World Cup of Hockey 52 - Everything Thread

[United States of Nova Calania]

Another win on the road

Cork, New-Erie - Nova Calania played the third of three games in a row and easily won 5-1 against New-Erie. It's the 2nd win in a row after drawing in Abanhfleft in the first one of three games. Jackson Dieujuste was back between the pipes after watching game 6 from the bench. Jean-Guy Raboin was back from his foot injury and Mason Bartoszkiewicz was still a healthy scratch. Early in the 1st period, Nova Calania attacked on a 3 on 1 when Ethan Wojciechowski passed to Zacharie Chicoine-Lechasseur who faked to shoot and passed to Emily Wojciechowski who shoots it past Starting Goalkeeper. 8 minutes later, 2nd line Right Defenseman was penalised 4 minutes for high sticking on Jérémie Boissonneault-Gougeon who had to go to the locker room to wipe the blood on his face. No goal was scored during the 1st two minutes but Rosalie Jolicoeur-Sansregret scored a power play goal during the 2nd two minutes when her slap shot from the blueline beat Starting Goalkeeper. The score after 20 minutes was 2-0. Jérémie Boissonneault-Gougeon was back on the bench at the start of the 2nd period after retreating to the locker room. He even scored a goal a few minutes later after he received the puck from Xavier Lajeunesse-Flanagan. 1st line Left Wing scored for New-Erie midway in the period. Before the end of the period, New-Erie was penalised for too many men on the ice and Zacharie Chicoine-Lechasseur scored during the power play. The score after 40 minutes was 4-1 Tapirs. Emily Wojciechowski scored a breakaway goal in the 3rd period and the final score was 5-1 Nova Calania.

Nova Calania has 6 wins and a draw in 7 games for 13 points. It's 3 more points than Nova Anglicana, who surprisingly lost against Schachland on matchday 7. After three games in a row on the road, the Tapirs will be back home in Ostrow Krolewski, Odlegla Ziemia to welcome Mertagne who just played in a 7-7 goal fest against Abanhfleft. Jackson McGroarty (upper body) is injured and will miss matchday 8 against Mertagne, Audrey Brind'Amour will replace him in the line up. Also, Mason Bartoszkiewicz will be back after being an healthy scratch for 2 games and Rodrigo Gonzalez Rojas will be the man out. I'm so happy to be back home after travelling to Abanhfleft, Schachland and New-Erie. First thing I'm gonna do when arriving home will be going to the pub in Saint-Jean-Jacques-sur-Mer and drinking Nova Calanian crafted beers! Who'se with me? There's this pub I like on Châteauneuf St., it's called Brasserie chez Christophe.

GAME SUMMARY

1st period
14:38    GOAL NOVA CALANIA   Emily Wojciechowski assisted by Zacharie Chicoine-Lechasseur and Ethan Wojciechowski
3:44     GOAL NOVA CALANIA   Rosalie Jolicoeur-Sansregret assisted by Ethan Wojciechowski and Emily Wojciechowski (PPG)

2nd period
15:21    GOAL NOVA CALANIA   Jérémie Boissonneault-Gougeon assisted by Xavier Lajeunesse-Flanagan
9:26     GOAL NEW-ERIE   1st Line Left Wing assisted by 1st Line Center and 1st Line Right Wing
5:53     GOAL NOVA CALANIA   Zacharie Chicoine-Lechasseur assisted by Xavier Lajeunesse-Flanagan and Frédérique Desharnais (PPG)

3rd period
7:42     GOAL NOVA CALANIA   Emily Wojciechowski assisted by Pierre-Olivier Hautcoeur

Charlotte Escobar-Constantineau

Meet the candidates: Wlodzimierz Pruszkowski

Wlodzimierz Pruszkowski is currently a senator in Odlegla Ziemia's upper house and has applied to become Consul of the United States of Nova Calania. He started his career in his 20s as a municipal councilor in Wloszakowice, after 10 years, he became Mayor of Wloszakowice for the next 20 years. After his municipal career, he became one of Grand Duchess Wladyslawa Wozniakowska's top adviser and she named him on the senate. Now at 68 yeard old, he's a candidate for becoming Consul of the United States of Nova Calania. His favorite food is pastas with tapir meatballs and his favorite hockey club is Stoczniowiec Chwojnowszczyzna. He's married with 3 adult children and 5 grandchildren.

Anne-Charlotte McDermott

[Crpostran]

---

[Elejamie]

"I've got to find a plan that won't ruin our run."

Coach Alex was wracking his brains trying to come up with a solid gameplan. He needed to come up with something as quickly as he could, as training would start tomorrow and he didn't want to go into it without anything for them to practice. And, worse, he didn't really seem to notice much if any change between how the Gatchingerrak Union played in their first meeting and in their last match. So he tried to go through his mental list of plans for "cohesive", only to be met with 714 matches. He tried to add a few more terms, just to help him narrow it down and be more specific. Terms like "solid", "analytical", "competent" and "bigger picture". Another 714 matches, as expected from someone who keeps looking for clichés when it comes to formulating plans. Unfortunately, it had gotten quite late and thus his wife Barbara asked him if he was going to bed. At that point he said as he was standing up and heading off to join her: "Ah, nuts to this, I'll re-use the plan from last time."

Not necessarily the best way to come up with a plan, and it's not really much of a good omen when you have to butcher a classic bit from The Simpsons. But that was exactly how Alex Sorenson was able to come up with a plan for this rematch against the Gatchingerrak Union. He didn't reuse what he did from the very last match but rather the last time his team played the GU, all the way back in Davenport for the second game of the tournament. A bit of a risky move, especially since he and his team were now in enemy territory and there was the possibility of their opponents wanting to get some revenge for the absolute demolition they received last time. But it turned out to be the right call, surprisingly enough, as Elejamie were able to beat their opponents once again, and quite handily to boot. How badly did they defeat them? Let's find out, shall we?

Except, it took quite a while for any demolition to happen. The beginning of the match was a more calmer affair with both sides taking a while before any serious attempt at goal was made. Sure there was the odd shot from both sides but they were either errant shots that wasn't going to worry either goaltender or more attempts at moving the puck up the ice rather than anything to help them score. The first proper shot on goal came with 17:33 left, when Kiko Carpio fired a shot at the GU's net only for their goalie to catch it in their puck and freeze it to force a face-off. It seemed like it was going to be a dead heat but eventually, with 11:05 left, the Ice-a-phants were able to open up the scoring thanks to Bill Harrison finding himself on the breakaway and managing to score with a well-timed shot. It wasn't much but it was enough to give his team a respectable lead, especially when Cerin Meloten and Alex Martin received points thanks to them assisting that goal.

Too bad that, roughly three minutes later, he accidentally tripped an opposing player and got a couple of minutes in the box for it. Even worse, with 7:46 left in the period, the GU would use sustained pressure to put the puck past Ricardo Bejarano to level the scores. It may not have been much but at least it could've been something to build off of. Unfortunately for them that would be the only bright spot for them as they ended up going on a 5-on-3 later in the match (losing one player due to high-sticking and another due to interference) and, even though they killed off that penalty, Stacy Saunders scored off a one-timer (with Meloten and Paul Sinclair assisting him) with 1:12 left in the period to put his side back in the lead. Still, with only a 2-1 deficit going into the break, things might not end up being so bad for the Gatchingerrak Union. Right?

Wrong. For whatever reason, the GU just absolutely collapsed in this period. Their offence stopped scoring goals, their defence seemed to stopped defending, their goalie seemed to make some questionable decisions, and their plays stopped making sense. There were hints that something had gone wrong, like that third goal where with 15:06 left in the period when Adrian Backer intercepted a pass and fired it at the net, but everyone had expected it to be a hiccup rather than a sign of what was to come. Elejamie went down a player with 14:55 left thanks to Rafael Espinosa spending two minutes in the box for slashing an opponent, but they were able to hold firm and kill off the penalty. In fact, with 12:50 left and a few seconds after his team went back to full strength, they scored again. Meloten, who had received the puck from Diego Pinto (who, in turn, got it from Saunders), fired wildly at the net only for it to bounce off the goalie's pads then off the post and then finally into the back of the net. Even the Ice-a-phants wanted a video replay just to make sure that what they had seen was actually a goal and not some sort of glitch in the matrix. The video goal judge ruled that it was and Elejamie were now four in front.

It wouldn't be too long before they'd make it five. Bejarano froze the puck to force a face-off, even though there was no chance of any Union players having a second shot at his net. It turned out to be a decent call because Charlie Spreitzer won the puck and passed it to Mike Keller. Keller and Spreitzer played a passing game with each other and Carpio, only for an errant pass to miss the stick. It ran the risk of ending up as part of a GU counterattack, but fortunately Alex Martin managed to get a stick to it and pass it back over to Keller. He managed to find himself on the breakaway and, rather than attempt a deke which was something he struggled a bit with, he simply fired a shot. It sailed harmlessly over the opposing goalie's glove and into the back of the net, all with 6:24 left in the period. At this point, the Gatchingerrak coach had enough and had his goalie replaced. Unfortunately, the bad luck wouldn't end there. For a start, they would have a player sent to the box for cross-checking which gave Elejamie a man advantage. Then, on the power play, Bill Harrison doubled up with 5:10 left on the clock thanks to a well-timed wrister and assistance from Meloten and Adam Keane. And, finally, a fight broke out between one of their players and Paul Sinclair with only 54.9 seconds left in the period, a fight that Sinclair managed to win thanks to a well-timed punch knocking his opposite to the ice. Suffice to say, it was going to be an uphill battle for the home side.

