Week of September 21, (Game 1) – early in the winter 2013 season we had our first game situation that featured one team desperately needing a win, while another team was trying to keep their undefeated streak alive. Turns out that desperation trumped undefeated! Playing without two of their best forwards and scorers and essentially playing with no number 1 line, Cuckoo’s Nest scored an upset win over the Shooting Stars, in earning a 3 – 2 victory. In the process, they prevented the Shooting Stars from completing another comeback late in the game.
The number 21 was wild this game and featured scoring on both teams from, you guessed it, number 21. For Cuckoo’s Nest, old-timer and Over-30 designated snow plow expert Nick Romano, number 21 in your program, was the man this game, making his team mates forget about the great Matty I for one game, and picking up the scoring slack. In the first period, Nick found himself open near the net scoring his first goal just over three minutes in as he was set up by Angelo Deluca and Shawn Wyatt. Less than one minute into the second period, Nick struck again, this time set up by Mike Fleming and Rick Cassano. A minute later, the other number 21 for the Shooting Stars, George Medeiros, scored off some creative passing by Jamie Kehoe and Ray Dow.
The game stayed close until Nick scored his third and final goal, netting the hat trick out front with only a minute to play, as he was set up by Joe Shannon and Angelo, and providing his team with some insurance breathing room. However, as they had done so in their previous two other games played, the Shooting Stars mounted a comeback late, as Ray Dow dialed it up, scoring with thirty-six seconds to play, and unleashed a bomb from the left point that was a pinpoint top corner laser, in and back out of the net before the goalie could even move.
How much of a key player was Nick Romano in this game? He was all over the rink, hustling his way up and down the rink, scoring the hat trick while recording 9 total shots on net, as well as making some key blocks late in the game. For one game, Cuckoo’s Nest had their Great One present, wearing number 21 and going by the name of Nicky not Matty!
Week of September 21, (Game 2) – Taking a reference from last week’s Forum on how this year’s Over-30 teams got their names, we are taking the liberty of changing the name of the Golden Oldies to, for this week at least, the Golden FOLDIES! We have heard of the term “Deja Vue” and have actually seen it happen in the Over-30 league, but, never in consecutive weeks and happening to the same team. In this case, lightning did strike twice for the Golden Foldies. Captain Dan Broderick is still probably shaking his head in disbelief. After blowing leads of 4-1 and 5-3 last week and the week before, the Golden Foldies had to once again settle for a 5-5 tie against White Lightning. Instead of being undefeated with two wins, the Golden Foldies had to settle for a disappointing two points and let four points slip through their fingertips.
Just like their first game a week earlier, the Golden Foldies stormed out to a 4-1 lead halfway through the game on the strength of goals by Mike Luise (scoring twice), Mauro Colucciello, and John Kelleher. Derek Shaw of White Lightning scored his team’s first goal. Late in the second period, a pair of defensemen for White Lightning kick started their team’s comeback attempt, as first Jason Glista scored, followed by Mike Surette in making this a one-goal game.
Three minutes into the third period, the Golden Foldies Joe Mancinelli re-upped the lead again making the score 5-3 in their favor. After the Golden Foldies Anthony Lauletta failed to score on a clean breakaway to give his team a commanding lead, the Hockey Gods unleashed their torment once again of the Golden Foldies. Instead of having two goals scored against them with under a minute to play, the Golden Foldies were stunned once again as Derek Shaw scored his second goal of the game on a classic redirect tip over the goalies shoulder with three minutes to play. After pulling their goalie late with less than thirty seconds to play, White Lightning swarmed all over their opponent and Mike Surette’s shot from the left point with ten seconds to play somehow found its way into the back of the net through a screen of players out front. Instead of “can you believe in miracle” the phrase of the day is “do you believe in Deja Vue?”
