UPPER VALLEY HOCKEY LEAGUE

ODDS:	Dead River by 1 goal
OVER/UNDER:	16 goals

Tuck returns with some nastyness from last season combined with a new goalie or two (or so I am told) and a plethora of rookies to take on the new and improved (attitude) Dead River squad made up of our favorite ref and man-whore Greg Hadley leading the majority of the defunct Storm Kings players in a new direction. What will happen? Hmmm...there will be goals, goals, and more goals because both of these teams need to learn how to play their team games first, and early in the season it will be like frickin' pond hockey until Hads returns to mid-season form in net, but his team will score plenty at the other end so it should balance out. My prediction: Tuck-Dead river 8-8 tie before it goes to a shootout, and Tuck wins because Hadley was screened on one of the shots.

TUCK PUTS THE DEAD RIVER BOYS 6 FEET UNDER

New Season. New Look. New Attitude. Different result... HUH? Whatever the formula Dead River has for this season, their first as a new entity fully exorcised of their past demons, it is welcomed and appreciated by the league and their opponents. Not a single word was uttered, no whining or complaining, no bitching at the refs or commishes, no nasty pre or post game e-mails, and it was great! Both squads were working on getting to know their new teammates, style of play, and establish some early season chemistry. By the end of the night it amounted to only 4 goals scored in the game, but I wouldn't put any money on either team being offensively challenged at this point.

Tuck's Big Green Machine returns with their first 3 season player, former captain Ryan McGovern, a hot new goaltender Dan Yacey, new captains John Clifford, Ryuji Kikichi, and Simon McKay, and a plethora of talented UVHL rookies, too many to mention here. Dead River weclomes Dan Bloom, Tyler Dickinson, Evan Duggan to the league, their core of former Storm King players, along with Jason Loomis, Brian Racicot, and goaltender, GM, ref, ski instructor, and man-whore extrordinaire Greg Hadley between the pipes. First on the scoresheet was DR's Ian Gill in the box for hooking at 13:25, but the River Rats shut down Tuck's first PP of the season. Coughlin started Tuck's scoring at 4:46 from Kikuchi and Eckbo, and then Eckbo followed up his assist with a PPG with 4 seconds left in the first from either #77 Coughlin or #74 Hay (or both?) as #7 was listed as the lone assist on the scoresheet. DR's Tom Scull was in the box at 1:44 for hooking on Tuck's PPG, and heroically (or stupidly... you pick!) played the rest of the game with a broken blade in his skate just like the tenacious, tough, old school, old time hockey player that he is!

Dead River came within one at 13:25 of the second as Scully made up for the Tuck PPG he sat in the box for scoring the only goal on Yacey from fellow Straffordite Jason Loomis and Ian Gill. With the score 2-1 in favor of Tuck, Ekbo got his second of the game and (we think) 3rd point with 5:12 to go in the middle frame from Barnett. The remainder of the scoresheet is void of penalties and scoring plays, but I am sure the hearts and minds of the many UVHL rookies are not void of fond memories and the sheer thrill of excitement to step on the famed UVHL ice for the first time...or not...what the hell, we can dream, can't we?

Final Score: Tuck 3, Dead River 1

Final Tally: Check the Boxscores section, eh! Don't forget to vote for the Long Trail UVHL Player of the Week!

Final Analysis: Tuck started stronger than they have in the past few seasons with fewer weak links and a deeper roster, and a solid, solid goaltender in net, their best since Stu Logan last strapped on the pads, and Yacey was probably the difference in this one. Dead River was missing a few key elements and will get stronger as the season progresses, so don't think they are going to be hurting for offense as it was their first game with several new players, and Hadley's first UVHL game in net in a couple of seasons (and he only allowed 3 goals!). This was a very clean game, there were only 2 penalties, and both squads were a class act and started the season off great.

 

Team:	Time:	Type:	Player:	Details:
1st PERIOD
LAB	13:25	Penalty	Gill, Ian(1)	2 minutes for Hooking
TCK	04:46	Goal	Coughlin, Halsey(1)	Assist(s): Kikuchi, Ryuji(1) Eckbo, Claus(1)
TCK	04:00	Goal	Eckbo, Claus(1)	Assist(s): Coughlin, Halsey(1)
LAB	01:44	Penalty	Scull, Tom(1)	2 minutes for Hooking
2nd PERIOD
LAB	13:25	Goal	Scull, Tom(1)	Assist(s): Loomis, Jason(1) Gill, Ian(1)
TCK	05:12	Goal	Eckbo, Claus(2)	Assist(s): Barnett, Jordan(1)

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Game Comments:
kpark Quechee, VT Registered: Dec 2003 Posts: 723	Looking for a ref! Oct 13th, 2009 09:40 AM Hey guys, we are down a ref for the late game tonight. Looking to see if anyone playing in this game would throw on some stripes with Hadley for the 9:20pm game. KP