By the time the third period started there would be fewer GU fans in the stands than there were at the start of it. And, as the match went on, more and more home fans decided to stop watching and head out of the stadium as if there was a fire drill. In fact, by the end of the match, there were more Elejamie fans watching than there were Gatchingerrak Union fans, and the ones who stayed did some self-deprecating chants like "Let's pretend we scored a goal!". The only saving graces was that, as much as Elejamie could've made it double digits, they instead decided to burn out the clock rather than go for any big plays. Besides, unlike the time they stomped Abanhfleft 10-1 at the 44th World Cup of Hockey or the time they dismantled Valanora 8-1 all those years ago, the GU were never really as regularly competitive as the former. Nor were they a team that Elejamie ever considered a rival at one point, unlike like latter. So it wouldn't have been that enjoyable for the players anyway.

But they did manage to score three goals during this period. The first was a Franco Astori goal, with Clayton Walker and Rui Calderón assisting, with 12:08 left thanks to a backhander that just about made its way in. The second was a Harrison Blackburn goal with 5:12 left, as well as assistance from Espinosa and Sinclair, after his first three shots bounced off of the goalie's pads before the fourth time was the charm. And the third was a James Han goal with 3:14 left after he received the puck from Walker, who in turn got the puck from Astori, and fired it through the goalie's five-hole. Though the GU pulled their goalie with a minute to spare, they went on the defensive and Elejamie just wanted this match to end without having to worry about getting murdered by the locals so they just killed time. Eventually, with only a few hundred Gatchingerrak fans in attendance and still a full pack of Elejamian fans, the match ended 9-1 in favour of the visitors. The win may not have meant much, especially by that scoreline, but it was enough to please Coach Alex and it was enough to keep his team trucking along to a trip to either Banija or South Newlandia.

And to add more cherries on top, there was finally a significant change in the group standings. It's a Thanksgiving miracle. Elejamie remained top of the table, that was completely unsurprising. However, they now had a four point lead over the new second-placers. Who are they? None other than Kimi-Suomi. They managed to grab a 4-1 win over Elejamie's next opponents which was enough to push them up a spot, although first place looks a bit out of reach unless the Ice-a-phants somehow choke these next few games. Sherpus move down to third, whereas the aforementioned next opponents remained in fourth. But, miraculously, Vetrahjart managed to move up a spot when they finally managed to get their first ever victory of the tournament. Even better it was a 5-2 victory over Sherpus, a team that they drew 2-2 with earlier in the competition. So, naturally, they deserve any and all congratulations they can get for their historical achievement while their fans celebrate like Prairie View did back in 1998. And, finally, the GU are in dead last and have for all intents and purposes have been eliminated from the competition; while nothing has officially been stated it's impossible for them to get enough points to finish in third place, let alone first or second.

Should he bother looking at a different group? After all, the lack of variety in his group was a real point of contention and, now that there has been a big enough change to make him interested, there was no real need to do it. After thinking about it, he decided that he would. Because there have been plenty of interesting results so far and nowhere else proves that more than Group D. Kelssek's 6-1-0 record might not be anything to write home about but the sheer dominance of their offensive unit is. Why's that? 46 goals scored. No, that's not a typo, they have scored forty-six goals in the tournament. Fifteen of them came in their 15-0 demolition over Grynberg. a team that is not only dead last in that group but is also widely considered to be one of the worst to have ever participated in the World Cup of Hockey (or at the very least should be in contention for that title). Elsewhere Darkmania are in a respectable second place with both of their losses coming to the group leaders, but Andy Bailey has been doing a decent enough job that he should actually consider staying on a bit longer or at the very least think about manning the helm of a Darkmanian club. Darmen's not too far off with nine points and it'd probably be a back and forth between those two teams. Kannap and the Six Tribes of Natlan are fourth and fifth respectively with the former only ahead thanks to their 4-0 win over the latter earlier in the tournament and a goalless draw in their rematch not shifting the needle any.

So with Alex's eyes back on Group E who were Elejamie's next opponents? Riviere Sabine, who were a bunch of ragtag players coming into this tournament. They were all 19 years of age or under, one player was selected simply because she was the only one who didn't need to be taught how to skate, they had two defensive linemen, their goalie played soccer, and they had only been playing together for a short amount of time. And yet when the Ice-a-phants played them the first time around at the Gumbo Pot, the final score was an incredibly close 2-0 affair rather than the blowout it had been scheduled to be. This was because Alex had asked his players to go easier on the Voodoo due to their situation and because it wouldn't have been as satisfying to demolish them the same way they did against the Gatchingerrak Union the day before. So he basically had his team play down a bit and offer pieces of advice to their opposite numbers, just to help them out a bit more. Did it work or not? Who knows but, with their three consecutive 3-3 draws against the GU, Vetrahjart and then Sherpus before finally losing 4-1 to Kimi-Suomi, there was a possibility that it didn't. Was it bad advice given by his players or was it just their voodoo backfiring? Alex didn't know and he didn't care. But he did know one thing for certain.

There was no need to hold back now.

[Kordavia]

Scoring
1st Period
14:48 KRD PP Niedermann (Winterfeld, Färber)
2nd Period
04:52 KRD    Strasser (Kulvik, Bjornson)
13:34 KRD    Lang (Kulvik, Holtzer)
17:01 KRD    Bjornson (Makarov, Hellevik)
3rd Period
05:03 KRD    Radeff (Makarov, Strasser)
11:19 KRD    Niedermann (Sudarov)

Goalie stats
                 Dec  GA  SA  SV   SV%  TOI
???         IMP   L    6  43  37  .860 60:00
Wulff       KRD   W    0  13  13 1.000 60:00

Penalties
1st Period
14:25 IMP Bench      Delay of game
16:48 KRD Holtzer    Holding
2nd Period
17:10 KRD Strasser   Tripping
3rd Period
02:03 KRD Fjellson   Roughing
13:07 KRD Hellevik   Interference

---

Feeling a little full after enjoying a hearty Ernteseelenfest? Here are some tips you could try to burn off those holiday calories!

1. Work remorselessly for the glory of the regime. This year’s harvest has been confirmed as the largest on record, and it’s thanks to the tireless efforts of our workers across the country. Don’t spend your holiday lazing around, get back into the fields and factories: the journey towards beating that record starts today.

2. Get some exercise by taking a run around your block. Make sure to keep your eyes peeled for signs of counterregime sabotage, hoarding, or food wastage. Finish off with a power sprint to the local Sicherheitswachen office to report your observations. Remember, if you’re not turning in your neighbours, you are equally as guilty.

3. Help clearing up after the festivities. Particular care should be taken when clearing away the remnants of burnt Strohmanne. Sometimes small animals can become trapped during the burning, explaining the presence of bone fragments in the debris.

4. Volunteer for the Neukorps. An option for those youngsters who are worried about putting on a little weight before entering the world of work or continuing with their studies, or perhaps parents concerned with youth obesity. Sign up today to defend the Imperium from foreign saboteurs.

5. Run. Just…
run.

6. Engage in subversive activities. You’ll quickly see how your food rations are reduced and your family assigned to lengthy spells in the Einheitsfelder or Gemeinschaftswerkstätten, where overeating will not be a problem.

7. Elbow a guy in the face. Gunnar Fjellson swears by this arm exercise for building up those muscles!

[TJUN-ia]

After we managed to get back on track, the Ice Jaguars of TJUN-ia were back to winning ways and hopeful that they could carry the new momentum onwards to the Playoff dream. Ølson Rasmussen was determined to make this dream a reality once again, but can we keep the good time going again?

Against The North Polish Union, we found ourselves in a situation more uncomfortable than we were expecting. The hosts costs can play some serious hockey, they've shown that all campaign, and they certainly brought the game to us in their home fort. Juryj Kozieł would take the lead in P1 but after Fatma Alhaddad pegged them back, Radosław Gorski found a hole and ensured a 2-1 lead after the 2nd. It took two quickfire goals from Thabo Tholo and Mary Karaitiana to finally put the NPU to bed...but damn, this was closer than expected.

We're still on track, but only just. Britonisea is up next in New Washington. Let's get back to it! GO ICE JAGS!

---

SCHEDULE (Group A)
MD1: @Vaishnavaria (UR) W 8-5 (1st)
MD2: vs The North Polish Union (UR) - The Rink in The Gardens, New Washington W 4-1 (2nd)
MD3: @Britonisea (UR) W 7-4 (2nd)
MD4: @Banija (46) - The South Istria Ice Hockey Center, Istria D 3-3 (2nd)
MD5: vs Valanora (1) - The Rink in The Gardens, New Washington L 3-7 (2nd)
MD6: vs Vaishnavaria (UR) - The Rink in The Gardens, New Washington W 7-4 (2nd)
MD7: @The North Polish Union (UR) W 3-2 (2nd)
MD8: vs Britonisea (UR) - The Rink in The Gardens, New Washington
MD9: vs Banija (46) - The Rink in The Gardens, New Washington
MD10: @Valanora (1)

[Ko-oren]

Symbols of Ko-oren - #4 Travel Stories pt. II

If you're curious about the more well-known works - at least the ones that were written and passed down - there's a modest catalogue for you. It's not an exhaustive list, and some works that were frequently read at the time aren't on the list: these are just the most accessible and representative stories.


Tibzeran's Tale - the first big one on the list is nearing its third millennium - that is, it's nearly 2000 years old. It's the story of a fisherman from Sauzjaregaun who goes up and down the coast to find his way home after being caught out in a storm. His foes go from rain and wind to sea monsters, until he finally finds his home again. There's a few cautionary tales about straying too far from home, but it also paints a picture of the fantastical things people expected to exist just beyond their comfortable horizon.


