UPPER VALLEY HOCKEY LEAGUE

ODDS:	Gamblers by 2 goals
OVER/UNDER:	10 goals

The Brewers (9-6-0) host the Gamblers(10-4-1) in a showcase of offensive talent will butt heads in the early game. The Gamblers seemed to right their sinking ship with a big 7-2 win over the Storm Kings last week after losing the previous 2 matches. The Brewers on the other hand have gone 5-5 in their last 10 games after starting out 4-1.

With the return of NIck "The Stick" Bayley to the Brewers lineup, you would think their offense would be upgraded significantly, but after 3 months in the sun with no hockey to be found, Bayley looked like an average version of Shawn McDermott.....ok, and thinner too. Leading the way will be Billy "The Kid" Fletcher, Brock "Bubbles" Barton & Christian "The Devil" Isaac. On defense they are solidified by Seany "The Love Guru" McCabe, Garren "The Human Stick Figure" Poirier, Kevin "Cro-Mag" Calder & Danny "Tons of Fun" Charette.

The Gamblers have one of the best lines in the UVHL this season with Willy "Weeble Wobble" Meyer, Matty "The Milkman" Marrazzo & "The Danimal" Dan Ammel. They are scary fast, smart & physical. That line has 45 of their 79 goals with Meyer putting in 25 himself. Their defense has been upgraded by Joey "NKOTB" McIntyre & "Rolls" Royce Lawrence. Combined with "The Bash Brothers", Fraser & Harrington, they are a tough foursome to battle in the corners.

You can't bet against the Gamblers. Expect a good tight game, but the Gamblers to walk away with the big 6-4 win.

Brewers jump out 3-0, but Gamblers roll to a 6-4 win.

It was a battle from the get-go when the 1st placed Gamblers(10-4-1) took on the pesky Brewers(9-6-0). The Brewers have been as consistent as you possibly can be when you go 5-5-0 in your last 10 games, but were glad to have back Nick "The Stick" Bayley for his 4th game of the season and second in a row. Bayley helped his teams cause with 2 goals on the night and some DREADFUL back checking. Bayley started the scoring just 4:23 into the game from his new best friend Billy "The Kid" Fletcher. The Brewers were all over the Gamblers in the 1st period, surmounting a 3-0 lead before the end of the period. The Brewer's Petey "Big Bird" Bartline was excellent in the first as well as he turned away all 12 shots he faced, while the Gambler's J-Red "The Gaping 5-Hole Of Death" Condon could only manage to stop 3 of 6 shots in the first. Ok, just kidding, it was 3 of 7 shots......ok, you got me again, it was actually 3 of..........17.

Also chipping in for the Brewers in the first period were "Jumpin" Joey Lyle, who threw 18 death stares at the opposition, and Brian "Smitty" Smith from Lyle & Davey "Super Chunk" Charette.

END OF THE FIRST: Gamblers 0, Brewers 3
SAVES: Condon(GMB) 14, Bartline(BRE) 12

The Gamblers turned up the heat after a very emotional mid-period speech by captain Willy "Wobble" Meyer. Meyer quoted Shakespeare & Barry Melrose followed by some idle threats and tender sobbing. That seemed to wake up the Gamblers who absolutely dominated the hapless Brewers from that point on. "Meyer was the difference maker out there in the 2nd and 3rd." said commissioner / referee / reigning buffalo-wing eating champion. But it was, in fact, Jason "Young Blood" Young who started off the scoring for the gamblers just 2:05 into the 2nd period. Young's goal came on the powerplay from a 100 foot sniper pass from his goaltender J-ROD Condon. In the box was Garren "The Human Stick" Poirier for hooking, and took another penalty 4 minutes later that resulted in a "Rolls" Royce Lawrence goal just as he was leaving the box. Willy Meyer hooked up with his best bud in the whole wide world, Matty "The Milkman" Marrazzo just over a minute later to tie the game at 3 apiece and 7:11 to play before Lawrence got his 2nd of the night and 7th on the season with 3:17 to go from Dan "The Danimal" Ammel to give his team the lead for good.

