UPPER VALLEY HOCKEY LEAGUE

The Rivalry Continues...Jacks v Blers

Gamblers Edge Lumberjacks in Shootout Thriller

The Gamblers and The Lumberjacks squared off in a classic battle that had a little bit of everything—early dominance, dramatic comebacks, controversial calls, and a shootout that left fans on the edge of their seats.

The game started with the Gamblers looking like they were about to run away with it. Just five minutes in, Worthy Gardner picked up a puck off the near boards and found Ryan LaCroix lurking in the slot. LaCroix wasted no time, burying a quick shot past Luke McCormick, who probably didn't even see it. Barely two minutes later, LaCroix struck again—this time intercepting a disastrous breakout pass, splitting the Lumberjacks defense like a hot knife through butter, and tucking a slick shot under McCormick.

By the end of the first period, the Gamblers had outshot their opponents 17-6, and it looked like they were about to steamroll their way to victory.

Lumberjacks Begin the Climb

The Lumberjacks needed a spark, and they found one in the form of Greg Marsh—the big lug who might not win a foot race, but sure knows how to fire a puck. Marsh cut across the middle, let a wrister go, and found daylight through Evan Cline’s five-hole.

The Gamblers wasted no time responding, though. A collision at their blue line saw Spencer Zaha spring Sean Collins on a breakaway. McCormick made the initial stop but had absolutely no clue where the rebound went, allowing Worthy Gardner to tap in his easiest goal of the season.

But Nathan DeLuca wasn’t about to let the game get away. Taking a pass from Evan Seely, DeLuca turned on the jets, burned past Ray Nolan like he was standing still, and threw a perfect head fake at Cline before sliding the puck five-hole.

Heading into the final frame, it was Gamblers 3, Lumberjacks 2, with all signs pointing to a thrilling finish.

Late-Game Chaos and Controversy

With just 10 seconds left on the clock, Dillan Pierce fired a pass down low to Nathan DeLuca at the goal line to Cline’s right. DeLuca’s shot-pass trickled into the crease, where Zach Dayno came diving in like a kamikaze pilot, jamming the puck into the net.

The Gamblers immediately erupted, arguing there was blatant goaltender interference, as Dayno’s stick made contact with Cline’s pad. But the referee, in his infinite wisdom (or possible blindness), ruled that the contact was incidental and let the goal stand. Will Meyer was seen later muttering under his breath, something about needing to check the ref’s Venmo account for recent deposits.

And with that, we were headed to a shootout.

The Shootout Show

The Lumberjacks opted to shoot second, letting Topo LaCroix take the opening attempt. He pulled off 73 head fakes, 3,700 dekes, and somehow managed to leave McCormick flailing while he casually tucked the puck into an open net.

Zach Dayno came in next for the Lumberjacks, but Cline stared him down like a father who just found out his kid dented the family car. Pad save, no goal.

The next two shooters, Sean Collins and Nathan DeLuca, both failed to score, setting up Ryan LaCroix to try and seal the deal. He made a nice move, but McCormick was ready, keeping his pads shut.

That left the fate of the Lumberjacks in the hands of Greg Marsh. Unfortunately, "The Butcher" seemed to have one move in mind—straight five-hole. Cline, however, was too big, too prepared, and too dialed in to let that nonsense fly.

With the save, the Gamblers took the win, leaving the Lumberjacks frustrated, and DeLuca filing an official complaint with the league about shootout puck quality.

Final Score:

Gamblers 4, Lumberjacks 3 (Shootout)

Shots: Gamblers 31, Lumberjacks 24

This was one of the wildest games of the season, and if this is any preview of a potential playoff matchup, fans better be ready for absolute chaos.