Tibzeran and Pakhreth - the stage plays written in this part of our history also look at existing stories for material, and they've found a use for the previous story. In this version, a character named Pakhreth is introduced, who is the comical counterpart to 'straight man' Tibzeran, and lightens some of the earlier warnings about going too far from home. After all, during this time, country-wide travels and trading started up, so it was counterproductive to be too afraid of what you'll find elsewhere. It also introduces other characters who join the duo on part of their search.

Datoari's Dream - already we stray from the travel story as a grounded tale about people and places in Ko-oren: Datoari's Dream is about the main character travelling to the moon and looking down on her home in Sathtonoru (or that's about as good an estimate as we can do, unfortunately). On her way there, she meets both real people from the time as well as talking animals, which all show signs of the stereotypes we'll find in other stories from the time. In the end, Datoari decides to go on actual travels of her own.

Othajigun in Shahrigarihn - this is the model of a travel story for the era: in a loosely followed meter, main character Othajigun goes from his native Garihnkatar to Ethuweri via Berelkhanaur, and his observations are recorded as actual directions should you want to make the same trip. On the way there, he finds travel companions for several legs of the journey: Nashakaak, his childhood friend, comes with him for the first part, Nadhanele, his wife, stays with him for a little longer, but then Ihzhuzak, a dodgy merchant, makes sure it's only him and Othajigun to finally go to Berelkhanaur. Hnjeisu, from Ethuweri, talks him through the final part, crossing the Thorunohn region, and his lines give us a good idea on the differences in dialects from the era!


Milunjoriu to Dusara - we're back to moralistic tales for these few centuries, where cosmopolitan Milunjoriu goes into barely charted territory up northeast, to spread the good Monradhau teachings. This is a rare story about the relationship between the cities from the time and the rural areas, and betrays a bit about how the early meritocratic state was seen by those living in it and those living outside of it. Hipokazu, a woman who joins him when he leaves the last bastion of civilisation, Seterdahn, is also an important part of the story, simultaneously critical of the towns they visit, but also increasingly critical of the world she left behind.

Murjuna's Journey to the Underworld - no mythological canon is ready without an underground story. In the Ko-orenite version, Murjuna travels to a place we interestingly don't read that much about in contemporary works to retrieve her husband and her parents from the afterlife. On her way, she runs into plenty of old philosophers from Razahne and its surroundings, and their teachings unsurprisingly keep her on her path and guide her to success in the end.


Tshweisei on Amahjarau - we leave the previous era and enter a new era of no-nonsense travel instructions. Tshweisei, a naval merchant, goes from town to town along both sides of the massive central bay and records his findings: low prices to buy lumber in the north, willing customers in the south; good sailors and crew in Ahmilo, scammers in Shemurdar; treacherous currents off Razahnbahna, smooth sailing around Amahne. The crew on his ship are remarkably similar to the likes of Tibzeran, Pakhreth, Datoari, and many other characters from earlier. All in all about 50 characters are named, and fans are still trying to tie these to famous characters from other stories.

Letters to Zulan - this is a collection of letters sent between Nokjuen and Zulan. The former having lived (likely) around Maethoru, the latter from a philosophically similar, but geographically distant, Thelesra. It highlights local differences, and it seems that this is one of the first stories that are wholly committed to writing before existing as a folk tale or play first.


Aohuno to Aerellen - in this time, leaders retreated to estates in the southwest, maintaining large and expensive courts, while cities are left to run themselves. One of the people shipped off to the southwest to entertain the nobles is Aohuno, who one day sneaks out with a caravan and tries to go all the way back to the northeast. We find a lot of descriptions of towns, all with a good meter and cadance, as a mental atlas of the mainland at the time. Most of the directions are given by people he meets along the way, while thinly veiled criticism of their de facto leaders is given. At the time there was plenty to do about this story, with leaders trying to get rid of the scathing remarks but only making it more popular along the way - and to be honest, the rhyme doesn't flow nearly as well without the political criticism. The story survived both for its usefulness and its satire. Every few years, people use it to find their way from the southwest to the northeast to see if the directions still hold up - and it seems they do!

[Kimi-Suomi]

The Leijonat of Kimi-Suomi were 3rd in the group with four games to play - not bad at all, but the players wanted more.
They all wanted more. They all wanted that playoff dream to be a reality.

Sabine Joki [Riviere Sabine], you cursed us before. But NO MORE!
Goals from Ida Boman (twice), Michelle Löwenhielm-Persson and Anette Salei would cancel out Stump Guidry for the 4-1 win.

Three remain. We are now 2nd in this group.
And now, Sherpus come to Lumikukkulat.
GAME ON!
NOSTA KUIN LEIJONAT!

---

SCHEDULE (Group E)
MD1: @Gatchingerrakliitto [Gatchingerrak Union] (25) W 7-3 (1st)
MD2: vs Sabine Joki [Riviere Sabine] (UR) - Tähtien Palatsi [Palace of the Stars], Lumikukkulat L 2-3 (4th)
MD3: @Sherpus (UR) L 2-3 (4th)
MD4: @Vetrahjart (UR) - Feldrbank Arena, ??? W 2-1 (3rd)
MD5: vs Elejamie (4) - Tähtien Palatsi [Palace of the Stars], Lumikukkulat D 6-6 (3rd)
MD6: vs Gatchingerrakliitto [Gatchingerrak Union] (25) - Tähtien Palatsi [Palace of the Stars], Lumikukkulat W 2-1 (3rd)
MD7: @Sabine Joki [Riviere Sabine] (UR) - The Gumbo Pot, Lafayette W 4-1 (2nd)
MD8: vs Sherpus (UR) - Tähtien Palatsi [Palace of the Stars], Lumikukkulat
MD9: vs Vetrahjart (UR) - Tähtien Palatsi [Palace of the Stars], Lumikukkulat
MD10: @Elejamie (4)

[South Newlandia]

Cutoff for MD8 (Groups A-C)!

Banija will cut off later, you can still post RPs for that half (that four sevenths?) and make them count for Matchday 8 there.
Also, I have finally posted my IC information into the third post of the thread; Banija has had theirs up for ages already.

Music

Matchday 8 Scores

Group A
Banija 2–0 Vaishnavaria
Valanora 8–6 The North Polish Union
TJUN-ia 12–4 Britonisea

  Group A                      Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Valanora                       8    8   0   0    46   17  +29    16
2 TJUN-ia                        8    6   1   1    47   30  +17    13
3 Banija                         8    5   1   2    14    9   +5    11
4 The North Polish Union         8    2   1   5    19   26   −7     5
5 Britonisea                     8    1   0   7    17   39  −22     2
6 Vaishnavaria                   8    0   1   7    17   39  −22     1

Group B
Zenic 5–0 Hafamarimët
Serdtgyu 4–3 HUElavia
Squornshelan Remnant States 1–0 Calgasia

  Group B                      Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Squornshelan Remnant States    8    5   2   1    16    8   +8    12
2 Zenic                          8    5   1   2    28   12  +16    11
3 Calgasia                       8    4   0   4    14   13   +1     8
4 Hafamarimët                    8    3   1   4    15   23   −8     7
5 HUElavia                       8    2   2   4    14   20   −6     6
6 Serdtgyu                       8    1   2   5    14   25  −11     4

Group C
Schachland 7–5 New-Erie
Nova Calania 9–1 Mertagne
Abanhfleft 5–10 Nova Anglicana

  Group C                      Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Nova Calania                   8    7   1   0    43   15  +28    15
2 Nova Anglicana                 8    6   0   2    34   24  +10    12
3 Abanhfleft                     8    2   4   2    24   26   −2     8
4 Schachland                     8    2   2   4    33   38   −5     6
5 Mertagne                       8    1   2   5    22   37  −15     4
6 New-Erie                       8    0   3   5    17   33  −16     3

[Banija]

The eighth cutoff of the World Cup of Hockey!

Matchday 8 Scores - Groups D-G

Group D
Six Tribes of Natlan 2–2 Darkmania
Kelssek 3–6 Darmen
Grynberg 1–3 Kannap

  Group D                        Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Kelssek                          8    6   1   1    49   14  +35    13
2 Darkmania                        8    5   1   2    21   16   +5    11
3 Darmen                           8    5   1   2    29   19  +10    11
4 Kannap                           8    3   1   4    11   16   −5     7
5 Six Tribes of Natlan             8    1   4   3    13   23  −10     6
6 Grynberg                         8    0   0   8     5   40  −35     0

Group E
Vetrahjart 2–1 Gatchingerrak Union
Elejamie 4–1 Riviere Sabine
Kimi-Suomi 4–0 Sherpus

  Group E                        Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Elejamie                         8    7   1   0    41   14  +27    15
2 Kimi-Suomi                       8    5   1   2    29   18  +11    11
3 Sherpus                          8    3   2   3    18   25   −7     8
4 Vetrahjart                       8    2   2   4    18   19   −1     6
5 Riviere Sabine                   8    1   3   4    16   26  −10     5
6 Gatchingerrak Union              8    1   1   6    15   35  −20     3

Group F
Kordavia 3–0 Natkr
Osterhalten 2–1 Ko-oren
Canadian Dominion 8–4 Imporia

  Group F                        Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Ko-oren                          8    7   0   1    23    6  +17    14
2 Osterhalten                      8    6   1   1    36   14  +22    13
3 Kordavia                         8    4   0   4    22   19   +3     8
4 Natkr                            8    2   2   4    16   19   −3     6
5 Canadian Dominion                8    2   2   4    23   34  −11     6
6 Imporia                          8    0   1   7    14   42  −28     1

Group G
Sarzonia 2–2 Patriotlandia
Panay Islands and Guimaras 2–4 Crpostran
Western Bridgeland 0–1 South Newlandia

  Group G                        Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Sarzonia                         8    6   1   1    26   10  +16    13
2 Crpostran                        8    6   0   2    27   21   +6    12
3 Patriotlandia                    8    4   1   3    29   22   +7     9
4 Panay Islands and Guimaras       8    4   0   4    22   26   −4     8
5 South Newlandia                  8    2   0   6     9   17   −8     4
6 Western Bridgeland               8    1   0   7     8   25  −17     2

[United States of Nova Calania]

Nova Calania crushes Mertagne

Ostrow Krolewski, Odlegla Ziemia, Nova Calania - Nova Calania was back home after 3 games on the road and defeated an unranked Mertagne 9-1 in Ostrow Krolewski, Odlegla Ziemia. I kinda feel sorry for Mertagne because they're good guys and their association football team is one of the best but it's completely different with their hockey team. Well, I'm really unlucky because I thought the game was played in Saint-Jean-Jacques-sur-Mer but the arena in Saint-Jean-Jacques-sur-Mer was empty with no fans and I asked around where's the game and someone told me it's in Odlegla Ziemia! And I said are you sure? And he said yes. So, I drove all the way to Odlegla ZIemia from Saint-Jean-Jacques-sur-Mer and I arrived at Arena Browar Tropikalny in the 3rd period and the score was already 7-1!

