SKATER & GOALIE OF THE WEEK #5

Thomas_GradinGreg_MillenRick_MiddletonGilles_Meloche

CLARENCE SKATER TEAM GP GOALS ASISSTS POINTS PM  +/-  SOG S%
Gradin, Thomas CHA 4 4 6 10 7 7 12 33%
                   
CLARENCE GOALIE TEAM GP GOALS AGAINST G.A. AVERAGE SAVES SAVE %
Millen, Greg BRO 2 4 2.00 61 .938
                   
WALES SKATER TEAM GP GOALS ASSISTS POINTS PM  +/-  SOG S%
Middleton, Rick NEW 4 3 7 10 0 3 14 21%
                   
WALES GOALIE TEAM GP GOALS AGAINST G.A. AVERAGE SAVES SAVE %
Meloche, Gilles MAC 2 4 2.01 48 .923

Syracuse Bulldogs
Weekly Preview: The bottom-feeding Bulldogs bring in New Castle, Philly, and Vermont
New Castle Ducks @ Syracuse Bulldogs All New Castle 7-1 Stars #1 NEW Clarke 2G 4pts
#2 NEW Pichette 2G 3pts
#3 NEW Larocque 43 saves
Philadelphia Firebirds @ Syracuse Bulldogs Philly hangs on 4-3
Stars #1 PHI Dionne 1G 3pts
#2 PHI Secord 1G 2pts
#3 PHI Lindstrom 1G 2pts
Vermont Foresters @ Syracuse Bulldogs Vermont takes it 5-3
Stars #1 VER Semenko 1G 2pts
#2 VER Fox 1G 2pts
#3 VER Lukovitch 1G
Weekly Summary: 3 home games. 3 losses. The Wheels are falling off. When is the draft?
Chicago Underground
Weekly Preview: Chicago with three home games all against division opponents this week.
Syracuse Bulldogs @ Chicago Underground Chicago was Infuego as the lit the lamp for 5 & Eddie Mio stopped all 18 Shots he faced for the shutout.

Final Score: Chicago 5 – Syracuse 0

Labatts – 3-Star Selection:

Star #1 – Eddie Mio 18 Saves
Star #2 – Mike Bossy 1G, 2Pts
Star #3 – Chris Valentine 1G

Game Winner – Chris Valentine

Philadelphia Firebirds @ Chicago Underground Hated rivals the Philadelphia Firebirds step into the Capone Center & held a 3-2 lead midway through the 3rd Period. Chicago scores the final 2 goals (last one an empty netter) and holds on for the win. The highlight of the game was watching Richard Sevigny kick the crap out of Don Beaupre in a goalie fight last in the 2nd period.

Final Score: Chicago 4 – Philadelphia 3

Labatts – 3-Star Selection:

Star #1 – Mike Bossy 2G
Star #2 – Peter McNab 1G, 2Pts
Star #3 – Pierre Mondou 1G

Notables:
(PHI) Lindy Ruff 17 Penalty Minutes
(CHI) Richard Sevigny 35 Saves

Game Winner – Pierre Mondou

New Castle Ducks @ Chicago Underground Chicago was behind 4-2 with less than 5 left to play and they come back and burry 2 Goals to tie the score at 4-4 where it ended.

Final Score: Chicago 4 – New Castle 4

Labatts – 3-Star Selection:

Star #1 – Barry Pederson 3G
Star #2 – Rick Middleton 4A
Star #3 – Chris Valentine 1G, 2Pts

Notables:
(NEW) Barry Pederson Hat Trick, Michel Larocque 32 Saves, Rick Middleton 4 Assists.

