Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Final Tally!

As a result of a successful weekend of fundraising, SNCF (Shuley Nakamura Charitable Foundation) will be giving $3000 to charity. Each of the four charities will receive money. The Cam Neely Foundation will receive the biggest portion, then the Leukemia Lymphoma Society will receive the next largest portion. Marklund Philips House and Horizons CT will receive the same amounts from SNCF.

An additional $1000 will be donated by private individuals directly to two of the charities so our efforts will total $4000.

Thank you everyone for your generosity, support, and kindness. Believe it or not, we are going to start the fundraising process just after the new year -- our goal is to get larger companies involved so that we can make a bigger impact on our charitable giving.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Raffle Winners

Here are the 2011 Raffle Winners!

2011 Thank you & Acknowledgements

A list of thank you's.. a bit belated.

Melissa Parkin: Right hand woman and COO of SNCF.
Ron Swinnich, Ken Schrock, Matty St. Hilaire, Pauly Huxel: Captains!
Scott Parkin: Legal Advisor to SNCF and had made SNCF possible!
Micah Adler: SNCF board member and inspiration behind making Shuley Cup a charity fundraising event
Denny Mark: Website Overhaul + Database
Ron Creamer: Program Printing
Chris Peterson: Logos/Artwork
Jae Roh: Photography
Ryan Eisenberg: Team Bios
Liz Young/Byron Masi: Raffle Item Solicitation
Steve O'Connor: Jersey logo
Mark Foley/Scott Mulcahey: Officiating
La Hacienda: Venue


Raffle Donations
Ike Montes/Boston Auto Design: Remote Starter Installation
Coolidge Corner Wine & Spirits: 6 Bottle Wine Basket
Mike Vargas: Morton's Gift Card
Julian Chu: Puma Gift Card
Bobby Quinn/Boston Brokerage: House Cleaning Service
SportsWash: 2 free washes
David/Amy Kenney: Assorted books, hockey puck artwork, Red Sox tickets
Todd Parkin: Stanhope Giftcard
Corrie Hulten: BU game tickets
Melissa Parkin/Jordan Marton: Bruins Tickets
Matt Porro: Tikatok kit, game used Axelsson stick
Liz Young, Byron Masi/Toscanini's: Gift cards
Liz Young, Byron Masi/Asgard: Gift card
Melissa Parkin/Arika Bjorkedal: Artwork
Elite Embroidery: Embroidery of SNCF jacket

2011 Shuley Cup Awards

At long last -- here is a list of the 2011 Bobblehead Awards.

2011 Champions: Viking Horde
*Julian Chu - W
*John Durant - D
*Kevin Lane - C
*Ike MOntes - W
*Mark Rinaldi - D
*Ken Simon - D/W
*Adam Stober - C/W
*Luke Sullivan - D
*Ron Swinnich (captain) - D
*Tommy Walsh - G
*Curt Wells - C/D
*Liz Young - W

2011 Runner-Up: Matty's Team (captained by Ken Schrock)

Shuley Award -- Tournament MVP: Tommy Walsh
The vote to give Tommy the MVP was unanimous. Even non-voters came up to the awards committee to give their two cents on Tommy's performance. Tommy stepped up to play goalie when we were short a netminder. He posted a shutout in his first Shuley Cup game and gave up only 4 goals in 4 games.

Swinny Award -- Adam Stober
Adam received recognition for his 5 point tournament performance. Playing Center and Wing, Adam helped turn opportunities into goals. His efforts were certainly helpful in his team winning the championship.

Denny Award -- Ron Creamer
We really wanted to give Ron the Creamer award but logistically it was difficult to make this happen. Why did Creamer win an award? His goal in Game 6 (Matty's Team vs Viking Horde) was not only the first goal, but the GWG of the game. This goal ultimately defined which team would be in the finals. If Creamer had not scored, it could have been an Eisenberg Uncertainty Principal - Viking Horde matchup in the finals instead of Matty's Team.

Eizy Award -- Dave Lahr
The Eizy Award is typically akin to the NHL "Lady Byng" award for gentlemanly player. Past winners demonstrated clean, unselfish, penalty-free hockey. This year, we decided to award it to a player who modeled his style of play after Eizy. Eizy is known for his antics on the ice from clutching, holding, sitting, face washing, you name it. This year, we felt Dave Lahr's aggressive defensive tactics on the ice made him worthy of the Eizy.

