World Cup of Hockey 32 (Everything Thread)

by **Kaboomlandia** » Wed Jan 11, 2017 11:05 pm

Tournament Preview: Kaboomlandia Phoenix

The 31st World Cup of Hockey was somewhat of a disappointment for the Kaboomlandia Phoenix national team. After a thrilling run to the semifinals of WCoH 30 en route to a shocking fourth-place finish, the team went on a 3-1-1 tear through the group stage in Hannasea before being rudely bounced out of the playoffs by Ficiscia in the first round - a theme that has become quite common for Kaboomlandian sports teams in multiple sports. The Kaboomlandians are looking for a deep playoff run this cycle. They're certainly good enough to do it.

Offense

The modus operandi of the Phoenix offensive remains fundamentally the same. The top two lines are stocked with young, speedy forwards such as Tyler Martin and Kennedy Linden. In particular, the first line of this Phoenix team, with Zack Murray, Bryson Martin and Kennedy Linden, is on the cusp of being one of the best first lines in the world. On the second line, Tyler Martin is looking like a future captain once the veterans Darryl Rutherford and Scott Herndon retire. Both of them have stated that they will do so after this tournament, so the team's leadership will be in a transition period. Tyler Martin is coming into his own and has the ability to be one of the best clutch performers in the world. His overtime winner in Game 2 of the Round of 16 against Nephara back in WCoH 30 showed his ability to produce when it matters most. Unfortunately, the second line centred by Tyler Martin can be streaky at times; the line essentially disappeared during WCoH 30 and the team arguably advanced on adrenaline and an incredible performance from the Kid Line.

Defense

The Phoenix defense is also in transition. While Scott Herndon is still the anchor of the defense and a master of the shutdown, he's 36 years old and has already announced his intent to retire after the current KIHL season ends, so this will be his final World Cup of Hockey. Thankfully, the Phoenix have a strong up-and-coming defensive core with Patrick Clooney, Derek Strachan, Kevin Bore, and Casey Lindsay. Bore will be the elder statesman on the back end at 34, but Strachan is expected to take on the bulk of the work. The 22-year-old phenom plays for Avon in the Elejamian league and has shown himself to be a very strong two-way defenseman. Meanwhile, Casey Lindsay will need to prove he can take on top-four duties after spending a few tournaments mostly sheltered on the third pairing with Tyson Nash, who is best known for being an unlikely overtime hero to send the Phoenix to the quarterfinals two years ago.

Goaltending

The Phoenix are blessed with an incredible goaltending duo with both Dylan Brady and Lyle Mace in the world-class conversation, but they need to start grooming Mace to take over the starter's job soon since Brady is 35. The Monster is still at the top of his game and thrives on his size and positioning, while Mace is known for his athleticism between the pipes. It would not be surprising to see Blair Mitchell gradually start easing out Brady in this tournament and giving Lyle Mace the bulk of starts, but the big man can still steal a game when he's needed. Mitchell will need to avoid a goalie controversy stealing the spotlight in this tournament to keep his team focused on the games.

Special Teams

In a short tournament, having a strong special teams is absolutely critical to success, and the Kaboomlandian power play is no different. The anchor of the man advantage is Herndon, who can play equally well with his cannon shot from the point and while playing in front of the net. The Kid Line is also extremely adept on the power play. Since Blair Mitchell brought these three together on a line for the first time they've been dynamic when up a man. Meanwhile, the penalty kill is solid but not flashy, but it gets the job done. Tyler Martin is the best penalty-killing centre on the team, and hulking Maxime Coderre is lethal if he gets a break on the shorthanded rush, consistently leading his Ralia HC team in shorthanded goals during the KIHL season.

Leadership

It's the last dance for both captain Darryl Rutherford and defensive rock Scott Herndon, so the team will be very motivated to finally win the tournament for them. This tournament is where the players like Tyler Martin and Derek Strachan need to prove their leadership skills to the team so that they can step up after Rutherford and Herndon retire after this cycle.

X-Factor

The team is at a crossroads, with key cogs like Rutherford, Herndon and Brady approaching retirement. Will the young guns like Kennedy Linden, Derek Strachan, Lyle Mace, and the team's youth movement be able to lead the team to a championship?

And in addition, will Blair Mitchell be able to silence any rumours of a goalie controversy within the organization? Lyle Mace needs to become a legitimate every-game starter, but they still need to rely on Brady to hold the fort during the transition period.

Coaching

Despite being unceremoniously bounced out of the playoffs in the first round last year, the management of the Kaboomlandian national team still has confidence in Blair Mitchell as coach, as they re-upped him for another two years at the helm of the Kaboomlandian team. After all, any coach who put together the Kid Line and had them immediately click is a good coach, right?

Schedule

The team has a fairly low-key start to their schedule, playing two unranked teams and having their bye day on Match Day 3. However, a late push for playoff spots will be key as the 9th-ranked Phoenix play 26th-ranked Ilyseum on the fourth day before wrapping up their group stage with a showdown against higher-seeded Nova Anglicana - a matchup that is expected to decide the winner of the group.

by **Novaya Zemlya** » Thu Jan 12, 2017 12:43 am

THE COACH: "WE LOOKED OLD AND SLOW"
Bogdan Bobr discusses the upcoming WCoH and a new generation of players in unique interview

BELUSHYA GUBA I contacted the hockey federation in hopes to get an interview with Bogdan Bobr. The national team head coach is known for his disdain towards media, but the federation's PR department usually manages to drag him infront of the cameras at least a couple of times before each World Cup of Hockey. A bored secretary told me my interview request had been noted and "we will get back to you as soon as possible". Surprisingly, my phone rings fifteen minutes later. "It's Bogdan. You know, Bogdan Bobr. Let's get this over with."

"Okay," I answer. "Now? Should I come over to the federation office?"

"God no, I haven't been there in months," Bobr responds. "Come to my place. I provide coffee, you bring pastries."

When comrade Bobr, one of the most famous Novozemlyans alive, asks you to do something, you do it. I ran to the bakery and bought the biggest strudel I have ever seen, before I hopped into a cab and headed to Severnoye Siyaniye, a typical blue-collar, somewhat rundown neighbourhood on the outskirts of Belushya Guba.

Severnoye Siyanie, Belushya Guba

Bogdan Bobr lives here with his wife, Nadezhda, in the same two-room apartment they have lived in for the past 25 years. These huge apartment blocks were built shortly after the revolution, and the optimism they once exuded has faded substantially over the years, just as the bleak-colored murals calling on residents to stay vigilant because "the enemy has eyes and ears everywhere".

A popular urban legend tells us how Bobr was offered a fancy apartment in Polka after the successful WCoH 27 campaign. Polka is the neighbourhood where Party leadership and high level bureaucrats live. Allegedly, Bobr told them to "shove it" because he wants to "live in the real world". I ask him whether it is true.

"Yes, I did say that. Those dimwits should try living in the real world, among real people. And I like it here."

In Novaya Zemlya, normal people would refrain from calling leading members of the Party "dimwits", especially in public. People have gotten in trouble for less. I ask Bogdan if he really wants me to put that quote in print. "I don't care," he says. And he is right. Bogdan Bobr is not normal people. Can you imagine him getting arrested for criticizing the government? We would have an uprising on our hands, and the government knows it.

Some people would consider a statement like that anti-socialist. Are you anti-socialist, Bogdan?

"Don't be ridiculous. I am a member of the Party, have been for 30 years. It is just a shame that our workers' state is run by incompetent morons."

OK then, new subject. You told me that you haven't visited your office at the hockey federation for months. What do you do all day? I thought national team head coach was a full time job?

"I travel a lot. I think I have watched games in every backwater and remote corner of the country this year. And I've been to Atlantian Oceania, Mercedini, Savojarna just in the last few months. I also do a lot of work with the hockey academies still, which was my job before we had a national team."

To be honest, Novaya Zemlya did not instill a lot of confidence in the round robin at the last WCoH in Hannasea. You started out with two ties and only managed to advance after a narrow 1-0 win on the last day against Parah - an unranked and, quite frankly, atrocious team that did not score a single goal in the tourney. Can we expect better quality this time?

"Obviously we were not satisfied with our play in the group stage. Even though I thought we improved in the elimination rounds, the team still looked old and slow. The Vanorians skated circles around us in the semifinal. We have a younger squad this year. Speed is key. You need speed to be able to beat defensive systems. Hockey is increasingly a young man's game."

Yes, you have a lot of younger players on your roster this year. Meanwhile, veterans such as Enver Anoshkin and Bashkim Melekhov did not make the cut, and a guy like Mikhail Spiridonov finds himself watching from the press box. Was it a hard decision?

"It was hard, because you still need players with experience that you can lean on when the going gets tough. But I feel we have a good mix right now. You can't hang on to every old fart forever. Enver Anoshkin, as much as I love the guy, can barely skate anymore. He moves at a glacial pace these days. We have a new generation of players coming in, the "WJHC generation", and I have high hopes for guys like Zimulis, Mikhailov and Klepakhov. And Valeri Kalagin, of course. I am confident we can win a World Cup of Hockey with this core in the future."

You seem to emphasize the future a lot. Does that mean you don't think you are going to win the Cup this year?

"We are not favourites, at least. I would say the Elejamians are, with the Vanorians a close second. Those two are clearly a notch above the rest right now. Behind them, however, I would say there is a group of 10 or so teams that can challenge for a title if everything falls into place, and we are firmly in that group."

You were drawn into Group C. Your thoughts on the opposition?

"I think it will be a three-horse race. Neu Engollon and Aquitayne are both very good teams. We played Aquitayne last time and it was a draw, 2-2 I think. The Ibex were seeded in the third pot which is kind of a joke, they are much better than that. It will be tight. As for the other teams, hockey in Chromatika is reportedly on the upswing but I have yet to see them play. Botten I know very little about, I know they have some players in Prusy Krolewskie's top league though. I don't think this group will have a designated punching bag like we've seen in years past, so there should be some good, hard-fought games. But to be clear, we should be able to get out of the group, anything else would be unacceptable.

Finally, at the last WCoH some notable people criticized Novaya Zemlya's lack of preparation leading up to the tournament. There were pictures on social media of players chilling on a beach with drinks that had tiny umbrellas in them. Meanwhile, other teams were busy with tough pre-tournament friendlies. How do you respond to the critics? Will there be changes this year?

"I don't want to name names, but the Hockey Federation of Novaya Zemlya and its president Miron Telitsyn are responsible for our schedule. Last time we ended up at a beach resort in Rushmore. There was not a single hockey rink in the area. We tried to play some field hockey and football, but the heat and the sand - oh my god the sand - made it insufferable. I guess the federation hotshots really needed a vacation. Sigh. Honestly, Novozemlyan hockey bureaucracy is like a scrap heap for bigwigs who couldn't cut it in real politics. This year I suspect the federation has had to cut their budget, as we will stay at home and practice right until we leave for Valanora. I haven't heard of any planned exhibition games so far, I guess the federation dropped the ball once again."

works? · by **Abanhfleft** » Thu Jan 12, 2017 7:54 am

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF ABANHFLEFT
NATIONAL MEN'S ICE HOCKEY TEAM

This will be Abanhfleft's eighth (?) time participating in the World Cup of Hockey. The team matched the performance that they put up in WCoH 28, qualifying for the round of 16 and getting knocked out in the same stage once again. They were able to go a little further in WCoH 29, forcing a game 3 against Cosumar in the round of 16 and ultimately failing to come out on top. Will this be Abanhfleft's year, the year that they finally get past the round of 16? Or will they be just like Arsenal in the UEFA Champions' League, always getting eliminated in the round of 16?

