THE

UPPER VALLEY HOCKEY LEAGUE

Gamblers
Nordiques
1st
0
1
2rd
2
0
3rd
2
0
FINAL
4
1
Shots
48
24
January 25th, 2011 - 6:30PM
Union Arena - Woodstock, VT
Pre-Game
Recap
Box Score
Discussion
Game ID: 716

Nords hang tough til last 4 minutes in 4-1 loss vs. Gamblers

There was an unexpectedly light Gamblers squad for this game, and thankfully UVHL Rookie Nate Siegler showed up to add his talent to a thin line-up. Captain and UVHL leading scorer Will Meyer was coaching the Lebanon High School team (where are your priorities, Will???), and until big D Mike Harrington showed up there were only 9 skaters. I haven't seen Joey McIntyre or Tyler Dickinson since I took over in Week 12, and who the fuck is Bryant Harris anyway? The Gamblers locker room bitch? On the other end of the ice the Nords were expected to be light with several players unable to make it, and two yet to make guest appearances so far this season, but the core of this year's team was there - all 8 of them, plus JT in net. One might have though it would be a slow pace, but it was anything but that! The best chance early in the game was by Nords C Ian Coates at 9:58 but Jered Condon got a piece down low and the puck went wide of the net. We saw a classic BIG wind-up by Gamblers D Jason Young, career slapshot attempt AND missed net leader, that strangely went wide and over the net at 6:51. The wind-up and follow through took a total of 3 full seconds to complete. If we could somehow capture the potential energy in JY's slapper we could power the Union Arena for a night... The Nords had sustained pressure for a shift or two, but there were no shots on the exchange around 5:03 of the period as the Gamblers blocked & tipped shots wide. Nords Big D Tom dakai made an uncharacteristic bad pass coming out from behind the net looking for a winger up ice, but he put it right on the stick of Dan "The Danimal" Ammel at the blueline who went in for the best Gamblers chance thus far, but JT made a good save to deny The Danimal. Apparently The Danimal is the second hairiest UVHLer next to The Minister of Defense, Tom Dakai, or so I am told. JY took another slapper that was deflected out by JT's glove, and then Turner made a pad save on Topo LaCroix on the next play. There was a Nords 2-on-1 for Greg Marsh and Coates made possible by Brian Racicot's long pass up the boards that Coatsey buried with a slapper over Condon's left shoulder as the period was winding down with 39 seconds left. Shots were 20-5 for the Gamblers at the end of the period, but believe it or not the Nords were the better team after 15 minutes.

Power winger Matt Marrazzo scored his first of two unassisted goals grabbing the puck and creating a turnover to make it 1-1 at 14:14 of the second. Just prior to that Marshy had a breakaway fed to him cross ice by linemate Roger "The Dirty Dentist" Phillips, but marshy tried to accelerate down the right side so hard that he lost his footing and almost skated out of his skates and practically fell over like an overexcited Mite on his first ever breakaway. Marshy lost the puck, and it was a horrible display of skill, or lack thereof - HILARIOUS! Condon made a HUUUGE save on Phillips shortly thereafter. By that point the Nords had taken an equal number of shots (5) by 13:10 that they took in the entire first period. The Mouth of the North, Kelly F'n Park, showed up for the start of the second period after being delayed by a conference call to the "west coast" for work prior to the game. Sure...we all know it was a phone sex line to California for deviant mexican midget fetishists that was "somehow" billed to the UVHL and not Ibex. Park made it 8 on the roster for the Nords, and if he didn't show up the pace would have dropped off sooner as the Gamblers had 2 full lines. There was a missed puck off the back boards by JT which bounced out in front of the Nords net and was luckily cleared out of the way. The teams were trading good chances around 9:50 on the clock, and then Nords leading scorer Jordan McGee made a SICK backhand pass to himself through Allison Malcolm's legs, spun around her to retrieve it, made a drag move on the D, and then narrowly missed the net over Condon's glove at 9:35. The Danimal made a quick shot off the face off at 7:34, and then the Gamblers missed an open net at 7:15 as JT came out to challenge the shooter and the puck went behind him. Condon made another save on McGee at 6:14, and then JT stoned LaCroix at the other end. McGee went in again on a chance and was blatantly hooked, but there was no call on the play. Marrazzo's second unassisted goal came on a low shot at 5:08, and the momentum changed in favor of the Gamblers. Marrazzo then broke up the middle with the puck and crashed the net, but there was no goal at 3:48, seemingly because the net was off, but I did not get an explanation on the play. Several jeers of "Hadley, you suck" came from the Gamblers bench towards the player ref that called it off. Really? One has to make it personal out there? Nobody has to like or agree with any call, but keep the personal insults to yourself. Try putting on the stripes yourself in a UVHL game and see how you like it first before you open your fat mouth. McGee charged up the left side at 2:48 and Condon made a blocker save. LaCroix received a long pass at the Nords blueline, and Park raped him in front of the net. No call again at 2:10, but the refs were letting it go evenly and were letting them play. the Gamblers had 2 late chances in the final 20 seconds, but JT kept the puck out. Shots for this exciting period were 18 for the Gamblers and 15 for the Nords.

