Vilitan Hockey ChampionshipThe Lopinka Lynx run to a spot in the 23rd Hockey Champions League came unexpectedly as they surprised the Obaobai Bombers in the Eastern Conference Wild Card Playoff to earn their place in the premier domestic Ice Hockey competition. The Lynx would enter in the second qualifying round where they would easily handle a two-legged matchup with HC Traktor Bender of Pridnestopia. Advancing to the Group stage, However, the Lynx foudn a favorable draw that included the Scorpian City Scorpions and Cordasfjord Crusaders, who struggled to earn any points. The Lynx had surprising success topping Group D as the only team in the competition with a 6-0-0 record. In the knockout round they thrashed Internationale 9-1 over two games and would face fellow Vilitan side Alikki-Corra Aye-Ayes in the Quarter Finals. With defending HCL Champion Vilisorma Yutzies having been eliminated from competition, the door was wide open for a new winner and the Lynx got a hot start with a 4-0 victory in Lopinka at the Toys '4' All Arena. The Aye-Ayes would fight back in game two but not enough to overcome the differential. The Lynx would get a difficult test in the Semi-Finals, surviving a shootout in Turbani with a 5-5 opening game result before settling the fixture with a 3-1 victory over the Titans in Lopinka.
The win would set up the Lynx first ever Hockey Champions League Final appearance and they would face a conference rival in Yeaddin HC who would also be seeking their first ever Hockey Champions League title after defeating the Stormguard Lions 3-2 in the Semi-Finals. A Packed crowd at L'Arène de Pomme in New Darmen would witness the Lynx Triumph over Yeaddin HC to take their first ever Hockey Champions League title - making them the second ever Vilitan Club to lift the trophy.
The Lynx success in Hockey Champions League 23 instantly made them favorites for the Vilitan Hockey Championship Season 18, particularly as they had been so close to an appearance in the Vilitan Hockey Championship Final one season prior, losing the Semi-Final to the Arcticala Icetricity in seven games.
The Lynx would get the opportunity to raise their HCL Banner at home against the Turoki Islanders and they made the experience count with a 5-3 victory to make an early statement in the Eastern Conference standings. The Lynx would string together victories over the Obaobai Bombers and Morata Valley Fog before dropping their first points of the season being held in Sile by the Crocodile in a 3-3 game. The story early in the season was not the Lynx, however, but the defeated HCL 23 Finalist, Yeaddin HC. "The Club" won their first six games of the season - including handing the Lynx their first defeat of the campaign, before finally slipping up for the first time in their 7th game against the Eelandii Explorers - a team with the lowest goals scored in the VHL at the time.
At the halfway point of the season, Yeaddin HC maintained a four point lead over the Lynx in the Eastern Conference table while the Turoki Islanders held on to the final wild card slot. In the Western Conference, there was no surprise with the Vilisorma Yutzies and Alikki-Corra Aye-Ayes leading the way but defending conference champion Arcticala Icetricity were struggling 5 points out of the playoffs in 6th place - leading only the winless Seraai Icestronauts.
Little would change as the second half of the season progressed. While the Lynx got a revenge victory over Yeaddin HC at the Toy Box, 'The Club' were running riot over the rest of the Eastern Conference holding the largest goal differential in the league and expanding their lead to 7 points with six games to play. While Yeaddin HC cruised to the Eastern Conference title, the Lopinka Lynx late season form left much to be desired and with 3 games left in the regular season they found themselves ina precarious position. After a string of defeats, the Lynx were level on points with the Sile Crocodile who had a game in hand. There was still a head to head matchup between the two which could prove crucial in determining who secured the final playoff spot in the East. The Lynx would emerge victorious in a 4-1 rout at Toys 4 All Arena to further pad their goal differential advantage and tie breaker over the Crocodile effectively nullifying their game in hand.
The Lynx had to close out their campaign against Yeaddin HC in a matchup that, with a win, could secure a playoff position and, with defeat, could leave the Lynx vulnerable to the bite of the Crocodile. Taking all of the momentum as the top scoring team in the Eastern Conference, the Lynx out-maneuvered the top placed Yeaddin HC to escape with a 1-0 victory and a guaranteed Wild Card berth against the Obaobai Bombers and eliminating the Sile Crocodile in the process. While there was little drama in the East, the Western Conference saw a final regular season gameday filled with intrigue with the Vilisorma Yutzies and Lonngeylin Storm Surge fighting for the regular season conference title separated only by a single goal differential while three clubs - the Arcticala Icetricity, Alikki-Corra Aye-Ayes and Marine Mammals were separated by just a single point in the hunt for the second Wild Card spot.
The Mammals needed a win but couldn't get it after being held by the last placed Seraai Icestronauts. Incredibly, both the Vilisorma Yutzies and Lonnngeylin Storm Surge would lose on the final day of the regular season - each losing by exactly two goals ensuring that the Yutzies would take the first round bye and Western Conference title in the process.
