolbova, the ISMO’s demoralized vice-president of skills development.

He should hope so. 

Investors, buoyed by the recent success of the Martian Aero Football League, sunk millions into leasing space in three ice mines near Novymir and two satellite settlements. It was a clever plan, avoiding the costly process of ice-making since the underground mines already have vast sheets of ice available. But it took some maneuvering to convert the mines into usable arenas. The ice can’t be too cold or the skate blades won’t sink in. So ISMO installed climate control rinks to heat the cavernous environment from -125 C to around -3 C.

For any chance at building broader reach, ISMO will have to expand in to markets much larger than Mareotis Fossae and Korolev. The question is, will anyone be interested in hockey outside the predominantly Scandinavian and Russian cultural centres?

Talks are underway to build arenas in Europa and Marineris. Those two major cities, however, do not have adequate ice pockets nearby — forcing ISMO to build a facility capable of housing a rink rather than use a pre-existing ice surface. 

But the organization appears content to play the long game. They've insisted this isn't professional sport yet, only an attempt to build interest and new talent. And it appears to be working. Enrolment in their Ice Sport Academy is already full in all 3 settlements, with participants coming from as far as Wendland and Huacheng.

“This is a chance,” ISMO president Seulovik said, “to not be bored.” 

Let’s hope she’s right.