World Cup of Hockey 32 (Everything Thread)

[Vilita and Turori]

Ice-Cat Things Survive Group E


A 1-1 draw with third-ranked Esparmuran on the final matchday of the Group Stage allowed Vilita and Turori to advance from Group E on goal differential after finishing level with Esparmuran with five points from the 4 match preliminary stage. Both trailed group winners Norrehavn who finished unbeaten on 6 points.

It was a stunning result for the Espari who entered the tournament with the sights firmly set on lifting the World Cup trophy, but instead, left the country in a huff, eliminated, and abandoned their disgruntled coach - leaving Jimi Stack behind without making arrangements for his own departure from Valanora. Luckily for the former Esparmuran coach, many other nations were also eliminated on Matchday 5 that could potentially be in the market for a new head coach of their own. In classic sporting form, its almost certain that there will be some nation out there ready to pick up the rejected staff from another, equally poor performing team.

With the Group Stage behind them, however, it will be the Vilita & Turori Ice Cat Things advancing to the knockout rounds and it will be a very familiar foe for Vilita & Turori in the Round of 16. In fact, it will be the second consecutive World Cup of Hockey where the Ice-Cat Things will have squared off against Nova Anglicana at the first stage of the World Cup of Hockey elimination bracket.

Hopefully the fixture will be a good omen for the Ice-Cat Things as during World Cup of Hockey 31, Vilita & Turori were triumphant over Nova Anglicana in a one-off single-elimination matchup that saw Vilita & Turori run out 3-1 winners and advance to square off against Novaya Zemlaya in the Quarter Finals. It will be one-step at a time for the Ice-Cat Things however as they will not be taking their fellow Ice-Felines lightly as the Ice-Cat Things will once again be put to the test against Nova Anglicana's Ice Lions. May the best Cat Win.

[Novaya Zemlya]

ROUND OF 16: NOVAYA ZEMLYA VS KABOOMLANDIA
GAME ONE: LOPATIN, KALAGIN HEROES IN OT DRAMA
"Sometimes you just have to trust your gut feeling"

VALANORA Beforehand, it was hyped as maybe the most evenly matched series in this year's Round of 16, and game one between Novaya Zemlya and Kaboomlandia did not disappoint, as overtime was needed to find a winner. In the end, Valeri Kalagin was able to put a rebound past Dylan Brady and put the Novozemlyans ahead in the series. Both teams had several chances to end it in regulation, but spectacular goaltending at both ends kept the score tied at one after three periods of play. Before the game, head coach Bogdan Bobr had faced heavy criticism for his decision to start Anton Lopatin over grizzled veteran Iosif Bezukladnikov. In hindsight, it looked like a stroke of genius, as the 24-year-old from Oktyabrgrad stood on his head and put on the goaltending performance of his life, in what was only his 4th start for the national team. Among the most notable moments was a diving save off a Tyler Martin rebound in overtime to keep the Novozemlyans alive.

Due to the abolishment of the hockey federation's much criticized and ridiculed media policy, coach Bobr was allowed to attend the post-game press conference and share his thoughts on the game, along with veteran blueliner Dmitriy Chupalov.

Mister Bobr, most would probably agree Bezukladnikov has been solid in his starts so far. Why did you decide to go with the unproven Lopatin in a playoff game?

"Sometimes you just have to go with your gut feeling. Anton has been a top goalie in the NZEL for several years, repeatedly dragging a crap Avangard team into the playoffs kicking and screaming, and I felt it was time he got a real shot at the international stage."

So we can assume Lopatin will get the nod for game 2?

"Yes, obviously."

How did Bezukladnikov handle being demoted to backup? If I am not mistaken he has started every playoff game Novaya Zemlya has ever played until now. Is there a risk of controversy and locker room issues?

"No. I mean, we all know goalies are weird, but Bezu is a professional and I am sure he can handle it. There is nothing wrong with our locker room atmosphere by the way. Everyone knows and accepts their roles, although Ryzhkov tends to whine about his lack of PP time. It's quite cute actually, I usually tell him to develop some puck skills and get back to me, haha."

The Phoenix were coming off an ugly 7-2 loss in their last group game. Do you think you benefitted from that in this game?

"You know, despite popular belief I am not a shrink, you would have to ask them yourselves. But to be honest, I doubt it. I focused on my own team, but from what I saw, I thought the Kaboomlandians played well. This game could have gone either way, honestly. There was a bit of luck involved, truth to be told. I think it was that Linden kid who rang one off the crossbar in the third, for instance."

The Kaboomlandians were really bringing it in the physical department, your defensemen had trouble with their forecheck at times and Derek Strachan just manhandled people. Are you worried that they will grind you down if the series goes to three games?

"They have some guys who are really dominant physically, which is a cause for concern, yes. We were muscled off the puck way too easily at numerous occasions. We either have to man up and win more battles, or we need to move the puck a lot quicker. Preferably both."

Kalani Amaradeva from the Arctic Independent Observer. Rumors continue to circulate about your strained relationship to the Central Committee of the ruling Party of Labour in Novaya Zemlya. Can you confirm that you are on their shit list?

"Central Committee? More like Central Comedy, am I right!? Uhm... Next question."

Dmitriy Chupalov, you had a great game with lots of ice time and even found your way onto the score sheet. It seemed like you barely left the ice in the third period and OT. You must be happy with your performance?

"The goal was not much to talk about really, a nice feed from Zak, and the forwards did a good job creating traffic infront of Brady. It's nice to be able to contribute though, but I always look for things to improve on. Me and Zak had a few shifts where we got hemmed in our defensive zone, especially in the second period with a long way to the bench. And we need to do a better job clearing the crease and taking care of rebounds. We allowed the Kaboomlandians second and third chances way too often. But yeah, we had some good moments too, I thought it was a good performance by the whole team overall. However, it's all history now, we need to focus all our energy on game 2 now."

[Mercedini]

World Cup of Hockey Special
World Cup of Hockey MD5 Review
@ Valanora

Mercedini made a little bit of history as they qualified for their first playoff round ever at their third attempt of trying. They qualified after a 3-1 victory over unranked Sontarion, they needed a little help from Abanhfleft by beating their closest challengers Lorenthia but Mercedini's win over Devonta coupled with the final day victory over Sontarion proved to be decisive as Mercedini clinched the second spot in the group, meaning they put their near miss in Hannasea behind them and moved on from the group for the first time in the nations history. After the group stages, their wins at this WCoH place them 16th in the World after some big hitters either failed to qualify or didn't participate in Valanora, this time round.
Mercedinian hockey has travelled a long, long way since their debut in Norrehavn (where they failed to win a single match in their group and only achieved a final day draw against a fellow unranked side). They picked up their first win in their second Hockey World Cup where they went on to win two games and only lost out thanks to a final day stalemate against Ficiscia, losing out on goal-difference. So we return to today and the current state of play for Mercedinian hockey and what a journey it has been. The Mercedinian domestic hockey league is well under way and that, combined with some of Mercedini's best players moving abroad to Novaya Zemlya to pick up tips and tricks, the future is looking rosy for the Kingfishers. A valuable rank of 16 means that Mercedini are pretty much guaranteed a spot in the top two pots, meaning it's Mercedini's qualification to lose in the forthcoming World Cups of Hockey.

In a brief review of Mercedini's final group match against Sontarion. Mercedini played a fairly safe and secure game in what many fans, pundits and players thought would be a mismatch against a team who hasn't won a game at this World Cup of Hockey. Things were looking up of the team in blue and black when Max Morton opened the scoring for the Kingfishers, a quick counter attack after a defensive lapse from Sontarion was converted towards the end of the first period, Mercedini were complacent with their performance as they went into the second period with a slender goal advantage. Mercedini then switched the match up a gear and turned on the pressure to score two more goals to put the game out of site and secure the points for Mercedini. Lambeth Carpic got his first goal to go with his couple of assists, with Peter Pollock bagging Mercedini's third with less than a minute left in the period. Mercedini three to the good with a period still to go. Sontarion bagged a consolation goal in the third and final period but the damage had already been done, Mercedini held out for the win and snatched the second spot from Devonta at the death. They did to Devonta what Ficiscia did to Mercedini last time round.

FINAL
Sontarion 1 - 3 Mercedini
(0-1) (0-2) (1-0)

With Mercedini through, they now have the monumental task of facing Quebec in their first playoff match ever. It's a tall order, but we hope to be back with coverage of those playoff matches. Valanora has been the stage of Mercedinian success in the Di Bradini Cup and now the World Cup of Hockey, we hope this may continue but it's going to be an uphill struggle against a team who is well within the Top 5 in the world and is frequently cited as a member of the 'Big 4' in the hockey community. From Valanora, goodnight!

[Valanora]

Round of Sixteen, Game 2
Valanora 8–4 Neu Engollon, Valanora wins series 2-0
Abanhfleft 0–0(1–2 SO) Unified Sunrise Islands, Unified Sunrise Islands wins series 2-0
Elejamie 4–1 Nephara, Elejamie wins series 2-0
Royal Kingdom of Quebec 1–0 Mercedini, Royal King of Quebec wins series 2-0
Nova Anglicana 5–2 Vilita and Turori, Series tied 1-1
Anthor 4–2 Cosumar, Series tied 1-1
Novaya Zemlya 0–0(1–0 OT) Kaboomlandia, Novaya Zemlya wins series 2-0
Gregoryisgodistan 1–0 Norrehavn, Series tied 1-1

[Novaya Zemlya]

EXTERNAL LINKS
NZEL Transfer Central™
NZEL Rosters

TRANSFER FRENZY AT THE WCOH: WINGERS FOR EVERYONE!
Metallurg, Partizan, Shakhter present new international acquisitions

BELUSHYA GUBA The 32nd World Cup of Hockey is currently taking place in Valanora, and NZEL scouts can be seen running around like lemmings in every arena, eager to find the missing pieces to their respective rosters for the upcoming season. Torpedo and Rotor started things off early with their signings of Johan Bryzhnev and Max Morton a couple of weeks ago. Now, Shakhter, Partizan and Metallurg are throwing their hat in the ring with three high caliber acquisitions at forward.

Defending champions Metallurg Matochkingrad announced that the club and Savojar left winger Ville Stefansson have agreed to terms on a three-year deal. Stefansson, who featured on the top line for Savojarna at the WCoH, was reportedly disappointed with the lack of success of his former club, Lokomotive Markka, who finished in a less than flattering 23rd place in the Savojar Hockey Serien this past season. Stefansson was supposed to be one of the players to carry Savojarna's offense at the WCoH and faced some criticism after the team finished with only one goal in four games. However, he finished in the top 5 of SHS scoring last year and is described as a sniper, so Metallurg fans understandably have high hopes for their new acquaintance. With players like Ethan Swinburne, Zakhar Golumbovsky, Levin Conover and Anton Volodin already in the fold, Metallurg will boast a ridiculously stacked top 6 in the upcoming season.

