THE

UPPER VALLEY HOCKEY LEAGUE

Labatt Blues
Nordiques
1st
1
3
2rd
1
2
3rd
1
2
FINAL
3
7
Shots
35
42
December 1st, 2009 - 7:55PM
Union Arena - Woodstock, VT
Pre-Game
Recap
Box Score
Discussion
Game ID: 605

Nordiques and Dead River Oilers butt heads

The Oilers had UVHL rookie Matt Barrett debut in net and they played a much better team game than they have in the past few contests. Dead River%u2019s GM, regular goaltender, and the UVHL%u2019s favorite man-whore Greg Hadley took a starring role on wing playing tough in the corners and in front of the net to give Barrett a shot between the pipes. Barrett was a little rusty and shaky in the first, but then calmed down and played a decent game once he felt more comfortable. DR had another rookie on the roster in this one and welcomed forward Bobby Rosati to the UVHL.

Striking first was Roger Phillips at 14:32 from linemates Ian Coates and Kevin Dwyer wasting no time putting the Nords up on their first shift of the game. The Nords went up 2-0 on Jordan McGee%u2019s unassisted effort at 13:01 stealing a puck inside the Oilers%u2019 zone and putting it past Barrett. DR answered with power winger Rob Pattison beating McDermott to the outside finding newcomer Rosati trailing the play on a pass out from the corner for his first UVHL goal and point at 12:15. The Coates-Dwyer-Phillips connection clicked again to regain the 2 goal lead for the Nords at 10:06 with centerman Coates getting the goal and his wingers the assists. Four goals in five minutes for a fast start to the game, and after that things calmed down with no goals scored for another 15 minutes. Barrett became more comfortable between the pipes, and the Oilers limited the Nords%u2019 chances for a while. Evan Duggan, normally a forward, got nabbed for holding to prevent a good Nords scoring chance and went to the box at 7:48. However, the Nords PP left much to be desired and the Oilers killed it off. At one point Pattison got a partial breakaway on Turner and put it over the net. Park yelled how horrible that was from the Nords%u2019 bench busting Pattison%u2019s balls, and Pattison failed to see the humor in it.

A few minutes into the second Pattison took Park hard into the boards with his stick and body while fighting for a puck along the half-boards in the Nords%u2019 end to the left of Turner. Park retaliated; the two had words, and were immediately assessed matching minors for roughing. As the jaw session continued the two approached each other staring each other down and expressing what they thought of one another. Pattison, who is slightly taller and wears a full cage, came in towards Park, who wears a half shield, and clearly moved his head forward about an inchor and inch and a half directly into Park%u2019s unsuspecting face. Pattison%u2019s cage hit Park right in the mouth and Park immediately grabbed his face and bent over bleeding onto the ice. Pattison may have intended just to tap his helmet forehead to forehead against Park, but the intent to head butt was clear and was done right in front of the ref. Pattison was immediately given a major for head butting, was ejected from the game and given a game suspension for next week as per USA Hockey rules. While Park sat checking his front teeth and bleeding in the box Pattison came behind the box to continue the conversation trying to say that he didn%u2019t head butt Park. Some bad words were said, and Hadley and the refs directed Pattison to the locker room. Play continued and Park kept all his teeth, but yet again the Nords PP was impotent and needed either Viagara or a back-to-basics chalk talk (or both) by captain Tao Smith during the 5 minute advantage. Finally, after 15 minutes of scoreless (but eventfull) hockey, another goal was scored, and speedy winger Brian Racicot solved Turner with an unassisted marker at 4:29. The Nords answered quickly only 8 seconds later with Phillips potting his second of the game from his gifted centerman Coates. Nords D Drew Crapser blasted one from the point through a crowd and found the back of the net at 3:09 fed to him at the blueline by McGee.

The Nords had a commanding 5-2 lead heading into the third, but talk was about keeping it going as they have blown the lead more than once in the third period already this season. Duggan was in the box for hooking at 6:57 when skilled defenseman Dan Bloom scored a shorty from fellow D Stu Close to put a scare into the Nords like a bad déjà vu. Luckily, the Nords scored on the PP to answer the embarrassing shorty at 5:16 to get the monkey off their back when hardworking Poli Nightingale whacked in a wicked backhander from the side of the net from linemates Tao Smith and Mike O%u2019Neil, who played a strong game at both ends of the ice. Smith went for hooking at 5:01, but the one special team the Nords have been successful at remained so and they killed off the Oilers%u2019 PP chance. McGee added to his UVHL scoring totals with a goal from winger Alex Brands at 1:39, and that was all she wrote.

Final Score: Nords 7, Oilers 3

Final Analysis: The Nords keep playing decent hockey and have wins over everyone except the Gamblers thus far, but expect to be challenged by the Brewers next Tuesday and are brutal on the PP. If they fix this next week they are sure to get plenty of opportunities against the Brew Crew. The Oilers%u2019 team game was much better and the number of goals they allowed went down considerably, and this led to a more consistent effort by their forwards. If Tom Scull wasn%u2019t suspended, and if Rick Hughes and Tyler Dickinson weren%u2019t MIA, then the make up of the Oilers%u2019 D would have been dramatically different and incredibly more tenacious. Evan Duggan%u2019s speed, puck control, and passing were wasted on D filling in for his absentee teammates. Why do I mention this? Because it probably would have been a 1 or 2 goal game decided in the third instead of the Nords going up 2 goals early in the first and coasting to the win. DR definitely has potential, but just hasn%u2019t found their team game or chemistry yet. The erratic behavior of talented power winger Rob Pattison is another story, and luckily Park was only cut and his chicklets were intact, otherwise it would have been Pattison%u2019s final appearance on UVHL ice. Intent to injure and the head butt were perfectly clear, but malicious it was not, and lucky for Pattison that Park is a hockey player and not a pussy or a suck because his vote was not to suspend Pattison any further than what USA Hockey mandates. Honestly, we love competing against Pattison and enjoy the level of competitiveness and talent he brings to the league, but bullshit that endangers other players is something that we take very seriously. Next strike is the third one, and you%u2019re out. Nuff said.

Final Tally: Check out the Boxscores section for the stats, eh! Don%u2019t forget to vote for the UVHL Long Trail Player of the Week. The winner gets to pick up a FREE case of beer at Long Trail Brewery thanks to super CEO (and former Notre Dame superstar and UVHL Brewer) Brian Walsh!
LEAGUE PICK 'EM
 13%
Labatt Blues
88% 
Nordiques
8 PICKS
THREE STARS

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