Miller sits out Game 3, Cosmonauts win 2-1

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Cosmonaut forward, Stephen Meyer, stepped up his game today as he scored the deciding goal in overtime, winning the Cosmonauts their second game of Round 2.

Wendland hosted again this week, as the two team battled for dominance on the ice—and what a battle it was. The Wildcards played aggressively, drawing the outrage of Cosmonaut players and fans alike.

“Come on, this is a sport, not a brawl,” exclaimed Burien after being on the receiving end of an elbow to side in period 1. Samuel Marquez of the Wildcards was awarded a minute in the box for the infraction.

The first period ended with a stalemate as both teams tested each other’s defenses.

Marquez scored the first goal of the game for the Wildcards after Halvorsen found him at the right-circle with a beautiful cross-ice pass.

Two additional penalties were awarded to the Wildcards in second. Phan was called out on tripping a Cosmonaut forward as she made a race for a loose puck. The whistle was blown at Lehmann as the period was wrapping up for cross-checking Novak sending him careening against the ramped walls.

Outraged fans screamed foul as the downed Cosmonaut was given a quick check by medical staff and Lehmann was awarded 1 minute
“That was clearly deliberate,” said Cosmonaut captain, Anna Fedin of the referee’s decision.

Lehmann pulls Milosevich short and send him tumbling to the ice as Milosevich made a rush for a loose puck.

The frustration only mounted as the Wildcards continued to push the aggression into third period. At 1:02, Lehmann was sent to the box again for holding onto Milosevic's jersey, sending the Cosmonaut defenseman crashing to the ice. Lehmann's second infraction came with a threat of suspension from the rest of the game should he continue.

With three minutes left in third, Meyer was able to snap a wrist shot past Arquette after scooping up a cross-ice pass from Katy Fedin.

Third period ended with a 1-1 tie between the Cosmonauts and Wildcards.

The winning goal was claimed by Meyer again 10 minutes into overtime. He picked up a wide pass from Novak to tip the pick into the corner of the net, nabbing a 2-1 win for the Cosmonauts over the Wildcards.

Miller was absent from the ice as he continued to recover from his upper body injury.

“I’m just focusing on resting and letting my body heal,” says Miller from the Novyimir Medicenter, “there’s no point in rushing the recovery, the best I can do is take care of myself and provide some moral support for my crew!”

The Cosmonauts are doing well this round, having won 2 out of the 3 games so far. They will be travelling to Novyimir next week to take on the Moles on the 15th of Taurus.

Rivalry Renewed. Moles beat out Wildcards 2-1

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The best two teams in Round 1 faced-off today.

The Moles with 5 wins mostly thanks to the powerhouse that was Fredrick Mattila (with 9 goals), and the strong team chemistry led by the San Olympus female trifecta: Janice Campbell, Kara Okeke, and Vicky Li.

Right on their tails, are the Wildcards with 4 wins. Their success was largely powered by the oneman goal-machine, Martinez, who scored a mind-blowing 17 goals in the first exhibition round! That’s double that of his nearest competition – Fredrick Mattila of the Moles.  

“I’ve had this date circled for a while”, said Martinez leading up to this match. “Payback is coming. We’re ready for them”

In this highly anticipated rematch of the two powerhouses, the sold out Wendland crowd was treated to a tense and tightly contested battle with the Moles narrowly edging out the Wildcards in a thrilling 2 to 1 overtime win.

Goalie Sam Bailey was brilliant with 17 saves today. Defenders Kara Okeke and Laura Hall provided the rest as they tag-teamed the defense.

“It’s like they had three goalies out there,” said Wildcards Captain Samuel Marquez.  

martinez's breakaway play down the ice with vicky li in hot pursuit

A loose puck that deflected from the net by Arquette lead to a mad scramble for possession in front of the Wildcard’s net. Laura Hall was able to fish out the puck and rip it into the top corner to give the Moles the lead.

The Moles held on to the lead with air-tight defence. Constantly frustrating the Wildcards’ offensive attempts until Martinez finally broke through after 2 minutes into third period.

Martinez was able to drive in from the red line towards the net, dragging the Moles defender Vicky Li the whole way, as he froze Bailey for a slight moment before firing over Bailey’s outstretched glove to tie up the score.

Moles defenders stayed on top of Martinez for the remainder of the period—he was constantly forchecked by multiple players and what few shots he was able to get off were easily overturned.
As the game spilled into overtime, anticipation rose as both teams battled through quick-fire offensives and plays.

Vicky Li of the Moles was penalized for highsticking, giving the Wildcards a one-man advantage

A Marquez to Martinez one timer almost sent fans home but the shot clanged off the post wide.

The Moles were slapped with their own penalties after Harris was called for tripping Mattila at 7:23 of OT and poor Martinez was taken down by a forceful check from Li again at 11:09.

With seconds remaining in the power play, Martinez rushed the Wildcard net and was met by a stiff set of elbows from defender Kara Okeke. No penalty called.

“That was clearly roughhousing!” explodes Martinez after the match, “I can’t believe the ref didn’t call that.”

With Li exiting the penalty box, Wildcard defender Tia Halvorsen was trapped in an odd person rush. Campbell was able to streak pass Halvorsen after faking her out—and deftly flip the puck over Arquette’s shoulder to claim the game for the Moles!

With the win, both teams joined the entire league at being tied at 1-1 in the standings.

Will the Moles build on this win and streak to dominance as they did in the first exhibition round?  Will the Wildcards recover with Martinez rediscovering his magical scoring touch?

Stay tuned. For now, circle Taurus 22 on your calendar – the rematch at Marineris.







 

Yanovna almost scores a hat trick, Khimik beats Cosmonauts 3-1 in Round 2

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Khimik takes the win in today’s in a 3-1 victory over the Cosmonauts. The two teams battled it out in Europa’s brand new rink in front of a sold-out audience.

Despite a strong offensive push by the Cosmonauts throughout the game, they were only able to get one shot past Khimik goalie, Veronica Danilenko.

Anna Fedin collected a loose puck that slipped past defenseman Rybar and put it high into the net to give Cosmonauts the lead in first period. That lead didn’t last long though.