Midway in the 3rd period, Guillaume Champoux-Rinfret scored a power play goal off a rebound in front of the net and 6 minutes later, Bianca Châteauneuf-Descôteaux scored on a 2 on 0 with Rosalie Jolicoeur-Sansregret and the final score was 9-1. Nova Calania is currently in 1st place with 7 wins and a draw for 15 points in 8 games and Nova Anglicana follows with 12 points in 8 games. Next game on matchday 9 against Nova Anglicana will be crucial for both team because a win or a draw means we're 1st in the group, but a loss combined with another loss on matchday 10 and a win by Nova Anglicana on matchday 10 means we drop to the 2nd place. Nova Calania will almost have their full line up against Nova Anglicana, the only change is that Jackson McGroarty is out with an upper body injury and Audrey Brind'Amour will skate on the 3rd defensive pairing while Anne-Sophie Gaboriault will be promoted to the 2nd pairing. Mason Bartoszkiewicz played well against Mertagne and didn't took any stupid penalty and will remain in the line up. Sorry there is no game summary because I don't know who scored the first 7 goals.

Charlotte Escobar-Constantineau

[Kordavia]

Scoring
2nd Period
06:20 KRD    Kulvik (Winterfeld, Holtzer)
12:39 KRD    Fjellson (Brekker)
3rd Period
07:12 KRD    Fjellson (Bjornson)

Goalie stats
                 Dec  GA  SA  SV   SV%  TOI
Mala        NKR   L    3  23  20  .870 60:00
Siderov     KRD   W    0  23  23 1.000 59:55

Penalties
1st Period
10:50 NKR Rehn       Hooking
18:40 NKR Conte      Slashing
2nd Period
10:35 KRD Strasser   Interference
3rd Period
04:06 KRD Strasser   Tripping
08:47 KRD Fjellson   Cross checking
08:47 KRD Fjellson   Misconduct

---

Valanora are a perfect 8 from 8; Grynberg are yet to register a single point. Between them, every team has some mixture of wins, draws, and losses. Let's see how Kordavia ranks.

Out of all 42 teams in the tournament, Kordavia are currently 18th, just out of contention for the 16 qualifying spots. With Banija and Darmen both on 11 points, getting into the top 16 will be very challenging for Kordavia.

Let's look at some other ways of ranking the teams.

				GF
 1 Kelssek			49
 2 TJUN-ia			47
 3 Valanora			46
 4 Nova Calania			43
 5 Elejamie			41
...
18 KORDAVIA			22
18 Panay Islands and Guimaras	22
18 Mertagne			22 
...
38 Six Tribes of Natlan		13
39 Kannap			11
40 South Newlandia		 9
41 Western Bridgeland		 8
42 Grynberg			 5

Kordavia are also middle of the pack, in fact 18th (equal), on goals scored. Kelssek lead the way, while Grynberg are last. The biggest overperformers in terms of record compared to goals scored are Squornshelan Remnant States, who are ranked 10th overall despite managing a below-average 16 goals. Banija, Kannap, Calgasia, and Kordavian groupmates Ko-oren, are all at least 10 places higher ranked than their goals scored tally would suggest. At the other end of the scale, Schachland have scored 33 goals but are ranked 27th on record. Mertagne and Canadian Dominion are teams who've scored 20+ goals yet failed to crack the top half of qualifying places.

				GA
 1 Ko-oren			 6
 2 Squornshelan Remnant States	 8
 3 Banija			 9
 4 Sarzonia			10
 5 Zenic			12
...
16 Darmen			19
16 KORDAVIA			19
16 Vetrahjart			19
16 Natkr			19 
...
38 Schachland			38
39 Britonisea			39
39 Vaishnavaria			39
41 Grynberg			40
42 Imporia			42

Kordavia are also thoroughly median on goals conceded, one of four teams in joint 16th place with 19 goals conceded. We can see why Ko-oren and SQS are outperforming their goals scored record: they have been remarkably stingy on the defensive end. And we can see why Vaishnavaria are struggling despite scoring plenty of goals: they're letting them in at an alarming rate. (Those bottom 5 rankings may look like an error but they're no: only Grynberg spoils the neatness of goals allowed exactly matching overall ranking of goals allowed for the bottom 5.) TJUN-ia have comfortably outperformed their defensive record, conceding 30 goals but ranked 7th overall. Nova Anglicana, Valanora, Schachland and Crpostran are all at least 10 places better ranked than their defensive records would suggest. Hosts South Newlandia and Banija, as well as Calgasia, all have stingy defences that aren't equating to good overall records: South Newlandia has the 14th best defence but is ranked 33rd overall, while Banija has a top 3 defence but is struggling to make the top 16 overall.

				 GD
 1 Kelssek			+35
 2 Valanora			+29
 3 Nova Calania			+28
 4 Elejamie			+27
 5 Osterhalten			+22
...
18 KORDAVIA			 +3
...
38 Gatchingerrak Union		-20
39 Britonisea			-22
39 Vaishnavaria			-22
41 Imporia			-28
42 Grynberg			-35

Unsurprisingly, then, given the first two outcomes, when we rank teams by goal difference: Kordavia are exactly where they're meant to be, 18th, with a +3 GD. The overall ranking of goal difference also demonstrates a dramatic and shocking revelation: scoring lots of goals is really good and conceding lots of goals is really bad. As the world of hockey is rocked by this stunning find we wait to see how coaches adapt. Some may try the bold new strategy of trying to score more goals than they concede. The biggest outliers in terms of overall ranking relative to overall goal difference are Hafamarimët (30th overall in goal difference, 24th in overall record) vs. Vetrahjart (20th overall in goal difference but only 25th overall in record), but these differences are much smaller than for the first two rankings.

There is one additional calculation we can do: Pythagorean expectation. Pythagorean expectation looks at the goals scored for and against a team and calculates, based on those, how many a team should be expected to win. The theory is that teams are unlikely to consistently win by very small margins (I mean, how likely is it that a gridiron team, for example, could maintain an 11-1 record while winning every game by a single score margin, consistently blocking walk-off field goal attempts or relying on the opposition fumbling the last snap of the game?? I know this is NS, but please, no science fiction!).

				Pyth
 1 Ko-oren			.936
 2 Kelssek			.924
 3 Elejamie			.896
 4 Nova Calania			.891
 5 Valanora			.871
...
18 KORDAVIA			.573
...
37 Britonisea			.160
37 Vaishnavaria			.160
39 Gatchingerrak Union		.155
40 Imporia			.100
41 Western Bridgeland		.093
42 Grynberg			.015

Going by Pythagorean expectations, Kordavia are indeed ranked exactly where we would expect them to be: 18th out 42. The Pythagorean expectations show that the best defence and offence respectively, Ko-oren and Kelssek, should be far and away the best teams, despite their very different approaches. However, this approach doesn't compare teams' Pythagorean expectations to their actual records. For example, we can immediately see that despite topping the table overall, Valanora do not have the highest Pythagorean expectation. So what happens when we compare team's actual records to their Pythagorean expectations?

				Diff.
 1 Sherpus			+.158
 2 Hafamarimët			+.139
 3 Six Tribes of Natlan		+.133
 4 Crpostran			+.127
 5 Valanora			+.120
...
21 Mertagne			-.011
...
38 KORDAVIA			-.073
39 Vaishnavaria			-.097
40 Vetrahjart			-.098
41 Kelssek			-.112
42 Zenic			-.157

A different picture emerges. Sherpus and Hafamarimët are the teams that have most strongly outperformed their expected record; Valanora are 5th in terms of the difference between their actual record (a perfect 1.000) and expected record (.871). At the other end, Kelssek have, despite their awesome performance, actually drastically underperformed relative to what would be expected given their goal record. (Ko-oren, with -.061, also just miss the bottom 5.) Only Zenic have performed worse in terms of converting the expected record to the actual one. And Kordavia are no longer a median team: their record is .073 worse than expected, 38th out of 42. Mertagne is the team whose record most closely matches their expected record along with teams like Banija and Darmen (against whom Kordavia are vying for a 16th place qualifying spot) and Grynberg (who are probably out of the running for that).

Of course none of this is much more than statistical noise given that only 8 out of 10 games have been played, meaning teams are on an imbalanced schedule; that the group sortings mean varying strengths of schedule anyway; the small sample size of just 8 compared to a full domestic season; and the inclusion of draws in the record. So is it a perfect way of looking at things? No. But does it make for interesting conclusions anyway?

