UPPER VALLEY HOCKEY LEAGUE

Tuck vs. Dead River Semi-Final

ODDS:	Tuck by 1
OVER/UNDER:	9

The semis are always exciting. Both squads want a shot at men's league glory. Another chance to have that feeling some of us haven't had since high school, or maybe since college if we were lucky enough to play varsity or be on a good intermural team. I think it is too arrogant to say that it matters a great deal if a team wins or loses at this point in the season. However, I would be SEVERELY understating the importance if I were to say that the players don't want to win, don't want to play their best, and don't want to make it as far as possible in the playoffs. There is a Cup on the line, and bragging rights, and an opportunity to share in something so special - winning a championship. There have been some during the past 8 seasons who have said "Its just beer league" or "Its just men's league". I understand that sentiment, but disagree. Every week I see players working hard, playing their best, loving the competitiveness of the UVie, and sharing in that common experience we call team, sportsmanship, friendship. We've always felt that this is more than just a men's league... its part of our lives, its our passion, its our identity as a hockey player.

On deck tonight is a semi-final match-up between a solid #2 Tuck squad that has looked great all season, and a surging #4 Dead River team that has finally gotten in touch with itself (Literally? You're sick! Hey, I don't know what goes on in their locker room post-game, but I hear they're having a lot of fun). What to expect? Solid puck movement from Tuck, great goaltending, lots of offense, and incredible defense from the best defense corps in the league. That will be tough for Dead River to counter... but they could do it. Feiden is more than capable of stealing a game, and the talent on Dead River is sick if they all bring their A-games tonight. It will come down to how the middle of the road players on DR play. If they play simple and smart, limit errors, turnovers and stupid passes, then the Oilers have a shot. If not, Tuck is on its way to their 4th Whalen Cup Final. Tuck by 1.

#4 Dead River continues late season surge with 4-2 upset of #2 Tuck

Several things came together in this game that gave Dead River the best chance to win: 1) Tuck was missing two key players in Chris Johnson and James Hay, 2) Dead River had a solid line-up with no weak links, 3) Dead River scored on their first shot to go up early. Yes, believe it or not the first SOG was Pattison facing Yacey and he roofed a backhander over Yacey's glove at 14:19 to start the game off right for DR. Tuck looked shocked, and they weren't ready. I don't know why, but they were just off tonight and didn't look like themselves. Helming couldn't do it all alone up front, and McGovern couldn't do it all alone on D, therefore Yacey faced some tough action early and it was all over quick. When Tuck mounted a comeback they just ran out of time. It was a 10-on-10 battle, and the Oilers came ready to play right from the start. A bad break for Tuck resulted in a key turnover for DR as referee Jeremy Seidling tried to get out of the way of a Tuck clearing attempt up the boards but could not. The puck hit Seidling and Pattison corralled it on the backcheck giving it to Hughes on a nice backhand pass to the high slot, and Hughes found Loomis at the far side of the net at 9:22 to put DR up 2-0 with the game not even 6 minutes old. Seidling got the 3rd assist on the goal unfortunately. Scully made a nice forecheck and applied pressure to Tuck's breakout at 5:25. Tuck winger Coughlin put a pass behind Helming deep in the neutral zone, and if it had connected it would have been a 2-on-1 with speed for Tuck. DR was outshooting Tuck 8-4 at the 2:33 mark. NASA was contacted at once because a sight more rare than a frickin' UFO occurred: DR winger Ricky Golden made a pass! The Golden Child found Evan Duggan open in the high slot, and Duggan found a hole over Yacey's blocker into the top corner to finish the first period 3-0 and shots at 10-5 for the Oilers.

Well rounded and fast DR utility player Bobby Rosati, who has spent time on the wing, at center, and even on D, made a nice play to keep the puck in the O-zone at 13:10. Golden tipped a shot in front while doubled, covered & smothered by Tuck defenders that went right into the top of the net at 12:05 from Pattison and Warrington. Believe it or not, that was the end of the scoring for DR. Tuck had half the game plus 5 extra minutes to score the same # of goals to force OT. DR held on and tried to keep Tuck down the rest of the way. Tuck had their opportunities. I said it earlier, but Tuck was off. They didn't look like themselves, and they played worse than I'd seen them play all year. Body language was poor, I expected many more Tuck fans in the stands for a semi-final game, and they were missing Chris Johnson BAD. Tuck's team defense was horrible. Only Helming and McGovern stood out, and they couldn't do it alone. There was finally more action going on in both directions by the 9 minute mark. Scully went to the box at 9:12 for holding even though "I had 2 hands on my stick, I didn't frickin' grab him". A Tuck PPG squeezed through Feiden at 8:49, and Steve Kenning potted what I believe is his first playoff goal from Helming. This would not be the first Tuck goaltender/forward to score a playoff goal. A few seasons ago a Tuck netminder played all season only to come out of the net for the playoffs and scored the Whalen Cup GWG. You get a free beer if you know who that was. Cherney missed a breakaway and Feiden flashed his R pad. Scully went to the sin bin again at 7:02 for interference, but the Oilers killed off the second infraction. Tuck was playing better, and was actually outshooting DR 8-2 with 6:00 to go in the second. Feiden made a nice save on Bates off a cross-ice pass. A few Tuck fans started to arrive at this point, and I heard their disappointed murmurs when they learned that their squad was unexpectedly down 4-1. They sent a few encouraging cheers to their friends and classmates in green & white, and yelled loudly when Helming stopped Rosati on a 1-on-1. Coughlin just missed a pass across, and put the shot wide and over the net. Tuck was playing well at this point, and they were finally carrying the play. Helming hit the frickin' post with 11 seconds left, and then Golden went up ice the other way 1-on-1 with 5 seconds left and he didn't shoot! WTF, Golden? You deke and shoot all season, and the one time you should have been selfish you look for the pass with 5 seconds left on a 1-on-1? My buddy and former Toronto Marlie and Johnstown Chief Jon Gillespie was giving you crap while he ran the scoreclock. Tuck outshot DR 14-5 in the 2nd.