Alex Yanovna stole the spotlight today with an unexpected play during a two-man advantage while the Cosmonauts were waiting out their double-penalty—scoring two consecutive goals in 4 minutes!

With Novak and Burien in the box and an extra Cosmonaut on the ice, Cosmonaut defender Rybar was able to slip down the left to feed a pass to Yanovna who fired a shot over Hansen’s shoulder

hundreds of fans look on today at europa's sold-out rink

“Alex really blew us away today,” says teammate, Ruslan Vasiliev, “even though he’s our captain, he usually takes a supporting role on the ice. But today he was so dynamic—I’d say he was the best player on the ice today.”

Yanovna flicked a wrist shot clean past Hansen’s left 4 minutes after his first goal.

Cosmonauts forward, Lawrence Miller, received medical attention today after an awkward landing sent him down hard at the end of first period. It’s uncertain exactly how extensive injuries to the 34-year-old Korolevian are, but medical staff have confirmed that his ribs have been fractured.

We can be sure that Miller will be out of the picture for a few weeks as he recovers.

Illya Hryc converted a play from the left circle into a goal-resulting breakaway, bringing the score to 3-1 for Khimik five minutes into second period.

Penalties were awarded to Andrej Petrovyh at 4:13 of the second period for cross checking to Ivan Vasiliev for highsticking at the end of the third period.

Cosmonauts were unable to take advantage of the penalty to close the gap in third period, closing game 2 of Exhibition Hockey Round 2 at Cosmonauts 1-Khimik-3.

Cosmonauts take the game in 2-1 win over Moles

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Despite losing to the Cosmonauts 2-1 today, today’s game tells you something about the Moles’ excellent defensive skill and strategy. Today’s game pitted the Cosmonauts against the Moles, who were playing a game at their new home rink in Marineris. The Moles were the champions of Round 1, having lost only a single game out of 6.

Anna Fedin of the Cosmonauts scored the first goal of the game at the 6 minute mark. Fedin burned past the Moles defenders and was able to intercept an errant pass by Okeke to snap a backhand into the left corner of the net.

“I’m glad to be back on the ice,” says Fedin of the Exhibition’s Round 2, “I’m excited that more rinks are being built and I hope to play in every settlement at least once!”

Katy fedin delivers a slapshot straight down center ice, brings the score to 2-0 for the wildcards

The first period also saw Vitalia Burian of the Cosmonauts sent to the penalty box not once, but twice! She was awarded a penalty for cross-checking a Moles defender during a scramble for the puck. And a second penalty for high-sticking

Bailey worked hard today defending the goal from the Cosmonauts, deflecting shots and snatching pucks as they pressed the attack relentlessly in the first and second period.

Katy Fedin brings the score to 2-0 for the Cosmonauts early in the second period. After fishing the puck out of scramble at mid-rink, the younger Fedin barreled down the center to slap the puck directly past Bailey’s glove.

The Moles’ first goal was scored by their new teammate, Aaron Bello. Previously of the Phantoms, the 31 year-old Marineris native had been added to the Moles as a forward.

Bello’s goal 13 minutes into the second period sent Moles’ fans into a frenzy as they cheered exuberantly.

Third period was a stalemate as the teams battled over control of the game. The Cosmonaut’s doggedly continued to press their attack while the Moles’ rebuffed each attempt.

“We were quite evenly matched out there tonight,” says the Moles Captain, “ but we played defensively for too long this game. We were able to shut down most of their plays, but we needed to get on the attack more.”

Third period wrapped up with no additional goals on either side and a final score of Cosmonauts 2, and Moles 1

Wildcards beat Khimik 2-1 in Europa Debut

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In front of a sold out Europa crowd, the Wildcards came in and beat Khimik 2 to 1, in the opening games of ISMO Exhibition Round 2

To the majority of fans in the new Europa rink, this was their first  experience of ISMO hockey as Exhibition Round 1 was not broadcast aside from news reports. The fan response was positive and enthusiastic.

“I loved it!”, said one fan. “I’m a football gal so I expected this to be somewhat like MAFL but the speed of this game—it felt much faster. Just wished we had won.”

Another fan chimed in after the game, “Some of the moves they did, like going up the ramps were cool. It didn’t always work but admired their guts in trying. I’ll be back to see more.”

And more chances they’ll get, as Round 2 will have five more weeks of play with two more games scheduled in Europa.

This suits Khimik’s new forward, Jessie Andersen (formerly from the Sands), just fine as she’s right at home in Europa.

“I’m really excited to play in front of my family and friends,” said Andersen of her new placement, “I know my new teammates are all from Korolev but I’m happy to show them what a great colony, Europa is.”

The first period saw no goals as both teams tested the waters.

Phan and Lehman celebrate after goal.

The stalemate was broken in second period by a beautiful goal from Lehmann (formerly of the Phantoms), who redirected a short pass from Phan to complete the play.

With less than a minute left before intermission, Phan set up another goal beautifully with a deft backdoor pass to Lindberg from the bottom of the right face-off circle. Lindberg tipped the puck in to give Wildcards a 2-0 lead.

The Europa crowd opened up the third period with a massive surge in support of Khimiks. They responded with a wave of aggressive plays and scoring chances until finally they broke through.

With less than ten minutes remaining in the game, Ilya Hryc narrowed the lead by one goal.  He took a centering feed from Ivashkin and beat Wildcards goalie, Jules Arquette, with a wrist shot to the blocker side.

Khimik aggressively pushed for the remainder of the game, trying to catch up to the Wildcards. But Andersen’s blast from the point clanged off the post wide, allowing the Wildcards to win narrowly with a 2-1 win.

“We’re fortunate to escape with the win,” said Wildcards Captain, Samuel Marquez. “We’re also fortunate for this next exhibition round as interest just keeps building. This new rink is fantastic, the ice was really good, and the fans were really into it today. Look forward to seeing how the other new colonies respond.”

MAFL Takes to the Air!

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z-388's have traditionally been used for industrial transport, but will soon be carrying mafl players & equipment across mars.

