THE

UPPER VALLEY HOCKEY LEAGUE

Tuck
Gamblers
1st
3
2
2rd
3
3
3rd
2
2
FINAL
8
7
Shots
46
36
January 24th, 2023 - 9:45PM
Union Arena - Woodstock, VT
Pre-Game
Recap
Box Score
Discussion
Game ID: 1434

Offense First, Defense Last in 8-7 Barnburner

A game of pond hockey broke out tonight at Union Arena as Tuck and the Gamblers thought it would be fun to leave their goaltenders out to dry and play zero defense in a "game" that saw 15 goals and 82 shots on net in just 45 minutes of play.

While I think the goaltenders probably were a bit frustrated and didn't have very much fun, I think everyone else did, including the referees and scorekeepers who witnessed some spectacular goals.  The goaltenders, Brendan "Killer" Kelley(Tuck) and Luke "The Nuke" McCormick(Gamblers) saw enough rubber to turn them off of sex for awhile.  Kelley wasn't at his best, with an .806 save percentage while McCormick was slightly better with an .826%.  

Huge nights from Tuck's big guns saw Luke "Sticky" Stickel(3g, 2a), Sam "Pay Day" Gray(2g, 3a), Jon "The Sheik" Carkeek(2g, 2a) and Seamus "The Real Deal" O'Neill(3a).  The Gamblers spread their scoring out a little more, using 5 different goal scorers lead by Ryan "Goose" LaCroix & Matt "The Mailman" Marrazzo both potting a pair of goals and a helper.

The Mailman delivered early for the Gamblers, going coast to coast and catching Kelley sleeping with a shot across the grain, off the post and in.  James "Not Ray" Bourque tied the game up when he found a Carkeek rebound off the glass just to McCormick's right and popped the rebound in.  Marrazzo got his second of the period by doing the dirty work, stealing a puck on the goal line, driving the net and getting his own rebound for a 2-1 lead.

Carkeek took over with a pair of goals in just under two minutes.  He tied the game with 7:55 to go in the first off a Stickel drop pass and a one-legged snapper that beat McCormick high glove side.  With two Gambler's in the box, Carkeek again torched McCromick, low glove-side this time, and again from Stickel for the 3-2 lead and 5:56 to play.

END OF THE FIRST: Tuck 3, Gamblers 2 - SHOTS: Tuck 18, Gamblers 9

It was in the second period that things got out of hand.  Six goals scored and 28 shots on net, not to mention a couple dozen that missed.  The LaCroix brothers got things started, both with a goal.  Goose LaCroix gathered a pass from "Sweet Baby" Ray Nolan and beat Kelley with a quick snap of the wrist with 12:40 to go.  Topo LaCroix gave the G-men the lead with 9:14 after getting a nice feed from his brother at 9:14.

That lead didn't hold for very long as Tuck's Gray dangled his way in from the point and sniped McCormick high blocker just 23 seconds after LaCroix's goal.  

The Gambler's Willy "Mighty Mouse" tied the game up off a drop pass from Spencer "The Flyin' Hawaiian" Zaha at 7:34.

Stickel put Tuck on his shoulders with the next two goals, beating McCormick twice blocker side.  The first came on a 2 on 1 where the Gambler's Nolan played pass, allowing Stickel to walk all the way in for a shot from 8 feet out with 6:00 minutes remaining in the second.  51 seconds later, Gray found Stickel alone in the slot for a shot through a screen that McCormick never saw, hammering off the far post and in.

END OF THE SECOND: Tuck 6, Gamblers 5 - SHOTS: Tuck 31, Gamblers 24

A late second period cross-checking penalty by Goose LaCroix saw him pop out of the box, collect a Sean "Copland" Collins pass and break in on Kelley all alone.  LaCroix fired a quick low shot, blocker side, that beat Kelley before crashing into the end boards.  Game tied.

Tuck's took the lead again with 10:22 to play on a beautiful feed from pointman Matt Walsh to Sam Gray in the slot.  Gray took the puck on his backhand, curled away from pressure in one smooth move to his forehand and going bar down on McCormick blocker side.  SICK!

The Gambler's tied it up yet again just 26 seconds later behind a singular effort from Alex "Downtown" Dodds who turned a defender, cut across the goal line and tucked the puck far side on Kelley.  Game tied at 7.

The final goal scored was with 3:05 to play and the Gambler's killing a Matty Marrazzo hooking call.  It only took 5 seconds off the faceoff for O'Neill to hit Stickel at the near faceoff dot for a bomb of a one-timer that burned McCormick as it passed him.  

The final 3 minutes were quiet as the Gamblers couldn't put much together to tie the game, as it seems like Tuck finally decided to play a little defense with a 1 goal lead.

FINAL: Tuck 8, Gamblers

LEAGUE PICK 'EM
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THREE STARS

Luke Stickel

GOALS: 3
POINTS: 5

Sam Gray

GOALS: 2
POINTS: 5

Ryan LaCroix

GOALS: 2
POINTS: 3

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