WCOH XXXIII Everything Thread

by **Savojarna** » Tue May 23, 2017 3:10 pm

SavojarSports.sj - inside reports from all Savojarna
Nation divided before clash with Elejamie: Is Rundblad the right man?

Sjoedrhavn, VH - On the eve of the main clash of the group stage, the game versus Elejamie, the Savojar hockey community is deeply split on the persona of Fredrik Rundblad. The national coach has already been under scrutiny after the fourth rank in the group stage at the last World Cup in Valanora, but he had ultimately been strengthened by the Federation based on the rather surprisingly good results he had achieved against Nephara and the Royal Kingdom of Quebec, despite the dull and bitter 0-0 draw against Dylecte. Following the disappointment of 32, Rundblad had reacted and loosened his ultra-tight tactical framework a little bit, allowing his team more attack. However this didn't bring the desired results as Savojarna was shut out in two out of three games yet again, including a loss against the unranked and unknown Main Nation Ministry. Following the two 0-1 losses and a 2-0 home win over the Valhallan Union, a team that was beaten with 6-0 and 7-0 by Elejamie and Anthor, the old criticism against Rundblad fired up again. Media representative Carl Törmänen took a very telling step by not allowing Rundblad or any member of the team to speak to the media, and the pre-game press conference became a ghostly affair with Törmänen being the lone representative of Savojarna sitting in front of the journalists.

"Mr. Rundblad enjoys the support of the Federation despite the recent developments. We don't measure our coach's work by virtue of three matches, and we think that there is development in the team. There was bad luck and very good work of opponent goalkeepers. If the SIHF was to fire every coach that has lost a game in an unlucky way, we'd need four coaches for a single World Cup. I ask the present journalists to focus on the upcoming game rather than the question of the national coach", Törmänen said on the SIHF's behalf. We don't think those are the words of a man that is fully convinced by his coach, it seems as if Törmänen is trying to shield the team from the polemics that are inevitably going to arise from Rundblad in these days. People have been criticising not only his tactical approach, focused on a solid, defensive no-flash hockey, but also his leadership skills. He has often seemed rather resignating once his team fell behind rather than assertive and leading. Furthermore, his tendency to rotate has been deemed unsuitable for a team of our international ranks after the replacement of two players plus a goalkeeper has not paid off in the game against the Main Nation Ministry.

Successors for Rundblad are plenty. One of the most named candidates is CASK's Fridtjof Ragnarsson. He has taken over CASK in a time of detrimental crisis and has led the team back into the playoffs and through an explosive octofinal series against archrivals ASK Landsmark. Last season, his team topped the league and reached the final before falling to Torpedo in a thrilling seven-game-series. CASK has a slightly different, more physical team, but Ragnarsson has showed earlier in his career that he is more than capable of adapting. The question is whether he will be available - while the Army clubs are usually very cooperative with the national team, he himself may not be too thrilled about the prospect of giving up his post in this moment, when his team is a favourite for a SHS title in the near future. Similar concerns surround the iconic Slava Vestrak, who is the coach of Dynamo St. Andrei for over ten years now. Vestrak's team has shown to be very capable of offensive production, but the Russian icon is unlikely to be willing to take over the national team. The Federation is also rumoured to be looking into a shared responsibility, giving the NT in the hands of a club coach if their desired man would decline. However, this is all largely speculative as we don't have confirmation of Rundblad's departure yet.

The other question surrounding Savojar hockey is whether the team is still a team after recent events. According to anonymous inside sources, there are multiple animosities that developed following the disappointing recent results. There seems to be some problematic attitudes towards players that are engaged abroad, as their compatriotes have characterised them as lazy glamourboys. Especially Jonas Gulbrandsson, playing in Belushya Guba (NZE), is in the focus of this criticism, our source told us, based on his engagement and his young age. According to what we heard, some in the team see him as a selfish player who cares more about his own stats than the team's success, while Gulbrandsson himself is rumoured to be frustrated with his position in the fourth line. Further divisions are claimed to have opened up between players who support Rundblad and players who think that the current playstyle is too defensive and too cautious. Add this to the constant problems between Savojars and Russians in society that are reported to have spilled into the team, and you have a recipe for disaster.

Our anonymous sources told us that there have been increased problems with provocation and even roughing in training sessions. According to them, there has been a continuation of an ongoing league fight between Nikolaj Hendersen and Dmitry Vasilyev in last afternoon's closed training that had to be broken up by the rest of the team. These two are known to regularly be at each other's throats if the two Dynamo teams meet, and after a much-discussed incident in the last league game between the two in which Vasilyev broke Hendersen's nose by cross-checking him onto the edge of the boards, tensions flared up yet again. So far the two have been able to freeze their animosities on the ice, but under the current strains there seems to be more tension between the two. With a team that is in a constant state of turmoil and two of our own defenders going at each other in training, it seems unlikely that we will stand a chance against an Elejamian team that seems to be in form and has only given up one goal against Anthor so far.

[OOC: Due to the events described above, Hendersen has been scratched and will be replaced by Denis Antonov against Elejamie. Alexey Yarchenko takes Hendersen's place in the second PK.

by **Union of Socialist Alpine Republics** » Tue May 23, 2017 3:41 pm

The Alpine Union draws with Novaya Zemlya

Belushya Guba, Novaya Zemlya - (NEIP) After beating Drawkland, the Alpine Union had to play against Novaya Zemlya, the 3rd ranked team in hockey. Thanks to a tremendous effort by the Reprezentacja Alpejski, the game ended with a 3-3 draw. It's probably the best result for the Alpine Union since the 0-0 draw (as Prusy Krolewskie) against Gregoryisgodistan at the WCoH XXXII in Valanora. More than 5,000 Alpine fans travelled to Novaya Zemlya for the game but only the first 2,000 could enter the arena.

With 14:33 remaining in the first period, Fyodor Ryzhkov is penalised for cross checking and the Bisons are going on the power play! A minute later, Czeslaw Niemczynowicz wins the faceoff in novozemlyan territory and Stanislaw Wojciechowski gets the puck he gives it to Szymon Krzysztalowicz who shoots! The puck touches Emilia Zyskowska's leg and goes into the net it's a goal by the Alpine Union! With 6:41 remaining, Wolfgang Wozniakowski makes a long pass to Anton Lundström who's on a breakaway he shoots but Anton Lopatin makes the save. The score is still 1-0 Reprezentacja Alpejski.

With 16:36 in the 2nd period Krasimir Yerokhin skates with the puck he's into Alpine zone and passes it to Zakhar Golumbovsky who passes at the blue line to Plamen Mikhailov who passes to Krasimir Yerokhin. Krasimir Yerokhin shoots, Grzegorz Grzegorczyk makes the save but doesn't control the puck. Akim Kurtanidze takes the loose puck and shoot into the net, we're tied at 1-1. Less than 8 minutes later, Emilia Zyskowska skates with the puck, she's on a 2 on 2 with Melania Zyskowska. Emilia Zyskowska passes the puck to Melania Zyskowska who keeps the puck and goes behind the net and skates back to the face off circle and shoots, it's a goal the Alpine Union is leading 2-1! With less than 2 minutes remaining in the 2nd period, Krzysztof Wdowiak skates with the puck and dumps it in Novozemlyan zone. Hunter McGuire and Zigurds Zimulis battles for the puck in the corner of the ice. McGuire finally passes to Arkadiusz Zlomanczuk who'se standing in front of the net. Arkadiusz Zlomanczuk shoots and it's a goal, 3-1 Reprezentacja Alpejski!

Novaya Zemlya who probably thought the game against the U.S.A.R. was going to be a walk in the park are trailing 3-1 at the start of the 3rd period. With around 15 minutes remaining, the Alpine Union is penalized for too many men on the ice. Novaya Zemlya has a chance to cut Alpine's lead and they shoots 3 times on the goal during the power play but Grzegorz Grzegorczyk stops them all. With 8:25 remaining, Valeri Kalagin makes a long pass to Dominik Shelagin who'se on a 2 on nothing with Foma Khabalov. Dominik Shelagin passes the puck to Foma Khabalov who gives it back to Dominik Shelagin who passes it again to Foma Khabalov who shoots and scores. The Bisons lead is cut to 3-2. With less than a minute to go, Novaya Zemlya pulls out their goalie Anton Lopatin. Their 2nd line is on the ice with Valeri Kalagin as the extra attacker. Denis Yemelyanov carries the puck into Alpine zone and passes along the board to Igor Strelnikov who gives it back to Denis Yemelyanov. Denis Yemelyanov passes the puck to Andrei Alenichev who passes to Valeri Kalagin. Valeri Kalagin shoots and the puck is tipped by Nikolai Gavrilov and goes into the net it's a goal by the Polar Bears and the game is tied at 3-3. This is the final score.

It's a disappointing draw for the Alpine Union considering we were leading 3-1 but against the 3rd ranked team, the Bisons can be proud. The Reprezentacja Alpejski is now in 3rd place behind Novaya Zemlya and Margaret's crush Quakmybush (who has 2 wins as an unranked team) with 1 win, 1 draw and 1 loss. The next Alpine game is against Kaboomlandia at the Welch Largo Center in Portsmouth, Republic of Wabash. The Welch Largo Center is the home of the Portsmouth Flyers.

BOXSCORE
1ST PERIOD
13:41 Emilia Zyskowska assisted by Szymon Krzysztalowicz and Stanislaw Wojciechowski
2ND PERIOD
16:36 Akim Kurtanidze Assisted by Krasimir Yerokhin and Plamen Mikhailov
9:58 Melania Zyskowska assisted by Emilia Zyskowska and Czeslaw Niemczynowicz
1:28 Arkadiusz Zlomanczuk assisted by Hunter McGuire
3RD PERIOD
8:25 Foma Khabalov assisted by Dominik Shelagin
0:28 Nikolai Gavrilov assisted by Valeri Kalagin and Andrei Alenichev

SHOTS ON GOAL
Novaya Zemlya: 33
Alpine Union: 26

by **Elejamie** » Tue May 23, 2017 5:53 pm

The TDS Quick 'n' Easy Guide to the ENIHL 2016/17 Playoffs

So last year came as a surprise, didn't it? You'd expect the Dockers, the Stars, the Puffins, maybe even the Royals to take home the Royal Inaetar Cup. Indeed, the Dockers actually made it to the finals, thanks to a three game sweep of the Elejamie City Ice Elephants (in what would be Samuel Philidor's last full season before coaching the Kebe junior team) and a 4-2 victory over the Puffins. And, indeed, it looked like they were going to get a sweep as they had won their first three RIC games in a row. But los Ángeles won game four. Then game five. Then game six. Then, in a game known as Milagro Sobre Hielo to the fans, they won game seven to get the first ever RIC reverse sweep.

