UPPER VALLEY HOCKEY LEAGUE

Gamblers Hold Full Hand over Nordiques

ODDS:	Gamblers by 2 goals
OVER/UNDER:	8 goals

The Gambler's netminder Jered "The Eagle" Condon has gotten better and better each game this season, allowing, in order: 4 goals, 2 goals, 1 goal and a shutout last week. Granted the G-Men have taken on the respective bottom 3 teams in the UVHL the past 3 weeks, they have still outscored their opponents this season 34-7. OUCH!

The Nordiques are also 3-1-0 to match the Gamblers, outscoring their opponents 33-23. The Nordique's Johnny "Temper Tantrum" Turner has been less than spectacular this year, but after a 10-2 drubbing at the hands of the Wicked Smaaht Kids of Tuck, bounced back with a solid 11-3 win over the lowly Dead River Rats.

The Nordiques offense looks like it may be able to match the firepower of their opponent, but can they break through on Condon in order to make it count and keep this game close? The Nords always play a tight defensive game against the Gamblers, but can Turner shake off the funk from the beginning of the year and shut down the dynamic trio of Marrazzo-Meyer-Ammel?

The Nordiques Top Line, the MMR line...no no Mumps-Measels-Rubella...Mayhew-McGee-Racicot have put up a respectable 34 points total. Compare that to 38 points from the Gambler's MMA line.

The difference here is Condon. Gamblers walk away with it....5-3.

Gamblers & Nordiques battle to 6-5 Shootout

"I just want to play in a competitive game" said the Gamblers captain/manager/equipment manager Willy "Wobble" Meyer. You can't blame him, the G-Men have walked through their last 3 opponents by a combined score of 31-3, and Meyer got his wish in a 6-5 shootout win over the Nordiques. The ultra-competitive Gamblers may be the most talented team to ever grace the upper valley, but have shown a complete lack of sportsmanship yet again.....but we'll get to that in the 3rd period.

This was a chess match that saw everything, 10 goals, 32 penalty minutes, a shootout, some whining, screaming, yelling, drama, crying, high fiving, competitive eating and a non-fight.

The Gamblers opened the scoring early off a brilliant pass from the twig of Evan "Sweaty" Seely, who was roaming the end boards and found Topo "The Croissant" LaCroix in the slot for a quick one timer along the ice past Turner. Brian "Mike O'Neil's Sloppy Jersey Seconds" Racicot tied the game 86 seconds later from Ian "The Grin" Coates. Dan "The Animal" Ammel put the Gamblers up 2-1 at 11:21 off of a perfect 3 zone breakaway pass from Marc "The Narc" Gattie, that caught Ammel in stride behind the Nordique's defensemen and all alone on Johnny "Temper Tantrum" Turner. Ammel cut across the crease left to right and tucked the biscuit in the basket with no room to spare.

Turner and his nemisis, Jered "The Condor" Condon stood on their heads over the next 9 minutes in a high intensity game until Racicot hit Jordy "McBreakAway" McGee at the Gambler's blue line. McGee only had one man to beat, took him through the slot, before cutting back on him, faking back to the right on Condon, only to make another quick cut back to the left for the open netter. He threw about 8 moves on both Condon & the Gambler's defenseman in the span of 8 feet...beautiful goal.

END OF THE FIRST: Gamblers 2, Nordiques 2

Ammel added his second of the game from Matty "The Milkman" Marrazzo at 12:46 of the second, with a well placed wrist shot through a screen from the top of the right faceoff circle. "I never saw it coming," said Turner. "So I'm pretty sure it actually never went in...and it shouldn't count against my lifetime GAA." The Gamblers started to dominate the game at this point and added another goal at 10:04 on the powerplay with a Marrazzo & Meyer connection. The tandem each made an exceptional play as Meyer broke down the far boards and dropped the puck to Marrazzo, who headed laterally to the center of the ice, sucking the defenseman with him while Meyer headed low. Once the defenseman was overcommitted, Marrazzo hit his linemate down low cutting behind the defenseman towards the net. Meyer took the pass in stride and jammed home his own rebound for the 4-2 lead. The Nordiques didn't help their cause for the remainder of the period as they added 9 more penalty minutes in the final 9:21 of the period. Leading the way was a 5 minute major to Tommy "The Duke" Dakai for Checking from Behind, Roger Phillips a 2 minute minor for Hooking and Brian Racicot for holding with 15 seconds to play. You have to give credit to the Nordiques for killing off the 5 minute major which ended up being a 5 on 3 for 30 seconds with Phillips in the box.