BASIC INFORMATION
Nation name: Democratic Republic of Abanhfleft
Demonym: Fleftic
Team colors: Blue, orange, and green
Style modifier: +2.25
Head coach: Harris Bunsen (USA, 57 y/o)

STARTERS
Goaltender: Aaron Pickert (34 y/o, male)

1st Defensive Pair:
Francis Griffith (24 y/o, male)
Ruben Arnold (24 y/o, male)

2nd Defensive Pair:
August Lemond (29 y/o, male)
Dustin Weyandt (28 y/o, male)

3rd Defensive Pair:
Teddy Langenfeld (27 y/o, male)
Kelly Hughes (24 y/o, male)

1st Offensive Line:
RW: Ted Kawakami (26 y/o, male)
C: Woodrow Calcagno (32 y/o, male)
LW: Cristobal Rosenberg (26 y/o, male)

2nd Offensive Line:
RW: Barry Woltz (31 y/o, male)
C: Edmond Uren (32 y/o, male)
LW: Lino Mable (27 y/o, male)

3rd Offensive Line:
RW: Doug Chavez (25 y/o, male)
C: Jacques Ruston (24 y/o, male)
LW: Nicolas DiPaolo (27 y/o, male)

4th Offensive Line:
RW: Benjamin Elsasser (25 y/o, male)
C: Mark Housman (24 y/o, male)
LW: Lewis Dejulio (24 y/o, male)

RESERVES
Nathaniel Mosser (36 y/o, male, goaltender)
Neil Imperato (28 y/o, male, goaltender)
Terrance Batura (26 y/o, male, defense)
Hollis Wittig (35 y/o, male, defense)
Isaiah Moulder (27 y/o, male, defense)
Reggie Karg (25 y/o, male, defense)
Jess Purgason (31 y/o, male, defense)
George Holden (23 y/o, male, offense)
Brandon Weyandt (20 y/o, male, offense)
Keith Wee (26 y/o, male, offense)
Holger Manner (27 y/o, male, offense)
Norberto Howlett (36 y/o, male, offense)

My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following:
Anything except killing is fair game.

by **Cosneolta** » Thu Jan 12, 2017 9:14 am

Cosneolta National Hockey Team
Manager: Calvin Aikriminiek

GOALTENDERS   Name                    	   Age	          Club	
GT            Kainer Gabradik              23             free agent 
GT            Andrej Fevaan                28             free agent
GT            Castrich Leont               19             free agent
DEFENDERS	
D             Tobias Kadzikelic            27             free agent
D             Artur Almeinar               22             free agent
D             Tamba Okishkala              30             free agent
D             Orvil Kolovan                23             free agent
D             Emenike Navani-Kavislev      20             free agent
D             Uuvin Demak                  32             free agent
ATTACKERS 
AL            Martin Danshevieva           23             free agent
AC            Ignush Candieva              18             free agent
AR            Magreta Kandikova            22             free agent
AL            Ryan Estedinac               27             free agent
AC            Frederik Debremichova        20             free agent
AR            Aalton Mabigu                33             free agent

Group G:

Unified Sunrise Islands
Prusy Krolewskie
Gregoryisgodistan
General Dicking Around
Cosneolta

My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following:
Choose My Scorers: Yes
Godmod Scoring Events: Yes
RP Injuries to My Players: Yes, although no more than two players per match and no more than two games in length
Godmod Injuries to My Players: No
RP Penalties for My Players: Yes
RP Ejections for My Players: Yes
Godmod Other Events: Don't kill or seriously injure anyone
Can Gregoryisgodistan bomb my nation?: No

STYLE: -5

by **Valanora** » Thu Jan 12, 2017 3:38 pm

Matchday 1

Group A
Tobiasia 5–1 The Redvale
Cosumar 2–2 Averyickan City

Group B
Qasden 2–0 Dylecte
Savojarna 1–3 Royal Kingdom of Quebec

Group C
Botten 3–3 Chromatika
Neu Engollon 0–3 Novaya Zemlya

Group D
Free Republics 0–2 Anthor
Elejamie 6–1 Natanians and Nosts

Group E
Esparmuran 3–3 Norrehavn
United Bermuda 0–2 Vilita and Turori

Group F
Mercedini 2–3 Abanhfleft
Devonta 3–0 Sontarion

Group G
Prusy Krolewskie 0–1 Cosneolta
Gregoryisgodistan 4–0 General Dicking Around

Group H
Kaboomlandia 3–0 Schutzenphalia and West Ruhntuhnkunland
Ilyseum 0–1 Nova Anglicana

by **United States of Devonta** » Thu Jan 12, 2017 5:39 pm

United States of Devonta National Hockey Team

Style Modifier: -1
Coach: Sim Dank
Trigram: USD
Arena: Nord R. Barton Stadium
Arena Location: Olfsburgh
Arena Capacity: 20,000

Roster

Line 1

LW #17 Creo James
C #2 Anton Ante
RW #52 Toby Jones
D #24 Sicero Sycamore
D #32 Marcus Fritz

Line 2

LW #48 Sid Sewers
C #77 Gregory Fist
RW #88 Crasus Talsus
D #97 Brendolf Jones
D #8 Angel Herrera

Line 3

LW #33 Bob Wood
C #3 Tony Sigrid
RW #56 Jon Ark
D #61 Kendal Von
D #29 Peter Terry

Line 4

LW #51 Paul Stark
C #99 Rikard Smith
RW #62 Joseph Drift
D #82 Malecom Tomilson
D #15 George Simmons

Goal

Starting G #2 Daniel Kinked
Backup G #10 Joel Davis

RP Permissions

My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following...
Choose My Scorers: Yes
Godmod Scoring Events: Yes
RP Injuries to My Players: No
Godmod Injuries to My Players: No
RP Penalties for My Players: Yes
RP Ejections for My Players: No
Godmod Other Events: Yes

by **Lisander** » Thu Jan 12, 2017 8:06 pm

Reserved for Friendly.

by **Lorenthia** » Thu Jan 12, 2017 8:56 pm

Lorenthia National Hockey Team

Modifier: +0.3

Coaching Staff

Coach: Bernt Silje
Assistant Coach: Eoin Leonardsen
Video Assistant: Arias Christensen
Team Doctor: Konrad Rowe
Apparel manager: Dan Oliversen

Roster

#	Pos	Name
1	G	Altis Magnussen
2	D	Felix Lundsen
4	D	August Hummel
23	RW	Stian Jacobsen
19	C	Kasper Holgersen
26	LW	Lasse Albertsen
34	G	Anders Anthonsen
39	D	Arthur Naess
12	D	Hanne Amundsen
43	RW	Tor Wolff
10	C	Alv Lister
9	LW	Axel Spillum
29	G	Christopher Voll
52	D	Herman Simonsen
40	D	Arvid Kinnaid
15	RW	Gregor Christensen
8	C	Jonas Studwick
36	LW	Nils Faulkner
5	D	Amund Mortensen
3	D	Svante Lund
91	RW	Scott Lisk
72	C	Magne Lundsen
26	LW	Otto Lyne

Special Teams

Power Play
Felix Lundsen, Hanne Amundsen; Stian Jacobsen, Alv Lister, Lasse Albertsen[hr[/hr]Penalty Kill
Felix Lundsen, Svante Lund; Gregor Christensen, Kasper Holgersen, Nils Faulkner

RP Permissions

My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following...
Choose My Scorers: Yes
Godmod Scoring Events: No
RP Injuries to My Players: Yes
Godmod Injuries to My Players: No
RP Penalties for My Players: Yes
RP Ejections for My Players: Yes
Godmod Other Events: No

Other RP Info

Out of Character note: Lorenthia and Lisander have a strong rivalry. Unlike what I did with Lisander and Alice Bay in Rugby, it is intended that both nations have a similar level, to keep the rivalry strong (after all, Lorenthia arose exactly for that reason). I will try to post about both nations with equity, but since Lisander is my main nation and have much more info available, it may be difficult. Any problems, info, doubts, you can send a TG for Lisander.

by **Novaya Zemlya** » Fri Jan 13, 2017 7:15 am

NEU ENGOLLON vs NOVAYA ZEMLYA: POST-GAME COMMENTS
"Strong forecheck pays off" | New Novozemlyan Media Strategy Backfires

WCoH 32 | Group C | MD1
NEU ENGOLLON 0
NOVAYA ZEMLYA 3
Ironbound Coliseum, Longview, Valanora
SCORING SUMMARY

1-0 K. Yerokhin (Kalagin, Nemtsev)
2-0 V. Kalagin (PP) (Yerokhin, Shelagin)
3-0 P. Solomakhin (Klepakhov)

Attendance: 16,353

LONGVIEW, VALANORA Team captain Krasimir Yerokhin seemed happy when he faced the media after last night's 3-0 win over Neu Engollon in the Group C opener. "I thought we did all the things we talked about before the game," the center said. "We kept our feet moving and did not give them much time out there. We have a much faster transition game compared to last year. Even though we faced a tough opponent with a skilled D we could keep a strong forecheck going, and it paid off. I am really happy we could hold on and get the shutout for Bezukladnikov too. Hopefully we can build on this."

Yerokhin was one of the more prominent figures of the game, posting a goal and and an assist. As per usual, the captain seemed more interested in praising his teammates than commenting on his own play. In particular, he could not say enough positive things about his linemates Valeri Kalagin and Foma Khabalov.

"I think we have some great chemistry developing on our line," he said. "These guys have some serious wheels, and they create a ton of offense by themselves. Towards the end of the game I could sit back and focus on my defensive assignments while Foma and Valeri kept the play in the Ibex zone shift after shift."

When asked to comment on the rumours about this being his last World Cup of Hockey, Yerokhin could not give a definite answer.

"I am getting up there in age," he responded. "A full NZEL season and hopefully a deep playoff run plus a World Cup, it takes its toll on the body, that's for sure. But I still feel that I can contribute at this level. As long as I do that, and as long as Bogdan Bobr wants me to be here, I see no reason not to."

The journalists then turned their attention to head coach Bobr. The PR department at the Novozemlyan hockey federation recently imposed a new media policy, in which Bobr is only allowed to read a written statement at post game press conferences, followed by a couple of pre-approved softball questions from Novozemlyan journalists. Previous unfortunate experiences of Bobr speaking freely with members of the international press had forced the federation to take these extraordinary measures.

All went well until Bobr stepped up to the podium to deliver his statement. With fumbling hands, he reached into the pocket of his brand new, slightly undersized suit and took out a wrinkled, hand-written note. He looked up and gave the gathered media members a condescending look before he started speaking.