Weekly Summary: Chicago grabs 5 out of a possible 6 Points and feels a little better about themselves. Maybe the talk of moving some players lit a fire under the backsides of the Underground.
CapJack Rangers
Weekly Preview: CapJack gets 3 home games this week and a number of stars have the flu and will be scratched – ugh! Send a corpsman!
Charlotte Dynamo @ CapJack Rangers Charlotte is the first visitor and they don’t seem friendly jumping out to 2-1 lead after 1. Turnbell 1st and then Perreault gets a PP goal. Cloutier does get one back.
THEN the 2nd period started and the Rangers said – this game is OURS! 4 2nd period goals and a 5-2 lead as they blank the Dynamo. Tambellini – twice, Crowder and Mulvey light up the boards.
THIRD PERIOD – coasting to a victory was not in the plans, however, as Simmer (twice) and Hawerchuk score to tie the game – the final goal was a SHORTHANDED GOAL with 30 seconds left. 1:17 left and they pull the goalie to even up the skaters – and it was enough. Neither team then scored in the final 30 seconds. A great finish for Charlotte – home fans were stunned and silently them the Round Garden. The game ends tied 5-5.
STARS:
1. (CHD) – Simmer 2 goals, 1 assist
2. (CAP) – Tambellini 2 goals
3. (CHD) – Hawerchuk 1 goal, 1 assist
Brooklyn Harbor Rats @ CapJack Rangers Staying in the division, the Harbor Rats cross the river (or did they swim??) to face the Rangers in Madison Round Garden. Expect a lot of action.
Action in the 1st was limited to 5 penalties – 3 for Brooklyn – but neither team could take advantage as the period ends with the score still 0-0.
That quickly changed 57 seconds into the 2nd when Smith is able to flip a wrister past Dion for the game’s 1st goal. Brooklyn grabs the lead. Midway through the 2nd, Palmer scores his 6th of the year to tie it up! Then in the waning minutes of the period, Mulvey scores to give CapJack a 2-1 lead.
That lead holds up through the first 18 and a 1/2 minutes of period 3 as the two teams continue the tough hitting, close checking game. Period two saw NINE more penalties and no PP goals, but period 3, the teams were far more careful. CapJack gave Brooklyn a quick advantage 16 seconds in, and Brooklyn returned the favor 14 minutes in – but again, NEITHER team could take advantage and score.
So, we down to the final minute and a half and the Harbor Rats pull Low – but it’s Tambellini who takes the play and scores the EN goal for CapJack to seal the tight deal, 3-1.
STARS: (All CAP)
1.Palmer 1 goal, 1 assist
2. Dion 33 saves
3. Mulvey 1 goal
Chicago Underground @ CapJack Rangers League Commissioner Stray Corrado has been dangling players – CapJack tried to get some – but the players in Chicago must have taken a vote and threatened management, and they have decided to stay (must be a mind drug, because they haven’t been playing very well).
FIRST PERIOD – well, something in Chicago must have clicked and they come out scoring 2 goals in the first to grab the 2-1 lead. Rautakallio and Valentine each pop one in the net.
In the SECOND PERIOD, 1 in which the Underground amass 4 penalties, Trottier takes advantage of one of them, scoring a PP goal late in the period to send the game into the 3rd tied 2-2.
However, Mulvey commits an EARLY penalty as the THIRD PERIOD opens and Stastny, assisted by Bossy, is able to get the goal during the delayed penalty to give Chicago the lead AGAIN, 3-2. The game stays that way, as both teams fight hard – but clean (at least the refs considered it clean) the rest of the way. It was getting late, and the home town fans were not thrilled to see the lowly team from Chicago prevailing – and Dore heard the chants and he gets the puck from Trottier – tees it up – slap shot – GOAL! And the game is tied with 5 minutes to go… Down to 1 minute left and Chicago is called for icing. Faceoff in their end and the Rangers control it. The recent hot-line of Palmer, DeBlois and Tambellini on the ice – Tambellini wins the faceoff, back to Kotsopoulos to Tambellini, to DeBlois to Palmer – he shots, he scores!! Rangers up 4-3 with 28 seconds to go. Peeters is looking confused – can’t figure out if he wants to cry or wind his watch. Either way – he exits the game as Bossy comes on as the extra attacker. Chicago gains control but only manage 1 weak shot before losing the zone and the game. Final:4-3 CapJack.
STARS (all CAP)
1. Trottier 1 goal, 1 assist
2. Dore 1 goal
3. Crowder 1 goal
Weekly Summary: Rangers enjoy the week getting 5 of 6 possible points – and they look to the medical staff for some quick flu recoveries……
Charlestown Chiefs
Weekly Preview:
Vermont Foresters @ Charlestown Chiefs This one is all Charlestown, as they skate to a 3-0 lead in the first and never look back. Dave Semenko collecting an assist is the primary highlight for the Foresters.

