UPPER VALLEY HOCKEY LEAGUE

ODDS:	Gamblers by 3 goals
OVER/UNDER:	11 goals

The Gamblers had a 9-game winning streak crumble last week in a tough 6-3 loss to the Nordiques. They looked less than impressive, and more like the 0-2-1 team that started the season than the power house they are. Tuck took a 6-4 loss at the hands of a solid Brewers club, but gave up 4 goals in the first to put them right out of contention for a win.

Both teams look to fix some deficiencies, but I'd have to give the edge to the Gamblers who will surely bring their A game tonight with a bit of attitude after looking a bit too confident last week. Tuck has found an offensive outlet with Adam "Preying" Mantis returning to form and the addition of Derek "Kojak" Nowak & Simon "Cowell" McKay. In net Ryan "The Hot Fizz" Fitzgerald has been "good enough" to keep his teams in the game, but needs to bring a bit extra to inspire his defense which hasn't been spectacular.

At the other end of the ice is J-Red "The Net Condom" Condon, who returned from a stint in the minor leagues where he posted a 10.89 GAA and .589 save percentage. The Gamblers were reluctant to recall him, but had to make the tough decision after realizing they didn't have any other options. But the Gambler's have had a complete team game going, where they've put some good effort into their own end and ramped up their offense.

This should be a good battle, but the Gamblers will still prevail 7-4.

KP

Gamblers looking to start a New Streak.

One of the best games of the year had the Gamblers(9-3-1) hosting the bottom of the barrel Tippity Tuckies(4-9-0). A game that should have been a walk in the park for the power house Gamblers, but a rapidly improving Tuck team had other plans and flexed their WICKED SMAAHT KID hockey muscles in a solid 6-5 win. The Gamblers were coming off of a tough 6-3 loss to the Nords that snapped their 9 game winning streak and sent captain Willy "Weeble Wobble" Meyer into a fit of depression, quickly followed by anger and a short burst of alcohol induced bi-sexuality. Not that there is anything wrong with that.

Tuck generated it's power tonight from Adam "Preying" Mantin, who contributed 2 goals & 2 assists for his league leading 41 points. Mantin had some help with Simon McKay chipping in 2 goals & an assist, but had to overcome a FAST start by the Brewers that had Tuck staring down the hall at a 4-1 deficit. Tuck did score first on a goal by Mantin, from his best buddy in the whole wide world, McKay, at 13:55 of the first. Despite the quick tally by Tuck, the Gamblers started strong, putting in 4 goals in the first period from 4 different scorers. Matty "The Milkshake" Marrazzo threw a little chocolate & vanilla swirl together to start the scoring for the Gamblers assisted by "Rolls" Royce Lawrence with 11:20 to play in the first. Tyson "Chicken" Seeley roofed a rebound with 5:45 to put the Gamblers up 2-1 and was quickly followed, just 17 seconds later with a Willy Meyer BLAST low stick side for the 3-1 lead. Meyer's goal was the result of a HORRIFIC turner over Tuck's resident turnover machine, Drew "Spin-O-Rama Then Turn-It-Over-Rama" Crapser, who threw an errant pass right up the middle to Lawrence who dished quickly to Meyer for the tally. Crapser was the focus of another bad play at 2:55 as he made a Mite-C poke check on the blue line at Jason Young "Blood" who threw his favorite move on Crapser called "Hey look at me, I can't stick handle, but somehow I just pulled the puck around you at the last second and said 14 hail Marys." After making Crapser look like a pilon, Young fired a blistering shot high off of the chest of Fitzgerald and into the slot where Scotty "Diggity" Davis jammed home the rebound to put the Gamblers up a HEALTHY 4-1. A lead that the lowly Tuckies couldn't possibly come back from.....a lead that was very descriptive of the powerhoused Gamblers squad, but oh.....wait, SOMEONE GETS A BIT TOO COCKY. Tuck closed out the scoring with 1:37 to play and to set the tempo for the 2nd period when the crafty Mantin
tried wrapping the puck from behind the net, the puck ricocheted off of J-Red "The Walking Condor" Condon's ankle, then off the near post, quickly traversing the crease before hitting the far post and onto the stick of Simon "Cowell" McKay who was patiently waiting on the opposite side of the net for the "gimme" goal to cut the lead in half....4-2 Gamblers.