Platypus Award -- Julian Chu
This award was created to recognize a player with offensive prowess. At the end of Saturday night, Julian was the tournament point leader with 5 points. A natural playmaker, in the right place at the right time, Julian finished the tournament with 3 goals and 2 assists.


Schrocky Award -- Andrew Rossi
The Schrockiest Schrock in Schrocksville was Andrew Rossi who scored his first career hat trick in the 2011 Shuley Cup. A goalie turned winger, Rossi's lightning fast moves, his ability to move the puck into the zone, his skill at protecting the puck, and his innate hockey sense make him an asset on any team. This is Rossi's second Bobblehead.


Nuge Award -- Nick Mantia
In Game 5 (Eisenberg Uncertainty Principal vs. Pauly Exclusion Principle), Nick Mantia made an amazing defensive play on Bobby Quinn's breakaway. He successfully caught up to Bobby and made a clean diving play to break up any scoring opportunity for Bobby.


Creamer Award -- Scott Parkin
The key play that made Scott Parkin a front-runner for this award was his power play goal in the finals game. As a defenseman, Scott looks like Mike Green on the ice: Doing his best to light the red lamp, but not forgetting to backcheck and protect his keeper.

Matty Award -- Chris Peterson
In Game 5, Chris Peterson hit the post. In the 3rd place game, he scored a crazy goal where it seemed like all time stopped, he did a little tap dance, hypnotized the goalie, and scored a goal. His moves on this goal got him nominated for this award.

SuperStar Ribbon Award -- Bobby Quinn
We felt Bobby Quinn had to be recognized for his Gordie Howe Hat Trick in the 3rd place game. In addition to this feat, Bobby logged 6 points (3G, 3A) in the tournament. Not too shabby!

Potty Training Ribbon Award -- Ryan Eisenberg
Our very own Eizy has won this award twice now. He led the tournament in penalty minutes and kept his team's penalty box nice and warm.

Friday, November 18, 2011

1st Place Game

The two teams with the shortest names found themselves vying for first place on Sunday November 13. Nerves, nerves, nerves!! It was going to be one heck of a game. This was Captain Ken's third consecutive trip to the finals and Captain Ron's first foray out of the 3rd place bracket.

Having been shutout by Matty's Team the previous night, Viking Horde tweaked their lines to up their offense. They moved versatile Curt Wells from D to Center and moved Winger Ken Simon to play D with Chara-like defenseman John Durant. Let the game begin!

Puck dropped and immediately Viking Horde took control. Adam Stober made a breakout pass to Curt Well who raced down to the other end and scored on Marco. The next six minutes featured non-stop action between the two teams and both goalies standing on their heads. Save after save, rush after rush, scorekeeper found herself unable to sit down. At just under 4 minutes, Jordan gained control of the puck in Viking Horde's turf. He lifted his to fake a shot and veteran captain Ron went into a sliding block. He ended up taking Jordan out, the ref's arm shot up, and the whistle blew as the Vikings touched the puck. Opportunity for Matty's Team, but definitely an uphill battle for them as Viking Horde's unmatched defense and goaltending fended off any attempts to light the red lamp. Just one second after the power play expired, JD powered a shot off point and scored. JD's protege Kevin Lane was credited with the assist. Just 30 seconds or so later, Curt Wells padded the lead with another goal with help from Ken Simon. The next shift on, Kevin Lane (I think) powered into Matty's Team zone and teed off to shoot but was foiled by a sliding Scotty Parkin. Scotty was called for tripping and Viking Horde found themselves on the power play for the last 22 seconds of the period. The period ended with Viking Horde up a decisive 3-0.