"Every night... in my dreams, I see you, I... feel you? That is how I know you go on. Uhm... let's see... Far across the distance, and spaces between us, you have come to show... Uhm, wait... No, this can't be right. Sorry guys, I think I got the wrong note. Just a second."

Bobr desperatly searches his pockets for the correct note.

"Okay, let's see, I think I found it... Here it goes: Near. Far. Whereeever you are... What the... What is this crap? WHO WROTE THIS SHIT?"

Bobr gives the Novozemlyan PR people on the front row a death stare. Awkward silence ensues. A Vanorian reporter can't help herself and giggles slightly, causing the famous coach on the podium to completely lose it. He picks up a chair and hurls it at Novozemlyan PR boss Damir Yumatov, who lets out a high-pitched scream and runs out of the room.

Captain Yerokhin whispers something to coach Bobr, and the two of them leave the stage. 21 year old Valeri Kalagin finds himself left alone infront of the cameras. For a moment he looks like he is about to run away as well, but instead he reluctantly leans forward towards the microphone.

"Okay ladies and gentlemen," he said. "I think that about covers it, right? The team will now enjoy a bye day and prepare for a tough game against Chromatika on matchday 3. Be there or be square!"

by **Elejamie** » Fri Jan 13, 2017 8:39 am

"... It was Elejamie's first game at the 32nd World Cup of Hockey last night. John?"

Yes, good morning Elejamie! The Icy Elephants got off to a fantastic start as they demolished the Natanians and Nosts 6-1. The Natanians and Nosts, who are returning to the competition for the first time since their run at the 29th edition, were outclassed by a superior Elejamian side, with Cerin Meloten scoring a hat-trick. Here are the highlights:

The first period saw the Natanians and Nosts score the first goal of the game as, five minutes in, their left-winger managed a sneaky shot which went in through the five hole. However, that would be their only highlight as, three minutes later, one of their defencemen had to sit out for a couple of minutes for high-sticking James Han. Thirty seconds later, Lupe and Anatoly Kasputin set up a Cerin Meloten snap shot that would level the scores. Even when Francisco Solano had to taken off for two minutes for slashing, the Natanians and Nosts were unable to bounce back. Towards the end, Elejamie very nearly came close to taking the lead when, less than ten seconds from the end, Lucas Madgwick's wrist shot appeared to go in; however, it had to be disallowed when it turned out the net had been accidentally moved. There weren't any more shots after that and, when the klaxon went, the score was 1-1.

The second period saw Elejamie take control. Roughly thirty seconds after the start of the period, an Anatoly Kasputin slap shot was saved by the goalie. This lead to a face-off and, a few seconds and some assistance from Kasputin later, Cerin Meloten's second goal of the evening; a wrist shot that just made it over the goalie's stick and into the back of the net. Although the Natanians and Nosts were given a chance to equalise a few minutes later when Felipe Barajas got sent to the box for hooking, they weren't able to get one over the Icy Elephants. In fact, the only other goal in the period came from Elejamie. Seven minutes from the end, Mike Cruickshank passed the puck to Aaron Andrews, who skated up the ice and passed it to Ethan Swinburne, who tipped it in, making it 3-1 to the home side. After one last gasp from the Natanians and Nosts, the period ended 3-1 to Elejamie and things were starting to look comfortable for the World Champs.

The third period was when any and all hope for a comeback for the Natanians and Nosts were dashed. Six minutes in, an N&N centre was sent to the box for two minutes for slashing Carlos Sierra. As a result, Elejamie received yet another powerplay, where Cerin Meloten completed his hat-trick thanks to a bit of clever deking on the breakaway and assistance from linemates Franny Solano and Anatoly Kasputin. After that, there were a few penalties from both sides but neither side were able to use it to their advantage. And then, a minute from the end, the N&N coach pulled their goalie for an extra attacker. It was at this point where James Han made it 5-1 to the Icy Elephants, snatching the puck from one of their defencemen and slapping it into the empty net shortly afterwards. Thirty seconds later, Anatoly Kasputin scored goal number six with a wrist shot, following a Francisco Solano hit that gave the hosts possession of the puck. Although the Natanians and Nosts very nearly got a consolation goal in the dying seconds when this wrist shot was easily saved by Antonio Cervantes, it wouldn't have mattered because, at the end of the match, the score was 6-1 to Elejamie.

In a post-match interview, head coach Michael Madgwick said "That was a great game from the boys. Cerin was a goal machine out there thanks to that amazing hat-trick. In fact, Anatoly deserves some praise there, not only for setting up each of those goals but also for that amazing goal of his own towards the end. Ethan and James also scored a goal each, so well done to them. Toni was also a beast in net; sure, he let one in but, after that, he was like a brick wall. In fact, Tim [Furst] said that it was like the puck was afraid of him! His words, not mine. But still, a great opener from the boys. Well done."

"Are you looking forward to the Anthor game?"

"Absolutely. We saw how they were in that Round of 16 game and we had a fun time in those friendlies about a week ago. They do have the potential to become one of the best in the world. But I don't think they'll cause us any trouble. I'm definitely saying they're going through but I'm not saying we've got anything to worry about."

In the other Group D game, Anthor also got their campaign off to a good start by beating the Free Republics 2-0. While no official table has been released yet, we can confirm that Elejamie and Anthor occupy the top two slots and the Free Republics and N&N are in the bottom two, with Tomikosan still to play. So, on Saturday, it'll be game two, with Elejamie taking on Anthor, who are looking for their first win over the Icy Elephants; Tomikosan will get their World Cup of Hockey campaign underway as they face the Free Republics; and the Natanians and Nosts will get a day off to lick their wounds. Will Elejamie make it three competitive wins out of three against Anthor? Or will their Ducks get their first point over the Icy Elephants. Find out then on Puck Drop!

Meanwhile over in Group A, Tobiasia also got off to a great start as they beat The Redvale 5-1. Tobiasia, who were in Elejamie's group back in the last competition where they came fourth, were hoping to come back from a disappointing first tournament...

Period			P1	P2	P3	FS
Elejamie		1	2	3	6
N&N			1	0	0	1

by **Prusy Krolewskie** » Fri Jan 13, 2017 12:48 pm

A disappointing loss for Prusy Krolewskie

Travesian, Valanora - (NEIP) Prusy Krolewskie played it's first game of the World Cup of Hockey 32 yesterday and it was a disappointing result. A game that the Reprezentacja Pruski can't drop and we lost 1-0. Now the team can finish the tournament with no win because two of our next 3 opponents are the Unified Sunrise Islands and Gregoryisgodistan. Our only hope to win a game is against General Dicking Around. The first game, against Cosneolta, was played in Starfall Arena, Travesian and about one third of the crowd was Pruski fans, including our beloved Prince Zygmunt VIII and his familly.

There's not many notable highlights in this game which ended by a score of 1-0. With 14:33 remaining in the 1st period, Jaroslaw Jastrzebski was penalized for tripping and it was a power play for Cosneolta. Cosneolta wins the face off and they install themselves in Prusy Krolewskie's zone. Tobias Kadzikelic passes the puck to Artur Almeinar who passes to Tobias Kadzikelic. Tobias Kadzikelic passes it to Magreta Kandikova who shoots but Grzegorz Grzegorczyk makes the save. Martin Danshevieva takes the rebound and shoots on the post and Stanislaw Wojciechowski finally clears the puck! 4 minutes later, Mateusz Zgutczynski passes the puck to Sebastian Krug who passes it to Slawomir Zawistowski who enters in Cosneolta's zone. Slawomir Zawistowski carries the puck, he still carry the puck, he goes behind the net, he comes back to the face off circle and to the blue line, he passes the puck to Zofia Stepniewska who skates with the puck and skates, she goes behind the net and to the face off circle, she passes it to Slawomir Zawistowski who shoots! But Kainer Gabradik makes the save. With 3:07 remaining, Cosneolta is penalized for high sticking and the Reprezentacja Pruski goes on the power play. Prusy Krolewskie spent the whole 2 minutes in Cosneolta's zone passing the puck and skating around without shooting.

With 16:18 remaining in the 2nd period, Orvil Kolovan hits Arkadiusz Zlomanczuk from behind and he's down on the ice. Arkadiusz Zlomanczuk finally wakes up by himself but he goes to the locker room, Orvil Kolovan gets a five minutes major and a game misconduct. Prusy Krolewskie gets a 5 minutes power play! Melania Zyskowska carry the puck into Cosneolta's zone, she goes behind the net and passes to her twin sister, Emilia Zyskowska. Emilia Zyskowska skates with the puck, she goes behind the net and to the face off circle, she passes the puck to Szymon Krzysztalowicz but Ignush Candieva intercepts the pass and he's about to go on a breakaway but Szymon Krzysztalowicz trips him. We're now at 4 on 4 for 2 minutes. The score remains at 0-0 until the end of the 2nd period. In the 3rd period, with 12:44 remaining, it's a line change for Prusy Krolewskie, Zofia Stepniewska comes onto the ice and gets the puck but Emilia Zyskowska still haven't reached the bench, so the Reprezentacja Pruski is penalized for too many men on the ice. Well the term is a bit sexist and we should say too many players on the ice. Anyway, Cosneolta are again on a power play. Martin Danshevieva passes the puck to Artur Almeinar who passes to Tobias Kadzikelic who passes to Ignush Candieva. Ignush Candieva passes back at the blue line to Tobias Kadzikelic who shoots. The puck is tipped by Magreta Kandikova and it's a goal. 1-0 Cosneolta. Arkadiusz Zlomanczuk, who was injured in the 2nd period, finally comes back in the game. With 1:17 remaining, Prusy Krolewskie pulled it's goalie for an extra attacker and they're into Cosneolta's zone. Czeslaw Niemczynowicz carries the puck, he skates behind the net and passes it to Emilia Zyskowska. Emilia Zyskowska passes the puck to Melania Zyskowska who goes behind the net and passes the puck to Emilia Zyskowska who shoots but Kainer Gabradik makes a sensationnal save and the game is over. Prusy Krolewskie lost 1-0.

