UPPER VALLEY HOCKEY LEAGUE

Top dogs battle, flip a coin

ODDS:	EVEN
OVER/UNDER:	8

This one should be close IF Tuck has their best players there. I'm assuming that they are not pussies, will drive in the snow, and all want a piece of the Gamblers who have been thumbing their nose at all UVHL teams from their lofty perch atop the standings. Will the Tuckies bring fans again this week? If so, they have been inspiring to the white and green, and have been like a 6th player out on the ice for them. I'm looking forward to the top offensive line going up against the best 3 defensemen in the league, and two top flight goalies having a duel. Even odds, close game, flip a coin. Regardless it is GAME ON tonight no matter that the weather may be.

See you on the ice!

Gamblers win tight game against Tuck

There were 11 Gamblers and 9 Tuckies in this UVHL battle, and 1 Gamblers fan! It was fast paced right away, and early on Halsey Coughlin gave a bad pass right to the Gamblers' Topo LaCroix, but superstar defenseman Andrew Helming came across to cut down on LaCroix's options, and Yacey made the save. Shots were 5-1 Gamblers at 11:45. Coughlin was stood up in the slot by Marc Gattie to deny the scoring chance. Yacey made another save on LaCroix, this time high up with the blocker. The cross bar was hit behind Yacdey, but he made the save on the rebound shot at 7:28. The tenth shot on net went into the top corner at 6:31 on a wicked point shot by Jason Young from Dan Ammel and LaCroix. Yacey was screened and barely saw it, and JY got the shot off quicker than his usual & patented "3 second wind-up and follow through over the net and into the stands slap shot". Last week's Player of the Week, Tuck's Josh Cherney, took a slapper that was gloved by Jered Condon at the opposite end, and then Matt Marrazzo went the other way and was stopped by Yacey at 4:21. A rebound was tucked in by Coughlin off a pad save by Condon on the Jordan Barnett shot at 1:34 to send the game tied 1-1 into the second period. Shots were a stunning 17-5 for the Gamblers.

In the first minute of the second Tuck's Scott Howard had a nice try on a neutral zone pass intercept diving & sliding to stop Will Meyer's long pass to Marrazzo and just missed by an inch to prevent the 2-on-1. Marrazzo got the puck and went in with fellow winger Ammel and they passed back and forth but missed the net at 14:08. Tuck crashed the net at 12:44 and Condon made 2 saves before the net was knocked off. There was great action at both ends, and Tuck was having success crashing the net, and was outshooting the Gamblers 6-2 at the 11:41 mark. James Hay scored a nice PPG on a deke and backhand shot over Condon's blocker iinto the top corner at 10:24 from Helming with a Gambler in the box serving Condon's tripping penalty. A pass from Young to Ammel and then across the crease to Meyer for the goal over Yacey's outstretched L pad at 8:47 tied the game at 2-2. The Gamblers were much better than last week on the bench, and they were having fun and weren't bitching at all. During a 2 minute stretch there were no shots on goal at either end. Bates got frustrated and hammered Evan Seely behind the net and was called for interference at 2:09. During the PK another Tuckie went to the box giving the gamblers a 5-on-3 advantage with Barnett going for holding at 1:04. On the 2-man advantage JY's slapper, that I must note was delivered much faster than usual, found the net past Yacey at 0:52 from Meyer and Marc Gattie. The remaining minute or so with the man advantage saw 3 more shots off of JY's stick miss the Tuck net... so it must have been a blue moon or something... Second period shots were almost even with 13 against Yacey, and 12 against Condon.

The third saw a much lower shot total, and they stood at 1-1 as Gattie blocked another one in the slot at 11:35. Mike Harrington tripped up a charging Helming along the boards at 9:53, and there was still only 1 shot on goal each at that point. The Gamblers controlled the puck on the PK and killed it off. Tuck got 2 shots on Condon right after their PP ended. There was plenty of physical play, hooks, and slashes during this period, and the refs were letting it go evenly. Shots were 4-3 for the gamblers at the 6:50 mark. Yacey made a ice save on a 3-on-1 against the MMA line. Harrington held Helming along the boards again and went to the box at 4:59. Tuck took their timeout. We unfortunately had some problems with the clock as it was not turning on, and it messed up a few plays and we apologize for that. The final goal was a shot just past Yacey's glove as he moved across to challenge Seely at 2:58, with LaCroix and Gattie getting the assists. Yacey made a big save at 1:14 as Marrazzo bulled in off the face-off for a quick shot. Tuck pulled the goalie with a minute left, but could not find the back of the net in the final seconds. Shots stood at 8-8 in the very physical and defensive third period of this excellent match.

Final Score: Gamblers 4, Tuck 2

Final Tally: Gamblers D "Mr. Wind-up" Jason Young had the most significant impact on the game. Not only did he actually play well, but scoring the first goal AND the GWG on slappers from the point were huge! JY also added an assist, and gets a well deserved POW nod. Yacey faced 38 shots, and Condon 25. Two assists each were earned by the Gamblers Marc Cattie, Topo LaCroix, and Dan Ammel.

Final Analysis: The dream match-up between the top forward line and the best 3 defensemen in the league did not materialize, as "The Other" Chris Johnson, and Ryan"The Governator" McGovern were not there. Helming alone made a huge difference out there, and I can only imagine... fantasize really... how much better Tuck would have been if Johnson and McGovern suited up. I have a feeling Tuck would have had the edge if they had made it, but we will never know... The Gamblers earned it, but it was close. JY's reduced "hang time" on his slappers resulted in two big goals that were the difference, and Yacey really had no chance on either of them as they somehow found the net and did not go directly into the stands.

See you on the ice!

McD

 

Team:	Time:	Type:	Player:	Details:
1st PERIOD
GMB	06:31	Goal	Young, Jason(3)	Assist(s): Ammel, Robert(16) LaCroix, Topo(10)
TCK	01:34	Goal	Coughlin, Halsey(7)	Assist(s): Barnett, Jordan(7)
2nd PERIOD
GMB	11:31	Penalty	Condon, Jered(2)	2 minutes for tripping
TCK	10:24	Goal	Hay, James(8)	Assist(s): Helming, Andrew(9)
GMB	08:47	Goal	Meyer, Will(26)	Assist(s): Ammel, Robert(17) Young, Jason(8)
TCK	02:09	Penalty	Bates, Steve(1)	2 minutes for interference
TCK	01:04	Penalty	Barnett, Jordan(7)	2 minutes for holding
GMB	00:52	Goal	Young, Jason(4)	Assist(s): Meyer, Will(16) Gattie, Marc(14)
3rd PERIOD
GMB	09:53	Penalty	Harrington, Mike(9)	2 minutes for tripping
GMB	04:59	Penalty	Harrington, Mike(10)	2 minutes for holding
GMB	02:58	Goal	Seely, Evan(15)	Assist(s): LaCroix, Topo(11) Gattie, Marc(15)

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Game Comments:
kpark Quechee, VT Registered: Dec 2003 Posts: 723	Tuck wins 8-2 Feb 1st, 2011 04:21 PM Yeah, I said it. Tuckies win 8-2. Condon lets up 12 goals, not sure how that works, but that's my prediction. Meyer will take 10 PIMs not including a fight. This should be a great game. KP