Second period started with Matty's Team on the penalty kill for just over a minute. Fortunately for them, the Vikings were unable to score during the man advantage. At 9:19, Liz Young was given a slashing penalty when she went in hard on her forecheck and her errant stick audibly whacked the back of one of Matty's Team Players' leg. Once again, no one scored on the power play and the score remained at 3-0. At just over 6:30, Kevin Lane had a breakaway opportunity. Scott Parkin went from zero to max velocity almost instantaneously and made a diving play to prevent Kevin from getting a shot off. However, just seconds later, Ike scored a goal (Mark Rinaldi assisted). 4-0.. would Tommy get another shutout? Not so fast -- as usual when Matty's Team is under pressure, Captain Ken is always there to rescue his team. At 5:08, Ken dashed away any hopes of a shutout for Tommy. Jordan Marton and Ron Creamer each got a point on their assists. As the clock started to run down, Viking Horde took control of the game and really didn't give Matty's Team a chance to go beyond the neutral zone. End of the second, Viking Horde up 4-1.

Third period moved fast -- with the clock running continuously it was important for both teams to minimize stoppages and change lines quickly. The period was action packed and exciting and the scorekeeper felt Matty's Team had the advantage. Perhaps it was them being at least 10 years younger on average than the Vikings. At 7:00, JD got called on an interference penalty. Matty's Team worked the power play and on the very last second, Scott Parkin scored a power play goal. At this point, the game elevated to a different level. A 2 goal differential is not insurmountable and it was obvious Matty's Team knew this. At the 2 minute mark, the game went from running time to stop time due to the 2 goal differential. Shot after shot rained in on Tommy but he put a great effort in the last couple minutes. When the buzzer finally sounded at the end of the third, the team in Red, the Viking Horde, spilled onto the ice to celebrate. Winners!

Final Score, 4-2, Viking Horde.

3rd Place Game!

**Apologies for the delayed game summaries**

The Third Place game featured Pauly's Team, Eisenberg Uncertainty Pricipal, and the Real Matty's Team, Pauly Exclusion Principle. With a 2-1 record, EUP was heavily favored to win the contest against 0-3 PEP.

Game started with EUP coming out of the gate strong. Early on in the first, defenseman Nick Mantia got in a fight with the boards and injured his wrist and had to withdraw. This left EUP with nine skaters. Their top line (previously known as the Triple Threat line, renamed the Tour de France line due to their puck cycling abilities) managed to control the puck and the pace of the game. Former captain Eizy drew a holding penalty at 6:20 in the first. He felt shame. With only 3 men on the EUP bench, and a man advantage for PEP, this was PEP's chance to set the tone. They did not capitalize and the power play ended. As the minutes counted down in the first, it was EUP who were the first to light the lamp. Tony notched his 4th goal of the tournament at 3:36. Linemate Mike Kunelius was credited with the assist. Three minutes later, Tony returned the favor to Mike as Mike scored on Tony's assist. End of the first 2-0. It was looking good for EUP.

Between periods, PEP had obviously regrouped. Just over a minute into the period, Bobby Quinn got his name on the scoresheet. Kevin Donahue got the nod for the assist. With a one goal deficit, there was a whole lot of hockey left in this game. At 6:34, the refs stopped the game for an injury timeout. Mike Kunelius and Todd Parkin had a run-in near PEP's blue line. The injury report showed that Mike had suffered a severe knee sprain. He, too, would have to withdraw. Now down two men and the Tour de France line incomplete, it was looking grim for EUP. At 5:33, Jonathon Gais tied it up at 2. Matty assisted on this goal. With momentum on their side, PEP continued to dominate, Chris Peterson scored at 3:40 with help from Bobby Quinn and Corrie Hulten. This would be PEP's first lead in the game. Could they hang onto this slim lead? The period got even more interesting when 14 seconds later Todd Parkin drew a penalty for tripping. (Random Fact: All three Parkins spent time in the penalty box for a total of 9 minutes.) PEP succeeded in killing off the penalty and the period came to an end with PEP leading 3-2.