A Summary of the results of the most recent Vilita & Turori Domestic Hockey Competition is included below:
Vilaye Domestic Hockey League :: Season 18
Western Conference Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Vilisorma Yutzies 24 12 5 7 61 55 +6 29
2 Lonngeylin Storm Surge 24 9 11 4 50 45 +5 29
3 Arcticala Icetricity 24 11 5 8 49 39 +10 27
4 Alikki-Corra Aye-Ayes 24 8 9 7 45 43 +2 25
5 Marine Mammals 24 8 9 7 44 46 −2 25
6 Tivali River Sharks 24 8 5 11 47 51 −4 21
7 Seraai Icestronauts 24 3 6 15 48 65 −17 12
Eastern Conference Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Yeaddin HC 24 13 5 6 40 23 +17 31
2 Lopinka Lynx 24 13 1 10 49 39 +10 27
3 Obaobai Bombers 24 8 9 7 24 27 −3 25
4 Morata Valley Fog 24 9 5 10 37 41 −4 23
5 Sile Crocodile 24 8 7 9 40 45 −5 23
6 Turoki Islanders 24 8 6 10 29 35 −6 22
7 Eelandii Explorers 24 5 7 12 13 22 −9 17
Conference 'Wild Card' Playoffs:
Lonngeylin Storm Surge 1–2 Arcticala Icetricity (OT)
Arcticala Icetricity 3–6 Lonngeylin Storm Surge
Lonngeylin Storm Surge 1–2 Arcticala Icetricity
:: Arcticala Icetricity Advance 2-1 ::
Lopinka Lynx 2–3 Obaobai Bombers
Obaobai Bombers 5–4 Lopinka Lynx (2OT)
:: Obaobai Bombers Advance 2-0 ::
After being favored one season prior in the Wild Card matchup, the Obaobai Bombers finally got their chance to progress turning the tables over the HCL22 Champion Lopinka Lynx and punching their Semi-Final ticket in a double-OT Thriller at the Bombers Barn. The Arcticala Icetricity would ensure a return trip to the Inter-Conference Playoffs by surviving three games against the Lonngeylin Storm Surge in which the away team won each of the three contests.
Inter-Conference Playoffs:
Vilisorma Yutzies 3–5 Obaobai Bombers
Obaobai Bombers 2–3 Vilisorma Yutzies
Vilisorma Yutzies 0–2 Obaobai Bombers
Obaobai Bombers 1–4 Vilisorma Yutzies
Vilisorma Yutzies 1–0 Obaobai Bombers
Obaobai Bombers 2–1 Vilisorma Yutzies
Vilisorma Yutzies 0–1 Obaobai Bombers
:: Obaobai Bombers Advance 4-3 ::
Yeaddin HC 0–1 Arcticala Icetricity
Arcticala Icetricity 0–1 Yeaddin HC
Yeaddin HC 1–0 Arcticala Icetricity
Arcticala Icetricity 0–1 Yeaddin HC
Yeaddin HC 2–0 Arcticala Icetricity
:: Yeaddin HC Advance 4-1 ::
Vilitan Hockey Championship
Yeaddin HC 2-1 Obaobai Bombers (2OT)
Obaobai Bombers 1–0 Yeaddin HC
Yeaddin HC 1–2 Obaobai Bombers (OT)
Obaobai Bombers 0–1 Yeaddin HC
Yeaddin HC 5–2 Obaobai Bombers
Obaobai Bombers 1–2 Yeaddin HC (2SO)
:: Yeaddin HC Win 4-2 ::
The defending champion Yeaddin HC were the class of the Vilitan Hockey League all season and demonstrated why in a 4-1 Semi-Final triumph over the Arcticala Icetricity where 'The Club' wrapped up the series with four consecutive shutouts in a rematch of last seasons Vilitan Hockey Championship. Their opponent would be the Obaobai Bombers, making just their second all time appearance in the Vilitan Hockey Championship Final and first since Season 11 having outlasted the Vilisorma Yutzies in 7 games.
While many projected Yeaddin HC to become the first team ever to sweep their opponent in the Vilitan Hockey Championship, the Bombers put up an outstanding fight taking games two and three and take a 2-1 lead in the series. Yeaddin HC turned the tide in Game 5, however, with an uncharacteristic 5-2 victory that put the momentum squarely in their corner. The Bombers were desperately trying to force a game seven but 'The Club' would prevail in double overtime at the Bombers Barn to take Game 6 by a 2-1 scoreline and secure back-to-back Vilitan Hockey Championship titles for the third time in club history.
VHL History
Vilitan Hockey Association Qualifiers
Yeaddin HC (VIL)
Obaobai Bombers (VIL)
Arcticala Icetricity (VIL)
Vilisorma Yutzies (VIL)
-----------------------
Lopinka Lynx (VIL)
Atlantian Oceania Ice hockey Clubs Event (AO ICE)
1 Entry per AO Nation (Champion or Highest Placed Club from secondary nation)
+ 1 at large Wildcard entry per AO League (May be included / deselected at random for numbers)
Yeaddin HC (VIL)
Eelandii Explorers (TUR)
-----------------------
Obaobai Bombers (VIL)