Yes, the Royal Inaeter Cup finally arrived in Playa de Rocas. In all 56 years of its history, Ángeles de la Playa de Rocas never won the ENIHL Champions Shield or the RIC. Yes, their women's team won a few trophies. Ditto their junior team. But the team, whose members include or have included star players such as Antonio "Toni" Cervantes and his nephew Pedro, Raúl Aguilar, Pablo Acuña (and so on) have been unable to secure a major trophy. They even made the finals a few times but they always came up short, usually losing in six or seven games. But that all changed that evening at the Riverside Arena in Avon, the neutral-site game seven location for the RIC finals, when Ángeles came from 4-2 down with three minutes left to make it 4-4 going into the last minute. Then, thanks to a goal from Felipe Barajas (assisted by his brother Danilo) with 30.9 seconds left to spare, they made it 5-4. No further goals were scored and, when the klaxon went for the final time that season, all the Ángeles players were celebrating like they had just won the World Cup of Hockey. A few players even made it onto the ice, albeit briefly, to celebrate with the team. Hell, even though I was backing the Dockers, I still had to give a standing ovation to what had been the greatest RIC final game possibly ever. It was absolutely incredible.

And so we now go on to this year's tournament. And there have been a few shocks. Barr made it to another playoff series, to some people's surprise (but more on that later). The usual suspects - Coventry, Davenport, Avon, Rosetta and Playa de Rocas - made it through, as you'd expect. Edgebaston managed to cling on to a playoff spot, although now it's just a question of whether they'll finally make it past the first round for the first time since 2000. And, after missing the last one, Mainsborough made it back to the playoffs. Of course, Elejamie City missed out due to them losing head honcho Samuel Philidor to the Kebec junior side; the fact that regular goalie Peter Berg will move to the Stars in the off-season will make things even worse for them. And the Iceland Vipers might've made it into the top ten but, despite their best efforts, they just missed out on a spot by a couple of points. Unlucky.

So, using what I know about the season, I'll be going through the teams and seeing if their players, maybe other things worth noting (like a comment or two about their regular season performance), would be enough for them to win the Royal Inaetar Cup. Sort of like those Ro16 Roundups I used to do for a few World Cup of Hockey tourneys before deciding to discontinue them, if anyone remembers those. I'll also be adding my own predictions, just because it seems fair. And, as always, I'm going to be counting down from eighth place to first. Just because. Now, let's get this thing rolling.

8. Barr Bears

The loss of head coach Ray Marriott to the Big Bay Hawks in the IHNL came as a big shock to Bears fans. After all, he had lead them to playoff after playoff after playoff, despite them always coming up short in the first round. So, when he left, you could imagine all the Barr fans dreading that this streak would come to an end. Fortunately, Veni Mitenaerin managed to pick up the slack and, despite a few bad games dropping them out of a playoff spot, the Bears managed to bounce back and keep the streak going. Unfortunately, apart from Alejandro Rubio Orosco (the first Bear in a few seasons to actually make it onto the national team), there isn't really any star power and I could imagine history repeating itself. Sorry, Barr fans.

7. Mainsborough Icemen

After missing the last playoff spot by a couple of points, head coach Nate McCreary decided to restructure his team, trading or selling any dead weight and bringing in some good players from the junior squad. This appears to have worked as they managed to crawl up to seventh place. Not as great as their 5th place finish in 2004 but at least it's something. But let's get onto the team. And, indeed, they've got a star player in George Lincoln, some potential in Diego Pinto and Mike Keller, who's a great player who deserves some more chances. They've also got a couple of star Quebecois players whose names keep slipping my mind; I might put them in later if I can remember or check their site. But will they be enough to take the Icemen to their first second round since 2005? I doubt it, although it's less due to the team but rather their opponents. But more on them later.

6. Edgebaston Shamrocks

The Shamrocks were a lowly team that never really acheived much success before being sent down to the ENIHL2 for a few seasons. And then, thanks to a few star acquisitions, they finally made it back to the ENIHL in 2015. And, with the addition of Aaron Andrews from Ðuß Patrós Heiðeer Yßhokkï Unðaß in the Pracib League, they made it to the playoffs for the first time since 2006. Granted they lost 3-1 in the first round to the Coventry Penguins, only winning one game in the series thanks to an overtime goal, but it showed that they haven't missed a beat since they made it back. With a few more players joining the ranks (Rick Santana from Woodsworth and Paul Renford from Blackport), it's safe to say that the Shamrocks might force a deeper play-off run; failing that, a game five in the first round. But, considering how well their opponents have been doing this season, the latter seems to be the more likely option.

5. Avon Stars

Now we're getting to the big boys. Avon haven't been the best in the league this season, especially with that 10 game losing streak in January, but they managed to bounce back and make it to fifth place. They have some star (ba-dum-tshh) players, namely James Han and Pael Atenar, both of whom have gotten at least a hundred points this season. And then you've got the hard-hitting defence, lead by first-liners Lupe (Luis Gomes Pereira) and Kaboomlandian [and crowd favourite] Derek Strachan, both of whom are good friends off the ice. All in all, they're a good team, they bounced back from that losing streak in style and they seem poised to lift the Royal Inaetar Cup. The downside is that they've got a fairly tough opponent in Round One...

4. Ángeles de la Playa de Rocas

Last year's play-off winners. I've already talked about their history early, so I'm not going to repeat myself. They've done fairly well this season, finishing in the top four despite several shaky losses (including a 7-0 defeat to Rosetta, where they appeared to collapse in that third period). They've still got some star players, like Antonio Cervantes and his nephew Pedro, the Barajas brothers in their last season before they move to Mercedini and various other duos, lines and pairs that truly show how much teamwork's going on in one team. And, from the looks of it, they might pull off a deep play-off run should they get past Avon. I'm not sure if they could but it won't be a surprise if they do.

3. Rosetta Royals

How can you go wrong with the Rosetta Royals? They've only missed the playoffs four times (2000, 2005, 2008 and 2010) since they began, which should give you an idea on how good they are. There was also the miraculous 2002/03 season where they not only managed to top the table but also win the Royal Inaetar Cup with a league record of 11-1, a record which hasn't been broken or even equalled yet. And they've got some excellent players in their squad, but none of them come close to the gentle giant known as Cerin Meloten and his line-mate/bodyguard/friend Francisco Solano. And they're all hoping to bounce back after that disappointing first round exit in the last one. Will they manage it? They could, as they've got an easy opponent, but it's all a question about whether or not they'll survive the second round. We'll have to wait and see.

2. Davenport Dockers

What else do I need to say about the Dockers? They're pretty much Elejamie's team. They've never missed a playoff, they've had some star players over the years (none more renouned than the legendary Michael Madgwick) and they've only finished bottom of the table once (back when there were only seven teams instead of the sixteen we have today). And they've got some good players, namely Lucas Madgwick and Bill Harrison, both of whom play for the national team. Not much needs to be said about them. They've got an easy opponent in the first round and I think it's fair to say there's a good chance they could make it to the finals. We'll just have to wait and see.

1. Coventry Puffins

The Coventry Puffins. Narrowly pipping the Dockers to the post by a single point, the Puffins have been one of the most dominant forces in the ENIHL ever since it started. Although they haven't won the Royal Inaetar Cup since 2014 (coming close in 2015, losing in six games to the Dockers), they've had a very strong regular season (39-7-4) and boast some of the best players amongst their ranks. While Greg Warren and Paul Morton are fairly good players in their own right, it's safe to say that none of them a candle to former Puffin Anatoly Kasputin (currently with Torpedo Belushya Guba in the NZEL), considered to be one of the best Elejamie players still playing, whose presence can still be felt at the HomeFiller arena. They're pretty much the favourites to win the trophy and they'll stop at nothing to get it. Other teams be warned.

And that's your lot. Not the most exciting of articles, not to mention that the official ENIHL site probably has a more in-depth rundown, but at least it gives you all a good idea of what to expect and all that. Maybe this could help you with your own predictions, maybe it would give you an idea of what the playoffs are like over here in Elejamie. Either way, there's no doubt that it's going to be a hard-fought tournament, with lots of exciting games, goals and maybe a couple of fights. Will your team be lucky enough to bring the Royal Inaetar Cup home? Or will you have to sit back and watch your most hated rival win it? It's too early to tell, so just sit back in your favourite chair and stay tuned for some brilliant ice hockey.

Oh yeah, I nearly forgot. My predictions? Avon to beat Playa de Rocas 3-2, beat Rosetta 4-1 and to beat their cross-river rivals Coventry 4-2. Not that exciting but hey, at least it's something. Alright, I'll be quiet now because it's time for some playoff ice hockey!

by **Natanians and Nosts** » Tue May 23, 2017 8:09 pm

Natanians and Nosts suffered its first defeat at the 33rd WCoH.It was disappointing since it was Frenline Delpha's first win.
The team started well,scoring with just two minutes played,mantaining a good rhythm untill the end of the first period.The second period started with good chances,but by the middle the team slowed a bit and Frenline Delpha scored their first goal in a distraction of the defence.The team tried to score,but no goals were made.
The third period began even,but Natanians and Nosts managed to get advantage,yet still not scoring goals,and at the last few seconds,Frenline Delpha scored its winning goal.

by **-Anthor-** » Tue May 23, 2017 9:26 pm

Divine Victory in Valhallan Union!
Ducks strike some revenge, and record a 7-0 win; their largest victory in their WCOH history

^{SHARE THIS:}

Gnaeus Tanicius Vopiscus (@Gnaeus Tanicius Vopiscus)(TH)
^{Uriel 23, 601AE 8:00 PM | Vaumort, Anthor}

Kersey and Michael Brice fighting to maintain possession TH photo

Vaumort, Anthor(Herald) — We were two games into the World Cup, and results weren't positive in the slightest, in fact they were rather depressing. First it was the draw against Main Nation Ministry, and then the game against Elejamie; you know, even though we've now lost for five straight times against the 3-time world champions and our budding rival, I really think that game was the kick in the pants that the Ducks needed to get their heads on straight. Robertson especially was contributing at a high level, playing like he was 25 again instead of going on 34 later this year, he even managed to nail back the only goal we scored for the full game. But, I think that fire and conviction they tried to bring against the Ice Elephants really managed to cultivate itself in our third game this year, played against the Valhallan Union, and, o boy.

We met the Valhallan Union on the ice, under their home arena which greeted the players with a sold out crowd, and more then a decent contingency of loud, proud and purple Duck fans; post-game counts put the estimate at some 2,000 fans. Regardless, Coach Horn made a very unorthodox call and started the game with his second line, resting Poindexter, Robertson and the gang for the first six minutes of play, and I think I could see why; the Valhallans started to conform to second line's of play, but even then, Jewel and Bohatec were trailblazing gaping holes through their defense, Juha Werneck was getting straight run-over by Harold Jewel, and in a certain case was literally bulldozed over by Erhadt Muller just four minutes into the first period, Miller stealing the puck off of a aborted dump pass from Werneck, slapshot pass across the ice past Brynolf Meng, and managed to put it just perfectly ahead of Alexander Blackman's stretched out stick, fighting off the guarding of Arnold Thiede, whom he managed to spin out and behind of, shaking the defender and giving Blackman enough time to zip it across the front of the goal to an awaiting Harold Jewel who slapshotted it into the back of the net on the first goal. It was an amazingly scored goal, but I think perhaps the more embarrassing play was that the very next play, the faceoff was absolutely dominated by Adam Bohatec who managed to push the puck all the way down the court to a racing Harold Jewel who slapped it in again! A second goal, in nearly as many minutes, an absolute predictor for how the rest of the game was going to evolve.