Only hours later, Partizan Belushya Guba responded with a Savojar winger of their own - 21 year old RW Jonas Gulbrandsson. The former Dynamo Sjoedrhavn forward is described as more of a playmaker than a goal scorer and will hopefully fit in nicely on Partizan's right side, which has been an area of weakness for the team ever since Stanislav Yozhikov disgracefully defected to Ko-oren during WCoH 27. Reportedly, it was Gulbrandsson's room mate at the WCoH, Torpedo's Johan Bryzhnev, who convinced him to make the move to NZEL and Belushya Guba. Sources in Savojarna indicate that Gulbrandsson's technical, flashy style did not mesh well with his former coach at Dynamo, and that the immensely talented winger will likely benefit from a fresh start in a new environment. Maybe he will flourish under Partizan coach Andy Bailey, who is known for getting Leonid Tikhonenko's career back on track? It remains to be seen.

Up until now it has been a quiet off-season in Ulyanovsk, despite Shakhter's disappointing 9th place finish last season. Now, the club seems to have decided to act and made an unexpected splash when they announced the signing of Anthoran left winger Harold Jewel. The 25 year old former Yarmouth Duck has been one of the standouts for Anthora in their impressive WCoH campaign. Jewel gained some much deserved international attention after a fantastic 4-goal performance against Tomikosan a couple of days ago. In addition, he has been the top goal scorer in the Anthoran AIHF twice, and finished second this past season behind Austin Poindexter. It is reported that Shakhter had to fork out a substantial monetary compensation to the Yarmouth Ducks in order to complete the transfer, but no figures have been disclosed.

"We have had our eyes on Harold for a while, and we have had a constructive dialogue with his camp during the WCoH," Shakhter said in a press release. "We are very happy to have worked out an agreement that both sides are happy with. Harold will be an important part of our hockey club going forward."

As for additional transfer rumors, it is speculated that Shakhter is also trying to secure the services of legendary Espar coach Jimi Stack, who was unceremoniously dumped and left stranded in Valanora following Esparmuran's shocking group stage exit at the WCoH. It is, however, necessary to point out that as of right now, these rumors are still unconfirmed.

[-Anthor-]

Anthoran Locker Room, Tranquility Park
Following the 4-2 Win over Cosumar

The locker room was much like a forest; it had it's seasons, periods of state. Before games, the mood was fluid, players either quietly focusing on the tough match ahead, reanalyzing every detail of the small tiles that made up the composition of the floor, or maybe it was a more raucous tenor, the players celebrating already, pumping each others arms and slapping themselves on the back, their mindset already confirming that the match was particularly won. Then came the speech from the head coach, it's mood much like the players except more of a parental tone, set to guard them against over-confidence or to propel them over anxiety. Then, they filed out, two by two, line after line, coaches and staff last, into the grey tunnel and then onto the field of ice, the field of dreams, and the locker room returned to a suspended state. The odd locker door left open, the shirt left thrown over another's stool, the forgotten unlucky stick leaned up against a locker, they all sat and waited as the behemoths battled it out on the field of dreams, and then, for this particular night, they returned, roaring, and celebrating and playing loud music, a million and one smiles to be found, as well as a small amount of quietness.

As Deschamps and Brice were comparing their defensive hits, Brice using some form of social media to reply over and over again his massive hit on a Cosumar defender, while Deschamps came from behind to take the puck away as the Ice Dragon was on the ice, in the back left corner up against the wall, the international freshman Harold Jewel was quietly hanging up his jersey, his long-on-top styled comb over was matted down from the sweat that was a byproduct of his one goal and two assists game, and his sky-blue eyes were a kind of mixture; jovial on the surface, like everyone else here, but also something else behind that, something undecipherable or unnoticeable to almost everyone in the room.

As just finished removing the last of his leg pads and neatly placing them into his large duffel bag, he pulled out a towel and wiped down his sweaty neck, and arms, and just as he was putting his towel back up and reached into his locker to grab a baggy t-shirt to change into, he noticed his captain, Graham, leaning on the locker next to him with an odd smile. Harold ignored it for a moment as he put the t-shirt on, then looked at him with a small smile "What's going on Graham?"

"You know, most people would celebrate when they take over as the leading goalscorer for their nation's international hockey team, and did it all in one Cup I might add, but you're just sitting all nice and quiet like in the back. You had yet again an amazing game dude."

Harold smiled again, a small one, almost suppressed from igniting into something bigger "Thanks Graham. I guess I just have alot on my mind, and my brain's just running down every lead so to speak."

Graham grabbed a stool and sat down next to the half-dressed Harold "What's on your mind so much? Winning the final Ro16 game? Don't let it bug you too much Harold, yeah it's going to be a tough fight but we utterly demolished them tonight, we have the edge for sure. We're too hot for them to handle right now."

Harold shrugged as pulled a sweatshirt that said 'Yarmouth Ducks' on the front and then sat down and began tying his shoes "I guess, but that's not really what's bugging me."

Graham's brown eyes would have burned a hole through Harold's head if they would have stared harder, or had the capability to do it "So what is bugging you, 'rookie'?"

The final word came out with a joke and made Harold smiled, and he looked up and looked his captain in the eyes "So, uh, news will probably be breaking soon, but once we're done here, I'm not going home to Anthor."

Graham chuckled "S'ok man, you got yourself a piece of Elvish action, the offseason's long. Just don't come home too late, I've heard how tough Coach Vane is with you Ducks."

Harold laughed "No, not that. Before the final group match, my agent was approached by a Zemlyan team from the NZEL. Apparently this team, a Shakhter something I can't remember it totally, was incredibly impressed and offered me a contract. So, I took it."

Graham sat stunned for a moment, and shifted his weight on the stool for a second "Wait, you're not going to be playing in the AIHF at all next season?!"

Harold shook his head "Nor for the next three. 50,000 of their currency over a three year period, plus something like one million plus pounds to Yarmouth for Coach Vane to release me from my AIHF contract."

"Woah, dude, that's insane. Why are you leaving? Yarmouth unsettle you? Like, anyone would have hopped on you once you hit the free agency market, you're Austin's next god-bro!"

Harold shrugged "I want a challenge. I beat Jerkovic for the starting winger role two seasons ago in Yarmouth, and I've been real great and won two rings with them, and yeah, I could probably have made it four rings if I signed a two year extension or something, but you know, this Shakhter sounds fun. Old powerhouse that's on a downturn lately, but they've spent the cash and got some great players, I think it'll be a nice challenge. Plus those Zemalyan's are internationally recognized hockey greats, I will more then likely learn a thing or three. Then, maybe I come back and kick your asses even more."

At this point, Harold finished tying the last knot and then zipped up his duffel bag, picking it up by the handles and beginning to walk out of the locker room, Graham walking with him, his arm around Harold's shoulders "Well, I'm happy for you then. I get the challenge, it's why I joined Ancinnes all those years ago, Kervugen was just...stale, to me at least. You tell Dickerson and them yet?"

"Nah, we're going out to get coffee tomorrow morning and I'll tell them then. NZ news is gonna report it in the morning too probably."

"Well, there goes our Anthorn Crown Jewels."

[Kaboomlandia]

Phoenix lose heartbreaker in overtime, swept out of WCoH playoffs

The Kaboomlandia Phoenix came so close to forcing a third game in the Round of 16, but just fell short, losing 1-0 in overtime to Novaya Zemlya to end their World Cup of Hockey campaign. The Denis Yemelyanov goal on a power play in the extra frame was the clincher to send Novaya Zemlya through to the next round. "It's always tough to lose like that, but Dylan [Brady] was unbelievable in net and we just couldn't beat the Novozemlyan goalie," remarked Tyler Martin after the loss. This also marked the final game in the World Cup of Hockey for both Darryl Rutherford and Scott Herndon, both of whom announced their retirement from international hockey after the game. "It's too bad we couldn't go further for Darryl and Scott, but both were around for the amazing semifinal run in Norrehavn and they're both professionals," said head coach Blair Mitchell in the post-tournament press conference. "All our forwards were on fire in that game, but Anton Lopatin was a brick wall in his net. There isn't much you can do about that. Overall, I've really liked the development of the young guns on this team, Samsonov in particular has been a nice surprise, and Derek Strachan is becoming the anchor on defense for this team." Mikael Samsonov was one of the underrated stars of this tournament. The undersized forward, who was born and raised in the Republic of Kaboomlandia but moved to Kaboomlandia right after the declaration of independence by the former to pursue his hockey career, was unbelievable in this tournament, scoring five goals and adding an assist in six games. And he did it with no power-play time and from the fourth line for the entire group stage. "I'm happy with this first tournament. Obviously it would've been nice to go further but it was a lot of fun with the guys." Here's the overtime call of the goal from announcer Dwayne Bentham:

"Locked in overtime now in a scoreless game between Kaboomlandia and Novaya Zemlya, Bryson Martin has the puck down the left wing, shot it over the blueline. Myshkin has the puck now behind Lopatin's net, being checked here by Zack Murray and it looks like there's going to be a penalty here, Murray was trying to pin the defenseman against the boards and got called for holding. It's overtime, and understandably he's upset, but I can see where the referees are coming from here."

"Power play is thirty seconds old now, Novaya Zemlya controlling the play in overtime. Andrei Alenichev has the puck at the left point. Alenichev, quick pass to Kalagin at the circle, Valeri Kalagin the last overtime hero. Kalagin walks in, shoots, big save by Brady. Yerokhin picks up the puck, back pass to Valeri Kalagin. Kalagin moves into the slot, shoots, HE SCORES! VALERI KALAGIN, FOR THE SECOND NIGHT IN A ROW, ENDS THE GAME IN OVERTIME! Novaya Zemlya is moving on, and Kaboomlandia is eliminated in heartbreaking fashion!"

[Valanora]

Round of Sixteen, Game 3
Nova Anglicana 2–4 Vilita and Turori, Vilita and Turori wins series 2-1
Anthor 1–3 Cosumar, Cosumar wins series 2-1
Gregoryisgodistan 3–0 Norrehavn, Gregoryisgodistan wins series 2-1

Quarterfinal Fixtures
(1) Valanora v (15) Unified Sunrise Islands
(3) Elejamie v (12) Vilita and Turori
(4) Royal Kingdom of Quebec v (11) Cosumar
(7) Novaya Zemlya v (8) Gregoryisgodistan

[Vilita and Turori]

Ice-Cat Things Ready to Make their Mark

Raynor City, Valanora :: For the second consecutive World Cup of Hockey the Vilita & Turori Ice Cat Things have survived a hard-fought battle with Nova Anglicana in the Round of 16 to advance to the quarter final stage. After being victorious in the first game of the best-of-three series, the Ice-Cat things were on the ropes in game two with Nova Anglicana leading 3-2 with under 2 minutes to play. It was at that time that Vilita & Turori pulled the goalie and the skilled Korus Korney came on to the ice as the extra attacker. Within 10 seconds, Korney had turned the puck over and it was sitting in the empty net, 4-2.