Sports are now the driving force behind the development of intercolony leisure travel and tourism. Previously, travel between colonies was dominantly for business purposes due to the prohibitive costs and regulations, but with the Global Transport Commission lifting commercial restriction on the use of the industrial purpose-built crafts, the MAFL has already signed up to purchase 2 zepplocarriers.

Traveling by “air” has been impractical due to the thin atmosphere of our world. This physical constraint render traditional Earth aircrafts ineffective on Mars. Rocket pods and Hovers (anything launched by rail cannons) still provide the fastest means of transport on the planet, but limited load capacities, questionable safety, and prohibitive costs make it an exclusive option.

Though zepplocarriers are not currently designed for speed, direct flight paths and the ability to forego recharging stops make them more time-effective compared to current land-based travel.

For example, MAFL players travelled an average of 12,000 km a month—totalling 8 days on the road. Even in the protective shielding of a transport, there is increased risk of radiation exposure.

“Players have complained of the long and gruelling road trips.”, expressed an MAFL spokesperson, “Our intention is to test zepplos and if all goes as planned, subsidize the acquisition of one for each club.”

Zepplos will be able to ferry teams, their supporting staff, and potentially spectators between colonies. Travel by zepplocarrier will reduce the typical 3-day journey between Huacheng and Europa, to a single day.

This is big news to players like Edouard Rouselle of United. “I have a family and kids. Anything that lets me have more time with them in a week is a godsend!”

Service air carriers, that do not rely on principles of lift and drag have been an industry solution for more than two decades to transport resources and equipment and inaccessible regions, but, until now, they have never been deployed public use..

“There hasn’t been a need,” says Vakhita Blackwell, CEO of zepplocarrier manufacturer, Helionus Inc.,  “Quite frankly, there hasn’t been the demand. Until now, we were previously content with waiting for the tunnels to be completed to connect colonies by loops.”

Indeed, intercolony tourism has been historically small, with only a fraction of the approximate 120,000 Martian inhabitants needing transit between colonies—the majority of that for work purposes.

With Pandora’s box now open, the once insular majority is suddenly demanding regular transportation for leisure purposes. The first championship match drew a record-breaking 5,000 colonists from all corners of Mars out of the safety of a stationary settlement to congregate at Marineris stadium.

To put that in perspective—workers in natural resources, “explorer” companies and research expeditions (that are effectively nomadic settlements) only represent about of 3,000 people, planet-wide, that need to be outside at any given time.

Underground transport tunnels are in the works to provide a reliable means of transportation between colonies. The first such tunnel, a highway between Marineris and Europa, is expected to be completed within 7 months and spans just over 3000 km. It’s estimated that linking the vast distances between far reaching settlements will take decades—if at all.

It will still be some time before there is a major disruption in public transport with the proposed hyperloops, but in the meantime, blimps can fill in the void.

ISMO's Underrated D-List Teams

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Canadicas training drills at korolev rink.

We’re stoked to hear that a second season of ISMO’s Exhibition Hockey has been announced! While the organizers are preparing and finangling away behind the scenes, let’s take a look at the frenetic world of  ISMO hockey.

The spotlight has been on the 6 teams chosen for the first exhibition season, but that’s just the tip of the ISMO iceberg. There are at least 9 other teams (at time of publication) who have been training and playing scrimmages—they’re the so-called “D-Listers”.

Who are these teams and where are these players coming from?

Well, the requirements for forming a team are not strict—as long as the minimum number of co-ed payers are met, any team can be registered with ISMO. Additionally, many companies in the 3 rink-holding settlements are actively encouraging employees to participate in the name of recreation and team-building.

I took it upon myself to see these teams in action and visited Korolev Rink one afternoon to watch a few games and training sessions. Suffice to say, these teams are not pros.

Nevertheless, these D-Listers are putting out some great matches and favourites have definitely emerged amongst the fans of this informal league.

Notable Teams

The Canadicas are headed up by Earth-born Ashton Morin. “I love Earth, and I wanted to bring a little piece of my heritage with me. Everyone know that Canada and hockey go hand-in-hand. So Canadicas it was,” says Morin about his team’s moniker.

When asked about the rest of his team, Morin laughed that everyone else was Mars-born, but went along with his suggestion out of a sense of camaraderie.

I also had a chance to talk to eccentrically-named team SunRa. Members were enthusiastic about the development of sports and recreation on Mars.

“We’re a company team, and most of us work at Soltek, so we thought it’d be fun to include that in our team name somehow.

Other D-List teams include the Super Colliders, Orbiters, Voyagers, and Cosmic Rays. While these teams are currently flying under the radar, I think there will be some up-and-coming players emerging from the shadows before too long.

Keep an eye out for Pete Watkins (currently a forward for the Super Colliders), Leola Ballard (playing goal for the Canadicas), and Anza Kahale (alternately playing forward and defense for the Orbiters).

ISMO Confirms Round 2 of Exhibition Hockey

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After delays in colony permits due to rink safety issues, ISMO has finally confirmed the start date for Round 2 of the Exhibition. Games will start next weekend on Mesha 21 and Mesha 22.

Those expecting the same-old, same-old will be surprised as the new season brings with it some big changes! With the exception of the Cosmonauts, all the teams will be relocated to one of the settlements sporting a brand new rink.

The Moles will be moving to Marineris, the Wildcards will be migrated to Wendland, and Khimik will be moved to Europa. Not only will the fours teams will playing from a new home base—they’ll be expanding each team roster with an additional player.

Each team had their pick of players from the disbanded Phantoms and Sands.

Khimik strategically drafted Jessie Andersen from the Sands to join their team, boosting the number of female players to 2. Andersen had been the main scorer for the Sands and will be joining the likes of Vasiliev and Hryc as a forward on Khimik.

“I’m glad to have another woman on the team,” says Khimik goalie, Veronica Danilenko, about the acquisition, “Jessie really adds a great dynamic to our team.”

Star forward of the Phantoms, Peter Lehmann will be bring his scoring skills to the Wildcards. With Lehmann and Martinez on the same team, the Wildcards are going to be a formidable force next season. Aaron Bello and Hugo Milosevic will be joining the Moles and Cosmonauts respectively.

