Over 30 Hockey League

Week of September 8 (Game 1) – And so it begins.  The 27^th year of the Over-30 League kicked off with a close game that was broken open halfway through the third period when the new Portuguese Power of the Over-30 league impacted his game.  Tied heading into the third period, Gang Green scored three times to defeat Black Hole by a score of 5 – 3.

The first games of any Over-30 league new season are always a feeling out process as players try getting used to their team mates and style of play.  Just over four minutes into the game, it was Black Hole scoring first as Matt Farrell was set up by Joe Mancinelli and Jason Carrien.  Two minutes later saw Gang Green’s Cappy intercept a bad clearing pass, walk in alone, to beat the goalie.  Two minutes after that, captain Dominic Defrancisco was set up out front by Cooch and John Carey giving his Gang Green team the lead.

In the second period, with Gang Green carrying the play, Black Hole took the momentum back as Jason was set up in the middle by Matt, re-tying this game.

The momentum changed in favor of Gang Green when Brian Kehoe showed up late turning this game and momentum over to his team.  Brian’s impact was immediately felt as just over three minutes into the period, Brian was set up out front by the passing of Cooch and Umberto Biancardi.  Sparked by this, Dominic scored his second goal of the game a minute and a half later, set up Ray Nickerson and Cappy, giving his team a two goal lead.  Thirty seconds later saw Black Hole’s Jim Barber get set up for an easy rebound open net goal, on the passing of Joe and Steve Iacoviello. With just over a minute to play and players imploring captain Jim Barber to make an in-game adjustment, Jim failed to listen and made the questionable decision to leave the personnel as is.  That decision came back to haunt him as Ray Nickerson was set up all alone out front by Dominic and Pat Pirone, scoring the game clinching goal with forty-three seconds to play. This was a Deer in the Headlights auditory moment by captain Jim Barber!     

Week of September 8 (Game 2) – The second game of the new season saw another captain lead by example, as the main impact player for his team, to carry his Mixed Nuts team to a comeback 3 – 1 win over the Rhinos.  Once again, this captain showed the league exactly why he has earned the nickname of the Great One.

There was plenty of anticipation to see this Rhino’s team that featured George Medeiros coming off a breakout performance over the summer playing in the MISI league, as well as seeing how the new tandem of Shawn Miville and rookie Phenom Chris Ducharme would play on the same line.  With a minute to play in the first period, George lived up to the hype as he scored the game’s first goal, set up by Chris and Niko Vramis.

The second period featured plenty of offense by both teams with plenty of shots on net.  The period’s only goal tied this game up, as Mixed Nuts old man Mark Stickney scored with just over a minute left in the period, set up by Ron Aquino and Dave Costa.  

Top Story
Congratulations to Dave Costa for conquering the "Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse".

Dave has done what no other player in Hockeytown history has done before.., he won 4-consecutive Hockeytown Championships with 3-different teams during 3-different leagues all under one Hockeytown’s leaky roof.

Last Wednesday night the Misfits which include Dave Costa and Ray Nickerson won the Hockeytown Summer Season D1 Championship becoming back-to-back Champions.

Now Dave is officially on the "Drive for Five" quest.., if he can win the next concurrent championship which is the current Over-30 Winter Season.

Good Luck Dave!

None the less.., the Bricklayers which include Nick Romano, John Kelleher, Jim Barber and Scotty Rosato picked the last game of the season to play their worst game of the season.

Congratulations to the Wolfpack for beating the Bricklayers as this was the 3rd straight meeting for the D2 Championships Finals featuring Wolfpack vs Bricklayers.  Last Wednesday the Wolfpack took the rubber match winning two out of last three games against their Thursday night rivals.

D3 Disappointment
There was only (one) Over-30 player who played in the D3 semi-finals.., can anyone guess who that D3 player was? Go ahead guess a few names to yourself...

We're any of those names Dominic "The Dominator" DeFrancisco?  

We couldn't believe it either as Dom suited up for the D3 semi-finals.  We thought for sure "The Dominator" would put on a clinic and would run circles around these D3 players like he was running cone drills.  But, without any of his trusted Portuguese Brotherhood from the Over-30 League, Dom was a mere mortal and did absolutely nothing.., one might even say he was "ineffective" and he didn't even get his name on the D3 scoring sheet.

Has Dom lost his touch.., should we be calling him Dominic "Nada" DeFrancisco?

Sinjin vs NAZtradamus?  
So far NAZtradamus is 100% wrong with his 2018 Winter Season Predictions.., as Matt Farrell notched the first goal of the season and not Ray Nickerson.

Even though NAZtradamus is 0-for-1.., he still has predicted more than his fellow counterpart Sinjin.., whose predictions are nothing more than a cheap stunt using catnip hidden under a jersey.

We will continue to monitor NAZtradamus’ predictions throughout out the season... and we'll see once and for all who the better psychic is?

New Pink Stick Bag Challenger
You don't need a cat whacked out on catnip or NAZtradamus to predict the fate of John Coluciello's Pink Stick Bag Challenge.

We are going on record now (Week #2) with our "lock-stock, bet the kids college fund" that Cooch will "FAIL" this season.  Just sew the patch on next week... it's over before it began!!