Not to be easily beaten, the Ice-Cat things got possession from the resulting face off at center ice and just as quickly, they were back to a 6-man attack. This time they gained entry into the zone and got off a flurry of shots before a long clearance nestled itself in the back of the net to ice the game for the Lions.

It set up a deciding game 3 showdown. Just 3 of the 8 Round of 16 matches required the third game and two of the three were won by the lower seeded team. In the case of Ice-Cat Things v. Lions, this was good for the Ice-Cat Things. This time, it was Vilita & Turori who were up 3-2 with two minutes to play, and Nova Anglicana that emptied the net for the extra attacker. Ultimately, Vilita and Turori were able to take possession and ice the game by firing into the empty net, securing their progression to the Quarter Finals in the process.

Another piece of good news for the Ice Cat Things: They avoided some key foes in the Quarter Final draw.

Firstly, Novaya Zemlya. The #7 ranked team is the very same Novaya Zemlya that ended Vilita and Turori's World Cup of Hockey 31 campaign - at this very stage. Considering the Ice Cat Things had to go through the same Round of 16 opposition to reach the quarter finals, it is a good sign that they will not face the same opponent in the Quarter Finals, given the previous campaigns result.

Secondly, Valanora. The hosts. The favorites to win it all after a crushing defeat in the final of World Cup of Hockey 31, the Vanorians would be a fierce opponent for anyone and Vilita and Turori would just as soon wait as long as possible to have to play them in front of their home fans.

So who does that leave Vilita and Turori facing? Thankfully not Novaya Zemlya or Valanora. Instead, the Ice Cat things will square off against.... Elejamie. Only the defending World Cup of Hockey Champions.

Nevertheless, it took a result against 3rd-ranked Esparmuran to get the Vilita and Turori Ice Cat Things into the knockout rounds and a second-consecutive victory over top-5 ranked Nova Anglicana to reach the Quarter Finals. Now, Vilita and Turori are looking to prove they belong as a member of Ice Hockey's elite nations. There would be no quicker way to put that debate to rest than to claim victory over the reigning World Cup of Hockey Champions. Viva Vilita and Turori!

[Northern Sunrise Islands]

The Sunrisian Pokémon Battling Association was a rather interesting organization.
It suffered of being a rather secondary organization in size, yet it was probably the largest association on its' section.
By now, most nations were at least somewhat familiar with Pokémon, but most nations didn't have any of those, hence the lack of a true need of a Pokémon Association.
Additionally, the few nations that had those were the likes of Mercredi or Mangetsujima, nations that were just there and didn't ever really approach towards some sort of international union.
Mangetsujima did have a National Championship very much like the Sunrisians, but it was a much down to the ground deal, it lacked the flair of the Sunrisian event.
So most of the SPBA's activities were based after not only popularizing but extending the possibility of foreign trainers.
Their latest main job, however, was finding new species across the multiverse.
For that job, a couple of their numbers would often travel across the lands, funded by the Association.

One of those was a gentleman named Martin Vaporeon.
He was a Mardi native, tried battling at his youth but wasn't exactly good at it.
Eventually, he managed to get a degree on Pokémon Biology and from there he quickly joined the SPBA as a scout and later as a species inspector.
His trips were more oftenly to Esportivan destinations.
The Licentian Isles. 10 times.
Apox. 8 times.
Nephara. 7 times.
Tumbra. 7 times.
San Jose Guayabal. 6 times.
Sangti. 5 times.
Ruetenbach. 4 times.
Paradystopia before the Cheese Incident. 3 times.
Buyan. 2 times.
Chun-nan. 1 time.
Wray. 1 time.
Chiata. 1 time.
Albaie. 1 time.
Paradystopia after the Cheese Incident. 1 time.
Old Guard. 1 time.
Shytysle. 1 time.
And of course, it seemed twice a year, he would have to visit Gregoryisgodistan.
For some reason, they kept ringing the Association with the news of a new species.
Martin Vaporeon would travel there all those times.
Except their new species would always be some sort of regular, common animal glued to a hose.
"It's a new variation of a Squirtle!" they'd say.

And while sure, some of these trips did end with them finding some actual fair leads, they had yet to find a new species.
Most of the time, it was just some New-Type that had fled from the Sunrisian Digital Gate causing general confusion.
This time though, the people were certain it had to be a new species.
The people in question, a couple of Nepharim sailors that had just passed by a territory the Sunrisians didn't like to remind was in their possession.
Their message was loud and clear. "FOOKIN' OORANIUM SEAL, MATE!"

Martin sighed as he left the boat at the coast of Victoria City, the largest city of Victoria... which meant it was barely the size of a regular Sunrisian town with half the inhabitants.
Formerly known as Yveltal, Victoria had been handed to the Sunrisians by their late dictator, Lord Yveltal, after a lawnmower accident with extreme prejudice.
Matthew Sioux, president at the time shrugged it off, suggesting it'd be best if the Sunrisians granted them independence.
The First Republic of New Sunrise was established. It lasted three weeks.
The Second Republic of New Sunrise was established. That one lasted one week and a half.
The Cynderline Kingdom would come afterwards. Lasted a week.
The Third Republic of New Sunrise would be the follow-up. Lasted a month.
By the end of the year, the Twentieth Republic of New Sunrise thought it was best if they handed control of the nation to the Sunrisians again.
Sioux still had zero interest in controlling the problematic colony, so he decided the best way to get out of that would be to promote the now named Victoria to a Dependency.
A new government was installed as a result and a man named Giuseppe Sironicci took power. The Sunrisian native lasted four months there, before requesting a leave due to health issues that he could only treat at the Mainland.
He wound end up being the sole Sunrisian to ever really govern the dependency, Sioux preferring to keep power at the hands of an actual native.
Victoria's populace consisted of Humans and Furlings... and both hated each other equally, which meant the Sunrisians would remain neutral as both sides clashed.

Three years ago, the then governor messed around with nuclear energy.
And then it blew up, making half of it simply inhabitable.
Sketchy how the half that blew up was the one half that mostly humans living while the governor himself was a furling but the Sunrisians didn't look very much into that colony to figure out.
Still, none of the Furlings had the courage to double-cross a regular Sunrisian.
Martin traveled across the rather empty streets of Victoria City.
Their people had diminished over the years, given the amount of bloodshed for all sorts of revolutions and rebellions that happened at the dependency.
One could say all rebellions that would've happened with an union like the USI happened at that long-forsaken bit of land.
He managed to have a nice talk with the owner of the Sunrise Hotel, another Mainland Sunrisian that had moved from Amy City.
The man had been living at Victoria for the last five years, mostly using his status as a Mainland guy to prevent ethnic battles inside his hotel.
He mentioned that he'd often receive humans and Furlings and although he never witnessed the two brawling in the hotel itself, it wasn't exactly rare to see them in fist fights outside.
After the accident, most humans had left the city, either by own choice or not as the consecutive Furling governors had a tendency of mistreating them hard) for the cleaner parts of Victoria, leaving the capital in the hands of the Furlings.
Martin did eventually wonder if his wife was a Furling or anything of the like, only for him to find a human woman bringing a dish of rice and Miltank stew.
He thanked them for the warm welcome, walking to his room and getting a good night of sleep.
Tomorrow, he'd take a check at that "Uranium Seel".

[Elejamie]

---

Analyses and Predictions: The "You've Come To Expect This" Edition

Well that was a series, wasn't it? Yes, Elejamie made it to yet another quarter-finals following that series against Nephara, a team we've already played before. It started off alright, with us winning 2-1, thanks to goals from Anatoly Kasputin and Lucas Madgwick. And, of course, Antonio Cervantes was rested in that game, with Peter Berg replacing him in goal and Pedro Cervantes on the bench. Fortunately, game two was a much better game, with the Icy Elephants winning 4-1. Although Esther Devante scored first for Nephara, we bounced back from that thanks to goals from Cerin Meloten (who scored two, I should point out), James Han and Anatoly Kasputin. All in all, quite a good series and I'm hoping that this next one against Vilita and Turori would match it.

Quick recaps of our Round of 16 aside, we now go to our regular feature, the Analyses and Predictions. Basically, if you haven't read it before and don't want to do through old articles I've posted, it's where I take a look at how teams did in previous tournaments and use that to judge how well they'll do. It's not really the best system, as there's been a few shockers in this tournament, like a couple of big names going out a lot earlier than anticipated. Not to mention that I'm sometimes wrong, like me predicting Valanora going out in the quarter-finals last time round but they made it to the final. But it gives you a good idea on how far they'll go thanks to things like experience.

Also, since I've pretty much written about these teams in previous A&P articles, I'm also going to talk about the last time they made it this far. Seeing that nearly all of these teams made it to the quarter-finals back in Hannasea, that shouldn't be too hard. Even the ones that didn't were quarter-finalists back in Quebec, so I won't have to go back too far.

---

Quarter-finals

Valanora vs Unified Sunrise Islands

Valanora didn't get off to the best of starts in the last World Cup of Hockey, which was strange as they were the reigning World Champions going into it. In fact, they actually had a surprisingly tough time in their group, winning two (5-1 over New Jarwel and 3-1 over The Serbian Empire) and drawing two (0-0 to Vilita and Turori and 2-2 to the Republic of Arkan). So, when they were drawn against Gregoryisgodistan, some people, myself included, thought that this would be it for the Calcuttas. Fortunately, it wasn't, as they won 1-0 to make it to the quarter-finals. It was there that they finally started showing that skill that made them the #1 in the world, as they dispatched Esparmuran (who had beaten Nassau-Hessen 8-0) 3-1 to book their place in the semi-final. There, they beat Novaya Zemlya 4-0 to make it to their second final in a row, where they had to face us for the second final in a row.

Fortunately, they've really improved since then, as you can probably tell, so me telling you about their performance last time isn't really useful. But it's a good history lesson.

In the last competition, the Unified Sunrise Islands did fairly well for themselves. Although they drew their opening game against Abanhfleft 1-1, they picked themselves up after their bye day and beat Prusy Krolewskie 1-0 and a another 1-0 win, this time against Anglatia, was enough to see them qualify for the next round no matter the result of their next game. They won that too, with yet another 1-0 win but over Islana Lunigo this time. Fortunately, their Round of 16 game was when they finally started putting more goals into the net, as they beat Nephara 2-1. And they scored two goals in their Quarter-final game. Unfortunately, their opponents - who just so happened to be Elejamie - scored twice as many, which caused the USI to crash out of the tournament.

Winner: Do I really need to ask?

