THE

UPPER VALLEY HOCKEY LEAGUE

December 7th, 2010 - 9:20PM
Union Arena - Woodstock, VT
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Game ID: 700

Gamblers Throw Down a Bakers Dozen on the Whalers.

After securing their first win of the season last week with a solid 8-4 win over the Brewers, the Whalers followed up with an all time low...a 13-0 loss to the Gamblers. This was a complete and utter stinker of a game from the Whalers who were as lifeless as a beached whale...being picked over by the Gamblers.

At times, this really was like watching a squirt team playing a Bantam team. The G-Men(and Woman) were relentless on their attack, and moved the puck around like pros as the Whalers chased them around like lost puppies.

Willy "Mighty Mouse" Meyer was the star in this one, gathering 5 goals and a pair of assists in the win. Jered "The Condor" Condon was also excellent, turning away 24 shots for the shutout. Condon didn't have to work too hard in this one, but I don't care if you only see 5 shots in a game, it is still an impressive feat to complete a shutout in men's league hockey, which earns Condon and his defense high marks in this one.

Topo "Toe-Drag" LaCroix had another solid night with a hat trick and a pair of assists, bolstered by his line-mates Allison "The Hook" Malcolm (4 assists) & Evan Seely (3 goals).

The first period was disastrous for the Whalers, letting up 7 goals in the first 10.5 minutes of play. It was a complete meltdown from every single Whalers player, goaltender out.

LaCroix opened things up early in the first period with a nasty dangle-iscious goal just 80 seconds into the game. Matty "Antelope Legs" Marrazzo took a pass from Willy "Mini-Me" Meyer (yes, he really does look like mini me) and buried it past Kenny Lallier. Evan "Almighty" Seely jammed home Mikey Harrington point shot that hit the end boards and came right to him in front of the net at 7:20 and followed it up just 36 seconds later when Marc "The Narc" Gattie hit him with a breakaway pass where he schooled Lallier like naughty teacher in a special education class(I have no idea what that means).

Marrazzo returned the favor to Meyer with 4:57 remaining in the first, passing to Meyer as he broke down the near boards and beat Lallier with a quick wristshot through his gaping 5-hole. LaCroix completed the hat trick with a pair of goals just a minute later and only 10 seconds apart. The first came on the powerplay when Allison "The Hook" Malcolm won the faceoff back to LaCroix for the quick screen shot, followed by another faceoff win from Malcolm back to Jason "Slapshot" Young who hit LaCroix breaking up the near boards on a 2 on 1. Lallier cheated on the play, thinking LaCroix was going to pass the puck backdoor and opened up the top shelf for LaCroix to snipe for the 7th goal of the game.

END OF THE FIRST: Gamblers 7, Whalers ZERO

Marrazzo found Meyer again at 10:05 after making a nice cut back move behind the net and feeding Meyer at the hashmarks for the one-timer that beat Lallier inside the far post. Lallier was having a rough night, but made the save of the game with 6:45 remaining, robbing Marrazzo with a Statue of Liberty save to keep the game close at 8-0.

Seely scored his 11th of the season with 3:41 remaining in the first with a twisted wrister, blocker side from the hashmarks. It seemed after this point, a gross 9-0 lead, the entire Gamblers roster got the memo to slow the game down and not turn the game into a complete and utter massacre. Everyone, that is except Meyer & Marrazzo who scored all 4 of the final 4 goals.

You can't blame Meyer though, he did strip Jason "Bling" Grambling for a shorthanded breakaway, cutting to his backhand and roofing the puck. Meyer's next goal came on a tic-tac-toe goal: Danny "The Danimal" Ammel behind the net to LaCroix at the top of the far crease, to Meyer on the backdoor...as if it was a 3 on 0. You can't but help to put that one in the net when it's that pretty.

END OF THE SECOND: Gamblers 11, Whalers ZIP

Marrazzo made it an even 10-0 after a nice drop pass to Meyer, who instead of shooting, flipped the puck in on Lallier who did his part and botched the rebound, falling over and leaving the puck on the doorstep for Marrazzo to chip in. Meyer closed out the scoring with another shorthanded goal, stripping the puck from a Whaler and marching down the near boards on his off wing. Meyer ripped a low slapshot from 30 feet out, off the far post and in for his 5th goal of the night and 20th in 9 games this season.

After his 5th goal of the game, Meyer decided to move to defense....about time! Condon made a shutout saving blocker stab with 3:31 to play on Gramblings point blank shot from the slot. Condon continued to work hard for the shutout with a big pad save on a Jay "The Chin" Zanleoni partial breakaway with just 1:38 to play, resulting in a Gattie hooking call, and then another huge save at 1:02 with another left pad save as his team killed off the remainder of the power play.

END OF REGULATION: Gamblers 13, Whalers DONUT

Depending on which side you were rooting for, this was either the worst game ever by the Whalers or the best the Gamblers have ever looked. Truth be told, it was somewhere in the middle. The Gamblers walked all over the ice without being challenged. The Whalers had zero energy, zero effort in their defensive zone and turnovers all over the ice.

The Gamblers are the F'ing Gamblers. They will tear you apart and eat you alive if you don't focus on defense. You can't give them odd man rushes or you'll get burned, and the Whalers were charred tonight.
LEAGUE PICK 'EM
 100%
Gamblers
0% 
Whalers
5 PICKS
THREE STARS

Will Meyer

GOALS: 5
POINTS: 7

Jered Condon

GA: 0
SAVES: 24
SAVE%: 1

Topo LaCroix

GOALS: 3
POINTS: 5

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