END OF THE SECOND: Gamblers 4, Brewers 3
SAVES: Condon(GMB) 18, Bartline(BRE) 16

The 3rd period had a nice flow to it with the Gamblers having to kill off 2 penalties in the first 10 minutes. Without any goals being scored in those first 10, and the nature of a CLOSE 4-3 game, tempers started to flare and players started to take exception to the stick work on both sides. Willy Meyer finally broke through on Bartline with 2:45 remaining in the game, unassisted after he turned a defender inside out, put on the after-jets and made Bartline look like a pile of half digested dung. Did I mention that it was a short handed goal, with Scotty Davis in the box for hooking? Well it was. Just over a minute later, Davis & Sean "McLovin' " McCabe went to the box for roughing each other up a bit. i'm not really sure what happened, but I think there was an unauthorized reach around that someone took offense to. The play continued 5 on 5, when Nick "Dr. Strangelove" Bayley put the moves on the Gamblers like they were a drunken freshman at a Dartmouth College Frat Party. Bayley walked away with his 6th of the season and brought his team back within a goal. The Brew Crew pulled their goalie in hopes of a desperation goal, but "Mighty" Bruce Hathorn fed Danny Ammel an open netter with 1 second to play, sealing the victory for the Gamblers.

 

Team:	Time:	Type:	Player:	Details:
1st PERIOD
BRE	10:37	Goal	Bayley, Nick(5)	Assist(s): Fletcher, Bill(15)
BRE	07:36	Penalty	Yehle, Jason(6)	2 minutes for Holding
GMB	05:50	Penalty	Lawrence, Royce(3)	2 minutes for Holding
BRE	05:50	Penalty	Calder, Kevin(3)	2 minutes for Tripping
BRE	03:37	Goal	Lyle, Joe(5)	Assist(s): McCabe, Sean(11)
BRE	01:00	Goal	Smith, Brian(8)	Assist(s): Lyle, Joe(8) Charette, Dan(5)
2nd PERIOD
BRE	14:37	Penalty	Poirier, Garren(15)	2 minutes for Hooking
GMB	12:55	Goal	Young, Jason(6)	Assist(s): Condon, Jered(1)
BRE	10:22	Penalty	Poirier, Garren(16)	2 minutes for Slashing
GMB	08:15	Goal	Lawrence, Royce(6)	Assist(s): Davis, Scott(2) Young, Jason(3)
GMB	07:11	Goal	Meyer, Will(26)	Assist(s): Marrazzo, Matt(16)
GMB	03:17	Goal	Lawrence, Royce(7)	Assist(s): Ammel, Robert(19)
3rd PERIOD
GMB	14:40	Penalty	Young, Jason(6)	2 minutes for Tripping
GMB	07:50	Penalty	McIntyre, Joe(5)	2 minutes for Interference
GMB	04:31	Penalty	Davis, Scott(1)	2 minutes for Hooking
GMB	02:45	Goal	Meyer, Will(27)	Assist(s): none
GMB	01:30	Penalty	Davis, Scott(2)	2 minutes for Roughing
BRE	01:30	Penalty	McCabe, Sean(1)	2 minutes for Roughing
BRE	00:44	Goal	Bayley, Nick(6)	Assist(s): Bartline, Peter(1)
GMB	00:01	Goal	Ammel, Robert(12)	Assist(s): none

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Game Comments:
hkydoc WRJ, VT Registered: Jan 2004 Posts: 517	Great competition in this one Feb 12th, 2009 01:34 PM This was a battle, no question. Meyer was the difference after his team went down 3-1 to the Brewers, but Bayley brought back it to a 1 goal difference late in the third to give his team a shot until the empty netter sealed the deal for the Gamblers. Nice game to all involved, and even the whining wasn't all that bad (nothing we can't handle anyway).
hkydoc WRJ, VT Registered: Jan 2004 Posts: 517	Park called it... Feb 12th, 2009 01:35 PM Hey, Parky! I just realized that you called this a 6-4 game for the Gamblers ahead of time, and it was! Nice job. eh, you hockey guru.