Top Three Francisco Solano Fights (International Edition)
That was a tough game to watch, wasn't it? Three straight goalless periods. Several good shots from both sides that clearly could've gone in. Several good saves from both the elder Cervantes and Lasséseth. But neither side was able to break that deadlock, which meant we went into overtime. And, much like the last time we were in Valanora, we only get five minutes before we have to go into a shootout. While it wouldn't be a problem for us, we were still trying our hardest to avoid that happening. And then the miracle happened. Thirty seconds from the end of overtime, which surely would've forced the aforementioned shootout, captain Anatoly Kasputin managed to score the only goal of the night. A clever little wrist shot that just made its way over Lasséseth's glove and into the back of the net.
And now I'm going to talk about... Francisco Solano fights. Why? I was going to do this leading up to the Novaya Zemlya series, for reasons I'll get into, but I ended up putting it off. So now I'm doing this now for whatever reason. I mean, he's one of the best enforcers in the ENIHL (if not ice hockey in general) but he didn't really do a whole lot in that first Valanora game. But who knows? Maybe he'll do something fascinating, like scoring an excellent goal or grabbing an assist. Either way, let's get this thing started.
#3: vs Scott Herndon (game two against Kaboomlandia, WCoH30 SF)
Although at the time I pretty much wrote this off as an uninteresting fight, when I come back to revisit it, I keep finding new ways to enjoy it. First of all, compare the 6' 2.5" Solano to the 6' 8" Herndon. Not as big as the time the 5' 7" Bill Harrison pummelled a 6' 4" Aaron Richards in the first game, but it was still impressive. Secondly, they both seemed evenly matched throughout the fight; though they both landed blow after blow, it wasn't really enough to rattle the other. Which might not seem like much but remember that they're both able to throw some pretty hard blows. Especially Solano, as you'll find out if you keep reading. And, finally, they probably had a good reason to have a go at each other. I'm guessing that they were both still mad about that last game, where we managed to win 7-6. Whether it be because of the result or Kaboomlandia blowing a 6-2 lead going into the third period, you can't deny that there might've been some bad blood between these two heavyweights.
OK, not really that exciting, but this list would be boring with two entries on it. So shall we go to the next one? Yes, I think we should.
#2: vs Fyodor Ryzhkov (game one against Novaya Zemlya, WCoH27 QF)
Yes, we lost this one 1-0, but you have to admit that the fight against Fyodor Ryzhkov more than made up for it. For those who can't, or don't want to, remember, Ryzhkov was being a bit of a pain in that match, bagging four interference penalties. Granted his job is to be a pest and the referee did seem a bit too over-eager but, according to comments made by Novozemlyan media, he did appear to cross a lot of lines during that game. So it came as no surprise that Francisco Solano had to step in to sort things out and, as we all expected, the gloves came off and the two started duking it out.
What no one expected, however, was Franny wiping the floor with Fyodor. Solano landed a couple of good punches before grabbing onto Ryzhkov's jersey. This was followed by Solano landing a series of left blows that not only knocked Ryzhkov's helmet off but also knocked him onto the ice. Granted, Fyodor manage to land one or two blows but they severely paled in comparison to the ones he got. As a result, Ryzhkov got beat pretty badly and had to miss game two, which we won 1-0. Fortunately for his team-mates, he was back for game three, which saw Novaya Zemlya making it to their first semi-final after a 2-0 win. Luckily, there's a bit of a happy ending here, as Solano and Ryzhkov buried the hatchet a year and a half ago when the former invited the latter to Rosetta during the off-season. It also lead to that famous photo of them both drinking beer and wearing each other's jerseys.
On the upside, this series was the beginning of how Anatoly Kasputin ended up getting big in Novaya Zemlya. He did a few interviews for Novozemlyan TV, where he talked about where his parents came from and how he got into the sport. All in the native language, which was an impressive feat. Eventually, it got to the point where he turned down an extension at the Puffins and decided to play for Torpedo Belushya Guba, one of the top teams in the NZEL. They haven't won anything with him yet but I'm sure that they will eventually. After all, he's pretty much their star player, being granted the captaincy before he played his first game and replica jerseys frequently sold out during his first season there. Of course, he's not the only Puffins thing that's made it big over here - *cough* pizza *unconvincing cough* - but there's a good chance he won't be the last.
Now, after that random aside, let's go to my number one Franny fight.
#1: vs Logan Guthrie (game two against Quebec, WCOH29 SF)
Although Mr. Guthrie has long since retired, it's fitting that I should mention this last fight, which showed that towards the end he still had plenty of strength left in him. After a first uninteresting fight in the first period, Guthrie and Solano went back at it again in the third. And let me just say that it was a much more interesting fight. Although Guthrie had the upper hand throughout the fight, even knocking off Solano's helmet in four hits, Franny still held his ground and refused to go down. In fact, he also managed to land a few good punches and knock off Logan's helmet. Despite the fact that he was bleeding pretty badly, Francisco Solano kept shooing the refs away as he managed to deliver a few good hits on his opponent and, after a while, knocked him onto the ground.
However, the debate still rages on about who won the fight? Did Franny win because he floored Logan? Or did Guthrie win because of the damage he dealt to Solano? Or was it a draw because they were two good fighters who were evenly matched? We may never know...
So there we have it. Three fights, one player. Granted, a player that doesn't have much use in a series like this, which is why coach Madgwick should rest him bump his son Lucas to first line LW. Maybe bring Swinburne to second line and have Alejandro Rubio Orosco on third, just so there's a bit of depth. But, then again, it's his team and I'm not sure if he ever keeps an eye on my humble blog. I know the Valanora Times does for some reason but I'm sure it's a pretty good one.
Now, if you'll excuse me, it's time for me to sit in my favourite chair and watch game two of the final. Will we take a 2-0 lead going into game three? Or will the Calcuttas claw back and make it 1-1? Speaking of which, Novaya Zemlya beat Cosumar 4-3 (regulation time, by the way) in their first 3PPO game, so I should go into depth about that series as well. Maybe later but, for now, it's time to ask the big questions: Will Novaya Zemlya come away with a sweep and take home their first medal at the competition? Or will the Ice Dragons equalise and force a game three? Guess we'll all have to wait and find out...
