Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow

minor (anti-Keg)

Ice Holes (1-8-1) 3
Mutineers (3-7-0) 2

Some thought it impossible, but the Holes pull one out (er-uh), all be it in a meaningless last game of the session. Brooks Willhoite piles-up the penalties in the first period and the Hole's Mike Harrington makes the most of the extra man. Gib Searight ties the game but Aaron Schact restores the Ice Hole lead and Michael Crook makes it a two goal mountain for the Mutineers. Even though the Mutineers allow four more minutes of Ice Hole power plays the Mutes are the ones who get the teaser goal late when Patrick Haley scores shorthanded. Guess they needed more open ice to force overtime, could've used a couple more penalties from Brooks?

Silverwings (4-4-2) 0
Shockers (5-5-0) 2

Jesse Gonzales makes a mockery of the Silverwing offense refusing admission to all twenty-one shots. Building on Jesse's confidence the Shockers eventually get to the other end and score the first goal, Josh Rooker at the end of the second. Matt Russell scores again in the third vaulting the Shockers into a .500 record- regular and post season combined. Two teams on seemingly divergent trajectories.

Grave Diggers (8-2-0) 5
Chiefs (9-1-0) 4

Billy Quinn and Brian Lochkos deliver two goals and the strong Digger lead followed by a coast to coast play from Rich Wojcio and a Chief goal. The undefeated Chiefs fall behind by two again when the Diggers go on the power play, but Randy Chappel's goal is erased by the power play efforts of Lester Barrera, and the game is tied by a Ryan Brett goal. With the spark of a Grave Digger goalie change, Tim Rivers puts the Diggers back out front. In the third Bill Broad solves the Digger netminder and knots the game again, but in quick response the Grave Diggers cut-out the Chief's heart with the final goal of the championship game, courtesy of Bruce Davis- on the power play.

Puckers (4-4-2) 3
Warriors (6-3-1) 4

The battle for third place was one for the ages. Kyle Overton of the Warriors and Brian Cudaback of the Puckers both score in a sum zero first period, nothing results from the lone penalty of the game: unsportsmanlike conduct on goalie Bobby Michaelides. Rick Gregory scores the lead for the Puckers. In the third Steve Niekamp could have ended the game with a comfortable Pucker lead had his tally not been sandwiched by two goals from Warrior Dallas Lehr- sending it to overtime, and the shoot-out. The two grizzled, veteran net minders- Michaelides and Blubaugh, enter the exhibition with nearly identical save percentages but Danny Grimes scores on the very first Warrior attempt with no Pucker able to beat Michaelides the game falls to the Warriors without sending in their third shooter.


MAJOR (da' Keg)

Spiders (5-6-1) 1
Komets (6-5-1) 5

The Spiders made one fatal flaw, installing Ellis in net. Bryan Brookman draws first blood with a nifty back hander in tight over the glove. In the second the Spiders tie the game when Mike Ginnard scores the only arachnid goal of the night- making Kellen Kaufman the owner of the game winner shortly thereafter. The Komets destroy whatever was left of the Spiders short-bench-chemistry with a scoring frenzy starting with a power play goal from Albert Lacaze. Rodney Forehand and Kyle Ammann pile-on.

Blue Devils (6-6-0) 1
Ice Bats (9-3-0) 4

In the first period the Devils were impressive, a solid back court leads into the only goal of the frame: Chase Hannah. Unfortunately, the Blue Devils had little more than thirteen minutes worth of fight in them tonight, when Todd Smith went to the box, putting the Bats on the power play, the tide turned in a big way. Eric Petty flips in the first goal over the prone Blubaugh, a goal so beautiful it could only be match by the horror of his hand-me-down gear. Joel Blixt struck next, and Billy Quinn sent one into the twine after that. Likely the one that hurt Blubaugh the most was when Raul Gilbreath squirted a weak one from the point that finds its way between the posts, a power play goal.

Privateers (10-0-0) 3
Patriots (9-2-1) 0

Oh, what might have been. The Pats had beaten the 'Teers before, and with their playoff nemesis in the rearview mirror it looked as if Ellis might actually lift a Keg for once. The first was controlled by the upstart Privateers as they swabbed the decks with the entire Patriot bench, except for the goalie. Despite play rarely leaving the Patriot end of the rink, the net was sealed-off. But on the second penalty kill Ellis is finally caught, the dive from left to right is too slow to stop Privateer Jeremy Boyd, and they escape the first with the one goal lead. The Pats attempt to regroup in the long period, the barrage only heightens as the Privateer bench gets closer to the goal- Erick Ahlstedt scores one in the middle and Chris Palmer makes it three to zilch in the closing throes of the second. The final period plays host to the Patriots last chance to lay their claim to the championship but their best push changes nothing, every hopeful shot finds its way into the paraphernalia of a hungry Matt Sexton. Thus the game ends, with a Patriot whimper.

Congratulations to you Privateers, we shall meet again, and perhaps you will not be so lucky.

Whalers (1-11-0) 3
Brewzers (3-9-0) 6

Matt and Mike stared each other off, matching save for save until the final minute of the first period, with two shots Steven Collyard and Jamil Jabri lift the Brewzers to a two goal lead. Steven Sepeda scores early and late in the second to make four unanswered Brewzer goals, but Brian Hamstra and Beck Schooley resurrect the Whalers cutting the lead in half. Collyard scores a Brewzer goal, so does Sepeda, and the hopes are dashed- like so many Minke's to a Chinese boat. Hamstra fires one more shot from the sinking ship and Mike Moore pats Matt Walker on the head.

Stickmen (6-5-1) 2
Canadiens (7-3-0) 7



LSI (4-5-3) 2
Snipers (3-7-0) 3


I will complete this soon. . .