BOXSCORE

1st period
no goal

2nd period
no goal

3rd period
Magreta Kandikova assisted by Tobias Kadzikelic and Ignush Candieva

Shots on goal
Cosneolta: 22 Prusy Krolewskie: 14

Group G

Prusy Krolewskie (41) has been placed in group G with Gregoryisgodistan (6), Unified Sunrise Islands (12), General Dicking Around (UR) and Cosneolta (UR). Gregoryisgodistan and Unified Sunrise Islands will easily make the round of 16 while the three other teams, including Prusy Krolewskie will go back home after the group games. Normally, Prusy Krolewskie would finish 3rd but, with our loss against Cosneolta, we doubt it. Prusy Krolewskie is now fighting for the 4th place with General Dicking Around. Gregoryisgodistan, who won 4–0 against General Dicking Around, are currently 1st in the group, ahead of Cosneolta who are in 2nd place. Unified Sunrise Islands will make it's debut against Prusy Krolewskie tomorrow night while Cosneolta and Gregoryisgodistan will face each other for the 1st place in the group. General Dicking Around will have a well deserved bye after a physical game against Gregoryisgodistan.

by **Ilyseum** » Fri Jan 13, 2017 4:21 pm

Ilyseum National Hockey Team

Coach - Guðfriðr Llyr
Captain - Thor Brynjarr

Roster

First Line

LW - Guðbrandr Beorhtsige (20)
C - Wine Caratacos (21)
RW - Thor Brynjarr (19)
D - Hallþórr Kay (20)
D - Eyvindr Þórleikr (21)

Second Line

LW - Conchobhar Somarliðr (20)
C - Sindri Njáll (21)
RW - Math Ingimárr (21)
D - Björn Yngvi (19)
D - Elisedd Ingólfr (18)

Goalies

Starter - Modred Brandr (21)
Backup - Eadric Peredur (19)

About Ilyseum

Ilyseum is a nation in the Realm of the Gods, an alternate reality where gods are real, electricity does not exist and magical powers exist. Ilyseum is the name given to the Ilysee Republic, which is centered around the Eternal Capital of Ilysea. Ilysea is a massive city, one of the largest in the Realm of the Gods, built on a dozen hills and home to over a million.

This is the third World Cup of Hockey for the Ilysee team. This time, two years have passed since the last WCoH tournament but Ilysee time is controlled by Destino, the god of time of fate. Destino slowed time in the Realm to a crawl, enabling the Ilysee hockey team to compete in WCoH 30 a mere week after they had been eliminated from WCoH 29. Likewise, this tournament will be taking place a mere 8 weeks after WCoH 31.

Ice is an unknown quantity in Ilysee territory, so Ilysee hockey players compete on concrete but otherwise under virtually identical rules to those of ice hockey. The main difference between Ilysee rules and WCoH rules, other than the addition of ice, is the number of fouls, which is much smaller under Ilysee rules and the number of officials, which is just 1 in Ilysee hockey. Otherwise, the sports are virtually identical and Ilysee hockey pucks even behave very similarly to ice hockey pucks. Another thing that is unusual about the Ilysee hockey team is that they compete wearing only loincloths and skates, as is the custom for hockey players in their country.

RP Permissions and Style Mod

RP Permissions
Style Mod: (1+5^(1/2))/2 or approximately 1.61803398874
Choose my Scorers: Y
Choose Scoring Events: Y
Godmod Scoring Events: Y
Injure my Players: Y
Godmod Injuries to my Players: Y
Godmod Other Events: Y
Other Notes: Do anything you want, so long as you're willing to grant me the same RP permissions and you don't contradict the laws of my nation's home reality while in that reality.

by **Nephara** » Fri Jan 13, 2017 4:31 pm

NEPHARA NATIONAL ICE HOCKEY TEAM
Style Modifier: -1
Home Stadium: Whitewater, Treason (12,000 capacity)
Home Kit: Emerald green jerseys, black pants, white trim
Away Kit: Terracotta jerseys and pants, green trim
Nickname: The Gulls
Captain: Esther Devante

Aristide Kearney continues to lead the Gulls, as he has done for twelve years - a far more hands-on approach than most managers. He's had to deal with the departure of a number of key players as the side finally has to rebuild from some of the key faces of the first generation. They've made themselves into a capable second-tier side in the international ranks but yet to genuinely threaten to become a contender. To Kearney's mind, that has to change.

Tactics
The Nepharim don't have many technical players in their ranks, but they are an intimidating physical prospect to face, bonded by an indomitable team spirit that transcends club and state rivalries the moment they pull on the green jersey. They play to their advantage, backing themselves in defence and striking hard and decisively on the counterattack, relying on star centre Esther Devante for a creative spark.

STAFF
Manager - Aristide Kearney - Age 55
Assistant Manager - Jane Hawthorn - Age 50
Aristide Kearney, a rough Southerner who lead state league club Riverside to be the dominant team of the capital before being picked up by Sabrefell United and leading them to victory as well, was the obvious choice for the Gulls. He's been commended for showing none of the Southern favouritism that those in the hockey heartland of the Northwest feared, and with that concern out of the way Nephara is left with a fierce, determined man, a born leader, who will stop at nothing to see Nephara triumph. Hawthorn played under him before injury ended her career at 33 - she has a natural genius intellect, a talent for biting sarcasm, and a personal relationship with the game's more violent side.

GOALKEEPERS
G - 1 - Evangelos Tsatsimas (Gaspe Oilers, QUE) - Age 30
G - 7 - Atalanta Gilchrist (Chatswood) - Age 28
G - 13 - Thorn Crowley (Riverside) - Age 23

Tsatsimas usually starts, Gilchrist is second-choice.

DEFENDERS
First Pair
D - 2 - Tanith Starbuck (St. John's Celtic, QUE) - Age 35
D - 15 - Storm Edelweiss (Riverside) - Age 22

Second Pair
D - 3 - Sigrid Holden (HC Maximum) - Age 34
D - 9 - Lothar Chaucer (Sabrefell United) - Age 28

Third Pair
D - 8 - Promise Okocha (Chatswood) - Age 31
D - 14 - Felix Nemeth (HC Maximum) - Age 32

Defensive Enforcer
D - 22 - Tomas Desmond (Northern Vale) - Age 33

FORWARDS
First Line
C - 4 - Esther Devante (Nordstrand Vilde, USI) - Age 32 - Captain
RW - 5 - Adrienne Carradine (Rouyn-Noranda Huskies, QUE) - Age 28
LW - 6 - Athena Tsicaderis (HC Treason) - Age 30

Second Line
C - 19 - Cheney Leadbitter (Vermillion Glory) - Age 22
RW - 11 - Rolf Chiswright (HC Treason) - Age 26
LW - 12 - Tess Swindon (Vermillion Glory) - Age 28

Third Line
C - 10 - Levin Conover (Northern Vale) - Age 29
RW - 17 - Magda Thirlwell (Riverside) - Age 25
LW - 18 -

Fourth Line
C - 16 - Shale Bryson (Chatswood) - Age 31
RW - 20 - Rook Parrett (Laith United) - Age 23
LW - 21 -

Attacking Enforcer
C - 23 - Corren Brighton (Sabrefell United) - Age 26

I Give My Opponent Permission To:
=================================
Choose My Goalscorers:        Y
Godmod Goalscoring Events:    N
Injure Players:               Y
Godmod Injury Events:         N
Penalise Players:             Y
Eject Players:                Y
Godmod Other Events:          N
=================================

by **Free Republics** » Fri Jan 13, 2017 4:55 pm

Federation of Free Republics National Ice Hockey Team

[/align]

Style Modifier: 0.866
Colors: Blue and White
Coach: Blanca van Stiphout

Roster (gender and age in parentheses)

Line 1

LW: Alvina Carlsson (F-23)
C: Karl Kreutzmann (M-25)
RW: Kerstin Kohler (F-25)
D: Nedeljko Knezevic (M-22)
D: Carlo Corver (M-24)

Line 2

LW: Erza Ponorac (F-21)
C: Uwe Eisenhower (M-25)
RW: Nelly Akesson (F-22)
D: Gemma MacNeil (F-22)
D: Luiza Panova (F-24)

Line 3

LW: Aubert Mathieu (M-20)
C: Marina Calabresi (F-20)
RW: Carl Andreasen (M-23)
D: Yuugo Tsuruta (M-21)
D: Jorgen Hagenes (M-20)

Goalkeepers

Starter: Luther Murphy (M-21)
Backup: Anatoly Komarov (M-20)

Notes

Seven years ago, this team entered World Cup of Hockey 25 as teenaged representatives of the Legion of Lucifer, an organization that opposed Consul Kulseth. At that edition of the WCoH, they actually won 4 games and lost 3 finishing fourth in their group despite 4 of their players being murdered by Gregoryisgodistani fans. 3 other players (Nelly Akesson, Yuugo Tsuruta and Karl Kreutzmann) were wounded in the attack but later recovered from their wounds. After that experience, the team pulled out of the World Cup of Hockey and did not participate in the sport again for many years. During Consul O'Reilly's dictatorship, former Legion of Lucifer members were rounded up and taken to a secret prison. At this prison, the members of the team were reunited and were also reintroduced to 4 members of the former Legion who had been deemed "too young" to participate prior to WCoH 25. Following the fall of Consul Kulseth, they were released from prison and decided to form a hockey team again, even managing to bring back their former coach Blanca van Stiphout. This team re-enters the WCoH with only a minimal amount of practice and expects to take several years before they regain their form.

RP Permissions
My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following:
Choose my scorers: Y
Choose scoring events: Y
RP injuries to my players: Y
Godmod scoring events: Y
Godmod injuries: Y
Godmod other events: Y

by **Northern Sunrise Islands** » Fri Jan 13, 2017 7:00 pm

Discussions had been hot for the past few hours.
One side had the NSI.HOCKEY teams' owners, the league had been Northern Sunrisian for a while after a failed unified system featuring other islands. These in particular, were the most traditional ones: the likes of the Mabel Oilers, the Beart sides, the Matthew sides, the Maori All Blacks and a couple of others.
Another side had more NSI.HOCKEY teams' owners, these however were of colonial and lesser sides. Although teams like the Nedervike Riddare, the Edenia Blaze and the Basil Pike Kitsunes were doing rather well for themselves, they still didn't see themselves as the traditional teams of the hockey league.
Even another side had a couple of cyborgs, leaders of companies tied with the cyborg business, leaders of the many deemed non-human associations as well.
And then there was Joseph Meyer, current commissioner of the NSI.HOCKEY league.
The growing market of robotics had knocked the league's door and brought in most non-humankind as well.
They wanted a league that could represent all banners of Sunrisian society, disregarding whether it had fur, whether it was transparent at some points of the day or if it even had just popped up out of nowhere.
Basically, Sunrisians wanted to play and not all of them were human.

Meyer was tired.
The traditionalists had a point, they thought nobody would take their league seriously if all sorts of things went on to play.
The other side wasn't wrong either, Sunrise was the land of all sorts of people, why let the others dictate what goes at their own home?
The businessmen also had a point. Hockey was a hard, heavy contact-based sport, allowing cyborg players would certainly help.
The leaders of the special sectors of society too had their point, a league filled of Nekojins, Half-mons and all sorts of species that were coming out of Edenia would certainly be unique and rank high on diversity.
And the worst part?
That wasn't even the sole thing to solve.
The former Victoria Reign had studied a move to Southern Sunrise's capital, Aurora.
That alone wasn't a major issue, but their idea of joining the NSI.HOCKEY league was.
Needless to say, there was too much to solve.

Joseph staggered out of the room, yelling profanities.
His mind was almost blowing itself up from the pressure.
He needed a rest.
He locked himself at the bathroom, punching the walls.
People just stared at each other, confused from the noises.
An icicle formed.