END OF THE FIRST: Gamblers 4, Tuck 2

Tuck started to roll in the 3rd and the Gambler's Condon was called upon early to keep the game in check, but it was a defensive turnover by Joey "New Kid On The Block" McIntyre who clearly "did not have the right stuff. (McDermott). McIntyre's turnerover was right on the stick of Mantin, who fired a quick shot past Condon who looked more like a giant ball of lard on the play rather than a goalie. Tuck tied the game with 8:31 to play when Derek "Kojak" Nowak cut to the corner on a nice move and fired a blistering pass to the McKay streaking to the crease. McKay made a beautiful tip through the gaping 5-hole of Condon. The Gamblers answered back just 26 seconds later(8:26) when Marrazzo scored a fluke goal as he made a couple of nice moves on Fitzgerald but lost the puck that dribbled past Fitzgerald who just couldn't seem to get his footing. Scotty "Fructose" Fraser threw one of the nicest hipchecks this reporter has ever seen at 7:22 of the second, but unfortunately for him, there were no cameras in the building AND it is kind of illegal to throw hipchecks in the UVHL.....he went to the box for 2 and felt shame. The two teams battled over the course of the next 5 minutes before Nate "The Great" Berner tied the game back up after taking a pass from Stephen "Chunky" Cheng took the puck towards the corner before cutting along the goal line and jamming his own rebound past Condon who sucks.

END OF THE SECOND: Gamblers 5, Tuck 5

The 3rd period was a set stage for some good hockey. There were at LEAST 12 fans in the stands, probably all of Condon's family members who were thoroughly embarrassed to know him and started filtering out of the stadium early in the game. Regardless, it was a battle and a chess match in the 3rd. Nobody wanted to make a costly mistake, which led to a beautifully flowing hockey game. There weren't any penalties and no goals through the first 14 minutes before Takashi "Mitsubishi" Mikoshiba hit Mantin who found Nowak for the game winner and under a minute to play to catapult the arena into a frenzy as the Tuckeroooooooonies SHOCKED THE WORLD TONIGHT, and then went home and put some shockers on their loved ones.


That's just the beginning ladies.....stay tuned.

 

Team:	Time:	Type:	Player:	Details:
1st PERIOD
TCK	13:55	Goal	Mantin, Adam(21)	Assist(s): McKay, Simon(9)
GMB	11:20	Goal	Marrazzo, Matt(11)	Assist(s): Lawrence, Royce(8)
GMB	05:45	Goal	Seely, Tyson(6)	Assist(s): Fraser, Scott(2)
GMB	05:27	Goal	Meyer, Will(24)	Assist(s): Lawrence, Royce(9)
GMB	02:55	Goal	Davis, Scott(3)	Assist(s): Young, Jason(2)
TCK	01:37	Goal	McKay, Simon(6)	Assist(s): Mantin, Adam(18)
2nd PERIOD
GMB	13:15	Penalty	Young, Jason(4)	2 minutes for Holding
TCK	13:15	Penalty	Mikoshiba, Takashi(1)	2 minutes for Holding
TCK	10:41	Goal	Mantin, Adam(22)	Assist(s): none
TCK	08:31	Goal	McKay, Simon(7)	Assist(s): Nowak, Derek(20) Crapser, Drew(2)
GMB	08:05	Goal	Marrazzo, Matt(12)	Assist(s): none
GMB	07:23	Penalty	Fraser, Scott(6)	2 minutes for Checking
TCK	01:40	Goal	Berner, Nate(3)	Assist(s): Cheng, Stephen(6)
3rd PERIOD
TCK	00:53	Goal	Nowak, Derek(13)	Assist(s): Mantin, Adam(19) Mikoshiba, Takashi(2)

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Game Comments:
kpark Quechee, VT Registered: Dec 2003 Posts: 724	ROOT ROOT ROOT FOR TUCK Jan 27th, 2009 03:08 PM I love to see the big man fall, and I even love to see Willy Meyer get all crotchety when he's losing. There really is nothing better than an angry dwarf, well maybe a drunken angry dwarf high on speed......yeah, that's pretty cool. GO TUCKEROOOSKies