Adam Bohatec later scored his first goal to add to his 1G 1A line just about two minutes later, at which point it was a full-out substitution as the first lines were skated onto the ice and the rowdy, celebratory second liners skated towards the bench; if the first fireworks were impressive, Austin Poindexter proved he was anxious to add onto his total of goals scored, and he reaped the benefits with a goal with four minutes to play in the first period and then Graham Robertson joined chorus with his own goal, off of a Poindexter assist no less, just three minutes later as the final minute to play wound down, sending the Ducks up to a thrilling scoreline of 4-0 as the second period began and the two teams entered the heart of the game, even though the game itself already seemed over, even with the Valhallans desperately trying to cling their way out of the deep hole they had dug; unfortunately, it wasn't meant to be.

The second period began with the Vultures rushing to secure the faceoff, and they endured for the first minute or so, before the Ducks defense recovered from the brief respite and switched on the "continue demolition" mode; Deschamps intercepting a pass like it was intended for him and not Clement Allinder, and then dumping it down the side of the boards towards an awaiting Jewel who out-muscled the Vulture defender, and then managed to backspin and fling the puck towards Kersey who absolutely drilled it right past Touko Herstein, netting the Kerveguen HC man with his first goal in this Cup; the remainder of the game was played pretty evenly as the lines were rotated frequently to give the players some pretty equal playing time, Ross Bacon managed to score a goal off of an assist from Kenneth Thorpe and the final goal in the game came from Harold Jewel, the wonderkid was certainly looking to live up to expectations from the last Cup; he left the game with 3 goals, 1 assist for a player of the match performance.

The Ducks are certainly going to walk away from this one with their heads held much higher then before; this 7-0 victory line is both the largest win, and the highest scoring game, in modern Ducks international history, and is a true credit to the brand of hockey being slowly trained into the squad by Lucius Horn, a man who was doubted both abroad and by the AIHF domestically for poor performances initially, but has rebounded incredibly in the last three Cups; however, he is without a doubt looking to try and take this massive win into the upcoming match versus Aquitayne, who faced off against the Ice Elephants and were downed on the away trip, 1-0, and currently sit just above the Ducks in that coveted #2 seed, which grants advancement into the playoffs.

Elsewhere in the Cup, Gregoryisgodistan looked to rebound from last week after they lost their first group stage match in an incredible 8 World Cups to Esparmuran, defeating Tobiasia 2-0 to try and reclaim some of that lost prestige; Neu Engollen also surprisingly defeated Abanhfleft 1-0 to tie for the top seed in their group.

Gnaeus Tanicus Vopiscus contributed to this article.

MORE FROM TH

Baersk's latest Onys phone sells 145k units in it's initial launch [ 54136 ]
Q1 RITS goals have been reached "ahead of schedule", report from the nine industries involved [ 911546 ]
Health Minister Derek Cox to testify before Parliamentary committee next week [ 413587 ]

Comments

411561

E-mail

615437 comments

^{FAVORITE THIS DISCUSSION}

RingLord18 · 1 minute ago
A fifth loss to the Elephants, this is getting ridiculous, but we just need to focus on the #2 seed since it seems apparent that no one can beat the Elephants. This win helped, but we're still behind and need to always perform like we did here for the remainder of the Cup!
8940759 up · 17 down
REPLY · UPVOTE · DOWNVOTE

ABattle · 4 minutes ago
Still doubted ftr, Horn needs to step aside and AIHF needs to look abroad if we are ever going to leave the "#1 spot is just impossible" closet
541 up · 12398 down
REPLY · UPVOTE · DOWNVOTE

EmmaP · 4 hours ago
Bois showed up, rekt those trashy birds #KilledtheBird #DucksorDeath
117892 up · 4 down
REPLY · UPVOTE · DOWNVOTE

by **-Anthor-** » Tue May 23, 2017 9:32 pm

Official Cutoff for Match Day 4
Brought to you by: City of Steelmoor, the central locale for all of your industrial and manufactory needs!

by **-Anthor-** » Tue May 23, 2017 9:40 pm

Match Day 4 Results
RP Bonus: For the next Match Day, cover a piece of background history on a member of your national team.

Clark Group
New Danican 1–1 Gim
Valanora 1–0 Free Republics
Nova Anglicana 1–0 Qasden

  Clark Group                             Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts                                
1 Valanora                                  4    4   0   0     9    1   +8    12    —    —   4–1  1–0  1–0   — 
2 Gim                                       4    2   1   1     5    3   +2     7    —    —    —    —    —   2–1
3 Nova Anglicana                            4    2   0   2     3    6   −3     6    —   0–2   —   1–0   —   1–0
4 New Danican                               4    1   1   2     3    4   −1     4    —   1–1   —    —   2–1   — 
5 Free Republics                            4    1   0   3     3    5   −2     3    —   1–0   —    —    —    — 
6 Qasden                                    4    1   0   3     3    7   −4     3   0–3   —    —    —   2–1   —

McEachern Group
Desertfoxenland 2–0 Kebec
Cosumar 3–2 Lorenthia
Vilita and Turori 1–1 United States of Devonta

  McEachern Group                         Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts                                
1 Cosumar                                   4    3   1   0     9    4   +5    10    —   1–1  3–2   —   3–0   — 
2 Vilita and Turori                         4    2   2   0     5    2   +3     8    —    —    —   1–1  2–0  1–0
3 Lorenthia                                 4    2   1   1     7    6   +1     7    —    —    —    —    —   3–2
4 United States of Devonta                  4    1   1   2     3    4   −1     4   1–2   —   0–1   —    —    — 
5 Desertfoxenland                           4    1   1   2     3    6   −3     4    —    —   1–1   —    —   2–0
6 Kebec                                     4    0   0   4     2    7   −5     0    —    —    —   0–1   —    —

Sauvageau Group
Valhallan Union 0–2 Main Nation Ministry
Elejamie 1–1 Savojarna
Anthor 2–1 Aquitayne

  Sauvageau Group                         Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts                                
1 Elejamie                                  4    3   1   0    10    2   +8    10    —   2–1   —    —   1–1  6–0
2 Anthor                                    4    2   1   1    11    4   +7     7    —    —   1–1  2–1   —   7–0
3 Main Nation Ministry                      4    2   1   1     5    4   +1     7    —    —    —   1–3   —    — 
4 Aquitayne                                 4    2   0   2     5    4   +1     6   0–1   —    —    —   1–0   — 
5 Savojarna                                 4    1   1   2     3    3    0     4    —    —   0–1   —    —    — 
6 Valhallan Union                           4    0   0   4     0   17  −17     0    —    —   0–2   —   0–2   —

Noble Group
The Kiaser Colonies 3–3 West Phoenicia
Royal Kingdom of Quebec 1–0 Komarov-Thomiya
Mercedini 1–1 Cosneolta

  Noble Group                             Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts                                
1 Royal Kingdom of Quebec                   4    3   0   1    11    2   +9     9    —   0–1   —   1–0   —   4–0
2 Mercedini                                 4    2   2   0     6    2   +4     8    —    —   1–1   —   3–0  1–1
3 Cosneolta                                 4    1   2   1     5    7   −2     5   1–6   —    —   3–0   —    — 
4 Komarov-Thomiya                           4    1   1   2     3    6   −3     4    —    —    —    —   1–1   — 
5 West Phoenicia                            4    0   3   1     4    7   −3     3    —    —   0–0   —    —    — 
6 The Kiaser Colonies                       4    0   2   2     5   10   −5     2    —    —    —   1–2  3–3   —

Cookson Group
New Lusitania & Algarves 1–0 Frenline Delpha
Abanhfleft 5–0 Natanians and Nosts
Nephara 3–1 Neu Engollon

  Cookson Group                           Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts                                
1 Abanhfleft                                4    2   1   1     8    3   +5     7    —   0–0  3–2  5–0   —    — 
2 Nephara                                   4    2   1   1     4    2   +2     7    —    —   0–1   —   3–1  1–0
3 New Lusitania & Algarves                  4    2   0   2     4    5   −1     6    —    —    —   0–2   —   1–0
4 Natanians and Nosts                       4    2   0   2     5    7   −2     6    —    —    —    —    —   1–2
5 Neu Engollon                              4    2   0   2     3    5   −2     6   1–0   —    —   0–2   —    — 
6 Frenline Delpha                           4    1   0   3     2    4   −2     3    —    —    —    —   0–1   —

Eccelstone Group
Allahakbarium 1–3 Elgenstad
Gregoryisgodistan 1–0 Allumunnic States
Esparmuran 3–3 Tobiasia

  Eccelstone Group                        Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts                                
1 Esparmuran                                4    3   1   0    12    5   +7    10    —    —    —   6–1  3–3  2–1
2 Gregoryisgodistan                         4    3   0   1     4    1   +3     9   0–1   —   1–0   —    —   1–0
3 Allumunnic States                         4    1   2   1     5    4   +1     5    —    —    —   1–1   —    — 
4 Elgenstad                                 4    1   2   1     6    9   −3     5    —    —    —    —   1–1   — 
5 Tobiasia                                  4    0   3   1     5    7   −2     3    —   0–2  1–1   —    —    — 
6 Allahakbarium                             4    0   0   4     3    9   −6     0    —    —   1–3  1–3   —    —

Stacks Group
Quakmybush 1–1 Drawkland
Novaya Zemlya 6–1 Ontorisa
Kaboomlandia 1–1 Union of Socialist Alpine Republics

  Stacks Group                            Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts                                
1 Novaya Zemlya                             4    3   1   0    17    5  +12    10    —   3–0   —   5–1   —   6–1
2 Quakmybush                                4    2   1   1     5    4   +1     7    —    —    —    —   1–1  3–0
3 Union of Socialist Alpine Republics       4    1   2   1     9    7   +2     5   3–3   —    —    —    —   1–3
4 Kaboomlandia                              4    1   1   2    10    8   +2     4    —   0–1  1–1   —   8–1   — 
5 Drawkland                                 4    1   1   2     3   13  −10     4    —    —   0–4   —    —    — 
6 Ontorisa                                  4    1   0   3     4   11   −7     3    —    —    —    —   0–1   —

by **Novaya Zemlya** » Wed May 24, 2017 3:30 am

THE NZEL'S TOP FIVE TOP SIXES

With season 30 just around the corner, we decided to take a look at the top offenses in the NZEL. We will compare the top two scoring lines on each team, also known as the "top six". There is a traditional distinction between top six and bottom six forwards in hockey, where your top six is expected to provide scoring and the bottom six are your checking or "energy" players. Not every team is built like this, however. The Novozemlyan national team, for example, does not have a pure checking line. Furthermore, it could be argued that Metallurg Matockingrad employ three scoring lines. On the other hand, weaker teams like, say, Dynamo Podrezovsk barely have one single scoring line. In most cases, however, your top six will typically provide most of the scoring, hence why a comparison like this can be useful.

The off-season is still in full swing and we will likely see some player transactions before the puck drops, so bear in mind that this ranking is not written in stone. With that said, let's take a look.

5. SHAKHTER ULYANOVSK
LW				CE				RW
 Harold Jewel			 Gleb Yasneyev		 Foma Khabalov
 Pavel Polovtsev		 Danis Mironov		 Yuri Bliznakov
Shakhter was a big disappointment last season with a 12th place finish. The biggest problems were probably a lack of depth and bad team defense, rather than a lack of top six talent. Veteran shut-down center Vitaliy Saytakhmetov left a huge hole when he retired. In addition, there was a long adjustment period when the club brought in Espar legend Jimi Stack as their new head coach. We fully expect Shakhter to do better this year, and their top six does contain a couple of world class forwards in Harold Jewel and Foma Khabalov. If we are to be picky, they could use an elite center to complement Jewel and Khabalov. Danis Mironov has shown flashes of brilliance in the past and perhaps there is still hope that he can become that elite center the club needs.

