UPPER VALLEY HOCKEY LEAGUE

Semi-Final Showdown: #1 Gamblers vs #4 Tuck – Last Wednesday

In a clash of titans (or at least, a circus of underdogs), the Tuck pulled off a stunning upset against the Gamblers in a semi-final that had more twists than a pretzel factory. The Gamblers were missing major firepower—leading scorer Ryan “Thing 2” LaCroix (9 goals, 13 points) and Billy “The Kid” Rivellini (10 PPG in 7 games)—and even the ever-intimidating forechecking of Ryan “The Boogeyman” Bergeron and Luke “The Nuke” Webster was absent. Meanwhile, Tuck, mostly intact though missing defensive studs like Jack “Thorny” Torney and Sam “The Greek God of On-Sides” Youkilis, was ready to serve up a performance full of flair, mishaps, and outrageous moments.

First Period: Early Sparks and Mischief

At 11:51, Tuck drew first blood when Kyle Lockwood chipped a puck down low to the elusive Nicky Sullivan, who skated behind the net only to somehow find David Husband's stick in the slot—despite being double-teamed by two Gamblers. Husband made sure the puck went exactly where his wife wanted it, sending it low blocker side for a 1-0 Tuck lead.

Tuck ended the period with 10 shots to the Gamblers’ 9, setting the stage for an unpredictable showdown.

Second Period: Mailmen, Mayhem, and a Powerplay Clinic

The Gamblers answered at 7:54 when, with Eric Fein in the box for interference, Will Meyer won a face-off near Tuck’s goaltender Jenkins Marshall. The puck eventually found its way to Luke Deary, who set up Matty “The Mailman” Marrazzo. After unleashing a quick backhand chip over Marshall’s glove, Marrazzo declared, They call me the Mailman, and the Mailman ALWAYS delivers – rain, snow, shitty ice. Now, where’s my old white jeep?

Not long after, at 3:28, Tuck retook the lead. Following a rocket from Gamblers’ “Mad” Max Woods that sailed over the crossbar, Tuck’s Matt Goff fed Kyle Lockwood on the far boards. Lockwood led a 3-on-2 charge—with Husband and Sullivan crashing the net and Gamblers’ Evan “Showtime” Cline back checking—to slide the puck past Cline for a 2-1 advantage.

The second period then erupted into chaos. After some nail-biting plays, the Gamblers leveled the game at 3-3. Tuck’s own Max Plonsker (a penalty on Tuck for tripping) set the stage for defenseman Sean “Copland” Collins to showcase a clinic at the blue line. Collins twisted, spun, and danced around like he was auditioning for a Broadway show before finding Luke Deary for a slick back-door tap. As if that weren’t enough, a sublime drop pass from Adam Macsata to Mikey Yablong left two Gamblers in the dust, with Yablong faking a shot and tucking the puck past Cline to tie things up.

By the end of the second, the score was locked at 3-3, with the Gamblers firing 22 shots to Tuck's 17.

Third Period: A Rollercoaster of Twists

The third period saw its own share of hilarity and heroics. At 11:03, Tuck took a 4-3 lead when, with the Gamblers’ Zach Aher in the box for tripping, Kyle Lockwood waltzed out from below the goal line, spun around, and beat Cline blocker side—even as Cline’s own defense got comically tangled up.

The Gamblers responded at 9:56 when a point shot from Aaron Damren was tipped by Max Woods to tie the game at 4-4.

Then, at 5:19, things took a wild turn. Gamblers’ Sugar Ray Nolan lost his cool after a collision with Matthew Ouellette, literally ripping Ouellette’s helmet off. Nolan was carted off to the locker room, leaving Gamblers shorthanded and forcing Evan Cline to make a couple of acrobatic saves to keep the game tied.

Regulation ended in a nail-biter at 4-4, with Gamblers registering 28 shots to Tuck's 23.

Overtime: The Golden Moment

In a sudden-death 4-on-4 overtime spanning 5 minutes, tension hung as thick as fog. Just 27 seconds in, Tuck’s Eric “Wine & Dine” Fein took a bad holding call—clearly the calm before the storm.

At 2:41, the arena erupted. With goaltender Jenkins Marshall making a series of acrobatic saves, a chaotic scramble ensued: Matthew Ouellette crashed in to block a shot from Sean Collins, and David Husband tangled with Aaron Damren in the neutral zone. This chaos left Matt Goff sliding in for the final, audacious play—tripping over Cline's outstretched leg and tucking the puck in like a poor man’s Bobby Orr. Boom. Goal. The crowd went wild as Tuck clinched a 5-4 overtime victory!

Final Recap

With this stunning win, Tuck advances to the finals. They will now face off against #3 Whalers—the same team that recently trounced #2 Lumberjacks 6-3. In a playoff season filled with upsets, wild plays, and outrageous moments, one thing’s for sure: this tournament is one for the history books.