UPPER VALLEY HOCKEY LEAGUE

Gamblers Look At 7-0-0 Start. Whalers Look To Stop Them!

ODDS:	Gamblers By 3 Goals
OVER/UNDER:	11 Goals

The Gamblers have been perfect to this point, with dominating win after dominating win. They started the season with four straight games scoring at least 10 goals, but have been slowed down as of late with a disappointing 7-0 win over the winless Dead River team, which is technically a moral victory for DR, then had their hands full with the Nordiques, scoring three third period goals for the nail biting 5-2 win.

The Whalers are a team that has been steadily improving each week. They started with a roster of 45 skaters and have since added some additional talents to their 8 lines and 7 pairs of defense. They are winners of 3 of their last 4 games and dominated the Brewers last week 7-2 to sit tied with the Brewers for 3rd place in the standings.

The big question is whether or not the league points leader, Matty "The Milkman" Marrazzo is off of maternity leave. Marrazzo missed the game last week but in an interview over the weekend stated "I'm ready to play, I'm sick of baby shit and throwup, so I'd pretty much do anything to get out of the house at this point."

If the Whalers show up with their three new young guns (Gaudet, Vose & Hamel) they should be more than ready to compete. If their team can play shut down defense on the MMA and Lallier stands on his head for a period or two, there is no reason why the Whalers can't make this a competitive game.

I'm going to say that the Whalers take too many chances and the Gamblers turn those turnovers into goals. Gamblers win...
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hmmmmm...tough one...
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um
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Gamblers win 7-4.

Gamblers remain unbeaten with win over improved Whalers

The Gamblers have won the majority of the past several meetings between these two clubs, but the most important one was won by the Whalers in the semi-finals last April. That was a game that the Gamblers will not soon forget, and I think it still keeps some of them up at night. Revenge was on their minds as the sting of an early playoff exit was still fresh, and this match-up was as close as the two rosters have come to a repeat since.

With game notes kindly provided by Kelly Park, I am able to do some justice to this write-up as I was home sick with vaginitis all week crying because my Leafs are the Bruins' bitch.

Apparently the Whalers had 13 forwards, and Jay Zanleoni totalled 5 minutes of ice time.
The Whalers did not garner a shot on goal until over half-way through the first period. There was no scoring in the first, no penalties, and I do not know the shot totals.

The real action began in the second, and Dan Ammel opened the scoring at 13:10 from Marrazzo and Young. Ammel and Aher went off for off-setting minors at 10:55. On the PP Mike Harrington crashed the net and apparently got hold of a puck that should have been blown dead while Lallier had it covered, but the ref let them play and Mikey jammed in the puck after the Gamblers poked it loose with Tom Crapser in the box for cross-checking. Whalers D Kirt Johnson gave up a turnover in the N-zone and Meyer took a shot, got his own rebound in far corner, threw it in front for Marrazzo, and the shot went THROUGH Kenny "The Glove" Lallier at 3:42. The Whalers got the next one to stay in it on a BOMB from the point by Johnson with 1:35 to play in the period!

I don't know the shot totals, but Parky tells me the Whalers kept it close for most of the game despite being doubled on shots on goal by the consistent firepower of the Gamblers.

Early in the third the Whalers cut the lead to 3-2 on a Tic-Tac-Toe play. Parky says it was a "great play from Hardy who kept the puck in at the line, made a great pass to Crapser cutting down the slot, and Crapser fed Laperle for the goal" just 30 seconds in. At 12:00 the Gamblers went back up by 2 on a two on one with Meyer crashing net who "chipped the puck past a diving Lallier and crashes over him". The Gamblers were in trouble in the third as they continually iced the puck against the DEEP ROSTERED Whalers. However, another turnover by Johnson sent LaCroix in on a breakaway late in the game for the final goal.

Final Score: Gamblers win 5-2

Final Tally: Ammel led all scorers in this one besting his 1G, 1A MMA linemates with 1G, 2A of his own. Johnson and Laperle scored for the Whalers. Hmm... when these guys score you've GOT to back them up, because that is your depth kicking in, and you've GOT to win those ones by matching the other top players with offense from your own top scorers.

Final Analysis: Gamblers too deep, even with half as many forwards as the Whalers.

 

Team:	Time:	Type:	Player:	Details:
2nd PERIOD
GMB	13:10	Goal	Ammel, Robert(6)	Assist(s): Marrazzo, Matt(16) Young, Jason(5)
WHL	10:55	Penalty	Aher, Zach(2)	2 minutes for Interference
GMB	10:55	Penalty	Ammel, Robert(3)	2 minutes for Slashing
WHL	07:54	Penalty	Crapser, Tom(3)	2 minutes for Cross Checking
GMB	07:36	Goal	(PP)Harrington, Mike(1)	Assist(s): none
GMB	03:42	Goal	Marrazzo, Matt(14)	Assist(s): Ammel, Robert(17) Meyer, Will(9)
WHL	01:35	Goal	Johnson, Kirt(1)	Assist(s): none
3rd PERIOD
WHL	14:30	Goal	Laperle, Gary(2)	Assist(s): Crapser, Tom(2) Hardy, Josh(1)
GMB	12:00	Goal	Meyer, Will(20)	Assist(s): Ammel, Robert(18)
GMB	05:59	Goal	LaCroix, Topo(11)	Assist(s): Young, Jason(6)
WHL	05:24	Penalty	Hardy, Josh(1)	2 minutes for Body Checking
GMB	02:05	Penalty	Marrazzo, Matt(2)	2 minutes for Hooking

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Game Comments:
JTStally Hanover, NH Registered: Posts: 159	Full Bench Nov 29th, 2011 12:08 PM We're not sorry for bringing a full bench each night and we're not sorry for starting a youth movement. That said, all us pre-paternal players will need to bring our best game if we plan to slow down Marrazzo and Co., but we've done that before!
kpark Quechee, VT Registered: Dec 2003 Posts: 724	Slowed Down... Nov 29th, 2011 03:27 PM IN RESPONSE TO: BY: JTStally We're not sorry for bringing a full bench each night and we're not sorry for starting a youth movement. That said, all us pre-paternal players will need to bring our best game if we plan to slow down Marrazzo and Co., but we've done that before! Yes, you have slowed them down, but haven't stopped them. Good luck to the Whalers tonight, I think this will be a great game and all comes down to Lallier.
JTStally Hanover, NH Registered: Posts: 159	Don't Underestimate the Defense Nov 30th, 2011 10:22 AM The MMA line gets a lot of fair credit, but don't underestimate the defense or the goaltending of Seidling for the Gamblers. The D really trapped us in our own end early (winning that battle three feet from the blue) and once we did start to gain the edge in the third, Seidling and the blue-liners stood strong in front of their net. That glove that came out of nowhere on Gaudet with six minutes left in a two-goal game was crazy!