UPPER VALLEY HOCKEY LEAGUE

ODDS:	Nords by 3
OVER/UNDER:	8

The Nords have always had trouble with the stifling forecheck of the Whalers, especially when their wingers sit lazily at the blueline expecting a pass from an exhausted D. If the Nords continue this pattern against the Whalers, then there is only so much JT can do to keep his team in it. However, when the Nords are on they are ON, and the Whaler defense has been under attack all season long thus far from both opposing forwards and from the Upper Valley hockey pundits. If the Whalers take care of their own end first, then they have a chance against the Nords, and against all the other UVHL squads. If not, then it could be another 11-2 beating. Nords by 3.

Nords-Whalers in Goalie Duel on Nov. 17th!

There wasn't much scoring in this one, I'll tell you that right off the top. The Whalers definitely showed up with the right roster and were determined to play some serious hockey starting in their own end. And they did. The Whalers top line carried the play for a great deal of the game, and Jay Zaneloni looked good between Cody Vose and Scott Shaw with all three players carrying the puck, moving to open spaces, and creating scoring chances to keep the Nords D on their heels right from the get go. The Nords had everybody there except 1 player, and they, too, were focused on playing some good hockey after a solid performance against Tuck last week. The first period saw chance after chance turned away by Lallier and Turner as the two teams skated to a scoreless first period even after the Whalers PP got several chances with Park in the box for tripping.

The first goal wasn't until halfway through the second, and the Nords sighed a breath of relief when Kelly Park and Jordan McGee found Alex Brands who finally solved Lallier. The time of the goal, like the penalties of this game and all the other goals and games, too, were unfortunately left off the game sheets by our substitute scorekeeper, so you will have to survive knowing just the order of the events based on my horrible memory... Sorry, eh. There were a TON of penalties in the second period and the Nords' Tom Dakai, Park and Brands went for two trips and a hold respectively, and the Whalers' Vose, Steve Bernier, and Zaneloni went for two trips and a hook of their own. I don't remember if the lone goal of the period was a PP opportunity or not... The Nords did have to kill off a 5-on-3 with both Park and Dakai in the box leaving only Drew Crapser and Shawn McDermott as the Nords defensemen out there sucking wind for extended shifts.

Part way through the second the Nords had some breathing room Brands got his second of the game assisted by McGee, his center, but the Whalers kept pushing. Both Turner and Lallier were sharp, and they sent skaters away shaking their heads in frustration. The creativity of the Whalers' top line was only kept in check by Turner's heriocs, just as Lallier kept the McGee-Brands-Greg Marsh line limited for most of the game with his own solid play. Marsh did find the back of the net later in the third assisted by Brands and McGee, and this allowed the Nords to breathe a sigh of relief with a coveted 3 goal lead. Zaneloni received an accidental high stick by McGee and had a cut on his cheek that was bleeding. Z-man put on some butterfly strips and got back out there because he is a hockey player! There was no call on the play. Nobody said it to jinx it, and everyone was quiet, but the Whalers spoiled JT's shutout on a Kirt Johnson shot with only a minute or so left fed to him by Scott Shaw who beat a couple of Nords defenders to find Johnson streaking in from the point to the high slot.

Final Score: Nords 3, Whalers 1

Final Analysis: The Whalers can beat anyone if they play like they did in this game. Everyone on the Nords' bench was saying how much better the Whalers were, and nobody on the Nords went home without being soaked with sweat from working hard against the Whale. Both goalies played great, and JT flirted with a shutout until under 2 minutes left in the game until one shot trickled through. The Whalers never stopped working hard and forced the Nords to play solid defense for the majority of the game. All scoring chances came from effort and creativity, and there were very few mistakes made by either squad, and when there were the goalies were there to make the key save. Great game!

Final Tally: Check out the BoxScores section, and don't forget to vote for the Long Trail UVHL Player of the week, eh! The winner gets a FREE case of beer at the Long Trail Brewery thanks to CEO Brian Walsh!

 

Team:	Time:	Type:	Player:	Details:
1st PERIOD
NDQ	00:00	Penalty	Park, Kelly(2)	2 minutes for Tripping
2nd PERIOD
NDQ	00:00	Goal	Brands, Alex(4)	Assist(s): McGee, Jordan(7) Park, Kelly(3)
WHL	00:00	Penalty	Vose, Cody(1)	2 minutes for Tripping
NDQ	00:00	Penalty	Dakai, Tom(2)	2 minutes for Tripping
WHL	00:00	Penalty	Bernier, Steve(2)	2 minutes for Tripping
WHL	00:00	Penalty	Zanleoni, Jay(1)	2 minutes for Hooking
NDQ	00:00	Penalty	Park, Kelly(3)	2 minutes for Tripping
NDQ	00:00	Penalty	Brands, Alex(1)	2 minutes for Holding
3rd PERIOD
NDQ	00:00	Goal	Brands, Alex(5)	Assist(s): McGee, Jordan(8)
NDQ	00:00	Goal	Marsh, Greg(4)	Assist(s): Brands, Alex(8) McGee, Jordan(8)
WHL	00:00	Goal	Johnson, Kirt(1)	Assist(s): Shaw, Scott(1)

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Game Comments:
kpark Quechee, VT Registered: Dec 2003 Posts: 724	Harpooooooon the Whale?!?!? Nov 16th, 2009 01:56 PM Who's showing up for the Whalers? Which team is going to show up? This should be a good game, our first game of the season definitely doesn't reflect how talented the Whalers are this year. If Kenny shows up, which he usually does against the Nords, this one will be hard fought until they collapse in the last couple of minutes like they did all last season & last week against the Brew Crew. KP
Z-Skate White River Jct, VT Registered: Posts: 108	The tide is turning .. Nov 17th, 2009 03:09 PM I predict ol' Alexia "the cheap" and Jordan "Dr. Cross-Check" will be in the penalty box most of the night so who will score for the Nor-dicks? Shit, I fogot you have 3 lines .. dam. Well, hopefully it's a good game and I don't put any (too many) up around JT's head.
kpark Quechee, VT Registered: Dec 2003 Posts: 724	ZZZZZZZ Nov 17th, 2009 05:38 PM You are going down tonight Z! We are rolling 5 lines tonight to pound your team into submission. I'm going to let a knuckle puck special fly past Kenny's glove at a dazzling 18 MPH. KP