THE

UPPER VALLEY HOCKEY LEAGUE

Gamblers
Lumberjacks
1st
4
1
2rd
3
2
3rd
1
0
FINAL
8
3
Shots
32
30
November 29th, 2023 - 7:55PM
WABA - White River Junction, VT
Pre-Game
Recap
Box Score
Discussion
Game ID: 1455

Gamblers Throttle Lumberjacks.

With Tuck away on break we settle into the heart of the season with 4 teams battling and getting sick of one another. At least that’s how it usually goes. Rivalries are made this way. Well, not on this UVHL night in late November with everyone in mid-season form. There was only one penalty called the entire game. Weirder things have happened… and we all know what happens in the locker room stays in the locker room… kinda like Vegas or Niagara Falls (on the Canadian side cuz we all know the American side suuuckkksss and is really fucking boring).

The first shot on goal for the Gamblers found the back of the net only 35 seconds into the game as Raymond Nolan bulged the twine early assisted by Luke Deary and Luke Ceplikas. This was a foreshadowing of what was to come as the Gamblers came to play tonight against a Jordan McGee-Jay Zaneloni-led Lumberjacks squad with 8 players, tons of ice time, and no excuses. The ‘Jacks even had the ageless wonder, Scott Shaw, make a guest appearance in his first game of the season tonight. Scottie has gotta be north of 45 (since I’m 52 and played in the UVie until I was 43) and he certainly did not look out of place during any shift at any time in this competitive contest. Looks good on ya, Scottie! It may not have been an all-time record for the oldest UVHLer in a game, but it was definitely one of the most solid performances of anyone in their mid-40’s that I have witnessed. Max Woods made a really nice pass to one of his wingers but they missed the net high and wide. McGee continued to weave his way through 4 opposing G’s defenders reminiscent of the dominant player he was a decade ago. He’s still got it, eh, and he plays a 200’ game, too, so watch out for the double threat. However, the G’s kept at it and went up 2-0 at 9:26 on a Ryan “The Other” LaCroix goal from Max “Fucking Awesome Ref” Woods and brother and linemate Topo LaCroix. A few weeks ago, Mr. “I’m their proud Daddy” LaCroix was at one of the games to watch his sons play, but unfortunately there were no fans in the stands in this one. Mr. LaCroix’s “Special Little Boy”, Topo, missed the ‘Jacks net close and low to the L and then Cline made a good R pad save at the other end to keep it 2-0 in favor of the G’s. Sean “Tom” Collins made a nifty deke and hit the post by Libby’s glove in the ‘Jacks net. The ‘Jacks brought it within one at 6:47 as Marc “I’m fatter than I used to be, but am still damn good” Gattie jumped in from the blue line to score from McGee and Jared “LaBelle of the Ball”. Or is it LaBelle Balls? I think it’s the latter, but I have no first-hand confirmation. The Gamblers had a 3-on-1 and there was NO PASS on the play. Are you
kidding me? One job… However, the play was initiated by a great neutral zone pass by Topo LaCroix to spring the 3-on-1 towards the Lumberjacks zone. McGee showed his two-way game with a sweet blocked shot at the blue line giving him a breakaway, but Cline answered with a nice L pad save to keep it a 1-goal game. The Gamblers rewarded their goalie with more goal support at 5:20 as Ceplikas got his second point of the night from Spencer Zaha. The ‘Jacks defended well on a nice stick check on a 1-on- 1 deflecting the puck harmlessly over the glass. Then Zaneloni stuck his leg out and blocked a shot with the inside of his R foot in the slot and he didn’t even cry this time. I would have…. Owie, owie owie! In the final seconds the G’s were pressing and got one past Libbey with 1 second left on the clock when the speedy Max “Super Ref” Woods potted his second point from defenseman Ryan “Bergie” Bergeron. Shots ended 11-8 for the G’s at the conclusion of the first.

