May 24th, 2006- The ‘Bulldogs’ packed their bags and headed to Las Vegas last Thursday, in their quest to capture the LaBatt Blue National Championship. They were a last minute addition to the tourney based on their performance at the regional competition and some inside help.

There was tons of concern that the ‘Dogs’ would spend their free time boozing, gambling and skirt chasing, instead of focusing on the three day tournament. Those concerns were put to rest on the first night when the club went out partying until 6 a.m. They promptly showed up, half-heartedly ready to face the ‘Land Sharks’ of Minnesota less than five hours later, most of them, with less than three hours of sleep. The team looked sluggish early, trailing 2-1 midway through the second period. They tied it late in the period, and took the lead for good late in the third, thanks to some heroics by Jason Darfler and Joey F.V.

The second game was going to be more difficult. Several players went to bed at 3:00 am after another long night, while the remainder decided to stay up through the morning for the 7:00 am game. The ‘Bulldogs’ again fell behind early, but rallied again after Sal Karim broke the deadlock. The ‘Dogs’ coasted through the final period by tacking on three more goals to win the game 6-2 vs. the ‘Bruins’ of Florida.

After enjoying their victory breakfast, many of the players went up to their rooms to get in some sleep. After a short nap, they headed for the pool to work on their tans and pick up some loose women. What they got for their trouble was some nasty sunburn and some flirty, old skanks.

It seems as though the rest and recreation did the ‘Bulldogs’ some good. They went out later that night and whipped up on the Pueblo ‘Heat’ of Colorado, turning the scoreboard into a pinball machine with a 17-0 drubbing. The victory gave the ‘Dogs’ the undisputed conference title and the right to face the Orange County ‘Nordiques’ of California in the championship game. The ‘Nordiques’ not only won their conference, they shut down their opponents by outscoring them 21-2. They were also the defending champions from the 2005 LaBatt Tournament in Chicago.

Although they put forth a valiant effort in the championship game, the ‘Dogs’ were simply outmatched. They kept the game close for the most part, only to end up being shutout by the ‘Nordiques’. Some early penalties may have led to the ‘Bulldogs’ demise, but all in all, they never gave up.

“This was one heck of a weekend” said Alex Martinez. “Going undefeated in our conference far exceeded everyone’s expectations. Not many thought we would be playing in the championship game. This tournament is a huge event every year and considering this was our first time out, we did an outstanding job. Everyone shined at one point during the weekend, on and off the ice.”

“Being part of this team is truly special as we all found out. Being a finalist at the Labatt Blue USA Hockey National Championships is not bad, although winning it all would have been better. We have nothing to be ashamed of and we have every intention to win this whole thing next year. Las Vegas 2007 here we come."

The ‘Bulldogs’ wish to congratulate the ‘Nordiques’ on the victory. They would also like to thank their fans, LaBatt Blue, Inc., Blue Line Radio, USA Hockey Adult Coordinators and all of their sponsors who made this weekend possible.

For information on sponsoring the ‘Bulldogs’, contact Alex Martinez at 630-779-6470 or email alex@chicagobulldogshockey.com

• Morale: On what should have been an exciting and fun weekend, the ‘Bulldogs’ collapse in the last game can be attributed mainly to heavy criticism and arguments on the bench, early in the game. There is no quicker way to doom your team then by taking away the team’s morale.

Next up: Wednesday May 24, 2006 vs. the ‘Cones’ at 9:20PM.