A pale girl, her hair seemingly made of ice arrived at the room, a large USI hockey sweater covering her up.
The presidents looked at each other, confused.
She coughed.
"Ahem." She sat at the president's office. "My name is Nina Meyer. I... sort of am Joseph's daughter."
She sighed.
"And given the circumstances, I think I am the new NSI.HOCKEY president."
She made a pair of glasses made of ice form on her left hand, in clear view of the people gathering.
"...And I'm an elemental. The way I came into being is actually quite funny."
They all stared at her, silent.
"Oh, and my dad is fine. Relax. I sent him to the hospital, he was really pissed... You guys did quite a number on his patience!"
Still. Silent.
"...Well, then... He said I could pick whatever. I say we can have players of all sorts playing. Not like anything bad can come out of it."
...
"Oh, and I'm allowing the Aurora Reign in. We'll look after other markets and have the league become USI.HOCKEY."
...
"That's all, thank you."
She got up from her chair and walked out, leaving a trail of ice behind her.
They remained silent.
Dan Summers got up and said... well.
"...Any of you know what the hell was that?"

Last.fm · by **Cosumar** » Fri Jan 13, 2017 11:21 pm

Cosumar National Hockey Team - WCoH 32

NICKNAME: Ice Dragons
COACH: Casper Burres (52)
ASSISTANT COACH: Alan Foye (58)
ASISTANT COACH: Jaret Chery (38)
TEAM CAPTAIN: DF Alex Johnston
VENUE: Jiro Bishop Megarink (cap. 45,000) in Samotath, Cosumar

Modifier: +2

Goalies
24 - Nikki MESSER (Age 31, Female - 6"6, 215)
22 - Nemanja Zamatin (Age 31, Male - 6"4, 208)

Defenders
04 - Alex JOHNSTON (Age 33, Male - 5"11, 190)
06 - Ejegefe NA'JEGOFE(Age 19, Male - 6"3, 213)
24 - Dvala de Varden (Age 28, Female - 5"11, 185)
19 - Okoloma Na'Gozi (Age 30, Male - 6"5, 234)
02 - Gökhan Dolmiode (Age 24, Male - 6"0, 205)
63 - Nico Stang (Age 23, Male - 6"2, 214)

Forwards
29 - C - René SILVERII (Age 26, Male - 6"0, 192)
34 - C - Jane Spader (Age 29, Female - 5"11, 205)
29 - C - Konan Kripkowski (Age 20, Male - 6"3, 235)
29 - C - Dylann Fiefman (Age 18, Female - 6"0, 183)
47 - L - Silver WORILLOW (Age 26, Female - 6"1, 197)
25 - L - Hugh Vargstenen (Age 26, Male - 6"0, 185)
83 - L - Hob Eraksson (Age 33, Male - 6"4, 210)
09 - L - Gia Hare (Age 27, Female - 5"9, 140)
31 - R - Reid MUIR (Age 30, Male - 5"10, 185)
55 - R - Sholakh Marszal (Age 31, Male - 6"2, 208)
54 - R - Analiese Falkenburg (Age 22, Female - 5"10, 165)
56 - R - Mo Lewikki (Age 21, Male - 6"2, 195)

Starters in blue. Subs used frequently throughout the game. Below the starters, subs are listed in order of likelihood to play.

Cosumar's uniforms, designed by Sabre Inc.

If my opponent RPs first, they may:

Choose my scorers: Y
Penalise my players: Y
Eject my players: Y
Injure my players: Y, but let me determine severity
Godmod scoring: Y
Godmod injuries: Y
Godmod other events: Y

by **Tomikosan** » Fri Jan 13, 2017 11:33 pm

Information on Group D teams

By: Killian Riemar

With our first game just around the corner, it might be better to review each teams in our group to know who's who and what is the probability of winning against them. Of course, it is unlikely to make it to the round of 16 due to how hard it is especially with experienced teams like Anthor and Elejamie. However, like what Elajamie said, the fans have to wait for one or two World Cups to prove ourselves.

Free Republic

We start off with a newbie in the tournament: Free Republic. There's not much to say about this team, other than participating in the World Cup. According to the description in the team's info, they used play hockey before a dictatorship took over and disband them. Now they are back with a decent team that shouldn't be hard to face. They only star player in their squad is Karl Kreutzmann, a center sniper with a good experience but nothing else.

Probability: Should be the easiest game to start off with. Well, super easy to be honest.

Elejamie

Elejamie is one legendary team you do not mess with. In the last edition, they won first place in the cup against Valanora and much of the pride in their own fans is still here. Notable players include right wing superstar Anatoly Kasputin, enforcer Francisco Solano and star defenders Lupe and Adam Keane.

Probability: Don't be suprised if we cannot defeat them. They are serious about hockey and may give us a good drubbing to us. The only thing you could do is pray to god that good luck can happen to us.

Natanians and Nosts

Natanians and Nosts are the team who's skills in hockey are much unknown. To us it is really difficult to find out more about them. We can assume that since they are ranked 69th in the ranking score, it is a little harder than Free Republic. Then again we do not know.

Probability: Are they good? Are they bad? Who the hell knows? Maybe we might beat them but we'll see how it goes.

Anthor

Anthor is the last team we play against in the group stage. Like Elejamie, they are experienced veterans who played for many years. The ducks (as they like to be called) have one great squad in this tournament. This includes Center captain Graham Robertson, two-way Defenceman Michael Brice and goaltender Aric Langley. They are ranked 4th in the ranking table so like Elejamie, this is a legendary team we would have to work very hard.

Probability: Same as Elejamie, but go extra hard if a shocking moments is needed to happen.

That is all for today, folks! Can the Hockey-loids take on the divine teams? Will the big ones send the Red Patriots packing their bags? Let's find when we go to our first game. Until then goodbye.

by **Kaboomlandia** » Sat Jan 14, 2017 12:12 am

Phoenix 3, Schutzenphalia and West Ruhntuhnkuhnland 0

"Welcome to Reaper Coliseum in Valanora! Today, the Kaboomlandia Phoenix will kick off their World Cup of Hockey campaign against an unranked side from Schutzenphalia and West Ruhntuhnkuhnland. Because of the ridiculously long name we'll just call them Schutzenphalia for today. Dylan Brady will get the first start for the Phoenix, but no roster was submitted for the Schutzenphalians so they have an unnamed goaltender in net."

"Three minutes into the game. The first period has been somewhat sloppy so far as both teams are a bit rusty in their first game of the tournament. Derek Strachan takes the puck and circles behind his net, throws the puck out for Bore. Kevin Bore being pressured by the Schutzenphalians, throws the puck back for Strachan who goes out the other side. Derek Strachan being pressured, flips the puck high off the glass...but no, this is a bit too high and it's going to go out of play, and it looks like a penalty will go to Strachan. Not a great start for the Phoenix as they'll be killing an early penalty."

"The penalty for delay of game to Strachan is now over, five skaters a side back on the ice. Third line on for the Phoenix, Günther head-mans it for Aaron Richards and he's away down the right wing. Richards down the wing, has the puck on the right side. Quick snap shot from the right side, off the side of the net. A Schutzenphalian defenseman gets to the puck but the clearing attempt is blocked by Richards. Aaron Richards wins the battle and looks for Coderre in front, but the puck gets tipped and dribbles to the goalie."

"Eight minutes left in the first period, Phoenix gradually starting to impose their will on this game. Bryson Martin controls the puck in the corner, loses it in his skates then kicks it up to his stick and out to Herndon at the point. Scott Herndon crossing with Clooney now, throws the puck up for Clooney in the middle of the blueline. Down to the left circle for Martin, cycle has continued for about a minute. Bryson Martin looks for a lane, throws the puck to the net, stopped. Zack Murray gets to the rebound, golfs at a shot that goes just over the net. Kennedy Linden scoops it up, goes cross-ice for Herndon down low on the opposite side. Herndon shoots, SCORES! The Phoenix have their first goal of the tournament off a beautiful cross-ice pass from Kennedy Linden!"

"Three minutes to go in the first, Schutzenphalians on a rare offensive shift. The puck is passed around back to the left defenseman, cycled back to the left-winger. Shot through traffic missed the net out to the right side, Lindsay on the puck but it's knocked down by the right defenseman at the blueline, not out. Coderre reaches but can't get it, cross-ice pass made to the left defenseman, who shoots, Brady saw all of that and no rebound."

"After the first period, the Phoenix lead the Schutzenphalians 1-0 off of a pretty setup by Kennedy Linden leading to a Scott Herndon goal."

"We're back for the second period at Reaper Coliseum, puck just about to drop for the second period between Kaboomlandia and the incredibly unpronounceable Schutzenphalia and West Ruhntuhnkuhnland. The Phoenix lead the game 1-0 on the strength of a Scott Herndon goal. The Phoenix are starting here on the power play after a Schutzenphalian player interfered with Adrian Philips with just three seconds left in the first period, and they take control right after the puck is dropped. Zack Murray draws the puck back to Strachan, who fires it in from the red line all the way around the net. Kennedy Linden in now on the far side, chases down this puck and keeps it inside the zone. Kennedy Linden behind the Schutzenphalian net now, cycles out to Bryson Martin who will drop back for Strachan. Derek Strachan at the point, across for Herndon. Scott Herndon down the right side for Zack Murray. Murray out to the point changing with Herndon, he backhands the puck across to Strachan. Derek Strachan stops the puck, quick dish-off to Martin who shoots, but no rebound."

"Seven minutes into the second period now, Phoenix outshooting the Schutzenphalians by a count of 18-7 but only leading 1-0 thanks to strong goaltending. Mikael Samsonov gets the puck, racing in over centre and dumping the puck into the end boards. The Schutzenphalian defenseman gets there first and is going to throw the puck around the boards, but it's picked off by Tyson Nash at the point. Nash finds Leland Anderson coming in late, Anderson veers to the half-wall looking for some space. Back to Nash, and across to Lindsay. Casey Lindsay fakes a shot, finds Wade Blacken at the circle. Blacken back to Lindsay, who shoots...SCORES! I think...yes, this one was tipped in by Mikael Samsonov! The dynamo from the Republic of Kaboomlandia makes the score 2-0 off a wonderful deflection in front of the net!"

"The second period is down to its last few minutes, Schutzenphalians making a push now to get a late goal before the end of the second period. Schutzenphalian right-winger tearing down the side against Patrick Clooney, pulls outside and makes the defenseman go with him. Right-winger drops the puck back for the defenseman, big one-time slapshot that Brady had to be quick to handle. Rebound goes back to the right-winger, pulls right around the net and tries a wraparound, but the big goalie gets to that one too and there's no rebound."

"At the end of the second period, the Kaboomlandia Phoenix have a solid 2-0 lead on their opponents as we head into the second intermission."

"Welcome back to Reaper Coliseum for Kaboomlandia Phoenix hockey! Right now the Phoenix are holding down a 2-0 lead over the upstart team from Schutzenphalia and West Ruhntuhnkuhnland. The two goals have come from Scott Herndon in the first on a one-timer, and Mikael Samsonov in the second period on a deflection. The puck is dropped and the final frame is away, Schutzenphalians in a two-goal hole. The Kid Line is out there for the Phoenix and they're starting to take full control of this game, leading the play and forcing chances out there."