Third period consisted of constant back and forth action. Still down two men, EUP battled hard against the fresher PEP team. Both teams had several opportunities to score, but neither would give up a goal. At 2:00, Tony scored an unassisted goal tying up the game. Based on how the period had been played, I was convinced the game would go into OT, which meant shootout. Not to be undone, Bobby Quinn answered back just 33 seconds later. Todd Parkin started the play with Jonathon Gais helping out in the middle. I knew the last 90 seconds or so of the game would be intense* with both teams wanting to win this bracket. With just under a minute, there was a faceoff in PEP's zone. Center Eizy and Bobby stood by glaring at each, sticks poised to win the faceoff. As the puck dropped, Eizy threw his gloves down and grabbed Bobby. Bobby followed suit, threw his gloves and both started spinning around trying to pull the other's jersey over his head. Then all of a sudden the three on EUP's bench flew over the boards and both teams were on the ice. I watched in horror as I saw Tony threw his gloves down and race towards Jonathon Gais. These two need to learn how to fight. They started pawing at each other and did a weird little awkward dance. It was at this point the fans in the stands realized that this was no real fight but a fun stunt to lighten the air and add levity to the tournament. Both Bobby and Eizy were charged with 10 minute game misconducts and placed in the penalty boxes.
With only 45 seconds left on the clock, the game slowly rolled to an end.. PEP would win the 3rd place bracket. And team EUP guaranteed themselves the first pick for the 2012. Final score 4-3, Pauly Exclusion Principle.

Sunday, November 13, 2011

Day 2 of Shuley Cup '11 - Game 6

Final game before championships featured Beer o' Clock heavy Matty's Team and veterans Viking Horde. While Captain Schrocky is still a spring chicken, his hockey sense is full of wisdom and good judgement.

First period was tense -- the teams seemed pretty evenly matched with both keepers playing ridiculous well and each defense shutting down any offensive threat. Viking Horde came out strong and perhaps this is why Matty's team ended up 4 penalties overall. At 10:05 in the first, Roman Chicz was called for tripping. A desperation move perhaps? No PPG for the Viking Horde on this opportunity. The action continued again until Kieran drew another tripping penalty at 5:24. This was not too surprising -- a Schrock On! alum, he learned well under the tutelage of Eizy. Once again, the Vikings were unable to capitalize -- they were starting to look like the 2010 Bruins.. a great team who couldn't figure out the power play! As the clock wound down to 0, both teams seemed happy to have a second to catch their breaths. End of the 1st, no goals.

The second period continued at a whirlwind pace -- I was convinced this game would end in a 0-0 tie. The defense were doing an amazing job at stopping many of the players the their blue line and if for some reason someone got through, the goalies stepped up and prevented any goals. At 1:17 in the second however, a brief fumble and a huge skirmish in front of the net occurred and the pinching defenseman Ron Creamer forced one through during the confusion for the first goal of the game. Jordan Marton was credited with making the pass to Creamer.

Third period -- 12 minutes for the Viking Horde to at least tie it up. They kept the pressure on, but Marco Show finally was on full display. At 9:26 a big shocker as Melissa Parkin got thrown in the box for a high stick. Not sure how we feel about a SNCF board member being in the penalty box. :) Could this be the break the Viking Horde was waiting for? Matty's Team had a great kill and succeeded in keeping the score at 1-0. With just under 8 minutes to go, the game moved at an incredible pace. At 1:02, newest member of the hat trick club, Andrew Rossi drew an interference call. I could see the disappoint and anguish in his face as he felt he had let his team down. This was a gift the Viking Horde could not squander -- would they use it wisely? The puck drop was in Matty's Team's zone, so Tommy was pulled from net to give a man advantage. The Viking Horde controlled puck well for the first 30 seconds, but the puck then squirted out and Jordan took a shot on the empty net. Not this time! Viking Horde regrouped and set up their power play again, only to be foiled by Ron Creamer who stole the puck and made a pass to Jordan. After missing his first empty net, Jordan took it upon himself to skate it out of the zone and tossed the puck in on the empty net. Short handed goal on an empty net. As the goal crossed the goal line, Andrew Rossi punched the penalty box glass in appreciation, glad that it wasn't his goal line the puck crossed. 2-0 with 0:52 seconds to go, the puck would drop a final time.

Final score, Matty's Team 2-0.
Shutout for Marco Solia.

As it turns out, we had a 3-way tie for the championship game. Had Viking Horde won, it would have been EUP vs Viking Horde in the finals. It ultimately came down to goal +/- differential. With a +9 overall differential, Viking Horde claimed the first spot. With a +2 differential, Matty's Team claimed the second spot.

Good job to both teams. Good luck on Sunday.