4. ROTOR ROGACHEVO
LW				CE				RW
 Max Morton			 Valeri Kalagin		 Vladimir Gerasimenko
 Vyacheslav Ugolev		 Igor Yeshugov		 Sevastian Myazin
Valeri Kalagin alone is enough to get you on this list. Then add Max Morton, first line center of the Mercedinian national team, and we are looking at a very, very dangerous top six, right? Well, sort of. The problem for coach Leonid Lipov is that when he splits up Morton and Kalagin and lets them center one line each, he does not have enough skilled wingers to utilize both centers effectively. Thus, he kept the two of them together on the top line for much of the year and it got Rotor a top 4 finish in the regular season. They were, however, the lowest scoring team to make the playoffs and were easily shut down by Partizan in the quarter-finals. Right now, Rotor has a top two rather than a top six. May we suggest going after a couple of feisty power forward type wingers in the off-season? If you could get competent linemates for both Kalagin and Morton, we are looking at a pretty much unstoppable 1-2 punch that will win championships.

3. PARTIZAN BELUSHYA GUBA
LW				CE				RW
 Dominik Shelagin		 Krasimir Yerokhin		 Jonas Gulbrandsson
 Bill Townsend		 Leonid Tikhonenko		 Konstantin Belomestov
On paper, Partizan are not quite as sexy as they used to be. Krasimir Yerokhin is getting old, Tikhonenko is overweight, Gulbrandsson might be partying too much, Townsend is a bit unproven. However, collectively, this is still a group of forwards that gets it done on the ice no matter what. (Having one of the best puckmoving defensemen around in Adam Keane to feed them the puck certainly helps too.) Nevertheless, the future looks a bit bleak unless they find a long-term replacement for Yerokhin, who might retire at the end of next season. Tikhonenko is not going to cut it as the number one center, and they have nothing noteworthy coming up in juniors. You can probably expect Partizan scouts to be active at the World Cup of Hockey trying to find that future franchise centerman.

2. METALLURG MATOCHKINGRAD
LW				CE				RW
 Ethan Swinburne		 Anton Volodin		 Zakhar Golumbovsky
 Ville Stefansson		 Levin Conover		 Oleg Kazarezov
Now, if this was a comparison of top nines rather than top sixes, we would probably rank Metallurg at the top. They do have the best scoring depth in the league, as evident by the fact that they outscored the Belushya Guba clubs by 35 goals last season. Looking strictly at their top two lines, we will put them behind Torpedo, but it is close. Metallurg's top line with NZEL MVP Ethan Swinburne and former MVP Zakhar Golumbovsky play an aggressive, heavy style of hockey that is unusual in the NZEL and defenses tend to fold like a cheap tent under their constant pressure. In addition, it allows the rest of their skilled forwards to feast on weaker opposition, as we saw in the playoffs when Ville Stefansson averaged over a point per game and was awarded the Playoff MVP. Things look good in Matockingrad.

1. TORPEDO BELUSHYA GUBA
LW				CE				RW
 Johan Bryzhnev		 Denis Yemelyanov		 Anatoly Kasputin
 Nikolai Gavrilov		 Vladimir Pajari		 Aleksandr Gavrilov
This is a stacked top six, plain and simple. Anatoly Kasputin has been the best RW in the world for the last few years and has captained his native Elejamie to two World Cup of Hockey titles. Denis Yemelyanov is an elite playmaker. Bryzhnev is on his way to establish himself as an international star. The Gavrilov brothers need no further introduction. The only player here who isn't a star is probably Pajari, but his defensive skills complement the Gavrilovs' all-out offense mentality very well. Torpedo are looking at a seven-year championship drought, but we believe they have all the pieces in place, including defense and goaltending, to win it all. Will they do it? Only time will tell.

by **Vilita and Turori** » Wed May 24, 2017 5:05 am

'Snowman' Avalanski

For a long time there has been a bit of a certainty when it comes to the Vilita & Turori Ice Cat Things. That is, which three goalkeepers they would add to their roster for major international sporting competitions.

Naturally, it was no surprise that Koyo Apen of the Turoki Islanders and Fiko Oreta of Yeaddin HC, the two most storied and successful teams in the Vilitan Hockey League, would be the first choices. Then, of course, there was the best Goalkeeper in the league, Tommy Finn.

There really wasn't any room at all for any other netminder - no matter how well they performed - to crack into the mix. That was, until Snowman Avalanski came along.

Avalanski got their first chance to impress playing alongside Tommy Finn during the most recent XII edition of the Winter Olympic Games
held in Prescott, Electrum. On the Vilitan National Team Finn and Avalanski split starting duties and the head coach of that team, Colora Boharii, who also happens to be the assistant coach on the Vilita & Turori Ice Cat Things, was impressed enough with the performances of Avalanski that the Seraai Icestronauts netminder was added to the Ice Cat Things international player pool.

With the Ice Cat Things in an important battle at the top of a difficult group including Atlantian Oceania rivals Cosumar, Avalanski will likely have to be patient and wait for the chance to impress at the World Cup stage.

But with the Olympic experience in their back pocket, it is likely that we will see Avalanski appear at some point during the World Cup and get their chance to prove that their inclusion in the Ice Cat Things roster should become a permanent thing moving forward, and not just a reward for a good performance in the Olympics.

When asked about why they chose the Number '80', Avalanski - nicknamed 'Snowman' - stated that they started out using #8 and thats how the nickname 'Snowman' came about - everyone thought the number 8 on the back looked like a snowman in net. Avalanski began drawing the rest of the snowman on the back of the helmet.

However, often Avalanski is unable to choose 8 because it is already taken by one of the forwards so switching to 80 avoided conflict though often returns to 8 when it is available.

by **Ontorisa** » Wed May 24, 2017 10:11 am

SPORTS WORLD - ONTORISA
Looking At Makasburg's Rise to Stardom

Makasburg stops with the puck in the 6-1 loss to Novaya Zemlya. He scored the sole Ontorisa goal on a rebound.

Since Team Ontorisa at this point doesn't even look like they're trying anymore, we'll shift tones and focus on the individual players who have actually showed up to this tournament. Meet 26-year old Frik Makasburg, who despite what many critics had said when he was drafted,
has flourished into a bonafide superstar in the OJL, leading the Port Oklisy Wolverines to their first playoff appearance since 2011.

So where exactly did Makasburg come from? For one thing, he comes from a nontraditional background, being born to an Ontorisan father and a Heratoian mother in the country of Kejia. Growing up playing mainly football, track and field and lacrosse, Makasburg wasn't sold on the whole idea of hockey at a young age. However, a quick vacation to Recolosburg led to the young Makasburg falling in love with the sport, who left behind his previous athletics to pursue hockey.

All was not well however, despite a promising start, due to his size at the time, Makasburg had been passed up in both the RJJL Entry Draft,
SJL Entry Draft and MJL Entry Draft. Regardless he attended the RJJL's Jumisark Tyrants' training camp in September and signed with the team.
In 46 games with the Tyrants, Makasburg scored 23 goals and recorded 58 points during his rookie season. All in all, a fairly decent start for the 16-year old Makasburg.

As his time with the Tyrants progressed, so did Makasburg's game. When he was eligible for the OJL Draft, he was selected in the 8th Round of the 2009 OJL Entry Draft. After his "overage" year in the RJJL lead to him potting a total of 106 points, Makasburg was signed to a 3-year Entry Level Contract. While spending multiple seasons in the minor league affiliate of Yujoh Leopards, Makasburg's game as an offensively potent player improved, and when he made his OJL debut in the 2012 (92nd OJL Season) after making the main roster out of the Wolverine's training camp, he tore up the OJL, scoring 48 points in his rookie debut, 58 points in his sophomore season and truly broke out at 68 points in his 3rd season.

Coming fresh off of a career-high 72 point season with the Wolverines after a disappointing first round exit to the Recolosburg Tridents in 6 Games, where Makasburg had 7 points. From obscurity to stardom.

by **Mercedini** » Wed May 24, 2017 12:57 pm

World Cup of Hockey Special
MD4 Review: Mercedini vs. Cosneolta
@ MRC.CUBE - Zoloroni, Mercedini

A second successive draw at the World Cup of Hockey put a dampener on Mercedini hopes of topping the group as Cosneolta held them to another draw at home, surrendering another two points to a worse side ranking-wise, even if the two nations playing today were very close allies. It was a rather tactical affair, with Mercedini fielding their second and third lines, giving their main players a chance to rest themselves ahead of crucial games in the group. It meant players who don't normally start for the Kingfishers thrust into the limelight to state their case as to why they should be included more often in the national team. It meant starts for Luke Carshvington, who plays for Severnaya Oblast in Novaya Zemlya, Ornstein and Darlington taking up defensive positions, while the attacking roles were filled by Yohan Chuckmennerson, Patrick Pucheclic and Oliver Ansellini, who is a Youth Academy product who recently transferred to Neu Engollon's Civano Jackals. As for Cosneolta, they have been heavily reliant on Mercedini for things like sports developments, which means the investment which has been put into things like hockey in Cosneolta could come back to bite them now. Mercedini and Cosneolta are familiar with each other, but have only played once before. A friendly during Mercedini's BYE day at World Cup of Hockey which resulted in a 4-0 win to Mercedini. Times have changed since then, with Cosneolta finishing agonisingly close in the debut knockout berth but were pipped to second place at the death. Now in their second WCoH, they aren't excelling as much as people expected, dropping to third after a 6-1 drubbing against Quebec. Mercedini are coming off a similar feeling of disappointment, surrendering a potential third win against the Kaiser Colonies in the final thirty second of the game. Both would need to good performance to overcome their challenges in recent times.

The first period wasn't exactly what you'd call riveting, it seemed as if these two teams were sparring, exchanging shot and trying to feel out their opposition, hopefully in order to build on their knowledge and intelligence for later in the match. Ansellini looked impressive, carving out a series of opportunities before laying off a pass to his fellow attackers, but unfortunately the final shot was missing, which didn't trouble Gabradik, the Cosneoltan goalkeeper. The best chance of a goal in the opening period came a couple of minutes from the end when Magreta Kandikova stole the puck from Karl Darlington and raced forward toward the goal. However, a heavy touch took the puck too far away from Kandiova which gave Carshavington the opportunity to scoop up the puck and avert the danger. In the end, a fairly uneventful period ended just as it started. The horn went and the players went back into their dressing rooms, 0-0 at the end of the first period

Period 2 couldn't be more different from the previous period, with the puck moving back and forth as well a shots flying in left, right and centre. Cosneolta, and Mercedini went toe to toe with each other, a far cry from their previous meeting in Zoloroni. Surprisingly, it was Cosneolta who took the lead midway through the second period with a well worked move which finished with a deflected Kandikova shot working it's way into the net to open the scoring and give Mercedini their first trailing position at the World Cup of Hockey thus far. The goal kicked an already frantic period into a higher gear and gave Mercedini that wake up call to go forward to try and get an equaliser and potentially a winner. That eventually came when Oliver Ansellini converted with a superb solo effort, dribbling past two Cosneoltans before firing past the goalkeeper to give his team the equaliser and send the MRC.CUBE into raptures. Nothing more came from either team and both teams went in level once again. With only one period to go, the teams were level at a goal a piece.