This time it was the Lumberjacks who struck first and early in the 2 nd just 28 seconds in with McGee finding the back of the net from LaBelle Balls and Zaneloni. I noticed both teams had some nice neutral zone play with some backchecks, steals and passes. LaBelle had his balls on the ice when he lost the puck to allow a 2-on-1 led by Woods and one of Daddy’s Special Boys, and Woods had the Eye of the Tiger ripping it over the glove of Libbey into the top corner on an unassisted snipe at 11:30 to make it 5-2. Shortly thereafter the ‘Jacks answered with an unassisted effort of their own when Zaneloni “Oh, Captain! My Captain!” solved Cline to bring it back within 2 at 11:09. The Gamblers’ Luke “Shouldn’t Make a Pass” Ceplikas had a 3-on-2 and passed it to his L winger after being totally open for a shot in the slot. One job… Sean “Tom” Colliins made a fantastic backcheck to stop another McGee chance to Cline’s R side. The ‘Jacks Ryan “Fresh” Frisch made a great goal mouth stop on the pass across to Libbey’s R side by the post where it would have been a virtual tap in for the G’s awaiting forward. The LaCroix-LaCroix duo was flying alongside Luke Dreary and made a great passing play only to have Frisch make another outstanding defensive play with a poke check on Dreary’s shot attempt. McGee circled around the O-zone with the puck on his stick like Patrick Kane looking for an open ‘Jacks teammate, but no one was open and the Gamblers defended their D-zone well. Raymond tripped McGee on this clean and fast game’s only infraction at 3:25 as McGee went in for the backhand flying across the crease. Apparently, Mrs. McGee has requested that her hubby, Jordan “McSelfish” McGee, just stop flying across her crease and spend a lot more time “down there”. Supposedly, we all need to spend more time in the crease according to Cosmopolitan magazine issues 1 through the current fucking issue. In any case, it was the Gamblers who dominated on the PK and not the other way around. They were in control almost the whole time and Topo LaCroix had a good chance and nice SH SOG. During the PK Cline made a NOICE clear with the puck coming out of his net to intercept the dump in and got it all the way past center ice. The ‘Jacks didn’t generate a SOG during the PP until 3 seconds after the penalty expired. The Gamblers finished the period strong in the final seconds, once again on an unselfish play by Woods also assisted by Zach “I’m the Second Best Referee in the UVie” with 12 seconds go to. I didn’t get the correct scorer on the play as it was reported as being scored by #11 Matt Marrazzo who was not present. In fact, Gamblers’ captain Will Meyer was also absent and the Gamblers played so well you couldn’t even tell 2/3 of their top veteran line wasn’t there. It was a true team effort from the 10 players that made it. Shots were tied at 18 apiece at the end of the 2nd.

The third started with the score 6-3 for the Gamblers. They added to their dreaded 3- goal lead at 12:17 on Ryan LaCroix’s second goal of the game from Luke Dreary. Less than a minute later McGee made a great neutral zone backcheck to stop a Gamblers advance with his skate. Luke Webster made a half whiff on a shot in the slot after a good pass from his Gamblers teammate Luke Dreary, and on the very next play Dreary got off a good shot on Libbey who made the save. After that, there were several missed nets by both teams in the mid-3 rd period. The L-L-W line of LaCroix-LaCroix-Woods was looking good for the Gamblers at this point and for most of the game. McGee made another great rush with the puck 1-on-3 getting off a shot and a nice save needed by
Cline to keep it 7-3. The Fresh Frisch made yet ANOTHER excellent goal mouth interception to prevent a Gamblers tap in, and then Libbey followed it up with a sweeeet poke check of his own to deny the G’s yet again. Dreary showed his mad skills going behind the back of his leg on a deke and great shot with 3:06 left in the game. Marc “Love Handles” Gattie made a sweet defensive play of his own with a signature great stick to thwart another Gamblers advance. Woods completed the Hatty at 2:11 from Collins and Ryan LaCroix to finish the scoring at 8-3 for the Gamblers and the shot totals close 27-25 in favor of the Lumberjacks.

MVP? I will start with an honorable mention to a noticeable and game changing effort in a losing cause by the Lumberjacks Ryan Frisch. Sometimes the scorers get all the credit and that’s not fair to players like Frisch, the Whalers’ Jason Yehle, the Gamblers Ryan Bergeron, or Frisch’s tower of a teammate Marc Gattie. Defense matters, eh. We can’t ignore the strong game and Hat Trick by the Gamblers’ Max Woods who made it look like Meyer and Marrazzo could stay home and not be missed that much. They were missed, of course, but weren’t needed to make a difference in this one. How can I not mention Jordan McGee? His dominant play at every end of the rink and neutral zone shows how good he is and why he’s one of the UVHL’s all-time best players win or lose.

LVP? Okay… I get it. You guys want to stay in the locker rooms after the first game for some “team bonding”. Several “Fuck no!” responses were hurled my way when I poked my head into the locker rooms between games to see if anyone was going to Applebee’s post-game so I could prepare our bartender and hostess extraordinaire Lexi for a flood of players or a trickle of hard core UVHLers. Okay. I’m not gonna give anyone shit this week for hangin’ out with their teammates after the first game anymore. Who am I kidding? Are you guys fucking serious? The league gets moved to the Upper Valley and you have a few extra hours after the early game to hang out with the boys afterwards and you just stay in the locker room and don’t go out to get food or (more) beer post-game? That’s WEAK. Beer doesn’t replace the lost muscle glycogen burned during hockey, and you replenish it faster during a 30-minute physiological window when you eat within 30 minutes after the cessation of exercise. Boom. I really am a doctor, eh. A foul-mouthed one, but still a doctor. That’s hard-core fitness shit right there. Hopefully, I’ll see some of you losers at the bar when I show up just shy of 11:00 every UVHL Wednesday night. Otherwise, I’m sure you fine athletic specimens know a training secret that I don’t know about your post-game locker room “routines” that keeps you all in such fine form and not dehydrated from a just below illegal intoxication level post-game. On a serious note, nobody sucked in this game and it was well played both ways. Perhaps having only 3 subs hurt the ‘Jacks as the game went on, but it was 6-3 for the Gamblers going into the 3 rd anyway.

LEAGUE PICK 'EM
 0%
Gamblers
0% 
Lumberjacks
PICKS
THREE STARS

Max Woods

GOALS: 3
POINTS: 5

Luke Ceplikas

GOALS: 1
POINTS: 4

Evan Cline

GA: 3
SAVES: 27
SAVE%: 0.9

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