Fans and settlement officials alike are excited about the relocation of the teams.

“Being able to host an ISMO team really helps to put us on the map,” says Wendland Counciller, Ryt Bohenno, “we’re mostly associated with heavy industry right now, but we’re so excited to host the Wildcards and be part of this next phase in Martian hockey.”

Fans who have been unable to make the expensive and time-consuming trips to Novyimir, Korolev, or Mareotis now have a chance to watch a live game. And the fans are many!

The new rinks have an increased seating capacity of 800-1000 depending on the colony.

Nevertheless, tickets for the opening games of the Exhibition sold out within a minutes of the release. Those lucky fans will be able to see Khimik play the Wildcards at Europa on Mesha 21, and Moles play the Cosmonauts at Marineris on the 22.

Back-to-the-basics?

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There's no doubt that we've come a long way since inter-colony professional sports exploded onto the Martian scene.

Though it may feel like Aero Football and ice hockey are the catalysts, let's not so forget the many sporting activities that have paved the way since as far back as the original colonization projects.  Whether it is the first leisurely play of members of exploration missions, the mandatory physical education programs or the colony health contracts, Martians are among the most physically active people in the solar system, out of necessity.

Before Pathfinder, Aero Football and all the ISMO R&D, there has always been sport.  Indeed, MAFL can take the credit for brining it to the next level.  They were, after all, the first to introduce the notion of professional full-time athletes on Mars, but as we race for new and more spectacular games to quench the thirst for competitive sport, let's not forget one particular home grown game.

Unlike the fancier sports that require life support suits and custom equipment, this one has been played by generations across multiple colonies, indoors: Hoop Zazzel, better known at Hoopz.

Yes, it may feel like a kid's game since it has been ingrained with the school program for so long, but this derivative of Earth's basketball is what forged many of the young MAFL stars, like Raedale Nash of the Titans. 

For those unfamiliar with the sport, it's quite different than Earth's basketball.  The semi-spherical court and central multi-rim basket were intentionally designed to take up minimal footprint within a habitat while allowing for continuous movement.  It's a simple passing, vertical jumping and shooting game made for 1/3 G. 

"There is growing interest in more accessible sports, ones that can be played in the safety of the colony", said Vay Mari-mara, minister of health programs on the Amrita council. "We are prepared to open a dozen indoor courts that would be open to the public.  My counterparts in other settlements are exploring similar initiatives."

With very little work, Hoopz could be the game that fills in the gaps.  Unlike the current flavours of sport, it is free of the many layers of complexity that come with outdoor infrastructure, equipment costs, or the learning curve of unfamiliar skills.  When its time comes, it will have the added benefit of an existing, robust player pool; kids straight out of school. 

The next time you find yourself in a conversation about future of Mars sports, don't forget to go back to the basics... support accessible sport!

Spotlight on the Fedins

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Anna and Katy Fedin of the Cosmonauts exhibition team.

As the ISMO exhibition Hockey continues, few other players have captured Martian imagination like the Fedin sisters, Anna and Katy. We’re here today with an exclusive interview with the two sisters! Read on to find out why they joined the league, their thoughts on ISMO, and where they see hockey going on Mars.

Tell us a little about your background.

Anna: Well, we’re originally from Earth and still relatively new to Mars. We arrived in 247, so it's only been 2 and a half years.

What brought the two of you to Mars?

Katy: I came as part of an engineering scholarship program—I was accepted to the Noviymir program and I this helped Anna fast track her application as well.

Anna: Katy is the smart one. I was lucky to get my 5 year work visa to work at IKKERON-Organics. Both of us have dreamed of space and spending time off-world. Now, it’s hard to believe that we are living on Mars and playing ice hockey.

What has the transition from Earth to Mars been like?

Anna: It’s been pretty intense both physically and mentally. The gravity on Mars makes physical conditioning necessary.  It's mandatory in Noviymir and many of the other major colonies.  

Katy: I think the most difficult part for me was settling into a completely different society. It took a long time to get used to the how things are run here. Everything is so regimented, which you expect from the immigration process, but when you are actually here, you realize how regulated colony life has to be.

What has it been like being test players in ISMO? 

Katy: It’s been amazing. Anna and I both skated and played shinny when we were little, but neither of us had any professional hockey experience, so this is a real adventure.

Anna: I participated in team sports through high school, but the accelerated training program at ISMO is like nothing I've seen before.  The physical and mental conditioning has been intense, but the results are really satisfying.  We spend a lot of time watching old archival hockey too.

Katy: That’s right!

Anna: What I love most about participating in the ISMO program is being part of something familiar, together. When you’re on a brand new planet, it’s nice to have something that reminds you of where you’re from, even when the physics of skating and everything else is so wildly different.

What is it like playing on the same team as your sister?

Katy: It’s been so great. I think when you’re playing on the same team as someone you grew up with, there’s a level of trust there that will take other players a long time to build.

Where do you see hockey going on Mars?

Anna: I think there’s lots and lots of opportunity here. The exhibition games have been doing so well—the turnout for the games shows there is curiosity and interest. I think Mars is ready and hungry for more events like ISMO Hockey and the MAFL.

Katy: It’s still early for the sport, so there are definitely some growing pains. I personally hope it becomes something.  Anna and I have serious talks about staying on Mars after I graduate and complete the contracted work-term.  Hockey could really be the fork in our road.

Tales From the Pitch: Ice #4

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When the Mars Aero Football league began its inaugural season there was already buy-in from across Mars, with each settlement fielding a team. It was a huge risk starting something like soccer on Mars, but it started big. ISMO took a very different strategy and decided to build their fan-base slowly from a small number of intimate exhibition games.

These games would allow the organizers to work out any kinks in the sport, and (hopefully) generate some sort of interest in the sports-watching populace of the red planet. I’m not sure that they’ve fully succeeded on either front, but the ISMO has decided to take the sport to other colonies. Born in Korolev, it is now time for ice hockey to leave the nest and go on the road.