"Third period is six minutes old now, both teams making changes now. Blair Mitchell sending out his third line now, as Aaron Richards goes right to the play and steals the puck before dropping it back to Nash in his own end. Tyson Nash goes behind his own net for Casey Lindsay, puck head-manned up the left boards for Maxime Coderre on the wing. Coderre flips it to Günther, who will cross the blue line, back to Richards. Aaron Richards with a snap shot, high and wide. Coderre picks up a rebound now and throws it off the side of the net. Richards with it now, circles out and drops back for Tyson Nash. Nash across to Casey Lindsay, who gets a solid snapshot off, but the Schutzenphalian goalie will have none of that and snaps it up."

"We're past the thirteen-minute mark of the third, still 2-0 Phoenix. A bad turnover by Adrian Philips in neutral ice and Schutzenphalia goes down the other way! It's a two-on-one rush, but the winger will pass it over and tipped on goal by the other, great save by Brady! Rebound is cleared out by a sprawling Kevin Bore, but the puck is now in the corner, it's thrown to the front of the net and covered quickly by Brady."

"Two minutes left in the game. The Schutzenphalians have pulled their goalie for an extra attacker, so it's six on five. The puck goes out to the centre in the slot, but he's checked off the puck by Strachan. Back to the defenseman, goes across the blueline for a quick shot that missed the net. Bore, in behind his own net, picks up the puck and swipes it out to Kennedy Linden, who carries out of the zone. He''ll now flip it to a streaking Murray up the middle. Zack Murray uses his speed, outraces the defender and he is going to score! Zack Murray shows off some skill with the empty-netter to ice it!"

"The final horn is over, and the Kaboomlandia Phoenix have secured their first win of the tournament by a score of 3-0. Dylan Brady made 14 saves in the shutout, but the most memorable is that sprawling pad save in the third to keep it 2-0. Next up for the Phoenix is Lisander on Saturday night."

by **-Anthor-** » Sat Jan 14, 2017 2:37 am

Ducks Cruise to a First Win, But The Real Battle is Now Here
A easy first match win for the Ducks, but now the match they've been preparing for is here; can they win?

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Gnaeus Tanicius Vopiscus (@Gnaeus Tanicius Vopiscus)(TH)
^{Baltha 4, 601AE 3:28 PM | Vaumort, Anthor}

Angle shot of the Free Republics v. Anthor game [FT: 0-2]TH photo

Vaumort, Anthor(Herald) — Here we are, the morning after, as our fabulous Ducks cruised into the 32nd World Cup of Hockey late last night, to play for the first time internationally against the Free Republics, and came away with the expected, and easy, win that night; mostly thanks to the superstar level of offensive power we're used to seeing from Graham Robertson, who recorded his 10th international goal, and newcomer Harold Jewel.

The match took place on 'home' ground for the Free Republics, but in their first international showing in a while, they were just not as prepared and ready to go as the Ducks where; they conceded the first goal of the game within the first eleven minutes, following a amazing chain of passes from Brice, Kersey, Poindexter and then over to Robertson who buried it into the back of the net with a hard slapshot, that almost looked like the stuff he had when he was ten years younger. We had a chance to interview him following the match, asking him how he felt about his tenth international goal, and how if anything, did this victory get them anymore ready for their match next week, against the reigning world champions. "Yeah, sure, Elejamie is a tough one for us to crack, you know we've fought them three or four times now and that last time, we gave them a definite run for their money, showing them we're not just another scrap team looking for it's place at the table, ya know? We're here to stay, and prove that the Ducks belong up there with the best and now that we've tasted how victory is, I think they're going to have a serious competition on their hands."

While many analysts hailed the victory as a great first step into the Cup, they are worried about the looming fight. The Ice Elephants went up against the Nosts and blew them away completely in a 6-1 match that bore more resemblance to a practice shoot-out then it did to a professional international match; the Ducks, while performing very well, did not blow out the Free Republics, their first goal came off of Robertson with a Poindexter assist around the 10:45 mark in the first period, and the second goal didn't come until 7:32 into the third period from Harold Jewel, who got the puck off of a dump pass from Erhardt Müller. Now, that being said, while the score wasn't an over-riding blowout for the Ducks, I think the underlying mechanics of the game showed they are certainly above and beyond ready for this match up; the team was playing with real cohesion and chemistry; I mean obviously the Yarmouth guys, you know Jewel, Bohatec, Moore, they're going to play very well together because they do it all year long, but the solid wave of their first line, guys like Kersey, Price and Poindexter coming together and playing real solid, great team-work, their on the skate skills were looking sharper then ever too, even though Head Coach Lucius Horn brought on a bit of an enforcer with Michael Brice, which is a red herring in his usual style of play because Horn has never been known for pushing the physical side of hockey, always preferring to out-do his opponent on hard-taught skills and tactics; and it's those tactics that he's going to be counting on more when he goes up against the reigning world champions.

If the Ducks manage to beat Elejamie, they are almost, no heck they are, guaranteed to carry the Group completely and advance over to the next stage; if they do however lose against the world champions, they will also still have an easy schedule ahead of them and should still qualify, much like how last year's Cup played out, they will just have to guard against the morale drop affecting them too negatively, but I think that's preparation they're never going to have to make. I'm going to be going to that match tomorrow, see you in the stands Duck faithful!

Gnaeus Tanicus Vopiscus contributed to this article.

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^{FAVORITE THIS DISCUSSION}

BillRussell · 3 minutes ago
Screw the skepticism, the Ducks came in and did what they do best, shredded it up and you know what, ICE BORN GONNA ROCK IT AGAIN and dethrone the ruling king #Ismellacoupintheair
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MitchieFitchie · 3 hours ago
I think regardless of the result, we're going to see some Grade A+++ hockey tomorrow night in the Ducks v. Ice Elephants match up, budding rivalry matches are always fun to watch and there's plenty of reason for us to want to get even; Jewel, Robertson, Pearson, go get it done!! #DucksForLife
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BruceInEdgertonTownship · 4 hours ago
Yeah baby, 2 goals down, and there's plenty more of that coming Elejamie's way tomorrow night! Even if Horn rotates the Lines more, Line 1 has Poindexter, Kersey, Robertson and Brice. Line 2, has Jewel, Bohatec and Blackman. It's literally either you getting slammed in the face with assured Hall of Fame locks, or you're getting pummeled by the next generation of Anthoran stars. I almost feel bad for them.
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by **Neu Engollon** » Sat Jan 14, 2017 12:22 pm

“Good evening, Neu Engollon…”

“And to our International viewers, hello and welcome! You’re watching a NETV 7 Sports Special Broadcast. I’m Karl Demais, and this is my co-host, Magda Wertauer.”

“We’re coming to you live from the Ironbound Colosseum in Longview, Valanora, where the Ibex are competing in the 32nd World Cup of Hockey."

“It’s been a rough night, Magda, as we watched the Ibex go up against the National team from Novaya Zemlya."

"...and with results that were predictable in some circles, Karl. Although not a single Ibex goal to answer to the Novozemlyans three is an extremely worst case scenario for many, that's what we witnessed tonight."

"True, I think that most folks would assume that the Ibex would have been able to notch up at least one goal, but it was not to be as the Novozemlyans dominated the ice, led by their captain, Krasimir Yelokhin, who was the first to assault the Neu Engollian net successfully."

"It was a crushing defeat and not at all what was hoped for in the opener, despite Novaya Zemlya being the toughest opponent they would have to face during the group stage play."

"There's been a lot of talk about the decision to cut loose the foreign coaching staff duo of Liu Qiang An and Geoffrey Siegler, especially now in the wake of this game. Granted, their replacements came from within, retired players from last year's tumultuous season."

"Coach Liu and Siegler's contracts were already up and they had both expressed desires to move on, so it wasn't exactly like a cleaning house as more of a natural mutual progression from both sides of the negotiation line. Andre Manon and Ernst Volkzein are well seasoned players, but they don't have the management experience, so this couldn't have been totally unexpected."

"Still, the point is that a case can be made that the preparation and renewed team unity was not where it should have been going into this first match of the Cup. It's easy to question the decision to axe the management so soon before the next Cup giving the Ibex just a couple months to get comfortable with the new lineup."

"Obviously, I see your point, Karl, but maybe we should hold back judgment until the group play is over and we see how well they perform through the rest of their games."

"Perhaps so, Magda. The next big Ibex news is the next wave of veteran players who are looking to retire or at least get out of their NEHL contracts. Manon and Volkzein were just the first wave..."

"Indeed it's going to be a whole different team come next year, Karl, for better or for worse. We'll discuss that more when we come back from this sponsor break. Stay tuned to NETV Sports 7 and all the best Ibex hockey coverage."

by **Mercedini** » Sat Jan 14, 2017 1:47 pm

World Cup of Hockey Special
MD1 Quick Review: Mercedini vs. Abanhfleft
@ Valanora

In one of the more hotly contested matches at the World Cup of Hockey in Valanora, Mercedini were narrowly beaten in a tight affair against the highest seeded team in the group, Abanhfleft. The current largest exporter of words in the multiverse, Abanhfleft is ranked seventh in the world as a hockey team and was drawn in Mercedini's group from Pot 1, meaning that they are the highest ranked team in the group and are likely to sail through to the knockout rounds without any hitches. This is Mercedini's third World Cup of Hockey and having been pipped to the post last time in Hannasea by Ficiscia on goal difference last time, Mercedini were confident in causing an upset or two on their way to their first knockout stage. However, Mercedini will have to go the long way round as they were defeated 3-2 in a closely fought match. Let's see how the match went down:

Mercedini took the lead in the match thanks to Max Morton whose tremendous solo goal gave everyone a reason as to why he moved to Novaya Zemlya to further his career, he dribbled past two defenders and simply flicked the ball past the goaltender for the opening goal of the game. The Mercedinian contingency were cheering on their players as they look to be causing the shock of the day in the group, but Abanhfleft were stirring and were getting into the game themselves. They threatened multiple times but couldn't force the puck in the net, at the end of the first period, Mercedini held a slender lead of a goal to nil.

The second period was the polar opposite of the first with Abanhfleft taking the initiative and blowing Mercedini away with three goals in the twenty-minute period. The group's top-seed showed their worth in the match as Ted Kawakami scored two goals in quick succession to snatch the lead away from Mercedini. His first was a sweeping move which needed multiple shots before the puck finally crossed the line for the equaliser. Abanhfleft then took the lead after a break away goal from the other end of the ice. It was two-on-two as Calcagno flicked the puck to Kawakami who slipped the puck into the tight gap for the second goal, giving Abanhfleft the lead. Further punishment was dished out as Kawakami then turned provider to give Abanhfleft a two goal cushion, a long puck forward was flung forward was at risk of being iced but Cristobal Rosenberg latched onto the pass and turned the puck goalwards, it's speed evaded the glove of Carl Arkenton, it triggered the horn inside the arena to the joy of the Abanhfleft fans. At the end of a frantic second period, the score stood at 1-3.