Also no.

One final ranking to see if the thoroughly median Kordavians can emerge first in any category at all.

				Penalties for roughing, elbowing, cross checking, and fighting
 1 KORDAVIA			Absolutely shit-tons
 2 Everyone else		Not so much

Ah, there we are.

[Sarzonia]

When the first half of the group stage of the 52nd World Cup of Hockey ended, the Sarzonian national ice hockey team had a comfortable four-point cushion on both Patriotlandia and Crpostran for the top of the Group G table.

That lead, the largest of all group leaders, is down to one point after Sarzonia and Patriotlandia played to a 2-2 draw in front of a sold out crowd of 18,090 at Bank of Sarzonia Arena in Nicksia.

That's the bad news. The Stars' once solid lead for the group title is now all but completely gone. The good news, however, is that the team knocking on the door is Crpostran, which defeated a surging Panay Islands and Guimaras 4-2. By virtue of Sarzonia's 5-1 victory over Patriotlandia in the first meeting, the Stars win the first tiebreaker against the Mountaineers, who currently sit in third. Thus, the Stars have guaranteed their place in the knockout rounds.

"We knew going in that Patriotlandia would bring extra intensity into the match," centre Lex Martinez said. "We felt like we were ready for them." As for how the match turned out, the Mountaineers stormed the net over the first two periods, firing 46 shots on goaltender Jacob Parsons. The onslaught gave the visitors a 2-0 lead as Sarzonia could only muster 14 shots in response.

Manager Thomas Brown looked our at his charges and simply said, "we've got a job to do. Let's remember who we are and let's show the multiverse who we are."

The Stars turned the tide in the third period, firing 15 shots of their own, including an empty net goal with just 2.8 seconds remaining to draw the score level and salvage an all-important point. The Mountaineers fired nine shots on Parsons in the final stanza.

"They really came at us hard," Parsons, who was voted the first star of the match, said of the Mountaineers. "They played desperate. We finally did that ourselves in the third period."

Sarzonia (6-1-1) will play their final away match of the group stage against Western Bridgeland before finishing up at home against Crpostran. Parsons said he expected the Stars to show better effort and focus in the final two matches.

"We're not making it easy," he said. "We've got to be better."

[Banija]

Big game hunting- Banija travel to TJUN-ia for massive showdown with Ice Jags, with a spot in the KO stages on the line

NEW WASHINGTON, NAU ZONE, TJUN-IA- After a great performance in a tight contest with Valanora, the Banijans have two games that they were heavily favored in- but yet, were must wins for their quest to make the knockouts. "This group is tough- more than anything, we've got to win the games that we are supposed to." Said the team's head coach, Dieter Lobe. "After we do that, then anything goes of course. But these types of games... They will trip you up and spit you out, ensure that you can't do anything to make the KO stages. We have to win these games if we want games against teams like TJUN-ia to be big games- that's the first step to advancing forward as a hockey program, as a hockey nation. And the last two nights- we have taken care of business."

Taken care of business, indeed. Matchday 7, the Banijans traveled to Britonisea to take on that squad- without their goaltender, who was held out. But fortunately, despite not putting on a shutout, the goalscorers actually started to come alive for the Banijans- scoring a tournament high four goals in a solid 4-2 victory over Britonisea, for an important 2 points. "We needed those two points to keep pace with the Ice Jags- so I'm extremely glad that we got them." He told reporters. "But of course, we have to continue battling, continue consistency, and need to beat Vaishnavaria as well in order to keep our good vibes gonig."

And so Vaishnavaria came to Banija on MD8, the first home game we did not have in the country's largest city- instead, playing in our nation's capitol, in Busukuma. Capitol Park was rocking, with the return of our star goaltender, and they drove us to a 2-0 win- with Malick Sissako having his fourth shutout in 7 starts here in this tournament. "Obviously, we saw in the Valanora game, Banija's hockey culture is still growing." Sissako told reporters. "But, it's tournaments like these, games like these, on home soil... There is so much hope. A hell of a crowd, understood the stakes, gave us energy when we needed it... we've got quite a trip ahead of ourselves in TJUN-ia, but I'm excited for it."

Four points from their last 4 possible. But now, their biggest game of the tournament- away from home, against TJUN-ia. Take a look at the standings. We sit in third place in the group, two points behind TJUN-ia. Valanora, of course, has already clinched a spot in the knockout stages- and, from a functional standpoint (although not a mathematical one), they've already won this group. So the second automatic spot is going to come down to one of these two nations. TJUN-ia have 13 points, Banija have 11. Both teams are a combined 11-0-0 against the unranked teams in this group, lapping up the competition so far. Both teams have 0 points taken against Valanora- although we've played them twice already, while TJUN-ia has only played them once.

That, is largely, what is the separator between these two teams in the standings (so far). The Ice Jags drew against Banija, in South Istria, in a wild, 3-3 contest- where three times, we took one goal leads, and not once could we maintain them. "That game left a bitter taste in our mouths- we had the opportunities to win it, but we could not close them down." Sissako told reporters. "But now, of course, instead of the friendly confines of South Istria, we are walking into what is basically hostile territory- the Rink Gardens promises to be a house of horrors for us. But I have confidence, I have faith in this team. I have faith in the players in front of me. It's us against the world baby- and we can win this one."

The question is- what does Banija need to do? Well, if we want to get a top two spot in this group, and an automatic berth into the next round, that is fairly simple- win. The two teams drew in Istria. So if Banija win, that will draw them level on points with TJUN-ia with a game to go- except TJUN-ia's last game will be against the unbeaten world #1s, while we will have a tricky contest against The North Polish Union. The first tiebreaker is head to head wins- and we would have the advantage there, 1-0. At that point, we would simply have to match TJUN-ia's result on MD10- so a Valanora win, regardless of what happens in our game, or a Banijan W- regardless of what happens in their game- will put us into the top two, and into the knockouts. But of course, a road win here is much easier said than done.

What happens if we draw? That also puts us in a tough spot- but almost certainly locks us out of the top two. We are not going to draw level pegging with them on goal differential in our last game- they are +17 right now, while we are at +5. So a draw can be a good result, in terms of our chase for one of the top two third place slots. And a loss, we'd still have a decent chance. We are one of the top two third place teams right now. Let's take a look at those standings.

Third Place Ranking               Pld   W   D   L    GF   GA   GD    Pts 
3 Darmen                           8    5   1   2    29   19  +10    11
3 Banija                           8    5   1   2    14    9   +5    11

3 Patriotlandia                    8    4   1   3    29   22   +7     9
3 Kordavia                         8    4   0   4    22   19   +3     8
3 Calgasia                         8    4   0   4    14   13   +1     8
3 Abanhfleft                       8    2   4   2    24   26   −2     8
3 Sherpus                          8    3   2   3    18   25   −7     8

A draw would keep us in the top two- and keep us controlling our own destiy heading into the final matchday. Win and you're in match, at home, for the KO stages. A loss? Al eyes woud be on Darmen's and Patriotlandia's matches on MD9. But we would at worst be the first team out going into the Final MD- which woudl give us decent, albeit not fantastic, chances into getting into the knockout stages. All in all, to say this- we are by no means eliminated from this tournament if we don't get a result. But if we get that result we are looking for in Esportiva... Especially a win? Then we can probably go ahead and calendar the fact that we will have, at minimum, an 11th game in this tournament.

[Panay Islands and Guimaras]

---

IT'S OFFICIAL: PANAY IS CRPOSTRAN'S SON
Iloílo City, Federal Canton

Everyone in SM Iloílo ice rink was so ecstatic for an another giant-killing of the Bulls. But the first one was a tough one because the Eagles scored the first 2 goals against JJ Hong. But there are some signs of hope thanks to some scored goals by McTavish and Ishihara, which Hämälainen is impressed by that. They played well in the 3rd quarter but fell short by the Crpostrani goals. Which means whatever Crpostran is beating the hell out of the Panayenses, they will be their #1 daddy. "It's a shame that we're close for a win against Crpostran.", says Hämälainen. "But at least we could take a chance against South Newlandia back at their own backyard." The Panayenses will go back to Elephant Valley as the Bulls facing against the Elephants.

[Kelssek]

It was on the fifth cargo run out to the secret bunker Elohim Marsman seemed to be constructing in nowhere, Noua Cymru that things went sour. The fourth run had been a hairy situation because Marsman and some apparently invited guests were drunk and shooting off fireworks. But they were at least all going directly overhead the landing strip, rather than on the flight path Joren needed to use for landing and taking off, so it wasn't ultimately a capital-P problem.Yet it was a sign of the disregard for things like risk or caution out in that facility.

This fifth trip involved two stops, the second at Rytick Airport where another customer would be taking delivery of four duffel bags. But Marsman’s crew would not be dissuaded from clearing out the entire cargo despite Joren’s protests.

“Those bags aren’t yours,” he’d told them.

“Well, it’s in our shipment, so you can sort it out.”

“Trust me, you don’t want to be taking those.” Joren did not officially know who the duffel bags delivery was for, but he had a pretty good idea.

“Yeah, well. I’m just told to make sure everything is delivered properly. I’m not getting in trouble with my boss, and you can just try and stop me.”

Joren called the Undisclosed Airlines dispatch line. “No, our only means of contact is actually going there. Our client is the shipper. You’ll have to go there yourself and explain the situation.”

If his guess about who the receiver was anywhere near correct, Joren was really not looking forward to explaining the situation.

