Third Time's the Charm for Lions?
Martin Granger, Staff Reporter
The Lions have entered into qualification for the 25th edition of the World Cup of Hockey, their fourth time entering this major international competition. The first time they entered, they finished with a record of 3-3-6 (W-D-L), for 9 points and fifth of seven teams in their group. They played a much more determined and skilled first half of qualifying, but faded down the stretch due to fatigue and what seemed like a general inattentiveness (OOC: I was unable to RP my final 3 matches due to RL issues and lost them all by an aggregate of 11-1). The second time they entered, they finished with a record of 4-1-4 (W-D-L), for 13 points and fourth of ten teams in their group, missing the playoffs. They started off quite poorly, with a record of 0-1-3 through the first four games, and had people calling for Head Coach Cecil Palmer's job. They then got on a roll, winning four in a row, and putting themselves in a win-and-you're-in scenario on MD9 against Hicana. The magic ran out, as they were shut out 2-0, but Palmer retained his job. That may be due in part to their performance at the inaugural Royal Alexandre Hockey Invitational, where they were drawn into a tough group, but still managed to reach the quarterfinals, including impressive wins over Valanora and Sicoutimont, before being shut out by Ko-oren. In WCoH 24, the Lions went 7-0-3, including a victory over then-#7 Torisakia. Unfortunately, they fell in two games (losing Game 2 in shootout fashion) to Falcus in the Round of 24. They then made a run to the semifinals of the 2nd Royal Alexandre Hockey Invitational, where they lost 1-0 to Borschland. They closed it out by losing to Hicaña in the 3rd place game in overtime.
The veteran squad that played in WCoH 24 is no more, as several have retired from international play. Luminaries such as Kermit "The Frog" Lea and René Robinson have been replaced by new faces. There are a total of six new players on the squad, and a general reshuffling of lines. It remains to be seen how they will handle upper-level competition, most notably Havl, but the team is brimming with confidence. The team is mostly composed of players from the domestic NAHL, which has a high level of play, but also features a few players currently playing at the AHL level of the United States' NHL. Cecil Palmer prefers a moderate defensive style, one that focuses on discipline and toughness. You won't see many penalties conceded, but you also won't see any short-handed breaks down the ice. This is a team that makes their money on the power play and on their excellent passing.
Nova Anglicana Lions Senior Hockey Team
Head Coach: Cecil Palmer
Style Modifier: -1
Captain: Andrés Kelly
Assistant Captains: Derek Jensen, Troy Parker
1st Line
RW Derek Jensen, 35 - Jensen is quiet, but a deadly shooter, handles the puck well
C Troy Parker, 29 - maturation process complete, earns that long-awaited promotion to the first line, great player
LW Matt Grier, 31 - Palmer likes him so much because he always knows when to (and not to) make the extra pass, picks up his fair share of goals as well
2nd Line
RW Jay Schwartz, 32 - loves the wraparound, team prankster
C Dallas Carlson, 24 – the former U20 captain has enormous confidence and the skills to match, graduates to second line
LW Jordan Bergeron, 28 - former AHL Norfolk Admiral, he's got as much raw talent as anyone, but needs a ton of coaching
3rd Line
RW Leif Haas, 25 – Haas is a level-headed and deadly shooter who will be needed just as much as anyone on the team
C Ellis White, 27 - White is an up-and-comer in the NAHL, moves up to third line
LW Ricky Knight, 22 – Knight's knack for making just the right pass is upper-echelon
4th Line
RW Doug LaRose, 34 - bit of a banger for a wing, his work ethic is second to none, goal-scoring skills leave a lot to be desired
C Gavyn Newhall, 25 – Newhall anchors a line whose motto is, “the best offense is a good defense”, decent goal-scorer but best at handling the puck
LW Scotty Gaston, 25 – Gaston’s a spark plug, always aggressive on the forecheck, deadly on the wraparound
Pair 1
Zach McCoy, 33 - plays with Russell in NAHL, chemistry extremely valuable
Josh Russell, 35 - provides the bulk to McCoy's finesse, excellent tag team duo
Pair 2
Hank Weber, 29 - Weber has the large skates of Roger Day to fill, but he's a good all-around player
Cody Riley, 31 - Riley is one of the league's best defensemen, bit overaggressive at times, can lead to fights
Pair 3
Marq Brint, 26 – Brint has built on his physicality to become a force, plays all facets of the game well
Sander van der Zeijden, 21 – this young man is possessed of a wonderful set of instincts and a good offensive skill set, is decent but improving defender
Pair 4
Bruce Baker, 23 – always a leader in blocked shots, Baker’s not afraid to sacrifice the body for the team
Matt Washington, 23 – will block shots just like Baker, but main asset is a cannon of a slap shot and imposing physique
Goaltenders
Andres Kelly, 36 - Kelly is equally adept with the glove as he is with the rest of his body, five shutouts in last go-round
Bryan Blake, 29 - young man had an excellent defensive campaign that helped lead his team to the playoffs
Todd Ingram, 24 – capable of standing on his head at times, but is particular vulnerable in the 5-hole, upper half stronger than lower half
Power Play 1
1st Line + Defensive Pair 1
Power Play 2
2nd Line + Defensive Pair 2
Penalty Kill 1
1st Line + Defensive Pair 1
Penalty Kill 2
4th Line + Defensive Pair 3
Group Schedule:
MD1 Nova Anglicana (21) vs Arvenida (UR)
MD2 Nova Anglicana vs Patistan (47)
MD3 Nova Anglicana vs Zips Nation (UR)
MD4 Havl (2) vs Nova Anglicana
MD5 Nova Anglicana vs North Britonisea (UR)
MD6 The Fair Republic (16) vs Nova Anglicana
MD7 Nova Anglicana vs Terre des Gaules (55)
My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following...
Choose My Scorers:
Yes/No
Godmod Scoring Events: Yes/
No RP Injuries to My Players:
Yes/No, ordinary things, TG me if you want them to tear an ACL or something and I'll approve or disapprove
Godmod Injuries to My Players: Yes/
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RP Ejections for My Players:
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Godmod Other Events: Yes/
No