The exhibition game period has been extended and Martian hockey is coming to Marineris, Wendland, Europa, and Noviymir. And just like a bird leaving the nest we are about to see if this sport can fly on its own.

MAFL’s success has proven that there is interest in competitive sport on Mars. But there is always a chance that the interest lies in only that specific sport; there has always been something more relatable about football than hockey. Even a century ago on Earth, football was the dominant and most played game in the world, whereas hockey, while popular, was restricted to far fewer countries. Some of this is due to the age of the respective sports: ice hockey as we know it is only about three hundred years old while football (or some variation) is thousands.

Then there is also the specific equipment and area needed to play ice hockey. Yes, MAFL needs quite a large area, state of the art stadium, and specific equipment, but ISMO games need even more (technology, not physical space). Similarly, hundreds of years ago the sport was mostly popular in countries and settlements were you actually had ice for a good chunk of the year. And, in many cases in Earth’s not so distant past, for soccer all you needed was a ball to kick and a patch of grass to kick it on. Boom, you have a football match.

The other obstacle that ice hockey will need to conquer is that interest in a sport tends to develop faster when spectators can learn the sport themselves and play a variation with their friends. Now, it won’t be played at the same professional and competitive level, but they at least get to put the rules into practice firsthand.

The average Martian isn’t going to be able to get ice time and just play with their buddies whenever they feel like. I’m not trying to be a downer; I just want to paint a clear picture of what an uphill battle ice hockey faces, and how the stakes are pretty high if they want to move past exhibition games and develop a real, professional league.

So, travelling to new settlements is about showing off the sport and attracting new fans, but it is also about showing off to those investors who may share the same vision as the ISMO and think that it can grow beyond its humble origins.

I hope it works out for them.

Experts Weigh in on ISMO Hockey

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What a 5 week whirlwind it’s been for ISMO Hockey! Our Panel of Martian sports experts weigh in today on ISMO’s hockey experiment. They discuss their thoughts on the new sport and how the reception may change after the next round of exhibition games.

Compared with classic hockey, one of the most visible difference of ISMO Hockey is the construction of the arena. Any thoughts on that?

Ion Miranda - Sports Writer and Analyst

Let’s talk about those ramped walls! ISMO officials made a big deal about the design of the sport and the rink, but it is no coincidence that there are similarities to the Aero Football, where players also play off the walls. Right now, the circular ramps are a blessing and a curse – They add a dynamic dimension to the game and reducing the roughhousing. When players are able to take to the air, it is like watching a Starskimmer performance, but the curse continues to be there aren’t enough skilled players to use it that way, so it amplifies the amateur quality of the sport.

Tsam Tiger Wiskle - Former Coach in Earth's East Americas Junior’s club

Don’t get me wrong, it’s cool—but I still think it feels gimmicky. I come from a Hockey purist point of view. I don’t see a point in messing with a setup that’s had so many years of success on Earth. Leave the fancy halfpipe to the trick skaters…when you actually have trick skaters.

Louise Pengilfinter - Analyst and Adjuct Professor at University of Marineris

One of the aspects of ISMO hockey that has come up again and again is the speed of the game. It actually isn’t faster rather it is more fluid.  The rink design is a practical solution to the conditions of Mars. I think ISMO’s hockey prototype is by no means perfect, perhaps it is even silly, but as these players learn to use the environment, we will see the game evolve far beyond what we see today.

What do you think about the team dynamics and gameplay?

Tsam Tiger Wiskle

I definitely find the 3 on 3 a good choice. It leaves room for so much interpretation of play by the players during the game. This has been the smartest aspect of the game so far.  I commend ISMO for making the effort to put this out there so soon. I wish they were able to invest more in skill development and waited longer before public exposure. It would have saved these test players a lot of embarrassment and present a more baked product for people like me to evaluate.

Ion Miranda

The fun part of watching an exhibition sport, especially one as novel as ISMO hockey, is that sense of trial and error. You watch these teams try new plays, formations, and strategies each game and it’s never, ever, boring. Traditional roles and positions are all out the window! Each of the players have specific strengths, but they need to be able to flow into different roles at the drop of a pin. This is what really weeded out the Sands and Phantoms in round one.

Louise Pengilfinter

Co-ed teams seem to be a defining aspect of Martian sports so far.  Many continue to scoff at the idea, but we’re at the tailend of the 21st century. Even in the MAFL we still see discrimination. In ISMO’s defence, according to  Evgeni Stolbova, VP of Skill Development at ISMO, they didn’t receive an equal proportion of women applicants to the program, resulting in the ‘minimum 1’ gender representation rule. No representation equals disqualification, which is why we see so many women goalies. We should be beyond these kinds of rule. As we’ve seen with the Titans and now the Moles, diversity makes for more dynamic teams.

How was the spectator response been? What do you see in ISMO Hockey’s future?

Tsam Tiger Wiskle

ISMO is no MAFL, but it’s garnered curiosity. I would say the fan base should be traditional hockey fans—people like me who emigrated from Earth––but most are still on the fence. They love the familiarity it brings, but unsure of what they are seeing.  I expect that someone will take the ISMO experiment and try to productize it into a league, but not because of its actual merits, rather because of the sport fever that has swept the planet.

Louise Pengilfinter

I think a large part of the draw is that ISMO hockey feels much more accessible to the average Martian than MAFL—simply because you don’t need to leave the colony to play. In MAFL, only the best athletes who passed the indoor tryouts are given a chance even step outside into the outdoor arenas in EV suits. If indoor rinks become more common across settlements, anyone can put on a pair of skates. In this manner, the exhibition hockey has also been a plus. That the players are not super athletes that have trained for years adds that notion of accessibility. The “I can do better” can motivate players of the future.

Ion Miranda

Yep. I think ISMO hockey is here to stay. There’s still lots of kinks to work out, but the fan reception has been overwhelming so far, so I cannot see round 2 being any different. Suffice it to say—Martians are hungry for entertainment. This is the golden opportunity for sports, and I say there’s big void to fill.

Wildcards Dominate

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Lindberg celebrates after scoring a goal.