Scoring Summary
Per Time Str Team
1 6:12 PP CHA Savard (2), assisted by McKegney (2) and McEwen (11)
1 9:08 EV CHA Tremblay (5), assisted by Hlinka (6) and Baxter (6)
1 11:31 EV CHA Hlinka (6), unassisted
2 :51 EV VER Dale McCourt (8), assisted by Ruotsalainen (10) and Lukowich (12)
2 3:46 PP CHA Tremblay (6), assisted by McEwen (12) and Gradin (13)
3 5:52 SH CHA Gradin (7), unassisted
3 7:52 EV VER Hislop (2), assisted by Semenko (1)

Star 1: CHA Tremblay 2 G
Star 2: CHA Hlinka 1 G, 2 Pts
Star 3: CHA Gradin 1 G, 2 Pts

GWG: Ivan Hlinka

Notables: VER Hunter 12 PIM
CHA None

North Carolina 89’ers @ Charlestown Chiefs Evenly matched game that ends in the always exciting tie.

Scoring Summary
Per Time Str Team
1 13:37 PP NOC Payne (7), assisted by Stoughton (6) and Brownschidle (10)
2 2:48 EV CHA McEwen (3), assisted by Wilf Paiement (8) and Hlinka (7)
2 10:47 PP NOC Jarvis (6), assisted by Stoughton (7) and Payne (10)
2 15:17 PP CHA Gradin (8), assisted by Lanny McDonald (17) and Fischer (1)
3 5:34 EV CHA Wilf Paiement (2), assisted by Coffey (22) and Savard (4)
3 16:03 EV NOC Gardner (1), assisted by Babych (10) and Fogolin (6)

Star 1: NOC Payne 1 G, 2 Pts
Star 2: CHA Paiement 1 G, 2 Pts
Star 3: NOC Gardner 1 G

Notables: NOC None
CHA None

Weekly Summary: A win and a tie on home ice.
Saint Clair Shores Saints
Weekly Preview: Mackinac Island, Ohio, and Brooklyn visit St. Clair Shores
Mackinac Island Moose @ Saint Clair Shores Saints Doug Wilson gets the Saints on the board in the first, but the Moose has other ideas and score 4 consecutive goals. The Saints can’t recover and Boutette gets an insurance goal in the 3rd period.

Mackinac Island 5 St. Clair Shores 3

1st – Boutette 2 goals and 1 assist
2nd – Wilson 2 goals
3rd – MacLean 1 goal and 1 assist

Ohio Legends @ Saint Clair Shores Saints Ohio leads 3-1 after 1 period, but the Saints score 4 straight to end the game. Wilson scores his 9th goal of the season for the Saints. Duguay scores his 10th.

SCS 5 Ohio 3

1st – Wilson
2nd – Dupont
3rd – Veitch -4 assists

Brooklyn Harbor Rats @ Saint Clair Shores Saints No scoring in the first. The Harbor Rats get the first two goals in the second period by Gustafsson and Stastny. The Saints struck back with 2 of their own. The Harbor Rats get two consecutive goals in close out the game.

Brooklyn 4 SCS 2

1st -Stastny
2nd – Christian
3rd – Gustafsson

Weekly Summary: Mackinac Island and Brooklyn earn wins while SCS gets a victory against Ohio.
Silk City Wales
Weekly Preview: The Whales play host to division foes Delray and Charlestown this week.
Delray Alpha @ Silk City Wales The Whales play a strong defensive game in front of Bob Sauve against the powerful Alpha offense and score four straight in the first and second periods to win 5-2.

