UPPER VALLEY HOCKEY LEAGUE

ODDS:	Tuck by 3 goals
OVER/UNDER:	9.5 goals

Week 2 begins with two teams looking to find their team game, but Tuck was strong out of the gate and had their best first game of the season in a few years beating Dead River 3-1. Therefore, I'm gonna have to give the edge to Tuck in this match-up. Rumor has it that the enigmatic Colin Vernon will once again suit up for the Whalers and give them the puck moving defenseman that they desperately need. The Whalers have potential, but didn't show enough of it falling to the Nords 10-3. Tuck by 3 in a 5-2 win is my bet for some wings and bleu cheese post-game!

WHALERS HARPOONED BY TUCK

One game blow-out, no worries. Two games in a row, more than just a little mild concern. This one started bad for the Whale with a goal given up a mere 10 seconds into the contest on Hay's first of 3 goals, this one assisted by Derek Nowak. Tuck scored again at 12:48 as Cape found the net from Helming and Bates. John Clifford and Helming then fed Hay for his second goal at 6:59 and Tuck was up 3-0 before half a period was barely over. Whalers winger Zach Aher answered to bring his team back within 2 at 5:01 from hardworking linemate Scott Leger, and the teams entered teh second with Tuck ahead 3-1.

Tuck scored 4 unanswered goals in the second, the first by former captain and alum Ryan McGovern, his first of 3 on the night, at 12:40 from Bates. Hay completed his Hatty at 11:59 once again assisted by Nowak. Clifford added two goals in a row, the first unassisted at 9:48 and then 18 seconds later from Nowak who picked up his 3rd assist on the night - a "Gretzky Hatty"!

The game remained scoreless for almost 16 minuted until Tuck turned it on again at 8:52 of the third as Nowak potted a goal to accompany his 3 assists from Clifford, who also picked up his 4th point of the night. McGovern potted two in a row, one of them a nasty breakaway that turned LeLallier inside out, scoring at 8:35 from Carrihill, and at 7:34 from Helming who got his Gretzky Hatty, too. At this point the Whalers looked like they wanted to give up. Body language was poor, frustration was setting in, but both squads were classy and there were no penalties called. Lallier was hung out to dry by the team in front of him, and although I'm sure he'd like 3 or 4 goals back, it wasn't a case of a bad goalie on this night. The chances that the Whalers allowed came down to poor defensive play, poor transition, a non existent East-West game, and from getting beat to the puck. Jay Zaneloni tried to wheel and deal, but tuckered himself out in the process. The Whale tried to take a few offensive risks, and one paid off with a goal at 6:18 off of Chuck Gaede's stick assisted by Jim "LeReach" LeClair and Liam "Sean Avery" Oliver. Tuck finished their onslaught at 4:35 on Carrihill's goal from Clifford. Yacey was tough to solve in Tuck's goal, and the Whalers DID generate some serious scoring chances during the game. Yacey was just that good, and there were few rebounds and the Tuck D cleared out the puck and the traffic in front to prevent second chances off of Whalers sticks, and that was the difference.

Final Score: Tuck 11, Whalers 2

Final Tally: Check the Boxscores section, eh! Don't forget to vote for the Long Trail UVHL Player of the Week!

Final Analysis: So, it all comes down to this after two games into the season: are the Nords and Tuck really that good, or are the Whalers in trouble? I'm gonna have to say it is the latter, and it all comes down to defensive end play. Lallier didn't play an 11.00 GAA game, maybe a 5 or 6.00, but not an 11.00. In addition, Lallier wasn't beat by many clean blistering shots off Tuck sticks, it was rebounds, goal mouth passes, and scrambles. He was hung out to dry by his D who did not beat Tuck forwards to pucks, who did not clear out pucks from in front, and who did not execute basic skills with speed or urgency. Also, the forwards did not contribute in their own end either, and therefore were not there to get quick break out passes from the pressured and beleagured D. Unless the defensive end is fixed, the Whalers will be beached in their own end. Tuck looked good, and is a team with more depth than last season, and has a big-time goalie between the pipes, so beware the Big Green Machine!

 

Team:	Time:	Type:	Player:	Details:
1st PERIOD
TCK	14:50	Goal	Hay, James(1)	Assist(s): Nowak, Derek(1)
TCK	12:48	Goal	Cape, Tony(1)	Assist(s): Helming, Andrew(1) Bates, Steve(1)
TCK	06:59	Goal	Hay, James(2)	Assist(s): Helming, Andrew(2) Clifford, John(1)
WHL	05:01	Goal	Aher, Zach(1)	Assist(s): Aher, Zach(1) Leger, Scott(1)
2nd PERIOD
TCK	12:40	Goal	McGovern, Ryan(1)	Assist(s): Bates, Steve(2)
TCK	11:59	Goal	Hay, James(3)	Assist(s): Nowak, Derek(2)
TCK	09:48	Goal	Clifford, John(1)	Assist(s): none
TCK	09:30	Goal	Clifford, John(2)	Assist(s): Nowak, Derek(3)
3rd PERIOD
TCK	08:52	Goal	Nowak, Derek(1)	Assist(s): Clifford, John(2)
TCK	08:35	Goal	McGovern, Ryan(2)	Assist(s): Carrihill, Colin(1)
TCK	07:34	Goal	McGovern, Ryan(3)	Assist(s): Helming, Andrew(3)
WHL	06:18	Goal	Gaede, Chuck(1)	Assist(s): LeClair, Jim(2) Oliver, Liam(2)
TCK	04:35	Goal	Carrihill, Colin(1)	Assist(s): Clifford, John(3)

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