[Patriotlandia]

"This is PKLR 104.3 The Surge, Evening Drive with “Rod” Renfrew, you were just listening to Uhm actually by Sandra King on PKLR's commercial free hour presented by Dalton Brewery. We are now headed for a quick discussion with Marc- Olivier on sports. What's been happening Marco?"

"As most Patriotlandia a know, the World Cup of hockey is in full swing. The Mountaineers were left thinking about what could have been following a 2-2 draw on the road to group leading Sarzonia. The top 6 were buzzing all game and both teams really put on a nice performance. I recommend every one to go have a look at the highlights of they haven't yet"

"And where does that leave them in the standings?"

"They are in a bit of a predicament, they are likely to secure at least third but they will need some crucial points in order to finish in the top 2 third place finishers. In all likelihood, the away match to Crpostran is a must win and will decide their faith."

"And where can put listeners find them game?"

"The usuals, on PSN or Radio One 101.1FM. If you want a more vibrant experience I know the Grand Oak Pub in Halebrooke is hosting a watch party. We're not sponsored but you should all definitely go there for a pint."

"Alright, thanks Marco. Now for a offbeat news story we go to Rachel, with the story of a man who rescued a dog trapped in his chimney."

[Ko-oren]

Symbols of Ko-oren - #4 Travel Stories pt. III


Kredhwilek in Nova Calania - from here on out, the stories get less fantastical and more grounded. A great example of this is Kredhwilek in Nova Calania, where Kredhwilek joins a trade ship in Garihnkatar and from there travels to several nations on Nova Calania. The parts at sea take the form of a diary, with occasional verses of seascape of note - spotting Huayramarcan outposts, what the main character thinks is Koroa City (or the island that would later become that) and a hairy moment with a Bostopian war ship - and goes back to a more traditional poetry-style recollection of what he finds ashore. He first goes to Huayramarca, follows the coast down to Krytenia, where he leaves the caravan. He goes to Emberton and on to Lake Bekk and tries to circle it clockwise, first landing in Mertagne, then Starblaydia, from where he mails his manuscript. Rumour has it, that if Kredhwilek actually existed as a single person as suggested by the story, that he met an untimely, accidental death shortly after that, either in Starblaydia, Legalese, or Bostopia.

Nyommandi falls off the earth - we can't not recommend a story that sounds like it came from a little earlier than it did. A rare story of national note that originated on the west coast, where we follow Nyommandi and his goal to record - more or less scientifically, in an early mapmaking attempt - all the sand banks and other maritime hazards that one runs into when sailing around Ko-oren's west coast. He starts up north in Jillong, goes south to Gillberra, and does a remarkably good job of writing down his findings around the islands of Solasthan, Kuharas, Emrahl, Unakh, Lunathan, and Ruhpi. He eventually does run into trouble around Marapsathi, but reaches the city alive. From there, he gets a new crew and ship to round Idremdun - the far western chain of islands - and at its furthest point, sends part of his crew back to Pehnathjar with his findings, after which contact with Nyommandi is lost, and he presumably ran aground on something he tried to map.

Dohzhena runs off - Dohzhena is a woman from Garihnkatar (and supposedly has run into Kredhwilek earlier) and decides that modern life isn't necessarily for her. She has trouble with the Monradhau doctrine, with the increasing meritocratic reach of the four capitals, as a relatively well connected and educated member of the Lhahpihten family, who became rich off the Monrama trade. She made a great writeup of the roughest - relatively - parts of southern nature, in Thorunohn and then Eshipathau. The former are wetlands that were accessible but hard to settle - and subsequently were left alone. Dohzhena runs into communities of castoffs there, people who also didn't fit in with the times, and either decided to leave themselves or ran away. She makes it through after a year in the region, and then goes through the Eshipathau mountains in a ruthlessly hot summer environment. In the end, she decides to settle in Sahpajin - and her house is still a major landmark in Ethubete. She might have never really come to terms with her family, and she wasn't too happy about the quiet life in Sahpajin either, but she would keep publishing poetry and prose from the remote village.


Taunjushen's Tale - we turn to stories from the east, as the Joshiman islands are slowly incorporated into Ko-oren. Taunjushen's tale is fictional but refers to many real life locations, merging and retelling local folk tales and she weaves them into her travels from Alahrenna to Ethena, Sohlatal, and Leleja, as if they happened right then and there. Instead of political intrige, we find a lot of stories from the courts - the islands were famously monarchies until late - as well as lots of divine intervention on the northern three islands. Those stories weren't appreciated much on the mainland, unfortunately.

Raudhathe's Route - this is one of the best known stories from our past, partly fictional, where Raudhathe visits each of the major cities of the time. In each she must complete a major task to convince local leadership that she was sent on a righteous journey (and be offered shelter for the next part of her trip). We know this story is fictional because some details are outdated, so it's likely that the author found inspiration from other stories published up to a few decades before. Still, it comes close to a national myth: there are visits from many stereotypical figures from earlier literature and there are mentions of most important natural and cultural landmarks of the mainland.


Ngoune, Iwihzhel, and Obajas - three inventors aim to prove that their futuristic modes of transport work. Everything that can go wrong, will go wrong on their crossing between Uruhrauzehn and Alah Thorunoru. This tale starts a time where children's stories enter the mainstream.

Aovuna - a late recall of stories about visits to the afterlife, though this time with the necessary technological advancements of the era. A heartbreaking tale but also a source of hope and optimism for many readers.


Ider and Mapari - another Anaian tale: the duo makes a tour of the Sea of Champions and bring a souvenir from home to the major courts and governments they come across. Obviously not everyone is keen to meet them, and - fictional and dramatised - honourable meetings with world leaders intertwine with chases, cons, and bluffs to avoid arrest.

[Elejamie]

The bout against Riviere Sabine wasn't as crazy as their last match but it would do.

After all, it was getting towards the end of the group stage and they have essentially qualified. There wasn't anything official yet but a quick glance at the Group E standings will tell you that the lowest they could finish now is second place due to the massive lead they have built up. That was a small relief to Coach Alex and, to an extent, his players. There was no need to go too overboard with their matches and risk ruining the perfect run they've built up, there was no need for them to play hero-puck and make flashy moves at the expense of good results, and there was no need to think it was the end of the world just because they're down a goal or two. Hell, theoretically they could absolutely tank these last two games, it won't even matter in the long run. But they still needed to actually try in order to get a better finish.

So yeah, Riviere Sabine. The plucky underdogs who are probably more of a cohesive unit now. And they most certainly showed it in this match when they managed to hold Elejamie at bay throughout most of the match. A potential early goal from Stacy Saunders was saved by Bastien Chattagnier, their PK unit managed to do their job and do it well after Jean-Charles Baptiste had to be sent to the box for slashing Harrison Blackburn, and they did come close to opening up the scoring had Ricardo Bejarano not managed to snatch the puck before it crossed the line enough to count. But ultimately it would be the Ice-a-phants who'd start the proceedings. With 12:46 left in the match Charlie Spreitzer and Kiko Carpio fired a flurry of shots at Chattagnier, with Keller chipping in whenever needs be. Occasionally they'd be saved and other times they'd miss the target and have to either be recovered or retrieved from an opposing player. Eventually Spreitzer managed a well-timed shot that made it under Chattagnier's stick to make it 1-0, with both of his fellow line-mates getting points for assisting him.

On the upside, albeit more for the Voodoo than the Ice-a-phants, they managed to get one past Bejarano. It wasn't anything particularly spectacular, just a simple bit of counter-attacking followed by a well-timed shot that got lucky, but it was still worth talking about. With 7:44 left in the period, there was a face-off in Sabinean ice which Rafael Espinosa was able to win. He passed it over to Blackburn who fired a shot, but it bounced off of Chattagnier's pads and into the stick of Kylee St. Martin. She passed it over to Summer Adoin, who in turn passed it over to ChooChoo Rollins. The two played a passing game with each other and Brigitte Mon Cher before they made it to Elejamian ice and tried a few attempts at goal. Bejarano saved the first and second attempts, the third bounced off the post and the fourth hit his pads before a simple shot from Adoin scraped the correct side of the post as it travelled in. The scores were now level but truth be told the Elejamian players weren't that bothered. This was a match that didn't mean anything, and they were simply proud that Riviere Sabine had shown some improvement since the last time they played. Besides, just as long as they don't get complacent and allow this to snowball then they should be good.

And, to their credit, they didn't. The rest of the period ended with the scores tied but the Ice-a-phants managed to push themselves back out in front in the second. Rollins was sent to the box for two minutes for high-sticking Keller, necessitating a face-off. Cerin Meloten won the puck and passed it off to Bill Harrison. He played a passing game with Saunders and Meloten in tow before he passed the puck over to his team's captain. Saunders fired it off the one-timer and into the back of the net. All with 16:44 left on the clock. Not bad, even if they were unable to score throughout the rest of the period. The only real saving grace was that they managed to keep the Voodoo at bay thanks to some stellar defending of their own.

And while the third period didn't see a ton of action, it still produced a couple of goals the extend the home team's lead. Goal #3 came with 13:12 left in the match when Espinosa won a face-off inside of Sabinean ice. He passed it over to Blackburn who skated into a better position and fired it at the goal. It bounced off the crossbar but back into the path of Blackburn's stick. Rather than take another shot since he wasn't sure if it'd be be worth it, he passed it over to Adrian Backer, who had a go. His first shot hit Chattagnier's pads but his second go-around managed to make its way into the back of the net to make it three. And, finally, with 7:09 left in the match, Stacy Saunders managed to score the fourth and final goal for his team thanks to a bit of clever passing between him, Rui Calderón and Cerin Meloten before he fired a wrister that easily made its way over Chattagnier's stick and into the back of the net. Of course he would be pulled for an extra attacker but they were unable to put another past Bejarano. At least they were able to stop Elejamie from scoring an empty netter to keep the score 4-1 at the final horn.