Elejamie vs Vilita and Turori

You know how the deal went back in Hannasea, so I'll keep it brief: We went through our group stage 4-0-0, before playing Anthor (a team that considers us a rival, whereas we're more busy with Valanora and Quebec) again in the Round of 16. We beat them 4-1 the first time and we beat them again, this time 1-0 in overtime. Of course, we played them three more times after that - two pre-tournament friendlies, which saw 5-2 and 3-1 wins for the Icy Elephants; and our Group D game over in Turbani at Tranquil Park, which we won 3-2 - so I can see why they think there's a rivalry going on. You'll get a win over us eventually!

Where was I? Oh, yes. After the dismal Anthor game, we had the Unified Sunrise Islands, a team we easily beat 4-2. We then followed that up with the semi-final against Ficiscia, where we went from 2-1 down at the end of the second period to win 3-2, with goals from Cerin Meloten (who scored that first goal for us), Stacy Saunders (who scored the equaliser and, from what I'm reading, might make a welcome return in the next edition) and Anatoly Kasputin (who scored the winner). And then we played Valanora in the final. I'll tell you more about our new-found rivalry about them later, but now I'll just tell you the score: 3-1. Either way, it was enough to get us a second trophy in our cabinet and a second star on our jerseys.

Vilita and Turori were also in Hannasea, where they finished second in their Guild of Launderers group (aka Group F). There, they won two games, 3-1 against New Jarwel and 4-3 against the Republic of Arkan; played a goalless draw against Valanora; and lost their opening game 3-2 to the Serbian Empire. And it seemed like things would be going from bad to worse as they played Nova Anglicana, who had swept their group. So imagine how they felt when the Ice Cat Things managed to beat the Ice Lions 3-1. Unfortunately, those feelings didn't last long as Novaya Zemlya won their quarter-final bout 2-1, but it was nice at the time.

Besides, V&T have done very well for themselves here, as they've knocked out Esparmuran in the group stage and Nova Anglicana (again) in the Round of 16 (again). So we shouldn't underestimate them. But will they beat us? Let's see what the next paragraph has to say.

Winner: Elejamie. Vilita and Turori may be on a roll here but I'm pretty sure we can put a stop to that. Expect a sweep.

The Royal Kingdom of Quebec vs Cosumar

The Royal Kingdom of Quebec are one of the biggest names in ice hockey, so it's a given that they'd make it this far. And they did fairly well in the last tournament, winning all but one of their group games (a 1-1 draw against the United States of Devonta) in the Guild of Apothecaries group (aka Group D). Fortunately for the Ice Knights, they managed to get their own back when they played the Devontans again in their Round of 16 game. And they got a win this time, 3-0. However, it all came crashing down as they lost 1-0 to eventual third-placers Ficiscia. However, they haven't been spectacular over here in Valanora, winning both games in their series against Mercedini 1-0 when in reality they clearly could've scored more, so I'd say that they need to kick it into high gear if they want to last long in this series.

In the last tournament, Cosumar were drawn in the Guild of Pepperers group (aka Group H), alongside Anthor, Tobiasia, the Greater Vakolicci Haven and, of course, us. And they didn't have such a great time. For a start, they lost their opening game against us, 4-1, with Alex Douglass scoring the only goal for the Ice Dragons. However, their next games would be a mixed bag; although there were 2-0 and 5-0 wins against the GVH and Tobiasia respectively, it was the 3-1 loss to Anthor that sealed their third-placed fate. A bit of a step down from their performance at the 30th edition, where they finished Group H 3-1-1 and were swept 2-0 by Neu Engollon in the Round of 16. Which, in turn, was a bit of a step-down from the 29th edition in Quebec, where they topped Group F with three wins and two draws and won their series against Abanhfleft 2-1 before getting sweeped by us in the quarter-final.

Winner: Quebec. While the Ice Knights have been getting a bit sloppy, with the aforementioned series against Mercedini being a possible lowlight, they've still got what it takes to win. A low scoring sweep, though it won't be out of the ordinary if it goes to game three.

Novaya Zemlya vs Gregoryisgodistan

In the last competition back in Hannasea, Novaya Zemlya had a bit of trouble at the beginning of the tournament, drawing their first two games (against Aquitayne and Kaboomlandia) 2-2. Two dire performances that angered former Partizan BG coach Gennadiy Ponikarov so much that he actually requested that Novozemlyan coach Bogdan Bobr gets fired from his post. Although they won their last two games (4-0 against the Second Ndakene Federation and Parah), it was a 5-1 win for Kaboomlandia over Aquitayne that spared the Novozemlyans from elimination. A 1-0 win over Abanhfleft in the Round of 16 might not have been enough to liven spirits but a 2-1 win over V&T definitely was. The downside was that they'd face Valanora, the then-World Champs, who easily defeated them 4-0. Novaya Zemlya had the chance to regain some honour as they played Ficiscia in the third place playoff, but they lost that 4-1 and got yet another fourth place finish. They've definitely improved since the last tournament, only losing one game (

As I've previously mentioned, the Ice Slaves had been getting a little bit sloppy in recent tournaments, going out much earlier than they should've. Fortunately, things have picked up (or Horse Beater LAL9210 realised that things wouldn't go so great back home if they went out again) and they made it to the Quarter-final. But what about their last tournament, back in Hannasea? They finished top in their group - with three wins and a draw - and were drawn against their old rivals Valanora (although I'll get onto the rivalry later). The Calcuttas won that one, 1-0. Before that, there was Norrehavn, where they finished top of Group F with three wins and two draws. There, they played against the Royal Kingdom of Quebec, another old rival of theirs. The Ice Knights swept them 2-0, winning the first game one 2-1 and game two 1-0.

But the last time they made it to the Quarter-finals was in Quebec for the 29th edition. There, they topped Group H with four wins and one draw (and not letting in a single goal), then they got their revenge on Neu Engollon for what happened last time by sweeping them 2-0 in the Round of 16. The Ice Slaves carried on their run of good luck by beating Zenic 2-1 in their quarter-final series, where they found out they'd be facing Valanora. I'd go into some more detail later but, for now, I'll say that GGS won the series 2-1 and made it to the final, where they ended up playing us. They did very well, forcing the series to a game three, but in the end they lost both the final game and the series 2-1.

Winner: Gregoryisgodistan. While their performances since the 29th edition weren't as great, whereas Novaya Zemlya could be considered a potential world champion, I see no reason for the Ice Slaves to drop out now. Coach Bobr's men might take it to a game three if they're lucky but the chances of that happening are about as likely as an Ice Slaves game that doesn't end in a single death.

Semi-finals

Valanora vs Gregoryisgodistan

The old rivalry, although as far as I know the Gregoryisgodistanis pay more attention to it than the Vanorians do. Due to the latter's immortality, the Ice Slaves can't beat the Calcuttas by using good old old-fashioned crushing, so they have to resort to playing normal ice hockey in order to beat them. Sometimes it works. For example, Gregoryisgodistan might've lost the first game in their series back in Quebec, but they won the next two games 1-0 and 2-1 to make it to the final. But sometimes it doesn't, like the 26th World Cup of Hockey quarter-final series I mentioned a long time ago. If you don't remember, the Valanora won the first game 3-2 in overtime; Gregoryisgodistan won the second 2-0; Valanora won the third game (and, as a result, the series) 4-2.

Winner: Valanora in game three. While the Vanorian shooters have been on fire throughout the tournament, the Gregoryisgodistani defence still works wonders and would probably be a major hassle. Sort of like an "unstoppable force vs immovable object" scenario which, in this case, is kind of literal thanks to the Gregoryisgodistani Enemy Crushers. I still don't know how they work, though.

Elejamie vs The Royal Kingdom of Quebec

The other old rivalry, going as far back as 1962 when the two teams first played each other, although it's fallen by the wayside thanks to the Icy Elephants' newfound rivals in Valanora. The last time these two titans played each other was at semi-finals of the 29th World Cup of Hockey, which was hosted by Quebec. The hosts were the favourites going into the series and were expected to sweep Elejamie. So imagine how the world felt when the tables were turned and the Ice Elephants swept the Ice Knights instead. Elejamie took the first game 4-1, thanks to goals from James Han, Anatoly Kasputin, Cerin Meloten and Lucas Madgwick. However, the Ice Knights managed to bounce back for game two and force an overtime; however, they would never get a game three thanks to an overtime goal from Kasputin resulting in the match ending 4-3 to Elejamie.

Winner: Elejamie. If they get lucky and beat Cosumar, then there's no way they'll be making it past us. Possible sweep, although I will say that a game three will be more than likely.

Final and 3PPO

Valanora vs Elejamie

If memory serves me correctly, this will be the third time (in a row, I should add) that these two teams have played each other in the final. But it would also be the fourth meeting, as the Icy Elephants first played the Calcuttas in the 28th edition, which they not only hosted but won as well. And they swept us, winning game one 4-2 and game two 6-5. But we managed to bounce back from that and face them again in the WCoH30 finals, even winning the first game 5-4 in overtime. However, luck soon ran out and they won the next load of games, 6-5 (also in OT) and 3-2 (in RT) to take home the trophy. And then we played them again

Winner: To be honest, this could go either way. While Elejamie won the first game of the series back in Norrehavn, they lost the next two games and handed Valanora the trophy. But, when they played each other again in Hannasea, Elejamie won the match 3-1 and their second tournament. In fact, there were questions about whether or not we would've won it had it been a best-of series and not single elimination; some agreed because of that strong performance, whereas some disagreed because of how we did back in the 30th World Cup of Hockey finals.

If I had to guess: Elejamie in game 5. Expect overtimes or even shootouts. In fact, I'm pretty sure that

Gregoryisgodistan vs The Royal Kingdom of Quebec

Another major rivalry, although I'm pretty sure Lord Almighty Gregory shows some respect to the Quebecois, which is why there are fewer crushings at GGS-RKQ games. The last time these two teams met was in the quarter-final stage of the 27th World Cup of Hockey, back when Quebec was the #1 team in the world and Gregoryisgodistan was #2. Although the tournament was co-hosted by Gregoryisgodistan and Ko-oren, the aforementioned match was in the GGS half of the tournament. The Ice Slaves won the first game 2-1, thanks to goals from Enemy Crush Bigmac Fatfrize and Loyal Friend of Lord Almighty Gregory Harry Rupertson. However, the Ice Knights would take game two by the same score, meaning that both sides would need a win in game three to move on. Fortunately for Lord Almighty Gregory, his Ice Slaves won 3-1 to move on to the semi-final. And, of course, there's the 24th World Cup of Hockey final, but that's another story for another day.

Winner: Gregoryisgodistan to take home the bronze in three. Not exactly what they intended to come home with but it should be some sort of consolation.

---

And that's your lot. As always, I usually make articles like this for fun so you have take it with a pinch of salt; after all, we might see Novaya Zemlya vs Vilita and Turori in the final or some other bizarre match-up. But if you do decide to make this your betting guide then I should say that I'm not responsible if you lose any money. Either way, it's time to sit down in our favourite chair, put our feet up and watch some quality ice hockey. Best of luck, boys. Here's hoping for a back to back.

