UPPER VALLEY HOCKEY LEAGUE

Post Season Tune Up - Tuck @ Whalers

ODDS:	Tuck By 3 Goals
OVER/UNDER:	11 Goals

The UVHL moves to Campion Rink this week for the remainder of the regular season and playoffs. This final tune-up has no input on the playoffs as the seedings were locked in last week when the Nordiques beat the Whalers 8-3. That loss was a bit uncharacteristic of the Whalers who have played the Nordiques really well this season and fell apart late in that game.

The Tuckies sit in 2nd in the UVHL this season with an almost perfect 12-2-1 record, but won't be able to catch the 15-2-0 Gamblers with a win in the season finale.

In three contests this season, Tuck has handily beaten the Whalers in two of them. The first was an 11-3 throttling in November, followed by a closer 8-5 win on February 4th. The last meeting on February 18th went a little bit differently as the Whalers stunned Tuck 5-4...but keep in mind that the Whaler's were using rookie goaltender Zach Lary and pulled in three Nordiques to help fuel the win. One Nordique was particularly useful in the win as he scored a pair of goals, added an assist and took home the first star of the game. His name is Jordan McGee.

If the Whalers arrive with their roster and goaltender this one should go in favor of Tuck yet again. Survey says....7-3 Tuck.

Whalers Shock Tuck 4-3

GAME RECAP GRACIOUSLY PROVIDED BY JONATHAN STALLSMITH

After a rough 8-3 loss against the Nordiques demoted the Whalers to Thursday's Play-In game, the Forever Five-Hundreds (if that) showed up for the final game of the regular season with nothing to play for except a little pride. In fitting style for the Whale, the team that's provided Dead River with its only two wins of the season, also became the only team in the league to hand Tuck more than one regulation loss.

Without the league's leading goal scorer on the ice in the form of Brandon Harrington, the high-powered Tuckies looked beatable in the first period, but goaltender Mike Devine was not ... nor was his counterpart, Ken Lallier, as the teams played to a scoreless tie through the first 15 minutes.

Having brought five forwards and five defensemen, the Whalers decided to try Chuck Gaede at forward through the first period. However, after the offensive woes in the first period, self-appointed bench coach Jay Zanleoni made the executive decision to swap Gaede on the wing for offensive machine, Jonathan Stallsmith (4 goals in 50 career games).

The move did not immediately pay off. Tuck capitalized early in the period with a goal from Peter "Cougar" Mellen, but the goal did not dampen the upset hopes of the breaching Whale. Woody Redpath snuck one by Devine midway through the second period from in close to tie the game.

Tuck proved itself to be resilient a few shifts later. Jeff Wannop collected the puck at the point and skated all the way to Greztky's Office until he centered the puck to Peter Mellen, whose quick snapper was in the net before the Whalers could react.

With the 2-1 lead, Tuck headed on the power play shortly after, but it was the Whalers that would take advantage of the open ice. Redpath fed a pass from the side to Zanleoni on a shorthanded break, and "Z-Skate" blasted a quick shot into the open side of the net to even the game again.

Finally, the big coaching move paid off in the third. Jason Yehle shot low from the left point on the power play and Stallsmith, who had registered all of three points on the season, redirected the shot to the far side of the net, where Tom Crapser put it in the bank for a winning deposit slip, a lead the team never relinquished.

Zanleoni again blasted a Redpath feed past Devine to give the team an insurance goal later in the period. It needed that much, as Tuck would respond late with a goal by Mellen off a fast break rebound. But, Lallier and the Lost Boys stood strong when the Business Men pulled the goalie, and the Whalers skated away with a 4-3 win.

 

Team:	Time:	Type:	Player:	Details:
1st PERIOD
TCK	03:58	Penalty	Rautiola, Eric(10)	2 minutes for Hooking
2nd PERIOD
TCK	13:05	Goal	Wannop, Jeff(4)	Assist(s): McDonald, Jed(23)
WHL	12:52	Goal	Redpath, Woody(9)	Assist(s): Zanleoni, Jay(9) Kerrigan, James(8)
TCK	05:14	Penalty	McDonald, Jed(3)	2 minutes for Interference
WHL	05:14	Penalty	Clausen, Kevin(4)	2 minutes for Slashing
TCK	03:11	Goal	Mellen, Peter(9)	Assist(s): Vaughn, Spencer(5)
WHL	02:02	Penalty	Pierce, Dillan (8)	2 minutes for Tripping
WHL	01:58	Goal	(SH)Zanleoni, Jay(11)	Assist(s): Redpath, Woody(16)
3rd PERIOD
TCK	12:11	Penalty	McDonald, Jed(4)	2 minutes for Tripping
WHL	10:35	Goal	(PP)Crapser, Tom(5)	Assist(s): Stallsmith, Jonathan(3) Clausen, Kevin(8)
WHL	09:28	Goal	Zanleoni, Jay(12)	Assist(s): Redpath, Woody(17)
WHL	07:50	Penalty	Pierce, Dillan (9)	2 minutes for Holding
TCK	04:41	Goal	Mellen, Peter(10)	Assist(s): Gartner, Josh(3)

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