21 year old Carl Lindberg tipped the scales in overtime today to win the fourth game of the exhibition for the Wildcards. The youngest player on the Wildcards, Lindberg’s scoring record is not too shabby, but had been overshadowed by powerhouse Mateo Martinez.

“I’m ecstatic,” says an exuberant Lindberg, “this is like a dream come true for me. I gotta give credit where it’s due though—I couldn’t have done it without Tia’s assist.”

Korolev rink was rowdy today was fans waited out the first three periods without a single goal in sight. The energy must have spilled over onto the rink, because gameplay was rampant with aggression.

Amongst other penalties, Carl Lindberg (Wildcards) and Denis Ivashkin (Ivashkin) were sent to the box towards the end of the first period for a full out fight. What looked like a accidental elbow to the face turned ugly as Lindberg took offense, threw down his stick, and shoved Ivashkin to the ice. Fisticuffs quickly followed before the two players were pulled apart by their teammates.

Lindberg and Ivashkin throw punches before being separated and sent to the penalty box.

Rybar was also given two penalties, both on counts of cross-checking.

Khimik played hard and fast today in their attempt to pull ahead in the standings—firing on the Wildcard’s net almost twice as many times.

Wildcard’s goalie Jule Arquette kept Khimik at bay— stopping 21 shots, including a breakaway backhand from Vasiliev in second period.

Both Petrovyh (Khimik) and Phan (Wildcards) played some amazing defense today as they dominated their sides of the rink. Phan, especially doing a stand out job in stealing control of play whenever Khimik ventured over.

Despite Khimik’s best efforts, they were not able to break past the Wildcards defense and the game spilled into overtime with the game tied at 0 and 0.

Fans were finally released from their anguished anticipation as Halvorsen snapped a short pass to Lindberg for the deciding goal.

“Regardless of the results, we’re extremely proud of what we’ve accomplished. Think about it—it's our water extraction facilities in Korolev that gave birth to skating on Mars.  Now we give a glimpse at what could be a new sport.  We are proud” said Khimik captain, Alex Yanovna.

This game leaves Khimik tied with the Sands with one win apiece, while the Wildcards settle in behind the Moles.

Sands Win! Sands Win!

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The Sands finally won their first match of the exhibition season, putting away  the Phantoms 1 – 0 at Mareotis during overtime.

Having played their best match last week in a 5 to 3 loss to Khimik, the Sands were able to translate some of that some momentum into today’s win.

To assist with the Sands’ momentum was the announcement of Phantoms’ defender Alex Gaumond missing the game due to the flu. After 5 exhibition games, his two assists and one goal would be missed.

The Sand’s took advantage of Gaumond’s absence to apply offensive pressure all game, taking 20 shots against their goalie.

“We put a lot of offensive pressure on them today,” said Sands’ Captain Mitchell Cruz. “I think it eventually tired them out which created more concrete scoring chances for us late in the 3rd period and overtime.”

That pressure was evident in the first two periods as  the Phantoms fought off each Sands’ rush but incurred two penalties in the first and two penalties in the second period.

“It felt like all game, we were just fending them off, blocking shots, killing penalties, and fore checking” said Phantoms Captain, Jonathan Moore.  “We only got 7 shots on their goalie so I’m surprised they actually didn’t score more to be honest”.

Phantom’s goalie Vivien Lewis stopped 5 goals today, including a spectacular shut down of Jared Foster’s breakaway during the Sand’s first period power play.

Lewis pulled off another beautiful save as she used her right knee pad to block an attempt by Sand’s Captain, Mitchell Cruz to deflect a feed from Xin into the net.

Mitchell cruz Overtime goal against the Phantoms ends the Sands drought.

A wickedly high shot from Eric Wiliams almost blew past Lewis, but she flashed a quick glove to catch the puck and push the game into overtime.

Fatigue set in for the Phantoms in overtime and gave the Sands the opening they were looking for. Cruz was able to take advantage of a good bounce which led to a wide open side rush where he ripped a quick, short-side shot past Lewis at 2:18 of overtime to give the Sands the win!

“We’re happy to end the exhibition with a win. It’s too bad we couldn’t extend things a bit as I think we’re just starting to hit our stride,” said Cruz.

The win for the Sands and the loss for the Phantoms gives both teams a 1-5 record to end the exhibition season.

Battle of Noviymir

Fredrik Mattila beats Cosmonaut Goaltender Marius Hansen late in the 3rd, closing the Moles first round exhibition with 5 wins and a single loss.

Noviymir fans were treated to a rare battle between the two Noviymir-based teams, with the Moles’ Fredrick Mattila delivering the difference as the Moles won 1 – 0 over the Cosmonauts.  

Mattila picked up the goal when he deflected Kara Okeke’s point shot past Cosmonauts’ goalie Marius Hansen at 13:47 of the 3rd period.

“We are are all out-of-colony guests for the program”, said Moles Captain Janice Campbell. "Noviymir has been a wonderful host to all of us, but the Cosmos are clearly the hometown team.”

In a tightly contested game between the Moles’ Campbell, Okeke, and Hall Trifecta, and the Cosmonaut’s Fedin Sisters, both teams battled hard. The Moles ran a tight team-oriented defence today, steering away 40 attempts, and limiting the Cosmonauts to just 13 direct shots at the net.

“They played solid defence as all of their players pitched in to shut us down,” said Anna Fedin. “Looking forward to facing them again and hopefully getting a different result”.

And it is likely both teams will meet again as they both qualify for the next exhibition stage.

This win propels the Moles to the top spot for the first exhibition season with a 5-1 record.

The Cosmonauts dropped to 3 - 3 for the season but good enough for third place.

There is speculation that the Moles will relocate to one of the target colonies for the stage 2 exhibition (experts are pegging Marineris as a likely choice as two players are native residents).  The two teams are developing the makings of a good rivalry which would be amplified  with the move.

Whether the prototype game can be a viable sport is still in question.

The first stage of exhibition games has shown some promise but with the exception of the Moles, Cosmonauts and the Wildcards (powered by the Magical Mateo Martinez), the skill level and athleticism of the other teams is significant problem .