[Valanora]

"The Calcuttas are looking fairly good thus far in the World Cup of Hockey, they swept their group stage despite having to face off against Cosumar and then they swept their first round opponents as well. It really is looking like this squad is not happy with the way that the Championship game turned out two years ago, nor their showing for that whole tournament. They did not have a particularly strong showing in their group while they were in Hannesea and were in many ways quite fortunate to even make it to the playoffs there. However that has been far from the case, though getting to play in front of the home fans and in their own bedrooms is a big difference as well. All the same, it seems that the hunger to reprove themselves not just as one of the best in the world but as the very best of all time has sparked a certain fight in them that has paid off in spades and then some. Even the great Icy Elephants side has to feel a little bit intimidated by the way that our lads are plying their trade."

"Well that is perhaps taking it a step too far, let us not forget it was that same Elejamie squad that defeated our own in that Championship game two years ago and gave us all that we could handle with the same circumstance four years ago. While they have to be impressed by the way that the Calcuttas have played in the tournament, to say that they are intimidated by our squad is an overreach of some proportion. By all accounts, Elejamie is performing as well as our side is and has been doing so for much of the last decade, truly a testament to how a dedication and support from their sports administration can turn a burgeoning power into that of one of the best teams in all of the world with the Championships to back it up. It is perhaps why the Calcuttas' strength seems to wax and wane over the cycles, as they are supported or not by the bureaucrats over in the Vanorian Sporting Council. The last decade saw a shift in the support and suddenly the squad has risen back among the elite, though that might be cut short again as the Hockey Champions' League was suspended."

"It is true, that the investment into the squad has helped but I would not fret overly much from the suspension of the HCL, as I have heard on good authority that the organizers within the VSC are looking to reinstate it after the World Cup as several previously unaligned entities have expressed their desire to join in the competition. So long as the EHL has a reason to be fully funded by the VSC, then I would suspect that the Calcuttas shall remain a good squad with the players on the team playing in one of the best leagues in the world and against high level international competition consistently as well. That sort of circumstance makes for great players who are hardened in their fortitude by the experiences that they have with their domestic sides."

"I hope that rumor proves to be true, not just for the EHL and the Calcuttas but for all of the hockey world, the HCL is another common ground for those nations to explore and compete in. It brings out the best in all of us, so I like to hope, as such that international competition does from the World Cup of Football to the World Cup of Hockey, as so does the UICA competitions and the HCL. Bonding over the common experience of what it takes to be a professional sportsmen and then aspire towards being the best team and individual is something that produces a certain kind of majesty. Sport is just as brutal as it is majestic but all these people from different origins and cultures, even species, find that commonality. It is a small piece in the bigger collage of how our modern society has learned to coexist with one another, a micro chasm of what can be achieved through unity rather than divisiveness. Odd that competition does so"

[Valanora]

Quarterfinals, Game 1
Valanora 1–0 Unified Sunrise Islands
Elejamie 3–0 Vilita and Turori
Royal Kingdom of Quebec 0–1 Cosumar
Novaya Zemlya 0–1 Gregoryisgodistan

[Northern Sunrise Islands]

Martin woke up earlier than the usual, thanks to a sudden, loud crack.
As he peeked through the window, he noticed a human being held in an arm lock by a furling with a couple more of those encircling the two.
He quickly ran down the stairs, picking up the hotel owner as the two rushed to the scene.
The Furlings stared at the two, seemingly preparing for an attack at them as well, only for the hotel owner to raise one of his hands, showing a rather Unown-esque S drawn there.
The group bowed down, throwing the human onto Martin's arms.
As Martin berated the group, he noticed the human happened to be a boy, covered by layers of cloth.

The boy told his story.
Michael, his actual name, lived with his parents on the outskirts of Victoria City and worked mostly little errands to help the family out.
This day, however, he was cornered by a gang of furlings as he was on his way home.
The hotel owner sighed, pondering how the Furlings could still act like this after that disaster years earlier, all on their fault.
Michael prepared to leave, only for Martin to stop him and ask about the layers of cloth distributed around his body.
Turns out Victorians used special clothes to travel through the nuclear poisoned lands without getting in contact with the radiation.
It worked like a proper Hazmat suit but thanks to a bit of magic, probably exported from the Technoticans up in the sky, it wasn't as restrictive.
Still, however, one simply couldn't just live there at all as even their magic wouldn't last.

Martin thought the special vests were a bit odd, but still, he walked through the empty streets, a traffic sign pointing out to the nearest settlement, a town named Golden Village.
However, the name was covered by a green tape with the word "Poisoned" over it.
Michael guided the SPBA Scout, looking around.
The boy pointed out he had no recollection of ever witnessing the uranium Seel, although he did heard rumors of unknown creatures wandering across the fallen villages from traveling merchants.
The two heard a strange groan.
A weird noise.
Was that the Uranium Seel?
The noises came from the bushes.

Martin and Michael returned to the Hotel, carrying an injured Furling on their shoulders.
The Furling, a she, was still confused over how two humans could go and help her return to safety.
"Y-you humans..." She tried to mutter an insult, only to groan.
"Rest." Martin said as they laid the Furling on Martin's bed.

"A-an uranium Seel?" the Furling asked, having rested a bit and taken some medicine given by the hotel owner's wife. "I-Is that all you wish to know from Margot of the Seven Winds?"
Margot was a talented thief, according to herself, but apparently her special vests' power was fading as she fell down on the bushes.
She'd be dead, were not for Martin.
"I... I recall something of the like at Moorhouse..." She said, her head laying on the pillow. "I could take you there if you wish."
"It'd be great." He nodded. "I need to catalog it for the SPBA."
"...Isn't that... Mainland?" She asked, shocked. "...Y-You're a Mainland-"
"Yes." He nodded again. "And this is my assistant, Michael."
Michael raised an eyebrow, simply nodding afterwards. "A-aye."
She laughed. "Fair enough. I guess you can say you two have my services for free as a sign of gratitude."
The two accepted, Martin handing Margot a glass of tea.
She took a sip of the drink, looking at him rather curious. "So, say, did you ever seen the nightlife here?"

Margot guided Martin to a livelier part of Victoria City.
Neon lights illuminated that part of town as night fell.
It certainly was a different sight from the coast.
"I know you might not be used to the Furlings, but I swear..." She said, entering one of the many night clubs installed at that part of town.
Martin looked around, surprised to find the club filled with people of all sorts. A certainly different sight from what he noticed during all of his traveling.
"I thought your people hated the humans!"
"It's quite true... but this part of town is free for everyone. C'mon." She smiled, pulling him to the dancing floor. "Let's enjoy ourselves, shall we?"

[Elejamie]

"... Over to John Daverson now with the news about Elejamie's first Quarter-final game in Valanora. John?"

That's right, Steve! Good morning, Elejamie! The Icy Elephants are 1-0 up in their series against Vilita and Turori as they managed to come away with a 3-0 victory. Vilita and Turori, also known as the Ice Cat Things, are something of a giant killer in this tournament, as they eliminated the third-ranked Esparmuran in the group stage and won their Round of 16 series against Nova Anglicana 2-1. However as they get ready for their second game in the series, it seems like their luck's about to run out. Here are the highlights:

The first period nearly saw Vilita and Turori get an early goal when this shot from Cartai Chiate just bounced off the post, with his second attempt being caught by Antonio Cervantes. However, the Icy Elephants would also come close themselves when a shot from Cerin Meloten skimmed the post as it went wide, followed by Vilita and Turori's goaltender Tommy Finn clearing the puck. Although Bill Harrison would get a two minute penalty for slashing about four minutes in, neither side were able to put the puck in. And, when Vilita and Turori thought they a goal thanks to Vakki Cren halfway through the period, it had to be disallowed when it turned out that line-mate Jualiar Fichaud was off-side. Not much else happened in the period and, when it came to an end, the match was still goalless and things could go either way.

The second period started off as another close affair. Five minutes after the period began, a fight broke out between Ethan Swinburne and Hluali Tiik, a fight which Swinburne won easily. Shortly afterwards, Francisco Solano had to go to the box for two minutes for hooking Ocean Suzgar. After that, the period seemed like it would be yet another quiet affair. However, eight minutes from time, the first goal of the night was scored. After Aaron Andrews won the face-off, he passed it over to George Lincoln. Lincoln then passed it back to Andrews who then passed the puck over to Ethan Swinburne. Once he got close to Vilita and Turori's net, Swinburne passed it over to James Han, who knocked it into the net off the one-timer. Although Kevin Diesel would go into the box three minutes from the end for high-sticking Lupe, quickly followed by Lupe getting a two-minute minor of his own for roughing, neither side was able to score and, as the second period came to an end, the Icy Elephants were 1-0 up and were starting to look comfortable for them.

The third period saw Elejamie secure their lead. Less than a minute after the start, Anatoly Kasputin grabbed the insurance marker, deking the puck past Tommy Finn and into the back of the net; Cerin Meloten and Adam Keane were credited with the assist. Shortly after the goal, another fight broke out, this time between Solano and Ricky Fike; the refs broke it up and both players served five minutes in the box. It was at this point where Vilita and Turori desperately tried to put the puck past Antonio Cervantes. A shot from River Suzgar went wide, with a second attempt being caught by Cervantes; a snap shot from Emhaoi Linaozi bounced off the post and was cleared by Mike Cruickshank; and a wrist shot from Ricky Fike just managed to hit Cervantes' pad, with him forcing a face-off just before Fike could try again. Then, roughly a minute before the end, Vilita and Turori coach Avalan Marcraw pulled Finn off the ice for an extra attacker. This lead to the third and final goal for Elejamie; thirty seconds from time, Paul Morton delivered a powerful check to Lance Blaki and took the puck off him. He passed it to Lucas Madgwick who slapped it in from the point. Although the Ice Cat Things came close to a consolation goal, it was too late and, at the end of the match, Elejamie had won the first game of the series 3-0.

In a post-game interview, head coach Michael Madgwick said "A good game. I mean, that first period was a complete shambles and I felt like nodding off halfway through. But we managed to get ourselves into high gear for that second period, thanks to that goal from James. And we did very well in that third period, with some good goals from Anatoly and Lucas. There was some good closing down from our defence and Toni did an excellent job in goal, as usual. Over all, I'm pleased and I hope we can carry this on in game two."

"Do you think you'll sweep the series?"

"It's possible. After all, while Vilita and Turori are a formidable side and they have been killing giants left and right throughout the tournament, I don't think that they'll cause us any trouble. They might grab a goal or two in game two but I highly doubt it will be a win."

In the other quarter-finals, Valanora won their first game against the Unified Sunrise Islands 1-0, Cosumar grabbed a shock win over the Royal Kingdom of Quebec as they shut them out 1-0. And Gregoryisgodistan won the first game in their series against Novaya Zemlya 1-0. Wow, a lot of 1-0 games. However, both sides will be back on the ice in tomorrow. Will Elejamie make another clean sweep? Or will Vilita and Turori force a game three? Find out on Puck Drop!