Day 2 of Shuley Cup '11 - Game 5

Showdown between team names derived from Captain's and quantum mechanics equations. Gosh.. we are a smart but nerdy bunch. Eisenberg Uncertainty Principal versus Pauly Exclusion Principle. Now some may wonder about the "No Platypus" logo -- I can explain. Years ago when Pauly was on the ice, cheering for just plain "Paul" seemed bland so it morphed into Pauly..and it just wasn't enough.. so I thought a little alliteration would help. Somehow, Pauly Platypus had a nice ring to it, and then it was born. So for those of you wondering about it, it has been explained. Sorry it wasn't more exciting. Okay, back to the game summary.

The pace of the game was fast and furious with back and forth non-stop action. Emma came up with the first save of the game at 8:39 in the first period. At 7:58, Todd Parkin took a 'good penalty' in front of the net when he took down an EUP player. The game was heating up! At 6:00, it was Billy's turn to put up a big save when he had to shutdown powerhouse Bobby Quinn not once but several times, as Bobby chipped away at his own rebound. No goal! At 4:00, Chris Peterson got oh so close when he hit the post. Team Blue (PEP) let out a big "Oh!!!" while EUP cheered happily. It was crazy -- I certainly got caught up in the excitement! Bobby Quinn put his name on the scoresheet when he drew an elbowing penalty at 2:58. Just after EUP finished their power play scoreless, our little friend Eizy decided it was his time to sit in the box. No more triple threat for at least 90 seconds.. or could it be double trouble? At 1:04, the Double Trouble line lit up the red lamp. Tony was credited with goal, Mike with the assist. 1-0 end of the first, EUP. According to my scoresheet this was a shorthanded goal. I've simply lost track at this point in time.

Second period started with Eizy in the box for another 13 seconds. PEP was unable to capitalize and both teams hit even strength. At 6:29 we saw Jonathon Gais finally get payback for his Olympic diving tactics (sorry, had to throw that one in there!) when he was called on a penalty for tripping. I believe it was during this short-handed time that Todd Parkin managed to finagle the puck for a short-handed bid and boy was it close. I believe it was the same penalty, that Bobby on the power play had an amazing breakaway attempt. The only person in his sight was goalie Emma. From out of nowhere, Nick Mantia chased him down and accelerated and made a CLEAN sliding play to take Bobby out of the play. Can we say HIGHLIGHT REEL! Simply amazing!! The action continued until 1:56 when Triple Threat Tony Nichol took matters into his own hands and scored for EUP. On the other side, at a mere 0:37 seconds, Todd Parkin made another "good play" when he drew an interference penalty. The third period would start with PEP a man down, and the score at 2-0 for EUP.

Third period -- both teams had a lot at stake. A win for either team meant a chance at the championship game. PEP successfully killed off the Parkin penalty and the game resumed. Both teams continued to keep the pressure on at both ends, but the Triple Threat was just a little too much. At 9:11, Mike notched his first goal of the game and gave a thank you nod to Eizy for the assist. 3-0 EUP. Not looking too rosy for PEP but 3 goal leads are not insurmountable. As the clock wound down it did seem like Billy would get his first ever Shuley Cup shutout...  PEP kept the boys on EUP busy. Any time a PEP player broke through the blue line, the puck would systematically be hurled out of the zone. At 1:55, Eizy decided it was time to take a rest and he hooked a PEP player. This time, PEP was ready. A combo play from Todd to Gais to Bobby confirmed there would be no shutout, at 0:44 in the third, PEP lit the lamp. The last 44 seconds were energetic. PEP worked hard to break the puck into the zone but sadly, they would not be able to tie it up or win tonight.

Final score, EUP 3-1. The next pair of games would determine the playoff bracket.

p.s. Another tidbit, this showdown was bittersweet for both teams. Team PEP is formerly Eizy's team so I'm sure he had trouble sleeping the night before from having such mixed feelings.. NOT!

Day 2 of Shuley Cup '11 - Game 4

Pauly Exclusion Principle vs Viking Horde -- what a matchup! Chatter would reveal that players thought that these two teams were the most balanced. Sadly, VH player Lukas Sullivan had to remove himself from the tournament, but in his stead Ken Simon stepped in. Luke looked very smart and dapper with his coat and tie as he took on the role of Coach.

