PLAY IN! PLAY IN!!!!
| ODDS: | EVEN |
| OVER/UNDER: | 8 Goals |
The first official Playoff Play-In in UVHL History takes place tonight between the #4 Whalers & #5 Dead River teams. These teams have earned a split in the season series with the Whalers winning the first contest, followed by a pair of wins by Dead River and finally a win by the Whalers 3 weeks ago.
In the season series, both teams have scored 16 goals and allowed 16 goals. It's been a great season and the deciding game of the season couldn't have been set up any better.
Both teams are coming off fantastic wins on Tuesday night with Dead River bitch-slapping the Nordiques 8-2 and the Whalers SHOCKING the 12-2-0 Tuckies 4-3.
The odds are EVEN on this one, you pick, but the Whalers threw down a 6-3 thumping on Dead River last time they met. If that's any indicator, then the Whalers move on to the Playoffs.
Dead River BLOWS 4 Goal Lead, Loses Play-In 6-5
Dead River looked like they were heading to the playoffs after storming out to a HUGE 5-1 lead over the Whalers on Thursday night. But Jay \"The Zamboni\" Zanleoni had a different idea and single handedly turned this game around with 3 late goals including the Game Tying and Game Winning Goals.
Let\'s set the stage here. The (#4)Whalers were 6-11-0 in the regular season not a great record, but they had 2 huge wins over Tuck this year, the only team to beat Tuck more than once. (#5) Dead River started the season off 0-10-0, but finished 3-4-0...very respectable. Two of those wins came over the aforementioned Whalers. How does that sound for a game?!?!
Some of that confidence showed early as Dead River dominated the first period, outshooting the Whalers 17-9 and taking a 2-1 lead after 15 minutes behind a pair of unassisted goals from James \"Han\" Solon who used his stick with precision just like a jedi wielding a lightsaber.
Dead River netted 3 more goals in the first 9 minutes of the second period and were cruising to the playoffs...when, well shit happened. A late roughing call on Geoff \"The King\" Noble set up a Woody \"Road Runner\" Redpath power play goal with just 5 seconds to play in the second period. That last minute goal seemed to spark something in the Whalers, a glimmer of hope heading into the third period.
Then Jay \"The Zamboni\" Zanleoni happened. Zanleoni hoisted his team on his back, threw in 3 goals, chugged some beer and went home. It was a thing of beauty. His first came off a nice feed from Redpath with 11:35 to play. That goal made it 5-3...there was a glimmer of hope. Then Gary \"the Pearl Necklace\" LaPerle made it 5-4 from Kirt \"Big\" Johnson and Kevin \"Santa\" Clausen...\"Holy Shit could this really happen?\" asked one Dead Riverian from the bench. Then a turnover up high in Dead River\'s zone saw the puck land on Zanleoni\'s stick in the high slot. Z moved to the right and beat Albertazzi 5-holio...hole fucking shit, pigs are flying. And finally with 4:45 to play, \"Lucky\" Chucky Gaede found Z cross ice on the faceoff dot for a one-timer past Albertazzi for the eventual game winner...DO YOU BELIEVE IN MIRACLES?!?!?!
It was a hell of a game, highs & lows for both teams. More lows for Dead River, but it\'s definitely a learning experience.
Whalers advance to play the Gamblers on Tuesday night.
| Whalers |
| # |
Player |
W/L |
GA |
Saves |
Save% |
| 0 | Lallier, Ken | W | 5 | 25 | 0.833 |
| # |
Player |
G |
A |
Pts |
PIMs |
| 5 | Clausen, Kevin | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 0 | Crapser, Tom | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 22 | Gaede, Chuck | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| 15 | Johnson, Kirt | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| 19 | Kerrigan, James | 0 | 2 | 2 | |
| 0 | Lallier, Ken | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 0 | Laperle, Gary | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| 7 | Redpath, Woody | 2 | 1 | 3 | |
| 2 | rouillard, jason | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 7 | Yehle, Jason | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 43 | Zanleoni, Jay | 3 | 2 | 5 | |
| Labatt Blues |
| # |
Player |
W/L |
GA |
Saves |
Save% |
| 35 | Albertazzi, Matt | L | 6 | 21 | 0.778 |
| # |
Player |
G |
A |
Pts |
PIMs |
| 35 | Albertazzi, Matt | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 4 | Billings, Trevor | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 14 | Charette, Dan | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 91 | Hadley, Gregory | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 4 | Lawrence, Justin | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| 19 | Lunt, Loren | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| 7 | Moran, Terence | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| 6 | noble, geoff | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 14 | Pierce, Travis | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 8 | Solon, James | 2 | 0 | 2 | |
| 6 | Sprague, Ray | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 0 | Zaha, Spencer | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Team: |
Time: |
Type: |
Player: |
Details: |
| 1st PERIOD |
| LAB | 11:30 | Goal | Solon, James(15) | Assist(s): none |
| LAB | 09:35 | Goal | Solon, James(16) | Assist(s): none |
| WHL | 02:29 | Goal | Redpath, Woody(10) | Assist(s): Kerrigan, James(9) Zanleoni, Jay(10) |
| 2nd PERIOD |
| LAB | 13:22 | Goal | Lawrence, Justin(7) | Assist(s): Moran, Terence(10) |
| WHL | 12:59 | Penalty | Clausen, Kevin(5) | 2 minutes for Tripping |
| LAB | 11:59 | Goal | (PP)Moran, Terence(9) | Assist(s): Sprague, Ray(2) |
| LAB | 06:19 | Goal | Lunt, Loren(8) | Assist(s): noble, geoff(3) |
| LAB | 00:30 | Penalty | noble, geoff(5) | 2 minutes for Roughing |
| WHL | 00:05 | Goal | (PP)Redpath, Woody(11) | Assist(s): Zanleoni, Jay(11) Kerrigan, James(10) |
| 3rd PERIOD |
| WHL | 11:35 | Goal | Zanleoni, Jay(13) | Assist(s): Redpath, Woody(18) |
| WHL | 10:23 | Goal | Laperle, Gary(4) | Assist(s): Johnson, Kirt(5) Clausen, Kevin(9) |
| WHL | 07:14 | Goal | Zanleoni, Jay(14) | Assist(s): none |
| LAB | 06:54 | Penalty | Sprague, Ray(5) | 2 minutes for Roughing |
| WHL | 04:45 | Goal | Zanleoni, Jay(15) | Assist(s): Gaede, Chuck(3) |
| LAB | 02:40 | Penalty | Moran, Terence(4) | 2 minutes for Hooking |