Over 30 Hockey League

Encore Winner

Congratulations Dave Costa for winning the October “Giveback” with a $300 Encore Themed Package.  Players immediately started calling for a redraw, as Dave wasn’t present when his ticket and name were called.

Sorry guys, you don’t have to be present to win…, and since you didn’t win (don’t worry), the leagues front office is busy putting together November’s “Giveback”…, it should be something to be “thank”ful” for.

Couple of Jokers

Congratulations to Lee Nogler and Todd Bryson for becoming October’s “Jokers”.

Once again, Lee shows his theory of ROI (Return On Investment) works, as Lee’s calculations using his proven “Risk vs Reward Method” has paid off for the second straight month, as Lee collected his second payment of $200…, bringing his total winnings to $400.

Meanwhile, players had to shout Todd’s name numerous times to come collect his winnings.  Todd was afraid to come forward and collect his winnings… as he thought he was getting yelled at (again) by the league for another screwup.

Chicken Dinner

The players on M*A*S*H hosted a celebration dinner party Saturday night and the guest list included Barney & Friends.

It only took 8-games, but the players on M*A*S*H celebrated their first win of the season Saturday night with a “Winner-Winner Chicken Dinner” as the players served their special guests “Chicken with M*A*S*H-ed Potatoes”.

The guest of honor was Tommy Gallagher who scored the teams “first” GWG of the season by scoring the “second” goal of the game for their 2-1 win.

We asked Tommy for a comment on his GWG and he just “Babe Ruth’ed it” by pointing to the homerun wall and said “you mean our winning streak” as he was boldly calling out another win for Sunday.

We’re going to mix up the forum this week…. With the double header weekend behind us and way too much to write about (to cover all 6-games)…, we’re going to mix it up and stick to the important highlights (and lowlights) along with the winners (and losers) over the 2-days’ worth of action.

Winners: The weekend was full of winners and losers…, Starting with Dominions who steamrolled the competition last weekend going 2-0 by scoring 13-goals, and only giving up a measly 3-goals in their 60-minutes of play. 

Chris Torres led all Dominions with a hat trick on Saturday and a 5-goal weekend to show Mike Naczas a defenseman can score 5-goals, and in just 2-games (if you apply yourself).

Losers: Hammertime had a tough weekend at Hockeytown going 0-2 and giving up 13-goals while using 3-goalies and plunging them into the “cold” pool on the weekly standings. 

They also lost their goalie Dale McIssac who was placed on IR with a lower body injury after giving up a goal to Mike O’Neill.

Winners: Phoenix Rising and M*A*S*H had a weekend split by winning on Saturday and losing on Sunday.  Garvin Chan goes crazy for Phoenix Rising scoring 4-goals (including a natural hat trick) and adding 1-assist to his 5-point day…, and Tommy Gallagher scores M*A*S*H first and only GWG of the season.

Losers: After their teams won Saturday…, Sunday’s losers are the ALD and Union President for not respecting their teams’ streak.  The ALD Mike Naczas was absent for their first win of the season…, which everyone knows you “Respect the Streak” and wait until the run of winning is over.    Meanwhile the (unofficial) Players Union President Jason Carrien also didn’t “Respect the Streak” following his teams win on Saturday.

Both players showed up thinking they would make a difference for their team (and didn’t)…, one player got an unsportsmanlike penalty and the other chose the wrong bench. 

Everyone knows that hockey is a very superstitious sport, so why didn’t Mike Naczas choose the bench his team won on just 23-hours earlier?

#RespectTheStreak

Winners: Azores Express wins a 6-5 shootout against M*A*S*H to ruin any chance of them putting together a winning streak.  Gino Tammaro scores his 5^th & 6^th goal of the season as the top line for Azores Express finally comes out of their scoring drought…, and quickly holds a mirror up to the second line and exclaimed; “Now it’s your turn to start scoring”

Losers: Before they were winners, they were losers…, Azores Express came into last weekend the victims of back-to-back shutouts and intersquad squabbles about lack of scoring.  

It wasn’t until Pedro Fontes broke the 7-periods of scoreless hockey (which ironically) was the only goal of the game. 3-games (90-minutes)… 1-goal.

