Week of November 26 (Game 1) – Separation game or face the consequences next week scenario 1. With the opportunity to possibly clinch a playoff spot and put even more pressure on the one team pursuing them, Shark Attack failed to take advantage and step up, forcing a showdown, winner-take-all game next week. Sour Grapes broke open a very close game in the second period with four unanswered goals to cruise to a convincing 4 – 1 win over Shark Attack and solidify its playoff position.
In the first period, things could not have started out any better for Shark Attack as right from the opening faceoff they attacked and pressured the defense of Sour Grapes, resulting in John Colucciello’s bomb from the point going in only forty seconds into this game, set up by some heavy fore checking by Mike Luise and Niko Vramis. If ever a message needed to be delivered by Shark Attack, this was it. The problem was somebody forgot to tell George Medeiros of Sour Grapes what that message was.
It was in the second period that Sour Grapes exploded on offense, took control and put this game away, scoring four unanswered goals in six minutes. Angelo Deluca (Kato who?) jump started his team’s offense a minute in as he was set up out front by Dave Costa and Mike Surette tying up this game. A minute after that, George Medeiros dared to go into the dirty area in front of the net to challenge the bigger defensemen and put back a rebound of a Rick Cassano shot. Three minutes later saw Chris Chiavelli get set up all alone out front by Dave, taking advantage of a defensive turnover. Rounding out the scoring in the period saw George score his second goal down the middle on some breakout passing by Rick and Dan Broderick. Shocked by this sudden blitzkrieg of goals by Sour Grapes, Shark Attack played some desperate hockey that paid off as Niko scored (if you call scoring by the ball hitting off your foot and going in), set up by Cooch and Mark Stickney with less than twenty seconds to play in the period.
In the third period, Sour Grapes shut the door on Shark Attack, playing shutdown team defense and position to run out the time and not allow any more goals. The win moved Sour Grapes comfortably into second place overall in the standings. The loss by Shark Attack now sets up a winner-take-all showdown against 11 Guys, 1 Ball next week to determine that final playoff team! Will this be the beginning of the end for the so-called greatest Over-30 captain’s championship run?
Week of November 26 (Game 2) – Separation game or face the consequences next week scenario 2. Knowing that the team in front of them in the standings had just lost, 11 Guys, 1 Ball had a golden opportunity to leap frog past them and move closer to clinching that final playoff spot. However, when the game started, 11 Guys, 1 Ball was missing half their team and would lose their best defensemen to injury at the end of the first period. The lack of subs took its toll as Yellow Submarine routed 11 Guys, 1 Ball by a 5 – 1 score.
In the first period, Yellow Submarine continued their season consistency of scoring the game’s first goal when Jason Carrien jumped into the offense on passes by Matty Iannello and Umberto Biancardi only two minutes in. This was followed by Matty scoring out front with just over a minute to play, set up by Tony Bono and Walter Maslak. Sensing this game was quickly getting away from them and needing a spark, 11 Guys, 1 Ball got it from John Mastrocola whose deflected shot went in with less than a minute.
After a scoreless second period that was starting to take its toll on the team endurance of 11 Guys, 1 Ball, Yellow Submarine broke this game wide open with three unanswered goals late in the period and outshooting their opponent by more than a 2-1 ratio. First it was Brian Kehoe, followed by Walter, followed by Umberto.
Just like Shark Attack came to realize before them, the loss by 11 Guys, 1 Ball now sets up a winner-take-all showdown against next week to determine that final playoff team! Will it be Portuguese Power or Portuguese Power failure?
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