Over 30 Hockey League

Balances Due

Your captains have all been notified of the open balances for their teams.  Please take care of this before your game this week (if you owe).  We don’t want to have our tax collectors (Rocko and Moose) chase you down for money.

Also, remember this is Week #11… if you still have a balance on Week #13 you will not be allowed on the floor (until the balance is paid in full).

No Complaints

This has been a very difficult season to run the Over-30 League.  This season, the league has been hit hard with the injury bug.  It’s very difficult to juggle players to make sure the games remain competitive for all the teams being affected.

We’ve got creative, signed some new rookies (who are working out very well), but you can’t predict injuries and absences when drafting teams during the summer months.

With that said, we know we have a closed roster policy in effect for the final third of the season.  The reasoning behind it is that… we want players showing up for that final push to the playoffs, to get that team bonding and chemistry that is required, when you finally land in your playoff seeding positions.

However, with the significant number of IR players, and some season ending… you may see the league step in and allow a fill-in, even if a team meets the 7-players minimum rule.  Teams will be evaluated according to their players on IR, their needs, vs “Healthy Scratches”.

If you have any complaints about players being used as “fill-in” players… please see your captain and complain to them first.  The League Director does not need (72) pre-approvals before a “fill-in” player is designated for assignment.

For the record, this “Season of IR’s” can all be traced back to “Patient Zero”… Cam Long was the first to be hit by the “Over-30 Curse” after having a team named after him, as a 1^st year rookie. 

Maybe “The Curse” still lives through Gary Goodwin, but it manifested itself from championships to injuries.

Cap Guns

After beating up the bottom two teams by scoring a combined 13-goals in the two weeks prior, last week Tommy Guns came out firing with everyone on the team (who was present) had at least 1-shot, but unfortunately for them they ran into a hot goalie in Dave Giusti, who stopped (29) out of the (30) shots taken.

From Tommy Guns… to Squirt Guns… and according to Jason Carrien, they are now just less lethal “Cap Guns”, as Jason was “Finger Banging” several Tommy Gun players from Hecklers Row.

Heating up

The “Blind Goalie Challenger” Dave Giusti is starting to heat up down the stretch.

These past two weeks Dave has been standing on his head in his crease.  We’re not sure if Dominic DeFrancisco pulled him aside and showed him footage from Black Magic when he had Scotty Rosato in net (and he had his two best seasons ever) with a 1.71 GAA and 2.36 GAA.

We asked Dave to recap his 1-goal performance against the toughest firepower in the league (allegedly) and he said;  “It was nice not having Elder Lopes serving up turnovers last week… but my one regret was that I let Paul Firicano “finger bang” me and ruin my back-to-back shutouts.”

Line Dance

It could have been a 1-1 tie for Tommy Guns if their goalie AJ Larabee wasn’t doing the “Boot Scoot Shuffle” in the crease.

Mike O’Neil, who’s only “record” this season so far was “Sober for October” fired a harmless shot from the penalty box area.  Most goalies would have easily made the save, but for reasons unknown AJ decided to do a “line dance” with the goal line and let in the GWG at the 1:38 mark in the first period.

We can’t help but wonder, would he make that save while wearing his Crocs?

Biggest Loser

Capo-Zero was last week’s “Biggest Loser” and they only gave up 3-goals.  After both games before theirs ended in 2-1 games.

Angelo De Luca’s team is on a “binary” goal scoring streak with 1-0-1 (IYKYK).

They dropped their 3^rd straight loss to fall from 1^st place just a few weeks ago… to 4^th place.

We’re predicting a “Capo-Comeback”, and the losing streak stops at 3-games.  This week they play an IR riddled and absentee team in The Revolution… so I would take the over at 2.5-goals, especially since their top two defenseman are out this week.

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

What was a returning veteran and record holder Steve Medeiros thinking when he pulled his jersey from the bag for his debut with Capo-Zero?

Steve has been targeted to come back and play for Capo-Zero… but the jeers he got was not for his return to the league, but the “tan” jersey he pulled out of his bag and attempted to wear.

Steve, who’s claim was “this is my only tan jersey”… donned his former undefeated Roadrunners (17-0) jersey from his bag, only to receive massive boos from the purists of the league.  Former Roadrunners players went ballistic at the sight of Steve wearing that shirt to play for Capo-Zero.

Thanks to Mike Naczas who quickly tossed Steve his former Sandbaggers jersey which is also of championship pedigree jersey… but it’s not “perfect”.  Players on the roadrunners were not about to let Steve taint the legacy with a loss wearing a “Perfect” 17-0 jersey.

Team Mascot

Max De Luca returned to action last week cheering for his dad to get back on a winning streak… but once again he left disappointed.

Max asked his dad if Uncle Gino Tammaro has been playing… I’m not seeing his number on the scoring sheets.

Don’t worry Max… bring your #1 Capo-Zero foam finger this week… you are going to be right either way when you wave it.  They are either going to score (1) goal or get the 1^st win (in weeks) and start themselves a (1) game winning streak.

Return of “The Curse”

Gary Goodwin aka “Stonehands” aka “The Curse”… aka “The Jinx”… and finally aka “Gary the Retard” from the Howard Stern Show.

Look for Gary to make his return this week after his 2-week court order vacation.

Here’s our concern… has “The Curse” manifested itself and made its return to the Over-30 League?

We ask because of all the Cam Long hype… as he only played 3-games before a nagging injury sidelined him for the remainder of the season.  Now, rumors are swirling the Timmy “Tito” Burke only 6-games played and 0-goals is also joining Cam on the “Out for the season” report.

Also take this into account, Lee Nogler… 8-games (3-goals, 3-assists) from a player of Lee’s caliber?  He’s 27^th in scoring… at first, we blamed the weight loss, but now the return of  “The Curse” is making a little more sense.

Goalie Weekend

Last weekend was the goalie time to shine as there were no blowout games.

3-goalies had some very stingy 1-goal games last weekend to continue (or start) their teams winning streaks.

Led by Sean Roach with his 5^th straight Poo Bears win, followed by Dave Giusti and his 2^nd straight win and back-to-back unbelievable performances,  and now Anthony Petrillo had his second-best game of his season to start a new streak for his team with one win.

Both Scotty Rosato and AJ Larabee had solid 2-goal outings with Scotty stealing the spotlight with several astonishing saves, and AJ’s “Plywood Blocker” stopped everything that wasn’t at his feet.

Dale McIsaac had a solid game in net too by only allowing three… only half he allowed the week prior.