Sure 6-goals sounds simple for 12-games.., but when you start the season without a goal and now have 11-games left.., then minus out any family events, sporting events or Italian festivals and the (per game) pressure starts to rapidly increase weekly.

John has played 32-seasons and scored 6 (or more goals) in a single season only 10 times. Those numbers alone calculate to a 69% failure rate.

So Cooch.., you better use your Italian influence to either start bribing officials for penalty shots or paying off a couple of goalies with Mike's Pastries.

Another Screw up 
Once again it's another year for screwing up the Over30 League Jerseys.., except this year they are not made of 100% Genuine Indian Burlap.., although the material is still a little too heavy.

This year the colors actually look great.., and from what we've seen of the 4-out-5 teams so far.., the Rhino's have the best in show award for the nicest color combination.

This year's complaint is... The sizes!!!

If you’re keeping score at home for Jersey Failures

Over-30 League - 2
MISI League - 0

Rhino of the Week
Way to go Shawn Miville.., you outdid yourself again this year with "Rhino of the week Award" with a huge "Rhino Head".

This guy gets it.., have some fun and team spirit, because everyone knows that fun wins championships as Miv can attest to.  Trojan of the Week Award = Trojan Horse Championship.

Remember Rhino's... If you win Shawn's Rhino of the Week Award.., (and) you win either the Dunkin Donuts or Five Guys Player of the Week Award.., we want you to wear the Rhino Head while accepting your player of the week award from the League Director and/or Assistant League Director 

However; it's tough to award anyone as the “Rhino of the week”, when you all got poached by a team of mixed nuts.

New “MI-17” Brand
Speaking of numbers.., Matty Iannello after all these years of being #77.., which included one year of having two #77's on the same team… (Remember that Matty?) When Billy allowed Alby Luise to wear #77 while playing net on your team.

Well #77 has chosen to go back to his original number of #17 after years of building the #77 brand as the league #1 player.

Technically Matty should have been giving an unsportsmanlike penalty for Lewd and Lascivious Behavior while “Cross Promoting”

Welcome to the League
Welcome to the Over-30 League Chris Ducharme.., you'll enjoy playing in this league.

Even though it's drafted by our “Monarch” League Director.., the teams seem to be pretty well balanced and it typically comes down to the last few games of the season to decide who makes the final-four playoff spots and which team gets bounced

The website is updated weekly.., and a big advantage of playing in this league vs Dracut is the awarding of the 2nd assist.

We award (2) weekly Players of the Week Awards.., so you can earn a $10 gift card to Dunkin Donunts or Five Guys Burgers just for passing to Shawn Miville and racking up assists.  

Off and On the DL
Off the DL and welcome back Luigi Derenzis.., after 2-year hiatus and a new bionic hip.., Luigi used the Summer MISI League to relaunch his Over-30 career and his quest for that elusive Over-30 Championship.

Luigi did manage to win the inaugural championship with Azores Express for his first season back.., but after 18-seasons of playing in the Over-30 League he’s still hasn’t had the honor of winning one of those outdated jackets.

On the DL and bad news for Black Hole.., Rick Cassano is slated to miss 6+ weeks and/or potentially the entire Winter Season based on an undisclosed nagging injury.

As far as we are concerned Dominic should have at least held out and waited for a cash offer, or a weekend stay up in Lake Winnipesaukee, or at the very least promises of Chinese Food before handing #8 over the #2 player of All-Time

S↑TC
Over the years Ray Nickerson has battled many-many-many players in the Over-30 League and various Hockeytown teams.

Although his stick work speaks for itself .., not all of Ray's battles are psychical.

Ray's battles are often verbal as to why no one passes him the ball when he's wide open.., or his battles with the referees over getting screwed out of points.., or his battles with the awards committee for being screwed out of the player of the week and MVP awards.

All of these battles are meaningless as Ray is now fighting the biggest battle he has to fight.  Ray's openness about his current battle with cancer is not about to keep Ray from doing what he's loved for the past 30+ years... Which is playing competitive street hockey?  

Like him or not Ray Nickerson is a Hockeytown Icon and it wasn't by coincidence that Ray was chosen to be the first ever "Over-30 Player Spotlight".., it was out of respect for someone who's accomplished so much.., but yet bitched about it every step of the way.

Unless you really know Ray.., you'd think he was a jerk (and rightfully so if you've ever had the privilege of being chopped by him).., but Ray is really a nice guy in disguise whose bark is often worse than his bite.  

This is not Ray's first bout with cancer and even as he's going through radiation he still finds the strength to continue to play.

Well Ray.., allow me to speak on behalf of the league when they say "No one fights cancer alone" .., and you my friend have a leagues worth (57+ players and personnel) of hockey fighters ready to battle with you.

This isn't a pre-eulogy.., and we're not naming a memorial award after you just yet.., we just want you to know that the league is behind you and if you need any support were here for you (and with you).

But in case you want to know in advance.., the only memorial award we have planned for you is the "Ray Nickerson (Phantom Assist) Leader Award".

Where we'll ask all the players in the league;  How many assists did Billy and the Referee's "FU&K them out of" throughout the season?