It started with a bang with PEP flying into the zone at top speed. It seemed early on that PEP was the faster (and waaaay younger) team. At 8:40, Tommy had a breathtaking save as he stretched and laid out. This apparently scared the crap out of the Vikings who suddenly woke up. 27 seconds later, Mr Puma himself (Julian Chu) with linemate Adam on his side scored a nice goal. The momentum continued with another goal just 13 seconds later. This one was started by, Julian who set up Ken Simon who fed JD for the goal. Under a minute later, guess who, Julian Chu! assisted on the goal by Adam for a 3-0 lead. PEP turned up the heat again and kept Viking Horde busy defending their side. The surge paid off for PEP who scored at 2:32. The goal came compliments of Captain Matty and was assisted by Jonathon Gais. End of the first, 3-1 Viking Horde.
 
Second Period Action! Emma did great to fend off Viking Horde who started the second period strong. Not sure if Adam is anyone's fantasy pick, but he should have been because at 6:51 in the second, he went hard in for the forecheck, stole the puck from Marbles, and then scored. It was pretty impressive. Not to be undone, Ike added goal #4 with an assist from Curt Wells on D just 22 seconds later. The period continued at a fast pace -- PEP had numerous chances and took control of the period, but unfortunately the bounces did not go their way. The entire second half of the 2nd was pretty much spent in and around Viking Horde's zone.

The third started with Kevin Lane in control of the puck. He passed to Liz Young who spied an opening in the net and sank in her of the tournament 10 seconds into the period. At 7:14, Julian found the net with help from recently called up Ken Simon and Adam Stober. As the clock started to wind down, Ike added another goal for good measure. He tipped his hat to partner Kevin Lane for feeding him a nice pass.


Final Score 8 to 1, but the game was a lot closer than that. Kudos go out to 4 pointer Adam Stober and we welcome Ken Simon who sped down from Montreal to make it to the Shuley Cup when he heard he was called up.. how about an, eh?

Saturday, November 12, 2011

Day 2 of Shuley Cup '11 - Game 3

I'm sure most would agree they were grateful for a noon game-time start. The first matchup of the day featured Eisenberg Uncertainty Principal and Matty's Team. EUP having suffered a loss on Friday came in at 0-1, while Matty's Team strode in with a 1-0 record.

As soon as the teams were lined up, you could see that EUP had made some big changes --- The first line of forwards featured superstars Tony, Mike and Ryan, a big change from Friday when Tony and Mike took turns playing defense. Second line put Byron, Mysel and Pauly together. The big surprise was Denny Mark sliding back to defense. In-ter-est-ing!

To say the game wasn't action packed was an understatement. EUP showed up hungry and was in control of the puck for most of the game. Credit must be given to Matty's team who played good defense in front of netminder Marco. At 7:20 in the first, EUP had their first real chance to score, but alas, no goal! 36 seconds later, another huge opportunity for EUP, but once again turned down by Marco. At 6:26, Matty's team crashed the net, literally, with their first real chance at a goal. Poor Billy ended up on his back, but.. no goal! At 5:23 Scott Parkin found himself on a breakaway -- he lost control of the puck for a millisecond but recovered well enough to release a decent shot on Billy but Billy showed him who's boss. EUP's bench nervously wondered aloud when at 4:40, Captain Pauly decided to dipsy doodle in front of his own net. It was entertaining and didn't cost the team anything, but I could feel the heat rise when he was skating past the crease. The first period was fast-paced with EUP dominating offensively, but regardless neither team could find the back of the net, so the period ended tied at zero.

Second period continued like the first -- frenetic, exciting, and nerve-wracking. The power line of Tony-Mike-Ryan unleashed shot after shot on Marco. It was starting to look like the game would end with neither team scoring. Then Tony made it happen at 8:57. Finally, the red lamp is lit! EUP up 1-0. This could be a turning point. Matty's Team kept the pressure on with excellent saves by Marco and the defense doing  a great job moving the puck away from the slot. Try as they might, they were unable to prevent the triple threat from scoring at 4:26. Kunelius sank the puck into the net with assists from Eizy and Tony, Up 2-0 with a period and then some to go... talk about nerves.