November 13 1981 Cheney Mill Dome 11-23-2019

1 2 3 F
1981-82 Delray 8-6-3 1 0 1 2
1981-82 Silk City 11-5-1 1 3 1 5

Scoring Summary
Per Time Str Team
1 12:53 EV DEL Acton (6), assisted by Taylor (10)
1 15:20 PP SCW Flockhart (8), assisted by LaVallee (7) and Jean-Francois Sauve (5)
2 5:10 PP SCW Kehoe (9), assisted by LaVallee (8) and Sutter (8)
2 10:04 EV SCW Murphy (6), assisted by Flockhart (10) and Sutter (9)
2 15:12 EV SCW Ruskowski (1), assisted by Murphy (14) and Jean-Francois Sauve (6)
3 16:02 EV DEL Woods (2), assisted by Sutter (1) and Green (7)
3 16:22 EV SCW Bullard (13), assisted by Messier (14) and Dailey (1)

Penalty Summary
Per Time Team
1 6:52 DEL Hunter (23), 2:00 – roughing
1 6:52 SCW Smail (8), 2:00 – roughing
1 14:15 DEL Maloney (26), 2:00 – holding
1 17:20 DEL Rota (51), 2:00 – roughing
1 17:45 DEL Risebrough (21), 5:00 – fighting
1 17:45 SCW Sutter (41), 5:00 – fighting
2 :32 DEL Ciccarelli (32), 2:00 – unsportsmanlike conduct
2 :32 SCW Salming (23), 2:00 – roughing
2 4:43 DEL Sutter (12), 2:00/10:00 – tripping + misconduct
3 3:32 SCW Salming (25), 2:00 – interference
3 6:33 DEL Acton (19), 5:00 – fighting
3 6:33 SCW Dailey (5), 5:00 – fighting

SOG 1 SOG 2 SOG 3
Delray 14 11 16
Silk City 12 11 2

DEL SCW
SOG 41 25
FOW 25 29
FO% 46.3 53.7
Hits 13 14
Blocks 5 4
Missed Net 16 9
Shot Attempts 61 39
Scoring Chances 28 19
PIM 30 16
PP 0-1 2-3
TOA 4:07 3:05

Star 1: SCW Murphy 1 G, 2 Pts
Star 2: SCW Flockhart 1 G, 2 Pts
Star 3: SCW Sauve 39 saves

GWG: Larry Murphy

Notables: DEL Sutter, Brent 12 PIM
SCW Sauve, Bob 39 saves

Charlestown Chiefs @ Silk City Wales The strong defensive effort that buoyed the effort against Delray is nowhere to be seen against Charlestown. The Chiefs score three in both the first and second period and chase Sauve in the third period to soundly defeat the Whales 8-4.

November 14 1981 Cheney Mill Dome 11-23-2019

1 2 3 F
1981-82 Charlestown 9-5-3 3 3 2 8
1981-82 Silk City 11-6-1 2 1 1 4

Scoring Summary
Per Time Str Team
1 :37 EV CHA Gradin (7), assisted by Coffey (22)
1 4:00 EV CHA Gardner (15), assisted by Bourque (15) and Gradin (13)
1 4:57 EV SCW Flockhart (9), assisted by Bathe (1) and Sutter (10)
1 13:19 EV SCW Flockhart (10), unassisted
1 19:13 EV CHA Lanny McDonald (5), assisted by Coffey (23) and Gradin (14)
2 12:57 PP CHA McEwen (3), assisted by Lanny McDonald (17) and Gardner (16)
2 13:46 EV CHA McKegney (10), assisted by Coffey (24)
2 17:44 EV SCW Kehoe (10), assisted by Bullard (8) and Chartraw (3)
2 18:12 EV CHA McCarthy (5), assisted by Tremblay (7)
3 1:27 EV CHA Gardner (16), assisted by Bourque (16) and Gradin (15)
3 5:12 EV SCW Jean-Francois Sauve (5), assisted by Lindgren (11) and Dailey (2)
3 9:27 EV CHA Maxwell (5), assisted by Gardner (17) and Gradin (16)