Winners: The weekends winners and losers couldn’t be “winners and/or losers” without their goalies in net.  For Barney & Friends their goalie Scotty Rosato was this weekend’s top goalie, by playing both games (going 1-1) and more impressively, giving up only 3-goals. 

He was absent on Saturday, but Sean Roach gets an honorable mention for his 2-goal allowance on Sunday.  Sitting in the #1 spot with only a 2.13 GAA, it’s looking like another season of Pink for fellow goalie Scotty Rosato.

Losers: If you’re a goalie and your initials are not “SR” then sorry you’re down here in the losers’ section.  If Scotty was the biggest winner, then AJ Larabee would be the biggest loser.  

Sure, AJ went (1-1) like Scotty…, but man did he stink it up with his (13) goals against weekend.

Winners: Leo Trombley and Tony Medeiros were winners as they followed Garvin Chan and Chris Torres leads, by scoring hat tricks as well.

Losers: Everyone else that didn’t score a goal or have an assist.  You had 60-minutes to get one measly point and you didn’t. 

Winless

Attention Please! Will the following players please report to the winner’s circle:

Dave Norton, Joe Conary, Paul White and Mike Naczas

The above (4) players are still “winless” on the season and have yet to have “the taste of victory” and only suffered “the agony of defeat”…. and for those of you who remember this Saturday morning gem;

Just Don’t Give…

Once again, they came out on fire…, After Todd Bryson scored the 4^th goal to put M*A*S*H up 4-2, the League Director couldn’t finish his sentence when he exclaimed “Just don’t give…” when Dave Costa scored only 22-seconds later to make it 4-3.

What the League Director was doing, was trying to send positive vibes to the players on M*A*S*H by saying “Just don’t give it right back” …, and that’s exactly what they did…, and that’s when teams lose momentum.

M*A*S*H went on to give up 4-unanswered goals in the 2^nd period, giving up the game and any bid for a winning streak.

We’ve talked about it time-and-time again…, you’re battling your way back, digging out of an early hole, only to be deflated by a quick retaliation goal.

The most important minute in hockey is the one right after you score to take the lead and have a momentum swing… don’t give up the quick rebuttal goal (especially on the long shots).

Power Songs

So, we think we finally figured out what makes Captain Dominic DeFrancisco such a successful player and captain. 

After watching Dominic come into the facility wearing headphones and warming up…, we finally got to the bottom of what he’s actually listening to:

Out Indefinite

Last week we learned that a couple of players are now “out Indefinitely”

John Mastrocola for M*A*S*H has been placed on the long-term IR list with medical concerns.  Reports say that Johnny might be in the same category as Matty Iannello with heart concerns. 

But everyone knows that was the ailment for the “Tin Man” and not the “Munchkins”.  

Maybe after playing 5-games and having 0-points, John’s heart just wasn’t into it.  Whatever the reason, here’s hoping you get some good news and a speedy recovery.

If you need Matty Iannello’s Doctor’s name (just ask)…, his doctor had him back on top of the leaderboard after just one season following a mild open-heart procedure.

Eric Fortin also filed paperwork last week and has walked away from the team for undisclosed reasons.  With such a mystery on why someone would leave an undefeated team…, we can only do what we do best and that is to speculate.

So why did Eric go AWOL…, here’s our speculation theories.

• To steal a Red Sox analogy was it because of “Manny being Manny?”
• Chris Torres was stealing the spotlight?
• Was it because Satan’s work was done with his 6-games, 6-goals, 6-assists?
• The $170 balance was due?

2-week Suspension

Rumor has it the soon to be “Mrs. Duggan” has suspended Mike Duggan for 2-weeks.

Mike’s looming wedding day is quickly approaching, and his fiancée Racheal does not want any hockey smiles in their wedding album photos.

Also, several players should be prepared to double up and fill-in for missing players on “Doo-gan’s” big day…, as a bunch of players will be attending the ceremony.

We can tell you this much… There will not be a “4^th Consecutive” Leading Scorer Lucite Award sitting on the wedding gifts table.  The2024 Winter Season winner is going to be a tug-of-war between Dominic DeFrancisco and Matty Iannello. 

Mike, you can start a new streak in 2025…, if the new wife lets you play.