The awkwardness and criticism of the first few games has diminished somewhat over the exhibition period. Whether this has diminished enough to generate the interest and more importantly the investment to propel ISMO to becoming a full-fledged league, remains to be seen.

While moving the Moles to Marineris would surely be a key step in accessing that market’s extensive resources to expand ISMO to the next level, it’s all about the on-ice product after all.

So here’s to strong reception in the next stage and the promise that something will germinate!

Tales From The Pitch - Ice #3

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Hockey offers a much more intimate live experience than aero football.

The Intimacy of the Rink

Last week I was one the fortunate few who had the chance to get actual ice-time with Phantom's Captain, Jonathan Moore. As long-time readers know the concept sport is not without its problems, and there has been a great deal of discussion on the skating ability of the test players, but today I want to tell you about my latest experience after viewing week 4 of ISMO's exhibition series. 

The popularity of sports doesn't rest solely on the excitement of seeing athletes compete for a prize. Sport also creates a sense of shared experience and community. If everyone in your pod is following the Mars Aero Football League you always have something to talk about, and whether or not you or a colleague support the same team is irrelevant. You can speak the same coded lingo, appreciate the same brilliant plays, and gasp at the same crushing defeats. Even while watching the matches live from spectator vehicles one feels a sense of community.

Everyone in that arena is experiencing the match as a unified whole, despite the fact that we are all in small groups housed in vehicles designed to protect us from the harsh climate. 

So, you'll imagine my surprise when I experienced an even more visceral shared moment with my fellow spectators at the latest ISMO game. First, I should explain: the rink used for each match is much smaller than a football pitch. Surrounding the rink is a small amount of stadium style seating, which mostly can't fit more than 250-300 people. And unlike a MAFL match you are close to all the action! I had front row seats and was right behind the glass at centre ice. I could see every play, every facial expression, and even the icy breath of the players. 

I also had 249 newfound friends that viewed and game with me, and more or less gasped when I did, cheered when I did, and grumbled when I did. The solitary act of viewing a sporting event was now a team effort and the reaction of such a crowd in close proximity completely changed the experience for me. 

The small spectator area has its disadvantages too, or it will have if the sport really takes off. While it was no problem for me to get tickets now, it will be a huge problem if popularity increases. This might mean that seeing a hockey game live would only be available to the very rich. And while some sports have historically survived on unnecessary elitism, I would suggest that ISMO will need to put any first-year profits directly into building larger arenas, which the engineers tell me is a logistical nightmare. 

I might be jumping the gun here but I'd strongly recommend that ISMO have a plan for this sooner rather than later. The incredible intimacy of the sport won't be lost if they figure out how to double or triple the size of the spectator area; however, removing that intimacy or making it available to only a select few would cause the loss of something that makes this sport special. 
 

Moles Chemistry

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The girls from San Olympus – Moles captain Janice-Campbell (centre) with defensemen Vicky Li and Kara Okeke by her side.

The Moles' Machine continued to hum along smoothly with a convincing 3 - 0 victory over the Phantoms at Noviymir. 

With the win, the Moles moved into sole possession of 1st place with a 4-1 record while The Phantoms dropped to 1-4.  With yesterday's ISMO announcement of a 2nd stage exhibition featuring the top 4 teams, the Phantoms now face elimination while the Moles have earned their spot in the play-off-like exhibition round.

"I know this is a cliché but we just have to focus on one game at a time", said Captain Janice Campbell. 

And that focus has helped turn the Moles into one of the most compelling teams of this experimental game.  That and the strong chemistry among the players, especially with Vicky Li, Kara Okeke, and Janice Campbell who developed their bond in recreational field hockey in San Olympus well before ISMO. 

Their familiarity was evident in the 1st goal.

Li drew the attention of two Phantoms before sneaking a stretch pass to Campbell who raced into the zone, waited until Phantom goaltender Vivien Lewis moved in front of the puck before ripping a snapshot past her to open up scoring. 

"It's like we can read each other's minds", said Li afterwards. 

In addition to the overall team chemistry, could their success also be attributed to the fact the team carries more women than men? 

"I don't know", said Campbell. "Last I checked, our goalie and lead scorer are guys.  Everybody plays their part." 

Indeed, Sam Bailey earned his 2nd shutout with 15 saves and Fredrick Mattila netted two goals in the 3rd period, bringing him to 8 goals, second only to the Wildcards' Mateo Martinez.

As the Moles continue their success, so does interest in the team and the hopes for a possible league.

"I would like to think we're building the foundation for a pro league", said Campbell. "Whether it's us or the next generation, we'll see. But hopefully it's us."
 

Sands Go Down, Fighting

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Sand's goalie Priya Christensen and Captain Jared Foster - Despite lose their 5th in a row, they played their best match yet.

In a highly spirited match, Ruslan Vasiliev scored a hat trick to lead Khimik past the Sands 5 to 3 at Korolev.

With the win, Khimik moves to 3 and 2 and secure a spot in the 2nd stage exhibition that ISMO officials announced earlier in the week.

For the Sands, another loss, but it was their best performance yet.

Early in the game, it looked like the same old Sands.  Alex Yanovna easily netted Khimik's 1st goal from a bounce off the body of the Sands' Mitchell Cruz who was jockeying for net-front position. 

To the Sands' credit, they didn't fold. They responded at the 7 minute mark, and short-handed nonetheless. 

Khimik's power play unit fanned on a shot allowing the Sands' Jared Foster to take the puck and rush up ice and deliver a top shelf goal to tie up the game.  

The Sands continued to push and were eventually rewarded just 5 minutes later as Anthony Xin buried a rebound off an initial save by Khimik goalie Veronica Danilenko to give the Sands the lead 2 -1. 

As the 2nd period started, Khimik's Denis Ivashkin was tagged with a slashing penalty giving the Sands another opportunity, but despite some a few chances, the Sands were unable close the deal.

With just seconds left in that power play, Foster made a last ditch effort by boldly skating up the ramp before the Khimik blue line in an attempt to deliver an aerial pass to teammate, Jessie Andersen. 