The final period was definitely going to set up a grandstand finish for both teams as Mercedini and Cosneolta who duelled until the very end. Mercedini were on top for most of the period as their quality and experience shone through against their opposition who are still majortiarily made up of free agents. Ansellini and Pucheclic combined well and we may have seen a future partnership for the national seem, both are young and full of energy, so fans were excited when they combined to form a dangerous move, only for the final shot to be left wanting. In the end, the final horn blew which meant Mercedini dropped yet more points at the hands of lower ranked opposition. They still sit in the qualifying spots and there is still a gap between them and the rest of the field behind them, but they still lag behind hockey juggernauts like Quebec (who haven't really gotten out of third gear). They still have plenty of time left to secure their spot and they could still potentially do the double over Quebec, but they would need to put an end to their leakage of points to lower ranked teams. At the end of the match it finished Mercedini 1, Cosneolta 1.

FINAL
Mercedini 1 - 1 Cosneolta
(0-0) (1-1) (0-0)
M. Kandikova, 2nd 10:12 (I. Candieva)
O. Ansellini, 2nd 16:55 (unassisted)

  Noble Group                             Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts    H    A                               
1 Royal Kingdom of Quebec                   4    3   0   1    11    2   +9     9    -   1-0
2 Mercedini                                 4    2   2   0     6    2   +4     8
3 Cosneolta                                 4    1   2   1     5    7   −2     5   1-1   -
4 Komarov-Thomiya                           4    1   1   2     3    6   −3     4    -    -
5 West Phoenicia                            4    0   3   1     4    7   −3     3   3-0   -
6 The Kiaser Colonies                       4    0   2   2     5   10   −5     2   1-1   -

That's all for today, thanks for watching and we hope you could join us again for more coverage of the World Cup of Hockey. Mercedini have started out on the right foot and we hope that continues throughout the rest of the group stage to ensure the team makes it to Anthor for their second knockout phase in a row. From the MRC.CUBE here in Zoloroni, good night!

by **Main Nation Ministry** » Wed May 24, 2017 5:34 pm

Tell-All
From an Excerpt of a Journal

Day 1: Being commissioned for a tell-all. I was told I'm doing it for the greater good of the information of the ministry. Can't let them see this. How am I supposed to make a tell-all when you have no information on the people you're making it for? The Hockey Team?! Seriously?

Day 2: So it's blatantly obvious of the first person to do a topic on for the tell-all. Everywhere I see, he's always there. The Leader. Who is he? I could've sworn, he was much older in like his 40's. Now he's like a teenager all of the sudden. He being the goalie of the hockey team, after the original one disappeared all of the sudden after a loss from a match day. He wearing a bubble suit or something. I swear, all of the sports teams in the ministry are just wearing nothing, but army uniforms that are just bulletproof vests. I decided to cut out a magazine of the Leader, so I can sketch him in for the tell-all. Literally the most common image of him, ever.

Day 3: I need to get closer to the hockey team. Security is always at a high. Trying to find out about Ray Winkleton. The typical small money to celebrity type of story from what I have been hearing. I need to look more into the Leader, himself. Gotta sleep where he lives. Who knows. I just tail him from his work office to what I can figure would be his house.

New Order: A Mr. Edison Jenkins has been selected by the Ministry of Love to take part in indoctrination after some evidence that is harmful to the nation has been discovered in his possession. Treatment for the male subject shall be a routine of propaganda viewing and drug supplements to ease the subject's mind. Please meet in containment area for more details for new subject. Evidence was of a journal discussing a tell-all. A photo of the Leader was found in the possession.

by **Savojarna** » Thu May 25, 2017 2:12 pm

SavojarSports.sj - inside reports from all Savojarna
Surprise draw can't save Rundblad: Will Ragnarsson come now?

Sjoedrhavn, VH - When not even a draw against the world's second-best team can save you, your position truly is no good. But this is the situation that Fredrik Rundblad, coach of the Savojar national team, found himself in this evening. He had sent defender Nikolaj Hendersen home following a rumoured clash with Dmitry Vasilyev in the training, and fielded Juha Neronen in the match against Elejamie. He had benched the unlucky Hjalmarsson against the Main Nation Ministry and brought him back when his replacement, 19 year old Eythor Malinsson, seemed to have even less of an impact. He had mixed up the lines during games, gave Gulbrandsson more ice time and then took it away again when the youngster wasn't performing in the first period against Elejamie. It all couldn't help but give the impression that the Savojar coach doesn't know what to do anymore.

Last night's game against Elejamie seemed to be what Rundblad needed - a highly seeded opponent could be drawn against with only one goal conceded. Under normal circumstances a 1-1 against Elejamie would provide the nation with joy and give the coach a deserved rest. But in a climate where he was under fire before, against an Elejamian team that looked like a shadow of its usually dominant self after being affected by heavy jetlag when they landed in Sjoedrhavn just shortly before the game, nothing else than a clear victory could have given him any breathing room. The demands of the public kept stacking up even after the success, and having looked at the way we got it, this can hardly be surprising. Anyone who focused attention on Rundblad during the match saw the same thing: a despaired coach clinging to straws and not trusting his own game plan anymore.

Even critics were positive before the puck drop: Hjalmarsson had been pushed to the fourth line, Gulbrandsson was finally given more ice time alongside Bryzhnev and Djurberg, and Tuomas Jaskinen was put into a more physical line where he clearly felt more at ease than next to his two faster and more technical linemates he used to have. In defense, Antonov made another appearance and Yarchenko was back, and Niklas Hoyman stood in net again, fulfilling many demands of anti-Rundblad commentators. But it didn't help the coach's case when his critics seemed to be proven right. Jaskinen was suddenly much more dangerous in the third line, and Frans Djurberg almost scored five minutes into the game when he snatched a rebound in a way we rarely saw from the less physical Hjalmarsson. And if this couldn't help his case, Rundblad's behaviour after Elejamie equalised the match was downright detrimental to it. Putting Gulbrandsson back into the fourth line based on a few puck losses, when it was clear that Jaskinen was not at ease next to Bryzhnev, seemed like personal vengeance, and his hasty timeout after the equaliser was a sign of blind actionism if there ever was one.

The draw against Elejamie, critics said, can in no way be attributed to Rundblad's coaching. It was despite him, STV's Johan Landman even said. It was thanks to the player's fighting spirit and thanks to the attitude of the Elejamians, who had underestimated the effects of travelling to Sjoedrhavn as much as they seem to have underestimated the Savojars. First of all, the unusual mode of home-and-away games led to the team having to travel far between game venues, all with a tight schedule. It was barely more than 20 hours between the landing of the plane in Sjoedrhavn and the puck drop. This was all but ideal preparation for the Elejamians, who also looked tired and somewhat complacent after the success they initially had. Secondly, the players did show a good spirit and went after pucks as much as they did in previous games, but had more luck than usual. While we all celebrate the success of winning a point against Elejamie, the bitter thought that more than a draw would have been possible remains.

Faced with such criticisms despite this success, a clearly exhausted Rundblad took the consequences and resigned from the job in a rather memorable fashion. Rundblad snapped at the press conference, grabbing a paper off a journalist's block and drawing up a preferred team of the press - with Bryzhnev and Gulbrandsson in second line and Mercedini-based Soren Falborg in defense, as well as Dominik Radulov in play instead of Hjalmarsson - shouting "In the next game, you can see this team. BUT WITHOUT ME!" before storming out of the room. About thirty minutes later, Carl Törmänen entered the room again and informed the press that Rundblad had immediately resigned as national coach. In the next game, the assistant coaches will lead the team and a new coach should be found between round 5 and 6.

by **Union of Socialist Alpine Republics** » Thu May 25, 2017 3:09 pm

Anton Lundström Player Profile

Portsmouth, Republic of Wabash - (NEIP) The Alpine Union took a 1-0 lead in the 2nd period against Kaboomlandia when Anton Lundström scored the first goal of the game, and the only goal for the Bisons. Anton Lundström was born in Ähtari in 1994 from a central bothnian father (swedish) and an eastern bothnian (finnish) mother. At the age of 6, Anton Lundström joined AIFK, the main rival of Jokerit (both teams are playing in Ähtari) and grew up in their youth system. Early in his youth career, Lundström was by far the best player of his age and at 9, he started playing with players 3 or 2 years older than he is. At the age of 15, Anton Lundström joined AIFK's Under-21 team and at 18 years old, he was already on AIFK's pro team in the Elitserien, the top league in Botten. Anton Lundström scored his first Elitserien goal on october 21 2012 against Vålerenga. Lundström finished his rookie season with 13 points in 38 games.

At the age of 21, Anton Lundström signed a contract with the Charlevoix Avalanche, one of the teams in the Southern Hockey League of the Southern Democratic States. In his first season with the Avalanche, Lundström scored 43 goals and has 35 assists for 78 points. Anton Lundström's first international game was at the 1 Olympia Games held in Ilyseum when Botten's national team represented North Eurasia. The North Eurasian Unified Sporting Team beat Vakolicci Haven 8-3 and Lundström scored a hat trick. Botten also participated in the World Cup of Hockey 32 and Anton Lundström was playing on the first line with Peter Sundin and Hampus Wiktorsson, he had a good tournament but Botten failed to qualify for the playoffs. During the 2017-18 season, in the final year of Lundström 3 years contract, the Charlevoix Avalanche announced they extended Lundström's contract for 5 more years.

However every nations in North Eurasia united together to form the Union of Socialist Alpine Republics and every leagues merged together form a superleague, the Alpine Hockey League (AHL). The Southern Hockey League consisted of 8 teams, however only 7 of them joined the new Alpine Hockey League. The one who didn't join the AHL was Anton's team, the Charlevoix Avalanche. The Avs became the WCHL affiliate of the Saguenay Nordiques and they had to release their players. The released players who were on teams who didn't join the AHL had to go through an expansion draft. In the expansion draft, Anton Lundström was selected 1st overall by KHL Medvescak who plays their home games in Zagrad, Republic of Dalmatia and Istria (Dalmatia and Istria were part of the former Hrvatska i Prekodunavlje) and the 5 years extension he signed with the Charlevoix Avalanche was valid with KHL Medvescak. For anyone interested, the full team name is: Klub Hokeja na Ledu Medveščak.

by **Elejamie** » Thu May 25, 2017 5:51 pm

"... Over to John Daverson with the sports. John?"