Other than Vetrahjart climbing up to fourth thanks to them grabbing their second win, a 2-1 victory over the hapless Gatchingerrak Union, Group E didn't really see much change. So it was time for Alex to take a look at other groups once again and, this time, he figured he might as well take a look at how Group A was doing. Unsurprisingly, Valanora was not only top of it but they're the only team left in the competition to retain their perfect run and recently added to it with an 8-6 win over the perennially fourth North Polish Union. TJUN-ia kept their second place spot after a thorough 12-4 demolition of Britonisea, although they're not exactly out of the woods yet as they still need to win at least one of their next two games in order to secure a spot in the next round and not leave it up to fate to decide. And Banija beat the hapless Vaishnavaria 2-0 to remain in third place. While they are one of the stronger third-placed teams at the moment, they do actually run the risk of not making it to their own tournament should Patriotlandia or Kordavia up their game and the Banijans falter. But what are the odds of that happening?

So with that out of the way, who were Elejamie's penultimate opponents? Who would Coach Alex be facing for his team's final group stage game abroad? Sherpus. The team that, for the longest time, had managed to find themselves in second place but now run the very serious risk of being eliminated. While he didn't want to take them lightly, they didn't make it easy for him to take them seriously. After his side beat them 6-1 in a match that left him scratching his head, they were able to bounce back with a 2-1 win over the GU to remain second at the break. Unfortunately for them, the second half turned out to be a massive dud. They drew 3-3 with Riviere Sabine, then became the first team to lose to Vetrahjart with a 5-2 loss that moved them down to third. And then they were shut out by Kimi-Suomi 4-0, presumably because Leijonat were looking for revenge for the 3-2 loss earlier in the tournament.

Yeah, Alex was feeling a lot more confident about this match than he did the first go-around. After all, Sherpus' run was a bit like Icarus: they flew too high and now they're on a downward spiral into the ocean. Indeed, if Elejamie win this match there's a good possibility that they'd be sending Sherpus even lower in the group rankings, which'd be good news if you were a a fan of a rival. But as the Ice-a-phants fans, staff and players couldn't really care less they didn't concentrate on that. Alex wanted his team to concentrate on a good result, the fans would rather think about the rest of the tournament ahead, and the players would rather conserve their energy for the Round of 16 onwards. Which was fair, really, but they still needed to have a decent game plan behind them. And Alex was quick to come up with one. He took what worked from the last game and based it around that, he decided to stick Adrian Lambert in goal with Bejarano on the bench, and he decided to borrow a bit from what Vetrahjart and Kimi-Suomi did in their last two matches to see if his boys could pull it off too. It was all coming together and it was looking like it could be enough to secure their spot on the top of the table.

If it couldn't, then at least they had one more shot afterwards.

[Valanora]

For the second out of two matches, The North Polish Union team played the Calcuttas far stronger than anyone thought that they could have done so, given their relative poor showing in the rest of the tournament. Despite that, something about playing the team from the Empire has really pulled out the best from them, as they have scored ten of their nineteen goals against the Calcuttas, over half of their entire tally. Fortunately for the Vanorian team, both times that they have come across this pesky side, they have been able to put eight goals past them so that they do not have to worry extensively about the way that the Union side has been able to demolish their defense unlike the rest of the group. The Calcuttas have only conceded seventeen goals during the group stage and yet ten of them have come across this debut nation in the competition who in all other matches has looked a bit helpless and futile in front of the net. It truly is something of an enigma that this one side seems to have figured out the way that the team plays defensively and cracked it while no one else has been able to do the same.

Nevertheless despite some truly woeful scenes if you are a fan of defensively solid hockey or the staff of the Calcuttas, the team trotted along to their eighth win from eight games and have all but secured their passage into the knockout stages of the competition with two matches left on the schedule. One more game against the unranked trio of teams remains on the docket before a home game against TJUN-ia, who will likely be fighting for their knockout lives either for second spot in the group and automatic qualification or for one of the precious few third placed positions that will see them into the knockouts as well. TJUN-ia has a massive showdown with Banija upcoming this matchday, the team directly behind them by just a mere two points and the outcome of that game is likely going to spell the outcome of their knockout hopes. A win or draw for TJUN-ia would mean they could be nearly comfortable coming into the game against the Calcuttas that they are going to advance, as a win would ensure this but they might need a bit of help if the teams share the spoils on the evening as they did in their first game.

It is a bit troubling for the fans of the side from the Empire to see how the team has struggled at times to get the sort of results against the unranked teams that they might be expected, the results against The North Polish Union speaking for themselves but also how the team has failed to put the boot to the throat of these teams. We have seen in our own group where the other ranked teams have put up double digit goals against the new teams and some massive goal outputs in other groups with some fifteen to nil scorelines being truly astonishing. Yet for the holders of the competition, while it has been a bit of easy sledding through the group in so much as they look all but certain to have won the group and be making their way to the knockout, they are failing to impress in the same fashion. Their flawless record though can be a source of pride as no other team has managed to maintain a perfect record, with Elejamie having dropped a point in a draw in their own group, as has Nova Calania while the likes of Sarzonia and Ko-oren have both been victims of an upset despite their group topping standing. The staff is sure to want to clean up the play a bit before the team takes on TJUN-ia once more and definitely before the knockout rounds start and the intensity ratchet ups a notch.

[TJUN-ia]

After a tight win on the road, the Ice Jaguars of TJUN-ia headed home knowing full well that this final homestand doubleheader at The Rink in The Gardens of New Washington could ultimately determine our Playoff fate. Everyone was starting to feel the nerves creeping into their systems as the run-in approached in earnest and Ølson Rasmussen was urging calm, you knew what was at stake...it was impossible to remove from your head.

That may be why the result against Britonisea happened the way we did. Not that we lost, we sure as hell didn't lose - quite the opposite, in fact. We didn't need to beat a 1-win team 12-4...but we did anyway, because we felt we needed to make a statement. It was just as simple as that. We wanted a statement and unfortunately, Britonisea was in the way...and we showed no mercy. Graham Cox and Fatma Alhaddad both managed hattricks, Thabo Tholo and Shane McKraken got braces and Carter Marshall and Liu Min-Chun got one each in a performance worthy of the message we hoped to send.

Banija are coming to town. Two points separate us. We need to be ready for this fight. Because we know the Lions will be.
GO ICE JAGS!

---

SCHEDULE (Group A)
MD1: @Vaishnavaria (UR) W 8-5 (1st)
MD2: vs The North Polish Union (UR) - The Rink in The Gardens, New Washington W 4-1 (2nd)
MD3: @Britonisea (UR) W 7-4 (2nd)
MD4: @Banija (46) - The South Istria Ice Hockey Center, Istria D 3-3 (2nd)
MD5: vs Valanora (1) - The Rink in The Gardens, New Washington L 3-7 (2nd)
MD6: vs Vaishnavaria (UR) - The Rink in The Gardens, New Washington W 7-4 (2nd)
MD7: @The North Polish Union (UR) W 3-2 (2nd)
MD8: vs Britonisea (UR) - The Rink in The Gardens, New Washington W 12-4 (2nd)
MD9: vs Banija (46) - The Rink in The Gardens, New Washington
MD10: @Valanora (1)

[Sarzonia]

"All right, folks. Let's meet up at the airport for our flight tomorrow at 0800. We'll have breakfast there and then we'll be on the plane no later than 1000 sharp."

With that, Sarzonian national ice hockey team manager Thomas Brown concluded the team's final pre-flight skate before their trip to Western Bridgeland. They would get one more match at home before their trip to either Banija or South Newlandia for the knockout stages. Brown finished packing the things he needed from his office at the team's training facility in downtown Nicksia before he went to the small apartment he kept in the city.

He looked at the time and realised when he saw it read 2052 hours that he'd forgotten one thing. One very important thing.

"I need to talk to my boys," he said out loud before immediately cringing. More accurately, one boy and one non-binary child who was assigned male at birth. It was something he was getting used to, along with their name Dex. Before they came out, he was insistent on calling his child Dexter, which now was consigned to dead-name status. He turned on the desktop computer on the desk that was near his bed. And ... nothing.

"What the hell's going on?" he asked, out loud. He'd forgotten about the sign that advised residents of the apartment building that the power to plugged in entertainment devices, including his computer, was shuttered until 2330 that night. Too late to even call his wife Edna and son Marley, to say nothing of Dex, who would already be asleep by then. Brown looked at his personal mobile phone. It had the data needed, and he didn't want to run afoul of the Incorporated Ice Hockey Federation for using his work phone for personal use because he knew that line got monitored. If his family couldn't get in touch with him on his personal phone and had to call the work phone to notify him of a personal emergency, that was fine, but "just" a nightly conversation with his kids was verboten.

He accessed the Zoing app and saw first Marley, then Dex, then their mom on the video screen.

"Hi, Marley, hey Dext- uh, Dex, hi Edna," Brown began.

"Hey Dad."

"I'm going to be getting ready for my flight soon and I wanted to talk to you guys, uh, folks, first before I began packing."

"Hey Dad, why aren't you using your computer? You're a little grainy," Marley asked. Marley could tell straight away that the reception was a bit slower and not the same quality the family were familiar with from the computer screen.

"The management company shut the power to "entertainment systems" while they perform their upgrades," Brown said. "I tried to get them to move it to tomorrow night when I'll be away, but they said they had to do it tonight. I miss you all," Brown said.