Penalty Summary
Per Time Team
1 5:15 CHA Potvin (17), 2:00 – roughing
1 5:15 SCW Ruskowski (13), 2:00 – roughing
1 8:35 SCW Smail (10), 2:00 – tripping
1 9:34 CHA Coffey (27), 2:00 – tripping
1 12:47 CHA Baxter (50), 5:00 – fighting
1 12:47 SCW Bathe (7), 5:00 – fighting
1 14:14 CHA Nicholls (17), 5:00/10:00 – fighting
1 14:14 SCW Chartraw (5), 5:00 – fighting
2 4:06 SCW Sutter (43), 2:00 – roughing
2 12:31 SCW Flockhart (4), 2:00 – tripping
3 2:09 CHA Nicholls (19), 2:00 – cross checking
3 15:06 SCW Bathe (9), 2:00 – tripping

SOG 1 SOG 2 SOG 3
Charlestown 14 12 9
Silk City 6 7 12

CHA SCW
SOG 35 25
FOW 22 35
FO% 38.6 61.4
Hits 24 14
Blocks 4 3
Missed Net 5 16
Shot Attempts 43 45
Scoring Chances 25 16
PIM 26 20
PP 1-4 0-2
TOA 4:49 4:45

Injuries: Savard(CHA)-game

Star 1: CHA Gardner 2 G, 4 Pts
Star 2: CHA Gradin 1 G, 5 Pts
Star 3: CHA McDonald 1 G, 2 Pts

GWG: Tony McKegney

Notables: CHA Nicholls 17 PIM, Coffey 3 assists, Gradin 4 assists, Gradin 5 points
SCW None

