UPPER VALLEY HOCKEY LEAGUE

December 17, 2025  |  7:55pm

The Gamblers arrived Wednesday night with a full bench, a plan, and a deliberate decision between the pipes — going with Evan “Showtime” Cline over Tucker “POW” Garritty-Hanchett. The move paid off immediately, and repeatedly, and mercilessly.

The Lumberjacks rolled in on their team bus wearing brand-new black uniforms. They looked phenomenal. Unfortunately, hockey games are still decided by goals, shots, and effort — not vibes.

“I’d rather look great than play great any day,” said captain / manager / coach / player Jay “The Zamboni” Zanleoni. “It’s all about the fit, as the kids say.”

1st Period

The opening frame was the most competitive stretch of hockey the Lumberjacks would see all night. James “The Spiceman” McCormick came up with several early stops, including a backhand from Will “The Thrill” Meyer and a rebound chance from Luke “The Duke” Webster.

At the other end, Cline denied Nate “The Great” DeLuca, then casually swept the rebound to the corner from his stomach while performing what could only be described as reverse snow angels in the crease.

Zach “The Tinder Swindler” Aher sacrificed the body to block a Zanleoni snapshot from the high slot — a shot that appeared to be loading rather than releasing.

With 1:08 remaining, Luke “Ohhhh” Deary took a cross-ice feed from Matty “The Mailman” Marrazzo (he always delivers), gained the zone with speed, looped behind the net, cut through two defenders and slid a low shot — or possibly a pass — through McCormick five-holio.

End of the 1st: Gamblers 1, Lumberjacks 0
Shots: Lumberjacks 10, Gamblers 9

2nd Period

The Gamblers turned the second period into a private shooting gallery, outshooting the Lumberjacks 15-3. That’s not domination — that’s a wellness check.

McCormick was outstanding early, stopping a blind backhand from Topo “Thing 1” LaCroix, then flashing the right pad on Meyer’s rebound before the Lumberjacks had fully entered the zone.

Midway through the period things got chippy, featuring missed calls, matching minors, and officials desperately attempting to regain control of something that had already slipped away.

At 7:15, Sean Collins jumped on a loose puck at the blue line, drove the slot, cut wide, and snapped a shot inside the post glove-side. 2-0 Gamblers.

The Lumberjacks surrendered another late goal with 0:48 remaining when Meyer pounced on his own rebound after McCormick’s initial pad save. Cline, meanwhile, spent the final minute stretching and checking the clock.

End of the 2nd: Gamblers 3, Lumberjacks 0
Shots: Lumberjacks 13, Gamblers 24

3rd Period

Ten seconds in, a rare Gambler turnover sent DeLuca in alone, but Cline matched the move perfectly, dropping into the splits for a right-pad save that removed any remaining hope from the building.

That save ignited the Gamblers. At 14:24, Ryan “Thing 2” LaCroix fed his brother cross-ice at full speed. Thing 1 leaned through contact, sold backhand, and slid the puck five-holio for a 4-0 lead.

The finishing touch came with 1:51 remaining when the LaCroix brothers worked the puck down low, out-muscled, out-worked, and out-thought the Lumberjacks before a backdoor feed set up another Meyer finish.

Final: Gamblers 5, Lumberjacks 0
Shots: Lumberjacks 20, Gamblers 39

Showtime Cline earned the shutout. The Gamblers earned the win. The Lumberjacks earned a lot of compliments in the parking lot for those new jerseys.