Yacey kept his team in it with a BIG save on Pattison at 13:07, and just before that DR missed a breakaway that I didn't see cuz I had to run out to the car. Sorry, eh. Gillespie told me about it when I got back and he said it was "horrible". A HUUUUUGE goal by Helming, Tuck's best player all season, blew by Feiden off Helming's stick with a wicked slapper through a crowd and past the glove at 8:46 from Cherney and Coughlin to make it 4-2 Oilers. I missed this one play, and when I came to I saw McGovern down behind the net and Kenning jawing at Cashman right in his face at 7:28. Tuck was getting intense, but it got the worst of them as they took 2 penalties with half a period to go. Carrihill went for holding at 6:53, and then Yacey tripped someone in front and Barnett served it at 5:58. DR was actully outshooting Tuck again by an 11-4 margin at 6:15. During the DR PP's there were some deflections and narrowly missed nets with the 2-man advantage, and Helming made a nice ruch on the PK, but there was no scoring. Cashman lost his cool and cross-checked Bates in front of the scorebox at 3:36. Tuck called a timeout for the PP strategy. It didn't work, and DR killed it off. Cashman barely got out of the box and then he elbowed someone on the way by and Tuck had another chance with 1:14 left. Yacey was pulled with 42 sconds left, but the comeback wasn't to be. The #4 squad upset #2, and that's why we call it the playoffs, baby!

Final Score: Dead River Oilers 4, Tuck 2

Final Tally: Pattison led all scorers with 1G, 2A; Golden had the GWG and an important assist; Chris Warrington had 2A; Duggan & Loomis had 1G each; Hughes had 1A. Helming had 1G, 1A and did everything he could to bring his team to victory, but he didn't have much help; F/G Steve Kenning had 1G; and Coughlin and Cherney had assists. Feiden won the game in the 2nd when he was outshot 14-5, and faced 26 shots with a 0.923 save percentage. Yacey had it tough early, and then was solid, and his team did not back him up with the goal support he needed on this night. Yacey had an uncharacteristic 0.867 save percentage, but faced 30 shots, with 15 of them in the 3rd period alone, so he gave Tuck a shot to come back, but it wasn't meant to be.

Final Analysis: Don't blame Yacey cuz that wouldn't be fair. Tuck didn't show up, and Dead River did right from the start. Pattison, Golden and Duggan carried their team with smart, strong playoff games. If Tuck had their full squad they might have been able to take advantage of a lighter Oilers bench and offense that blew their load early and didn't score after the 12 minute mark of the second. DR was undisciplined at times, and with 2 penalties in the final 4 minutes of the game (by the same player!) makes DR fortunate that they held on. Yacey was a class act and came up and thanked me (and Kelly) for "Making my experience here more enjoyable", for all of our hard work, and that many of his teammates felt the same way. When people like you, Dan, say that to us, it makes all of it well worth it. You're welcome, eh! This will be a Greg Hadley GM'd team's second Whalen Cup Final appearance - the last one was in Season 2 against Tuck when that mystery Tuck goalie scored the Championship goal while playing forward and Anik Cote covering in net. Who was it? And where the $!%* was Hadley on Tuesday, anyway?

See you on the ice!

McD

 

Team:	Time:	Type:	Player:	Details:
1st PERIOD
LAB	14:19	Goal	Pattison, Rob(22)	Assist(s): Warrington, Chris(15)
LAB	09:22	Goal	Loomis, Jason(7)	Assist(s): Hughes, Rick(9) Pattison, Rob(11)
LAB	02:05	Goal	Duggan, Evan(15)	Assist(s): Golden, Richard(10)
2nd PERIOD
LAB	12:05	Goal	Golden, Richard(16)	Assist(s): Pattison, Rob(12) Warrington, Chris(16)
LAB	09:12	Penalty	Scull, Tom(8)	2 minutes for holding
TCK	08:49	Goal	Kenning, Steve(8)	Assist(s): Helming, Andrew(18)
LAB	07:02	Penalty	Scull, Tom(9)	2 minutes for interference
3rd PERIOD
TCK	08:46	Goal	Helming, Andrew(17)	Assist(s): Cherney, Josh(3) Coughlin, Halsey(8)
TCK	06:53	Penalty	Carrihill, Colin(5)	2 minutes for holding
TCK	05:58	Penalty	Yacey, Daniel(1)	2 minutes for tripping
LAB	03:36	Penalty	Cashman, Dean(7)	2 minutes for cross checking
LAB	01:14	Penalty	Cashman, Dean(8)	2 minutes for elbowing

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Game Comments:
hkydoc WRJ, VT Registered: Jan 2004 Posts: 517	Good luck, eh! Apr 5th, 2011 10:09 AM I'm looking forward to watching this match-up from the scorebox! This should be a UVie classic when it is all said and done. Good luck to both teams, and bring your A-games cuz its the playoffs! McD