That's right, Steve! Good morning, Elejamie! The Icy Elephants' winning streak ended last night with a 1-1 draw against Savojarna. Elejamie, who had won their previous three games and a 2-1 pre-tournament friendly against Kaboomlandia, were up against the fifth-placed Savojarna, who at that point had only won a single game and lost two others. And, with Peter Berg in the net instead of main goaltender Antonio Cervantes, Elejamie were certain that there were going to get another victory. However, the best they could muster was a draw that left many fans disappointed. Here are the highlights:

The first period was a fast-paced affair, with Elejamie very nearly getting an early lead had Cerin Meloten's shot not bounced off of Savojar goaltender Niklas Hoyman's pads. That ended up being a reminder of the period in general: Lucas Madgwick's shot was saved by Hoyman; Felipe Barajas' wrist shot pounced off the post, whereas his brother Danilo's snapshot bounced off of the Savojar goalie's skates before being snatched up by Petteri Juranen; and James Han's slap shot hit the crossbar, with Hoyman getting a glove to it before Han could have another go. However, it would be the home side who'd score the first goal of the night and the only goal of the period. Just over halfway through the period, Ville Stefansson - assisted by line-mates Mikko Simonen and Pavel Rasnikov - slotted the puck past Peter Berg to give his team a 1-0 lead. Apart from Paul Morton having serve a minor penalty for high-sticking Erik Kristiansen, not much else happened and, at the end of the period, Savojarna were leading 1-0, with Elejamie desperate to save face and get back into the match.

The second period got off to a heated start when, thirty seconds in, Jon Asgeirsson of Savojarna and Francisco Solano were both given a minor penalty each for roughing. Despite this, both sides tries their hardest to get one over their opponents; Cerin Meloten's wrist shot just scraped the post; Johan Bryzhnev was called for offside just as he was lining up a slapshot; and Ethan Swinburne's accidentally crashed into Niklas Hoyman just as Aaron Andrews was about to set up a one-timer. Fortunately, Elejamie would finally get the goal they desperately needed to level the scores and stay afloat when, nine and a half minutes in, Anatoly Kasputin managed to receive the puck from Meloten on the breakaway and deke it past Hoyman to make it 1-1; Adam Keane was also credited with the assist. Indeed, the Icy Elephants came very close to scoring again shortly afterwards, with an attempted double from Kasputin just being saved by Hoyman. At the end of the period, the score was 1-1, with both sides hoping to grab a goal or two in the next period. However, this was followed by an uneventful third period and, as a result, the match ended in a 1-1 draw.

In a post-match interview, head coach Michael Madgwick said "Not our finest moment out there. I'm not saying it's as bad as the 6-4 loss to Kaboomlandia earlier in the year but we need to buckle down and concentrate on getting out of the group stage. While we might win the trophy, we won't be able to get there if we keep playing like this. So, hopefully, we'll have a good night's sleep, catch the first flight home and get some training done. Fortunately, we've got three home games in a row so the only bit of travelling we all have to do is going from Avon to Davenport between the fifth and sixth games.

As for the boys? Anatoly's still a stud, as he's still been getting a goal in every game. Cerin and Adam deserve some props, as they've been assisting him quite a lot and, without them, Anatoly probably won't be scoring as many goals. Peter also did a fairly good job in net, only letting in one shot out of 20. And everyone else didn't do a bad job considering that most of us were still suffering from jet lag and we all thought that we were going to win and all those sorts of things. But still, I would like to see massive improvements in our next game."

"Do you think you can win against the Main Nation Ministry?"

"I'm sure we can. As I've previously mentioned, we'll be on home ice, we'll be familiar with the whole place, so we won't have to worry about jet lag. Not to mention that they didn't perform so well at the Winter Olympics and I'm not really sure how well they're doing here. I won't say it's going to be an easy win, I'm just saying we might have enough to bounce back from this dull affair and keep our spot at the top."

Main goaltender Antonio Cervantes, who was scratched before the match, also decided to chime in, saying in a livestream at his home in Playa de Rocas: «I honestly can't blame them for acting sluggish out there. 20 hours between landing and playing just isn't healthy and, from personal experience, it's hard to fit that much practice in. While I'm not sure if the 20 hour thing was because the plane was delayed or a fit of complacency, I think we should try and prevent something like that and try and set off the day before.» He would then go on to criticise the group stage format. «But, if I can bring another thing up, Anthor has a few beautiful arenas and I feel like leaving them until the playoff stage is a waste. From what I understand, the AIHF is to blame as they've submitted the bid without the Ministry of Sports knowing, so they couldn't fund the renovations of the arenas until it was too later. It's all a confusing mess.. Regardless, it's still been a good tournaments, with some good games, so I can't really fault the hosts too much. Next time, let your Ministry know before you submit a bid to host anything.» Cervantes, who will be retiring from ice hockey at the end of next season after nearly 20 years with Ángeles de la Playa de Rocas and 15 years with the national team, will return to the ice for Elejamie's game against the Main Nation Ministry, with his nephew and club-mate Pedro sitting on the bench.

Meanwhile, in the other games, the Valhallan Union suffered a fourth-straight defeat as they lost 2-0 to the Main Nation Ministry, whereas Anthor managed to snag a 2-1 win over Aquitayne. As we look at the table, we can see that Elejamie retain the lead with ten points, followed by Anthor in second with two wins, a draw and a loss. The Main Nation Ministry are a surprising third place, equal in points to Anthor but with a goal difference of +1, as opposed to Anthor's +6. Aquitayne drop down to fourth as a result of last night's loss, whereas Savojarna remain in fifth place. And, bringing up the rear, we've got the Valhallan Union, with zero points - and, indeed, zero goals - from four games.

Tomorrow, the Valhallan Union will see if they can finally score their first goal as they take on Aquitayne, whereas Savojarna will see if they can move out of the bottom half of the table as they take on Anthor. And, finally, we end the first half of the group stage with Elejamie vs the Main Nation Ministry. Will the Icy Elephants come back from their draw and get a morale-boosting win on home ice? Will the Main Nation Ministry hand Elejamie their first group stage loss since their debut tournament back in the 26th World Cup of Hockey? Or will it end in yet another disappointing draw? Find out on Puck Drop!

Elsewhere, Ontoria's tournament went from bad to worse as they went down 6-1 to Novaya Zemlya. The Falcons, who were last in Group D back in Norrehavn, have only won a single game so far: a 3-1 opening day win against the USAR at home...

Period			P1	P2	P3	FS
Savojarna		1	0	0	1
Elejamie		0	1	0	1

by **Valanora** » Thu May 25, 2017 8:15 pm

Valanora Times
Streaking

The World Cup of Hockey has become something of a two team show, with the Calcuttas of Valanora and Icy Elephants of Elejamie making the tournament something akin to their own personal playing ground with the last four tournaments being won only by the two squads. The question arises whether the continued dominance of the two squads is entirely healthy for the sport as a whole, the answer of which seems a resounding not sure given the way the first few days in the current tournament have gone. However given the good participation numbers for the event and the frenzy in which fans and media have gathered behind in support of their respective national teams, it is fair to say that at the very least that the engagement level for the fans, players, and media is at a relatively good high. That engagement will undoubtedly lead to greater competition for the sport in the long run and for all those who care for the sport, that is the ultimate goal and this long term view has to be quite a good omen in that regard.

For the Calcuttas themselves, they are doing well in the beginning of the tournament, though the matches have been perhaps a tad more closer than the fans of the squad might have liked with the team winning by just a goal in two of their games thus far, including the opening game in which the side seemed to be quite lackluster. It may be a case of a championship hangover, something that the Calcuttas are unfortunately known to have in the beginning of tournaments following a victory in the previous one, not quite looking as sharp and in form as they tend to do once the knockout stage of the competition rolls around. Some pride can be take in that the team did roll over the competent squad of Nova Anglicana by a score of four to one, with three goals in the first period that lead to a very comfortable victory in the end, as well as goal in each period in their victory at Qasden. However with three of the games having been played at home, the second half of the group stage is definitely going to be a more difficult prospect, especially when the side travels to the Free Republics, whom the side just defeat in Stormguard one to nil.

The good news is that the defensive prowess of the side is looking better than ever, with just a single goal conceded in the first four games, and that against a fairly competent Nova Anglicana team, though the fact that the side has faltered somewhat in the offensive side of the game is a concern. It has been the team's ability to outscore the Icy Elephants that has been the key to the Calcuttas success in winning the titles against Elejamie. It need not be said that the route to another title is definitely going through Elejamie, as it has done for the past decade, and if they, or a team like Gim or Gregoryisgodistan who are infamous for their defensive tactics, are able to slowdown the Calcuttas attack, it spells a lot of trouble. For that, focusing down on the power play might be the spark needed to get the team going, as special teams has been a catalyst in the past. All that said, the side is definitely trending in the right direction, for it is only in the moment that the style of victory matters, for records only care about the number of victories and not the style in which it is done. Having won all four games, the momentum going forward is there and the side is in a good spot to fix what problems arrive without the pressure of chasing the top of the group in doing so.

by **Natanians and Nosts** » Thu May 25, 2017 8:27 pm

At the past game,Natanians and Nosts was defeated by Abahnfleft.The team is training hard to face its next opponent.The coach told at a post-match interview that he woul focus the train at the goaltenders and deffencemen leaving the centres and wingers freer to decide how they'll train.

by **Free Republics** » Thu May 25, 2017 9:00 pm

Sporting World

World Cup of Hockey: Free Republics concede late goal, Lose to Valanora
by: Jovita Hatch

The Free Republics National Ice Hockey Team put up a valiant effort last night against the #1 team in the multiverse but ultimately came away empty-handed for the third time in this World Cup after Laerbelidon Taltauré's slapshot slipped through Luther Murphy's legs with just 48 seconds remaining on the clock. This has to be especially depressing for Murphy who played the game of his life, saving 38 consecutive shots before conceding a shot to a player who is listed as 623 years old on the Vanorian roster. Personally, I find that doubtful but it can't be a typo because the youngest player on their roster is listed as 524 years old.

This match was held in Stormguard, Valanora and I swear the people in Valanora look like elves. I mean, I don't really want to insult them or anything by saying that (my editor has requested that I refrain from saying things that will get my articles bombarded with angry comments) but that's what I was thinking as I looked at them. Still, its hard to believe that there are sentient species other than humans out there even though I know for a fact that a team of talking animals used to be a major sports power, one that even beat our soccer team in a DBC final once!

Granted, there isn't much to talk about from such a low-scoring match so I need to come up with something to fill the space required by my editor so I'll talk about how ice hockey is like such a niche sport in the Greatest Nation That Is, the Greatest Nation That Was and the Greatest Nation That Ever Will Be. You see, hockey players here don't really have much of a professional league to speak up. I mean, Freedom Sports doesn't even air ice hockey and they air just about everything, even golf, tennis and curling! Yet, this is somehow the 3rd time we've ever entered the World Cup of Hockey. The first time, when this team was a high school team in my home Republic of Amolotopia, which is better than your Republic because we hosted the Winter Olympics, they went like .500 or something in the WCoH. I'm not going to bother to look it up because I never actually learned how to use a search engine in college. Why would I need to when I could always count on one of my boyfriends to Googol (OOC: Yes, the name of the RL search engine was a spelling mistake, so the Republican "knockoff" actually spells the word correctly) anything for me. After several years went by without our entry into the World Cup of Hockey, due to Gregoryisgodistanis murdering some of our players the first time around (At the time, we were on the enemy list and their enemy crushers were apparently too retarded to tell the difference between Legion of Lucifer and supporters of the Holy Party!), we finally returned last year and went around .500 again. This year though, things haven't worked out too well for us with our team underperforming so far. That is why the fact that we held Valanora scoreless for over 59 minutes provides us such hope going into our last 6 games.