Third period saw a different Matty's Team with Scott Parkin and Jordan trading positions and this change seemed to turn up the offense of Matty's Team. In the 3rd, it was obvious that Matty's team had an edge over EUP. Don't get me wrong, EUP still rattled off shots like there was no tomorrow, but Matty's team definitely stepped up their game and it paid off. At 5:41, Matty's team came oh so close to a goal.. did they have a shot or do we dare think if "shutout"? Robin played incredibly on D protecting his net and his people and sacrificing his body. Nuge did her part when she took down Porro at the blue line. As the clock wound down, I'm sure I wasn't alone wondering about a second shutout.. tick tock tick tock.. oh but wait! At 1:35, Captain Ken decided he must do something for his team and scored a beauty. The last 1:35 was all mayhem with opportunity after opportunity for Matty's Team-- I was convinced that Matty's Team would tie up the game. Their firepower was undeniable but sadly.. they ran out of time.

Final score, 2-1 EUP.
0 penalties!

Day 1 of Shuley Cup '11 - Game 2

Only so much daylight left and blogging like there's no tomorrow.. So much too write, so little time.

Last night's 2nd game featured Matty's Team against the real Matty's team. In other words, Team Schrocky vs. Team Matty or Matty's Team vs Pauly Exclusion Principle. It was a close game with a close finish and lots of excitement.

Game started off with a goal by Matty's Team's Andrew "Whiskey 'o Clock" Rossi with an assist by none other than Captain Schrocky. It came after almost five minutes of non-stop end to end action. PUP responded with 3:24 with a Marbles goal and a nod to Bobby for the assist. Tied 1-1 this was getting exciting! As the period was winding down, Dave F and Kieran Klehm sustained simultaneous penalties for interference and tripping, respectively. No man advantage for either team and the clock wound down to end the period. End of the first, tied 1-1. The second would start with Dave and Kieran in boxes, 5-on-5 on the ice.

Second period started off "slow" in the sense that there were no additional goals or penalties for what seemed a while. Then Ron Creamer broke the streak with an interference penalty at 8:41. PP worked their power play, but did not succeed with any goals. However, as it so often happens, after the power play expired PEP did light up the lamp with a goal by Ms. Corrie Hulten! She thanks Bobby Quinn and Matt St. Hilaire for their help on that one. Egged on by the tie game situation, Captain Ken decided to take matters into his own hands and scored a goal just 36 seconds later. Assists to Roman and Rossi. At 5:15, PEP committed the ultimate hockey faux pas with a "too many men" penalty. Good sport Chris Peterson served the penalty. PEP had another successful kill and the game continued until local Bobby turned it up with a roughing penalty at 2:15. Matty's team took full advantage of Bobby in the penalty box and scored just 10 seconds into the power play. Mr Rossi notched himself his first career hat trick. Roman and Jordan got the assists. Rossi celebrated later by buying everyone at the bar several pitchers of beer. By the end of the second, the score was 4-2 in favor of Matty's Team.

Moving onto the third period, things got cozy in the penalty box. Both Ron Creamer and Roman Chicz notched penalties for tripping and interference. Would the Pauly Exclusion Principal take advantage of the 5-on-3 situation?? It was exciting to watch.. especially when Scott Parkin decided he wanted to join Ron and Roman in the box. His penalty time started after Ron and Roman were done so Matty's Team played shorthanded for a full 3 minutes. As luck would have it, defensively minded Matty's Team had a successful kill and the game carried on. The rest of the game would yield no more penalties but PEP was not done scoring. Todd Parkin singlehandedly drove a puck into net with just over three minutes.

Overall it was an exciting game -- and quite honestly, both teams had plenty of opportunities and if you ask me, the game could have had a different outcome. Congrats to Rossi on his first hat trick and also huge shoutout to him on his diving/sliding blocks that potentially saved a couple goals.
Final score: Matty's Team won 4-3.

Day 1 of Shuley Cup '11 - Game 1

Wow.. can't believe Day 1 is over already. It's been a fun year of prepping for the tourney.

This year for Shuley Cup Swag we gave away some neat items. Hopefully you've all received your pint glass, koozie, and rally towel.