In the third Turner made 2 big saves to start it off. The Gamblers won the opening face-off and broke into the Nords zone for the first chance, and then JT made the second save diving across. On the next play Racicot tripped Evan Seely and the only penalty of the game was assessed to the Nords at 14:38. On the PK McGee schooled everyone and got a great shot that Condon barely saved with the end of his foot to deflect the puck wide. Behind the Nords net Allison Malcolm flattened her opposing center Ian Coates as Coatsey pivoted quickly with the puck and ran right into a 114 lb brick wall. Shots were only 2-1 through 9:30 of the period as described. Then at 9:10 McGee narrowly missed a backhander behind a sprawled Condon! Shots were still 2-1 at 7:32 of this incredibly defensive period. This was like a chess match, and it was great hockey! In the next minute the Gamblers garnered 3 shots. McGee was upended at 6:10 and yet again there was no call as the refs were consistent and let them play. Marshy had a hell of a time clearing the puck out of the Nords zone all night after two flubs earlier in the game and one on the PK, and FINALLY he got it the fuck out. There were two blocked shots by the gamblers at 4:04, and then coming back down the ice a pass from behind the Nords net led to a Seely backhand goal from LaCroix and defenseman Marc Gattie at 3:46. Believe it or not, the second Nords shot of the period came with 3:35 left in an attempt to answer the Gamblers, and shots stood at 8-2 for teh period at that point. Marrazzo completed the Hatty at 3:01 while pursued by McGee from the neutral zone, but somehow he got off the shot for the goal after receiving the pass from Scott Fraser. This was an even game until the last 4 minutes, and both teams played great. Near the end of the period JT's stick got hooked in the outside mesh of the net for at least 30 seconds, and luckily the Nords got it out into the neutral zone to keep the score 4-1. Shots were 10-4 for the Gamblers in the period, and 48-24 total.

Final Score: Gamblers 4, Nordiques 1

Final Tally: Marazzo had 3 goals, two of them unassisted, and they broke the Nords' back. Nobody else had more than one point.

Final Analysis: This was a VERY good hockey game, and it was like a chess match with each team reading the play, predicting, strategizing, and working hard. The Nords were in it until the last 4 minutes of the game, and I think their short bench hurt them in the end. Condon didn't have a whole lot of shots on goal, only 24, but he had a number of clutch saves, a few of them highlight worthy. Turner got peppered all game, and kept the Nords in it right to the end, and faced 48 shots. The Gamblers are a very competitive team. There is nothing wrong with that. What I find interesting is that when the game and calls don't go their way, even in a tie game, they open up their mouths on the bench and bitch one a hell of a lot. The only two on that squad (Marc Gattie and Will Meyer), actually on ANY UVHL squad, that have any right to bitch are those who are player refs. If you want to complain, then put on the stripes next season and we'll listen. Otherwise, shut the fuck up and play hockey.

See you on the ice!

McD
LEAGUE PICK 'EM
 86%
Gamblers
14% 
Nordiques
7 PICKS
THREE STARS

Matt Marrazzo

GOALS: 3
POINTS: 3

Jered Condon

GA: 1
SAVES: 23
SAVE%: 0.958

John Turner

GA: 4
SAVES: 44
SAVE%: 0.917

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