UPPER VALLEY HOCKEY LEAGUE

Mustangs Own Whalers? We will see tonight.

Whalers 5 – Mustangs 2

This game had everything: revenge, referee-assisted goals, back-door tap-ins, five-hole trauma, and a Mustangs team that slowly realized—over the course of 45 exhausting minutes—that they were no longer the younger, faster group on the ice.

Coming off a 3–0 shutout loss earlier this month, the Whalers showed up angry, caffeinated, and skating like their rides were leaving without them. The Mustangs, meanwhile, looked confident… which in hindsight was adorable.

The first period was pure chaos. Not bad hockey—just frantic, sloppy, emotionally unstable hockey. That chaos favored the Whalers, who struck first when Brandon “Chizzy” Chiasson turned a lazy Mustang breakout into a breakaway and casually undressed Colin Farr like he was trying on outfits.

The Whalers doubled the lead shortly after on one of the more ridiculous short-handed goals you’ll see this season. A Mustangs clearing attempt ricocheted directly off referee Zach Aher’s torso and landed perfectly at center ice for Cavan Benjamin. Benjamin did what any responsible adult would do in that situation: went in alone and buried it five-hole.

“I didn’t even know the puck hit me,” Aher said. “I just felt embarrassed.”

Despite trailing, this never felt like a blowout. The Mustangs pushed back, generated chances, and eventually found life in the second period when Will “The Thrill” Mudge fired a wrist shot that Jered Condon technically stopped but spiritually allowed.

When the Mustangs tied it soon after, the game flipped. The Whalers went quiet. The Mustangs started chirping. The benches got loud. For about four minutes, it felt like the Whalers might Whaler this thing away.

Instead, they did the opposite.

What followed was a masterclass in youthful persistence. The Whalers didn’t dominate with skill—they dominated with legs. They cycled endlessly, forced bad line changes, and made the Mustangs defend for stretches that felt cruel and unusual.

The turning point came on a power play that looked like it was drawn up by someone who actually reads the whiteboard. Dan VeNard froze the blue line, Ezra “Mohawk” Mock slid it across, Rusty Teller sold shot, and Rouillard finished it back door.

“I just like being back there,” Rouillard said. “No pressure. Nobody looks at you.”

From there, the Mustangs slowly unraveled. Teller stuffed one five-hole. Benjamin cleaned up another loose puck. The Mustangs pressed, panicked, and eventually abandoned defense altogether in a desperate attempt to get back in the game.

It didn’t work.

FINAL: Whalers 5 – Mustangs 2

The Mustangs didn’t play poorly. They just ran into a team that refused to stop skating—and made them feel every year of it.

Mustangs Can't Ride Momentum, Whalers Bounce Back.

Whalers 5 – Mustangs 2

After the Mustangs embarrassed the Whalers earlier this month with a 3–0 shutout, both teams showed up with something to prove. The Mustangs wanted to prove it wasn’t a fluke. The Whalers wanted to prove it absolutely was.

What followed was a wildly entertaining, borderline unhinged game that sat tied 2–2 halfway through the third period before the Whalers’ youth, legs, and refusal to stop skating finally broke the Mustangs.

1st Period

13:23 – Whalers 1, Mustangs 0
Defenseman Brandon Chiasson, a little late getting back into the zone, picked off a pass from James Baker just inside the Whalers’ blue line and exploded up ice. A fake shot, backhand, forehand move left Colin Farr down and out as Chiasson slid it calmly along the ice for his first of the year. Unassisted.

Farr had to be sharp shortly after, robbing Rusty Teller after Teller carved through three Mustangs and tried to go backhand. Farr was at the far post and was very much interested in not allowing that.

Chiasson later went to the box for tripping Trevor White, which turned out to be a terrible idea.

8:33 – Whalers 2, Mustangs 0 (SHG)
Off the faceoff, Scott Christian chipped the puck deep, Jason Yehle tried to clear it, and the puck instead detonated directly off referee Zach Aher’s midsection. Perfect padded rebound to center ice for Cavan Benjamin, who went in alone and beat Farr five-hole.

“I’m not saying Zach’s belly is big,” said one Whaler, “but that rebound was perfect.”

END OF THE FIRST: Whalers X, Mustangs X
Shots: Whalers X – Mustangs X

2nd Period

With Lochlan Park in the box for what this reporter will politely call a “creative” hooking call on White, the Mustangs went to work.

13:04 – Mustangs 1, Whalers 2
Excellent puck movement led to Will “The Thrill” Mudge unleashing a wrist shot measured later at 38.7 mph. Jered Condon swallowed it like a fat kid sneaking cookies after bedtime… except somehow the puck still ended up in the net.

“The scouting report was aim for the logo or the stomach,” Mudge said. “Seemed accurate.”

After multiple high-danger chances at both ends, the Mustangs finally capitalized again.

6:59 – Mustangs 2, Whalers 2
A turnover sprung Baker out of the box and in alone. He pulled to the backhand and beat Condon to tie it up.

8:28 – Whalers 3, Mustangs 2 (PPG)
With Mudge off for high-sticking Dan VeNard, the Whalers ran a clinic. VeNard faked high, fed Ezra “Mohawk” Mock, who one-timed it across to Teller, who found Rouillard back door.

“I just love going in the back door,” Rouillard said. “Sneaky. Fun. Hard to make eye contact afterward.”

3:30 – Whalers 4, Mustangs 2
A neutral-zone takeaway led to Teller cutting hard to the net and stuffing it five-hole on Farr.

0:51 – Whalers 5, Mustangs 2
Chaos in front led to Cavan “Spider Legs” Benjamin pouncing on a loose puck for the dagger.

FINAL: Whalers 5 – Mustangs 2