UPPER VALLEY HOCKEY LEAGUE

ODDS:	EVEN
OVER/UNDER:	8

After Tuck's shellacking of the brewers iin last week's quarterfinal they carry some momentum into the semi-finals. Tuck has been playing very well the final third of the season and look like a different team - a good one! Some of the lustre of the Gamblers has worn off as they lost a few games late in the season and have had some attendance issues, but they earned the #1 seed for a reasoon. Will it be the MMA line tonight with Meyer-Marrazzo-Ammel being the heroes, or will it be the Mantin-Nowak-McKay trio making the difference? Remember, the top two scorers in the league are playing in this one: Meyer and Mantin. This game may come down to the top lines battling it out, but will ultimately be decided by the average players elevating their game. Whichever team plays best from top to bottom will play for the Whalen Cup next week. My prediction: 4-4 going into OT with Meyer scoring in the extra 5 before it goes to a shootout.

Gamblers comeback to squeak by Tuck 8-7 for 1st Whalen Cup berth

Tuck takes Gamblers to brink of elimination:

Right from the beginning Tuck looked hungry and ready to win this semi-final game and advance to their third Whalen Cup Final in 5 years. They got off to a flying start only 26 seconds into the contest after Gamblers D Joey McIntyre coughed up the puck to super sniper Adam "The Jewish Assassin" Mantin in the slot for a quick 5-hole goal through Jered Condon's goal-gina, who looked shell shocked to be facing such a wicked chance so early in the period. The next 4 minutes of hockey were extremely BORING, and then all hell broke loose! Mantin then stuffed one past Condon's left pad at 4:22 after grabbing the puck off the boards in another superb individual effort. Tuck's top line made it 3-0 stunning the Gamblers at 4:53 after Nowak fed Mantin in the neutral zone on a break, Mantin found McKay and sent him into the Gamblers' zone splitting the D and sending a whistling wrister over Condon's outstretched glove. It looked over for the Gamblers early, but Mr.Everything, Will Meyer, picked his listless team onto his back and with sheer will power pulled them back into it. Meyer helped cut the Tuck lead back to two with only 1:38 left in the first after being fed by linemate Dan Ammel as Meyer's shot was found on the rebound by McIntyre who, making up for his earlier gaffe, put it up and over a diving Fitzgerald into the Tuck goal.

In the second the scorefest continued. Gamblers winger Trey Schaft found a streaking Meyer with a great pass in the neutral zone at the blueline, and Meyer expolded into the high slot for a rocket-like shot that beat Fitzgerald cleanly at 13:28. Meyer set up the tying goal a mere 12 seconds later with a screened shot off the face off to Royce Lawrence for the goal. Tuck quickly answered to regain the lead at 12:49 with the deadly duo of Mantin and McKay connecting for credit as the Gamblers knocked in their own rebound to put Tuck up 4-3. The Gamblers almost tied it, but the net was clearly off and the potential GTG did not count at 11:27 to complete a bizarre 5 minutes of back and forth, up and down hockey. Both teams appeared to find their rhythm after that, but the scoring did not stop! Nowak absolutely roasted Condon over his blocker to put Tuck up 5-3 at 8:12 after Nowak cut across the high slot from a matt Hession feed. The Gamblers' D pinched poorly leaving Meyer to cover for the out of position D, and Meyer allowed Nowak too close to the net on a 2-on-2 for Nowak to get the quick shot off fooling everyone. I wish I had more game notes, but those are the goals that I saw in person. The remaining scoring and cheers were heard throughout the rink with players exiting the locker rooms to see who scored and who was up in this awesome see-saw semi-final battle. Matt Marrazzo, a deadly component of the MMA line and 4th leading scorer in the UVHL this season, was not to be outdone by Meyer, and Marrazzo scored an unassisted effort of his own at 3:13, and followed it up at 2:18 to tie the game at 5-5, this time from linemate Ammel and defenseman Kevin Guilbault. Mantin put Tuck up once again with only 1:10 to go in the second from Nowak to make it 6-5 Tuck heading into the third.

 

Team:	Time:	Type:	Player:	Details:
1st PERIOD
TCK	14:34	Goal	Mantin, Adam(34)	Assist(s): none
TCK	04:53	Goal	McKay, Simon(11)	Assist(s): Nowak, Derek(28) Mantin, Adam(24)
TCK	04:22	Goal	Mantin, Adam(35)	Assist(s): none
GMB	01:38	Goal	McIntyre, Joe(9)	Assist(s): Meyer, Will(22) Ammel, Robert(32)
2nd PERIOD
GMB	13:28	Goal	Meyer, Will(40)	Assist(s): Schaft, Trey(1)
GMB	13:16	Goal	Lawrence, Royce(9)	Assist(s): Meyer, Will(23)
TCK	12:49	Goal	Mantin, Adam(36)	Assist(s): McKay, Simon(14)
TCK	08:12	Goal	Nowak, Derek(19)	Assist(s): Hession, Matt(7)
TCK	06:10	Penalty	Ralli, Pace(2)	2 minutes for Interference
GMB	03:13	Goal	Marrazzo, Matt(21)	Assist(s): none
TCK	02:04	Penalty	Adair, Mike(5)	2 minutes for Roughing
GMB	02:04	Penalty	Young, Jason(7)	2 minutes for Roughing
TCK	01:10	Goal	Mantin, Adam(37)	Assist(s): Nowak, Derek(29)
3rd PERIOD
TCK	12:06	Goal	Mantin, Adam(38)	Assist(s): Mikoshiba, Takashi(3) McKay, Simon(15)
GMB	09:27	Goal	Marrazzo, Matt(22)	Assist(s): Harrington, Mike(6) Davis, Scott(5)
GMB	08:45	Penalty	Marrazzo, Matt(6)	2 minutes for Checking
GMB	03:43	Goal	McIntyre, Joe(10)	Assist(s): Hathorn, Bruce(6) Meyer, Will(24)
TCK	03:02	Penalty	Nowak, Derek(1)	2 minutes for Holding
GMB	02:18	Goal	Ammel, Robert(20)	Assist(s): none
TCK	00:28	Penalty	McKay, Simon(4)	2 minutes for Checking
GMB	00:10	Goal	Ammel, Robert(21)	Assist(s): Meyer, Will(25)

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