UPPER VALLEY HOCKEY LEAGUE

Gamblers Forfeit - Blues Win

In the year 2022, the Gamblers and Blues got into an absolute slugfest that ended in a 6-3 win for the Labatt Blues and saw 11 penalties handed out.  Since that game, the Gambler's have stated that they will not play the Blues in the regular season and have forfeited their game tonight.  "It's just not worth it," Said Gambler's Captain & Manager Will "The Thrill" Meyer, "Someone's going to get hurt."

The fact of the matter is that both teams have players that push the boundaries and don't like it when someone pushes back.  The Blues lead the UVHL with 66 penalty minutes in 10 games while the Gambler's are second in the league with 48 in 10 games.  In the Blue's defense, they had moved on from the last game and were ready and willing to play tonight.  "Honestly, we hadn't even thought about that game since it happend in December." Said the Blue's Captain Sam Major.

It's a shame to lose a game, but in the end the Lumberjacks who have a BYE this week were willing to jump at the chance to scrimmage the Blues.   

Lumberjacks fill in for Gamblers, Beat Blues 4-3

The Gamblers & Labatt Blues teams were supposed to face off in a rematch of their heated, physical and dirty game on December 13th, but the Gamblers felt that playing the Blues was not worth it and chose to forfeit the contest.  Officially giving the Blues a 1-0 win.  

Luckily the hockey gods were able to fill the gaping hole with the Lumberjacks and a hell of a game broke out.  Three major plotlines from the scrimmage were evident.

1. The Lumberjack's "Tricky" Nicky Hall did everything in his power to NOT score.  Botched breakaways, missed open nets, fallilng down, possibly pissing himself on every scoring opportunity.  It was actually laughable.


2. The Blue's TJ "Puckhog" Moran took every chance to NOT pass the puck he could.  I've never seen that much head hanging after Moran looked off wide open passes and tried dangling through 3 defenders.  It was so fun to watch!!!


3. The Blue's Jon "Hasek" Hall clearly idolizes Hall of Famer Dominik Hasek, and tried to emulate him on every play with some spine twisting flopping in the crease.


4. The Blue's "Mad" Max Major jumped ship to play with the Lumberjacks, citing TJ Moran's life choices as his reason, and then proceded to dangle around his ex-Blues team mates.

The Lumberjacks were clearly the better team in the first, firing 18 shots on the Blue's Hall, scoring two in the first.  Hall came up big repeatedly, but Jordy "McBreakaway" McGee opened the scoring by beating a Blue's defender wide and cutting across the crease all alone to tuck it backdoor.  Hall stopped McGee minutes later on a point blank drop pass slapper from the hashmarks.  

Jay "Zamboni" Zanleoni finished a 2-on-1 pass from Alex Boccolucci to make it 2-0 with 4:37 to play in the first.  "Bocco served up a nice biscuit for me.  I never turn down biscuits." Recalled Zanleoni as he crushed a box of Samoan Girl Scout cookies after the game.

END OF THE FIRST: Lumberjacks 2 - Blues 0.  SHOTS: Lumberjacks 18, Blues 11

Tim McAuliffe cut the 'Jacks lead in half after a Colin Clark drop pass sent him in all alone with speed, torching the Lumberjack's Ryan "The Libido" Libbey glove side with a twisted wrister.  The Jacks got their two goal lead back when Zanleoni found Anderson Harris backdoor with 5 minutes to play before TJ Moran collected a Tyler White rebound and deposited under an outstretched Libbey to cut the deficit back to 1 goal.

END OF THE SECOND: Lumberjacks 3, Blues 2.  SHOTS: Lumberjacks 27, Blues 26

The third period was fairly even, but both goaltenders shined as it seemed like defense went out the window.  Hall & Libbey combined for 28 saves in the final frame.  The Blues were able to get on the board first as TJ Moran circled the zone refusing to pass and then finally finding Tyler White back door where he'd been sitting for 5 minutes waiting for the pass.

With a tie game and under 2 minutes to play, the Blues bench asked the referee if the game would go to a shootout....just before defenseman Jake Rick took a borderline call for Interference.  It only took five seconds, a faceoff win to the point, a shot and a rebound to untie the game with 1:21 to play.  Jordy McGee cleaning up a "Diamond" Dillan Pierce point shot.

Pierce put the game away 40 seconds later by firing a pass up the middle that someone missed two Lumberjacks forwards and landed in the empty net.  "Was that a pass?  It was a goal, that's all they care about.  Not how, how many." Said Pierce as he helped Zanleoni with a Samoan after the game.

FINAL: Lumberjacks 5 - Blues 3.  SHOTS: Lumberjacks 41, Blues 43