Be sure to tune in to our next game, Thursday night on FBC Sports One, if you can't make it to the renovated Nicholls Enterprises Arena in Amolotopia to see the match in person. Tickets are still available and several local radio stations will be giving away free tickets over the next few days. These include Hot 104.3, Radio Country 97.1 and Sports Talk 1650, among others. I hope to see you guys there, decked out in blue and white and cheering for the FFR! In fact, we will be giving out free Republican flags to every fan in attendance and an Alvina Carlsson collectible bobblehead. Yes, Republica's Ice Hockey Team, LLC. is pulling out all of the stops to pack arenas for our home games, so be sure to take advantage of these great offers and support our hockey team!

Jovita Hatch is a journalist who recently graduated from the Baseton College School of Journalism. While in college, Jovita was introduced to the sport of ice hockey when she started dating a player on the team. Although they are no longer dating, Jovita developed such a love of ice hockey while going to her boyfriend's games that she started covering the sport for the school newspaper. After graduating, she was hired by Sporting World to be our first ever international ice hockey correspondent.

by **Kaboomlandia** » Thu May 25, 2017 9:32 pm

Analysis: Phoenix offense drying up in cutthroat Stacks Group

Phoenix goaltender Lyle Mace looks on as he is beaten by a shot in a game against the United Socialist Alpine Republics.

It's still early, but what we've seen from the Kaboomlandia Phoenix in the past three games may start to instill panic in some fans. After a promising start with an 8-1 demolition of Drawkland, the team's offense has dried up completely, scoring just two goals in the past three games: one by Tyler Martin against Novaya Zemlya and one by Derek Strachan against the USAR. "We're not getting the secondary scoring we need here. Our two goals have come from a second-line centre and a top-pairing defenseman. The bottom six need to be scoring more goals and getting the dirty plays, but it's something we'll work on in practice," said coach Blair Mitchell. Despite the tailspin, Lyle Mace has played well apart from the 5-1 blowout against Novaya Zemlya. He just isn't getting goal support that he needs.

Next up, the team plays a similarly slumping Ontorisan squad that, like the Phoenix, have won just one of four games, to round out the first half of the group stage. The team needs to make up serious ground, as after the embarrassing 1-0 shutout loss to lowly Quakmybush, they're three points out of a playoff spot.

(OOC: Apologies for short RP, I had to rush to make cutoff)

by **-Anthor-** » Thu May 25, 2017 9:32 pm

Official Cutoff for Match Day 5

by **-Anthor-** » Thu May 25, 2017 9:43 pm

Match Day 5 Results
RP Bonus: For the next Match Day, include the emotion of excitement in your writing

Clark Group
Qasden 2–0 New Danican
Free Republics 2–2 Nova Anglicana
Gim 0–4 Valanora

  Clark Group                             Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts                                
1 Valanora                                  5    5   0   0    13    1  +12    15    —    —   4–1   —   1–0  1–0
2 Gim                                       5    2   1   2     5    7   −2     7   0–4   —    —   2–1   —    — 
3 Nova Anglicana                            5    2   1   2     5    8   −3     7    —   0–2   —   1–0   —   1–0
4 Qasden                                    5    2   0   3     5    7   −2     6   0–3   —    —    —   2–1  2–0
5 Free Republics                            5    1   1   3     5    7   −2     4    —   1–0  2–2   —    —    — 
6 New Danican                               5    1   1   3     3    6   −3     4    —   1–1   —    —   2–1   —

McEachern Group
United States of Devonta 0–0 Desertfoxenland
Lorenthia 5–4 Vilita and Turori
Kebec 2–0 Cosumar

  McEachern Group                         Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts                                
1 Cosumar                                   5    3   1   1     9    6   +3    10    —   3–2  1–1   —   3–0   — 
2 Lorenthia                                 5    3   1   1    12   10   +2    10    —    —   5–4   —    —   3–2
3 Vilita and Turori                         5    2   2   1     9    7   +2     8    —    —    —   1–1  2–0  1–0
4 United States of Devonta                  5    1   2   2     3    4   −1     5   1–2  0–1   —    —   0–0   — 
5 Desertfoxenland                           5    1   2   2     3    6   −3     5    —   1–1   —    —    —   2–0
6 Kebec                                     5    1   0   4     4    7   −3     3   2–0   —    —   0–1   —    —

Sauvageau Group
Aquitayne 0–0 Valhallan Union
Savojarna 1–2 Anthor
Main Nation Ministry 0–3 Elejamie

  Sauvageau Group                         Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts                                
1 Elejamie                                  5    4   1   0    13    2  +11    13    —   2–1   —    —   1–1  6–0
2 Anthor                                    5    3   1   1    13    5   +8    10    —    —   2–1  1–1   —   7–0
3 Aquitayne                                 5    2   1   2     5    4   +1     7   0–1   —    —    —   1–0  0–0
4 Main Nation Ministry                      5    2   1   2     5    7   −2     7   0–3   —   1–3   —    —    — 
5 Savojarna                                 5    1   1   3     4    5   −1     4    —   1–2   —   0–1   —    — 
6 Valhallan Union                           5    0   1   4     0   17  −17     1    —    —    —   0–2  0–2   —

Noble Group
Cosneolta 2–2 The Kiaser Colonies
Komarov-Thomiya 1–2 Mercedini
West Phoenicia 1–4 Royal Kingdom of Quebec

  Noble Group                             Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts                                
1 Royal Kingdom of Quebec                   5    4   0   1    15    3  +12    12    —   0–1   —   1–0  4–0   — 
2 Mercedini                                 5    3   2   0     8    3   +5    11    —    —   1–1   —   1–1  3–0
3 Cosneolta                                 5    1   3   1     7    9   −2     6   1–6   —    —   3–0  2–2   — 
4 Komarov-Thomiya                           5    1   1   3     4    8   −4     4    —   1–2   —    —    —   1–1
5 The Kiaser Colonies                       5    0   3   2     7   12   −5     3    —    —    —   1–2   —   3–3
6 West Phoenicia                            5    0   3   2     5   11   −6     3   1–4   —   0–0   —    —    —

Cookson Group
Neu Engollon 1–1 New Lusitania & Algarves
Natanians and Nosts 0–1 Nephara
Frenline Delpha 0–4 Abanhfleft

  Cookson Group                           Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts                                
1 Abanhfleft                                5    3   1   1    12    3   +9    10    —   0–0  3–2   —   5–0   — 
2 Nephara                                   5    3   1   1     5    2   +3    10    —    —   0–1  3–1   —   1–0
3 New Lusitania & Algarves                  5    2   1   2     5    6   −1     7    —    —    —    —   0–2  1–0
4 Neu Engollon                              5    2   1   2     4    6   −2     7   1–0   —   1–1   —   0–2   — 
5 Natanians and Nosts                       5    2   0   3     5    8   −3     6    —   0–1   —    —    —   1–2
6 Frenline Delpha                           5    1   0   4     2    8   −6     3   0–4   —    —   0–1   —    —

Eccelstone Group
Tobiasia 1–0 Allahakbarium
Allumunnic States 1–5 Esparmuran
Elgenstad 1–0 Gregoryisgodistan

  Eccelstone Group                        Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts                                
1 Esparmuran                                5    4   1   0    17    6  +11    13    —    —   6–1  3–3   —   2–1
2 Gregoryisgodistan                         5    3   0   2     4    2   +2     9   0–1   —    —    —   1–0  1–0
3 Elgenstad                                 5    2   2   1     7    9   −2     8    —   1–0   —   1–1   —    — 
4 Tobiasia                                  5    1   3   1     6    7   −1     6    —   0–2   —    —   1–1  1–0
5 Allumunnic States                         5    1   2   2     6    9   −3     5   1–5   —   1–1   —    —    — 
6 Allahakbarium                             5    0   0   5     3   10   −7     0    —    —   1–3   —   1–3   —

Stacks Group
Union of Socialist Alpine Republics 1–0 Quakmybush
Ontorisa 2–1 Kaboomlandia
Drawkland 1–3 Novaya Zemlya

  Stacks Group                            Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts                                
1 Novaya Zemlya                             5    4   1   0    20    6  +14    13    —    —   3–0  6–1  5–1   — 
2 Union of Socialist Alpine Republics       5    2   2   1    10    7   +3     8   3–3   —   1–0  1–3   —    — 
3 Quakmybush                                5    2   1   2     5    5    0     7    —    —    —   3–0   —   1–1
4 Ontorisa                                  5    2   0   3     6   12   −6     6    —    —    —    —   2–1  0–1
5 Kaboomlandia                              5    1   1   3    11   10   +1     4    —   1–1  0–1   —    —   8–1
6 Drawkland                                 5    1   1   3     4   16  −12     4   1–3  0–4   —    —    —    —

by **New Danican** » Sat May 27, 2017 11:20 am

New Danican News Network

[Anthor] Once again New Danican has lost another game in the 33rd World Cup of Hockey. This most recent loss was to Qasden(2-0-3, 6pts) in a 2-0 shut out. This is the 3rd shut out suffered by New Danican(1-1-3, 4pts.). After the game it seems that the team is losing its sense of excitement for the tournament they had at the start. We talked to team captain, Arthur Armstrong and he had this to say "we keep on losing and can't figure out why. What usually works doesn't, but still we need to keep our heads up and try harder, after all this is hockey, every game is supposed to be exiting for a player, and I am always excited for the next game." New Danican coach, Dan Johnson, said he was drawing up a new game plan that he thinks will work "I'm really excited for the mew plan. I think it will really encompass all the players' strengths and weaknesses." Hopefully those words ring true.

by **Qasden** » Sat May 27, 2017 2:45 pm

Qasden National Ice Hockey Team
Nickname: The IceVans
Style: -3

For 2 world cups and an Olympic games, the ice hockey squad of Qasden has tried and failed to grab the coveted title to its name, consistently falling in the group stages to the titans of ice and snow. Having failed in Hannasea, Valanora, and Prescott, the IceVans look to revitalize their chances as the cup returns to Atlantian Oceania, now in the glorious nation of Anthor. "It has been quite a bumpy road for IceVans Hockey, yes." exclaims Manager, Victor Garnnet-Salisbury. "I've spoken with the staff over the break between Prescott and HCL 8. A new aura seems to have fallen on them, because even the team doctor had ideas and strategies for the team in WCoH33. Training will, of course, have to increase four-fold, and our roster will need to be given confidence.".

Following HCL 8, where finally Qad clubs advanced into the knockouts, a newfound form of hope lingered amongst the nationalists. Having flown straight from the mountains of Fyre, here are your WCoH33 Qasden IceVans!

