Sunday, February 07, 2010

The Second Greatest Fortnight in All of Sport!

First Round:

minor i

Brewzers (5-5-1) 3
Mutineers (8-4-0) 6

In the opening minor i game the Brewzers turned the Mutineer power play on end starting the game with a shorthanded goal. The shots would be dead even all night and the Mutineer's power play would be the force that gained the victory over the Brew crew. The talented shooters on the Mutineer lines would carry their favorite status onto week two.

Snipers (7-5-0) 0
Blue Devils (6-5-1) 1

The Cinderella Snipers, the darling of the regular season, see their hopes dashed in the first round against the stumbling Blue Devils. A power play goal in the first period is the only shot that defies the outstanding Matt Walker and the Snipers fail to get into the red light district even once, handing a shut-out to Blue Devil net minder Richard Hall. The Snipers were no doubt in poor spirits but the Devils did not look prepared for a meeting with the Mutes.

Silverwings (4-7-1) 7
Grave Diggers (5-6-0) 2

The Diggers and Silverwings have two of the best locker rooms in the league but apparently the best roster is the Wings. The game was never in doubt for the Silverthings as they build a five goal wall before the Diggers can even get on the board. Kellen Kaufman and Cody Patten both score a pair for the Wings, while The Digger stand-out must be Ryan Smith with four minutes in penalties.

Major I

Shockers (6-6-0) 1
Warriors Major (7-4-1) 4

In the Major first round the second place Warriors start the night off with a Shocking victory over the Shockers. As the slim favorite in the game it was surprising the total domination of the orange men over their rivals. They almost double shots on net, and time of possession, even tripling the shockers in penalty minutes. The only place the lost to the Shockers was on the roster.

Patriots (5-7-0) 3
Spiders (4-6-2) 5

In the final week of the regular season, the Pats had shut-out the Spiders but in the second season the hardy arachnids knuckle down for a brawl. It was back and forth throughout the game, most of the action in the neutral zone and on the boards. Two players in particular stand above the rest, Jeff Eagle for the Pats who scored the first goal of the game and brought the Pats within one at the end, and Freddy Gilbert who's second goal on the power play iced the game for the Spiders.

Stickmen (4-6-1) -
Puckers (2-7-0) -

The Sticks and Puckers saw nothing in their futures for the play-offs and decided to stay home and plan their Pro-Bowl parties, Yipee!

Soul Patch (10-1-1) 5
LSI (5-3-0) 2

The eternal Bride's maids, the Soul Patch enter the post season again as the favorite, against the sneaky Lone Star Imports. It seemed the question of which LSI team would show up was answered in the first period, the only goals are a pair for the Imports. The lead holds until the third when the Patches roar back with goals from power play squads and even the penalty killers, ending the LSI playoff hopes with an empty netter.

Championship Round:

minor i (the True Keg)-

The early game went unplayed, the Diggers and Brewzers refuse to play for last place but instead stay home and lick their wounds. The second game was surprisingly tasty.


Mutineers (8-4-0) 5
Blue Devils (6-5-1) 2

The Mutineers were expected to have a cake walk to the Keg but the Devils hearkened back to some of their halcyon ways. Mickey Syrquin put the Mutineers up early and the Devils were quick to tie it up with a Jake Reynolds goal. The Mutes fire back with two goals: Nathan Hamilton and Erick Ahlstedt. But the Blue Devils refuse to give-up keeping the Mutineers in sight with a Scott Speelman goal. The Blue Devils stood one point behind with thirteen minutes left and the fiery speech from Gloria Buell in the intermission the play on the ice escalated toward the box and the power play would end-up making the game for the Mutes, a power play goal first from Ahlstedt then later from Syrquin and the Devils dreams had ended with a shameful stain.

Snipers (7-5-0) 1
Silverwings (4-7-1) 5

The battle for third in the minors was a thinly veiled thrashing. In the first period the Wings held back trying to hold the Vegas line but in the second once the Snipers had scored their first goal a la Sean Beeman, the Wings released the hounds. The first Wing goal fell to Ian Hellbusch. The next to Jason Neal. Cody Patten claimed the third at even strength and the fourth on the power play, Neal ends the five goal run with his second. Spivey turns out a stellar game allowing one goal on seventeen shots.

MAJOR I-

Spiders (4-6-2) 1
Puckers (2-7-0) 0

The spectators were on the edge of their seats for the entire 39 minutes. The Spider neutral zone was almost impenetrable and Patrick Donaghue snuffed out every hopeful Spider shot. The scoreless tie loomed over the third period until the fifth minute when the Spiders thanked their lucky stars for the return of Bryan Couture to the roster- it couldn't have happened at a more crucial moment. Donaghue is relegated once again to be the great net minder behind an impotent team, he stops 29 of 30. Third place is the Spiders.

LSI (5-3-0) 2
Shockers (6-6-0) 5

Scott McMacken and Chris Ensor put two goals in for the Shockers in the first period and the Imports never could keep that sort of frequency, they halve the lead with a James Macha goal when given a power play opportunity. At even strength the Shockers roll-out two more: Matt Russell and Ensor, then score their fifth goal from Josh Rooker. It would take another power play to get the Imports on the board again, Macha would be their only offensive threat as they drag their bodies over the finish line.

Soul Patch (10-1-1) 2
Warriors Major (7-4-1) 5

Warriors take the ice as the under dogs, but the weight was heavy on the Patches as they return to the Championship game once again with the ghost of the still living Jim Kelly haunting their locker room. Almost immediately the Warriors took their cue with a couple goals from Chris Dolbee sandwiching a Bobby Michaelides tally, a little goalie on goalie action. The Patches try to awaken their roster with strikes from Ron Demers and Bruce "Almighty" Davis, but no matter, the curse could not be lifted. Derek Tillemans runs the Patch power play into a shorty for the Warriors and Dolbee celebrates the impending victory with a hat trick. Congratulations Warriors, now listen here Lehr, stop sending your text messages to my home phone! I have a cell phone for that crap.

Patriots (5-7-0) 5
Stickmen (4-6-1) 4

The Patriots rise-up to the challenge of the consolation game. A. J. Baker, Jeff Eagle, and Butch Hutchinson combine to build a three goal mountain in the first period. The Sticks end the first with just one step up that hill, a goal from Mark Millard, but they start the second with a Rich Wojcio goal to get within one of the tie. The Pats respond with a goal from John Newell, keeping things cool. But, the Sticks turn the game with a power play goal from Charlie Heine and another from the captain at even strength, a tie game into the third. The pair of also-rans hit each other in the mouth for ten minutes, unable to gain an advantage until Brad Allen puts an end to the mediocrity in the favor of the Patriots.