END OF THE SECOND: Gamblers 4, Nordiques 2

The Gamblers scored a second powerplay goal to open the 3rd period with Racicot still in the box, when Evan "Sugar" Seely jammed home a rebound off of a point shot. Things got ugly at 10:50 when Scotty "Too Angry" Fraser took 7 minutes for Body Checking & Roughing Pierce "Mayhem" Mayhew in the slot. Mayhew took exception to the Major for Body Checking and shoved Fraser who turned around swinging, getting him the extra 2 minutes. The Gamblers started adding to their minutes and that is when the drama ensued. One unnamed player was heard yelling at the officials from the bench "YOU HAVE TO CALL THE GAME BOTH WAYS", which was extremely funny considering, at that time, the Nordiques had already been assessed 15 penalty minutes to the Gamblers 13, and ultimately ended up 17 minutes to 15 minutes.

With Fraser in the box for 7 minutes, Tyler Dickinson put his team down 5 on 3 and opened the door for the Nordiques who scored 2 goals on the powerplay. The first came on a backdoor pass from Mayhew to Racicot, and the second goal set off the DRAMA alarms on the Gamblers bench when Racicot again fired a shot from the goal line that hit off teammate Jordy McGee in the slot and went in. Both referees declared it a goal, but the Gamblers screamed, hollered, bitched & whined their way all the way back to the faceoff dot, and continued to bitch, scream, holler and whine about the goal showing a complete lack of sportsmanship, maturity and respect for the game. "I'm so sick of my team's bullshit, it's f*cking embarrassing!" said one Gambler's team mate, referring to the whining.

The Nordiques were able to tie the game on a tic-tac-toe backdoor goal that went from Coates to Greg "The Butcher of Norwich" Marsh to Roger "The Dirty Dentist" Phillips.

END OF REGULATION: Gamblers 5, Nordiques 5

The home team Gamblers decided to shoot first, and sent out rookie Topo "Mighty Mouse" LaCroix. LaCroix broke in on Turner in 4th gear and threw a series of DISGUSTING moves before pulling the puck to his forehand for the goal and making Turner look like a basketball player on skates. GOALLLLLLLL! The Nordiques sent out McGee who wound up for a slapshot on Condon from the hashmarks, hitting Condon's blocker arm, post and end boards. SAVE! Matty "The Milkman" Marrazzo, who's career shootout percentage is a dismal 2 for 74.....ok, that may be an exaggeration, went in on Turner full speed and fired a snapshot under Turner's blocker arm that squeeked out and rolled into the net putting the Gamblers up 2-0 and the Nordiques in a do or die position. Marsh stepped up for the challenge, and let a dismal slapshot go, looking 5-hole that Condon easily stopped to secure the win.

END OF SHOOTOU: Gamblers (2 goals) 6, Nordiques (0 goals) 5

This was a hell of a game, but the G-Men got to themselves. Their competitiveness is what makes them great, makes the UVHL great, makes hockey great...but they are immature and when they find themselves down or in a close game, they stop having fun. They were warned early in the season by the commissioner to keep their bench under control, but apparently the message was not received. Abuse of the officials, I don't care who they are, is not tolerated. Regardless, they wanted to play a good, high energy game where they didn't blow out their opponents, and they got that from the Nordiques. The Nords got in trouble early with penalties and the Gamblers jumped all over them. The Gamblers got in trouble late with penalties, and the Nords jumped all over them. It ended in a shootout, and the Gambler's were the better skilled team.

