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New Look & Feel Avs Start Season Off Right 10-3 vs. Bruins
The second contest of this new UVHL season saw the newly improved Avalanche take on the ever tough Bruins. Unfortunately, the numbers and talent were a little lopsided as the stylish Avs sported not only new jerseys, the sexy unis graciously donated from last year's Cup champs the Nords, they also sported several new UVHLers that were the clear difference in the game. New Avs included Dartmouth med schoolers Peter Bartline in the goal, a former D1 goaltender at Holy Cross; Nick Bayley at center, a former Canadian Junior player; Christian Isaac, yet another Canuck from the Junior ranks; Lebanon's solid D Dan Charette, originally from a D3 program in Massachussets; Killington's Tom Fallon joining him on D from the high school ranks; and methinks the youngest UVHLer, Killington's speedy & skilled Travis Coe; along with super defender UVHL veteran Jay Campion to round out their new and improved roster with the returning Avalanche skaters. The Bruins entered the evening with a mere 10 players plus goaltender and GM Greg Hadley, well below their usual tenacious forechecking roster of 14. Admittedly, this author did not watch more than 7 minutes of this game, but the evidence is on the scoresheet. The B's just did not have the horses to keep up with this new Avs squad. It could have been a different game if they weren't missing Big Daddy Alec Jessiman on D, the speedy forwards Aaron Isabelle and Steve Geiger, and a more plentiful lineup late in the game when legs were tired and lungs were burning. All that, and if Hadley didn't stop giving a shit after it was 6-1 for the Avs. Hey, nothing that a few beers and Buffalo wings can't cure post-game eh! I was told that Bartline was barely tested in the Avs net, and that once the score didn't matter the penalty box was left fairly empty as the teams got down to some run-and-gun hockey. But beware, the next time these clubs meet the Bruins will remember that the score was run-up a little and will not be merciful in return. However, I am sure that the Avs just couldn't resist after spending the last 2 UVHL seasons near the bottom of the puck pile.
Again, the first entry on the scoresheet was a penalty as the teams prepared for their adjustment to new USA Hockey standards. Seth Warren went to the B's box at 14:06 for interference with the only penalty of the period, believe it or not, and the fresh B's lineup killed it off. Future Dr. McDreamy Isaac served up the first goal at 10:39 from Coe. Then it was future Dr. McHottie Bayley with an unassisted effort at 6:28 (okay, sorry, my wife "makes" me watch Grey's Anatomy too much...but I NEVER watched Brokeback Mtn, not even once, unlike Kelly Park who had a Brokeback weekend marathon after it came out on DVD). Power winger Matt Marrazzo answered with an unassisted goal of his own with 4:12 to go in the first for the Bruins keeping it close at 2-1. Isaac scored his second of the period at 1:44, again from linemate Coe. In the second former Avs captain from last season, Sean McCabe, scored his first goal of the night, and eventual GWG, at 13:36 from D-man Charette. Then it was UVHL tryout guest Chris Otto, brother of Nords D Peter Otto, who suited up for the Avs, going to the box at 12:12 for interference. With the score 4-1 for the Avs, the penalty parade continued throughout the second with Charette sitting for hooking at 9:25, Avs veteran Al Sorrentino giong for interference at 8:34, and Bruins newcomer and former Hartford Hurricane Dan Ammel (leading scorer from the Nords squad in the UVHL's 2006 Mud League joining his cousin, the tenacious mini-sniper and UVHL's 2005-06 Most Improved Sportsmanlike player, whatever that means, Tony DeFelice on the B's) at 2:04 for slashing. All penalties were killed off, except for Ammel's which saw Coe pot his first UVHL goal to go with his 2 assists at 0:54 from Isaac and the speedy Chris Johnson to end the period 5-1 in favor of the Avs. Again, for the second game in a row there was a player in the box to start the third, this time being new Avs Captain, the veteran Mike Hickey for hooking at 15:00. Bayley scored yet another unassisted goal, this time shorthanded, at 13:34 to put it out of reach. Nevertheless, the tenacious Ammel kept threatening to score for the B's, and finally did at 12:40 from Jay Smith and Warren. The Avs kept it going, and Johnson scored his first of the season at 11:35 from Coe and Isaac, both garnering their 4th points of the night. Barely a minute later McCabe continued his quest for Player of the Game scoring at 10:45 with assists from veterans Hank Bouchard and Sorrentino. B's defender Scott Fraser didn't like it very much, so he bulled his way in for an unassisted effort past future Dr. McBendy Bartline at 10:27. At 9:13 Bayley completed his Hat Trick from McCabe, and the two connected again at 5:30 for the final goal of the contest completing McCabe's Hat Trick assisted by Bayley and Campion, thereby earning both players POG nods. Matching minors were served up with 1:00 to go to bitching Av Johnson for elbowing and the B's Powers for roughing while time clicked off the clock to end it.