Game 1: A rematch of last year's finals, it was team Eisenberg Uncertainty Principal vs. Viking Horde: EUP with its explosive power versus the mature but every year growing younger team of Vikings. The game started at a good pace with the puck spending time in both ends. Newbie Kevin Lane lit up the lamp at 8:21 in the first for this year's first goal of the weekend. Mr. Ike Montes, the website centerfold, received honors for the assist. The rest of the period played out with some chances for both teams but ultimately the period ended 1-0 with the Viking Horde up by a goal.
Period 2 started with a bang with a goal just 14 seconds in by a falling Julian Chu. Another Shuley Cup newbie, Curt Wells, notched his first assist of the tournament. Mid-way through the period, there were fireworks with a scuffle in front of goalie Tommy Walsh which resulted in a double minor for Mike Kunelius. During the double minor the Vikings had 2 almost goals which were waved off. Something about a kicking motion. While on the power play, veteran JD got sent to the box for his holding antics. This put both teams at an even 4-on-4 for about a minute. Both teams worked the system well with a man down. Then Mike flew over the boards for the brief power play and exploded into action. He went in hard on the forecheck and created multiple opportunities for EUP, but the combined forces of Viking Horde's defense and goal tending kept the pucks out of the net... Until 2:16 of the period, when the puck landed in the other net. A combo play between Mark Rinaldi and Ike Montes showed off their chemistry. Goal #1 of the tournament for Ike Montes. End of 2 periods, Viking Horde 3-0.
Final period -- as expected, Viking Horde changed their style to a more defensive NJ Devils style of playing. On the flip side, EUP made some tweaks to boost their offense. It was a fun third period to watch. VH systematically cleared the puck from their zone then EUP would regroup and break out. A lot of good saves this period for Tommy Walsh as EUP let loose shots from every angle. In the middle of the 3rd period, Liz Young had a great play to keep the puck in her possession (and in the zone) and then she passed it off to Kevin Lane who finished it off. As the minutes ran down, EUP continued to pressure on in front of Tommy but was unable to pull it off. With less than 20 seconds, a blocked shot became an opportunity for VH Adam Stober who skated down with speed on a breakaway. Goalie Billy Lanzetta stonewalled him with a beautiful save. The clock then ran down to its final seconds for an outcome of 4-0, Viking Horde. First career Shuley Cup shutout for goalie Tommy Walsh.

Saturday, October 29, 2011

2011 Crest!


Since I promised to unveil the 2011 Shuley Cup Crest tonight -- I will unveil it via email/twitter.
Thank you Chris Peterson on another awesome Crest!

Team names are:

Pauli Exclusion Principle
Eisenberg Uncertainty Principle
Viking Horde
Matty's Team

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Scout Night #1

Successful night of scouting -- GMs and Captains were present to take notes on free agents. Will the free agents change the tone of the draft???

Monday, October 17, 2011

New Logos

Can't wait to unveil the 2011 Shuley Cup Crest designed by Chris P. It is really kind of amazing. Most of you will not see it until 11/11/11!

Thursday, October 13, 2011

More donations!

Thank you Mike V. & Morton's Steak House for the $125 gift certificate donation!!

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Shoutout to Cap'n Pauly

Good luck Pauly -- you'll be missed but we're happy you'll be back in November.

Apres Hockey

Lizzy's, formerly Pugs, will privately host all Shuley Cup Participants + Fans on Friday Nov 11 and Saturday Nov 12 from 10pm. Wait til you see what sort of food we'll have available for you guys. There will be one big tab each night and ask people to chip in money towards it.

Friday, September 16, 2011

Donation Progress

This is what we have so far: Remote Starter or iPod hookup for you car donated by Boston Auto Design ($250 value), Wine Basket donated by Coolidge Corner Wine & Spirits, Gift Card from Puma, Free gear wash from Sports Wash, BookSpark, a kit to make your own story book by Tikatok, Red Sox tickets, Bruins tickets, BU Men's hockey tickets, game used PJ Axelsson stick.

Thank you guys for stepping up, but we've only just begun.

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Shuley Cup - FULL

We are no longer accepting sign-ups for Shuley Cup.
We have 40 returning skaters and 4 on the wait list.

Thank you to all who signed up. I'll have payment information for you in the next few weeks.

Monday, September 12, 2011

website down

The shuleycup.com website will be down momentarily.. you can access an alternate site at www.shuleycup.net in the meantime..

Thursday, September 8, 2011

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

signup status

Rumor has it Ryan Eisenberg @SchrockrOn will be making an appearance at #shuleycup after moving to CA to begin scouting for the west coast expansion league.