Weekly Summary: The Whales split their home games this week in Jekyll and Hyde defensive performances. Say hello to the newest blowhole in goal, Corrado Micalef, who debuted in relief against Charlestown.
New Castle Ducks
Weekly Preview: The surprising Ducks will play the Philadelphia Firebirds in a battle for first place, between the two top teams in the league so far this season. Then, the Ducks take on the defending MWOTHL Champion Pittsburgh Spirit. This week will be a test of whether the upstart boys from New Castle are for real
Philadelphia Firebirds @  With a sellout crowd in a roar from start to finish, the Ducks beat their rivals from Philly by a score of 3-1. With the Firebirds and Ducks 1-2 in the league in scoring, each averaging over 5 goals per game, the fans expected a shootout. But it was anything but. The Firebirds drew first blood when Al Secord scored at 3:46 of the first. And that’s the way the period ended with Philly up 1-0. In the second, on the power play, the Ducks tied it – as the veteran Vaclav Nedomansky beat Dennis Herron in the Firebirds net. The tight-checking continued and the teams went to the locker room after two, all tied up at 1-1.
In the third period, the teams continued to battle without any scoring and then a penalty to Philly’s John Van Boxmeer gave the Ducks an opportunity. and the league’s #1 Power Play came though as Barry Pederson continued his incredible rookie season, netting his 17th of the year to make it 2-1 Ducks. Rick Middleton added an empty netter and that was the final score 3-1.THREE STARS:
1- NEW Nedomansky 1G 1 A
2- NEW Middleton 1 G
3- NEW Billy Smith 25 savesIt was a rough game with multiple double minors and two fights. Philly’s bad boy winger Darryl Ruff fought Dave Pichette in the second period – and in the third Secord went after Pederson. But the Ducks were not intimidated and went on to get the win
Pittsburgh Spirit @  The Spirit invade the Duck Pond and the game ends in a 3-3 tie. Three times the Ducks took the lead and three times Pittsburgh tied it. Marian Stastny, Rick Middleton and Tony Currie (PP) scored for New Castle while Jorgen Pettersen, Darryl Sittler and Guy Chouinard scored for Pittsburgh. Currie put the Ducks ahead 3-2 at 13:46 of the second and Chouinard tied it less than 2 minutes later. The teams then played the rest of the second without a goal and a scoreless third period as well as Billy Smith, for the Ducks, and Chico Resch, for the Spirit, each made 31 saves.
Pichette got into a fight for the second straight game – this time with PateyTHREE STARS:
1- NEW Marian Stastny 1G 2 A
2- PIT Pettersson 1G 1 A
3- NEW Rick Middleton 1G 1A
Weekly Summary: The Ducks get 3 of a possible 4 points against two very good teams and are now 14-3-3 on the season
North Carolina 89’ers
Weekly Preview: The 89ers head back to Carolina for a short one-game home stand against St Clair Shores.
Saint Clair Shores Saints @ North Carolina 89’ers Bill Clement starts the game off with a goal, leaving the Saints up by one at the end of the first. Not sure what I said in the locker room, but by the end of the second it was 4-3 89ers after three unanswered goals. The third was all NC, with 5 unanswered goals for the suddenly hot 89ers.
FINAL SCORE: NC 9, St Clair 3
Star 1: NOC Goulet 1 G, 5 Pts
Star 2: NOC Fox 2 G
Star 3: NOC Jarvis 2 GNotables: SCS Liut 31 saves, Nilan 10 PIM
NOC Fuhr 31 saves, Brownschidle 3 assists, Goulet 4 assists, Goulet 5 points
Weekly Summary: NC goes wild at home with a proper thrashing of the Saints. Let’s hope they did as well on the road…
Ohio Legends
Weekly Preview: The Ohio Legends welcome North Carolina for the only home game of the week. In their first meeting, the 89’ers got a goal from Jim Fox with 1:02 left in the game to break a 6-6 tie and give NC the win.
North Carolina 89’ers North Carolina got a goal from Blaine Stoughton with 2:40 to give the ’89’ers a 4-3 win over Ohio. Wasted was a two-goal rally by the Legends earlier in the final frame to get the game evened, as Greg Terrion and Don Maloney (second of the game) squared the game with less than seven minutes to play.

North Carolina took control of the game in the second period with a pair of power-play goals from Doug Wickenheiser and Doug Jarvis to build the 3-1 edge. The ’89’ers continued to add to the woes of the Ohio penalty killers, scoring twice in four chances.

Doug Soetaert picked up his third win of the season, turning aside 26 shots. Glen Hanlon lost for the seventh straight game–stopping 22 shots.

Weekly Summary: Back to the drawing board for Ohio, which has lost ten straight games against teams not from Chicago (but ironically has two triumphs over the Underground in this stretch). The fire sale could be underway much earlier than anticipated in the Buckeye State.
Brooklyn Harbor Rats
Weekly Preview: One home tilt, against the division rival Pittsburgh Spirit who are currently sitting in first place.
Pittsburgh Spirit @ Brooklyn Harbor Rats Darryl Sittler’s breakaway score gets the visitors in front early, but once each team sends a player the box we get some 4 on 4 hockey and here come the goals! Gustafsson and Bobby Smith each score for the Harbor Rats, while Hagman gets his 10th of the season for Pittsburgh, making it a 2-2 game just 8 minutes in. But 4th liner Billy Carroll puts Brooklyn ahead a few minutes later and with time running out in the first period Doug Sulliman breaks free for a short-handed goal to put the home team up 4-2 after one.
Darryl Sutter provides a pair of 2nd-period goals, one to chase Chico Resch from the game for an early shower, and one to greet his replacement, Rick St. Croix. Mark Osborne gets the only tally of the final frame, as the Harbor Rats rout the division leaders by a final of 7-2.
Weekly Summary: Only one home game but it was Brooklyn’s best performance of the young season so far, taking out the division-leading Spirit in a rout.
Charlotte Dynamo
Weekly Preview: The building Dynamo, on pace for just a 54 point season (11 points less than its inaugural season of a year ago) hosted the soaring Philadelphia Firebirds (who only possess one loss) in its only home game of this stretch.
Philadelphia Firebirds @ Charlotte Dynamo Philadelphia defenseman Mark Hardy drew blood — and Glenn Anderson and the Dynamo drew even.

