The Table is Set

The final week of the regular season is here and this is how it went.

minor

Team Euless (0-8-0) 2
LSI (7-1-0) 6

Team Euless completes the elusive perfect season, not exactly in the most enviable fashion. It started off with a hat trick in the first period to Gabe Rivera, of LSI. Euless collects a goal with the help of Rick Gregory in the second, and Gabe gets yet another goal a few seconds later. James Macha closes out the second with an LSI goal. In the third Macha tallies another one, late, and Mike Ginnard pads his stats with the final Team Euless goal of the regular season. Both of these teams may have proven that they don't belong in this league, LSI will almost certainly move on, Euless may face extinction. . . of course only to make room for some other hockey amalgam.

Silverwings (2-5-1) 2
Grave Diggers (3-5-0) 7

The Diggers once again finish strong, I doubt anyone seriously believes that this will translate into a winning record for next session, but it finally happened for the Puckers, so who knows. Brian Lochkos starts the ball rolling for the Diggers and the ailing Bryan Brookman evens the score with a shot heard round the world! Randy Chappel scores three consecutive goals for another first period hat trick on the gold rink. In the second Justin McCullough tries to build some Silverwing momentum, but the period is a wash when Bruce Davis makes his fourth goal of the session. Bob Sirkis returns to the open ice and scores a goal for the Diggers in the third, along with another goal from Chappel. Amazing, the Diggers finish in sixth out of eight teams, is that a historical high watermark?

Chiefs (4-4-0) 2
Puckers (5-3-0) 1

The mighty Puckers were looking to present a new face to the league, and started off with what looked to be a tone setting goal two minutes into the game from Chris Kirton. The Chiefs had nothing but pride on the line for this game, but that would prove to be a strong motivator, Bill Broad nets the equalizer in the middle of the period, and in the middle period Ryan Brett sinks the game winner. The Puckers raise questions about their viability in the post season when they cannot come up with the tying goal despite having four straight minutes of power play in the third.

Whalers (5-3-0) 0
Privateers (6-2-0) 2

The Whalers and Privateers end their seasons with a knock-down, drag-out, tooth-and-nail battle. The first period sees a penalty from both of the heart and soul players for these teams, Hamstra for the Whalers and Cody Payne for the 'Teers, but neither team can capitalize on the advantage. The second was a blood bath, twelve minutes worth of penalties but still no goals. In a game where shots were hard enough to come by, one goal would likely be all it would take, Jeremy Boyd finally perforates Mata in the Whaler goal, just two minutes into the third. The Whalers fail to tie the game and Bob-O gets the empty netter. Both goalies face fourteen shots, the Whalers have more time on the power play, Ryan Haley-Willhoite is raising her level of play at the right time, her third shut-out this season.

MAJOR

Brewzers (2-4-2) 2
Stickmen (4-3-1) 5

The Sticks ride their horses, Eysermanns and Henderson, and fulfill their part in a top four bid, they would need a Komet loss to get in. It's Eysermanns for the Sticks first followed by teammate Glenn Listman. In the second, Jesse Henderson puts the Sticks up by three. League favorite, Jennifer Leonard starts the Brewzer rally and is followed by Jamil Al Jabri to put the Brewzers in striking distance for the final period. But, Mike Moore once again collapses in the clutch, goals rain in from Eysermanns and Mika Hyytiainen, is it time for a sabbatical?

Snipers (2-5-1) 4
DFW Titans (3-5-0) 3

Mike Kirkland logs the only goal of the first period, putting the DFW Titans up by one. The Brewzer sister team draws the venom from its wounds and spits it back on the Titans in the second, the Snipers collect four goals: David Counce, Jamil Al Jabri, Jeff Vaughn, and Jamil again. Mike Kirkland wedges his second goal of the game into the middle of the scoring frenzy. The third is host to the birth of new heroes, Lincoln Foster scores a goal to put the Titans within one, but no Titan would seal the deal, it would be Matt Walker who would pick-up the mantle (that Mike Moore has dropped?) as he holds-off the Titan rally for a rare Sniper win.

Komets (5-2-1) 3
Patriots (4-2-2) 2

The Pats needed to establish a trend for the upcoming post season. The Komets, however, have a burning in their bellies that can only be quenched with puck filled nets. Scottie Baldree finds the net through traffic, at an impossible angle. At the close of the first, Alex Atkins catches Ellis sleeping and rips it over his outstretched glove. In the second, the Komets strike again, Dustin Nation puts the Komets up three nil. The Pats pull together in the third with absentee Sabrina York getting credit for two goals before five minutes can pass. The Komets put the clamps on the Patriot offense, and get a little luck to secure the win, closing-out the Sticks from the play-off picture and putting the Pats against the number one ranked Ice Bats.

Blue Devils (5-2-1) 1
Ice Bats (7-1-0) 2

The number one ranked Ice Bats take on the champs from last season and the Blue Devils put them under early with a goal from Mike Redmon, in the second. The Bats looked to be giving-up the game in the third, they put themselves on the penalty kill instead of concentrating their efforts on the tying goal. . . or was it all part of their plan? With the reigning champs leading the game and running their power play, Scott Hunton knocks the Blue Devils on their arse with a short handed goal, that would force overtime. After a tense four minutes of back and fourth scoring opportunities, the Bats make the final goal of the game, cementing their reputation as the team to beat, or is that player to beat?

Next week is the opening round of the play-offs, the championship rounds of each league break down like this. . . I think.

minor:

#1 LSI vs. #4 Puckers
#2 Privateers vs. #3 Whalers

MAJOR:

#1 Ice Bats vs. #4 Patriots
#2 Komets vs. #3 Blue Devils

P.S. Someone please remind me, who beat the Ice Bats? I cannot seem to find the stat.