In the third and final period, Mercedini pulled a goal back thanks to Ian Pollock in defence, turning the puck in after a goal mouth scramble to reduce the deficit down to one, but it wasn't enough as the game ended with Mercedini trailing by a goal to fall to 0-0-1 after their opening match. They pushed Abanhfleft as far as they could go but in the end the top seed proved their worth by seeing off their ranked challengers. Mercedini will go into the second matchday with all sorts of positives as they only lost to the group's top seeds by only a goal. If they can push the others just as hard, they can earn themselves their first knockout berth and set a precedent for future World Cups of Hockey.

FINAL
Mercedini 2 - 3 Abanhfleft
(1-0) (0-3) (1-0)
M. Morton, 1st 3:22 (unassisted)
T. Kawakami, 2nd 12:14 (F. Griffith & C. Rosenberg)
T. Kawakami, 2nd 14:45 (W. Calcagno)
C. Rosenberg, 2nd 18:02 (T. Kawakami)
I. Pollock, 3rd 6:37 (M. Morton & Z. Arthur)

After that opening defeat, Mercedini will now have to win all of their games in their group in order to guarantee qualification. This will mean wins against Lorenthia, Devonta and Sontarion. We hope you will join us as give you coverage of all of those games but for now, we bid you goodnight!

by **The Redvale** » Sat Jan 14, 2017 2:54 pm

Black Flag

Chapter Four: Repossession

The Crows and the Corsairs had been quiet over the past few weeks even with the attacks on them from their rivals. That quiet wasn’t set to last, not in Otavice at least. Something big was happening in the City of Devils, and if one were to walk the streets of the central part of the city that was dominated by the Crows and only the Crows, they would wonder what year it was. The scene was a throwback to the decades past when the Crows had first formed as a paramilitary that only had one goal: eliminate Islamic rule from Jugoskania and prevent the Muslim invasion of Valeria, or die trying. Today, they were returning to their martial roots, wearing black fatigues and loading military trucks in the streets as they prepared for the coming operation.

Slobo Vulovic himself was overseeing the preparations, and the men who were standing around the trucks were openly carrying military style weapons such as rifles and submachine guns instead of typical gang weapons like pistols and knives. The ones who weren’t carrying weapons were loading supplies into the backs of the trucks, and at least one of the trucks contained more weapons. The symbol on the side of the trucks showed three stars around an Orthodox cross surrounded by a circle, clearly marking them as belonging to the Crows. Someone loaded what looked like a flamethrower into the lead truck, and then the armed men started to climb into the one behind it.

“Hey! Davor!” shouted Slobo, to one of his men. “Get your men ready. We leave in three minutes, exactly. Get em into a truck and come on, because we’re not waiting. You either come on time or we’ll start without you.”

“Aye, boss,” Davor said, and went into the closest building. It was something of a warehouse, but it hadn’t been used by the original owners for a good while. The current tenants were the Crows, and they were using the building as a meeting point for a number of different groups that had headed in from other parts of town, or even other towns entirely. When Davor came back out, there was a group of about ten other men with him, and all of them were dressed in fatigues and armed in the same way that the first group was. “The hell are the bikers at? I told you it’d be trouble to bring in help all the way from Bathgate.”

“They said they were on their way, we might meet them on the road,” Slobo replied, but that was when the sounds of engines could be heard and everyone realized that motorcycles were indeed approaching. “Speak of the devil,” Slobo added, as a formation of bikes turned the corner and pulled up in the middle of the road, which was empty. The bikers all had black jackets, matching black helmets with smoke tinted visors, and they all wore weapons somewhere on their bodies. The bikes themselves were customized too, and a few of them flew small black flags on the back or had decals with the Corsairs’ laughing skull symbol.

“You’ll have to forgive us for being late,” said the leader of the bikers, raising his visor to reveal the face of Mateo Vidal. “For such a famous city, you sure have some hard to navigate streets. We got lost twice, in all the twists and turns. You haven’t been waiting for us, have you?”

Slobo shook his head. “We were just getting ready to go. You’re the ones that are supposed to lead the formation. You’re the escorts, the ones who are going to get everyone’s attention and clear the traffic for us. After all, there’s a lot of traffic and twists and turns in this city, as you said. Davor! You ready yet?”

“Just waiting on you,” Davor said, climbing into the passenger seat of the second truck, after his men had gotten into the back of the one behind it. “Everything’s loaded, everyone is present, and the trucks are ready to go. Give me the word, and we’re out of here.”

There was a pause, and Slobo looked back to the bikers. “The hell are you wearing? I told everyone to wear black fatigues, not leather. Did the memo not get across to you in Bathgate? We’re supposed to be bringing back the paramilitary look. Reminding everyone of the days when we saved them from foreign occupation. But you guys show up wearing normal biker clothes.”

“Didn’t know where we were supposed to get fatigues,” shrugged Mateo. “We would’ve been late if we spent time hunting for clothes. At least we’re here on time, right? You ready to go?”

Slobo sighed and threw up his arms, frustrated, but nodded. “Yeah. Davor, get the trucks running. Tell the drivers that we’re getting out of here, now. Mateo, get your guys in formation as quickly as you can. It’s about time to go roast some fucking pigs.”

=====

It was approximately six o'clock in the evening when the convoy of motorcycles and military trucks showed up outside of the formerly abandoned apartment block in Otavice, which was being used by the Huesca Cartel in their ‘invasion’ of Jugoskania. The place had, of course, been discovered by the Crows and their allies after the raid on Maricel Ocampo’s home that had reignited their conflict with the Huescas once more. When the group showed up, there were already five or six guys outside the apartments, staking them out from a safe distance and sending in recon to the Crows. These men weren’t Anglatian, nor were they Flectic or Nordskanian. They were from the Avgaria Cartel, of the Redvale, which had recently aligned itself with the Crows in an effort to boost their strength past that of their eternal rivals, the Bay Cartel.

The main man from that group was known as Silva, and he had a phone in one hand and a pair of binoculars in the other, as he waited for the men from the trucks to set up. When they arrived, he moved and took up position on the rooftop across the street, where he and his group would have a good vantage point. There was a large bag with them, too, which the men dragged up to the rooftop and laid down next to Silva. “There were two guys outside that looked like they’re with the Huescas, and they went inside when you pulled up. Get ready for resistance,” Silva said through the phone, holding the binoculars with his other hand and staring through them at the area around the apartments. “You better work fast. I doubt they’re going to just sit and wait for you to make a move.”

The group on the ground took that advice, and started unloading the trucks. They took out some large barrels, and Silva saw that it was barrels of gasoline. The highly flammable time. The barrels were large enough that it took a few men to carry each one, and they moved quickly with them and started emptying the contents of them onto the ground around the apartments. There were a lot of barrels, and a lot of gasoline being emptied onto the ground. They made sure the whole area, including the soil around the walkway leading to the block, and the shrubbery around it, was drenched, and then an armed group ran inside and did a quick check of the surroundings in the lobby before waving their allies inside and letting them drench that room, too. They only spent a few minutes inside, before withdrawing. They were about to watch the fireworks, but from a safe distance. “You’ve got the whole area drenched enough. It’s time to pull back and watch,” said Silva.

That was when the flamethrower came into play. Someone grabbed it and directed it at the start of the gasoline trail and pulled the trigger, spraying fire into the air and igniting the trail. The man also directed the flamethrower at the grass and trees around the place, causing them to burst into flames also. And, as everyone stepped back and watched, with some Crows taking pictures, the fire spread down the slick trail and around and towards the building, starting to consume the old structure quickly. It was an old and unsafe building as it was; now, the poor electrical work of the place would be its downfall. The flames latched onto the apartments quickly, the inhabitants of the place still inside. But the fire spread quickly, and there wouldn’t be any escaping for anyone that was still inside. The doors and the lower level windows had been brought into the blaze already, and the upper level windows were too high to jump from.

“These people actually thought they would invade Otavice,” remarked Slobo, standing and watching next to the other leaders. “They thought they could conquer the City of Devils, the place where invading armies have fallen for hundreds of years, the city that repelled an entire foreign government from our island entirely and then convinced a greater power to drive them into the sea for good. They thought that they were winning because they took one of our own and made a few gains against our allies. They got confident, thinking they could just move into our capital. And now? They burn alive, like lobsters. They should have known to not challenge us on our own turf, but they won’t have a second chance to learn from their mistakes.”

“Many have thought that they could invade. There’s nothing special or significant about the Huesca Cartel. They will simply go down in history as another foreign army that attempted to invade and barely made it past the mountains before being slaughtered,” stated Davor. “The real question is, will they learn from losing more than thirty of their own, or are they stupid enough to send reinforcements?”

“I don’t know,” Slobo said, still eerily calm as the building burned and Silva raised the black flag on the roof across the street from the fire. “I do know, however, that they don’t have much chance of surviving longer than the first wave did. Time will show if they’re as foolish as we think they are, or if they’re capable of learning from history and from recent events. Though, I think the former is more likely.”

by **Valanora** » Sat Jan 14, 2017 3:43 pm

Valanora Times
Calcuttas Prepare For Long Run

After being awarded the hosting rights to the thirty-second edition of the World Cup of Hockey, the fourth edition which will take place in Valanora, the Calcuttas knew that the expectations upon the side would be quite immense. Not only has the side made it to the Championship stage of the last two World Cups, but two of the three times that the tournament has been hosted in Valanora, the side has gone on to emerge as the victor at the end of the edition. Trends in both current and long term history suggest that the Calcuttas have quite a bit of work ahead of them to live up to these sort of expectations, though this is exactly the sort of challenge that the players and staff have come to expect of them in the last few years. No longer is the side an inconsistent power, they are now the most decorated and one of the most frightening powers in the sport.

Though they are rivaled in that regard by the Icy Elephants of Elejamie, the same team whom the Calcuttas have faced in the last two editions as the two have traded the trophy and title as the best team in all of the hockey world between them. While the Calcuttas had a bye on the first day of group play, their rivals in Elejamie showed exactly the sort of class and skill that they have as they began this edition in the same form that they were in two years ago when they lifted the trophy in Hannesea. It is suffice to say that if the Calcuttas are going to lift the trophy here in the Eternal Realm, that they are going to have to deal with the Icy Elephants at some point during the trek, as they show absolutely no signs at all of being tilted by an upstart side, though Anthor is hoping to give them a run for their money in the group.

Speaking of groups, the Calcuttas group has a very Oceanic feel to it as fellow denizens of Atlantian Oceania in Cosumar and The Redvale were drawn into our group, as were Tobiasia and Averyickan City. Both The Redvale and Averyickan City look to be all but walkover results for the Calcuttas, as they are unranked coming into the competition, though The Redvale's side does seem to present a certain amount of promise to them. The big threat to Vanorian dominance in the group however comes in the form of Cosumar, though this should really come as no to surprise to anyone inside Valanora or the region as a whole, as Cosumar sportsmen and women have been seen getting significantly better in nearly all sports in the past decade or so. Tobiasia is also a potential pitfall but do not give off the same perceived challenge as our regional rivals present.