Meanwhile in rugby league, the ERF has announced that the Fosado XIII Guerreros will be moved to Avon for the 2018 HBRL season. The move, which was the result of the club finding new buyers shortly before they were due to enter administration, would mean that Avon will see its first professional rugby league team since the Warriors moved to Eden Rock to become the Red Vees back in 1998...

---

Period			P1	P2	P3	FS
Elejamie		0	1	2	3
V&T			0	0	0	0

[Valanora]

Quarterfinals, Game 2
Valanora 2–1 Unified Sunrise Islands, Valanora wins series 2-0
Elejamie 7–4 Vilita and Turori, Elejamie wins series 2-0
Royal Kingdom of Quebec 3–5 Cosumar, Cosumar wins series 2-0
Novaya Zemlya 1–0 Gregoryisgodistan, Series tied 1-1

[Elejamie]

"... And now it's John Daverson, who's got the scoop about our second Quarter-final game in Valanora. John?"

That's right, Steve! Good morning, Elejamie! The Icy Elephants have swept the Ice Cat Things of Vilita and Turori 2-0 after a 7-4 win. Despite Antonio Cervantes being replaced in his net by his nephew Pedro for reasons unknown, as well as four goals from a charged up Vilita and Turori offence, Elejamie managed to hold their ground and make it to their fifth consecutive semi-final. And now, as we wait to see who they'll be playing in the next round, I'll go over the highlights for you:

The first period was a five-goal frenzy. Cartai Chiate scored the first goal of the evening thirty seconds in, with a snap shot that just made it over Pedro Cervantes' stick; Kevin Diesel and River Suzgar were credited with the assist. However, their lead would be short-lived as, less than fifteen seconds later, Anatoly Kasputin levelled the scores with an excellent unassisted wrist shot that went in through the five hole. Five minutes later, Kevin Diesel would get a two-minute minor for interference. This lead to Kasputin scoring his second of the night just over twenty seconds later, deking his puck past Tommy Finn on the breakaway; Cerin Meloten and Lupe were credited with the assist. A third Elejamian goal in this period came with nine minutes left on the clock, when Mike Cruickshank cleared the puck and Ethan Swinburne managed to get his stick to it. He then passed it over to Aaron Andrews who netted it blocker-side. Although Vilita and Turori would score a second goal not far from the end, with a shot from Eastern Raciani - assisted by Emhaoi Linaozi and Torren Filiao - scraping the post as it went in, it wasn't enough to regain the lead and, at the end of the period, the score was 3-2 to the Icy Elephants.

The second period saw Elejamie extend their lead. Three minutes after the start, Bill Harrison netted goal number four for the Icy Elephants after Paul Morton won a face-off. However, six minutes later, Elejamie would be down one man when Francisco Solano received a two minute minor for hooking Korus Korney. Fortunately, the Icy Elephants would manage to kill off the penalty. Unfortunately, a few seconds after the penalty ended, Vilita and Turori would close the gap to one, with Lance Blaki, assisted by line-mates Vakki Cren and Jualiar Fichaud, slapping the puck over Cervantes' stick. Four minutes later, a fight broke out between Francisco Solano and Kevin Diesel, with Solano managing to knock Diesel onto the ice before the refs broke up the two. Less than a minute from the end, Pael Atenar scored the eighth goal of the evening, thanks to a slap shot that went in stick-side and assistance from the twins, Danilo and Felipe Barajas. No more goals were scored and the period ended 5-3 in Elejamie's favour.

The third period began with Tommy Finn being replaced by Koyo Apen in net. And this seemed to have worked, as Apen saved a flurry of Elejamian shots in the first three minutes. In fact, the next goal of the evening was from Ricky Fike six minutes in, who scored off the one-timer thanks to a good pass from Eastern Raciani. However, that would be the last goal scored by the Ice Cat Things. To make matters worse, Hluali Tiik received a two minute minor shortly afterwards for high-sticking Lucas Madgwick. However, thirty seconds into the powerplay, Cerin Meloten's wrist shot bounced off the post and in front of Anatoly Kasputin's stick, who managed to slot it in through the five-hole to make it 6-4 to Elejamie; Adam Keane was also credited for the assist. And, two minutes from time, Bill Harrison scored his second and the last goal of the night, with a blocker-side shot that just managed to make it into the back of the net. Although Apen was pulled for an extra attacker with a minute left to go, neither side were able to score and, when the klaxon went, Elejamie had made it to another semi-final thanks to a 7-4 win.

In a post-match interview, head coach Michael Madgwick said "After that fourth goal went in, I said to Ron [Berg] that I was having flashbacks of that series against Kaboomlandia! I mean, we all laughed about it at the time but that's honestly what it felt like. Fortunately, it wasn't a repeat of that first game, a match I still have nightmares about. But, again, that's what it felt like and I was a little bit worried that I'd have to get everyone ready for a third game.

As for the boys? Anatoly did an excellent job up front and clearly deserved that hat-trick; all the pieces, all the chances were there and he just snapped them up before anyone else had a chance. Bill also grabbed an excellent couple of goals and, looking at his performance out there, you'd think he'd have enough energy to score a third. Pael and Aaron also scored a good goal each, so well done to them as well. Pedro could've done a better job in goal but I'm still proud of him stepping in and trying his hardest given the circumstances. All in all, a little bit of a step down from game one defensively but it's still a good result."

"Who do you think you'll face in the semi-finals"

"I would say our old friend Quebec but, seeing them in that first game against Cosumar, I don't think they'll be the ones joining us. So it's a toss-up between Gregoryisgodistan and Novaya Zemlya. And, if I had to pick... Gregoryisgodistan. While Bobr's men could get a couple of goals, seeing as they've got a good forward core, the Gregoryisgodistani defence are pretty much brick walls on skates. I can't really see Novaya Zemlya really getting far against them."

In a different post-match interview, goaltender Pedro Cervantes said "I will say that was a tough game. I mean, I let a few in, including one or two that Uncle Toni could've easily saved. But I'm still happy with my performance out there. I just need to get some more practice in and hopefully I won't end up repeating what happened out there."

Meanwhile in the quarter-finals, Valanora swept the Unified Sunrise Islands after a 2-1 victory; and Cosumar have eliminated the Royal Kingdom of Quebec after a 5-3 win. However, Novaya Zemlya fought back and beat Gregoryisgodistan 1-0 to force a game three. And, as Coach Madgwick's boys take a breather and get ready for their semi-final game, we'll be airing game three between Novaya Zemlya and Gregoryisgodistan. Will the Ice Slaves make it to their first semi-final since Quebec? Or will Novaya Zemlya put a stop to that? Find out on Puck Drop!

Still in ice hockey, as it's been announced that the Barr Bears will be moving into a new arena for the 2019/2020 ENIHL season. The New Barr Arena, a working title I should add, will cost Ꞅ500 million to build and is set to seat 20,000 fans, 1,500 more than the Bears' current stadium, the Choczilla Ice Cream Arena...

---

Period			P1	P2	P3	FS
Elejamie		3	2	2	7
V&T			2	1	1	4

[Valanora]

Quarterfinals
Novaya Zemlya 0–0(1–0 SO) Gregoryisgodistan

Semifinals
(1) Valanora v (11) Cosumar
(3) Elejamie v (7) Novaya Zemlya

[Valanora]

Valanora Times
Closer To The Edge

To say that the Quarterfinal fixtures seemed to lack the same intensity as that of the first round of the Playoffs would be quite an apt description, given that three of the four series were sweeps. With only a single one of the series going the full three matches and the way that both the Calcuttas and Icy Elephants look head and shoulders above everyone else, you can easily forgive people for not finding the Quarterfinals as interesting as the rest of the tournament. However that is not to say that there has not been developments from the Quarterfinals that have not been without surprise, as the shock of the round has to be that Quebec was swept by an unassuming squad in Cosumar. Yes, the same Cosumar that pushed the Calcuttas hard during the group stage has had made massive improvements across all sports in the last decade so that all their national teams should be treated with a modicum of respect and concern by those who face off against them. It seems that Quebec had to find out that lesson in the harshest of manners, being made an example of by the Ice Dragons, who now look to claim another scalp from one of the traditional powers in the sport and lay their claim to being among the best.

That scalp though would be our own and one that the Ice Dragons may find just a bit harder to claim than their previous, with the Calcuttas putting up displays that are vintage from when the World Cup of Hockey had first been contested, fresh from the ashes of the Cherry Cup. Long have the Calcuttas entered in the tournament, even having an appearance in the precursor tournament in the Cherry Cup, our side is not only one of the best in the game but have been one of the stalwarts of the sport for as long as most of those competing today can remember and then some. If Cosumar is to reach the Championship series over our own side, they are going have to tackle giants of the game and a side whose hunger is only matched in intensity by the skill that they players possess and show night in and night out on the rink to the dismay of all those who have stood in their way during this run here in Valanora.

However when one looks at how the Calcuttas fared in their Quarterfinal tie with the Unified Sunrise Islands, one can see where chips in the armor have began to emerge as the Sunrisians were able to hold the explosive offense that the Calcuttas have been putting up in check to a point. With only three goals scored in the two games, the side had to work for their goals and the victories that the goals ensured in order to overcome their foes in the Unified Isles, a team whom many would have believed to be quite weaker than the Calcuttas when merely looking at the roster and recent results for both teams. However one should not come away from that series feeling discouraged about the Calcuttas chances to make it to the Championship series once more despite the relative poor showing against the Sunrise Isles, as it allows the team to focus in on an area to improve upon and not become complacent as they try to advance ever forward.

Cosumar presents as a great challenge, though not the greatest one that the Calcuttas might have faced at this stage of the competition, with an offense that knows exactly how to exploit any mistake that the opposition team can make. Quebec was torched for five goals in the game against Cosumar that saw them eliminated and Cosumar put up goals against our side during the group stage, a sure sign of their capability. However our blue line corps has shown its strength this tournament and continues to be a solid six man group that can compete with even the potent attack that the Ice Dragons provide and hopefully that which the Icy Elephants also look to have after their seven goal outburst against the combined team of Vilita and Turori in the game that clinched their progression. The Calcuttas rely on a potent team attack and it is going to have to be on point after their last series, for the Cosumarite forwards are going to create chances, it is up to the Calcuttas to do the same and also capitalize on those chances in order to see the rematch that all of Valanora is looking forward to.

[Valanora]

Semifinals, Game 1
Valanora 1-1 (2–1 OT) Cosumar
Elejamie 3–1 Novaya Zemlya

[Elejamie]

"... Over to John Daverson now with the news about that first semi-final game. John?"