"When will you be home?" Edna asked. Brown knew a small part of that was because she was feeling responsible for doing everything around the nice, if smallish house they owned in Corcorran. Even though Marley did the bulk of the yardwork and Dex helped out with the inside chores, it still wasn't the same as having Thomas there to pick up his usual slack around the home, and simply having him there to talk to in the evenings as they sat in front of the fireplace as the late autumn days crept toward the chill of winter.

"You know, a lot's going to depend on the team," Brown said. "If we lose in the first round, I'll be home in a few days. If we advance to the final, it'll hopefully be a week or two beyond that. That is, if there's no snow in the forecast then."

After the conversation, Brown sat down with a glass of cognac. He didn't normally drink the night before a trip either to an away location or back to his home-away-from-home in Nicksia, but he was well into his feelings tonight. He missed Edna. He missed the kids, including their adopted daughter Tracey, who was visiting with his in-laws and whom he'd already talked to briefly before he left for training. But as he took a sip and then slowly set the cognac down on the table next to the non-working computer, he realised he had more feelings to sort through. There were his feelings of ... something he couldn't quite put his finger on, but if he'd actually paid attention in psychology 101 classes, he might have identified it as imposter syndrome. He felt like he had to prove himself in a way other top assistants who become managers never had to.

He thought about it and stumbled upon something. He managed the team -- a team -- in the World Cup of Hockey, but the players he had weren't the regular national team. The team he was managing was known as the ScabStars because they were cobbled together from places other than Sarzonia's main domestic league. They didn't perform all that poorly, all things considered. Despite being a replacement team with a replacement manager, they still finished with a 3-1-2 record and were eliminated based on tiebreakers, not because they were markedly worse than any of the other teams in their group. Hell, they actually pulled off an upset of Valanora, the team that now appeared head and shoulders above just about everyone, and were by rank.

He'd gotten some brief encouragement from his predecessor, Brett Tanguay, Sr., but Brett, Jr. and Alyssa Hannigan both opted not to play under Brown without Brett Sr. there. The Stars started out like a ball of fire in this 52nd edition, winning their first five matches before a shocking loss to Panay Islands and Guimaras that would've appeared embarrassing at first blush, but when taken into context, it wasn't as bad as it looked. After all, it marked the third from four consecutive victories by the debutant nation, which worked itself into the conversation for a potential wild card position along with Patriotlandia. At the moment, at least, Crpostran looked like they were all but guaranteed an automatic bid to the knockout rounds whilst the Stars were guaranteed their spot. However, Patriotlandia were in a position to need every possible point as they stood two points behind Darmen and co-hosts Banija in the battle for the two best third place finishers amongst the seven groups.

But still. The last time Sarzonia faced Western Bridgeland, they'd only escaped Bank of Sarzonia Arena with a 1-0 victory, one that felt like a massive letdown after their impressive 5-1 win over No. 21 Patriotlandia. The last thing Brown could afford was to piss away the team's advantage earned by the five-match win streak to begin the group stage. They were in danger of that if they didn't get their act together. And, ironically enough, the team seemed to save their worst performances for their home venue, as they only had wins over South Newlandia and Western Bridgeland, the loss to Panay Islands and Guimaras and the 2-2 draw to Patriotlandia to show for their matches on their home ice.

Brown grimaced as he picked up his glass of cognac and gulped down the last swallow. He'd have to go to bed soon. But the question of whether or not he'd be able to get to sleep was another matter entirely.

[Darkmania]

Tied game and tied placement

---

As the final while blows over a tied 2-2 game over Six Tribes, manager Krÿster Gärlond got the news that Darmen has won a shock victory over Kelssek 6-3 and with that, Darkmania and Darmen is tied in the group. DMN has an edge but not by much, meaning a Darmen win can easily pass DMN in the group stage. Luckily the next few matches should be easy. Remember, half of the teams in the groups are debutants with no or little experience with the international game. So a win can be done.

As the team rushed back to their bus, heading to their team base camp, we had to speak to Krÿster if he was worried. "No, not at all. The next few matches should be easy, but never say never," he said as he rushed to the bus in time before the doors closed. Back at the base, the team will discuss strategy and how to improve. Whatever they discuss there will be a secret as it's confidential.

Fans have been very excited over the competitiveness DMN is in right now. 5 wins, and only 1 draw and 2 losses. 2nd in the group. And a chance to advance to the playoffs. DMN has been to the playoffs before but the last time was ages ago. So no wonder darkmanian fans, passionate as they are whenever The Golden Ealges are playing, have often flooded the venue with the green-blue-red tri colour flag.

[Calgasia]

Home of the Calgasian Sports

Only two matches left, playoffs possible but very difficult.

With the final horn and the consumation of the 1-0 loss against Squornshelan Remnant States the Calgasians started to grab their calculators and do the math to check the possibilities of making it to the playoffs.

At CRF Sport we value honesty above all: it is (very) difficult. Calgasia needs to win her two remaining matches, hope that Zenic lose those two, while keeping an eye on how the other best thirds in the other groups are doing. Group D seems particularily strong, so we will assume that one out of two spots is already taken by their best third, currently having 11 points. That leaves 1 spot for the remaining 6 groups. The competition will be fierce and the Black Eagles are not in the best position compared to other teams. We can only rally behind our boys and girls, give them our support and love and hope for the best. Vörwarts.

MD9: at home against Serdtgyu at the Melperk Olympic Ice Rink.
MD10: away against Hafamarimet

In theory the matchups seem favourable to the Black Eagles, rivals being 6th and 4th respectively, although as Calgasia has shown, one can't be too confident in this World Cup. Bohm continues to be the mahout, guiding the offensive plays of the team, while the team's rock-solid defence continues to work, being the main asset of this team.

[Kimi-Suomi]

Last time out, the Leijonat of Kimi-Suomi got revenge against Sabine Joki, beating them 4-1 on the road.
That certainly felt good to a lot of people who this sport and this team...but Hannes Lehtonen wanted so much more than that.
The ultimate aim for this team was to make it back to the Playoff dance...and that meant we had to get revenge against another team.

Sherpus arrived to the Tähtien Palatsi knowing full well that they were about to enter a red-hot environment...and that is what we gave them.
We entered this game knowing we had to win this game. And we did so in a way that would leave everyone happy.
Krista Parkkonen, Ville Innala, Mika Heiskanen, Sergei Mazkruin. 4-0. Done.
We did what we needed to do against a big foe...and now, we are 2nd by 3 points.

Two games remain. Vetrahjart are up next. Just keep winning, just keep winning.
NOSTA KUIN LEIJONAT!

---

SCHEDULE (Group E)
MD1: @Gatchingerrakliitto [Gatchingerrak Union] (25) W 7-3 (1st)
MD2: vs Sabine Joki [Riviere Sabine] (UR) - Tähtien Palatsi [Palace of the Stars], Lumikukkulat L 2-3 (4th)
MD3: @Sherpus (UR) L 2-3 (4th)
MD4: @Vetrahjart (UR) - Feldrbank Arena, ??? W 2-1 (3rd)
MD5: vs Elejamie (4) - Tähtien Palatsi [Palace of the Stars], Lumikukkulat D 6-6 (3rd)
MD6: vs Gatchingerrakliitto [Gatchingerrak Union] (25) - Tähtien Palatsi [Palace of the Stars], Lumikukkulat W 2-1 (3rd)
MD7: @Sabine Joki [Riviere Sabine] (UR) - The Gumbo Pot, Lafayette W 4-1 (2nd)
MD8: vs Sherpus (UR) - Tähtien Palatsi [Palace of the Stars], Lumikukkulat W 4-0 (2nd)
MD9: vs Vetrahjart (UR) - Tähtien Palatsi [Palace of the Stars], Lumikukkulat
MD10: @Elejamie (4)

[South Newlandia]

Cutoff for MD9 (Groups A-C)!

Matchday 9 Scores

Color Code
Bold Green- Has won the group
Blue- has clinched a top 2 spot in the group and a berth in the knockout stages
Red- Officially eliminated from the knockout stages of the World Cup of Hockey

Group A
TJUN-ia 4–1 Banija
Britonisea 0–4 Valanora
The North Polish Union 4–0 Vaishnavaria

  Group A                      Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Valanora                       9    9   0   0    50   17  +33    18
2 TJUN-ia                        9    7   1   1    51   31  +20    15
3 Banija                         9    5   1   3    15   13   +2    11
4 The North Polish Union         9    3   1   5    23   26   −3     7
5 Britonisea                     9    1   0   8    17   43  −26     2
6 Vaishnavaria                   9    0   1   8    17   43  −26     1

Group B
Squornshelan Remnant States 0–1 Zenic
Calgasia 3–3 Serdtgyu
HUElavia 4–8 Hafamarimët

  Group B                      Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Zenic                          9    6   1   2    29   12  +17    13
2 Squornshelan Remnant States    9    5   2   2    16    9   +7    12
3 Calgasia                       9    4   1   4    17   16   +1     9
4 Hafamarimët                    9    4   1   4    23   27   −4     9
5 HUElavia                       9    2   2   5    18   28  −10     6
6 Serdtgyu                       9    1   3   5    17   28  −11     5

Group C
Abanhfleft 3–3 Schachland
Nova Anglicana 4–7 Nova Calania
Mertagne 3–3 New-Erie

  Group C                      Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Nova Calania                   9    8   1   0    50   19  +31    17
2 Nova Anglicana                 9    6   0   3    38   31   +7    12
3 Abanhfleft                     9    2   5   2    27   29   −2     9
4 Schachland                     9    2   3   4    36   41   −5     7
5 Mertagne                       9    1   3   5    25   40  −15     5
6 New-Erie                       9    0   4   5    20   36  −16     4