Unfortunately, the pass failed to connect with Andersen's outreached stick and was picked up by Khimik's Andrej Petrovyh, as Foster made an awkward crash landing.  This gifted Kihimk with an odd person rush the other way that Ilya Hryc finished with a shot from the point to tie up the game 2-2. 

For the next seven minutes, both teams fought to get the go ahead goal until finally the Rusian Vasiliev show got underway.

At the 24th minute, the Sands' Eric Williams failed to clear the puck in front of the net, instead sending it right to Rusian Vasiliev for a shot past goalie Priya Christensen to put Khimik ahead. 

Just two minutes later, Vasiliev scored again on a redirect of an Andrej Petrovyh shot to make it 4-2. 

With less than a minute before the end of the 2nd period, Vasiliev completed his hat trick when he ripped a wrist shot from the top of the right circle through Christensen's legs to put Khimik up 5 - 2 over the Sands.

With a three goal lead to start the third period, Khimik played to protect the lead using strong puck movement to dominate time of possession which helped neutralize much of the Sands chances.  

At the 41st minute, the Sands finally found an opening as Xin's pass from behind the net found Andersen who banked it in past Veronica Danilenko to narrow the lead to two goals.  

With a few minutes remaining, the Sands deployed all three forwards at once in an attempt to tie up the game. This led to a mad scramble for the Sands.

With under two minutes left, it looked like the Sands would narrow the gap but a Foster shot from the slot rang off the post and that would be as close as the Sands would get. 

"They really pressed us hard at the end," said Khimik Captain Alex Yanovna. "Everyone keeps talking about how bad the Sands were but they were quite good today. If not for Ruslan's hat trick, the outcome may have been different."

"I'm proud of our effort today," said Sands Captain Mitchell Cruz. "We didn't give up and kept the game really close.  Next week will be the last exhibition game for us, so we plan to make the most of it."
 

Cosmonauts Best the Wildcards

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Captains Marquez and Fedin face-off in a wildly satisfying contest that thrilled spectators.

The Cosmonauts rally back from their flop last week with a stronger offensive strategy to beat back the Wildcards 4-3.

Martinez scored 3 goals on his own for the Wildcards today and Arquette made 27 saves, but that wasn’t enough to bring the Wildcards out on top.

Captain Anna Fedin came out hot in the first period with Novak and Burien on her wings to whip past the stunned Wildcards and snap a goal past Arquette’s right pad at the 1:19 mark. Before the Wildcards were able to rally themselves, Fedin scored a second goal for the Cosmonauts.

“I had great support out there today, “ says Fedin of her teammates, “The Wildcards have a huge offense, with Martinez being such an elite scorer. So our strategy today was to hit early and to hit hard.”

A blazing backhand from Vitaliza Burien ended the first period with Cosmonauts-3, and Wildcards-0.

After the first period massacre, Martinez tried to rally. A tighter defense line from the Wildcards pushed the game into long swooping plays as both teams struggled for possession.

Wildcards finally nab their first goal of the game as Martinez broke through the Cosmonaut defenders to fire a lucky wrist shot that pinged the crossbar and down into the net.

Meyer chipped in a fourth goal for the Cosmonauts with a beautiful assist from Katy Fedin that took advantage of the rink’s sloped walls to bend a pass around the two Wildcards defensemen.

“The newness of ISMO hockey means that we’re constantly inventing new ways to play. New strategies to score. That was a nice one by the Cosmos today, “ said Wildcards Captain, Marquez, of today’s unexpected play.

Martinez claimed two more goals for the Wildcards in the third period, completely dominating the rink and continuing his burning streak of multi-goal games. He is currently the lead scorer in the league with 17 goals over a 4 game stretch.

“Martinez is definitely the star of the Wildcards. Heck, he’s the star of ISMO right now. But they [the Wildcards] can’t continue to lean on his scoring ability so heavily,” says commentators, “Everybody on the team’s gotta pull their weight.”

For the remainder of the third period, the Cosmonauts desperately battle the Wildcards to keep their lead and stall the efforts of Martinez. The Cosmonauts pull through the final moments to win the game 4-3.

This brings both the Wildcards and Cosmonauts to even ground with Khimik in the standings. Each with 3 wins and 2 losses so far. The Wildcards slip from first place in the overall standings with their loss today.

Extended Exhibition Plans

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Seulovik will take the top 4 teams to Marineris, Noviymir, Wendland, and Europa in a 2nd round Exhibition.

Martian ice hockey has gained enough momentum at the midpoint of it’s 5 week schedule for organizers to announce the next stage of exhibition play.

Until now, unless you live in one of the hockey prototype settlements or purchased one of the weekend vacation packages, more likely than not, you’ve seen very little of this sport.  This announcement by the ISMO will change all of that as extended exhibition dates are in the works and are expected to be played in Marineris, Europa, Noviymir and Wendland.

ISMO has arranged with local councils to set up temporary rinks in each respective colony.  Not only does this increase audience size, it provides a platform for fund raising.

“After this first round of games wraps up,” explained Fredrick Seulovik, President of ISMO, “We’ll take the top 4 teams on tour.  We believe in our mission to develop new sports, so this will our showcase.”

Not all teams were happy to hear this news.  Sands’ captain expressed disappointment that this plan was not shared prior. “Of course we are upset.  We were led to believe that the exhibition was part of the training camp program, not actual competition.  What can I say, we feel we were left in the dark.“

The Sands have had a dismal record thus far, losing all 4 games and having scored only 2 goals over the 3 weeks of play.  It is unlikely that the Sands would have faired any better had they been aware of the second round.   

When asked how the teams would be selected in case of tied records, Seulovik responded that it would come down to points.  Clearly, they are looking for the teams with the greatest skill and capacity to entertain spectators.

In actuality, ISMO hockey training camp currently has 15 test teams, from which only 6 are represented in the current exhibition round.

According to program organizers, many of the test teams may disband as players return back to their home colonies and back to their day-jobs.  It is unclear at this point whether ISMO will broker deals to create rinks and training facilities in more colonies to continue their efforts in developing the sport outside of Mareotis, Noviymir and Korolev. This could very well be dependent on reactions during the 2nd round of exhibition.