That's right, Steve! Good morning, Elejamie! Coach Michael Madgwick's men are 1-0 up in their series against Novaya Zemlya following a 3-1 win. The last time these two teams met, it was at the quarter-finals of the 27th World Cup of Hockey, where the Novozemlyans managed a 2-1 series win to advance to their semi-final series against Esparmuran. And now, with veteran goaltender Antonio Cervantes back in the net after his break, Elejamie are hoping to get revenge for their quarter-final exit in Ko-oren. Here are the highlights.

The first period got off to a slow start, with both sides acting defensively. In fact, it wasn't until the first minute that the crowd saw a shot on goal; a wrist shot from Zakhar Golumbovsky just hitting the post. And, even when Bill Harrison had to be taken off the ice for two minutes for boarding, Novaya Zemlya were still unable to score, with their sole consolation being that their opponents were having trouble doing the same thing. However, halfway through the first period, Andrei Alenichev was given a two minute minor for slashing Mike Cruickshank. Thirty seconds into the powerplay, Elejamie and Torpedo Belushya Guba captain Anatoly Kasputin scored the first goal of the evening, with a simple wrist shot that made its way over Anton Lopatin's stick; Cerin Meloten and Adam Keane were credited with the assist. Although the Novozemlyans came close to equalising in the dying seconds, the period eventually came to an end, with Elejamie leading 1-0 going into the break.

The second period was more of the same with both sides trying and failing to get one over their opponents. Even when they had the man advantage, like Ethan Swinburne getting a two minute minor for high-sticking Zakhariy Myshkin or Nikolai Gavrilov receiving a minor penalty for charging. However, halfway through the period, a fight broke out between Ethan Swinburne and Fyodor Ryzhkov, a fight that Swinburne easily won. Fortunately for Ryzhkov, it wasn't a repeat of that infamous fight he had with Francisco Solano back in Ko-oren, as he would make it back onto the ice later on in the evening. About four minutes from time, Anatoly Kasputin intercepted a pass from Dominik Shelagin and passed it to Cerin Meloten, who scored off the one-timer. It was at that point that Novaya Zemlya were starting to feel the heat. As a result, they desperately tried to score a goal, with the closest attempt being this snap shot from Dominik Shelagin which bounced off Cervantes' pad. However, they were unable to put the puck into the net and, when the second period ended, the score remained 2-0 to Elejamie.

The third period saw Novaya Zemlya finally get that first goal as, coming up to the two minute mark, Novozemlyan captain Krasimir Yerokhin managed to deke the puck past Cervantes on the breakaway, with Valeri Kagalin and Vasiliy Nemetsev being credited for the assist. Although it meant the Novozemlyans could breathe easy, they still needed to get a second goal to tie the game up. And they came close on a few occasions; in fact, at one point, Zigurds Zimulis appeared to have scored the second goal for Novaya Zemlya but it was disallowed when it turned out that the net had been dislodged. Even when Paul Morton was sent to the box for two minutes when he hooked Dmitriy Chupalov, they were still unable to score a goal. However they wouldn't get it and, five minutes from time, Lucas Madgwick managed to secure Elejamie's lead with a wrist shot, assisted by Morton and Greg Warren, that went through Anton Lopatin's five hole. Although Elejamie came very close to extending their lead, with Lopatin just getting a glove to James Han's snap shot with thirty seconds left in the period, they were unable to score any more goals and, when the klaxon went for the last time, they had won the first game in the series 3-1.

In a post-match interview, head coach Michael Madgwick said "A good game all-round. Toni did a great job in net; Cerin, Anatoly and Lucas all had great goals; Ethan had a good fight; lots of good plays... not much else I can say, really. I hope we can keep this up for game two. Next question, please."

"Do you think you can sweep the series?"

"I'm sure of it. While Novaya Zemlya are a great team and they really held their own in that series against Gregoryisgodistan, I'm not sure if they'll be able to keep their run of good luck going. Maybe if they plug up the holes in their defence, they might force the next game into overtime. But I don't really see that happening and I'm afraid to say that they'll have to play for a bronze medal."

In another post-match interview, captain Anatoly Kasputin said "Wow, one goal and one assist. Hope the guys and the fans back in BG aren't too upset about that. I mean, Zak and Dmitriy didn't do a bad job defensively, Anton didn't do too badly in the net and I will admit that that goal from Krasimir was actually quite good, roughly on par with the goals he scores back in the league. Bear in mind that I play with or against most of those guys, not to mention that I probably would've played alongside them had my parents not fled the country, which is why I don't want to seem mean-spirited about their loss. That and, you know, it's not me, I'm not a bad guy."

In the other semi-final match of the day, Valanora managed to come away with a 2-1 overtime win against Cosumar...

...

... And so, we look towards game two. Will Elejamie make it a sweep? Or will Novaya Zemlya force a game three. And will it be yet another Elejamie-Valanora match-up in the final? Or will Cosumar pull the rug from under the Calcuttas' feet? Find out on Puck Drop!

Still in ice hockey news now as the Elejamian Ice Hockey Board and the Elejamian Olympic Committee has announced that they will be sending a squad of the best domestic ENIHL2 players, as well as the national women's team, to the Winter Olympics. The decision was announced yesterday, following a discussion about whether or not the men's national team would be fit and healthy enough to take part after their World Cup of Hockey campaign...

---

Period			P1	P2	P3	FS
Elejamie		1	1	1	3
Novaya Zemlya		0	0	1	1

[Valanora]

Semifinals, Game 2
Valanora 4–1 Cosumar, Valanora wins series 2-0
Elejamie 1–1(2–1 OT) Novaya Zemlya, Elejamie wins series 2-0

3PPo
Cosumar v Novaya Zemlya

Championship
Valanora v Elejamie

[Elejamie]

---

Elejamie vs Valanora: This Time It's Not a Clichéd Subtitle

And so, after that 2-1 win overtime win over Novaya Zemlya, we have reached yet another final. And, indeed, we had a real nail-biter on our hands. For a start, Novaya Zemlya scored the first goal, with Dominik Shelagin deking the puck in with 5:43 left in the first period. Although we managed to equalise in the second, with Anatoly Kasputin netting the one-timer off a pass from Cerin Meloten, neither side was able to score a winner in the third period, meaning we had to go into overtime. And let me just say that I spent most of the overtime period with my hands over my eyes. Indeed, from what I was hearing, Novaya Zemlya very nearly ended it. Fortunately, Toni got a glove to it and, exactly two minutes into overtime, Lucas Madgwick scored the winner, with a clean shot through the five hole of Iosef Bezukladinov (thank God for copy and paste), we finally made it to yet another final. Go us.

The downside is that, for the third time in a row, we're against Valanora. I'm not saying they're a bad team, far from it, but after a while it starts to get boring. I mean, I know we're two of the best teams (if not THE two best teams) in the ice hockey multiverse but, when we play each other at the same stage so many times, it starts to lose its touch, it ends up being something you'd expect. Maybe if we both make it to the semi-finals of the next one, one of us should start tanking just so the other can face someone different in the final. Or at least try and do something to liven these matches up.

Which is why I propose doing a Cup that we both compete for, whether alongside the World Cup of Hockey trophy if we both make it to the final, if we play each other at some other stage of the WCoH or even if it's during an exhibition game. After all, it'll make these match-ups a lot more exciting as there's always something at stake. Besides, it won't be the only rivalry that needs its own trophy. Gregoryisgodistan have that Civil Conflict thing with Nephara, even if the Ice Slaves say it's a one-sided affair. And Lisander have that Prince of Ermines Cup thing with Alice Bay in the rugby [union], although I'm not sure if it's purely a sevens thing or if it extends to the 15-a-side game as well.

Whatever, let's do this thing.

---

Best Result

Elejamie 7-4 Vilita and Turori: Yes, I could've put those 6-1 and 5-0 wins we had in the group stage. But bear in mind that the Natanians and Nosts haven't been in the competition since Quebec (where they also did quite poorly) and the Free Republics sent a team in the 25th edition, a few of them were killed by Gregoryisgodistani fans and the ones that survived were sent to prison for being opposed to Consul Kulseth, so obviously they aren't really as great as they should be. However, Vilita and Turori had a very good tournament, with the highlight being a 1-1 draw in their game against Esparmuran; a match that was only a highlight because they managed to knock out the #3 team in the world in the group stage. They also eliminated Nova Anglicana (another top ten team) in the round of 16, a feat they had already done back in Hannasea, and were hoping that lightning would strike thrice in their QF series against us.

But that didn't happen. They lost the first game 3-0, with goals coming from James Han, Lucas Madgwick and Anatoly Kasputin. But it was the second game that I'm going to talk about. Three goals from Anatoly Kasputin, two from Bill Harrison and a goal each from Aaron Andrews and Pael Atenar... Overall, we had some depth in that game. The downside was our defence was a bit weak there. I don't know why Antonio Cervantes was absent; maybe it was food poisoning, maybe it was some other illness, maybe he just didn't feel like showing up. But, either way, his nephew Pedro was in the net. And contrary to what Coach Madgwick said he didn't do too badly in goal, seeing as I'm sure Toni or Peter wouldn't have been able to save a couple of those goals. But, either way, a good match. Not great but still one that might be worth watching again.

Valanora 8-4 Neu Engollon: Ye Gregs, that was a lot of goals. I mean, I could've put the 6-1 thrashing of Averyickan City but, much like the aforementioned N&N and Free Republics games, a win by that scoreline was pretty much expected against a team of that caliber. However, Neu Engollon were actually quite a good team. WERE, as they were absolutely terrible during this tournament and only made it out by the grace of God. Seriously, had Chromatika not lost that game to Aquitayne, the Ibex would've gone out and we would've seen the next Ficiscia. I know I'm filling up this whole paragraph with useless information but I don't really know much about the Valanora-Neu Engollon game, so I can't really go into depth with who scored, who assisted, etc.

Winner: Elejamie. 8-4 was higher scoreline but it was against a weaker team. (1-0)

---

Worst Result

Elejamie 3-3 Tomikosan: A match that led several people, myself included, to ask ourselves "What the hell happened there?". It was a match we could've easily won, seeing as we completely dominated that first period and held our ground in the second but what happened to our defence in the third? A couple of goals we could've easily saved somehow went in. And then Lupe, Adam Keane and Franny Solano dropped the gloves, whereas Anatoly Kasputin, Cerin Meloten and Antonio Cervantes wanted the other guys away from them. Probably worse for Toni as well, seeing as he very rarely communicates in English (even though he clearly understands it). Whatever, it was a game that happened, let's go to Valanora's worst game this tournament.

Valanora 2-1 Cosumar: Now, some of you may be wondering what's wrong with this. Cosumar aren't a world beater and they made it past Quebec, so you may be wondering what the problem is. Let me put it like this: they won 2-1 in overtime against a team they could've easily beaten in regulation time. I'm guessing they were still tired from that series against the Unified Sunrise Islands, another team they could've easily beaten but were still somehow unable to. While I'm not really sure who scored for which team, all I'm sure of is that the Calcuttas managed to get everything together to take game two of the series, with a 4-1 win over the Ice Dragons. So, you know, there is a small consolation there.

