THE

UPPER VALLEY HOCKEY LEAGUE

Gamblers
Tuck
1st
2
2
2rd
0
2
3rd
1
2
FINAL
3
6
Shots
27
36
February 21st, 2023 - 9:45PM
Union Arena - Woodstock, VT
Pre-Game
Recap
Box Score
Discussion
Game ID: 1442

Tuck advances to Finals with 6-3 win over Gamblers

Tuck rebounded from their 6-5 loss to the Whalers with a dominant win over a shorthanded Gambler's squad.  The Gambler's were missing 3 of their top offensive players as Ryan "Thing 2" LaCroix(21pts in 11gp), Topo "Thing 1" LaCroix(14pts in 9gp) and Max Woods(9pts in 4pg) were all missing.  Those three players add a different element to the Gamblers with their speed and grit and were definitely missed and it would have been fun to watch this game with those 3 players, but life goes on and a hockey game was played.  

The first frame was amazing with both teams trading chances and notching a pair of goals each.  Each team netted an early goal with the Tuckies strking first when a missed assignment by the Gamblers saw Sam "Pay Day" Gray finding "Marathon" Jon Carkeek in the slot for a quick snapper.  Two minutes later the Gambler's Zach "The Tinder Swindler" Aher swiped left on Tuck's Luke "The Duke" Stickel, causing a turnover.  Willy "Weeble" Meyer picked up the loose puck and hit Matty "The Mailman" Marrazzo backdoor for a one timer.  "I'm the Mailman, I ALWAYS deliver..." Said Marrazzo, "Rain, sun, snow, slipper conditions...it don't matter. I deliver."

The Gamblers took their first and only lead of the contest on an individual effort from Ben "Pig Pen" Perron who battled through 3 Turduckens in the far corner before cutting to the front of the net and chipping the puck past Tuck's Brendan "The Killer" Kelley.  

Tuck tied the game up with 1:58 to go in the first when Ryan "Butch" Cassidy fed James "Big Ray" Bourque in the slot for a quick shot and rebound that Cassidy cleaned up.

END OF THE FIRST: Tuck 2 - Gamblers 2.  SHOTS: Tuck 9, Gamblers 11

Cassidy was on a role, finishing a backdoor pass from Aidan "Rocky" Balboni at 11:52 of the second to give his team the lead and start the victory parade.  The ice started to tilt as the well conditioned Tuckies started to press.  Rumor has it that one of the Tuckies had develped a proprietary sports drink called Tuckerade that started to kick in in the second period.  

As the momentum shifted so did the scoring chances and the best player on the ice, Sam Gray, opened up the lead at 6:22, taking a no-look backhand pass from Carkeek and burning McCormick low glove with a twisted wrister for the 4-2 lead.

END OF THE SECOND: Tuck 4, Gamblers 2.  SHOTS: Tuck 24, Gamblers 21

Gray opened the scoring on a short pass from Stickel in the slot.  McCormick made the initial save, but the puck rolled up his arm off his helmet and down his back for the 5-2 lead.  The Gamblers weren't ready to lie down adn just 2 minutes later possessed the puck down low in Tuck's zone where Sean "Copland" Collins fired a centering pass from behind the net that went off a Tuck defender's stick and past Brendan Kelley to cut Tuck's lead to two.  "The don't count how, just how many." Recalled Collins post game.   

Gray added his 4th point of the night, centering a pass from the near boards that Seamus "O'Nasty" O'Neill tipped to Stefan "Saucy" Soucy back door.  Soucy's quick hands chipped the puck over an outstretched McCormick to seal the deal and send Tuck to the finals next week against a very good and physical Labatt Blue's team.

FINAL: TUCK 6, Gamblers 3.  SHOTS: Tuck 36, Gamblers 27


LEAGUE PICK 'EM
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Gamblers
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Tuck
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THREE STARS

Sam Gray

GOALS: 2
POINTS: 4

George Clark

GOALS: 0
POINTS: 2

Brendan Kelley

GA: 3
SAVES: 24
SAVE%: 0.889

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