With the Firebirds ahead 5-3, Hardy served a four-minute penalty for an especially egregious high sticking penalty with 5:32 left to play and Anderson cashed in with two instant power-play goals to rally the Dynamo to a 5-5 tie. Anderson scored his goals with 5:16 and 4:30 left to play and both came on assists from Dale Hawerchuk (4 assists total). Anderson and Hawerchuk were the first and second stars respectively. Marcel Dionne was one of five different Firebirds who finished with a goal and was credited with third-star honors. Firebirds goalie Dennis Herron and Charlotte netminder Tony Esposito each made 38 saves in the evenly matched game.

Weekly Summary: The Dynamo will take the 1 point and definitely treat it as a morale victory: against the far superior Firebirds the team strategically elected to rest three of its top players, Charlie Simmer, Gil Perreault, and top defenseman Bill Hajt for usage purposes and still managed to come away with the tie.
Vermont Foresters
Weekly Preview: Big division games this week with Delray and Silk City
Delray Alpha @ Vermont Foresters Not even close Bud, as Delray routs Vermont 7-4
Silk City Whales @ Vermont Foresters Not everything is as it seems, 4-3 Silk City only because of 2 late goals.
Weekly Summary: Ugly week leaves Vermont in an unusual position.
Mackinac Island Moose
Weekly Preview: The Moose host Ohio, North Carolina and Silk City this week. Let’s see if the defensive changes pay off.
Ohio Legends @ Mackinac Island Moose Ohio 4, Mackinac Island 4 – For 28 minutes, the Moose game plan looked perfect. One goal by 4th liner Zuke, plus 2 goals by Propp. No goals for the visitors. Everybody is happy on the Island. Then the Legends got their game going, and it was all “Hang on Sloopy”.

Moose unable to do anything right, and the Legends knew it was their time to make hay. First Federko, then Maloney, Terrion to tie it at 3, and Pavelich to give them the lead with 12 minutes to go.

Somehow the Moose get a bit lucky, and Smith gets a slapper to tie it at 4 with 10 minutes left. The Moose throws a pile of rubber at the goal, but nothing else goes in. Ohio held to only 6 SOG in the final period. 4-4 tie.

1st star – Propp 2G
2nd – Federko 1G 2pts
3rd – Pavelich 1G 2pts

North Carolina 89’ers @ Mackinac Island Moose Moose 7, 89’ers 0 – Meloche builds a brick wall early and is perfect for the night, saving all 26 shots.

For the Moose, scoring from all lines, with O’Connell, Zuke and Boutette getting rare goals, along with the usual suspects Napier twice, McKechnie and Kurri.

1st star – Meloche 26 save shutout
2nd – Napier 2G
3rd – Boutette 1G 2pts

Silk City Whales @ Mackinac Island Moose Whales 7, Moose 6 – The scoring starts early, and gives the patrons little time for concession runs while the puck is on the ice.

Messier starts the fun just 4 minutes in, and Propp answers just 2 minutes later to tie it at 1..Under 2 minutes later, its Bullard giving the Whales a lead for a little bit, but Lysiak gets on the board 7 minutes later. and that’s it for the first period, 2-2 tie.

Messier once again with the early goal, only to be answered in under a minute by McKechnie, to tie it again, at 3. Murphy makes the tie short-lived a minute later, and its 4-3 Whales. The Moose take advantage of a Smail tripping penalty, with Dunlop getting an inside shot goal, and following up a minute later at even strength with Barber giving the Moose their first lead of the game at 5-4 going to the 2nd intermission.