Winner (or, in this case, least worst result): Valanora, as they haven't lost or drawn a game yet. And no, going into overtime or a shootout doesn't count. (1-1)

---

Finals Experience

This is Elejamie's fourth final in a row. We made it to our first final in Quebec, where we beat Gregoryisgodistan, shutting them out in a 2-0 game one win. Then they got their revenge with a 2-1 overtime win in game two, handing us our only non-win in the tournament. But we managed to come back in game three, with a 2-1 win, thanks to a couple of good goals in the third period. Then came Norrehavn, where we were up against Valanora for the first time. We won the first game but, because we were still tired from that series against Kaboomlandia (you know, where our defence shat the metaphorical bed), Valanora won the next two games. We were up against them again in Hannasea where, seeing as all the knockout stage games were single elimination, we needed a single win in the tournament to win. And that's what we got, 3-1. Although the first period ended goalless, we scored twice in the second; with an Anatoly Kasputin goal halfway through the period (9:53, to be precise) and a Lucas Madgwick goal (with 1:21 left on the clock) putting us ahead. It became 3-0 when Cerin Meloten scored with 15:55 left on the clock and, although Amonion Galaethrin scored a consolation goal with thirty seconds left in the match, it wasn't enough to beat us and we ended up taking home our second trophy. Over all, a good final and I hope we get a repeat of it here.

Valanora, on the other hand, won the tournament five times. They won WCoHs 7, 8, 17, 28 and 30. They were runners-up at least twice, having lost their final in the first competition and then, over in Hannasea for the last tournament, they lost 3-1 to us in the final, as I've explained in the last paragraph. They also came third three times, first in the second World Cup of Hockey and again in the 29th edition in Quebec. And they came fourth in the 12th WCoH. Those last two sentences technically aren't "finals experience" but they are towards the end of the tournament, so I'm still keeping them in.

Winner: Still Valanora. Until we win this one and a couple more, or at the very least make it to three more finals, we're going to be living in their shadow for quite a while. (1-2)

---

Offence

Our forward core have been doing quite well, especially since James Han's been promoted to third-liner (as well as alternate captain), with seventeen goals in the group stage. In fact, had we won that Tomikosan game, we would've been seeded first yet again as we had scored the most goals in the group stage. We then won swept another series against Nephara, winning the first game 2-1 and the second 4-1. We swept Vilita and Turori but, as I've already talked about that in my "Best Result" section, I'm not going to bother. And, finally, there was Novaya Zemlya, with a 3-1 RT win in game one and a 2-1 OT win in game two to make it to the final. Overall, 38 goals in 11 games leaves us with an average of 3.45 (recurring, by the way) goals per game. Not bad.

Valanora, meanwhile, have also scored a fair amount of goals. In fact, they scored 16 in the group stage, one fewer than us. Then they absolutely blitzed Neu Engollon in the Round of 16 but, as I've already talked about that and I don't feel like repeating myself, you can just go back to the "Best Result" section and read about it. However, their series against the Unified Sunrise Islands was a bit of a step down, seeing as the Calcuttas could've easily beaten them by at least three goals in both games, as opposed to 1-0 and 2-1 wins. Then there was that 2-1 OT win against Cosumar but they got dominated game two, winning it 4-1. In short, 37 in 11 games... not as big as us but still a respectful average of 3.36 (also recurring) goals per game.

Winner: Elejamie but only just. By a fraction of a hair, if you must. (2-2)

---

Defence

Elejamie's defence has also been quite solid. We only let in six goals in the entire group stage; one against the Natanians and Nosts, two against Anthor and three in that abysmal display I call the match against Tomikosan. We then let in two goals during our Round of 16 game against a weak Nephara. Then we slipped a bit in the Quarter-final when we let in four goals... in one game. We were only fortunate that the first game was a shutout win. And then came the semi-final, where we again only let in two goals. In the end, 14 goals allowed in eleven games (as well as that overtime period) makes it a cool GAA of 1.27. Not bad.

Valanora's also got a solid defence. They finished top of their group with a GD of +11 - 16 goals for and 5 against - and they only let goals in in their games against Tobiasia (2), Cosumar (2) and Averyickan City (1). Then came their Round of 16 series against Neu Engollon, where they let in five goals; one in the first game and four in the other. Fortunately for them, their defence beefed up and only let in a single goal in their series against the USI. Not to mention the two they conceded against Cosumar. Overall, with 13 goals allowed in eleven games, plus one overtime period, gives them a GAA of about 1.17. Slightly better than us.

Winner: Valanora. Again, it was that single goal making a huge difference. (2-3)

---

Goaltending

Some more solid goaltending from Cervantes, Berg and Cervantes there. In fact, Toni Cervantes even bagged a couple of shutouts, like the 5-0 win over the Free Republics and 3-0 in game one against V&T. Peter Berg even had a sweet game in net, which was the 2-1 win in the first game against Nephara. And Pedro Cervantes struggled a little bit in his only game so far in the tournament, the 7-4 win in the second game against V&T, but he still managed to do an alright job. In fact, the 7-4 win was the only time so far in the tournament that we've conceded more than three goals.

Valanora's also had two shutouts, one against The Redvale (3-0) and one in their first game against the Unified Sunrise Islands (1-0). In fact, much like us, they've only had one game where they conceded more than three goals; that 8-4 demolition of Neu Engollon. In short, Suiadan Lasséseth and Glenphenduil Mabrinrin clearly know what they're doing there. So were they copying us or were we copying them? Who knows? Let's just go to the result.

Winner: It's a tie. And since both sides haven't let in any more than four goals in a game throught the tournament, which would've been the tiebreaker otherwise, Elejamie and Valanora get a point each. (3-5)

---

Fighting

Elejamie may have a few good fighters in their squad and, indeed, we saw a few more scraps here in Valanora. As in, more than we did in Hannasea. Some were good, like Ethan Swinburne vs Fyodor Ryzhkov in the first Novaya Zemlya game. And some were bad, like Francisco Solano vs Manfred Hauptmann in the Tomikosan game. Not much else to say, really.

Calcuttas no fight-y. Either too squishy, too pacific or too uninterested in fighting. That's pretty much all I can say about that.

Winner: Guess. And, unless I can think of a good seventh or ninth category for my H2H articles, I'm going to keep fighting up even if the other team prefers to have their gloves on. (4-5)

---

And the winner is: Valanora. Again.

However, bear in mind that these aren't always accurate. As in, they're always wrong. After all, I predicted that Gregoryisgodistan would beat us in the 29th World Cup of Final. They won one game but we won the other two. Then I predicted we'd beat Valanora. We did in the first game but then they reverse swept us. Then I predicted that they'd beat us in Hannasea, which we actually won. So is this reverse psychology? Or is everyone trying to prove me wrong? Either way, it's not important. What is important, however, is what'll happen in the final. Will we make it two in a row? Or will we have to give the title back to Valanora? Not to mention that it's worth checking out the 3PPO as well, seeing as Novaya Zemlya might finally get their first medal after two fourth place finishes. All I know is that, when the time comes, I'm going to sit down and watch some quality ice hockey.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to pitch that Cup idea to the EIHB and the VSC. It probably won't work, seeing as I'm just a small blog owner that only gets about a thousand hits a week and there's a good chance that someone else, whether it be in one of the organisations or a third party, might've had the idea before me, but we'll see.

[Valanora]

Valanora Times
Deja vu

Raise your hand if you have heard this one before, the Calcuttas are taking on the Icy Elephants for the right to call themselves the best hockey team in all of the hockey world. That's right, both teams have made it to the Championship series once more, this being the fourth time in a row for Elejamie and the third in a row for our own Valanora squad, turning what was once merely a small rivalry into that of one of the biggest in the game. Each side has won a title in the previous two tournaments, thus making this the rubber match between the two sides to establish who is the most dominant team in the hockey world right now. Something that seems to be a very entertaining to a blogger from Elejamie, as they have proposed that the two governing bodies of both teams come together to create some sort of cup or trophy for the two sides to compete for each time that they come together, to give the rivalry another sort of flair besides the obvious title implications it usually has in the World Cup.

The question though has to be raised, is two teams dominating any and all competition good for the game as a whole, for the sustainability of the sport moving forward? Regardless of who actually wins this series that is about to happen, both teams will be among the favorites to win the tournament in two years time or even in four years time in two tournaments from now. Esparmuran, the third ranked team in the official rankings, went out in the group stage of this tournament and is likely going to have to do a lot of turnover to get their squad back to the point that it was before and be among the elite in the hockey community once again. That is to say, I do not think that they are going to be much of a real threat to the title two years from now and that only serves to weaken the entire hockey community as a whole as I do not see any team that is coming up to take the spot vacated by them and be a consistent power that can truly challenge the Icy Elephants and the Calcuttas.

That might change though, with Cosumar and Novaya Zemlya both giving ourselves and Elejamie respectively a difficult time of it in one of the two games does go to show that their is promise among those still kicking it this far into the tournament. Yet can they or the Sunrisians or the Vilitians really come to the same level and consistency that our two magnificent sides are producing right now? I for one hope that they can, for without Esparmuran and Quebec to be challengers, the tournament can easily be turned into just a match between ourselves and Elejamie that will only lead to eventual dwindling and perhaps even suspension and dissolution of the tournament as a whole. That is a fate that no one who loves the sport wishes to see and it is perhaps it is as that blogger suggested, that one of our sides is going to have to throw a series or game here and there to cultivate the sort of competition to keep the entire hockey community engaged and relevant.

That however is a concern for the future and not for the moment, as for the moment all eyes are going to be glued to watching this mammoth matchup between the two titans of our game as they look to settle the score between them right now. Both sides are lethal with the offensive lines, while the blue line corps and goalies are good but not among the elite in the sport. Where the Calcuttas run three offensive lines and a checking line, the Icy Elephants do have true enforcers in every sense of the world on their roster, an edge that they will likely look to exploit as the difference between the two teams in this tournament is that of the width of a single strand of hair. While the Calcuttas have the history of the entire World Cup of Hockey on their side, with most of the team being part of at least two if not all five of the Calcuttas championships, the Icy Elephants have been the slightly better team in the last decade. Now here in Stormguard, in front of the Calcuttas home crowd, the two square off in what is likely to be a legendary series and see who is the better team once and for all, much like Starblaydia and Valanora did during World Cup 47, also in Valanora. Let us hope that this engagement finishes differently from that one, where the home side emerges victorious.

[Valanora]

Championship, Game 1
@ Galen's Hove, Stormguard
Valanora 0–0(0–1 OT) Elejamie

Third Place, Game 1
@ Lathiel Arena, Raynor City
Cosumar 3–4 Novaya Zemlya