The Nordiques should be proud, as they "shut down" the high flying line of Marrazzo, Meyer & Ammel. Keeping them to only 3 goals & 5 points on the night. The MMA line put up 16 points last week against the Whalers and 11 the week before against Dead River.

 

Team:	Time:	Type:	Player:	Details:
1st PERIOD
GMB	13:40	Goal	LaCroix, Topo(5)	Assist(s): Seely, Evan(4)
NDQ	12:14	Goal	Racicot, Brian(4)	Assist(s): Coates, Ian(5)
GMB	11:21	Goal	Ammel, Robert(4)	Assist(s): Gattie, Marc(6)
NDQ	07:05	Penalty	Dakai, Tom(3)	2 minutes for Tripping
NDQ	01:52	Goal	McGee, Jordan(10)	Assist(s): Racicot, Brian(6) Park, Kelly(3)
GMB	01:26	Penalty	Ammel, Robert(1)	2 minutes for Interference
2nd PERIOD
NDQ	14:49	Penalty	Kerrigan, James(2)	2 minutes for Holding
GMB	12:46	Goal	Ammel, Robert(5)	Assist(s): Marrazzo, Matt(8)
GMB	10:04	Goal	Meyer, Will(12)	Assist(s): Marrazzo, Matt(9) Dickinson, Tyler(1)
NDQ	09:21	Penalty	Dakai, Tom(4)	5 minutes for Checking from Behind
NDQ	05:51	Penalty	Phillips, Roger(1)	2 minutes for Hooking
GMB	01:11	Penalty	Malcolm, Allison(2)	2 minutes for Holding
NDQ	00:15	Penalty	Racicot, Brian(3)	2 minutes for Holding
3rd PERIOD
GMB	13:37	Goal	Seely, Evan(5)	Assist(s): Gattie, Marc(7) LaCroix, Topo(2)
NDQ	10:50	Penalty	Mayhew, Pierce(2)	2 minutes for Roughing
GMB	10:50	Penalty	Fraser, Scott(2)	2 minutes for Roughing
GMB	10:50	Penalty	Fraser, Scott(2)	5 minutes for Body Checking
GMB	08:02	Penalty	Dickinson, Tyler(3)	2 minutes for Interference
NDQ	07:08	Goal	Racicot, Brian(5)	Assist(s): Mayhew, Pierce(8)
NDQ	06:09	Goal	McGee, Jordan(11)	Assist(s): Racicot, Brian(7)
GMB	03:36	Penalty	Dickinson, Tyler(4)	2 minutes for Hitting From Behind
GMB	01:32	Penalty	Ammel, Robert(2)	2 minutes for Slashing
NDQ	00:00	Goal	Phillips, Roger(5)	Assist(s): Marsh, Greg(9) Coates, Ian(6)
SHOOTOUT
GMB	1	LaCroix, Topo		GOAL Scored on John Turner
NDQ	2	McGee, Jordan		SAVE BY Jered Condon
GMB	3	Marrazzo, Matt		GOAL Scored on John Turner
NDQ	4	Marsh, Greg		SAVE BY Jered Condon

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Game Comments:
kpark Quechee, VT Registered: Dec 2003 Posts: 723	Make your picks! Nov 8th, 2010 08:50 PM I can't wait for this game! Even though the Nords haven't come out on top in a couple of years, this is always a high intensity, fast paced and clean game. It's the best that the UVie has to offer! Don't forget to make your game picks! I'm putting up $100 Gift Card at the end of the year to the player who makes the most correct picks...or percentage. I haven't really figured out the details yet. KP
Kojak Rutland, VT Registered: Posts: 1	Were these players armed ??!!?? Nov 11th, 2010 06:49 PM Jesus Christ, JOHNSON. You attend one friggin' ref school and now you're a Gestapo agent. What did you do, swallow your whistle from being out of breathe. It sucks that refs can't go to the bench, EH !?! Looking at the box score, it seems every time you wheezed you blew your freakin' harmonica. Did you simply call a penalty each time so you could justify the game interruption ??? Let'em PLAY for Christ's sake !! I canNOT wait to work with YOU as a partner.