UPPER VALLEY HOCKEY LEAGUE

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Nords face Tuck in Battle for First Place & Top Playoff Seed on Jan 30th

These teams entered the game tied for first place by virtue of the UVHL's winning percentage standings, both squads sporting a 75% stat, and with only 4 regular season games left, the winner of this game might very well have the edge for the top playoff seed. The Nords gave away a win last week to the Storm Kings allowing the Kings to come from behind for the victory on a night that the then solo first place Tuck was upset by the Leafs. The head-to-head battle would determine the top spot, for now at least, and then their remaining records over the next 3 games would decide the first playoff seed. Both teams were virtually guaranteed one of the top two playoff seeds before this game thereby ensuring a first round bye and head-to-head scrimmage on Feb 27th.

The game didn't start great for the Nords as captain Tao Smith went to the box for tripping at 14:26, only 34 seconds into the game. Then Tuck co-captain Pat Fox entered his team's penalty box at 13:33 for hooking. Was it a sign of things to come? Nords C Ian Coates capitalized on the PP with an unassisted goal at 11:58 to put the Nords up 1-0. Tuck tied it at 7:51 when sniper Peter Hanbury buried one off a feed from co-captain Alek Roomet on the blueline.

In the second Hanbury took a hooking minor at 6:02, and the Nords PP clicked with a goal at 5:39 on Will Meyer's first of the game from Dave Willis and Tao Smith to make it 2-1. Other than back and forth action, great saves, and solid D, that was the only scoresheet action of the period.

The thrid period decided this game, and both teams were playing well. There were no excuses. Tuck had 2 full lines, and the Nords had 2 lines plus two, and each team was missing at least one heavy hitter - the Nords were without Drew Crapser (again), and Tuck was missing Scott Turco. Meyer gave the Nords a 2 goal lead at 13:53 off a pass from Greg Marsh, who has turned playmaker of late and has crept into the top 10 in UVHL scoring. Tuck D Ryan Burkart took a hooking call at 9:57 and the Nords PP was firing on all cylinders as they increased their lead and stranglehold on the game with a back breaking goal at 8:22 top shelf by Mike O'Neil parked and left alone in front from linemate Marsh and PP-QB Kelly Park. Goaltender Anik Cote said post-game that "you guys got all good goals", and tipped her hat to the Nords scorers. Tuck was playing hard, and Roomet got sent for bodychecking at 7:37, and Tuck rallied with a shorty to make it 4-2 Nords on Burkart's superb unassisted effort. Momentum was changing, but it got ugly before it took a one-eighty. Nords speedy superstar Will Meyer raced down the right wing with the puck and was met with a full hip check into the boards by Tuck D Ryan Burkart. Meyer did not go down, and continued with the puck after the struggle into the Tuck corner to the left of Cote. Nords captain Tao Smith charged in to defend Meyer who was jawing and wrestling with Burkart in the corner, and Smith creamed Burkart from behind into the boards sending Burkart's melon into them head first. Not cool, uncalled for, and definitely dangerous and above and beyond what vigilante justice that was necessary on the NON-CALL on the dirty and unexpected bodycheck. As you can well imagine, things got a little out of hand, and I did not see it all since I was right beside the Tuck bench when the hit from behind happened and I turned around to ensure that noone left either bench to join the fray. Tempers elevated, and Tuck co-captain Gary Hunter came in as the 3rd man and started throwing haymakers alongside Burkart against Smith and Meyer (from what I am told). It all came out in the wash like this: nobody was hurt or injured (thank goodness), Burkart and Hunter got 2 minute minors for roughing, Meyer and Smith also got 2 minute minors for roughing, and Smith was assessed a 5 minute major for hitting from behind and an automatic (and appropriate) game misconduct. Therefore, the Nords were a man down, and Ian Bartrum served Smith's major as the roughing minors came out in the wash. Huh? Methinks somebody got screwed on this deal, but there was a game still to win, and the remaining players focused on hockey once the puck dropped, and a great game continued. The Nords were down for 5 of the final 5:56 left, and Tuck was more than capable of mounting a comeback. Unfortunately, Nords F O'Neil took a needless and stupid tripping penalty at 5:20 to give Tuck a 5-on-3 when he tripped a Tuck player outside the Nords zone who wasn't even a scoring or passing threat. Stupid, stupid, stupid! That gave Tuck the opportunity, and they took it to the bank with a PPG by Roomet at 4:30 from Trevor Martin to make it a 1-goal game sending only O'Neil back out of the box and leaving 3:34 to go on the PP for the Smith major. Luckily the Nords still had JT to rely on, and he saved the game with a clutch glove grab off the stick of Hanbury to prevent Tuck from tieing it up! Tuck had their entire line-up available to attack the Nords, but they could not penetrate the Nords PK or JT's heriocs in net, and the Nords battled and killed off the major and the remaining 56 seconds to get the hard earned win over a very tough opponent.

 

Team:	Time:	Type:	Player:	Details:
NDQ	00:00	Goal	Coates, Ian(1)	Assist(s): none
TCK	00:00	Goal	Hanbury, Peter(1)	Assist(s): Roomet, Alek(1)
NDQ	00:00	Goal	Meyer, Will(1)	Assist(s): Willis, David(1) Smith, Tao(1)
NDQ	00:00	Goal	Meyer, Will(1)	Assist(s): Marsh, Greg(1)
NDQ	00:00	Goal	O'Neil, Michael(1)	Assist(s): Marsh, Greg(1) Park, Kelly(1)
TCK	00:00	Goal	Burkart, Ryan(1)	Assist(s): none
TCK	00:00	Goal	Roomet, Alek(1)	Assist(s): Martin, Trevor(1)
NDQ	00:00	Penalty	Smith, Tao(1)	2 minutes for Tripping
TCK	00:00	Penalty	Fox, Patrick(1)	2 minutes for Hooking
TCK	00:00	Penalty	Hanbury, Peter(1)	2 minutes for Cross Checking
TCK	00:00	Penalty	Burkart, Ryan(1)	2 minutes for Hooking
TCK	00:00	Penalty	Roomet, Alek(1)	2 minutes for Body Checking
NDQ	00:00	Penalty	Smith, Tao(1)	5 minutes for Hitting From Behind
NDQ	00:00	Penalty	Smith, Tao(1)	10 minutes for Game Misconduct
TCK	00:00	Penalty	Hunter, Gary(1)	2 minutes for Roughing
TCK	00:00	Penalty	Burkart, Ryan(1)	2 minutes for Roughing
NDQ	00:00	Penalty	Meyer, Will(1)	2 minutes for Roughing
NDQ	00:00	Penalty	Smith, Tao(1)	2 minutes for Roughing
NDQ	00:00	Penalty	O'Neil, Michael(1)	2 minutes for Tripping

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