Smail makes up for his penalty with the first goal of the final period, to tie it again, this time 5-5. The Moose answer with a goal from Kurri with 7 minutes to go. That is quickly answered by Lavallee to get the 6th tie of the game, at 6-6 with just under 7 minutes to go. Both teams seem to run out of gas and the game seems destined to end with the tie, but Kallur kills that idea with a goal just under 2 to go. the Moose throw an extra skater on the ice the final 2 minutes, but can’t make it work, and the Whales escaped with a 7-6 win.

1st star – Messier 2G 3pts
2nd – Kallur GWG, 2pts
3rd – Kurri – 1G 3pts

Weekly Summary: Big win, a narrow loss, and a tie. Scoring 17 in favor, 11 against. Could have turned out better.
Pittsburgh Spirit
Weekly Preview: Spirit has two home games this week taking Charlotte and CapJack in duels from bottom to top. Big game (early in the season) hosting CapJack…. [games simmed for Chris per request]
Charlotte Dynamo @ Pittsburgh Spirit Spirit wants to say the Game is all theirs, but the Dynamo had other ideas. They control the faceoff circle all night taking 62% of them. And they score 1st and 2nd with Robertson scoring in the 1st and Simmer in the 2nd (PP Goal). And halfway through the game, they are up 2-0 and Esposito is strong in the net. However, Patey gets one past him late in the 2nd to narrow the score to 2-1.
Then Anderson goes off the ice with less than a minute to go in the 2nd and Pittsburgh goes on the PP.
31 seconds into the 3rd and Sittler nets a PP goal to tie the game. Then Campbell gets his 1st of the year 7 minutes later and Pittsburgh is up 3-2. And that ended the scoring, with the Spirit getting the come from behind win, 3-2.
The teams shared Penalty Box time FOUR times during the game including fighting by Baker (CHA) and Laughlin (PIT) – two teams were going after each other. Watch out for them the rest of the year!
The media chose all 3 stars from the Spirit roster:
1. Patey 1 goal
2. Sittle 1 goal
3. Campbell 1 goal (GWG)
CapJack Rangers @ Pittsburgh Spirit The top 2 Patrick division teams square off (both teams trying to determine if they are the real deal). If this game is an indicator, it would be the Spirit that looks real. But in a very funny way.
In the 1st period they dominate – really dominate – taking 10 shots and limiting the Rangers to 2! And of the 10 shots – 3 go in! Gare is whistled 41 seconds into the game and before his time is up, Chouinard scores the PP goal. Then, with a minute and a half left in the period – MacLeish scores making it 2=-. Then one of those goals a defense never wants to see – goal in the final minute – well, Pettersson scores (unassisted) and makes it 3-0 after 1.
SECOND PERIOD – Now this is where the game really got interesting. Spirit only take 1 shot in period 2 – ONE. It was a bit of Ranger D – but it was more like the Spirit was going to sit on the 3-0 lead and make life tough for CapJack. Rangers get 9 SOG, but couldn’t penetrate Chico Resch’s net. So we go to…
PERIOD 3 – Pittsburgh keeps the tight game but do manage 2 shots this period (gives them 13 for the GAME). Rangers meanwhile find the kitchen sink and pour everything at Resch (including the sink). 21 SOG for the 3rd – but Resch stands tall, bends low, and essentially keeps the net protected – at least as much as needed. BUT Deblois was able to put one in the next within the 1st 2 minutes of the 3rd and it was 3-1 at that point. That’s when CapJack started to play hard. Then at the 6:10 mark, Campbell gets whistled for cross-checking and the Rangers go on the PP. But the Spirit foil that attempts and actually capitalizes on it when Houle scores the short-handed goal making it 4-1 Pittsburgh. And that will be the final.
STARS all come from Pittsburgh:
1. Resch 31 saves
2. Pettersson 1 goal
3. Chouinard 1 goal
Weekly Summary: Pittsburgh gets 2 wins (both in the division) for a perfect week at home.