UPPER VALLEY HOCKEY LEAGUE

In the first semifinal of the night we have the #1 seed Gamblers hosting the #4 seed Lumberjacks.  These two teams have met three times this year with the Gamblers taking 2 out of the 3 but the Jacks did win the most recent game.  Look for this game to be close but the Gamblers will come out with a 4-2 win over the Jacks. 

In the first semifinal of the night we have the #1 seed Gamblers hosting the #4 seed Lumberjacks.  The game started off with back and forth chances but both goalies were up for the test early in the first period.  It wasn't until 5:13 that the Gamblers Will Meyer opened the scoring to put the Gamblers up 1-0.  The Jacks didn't take long to answer back as Colby LaPerle tied the game up at 3:48.  After tying the game up it only took 9 seconds for the Jacks to go up 2-1 on a goal from Jordan McGee at 3:39.  Those two quick goals had the Gamblers wondering what the heck just happened, the period would end with the Jacks up 2-1 heading into the second period. 

In the second period the Gamblers picked up their play to try to match the Jacks but the Jacks had a game plan that was working and not allowing the Gamblers to get anything going. The Jacks Jordan McGee would get his second goal of the night at the 9:52 mark in the second period to put the Jacks up 3-1. The Jacks would keep the pressure on the Gamblers and it would pay off as Jordan McGee would notch his third goal of the night at 5:59 (second of the period) to put the Jacks up 4-1.  A little over a minute later McGee would get his third goal of the period and fourth of the game with 5:59 left in the period to make the score 5-1 Jacks.  With the Jacks buzzing around the Gamblers would use their timeout to try to slow the Jacks down and it finally worked for a few minutes as after the timeout the Gamblers Ryan LaCroix would score to make the score 5-2 with 3:45 left in the period.  Although the Gamblers were able to a goal late in the period it was the Jacks Jay Zanleoni who would score the last goal of the period with 51 seconds left and put the Jacks up 6-2 and kill all any momentum that the Gamblers had going after their second goal.

Heading into the third with the Jacks leading 6-2 they didn't take their foot of the gas and kept the pressure the Gamblers, it would eventually pay off as the Jacks Tim Patten would make the score 7-2 with 11:48 left in the period. With that goal the Jacks were well in control of the game the Gamblers took some chances but they couldn't get much going as the Jacks were playing the best hockey they had played all season long. Along with the Jacks playing solid team hockey they also go great goaltending from Chris Pelkey who only had to turn away 20 shots from the top seed Gamblers.  The Jacks would go on to upset the #1 seed Gamblers and with the win they have advanced on to the Whalen Cup Final next week!