UPPER VALLEY HOCKEY LEAGUE

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Nords win second Whalen Cup in three years!

I think that DYNASTY is too strong a word given that the Nords upset their higher ranked and favored opponents both in 2003-04 and now in 2005-06. Underdog Champs, perhaps? In any case, this almost rematch from the inaugural season was not an overtime nail biter and shootout thriller. It was an anti-climactic win for the Nords who came out strong and did not let up against a team that had dominated them and the league all season. Storm King captain and re-founder Dan French offered no excuses for his team saying that "We can win with 9 players against anyone" and was classy in defeat post-game at OTG offering his congratulations to the Nords and co-commishes over a beer. The surprising Nords took a page out of the Storm Kings book and started scoring and did not stop. Will Meyer was on fire and did his best Sean Coakley impression and scored 5 goals for the Nords, including the eventual Cup winning goal. Unfortunately, Coakley was not in the house to respond in kind as he was on a previously scheduled March Break for Cardigan Mountain School. In truth, it probably wouldn't have mattered because the Nords were hungrier. Meyer and Coakley's goals would cancel each other out and the Nords had everyone involved. JT peaked at the exact right point in the season and continued his A-game form in net. Again, Frenchy offered no excuses knowing that his team has plenty of talent, but the light Storm Kings line-up could not match the depth of a full Nords bench. The Storm Kings actually scored first and looked to be more than ready to raise the Cup in the early stages of the game with trademark superior puck control, defensemen joining the rush and open men in front scoring the goals. This time it was Stu Close jumping in from the point on Greg Gosselin's sweet feed in front at 12:00 of the first to put the Kings up 1-0. Kelly Park sent one post-to-post past Frenchy but it didn't cross the line, and later in the game Park hit the crossbar but couldn't buy a goal although he had some chances, and Frenchy turned away all of his "slapshots" from the point on the Nords power plays. The Will Meyer Show started at 9:57 on a goal assisted by linemate Deanna McDevitt. Mike O'Neil snuk in from the Nords blueline at 8:35 to convert a Greg Marsh pass for a goal. Meyer scored again to start the momentum gaining seriously in the Nords direction with an unassisted goal at 6:17. Meyer's line connected in full at 5:32 on Meyer's third of the period from Ian Coates and Deanna McDevitt. Then it was Captain Tao Smith's line of himself, Dave Willis and Poli Nightingale to take their turn scoring at 4:07 with Smith getting the goal from Nightingale and Willis. On the same shift Willis scored at 3:42 from Nightingale and defenseman Tom Dakai completing the period with 6 unanswered Nords goals and the momentum clearly in their favor. However, these same Storm Kings have been known to tally more than 6 in a row themselves, and they almost got it started on the PP with O'Neil in the box at 2:57 for hooking if not for the stellar goaltending of JT in the Nords net. Meyer started the second period where he left off tallying his 4th and 5th goals of the game on the same shift. His fourth was at 12:45 from Ian Coates, and the fifth was at 12:02 from Kelly Park and Deanna McDevitt to make it 8-1 Nords and th outcome of the game never in doubt from that point on. Some fatigue and frustration set in for the Kingers and Andy Weber took an interference call at 7:15 that led to a PP goal by Greg Marsh at 6:24 set-up by Kelly Park and a player listed as #5 (the Nords don't have a #5...). Another penalty call went to Weber at 4:17 for hooking, but the Storm Kings killed it off. Tom Scull rang one off the post in the third to put a scare into JT if only for a brief moment. Late in the second Nords captain Tao Smith received a saucer pass softly on his backhand from defenseman Shawn McDermott and broke down the right side scoring on the Storm Kings net with 0.3 seconds left to make it 10-1. In the third the Storm Kings asked for running time due to fatigue, and Smith complied with their request. Greg Gosselin was called for hooking at 12:01 of the third, but the Kingers shut down the Nords PP again, and allowed only one PPG againist a potent Nords attack. Dave Willis got his second of the game at 9:46 of the third from Greg Marsh, and then Poli Nightingale ended the onslaught at 8:03 from linemates Tao Smith and Willis. The Storm Kings spoiled JT's one goal game with only 1:40 to go for pride on Rick Hughes' marker from Tom Scull. Yes, that's right hockey fans, NORDS WIN!

 

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