In the end, the team as well as the fans are looking at this group and this entire tournament and thinking that anything short of a semifinal appearance by the team has to be considered a failure. The Calcuttas field a talented group of players, many of whom have won World Cup medals and HCL medals are well, that should enable them to see themselves past this challenging group and give them a solid edge in any potential first round matchup. It is from there that we will see the team's true abilities and how determined they are in establishing the sort of dominance in hockey that Valanora had in football nearly sixty years ago. Vanorian sporting culture likes its heroes and dynasties and this tournament provides the exact sort of scenario to provide for both, provided the team is up to the task.

by **Valanora** » Sat Jan 14, 2017 3:44 pm

Matchday 2

Group A
The Redvale 1–3 Cosumar
Valanora 4–2 Tobiasia

P Group A                                    Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Cosumar                                      2   1  1  0    5   3  +2    3
2 Valanora                                     1   1  0  0    4   2  +2    2
3 Tobiasia                                     2   1  0  1    7   5  +2    2
4 Averyickan City                              1   0  1  0    2   2   0    1
5 The Redvale                                  2   0  0  2    2   8  −6    0

Group B
Dylecte 0–0 Savojarna
Nephara 0–0 Qasden

P Group B                                    Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Qasden                                       2   1  1  0    2   0  +2    3
2 Royal Kingdom of Quebec                      1   1  0  0    3   1  +2    2
3 Savojarna                                    2   0  1  1    1   3  −2    1
4 Dylecte                                      2   0  1  1    0   2  −2    1
5 Nephara                                      1   0  1  0    0   0   0    1

Group C
Chromatika 4–4 Neu Engollon
Aquitayne 1–3 Botten

P Group C                                    Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Botten                                       2   1  1  0    6   4  +2    3
2 Novaya Zemlya                                1   1  0  0    3   0  +3    2
3 Chromatika                                   2   0  2  0    7   7   0    2
4 Neu Engollon                                 2   0  1  1    4   7  −3    1
5 Aquitayne                                    1   0  0  1    1   3  −2    0

Group D
Anthor 2–3 Elejamie
Tomikosan 0–1 Free Republics

P Group D                                    Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Elejamie                                     2   2  0  0    9   3  +6    4
2 Anthor                                       2   1  0  1    4   3  +1    2
3 Free Republics                               2   1  0  1    1   2  −1    2
4 Tomikosan                                    1   0  0  1    0   1  −1    0
5 Natanians and Nosts                          1   0  0  1    1   6  −5    0

Group E
Norrehavn 0–0 United Bermuda
Solitary Goats 2–2 Esparmuran

P Group E                                    Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Vilita and Turori                            1   1  0  0    2   0  +2    2
2 Esparmuran                                   2   0  2  0    5   5   0    2
3 Norrehavn                                    2   0  2  0    3   3   0    2
4 Solitary Goats                               1   0  1  0    2   2   0    1
5 United Bermuda                               2   0  1  1    0   2  −2    1

Group F
Abanhfleft 1–0 Devonta
Lorenthia 0–0 Mercedini

P Group F                                    Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Abanhfleft                                   2   2  0  0    4   2  +2    4
2 Devonta                                      2   1  0  1    3   1  +2    2
3 Lorenthia                                    1   0  1  0    0   0   0    1
4 Mercedini                                    2   0  1  1    2   3  −1    1
5 Sontarion                                    1   0  0  1    0   3  −3    0

Group G
Cosneolta 0–0 Gregoryisgodistan
Unified Sunrise Islands 0–0 Prusy Krolewskie

P Group G                                    Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Gregoryisgodistan                            2   1  1  0    4   0  +4    3
2 Cosneolta                                    2   1  1  0    1   0  +1    3
3 Unified Sunrise Islands                      1   0  1  0    0   0   0    1
4 Prusy Krolewskie                             2   0  1  1    0   1  −1    1
5 General Dicking Around                       1   0  0  1    0   4  −4    0

Group H
Schutzenphalia and West Ruhntuhnkunland 2–5 Ilyseum
Lisander 4–5 Kaboomlandia

P Group H                                    Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Kaboomlandia                                 2   2  0  0    8   4  +4    4
2 Nova Anglicana                               1   1  0  0    1   0  +1    2
3 Ilyseum                                      2   1  0  1    5   3  +2    2
4 Lisander                                     1   0  0  1    4   5  −1    0
5 Schutzenphalia and West Ruhntuhnkunland      2   0  0  2    2   8  −6    0

by **Savojarna** » Sat Jan 14, 2017 4:21 pm

[align=]STV 2 Broadcast from Valanora: MD1 vs. Royal Kingdom of Quebec[/align]

The teams skate through the arena, preparing for the first match of the World Cup of Hockey 32. Savojarna is wearing their new white and blue home uniforms, their side of the arena is lit up in white, blue and red. The announcer's voice booms through the arena as he announces the players of the two sides.

Number 40 - Ville STEFANSSON! Number 41 - Jonas GULBRANDSSON! And finally... with the number fifty-two - AAAANDERS... HJALMARSSON!

With the end of the intro ceremony, the two teams now line up at the blue lines. The Quebecois still hold their helmets, routinely and calmly awaiting their national anthem. The Savojars are waiting more nervously, moving more on their skates. The team is wearing their blue helmets and has their arms laid over the shoulders of their neighbours awaiting the anthem anxiously. Finally, the International blares from the speakers and the Savojar players, along with a few thousand fans, sing along with the words. And then, the moment comes for which everyone waited. The players leave the ice, only Hoyman, Kristiansen, Asgeirsson, Stefansson, Simonen and Rasnikov remain lined up against five Quebecois. Looking into the opponent's eyes, Simonen notices he is opposed to a world class center, apparently getting nervous.

"And the puck has dropped! The 32nd World Cup of Hockey is on for Savojarna, and they lost the first faceoff. And now we will see how Savojarna organises itself around the blue line. It's hard for the Quebecois to push through this containment, and they try it with technique for now. Usually they will have to resort to dumping the puck at some point but for now they get through. Quebec installing itself in the zone, and looking for the lanes towards Niklas Hoyman. They bring it down to the wing, and a good pass to the center! But Simonen back-checks good and pushes the center off. Asgeirsson saves it in the corner, defending the puck behind the net and bringing it to Kristiansen, who can now do a breakout. Counter by Savojarna, Rasnikov carries into the zone and... dodges a check there, now it's a two-on-two with Stefansson! Passing it over, Stefansson with a one-timer! The puck is still free. Rasnikov bats at it and... safely stopped by the goalie. Savojarna shows their danger on the counter with a strong first shot to the net, but gets saved by the goalie."

On the first period, Quebec has an edge over the Savojars but they can always get through, pierce the defense and rip annoying shots off to the goal. The Quebecois goalie, however, is solid and barely gives the opponent chances. The strategy in the middle works good, blocking the offense and holding them in the middle zone. We are about nine minutes into the first period.

"The pressure intensifies now, and the puck is mostly on the sticks of the Quebecois. Another attempt through the left side now - WHAT A PASS! Quebec defies the increasingly tired Savojar defense with a single pass, Glukov is slightly behind and struggling... the arm is up! Penalty against Savojarna. The winger catches himself, and gets hit to the board by Glukov. The whistle blows, and the Quebecois shortly stays down... but he seems to be able to get up now. He has caught himself, only seems to have lost his breath for a second, and the Savojars and the referees have managed to keep the two teams apart. The penalty is two minutes for hooking against Slava Glukov. This is now going to be a real challenge, Savojarna's first penalty killing on the international stage."

"Fourty-seven seconds are left on the clock until the return of Glukov, who was duly replaced by Juranen in his PK line. But now the first line with Asgeirsson and Vasilyev is on again! The puck is in play, and Quebec has again won the faceoff. The puck goes to the left, pass through the box and he rips it off! Chaos in front of Hoyman, and... it's in. The goal has fallen, Quebec leads the game 1-0. The referees will review the goal, but I am pretty sure it is a good goal."

The review shows a rebound off the pad, and a Quebecois center bats at the puck scoring on the rebound. The referee steps back onto the ice and indicates a good goal for Quebec, the fans celebrating in the stands as they take the lead.

The game continues similarly, the Savojar manage to avoid the worst chances of Quebec, but it is obvious that the other team is a lot better. Three more minutes are to play before the break, and there is a faceoff in the Savojar zone.

"Savojarna is under pressure again, and now we have to resort to our fourth line against the third Quebecois line. Let's hope this works! Puck goes back to the line, Quebec winning the faceoff and looking for the opening. Puck goes back to the point, D-to-D... and the shot is blocked! Perttu Rantanen blocks a shot and it bounces off towards the side, where Jörgensen chops it off! Incredible reaction, and the Quebecois miss it for a moment. The counter is running, Gulbrandsson goes down towards the net from the side, the opponent is a little slower! Breakaway for Jonas Gulbrandsson! Slows down, drags it in and... HE SCORES! Savojarna equalised the game! Jonas Gulbrandsson, on assist of Jörgensen and Rantanen! Here we see it again, the block by Rantanen bounces off and Jörgensen reacts very fast. On the counter, it is Gulbrandsson's shooting skill that decides it for Savojarna in the duel against the goalie. Nice shot mid-height blocker side, he doesn't expect that and it is a GOAL!"

In the second period, the Quebecois keep pushing hard forward but fail to get a puck over the line. A winger misses narrowly on the powerplay, and there is a deflected shot that just bounces past the post. But then, there seems to be a decision...

"Oh god, we don't see that a lot. Savojarna just gave up a puck at the point and now faces a two on one. Kristiansen was too offensive and loses it on the move, Stefansson was moving backwards but is outraced by the Quebecois, who now send two players against Asgeirsson and goalie Hoyman. The Quebecois rush down, blocking move by Asgeirsson but the puck goes over his stick down to the ice again! Shot and... BIG SAVE! WHAT A SAVE! Niklas Hoyman splits the pads and stops the puck! There is a rebound but no other way then to shoot it against Hoyman's pad again, and then he gets pushed away by the returned Kristiansen. He falls into the goal, and there is a small altercation. Kristiansen and Asgeirsson form a circle around the crease and push their opponents away from it, the referees break it up and... no penalties. The game goes on with 5 on 5."

Throughout the third, it still is 1-1. Savojarna starts to believe in the sensation again. Should the team be able to steal a point from the Royal Kingdom of Quebec? The Quebecois managed again to turn it up a notch. And now the team starts to give up ground again. They have ten more minutes to hold out. Nine. Eight. With every minute less, team, players and coaches, and fans start to believe more and more that they can make it. But then, the Quebecois manage a breakthrough...

"Quebec has now started to dump the puck more aggressively, and it seems to work. They push Juranen off the puck in the corner, passing through behind the net. Up to the point, and there is a lot of time for the defender. He shoots, but Hoyman pushes it off to the side. Puck retrieved behind the net, the Quebecois now push more onto the goal. Pass from behind, cross-crease pass and.. its in. Deflected it over the pad, goal for Quebec. Seven minutes and thirteen seconds remain and the Royal Kingdom of Quebec leads two to one."

The Quebecois manage an empty-netter fourty-nine seconds before the end. This means a final score of 1-3 for the Quebecois. While Savojarna lost the game, they gave the world's number 4 a massive fight and were close to winning a point. The team can be massively proud and optimistic for the game against Dylecte, where the whole nation expects a win after this display.

World Cup of Hockey 32 (Everything Thread)

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