Name/Age/Club

Manager- Victor Garnnet-Salisbury/47/NA
Assistant Manager- Ludwick Fliker/36/NA
Coach- Nikolai Feltsky/55/Elder Blizzard
Assistant Coach- Brian Armory/49/Southwest Makos
Doctor- Vivianne Osocio de Mama/34/NA


GK
11- Guy Heckler/24/TVC Clouded Leopards
32- Aiden Foxborough/28/Scaivan Knights
57- Svetlana Koschev/21/Elder Blizzard

D
1st Pair
2- Rory Gallaway/29/Southwest Makos
19- Brad Yulni/32/T.V. City Monarchs

2nd Pair
49- Lena Pauski/26/North Fyre Blaze
33- Richard Mooney/28/Destiny Shurikens

3rd Pair
85- David Fautspur/33/HK Eastern Athletic
76- Boris Rutin/39/Fyre IceBombs

Enforcer
99- Brick Turbine/31/Moaria Flare

F
1st Line
C64- Gisele Lune/27/HK Eastern Athletic
RW21- Morgan Checkerman/19/Southwest Makos
LW8- Keithan Nates/25/TVC Clouded Leopards

2nd Line
C70- Blaze Forest/26/Elder Blizzard
RW54- Kenji Lumada/38/Scaivan Knights
LW89- Solis DeCofficer/41/Southwest Makos

3rd Line
C77- Skadwick Novarro/23/Fyre IceBombs
RW50- Bethany Laurel/20/Taxson Wilderness
LW00- Ixis/4,982/HK Qad City IceKings

RP Permissions
My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following:
Choose My Scorers: Y
Godmod Scoring Events: Y
RP Injuries to My Players: Yes (TG first, nothing severe)
Godmod Injuries to My Players: No
RP Penalties for My Players: Yes (TG first)
RP Ejections for My Players: Yes (TG first)
Godmod Other Events: Yes (TG first)

by **Union of Socialist Alpine Republics** » Sat May 27, 2017 3:44 pm

The Alpine Union blanks Quakmybush

Revena, Quakmybush - (NEIP) On matchday 5, the Alpine Union played against Quakmybush in Revena, their capital city. Quakmybush is notable for its barren, inhospitable landscape, sprawling nuclear power plants, and unlimited-speed roads. With 13:48 remaining in the first period, Peter Sundin passed the puck to Hampus Wiktorsson who skates with the puck and he skates behind the net and he skates to the face off circle in Quack zone and he shoots but the puck hits the post! Anton Lundström takes the loose puck and shoots but he hits the cross bar. Hampus Wiktorsson takes the loose puck and shoots but he hits the post again! The score is still at 0-0. With 6:10 remaining, Wolfgang Wozniakowski makes a long pass to Sebastian Krug who skates with the heads down but Right Defenseman #3 hits him and he 's down on the ice. Zofia Stepniewska drops the gloves against Right Defenseman #3 she hits him in the face, she removes his helmet and she keeps punching him twice and three times before the referree separates each other! It's the first time Zofia Stepniewska is fighting in her hockey career but what a fight, she completely destroyed her opponent! Right Defenseman #3 gets five minutes for charging, five minutes for fighting and a game misconduct. Zofia Stepniewska gets five minutes for fighting, two minutes for instigator and a 10 minutes misconduct. So after all of this, we'll be at 4 on 4 for two minutes, then the Bisons will have a 3 minutes power play! Sebastian Krug goes to the locker room, he might have a concussion. The Reprezentacja Alpejski are attacking at 4 on 4 and then on the power play. Szymon Krzysztalowicz passed the puck to Emilia Zyskowska who passes to Szymon Krzysztalowicz at the point. Szymon Krzysztalowicz passes the puck to Stanislaw Wojciechowski at the point, he shoots but Goalkeeper #1 makes the save. It's the end of the 1st period.

With the start of the second period, Sebastian Krug is still in the locker room with an upper body injury. With 15:29 remaining in the 2nd period, Czeslaw Niemczynowicz skates with the puck and passes it to Melania Zyskowska who shoots but Goalkeeper #1 makes another save. Zofia Stepniewska has served her 10 minutes misconduct but she's still in the locker room with an hand injury. With 8:19 remaining, Hampus Wiktorsson is penalized for hooking and the Quacks are going on a power play but Grzegorz Grzegorczyk and the defensemen are blocking everything! And it's the end of the 2nd period, we still have a score of 0-0.

Sebastian Krug, who was open ice hitted, is back in the line up for the 3rd period, but Zofia Stepniewska is still in the locker room with an hand injury. With 12:30 remaining, Krzysztof Klepczynski is penalized for high sticking and it's another power play for the Bush. Right Defenseman #1 passes the puck to Left Defenseman #1 who shoots but it's blocked by defenseman Stanislaw Wojciechowski. Arkadiusz Zlomanczuk takes the loose puck and passes it to Sebastian Krug who skates, he's on a breakaway! He skates again and shoot the puck in the top corner of the net, it's a short-handed goal for the Alpine Union! After his goal, Sebastian Krug still feels a little dizzy on the bench and leaves to the locker room again. And this is the final score, the Reprezentacja Alpejski won 1-0!

The Alpine Union is now in 2nd place of Stacks Group with 8 points in 5 games. Quakmybuck, Ontorisa and Kaboomlandia are not far behind. While Novaya Zemlya haven't much opposition in the group and will certainly finish 1st, it's a free for all for the 2nd place with 4 teams in the race! Quakmybush's Right Defenseman #3 is suspended for the remainder of the WCoH. Zofia Stepniewska is out for the next three games (vs Ontorisa, Drawkland and Novaya Zemlya) with an hand injury. Sebastian Krug will be back in the line up against Ontorisa. Arkadiusz Zlomanczuk will take Zofia's spot on the 3rd line and Max Preuß will be inserted into the line up and will play on the 4th line.

BOXSCORE
1ST PERIOD
No goal
2ND PERIOD
No goal
3RD PERIOD
10:58 Sebastian Krug assisted by Arkadiusz Zlomanczuk (SH)

SHOTS ON GOAL
Alpine Union: 36 Quakmybush: 14

by **Elejamie** » Sat May 27, 2017 6:38 pm

"... The first half of the World Cup of Hockey group stage ended last night, so now we go over to John Daverson with the sports. John?"

That's right, Steve! Good morning, Elejamie! The Icy Elephants' managed to rejuvenate the crowd with a 3-0 win against the Main Nation Ministry at the Riverside Arena in Avon. Following their dismal 1-1 draw against Savojarna in Sjoedrhavn, head coach Michael Madgwick made a few changes, bringing back Antonio Cervantes but also replacing Pael Atenar on the fourth line with Alejandro Rubio Orosco; Antonio's nephew Pedro Cervantes sitting on the bench; and Diego Pinto making his international debut as he replaces Neil Cuevas on the third defensive pairing. And so, without further adieu, here are the highlights:

The first period saw Elejamie nearly get an early lead as Anatoly Kasputin's shot forty seconds in rebounded off of the cross-bar; an attempted rebound was caught by Agapetus Xzavier, which forced a face-off. Less than a minute later, the MNM very nearly took an early lead when a shot from Kishori German just scraped the edge of the post before being cleared by George Lincoln. Not much happened until halfway through the period when Orson Toby received a minor penalty for slashing Carlos Sierra. Thirty seconds into the powerplay, Cerin Meloten won the face-off and passed it to Anatoly Kasputin, who proceeded to tip the puck past Xzavier to make it 1-0 much to the delight of the home crowd. Although Pinto would receive a two minute minor with less than five minutes into the match thanks to him accidentally tripping Ray Winkleton, Elejamie managed to hold their ground and, at the end of the period, the score was 1-0 to the home side.

The second period started off with the Main Nation Ministry very nearly levelling the scores early on in the period, with a shot from Danilo Aliekasai just being caught by Antonio Cervantes. Indeed, shortly afterwards, Francisco Solano had to be sent to the bench for interference, although fortunately the MNM were unable to equalise. Instead, it turned out to be the opposite as, seven minutes into the period, James Han doubled the Icy Elephants' lead, with a slapshot from the point and assistance from line-mates Aaron Andrews and Ethan Swinburne. Han very nearly scored a second a few seconds later, but Xzavier just managed to get a glove to the puck and forced a face-off. However, things went from good to bad when Swinburne received a two minute minor for hooking Sid Constantino, followed by Francisco Solano receiving another interference minor on the penalty kill; fortunately for Elejamie, his teammates managed to kill off the penalty. The Main Nation Ministry came very close to pulling one back but, just as Lew Gunhilda lined up the shot, the end-of-period klaxon sounded. Unfortunate. Either way, with the score now 2-0 to Elejamie, it seemed like it could only go one way.

The third period was much different, as not only was it penalty-free but also the first shot didn't come until four minutes in; a wrist shot from Herut Herleif just going over the net. Indeed, while Daniella Leonti managed to recover the shot and have a go of her own, Antonio Cervantes managed to save it and force a face-off. That wasn't to say that Elejamie were having problems of their own: Anatoly Kasputin's shot went wide, with the rebound being cleared before he had a chance to do anything with the puck; Lucas Madgwick's shot was saved by Agaptaus Xzavier; and a goal from Aaron Andrews had to be disallowed due to him being offside. Eventually, with three minutes left, Bill Harrison scored the third and final goal of the night, with a snap shot and assistant from Paul Morton and Diego Pinto, getting a point in his first internatonal game. That goal pretty much sealed the MNM's fate. Although Xzavier was pulled in the last minute, it was too late. At the end of the match, the score was 3-0 to Elejamie, who managed to prove that they were able to shake off that draw.

In a post-match interview, head coach Michael Madgwick said "Now that was a massive improvement. Everyone was much more refreshed, everyone managed to work together properly and we all managed to take advantage of their poor defence. Some great goals there from Anatoly, James and Bill. Some great assists as well, so kudos to everyone who helped out. Toni did a very good job keeping the pucks out of the net, so he deserves somne praise there as well. Overall, well done everyone. Let's hope we can keep this up. Next question."

"Do you think you'll get back to back wins over the Valhallan Union?"

"Definitely. I'm not one to blow my own trumpet but they haven't been performing that well in the tournament. I've been looking at their standings and I have to say that my Valhallan counterpart, Stig Deister, really needs to talk to his team about their performance, as I could imagine that he's on thin ice. Other than that, we're on home ice, it's not that far between Avon and Davenport and we're still on a high from this game. A win is pretty much in the bag."

Meanwhile, in the other games, the Valhallan Union finally got their first point thanks to a goalless draw against Aquitayne on home ice, whereas Savojarna's first game following former coach Fredrik Rundblad's resign ended in a 2-1 away defeat. And, as we look at the table, we can see that there hasn't been much change, with Elejamie and Anthor both keeping a tight grip on the top two spots. However, as a result of that draw, Aquitayne move up to third place, whereas the Main Nation Ministry drop down to fourth thanks to that loss. Savojarna stay in fifth place with a win, a draw and three losses making up four points. And, finally, the Valhallan Union remain in last place with one point - and still zero goals - from five matches. One could only hope that this second half would go better for them.

And, as we look as tomorrow's matches and the start of the second half of the group matches, we can see that we've got some treats for you. The Main Nation Ministry will see if they can claw their way up to second place at they take on hosts Anthor; whereas Savojarna will try and get out of the bottom half of the table as they play away to Aquitayne. But, most importantly, we have Elejamie vs the Valhallan Republic. Will the Icy Elephants make it two out of two in Davenport? Or will the Valhallan Union pull off a shocker and get some points? Find out tomorrow on Puck Drop!

Over to the Clark Group now, as Valanora - the only team in the tournament to win all their games so far - rounded off their first half with an emphatic win 4-0 over Gim on home ice. The Calcuttas, who are also the reigning champions after their 3-1 series win against Elejamie in the last tournament, are currently among the favourites to win the tournament and get the first double in a long time if not ever...

Period			P1	P2	P3	FS
Elejamie		1	1	1	3
Main Nation Ministry	0	0	0	0

WCOH XXXIII Everything Thread

Who is online