UPPER VALLEY HOCKEY LEAGUE

Tuck in a rebuild, can Lumberjacks take advantage?

This should be an interesting one!

Tuck Topples Lumberjacks with 3 Third Period Goals.

The Tuck Fighting Turduckens are coming off an epic year where they had the league's best record, the top 3 scorers during the regular season and a trip to the 'ship, but a loss to a very good Gambler's squad.  They're only returning 7 players from last years team, but have added some talent as usual.  Returning studs Nicholas "The Irish Assassin" Sullivan, Matthew "The Omelette" Ouellette and defensive gem Mikey "Yabba Dabba" Yablong are back and putting up istellar numbers.  Newcomers Maclean Lalor & David "Nacho" Husband have added skill and size to the roster as well.

The Lumberjacks are back, but with a new goalie.  Ryan "The Liberator" Libbey has moved on and after a one year suspension for illegal equipment, Luke "The Spice-man" McCormick, is protecting the crease.  The Jacks have also added some talent in Zachary Dayno & Nathan "De Jet" DeLuca as well as size and agility in Greg "The Mack Truck" Marsh.

Overall this was a good game and the Lumberjacks came out flying.  They carried play in the first period, scoring a pair of goals by DeLuca and outshooting Tuck 9-5.  DeLuca started the scoring by redirecting an Evan "The Mattress" Seely's point shot 5-hole on Tuck's netminder Marshall Jenkins, 4 minutes into the first.  That lead was short-lived as Tuck's Lalor stormed down the right side and beat the Lumberjack's McCormick with a quick shot from just north of the goal line.  McCormick was caught snoozing on that one, "Snoozing, nah, it was an NHL caliber shot.  Must have been going at least 12mph" McCormick recalled.  

DeLuca closed out the scoring in the last minute of the period as he out-raced two Tuck defenders for a breakaway from just inside the blueline, going forehand to backhand on Jenkins.  

END OF THE FIRST: 
Lumberjacks 2, Tuck 1
SHOTS: Lumberjacks 9, Tuck 5

The second period was all Tuck as the Lumberjacks looked like a pile of shit.  They must have iced the puck 30 times in the middle frame as Tuck's young legs took over, causing turnovers.  Lumberjack's captain Jay "The Zamboni" Zanleoni, "It wasn't our best period, and it definitely has been our worst.  We've had way worse periods in the history of the Lumberjacks, I mean WAY WORSE.  All I can think about right now is beer.  Beer is good.  Maybe a pizza."

The Lumberjacks did have an excellent scoring opportunity early in the first when Zanleoni stripped a Tuck defender and fed Marshy all alone in the slot.  The big man took the weakest shot possible on the Tuck goalie, sparking questions about whether Marshy was betting on UVHL games.  An investigation is underway with local authorities and the league brass, but rumors had it Marshy put down $1,000 that he wouldn't score this game.

Matty Ouellette notched his team's only goal of the period when Sullivan found him all alone in the high slot.  Ouellette ripped one, like a good dry fart, top shelf blocker side.  "That felt sooo good" recalled Ouellette.

END OF THE SECOND: 
Lumberjacks 2, Tuck 2
SHOTS: Lumberjacks 13, Tuck 19

All the magic happend in the third period as the Jacks jumped out to a commanding two goal lead in the first 4 minutes.  Jordy "McNasty" McGee picked Matthew Goff's pocket at his own blueline before hitting Zanleoni streaking to the net.  Z also went forehand to backhand around Jenkins for the go-ahead goal.  Another turnover, this time by Yablong as he mishandled a puck while backing up at his own blue line, allowed DeLuca to enter the zone with speed, turn the net and wrap the puck in off a diving Jenkins for his third of the game.  "This league is TOO easy.  DeLuca for MVP!!!" declared DeLuca post game.  

The Lumberjacks again forfeited a goal on the next shift when Ouellette potted his 2nd off a bad McCormick rebound off of a Sullivan shot from the top of the circles.  Lalor tied things up three minutes later on some poor defense in front of McCormick as David "The Good" Husband dropped a pass to Lalor in the crease for the quick strike.  

McCormick & Jenkins both made some big saves in the final frame, but it was Ouellette with his own hat trick with just 1:47 to play that wound up as the game winner.  Husband dropped a pass to Sullivan at the blue line and dished a beautiful backhand saucer to Ouellette who delayed his entrance.  Nobody picked up Ouellette even though the Jacks had numbers and Ouellette sniped one over the glove of McCormick from the tops of the circles.

The Lumberjacks fell apart when they had this game in hand, but give credit to Tuck for the resilience and composure.

FINAL: 
Lumberjacks 4, Tuck 5
SHOTS: Lumberjacks 23, Tuck 35

Game Notes:
Tuck's Nicholas Sullivan had 4 apples, didn't try to strangle anyone and like's vanilla ice cream