World Cup of Hockey XLI (41) Everything Thread

by **HUElavia** » Wed Nov 25, 2020 5:09 pm

HUElavia Swiftly Taken Out by Mercedini!

Mercedini 4–1 HUElavia
(X Island Metro Arena, X Island)

HUElavia came into the Round-of-16, participating in their 3rd straight appearance in the round. Los Amarillos/Os Amarelos managed to get a spot into the knockouts after defeating Neu Engolion by the bare minimum of 1-0. The team was seeded as #12 in the Knockouts, and was seeded with #5 Mercedini. The same team that the National Football Team had defeated 3 times in 4 meetings during the World Cup Qualifiers for WC 83 and WC 84. Now the two teams met in Ice Hockey, playing with all their starters, and both Malinsky and Vasilevskiy starting in their respective goals. The puck was dropped and the Round-of-16 was under way!

HUElavia took the lead early in the first period when they won a power play, with a pass from Companioni reaching Giroux, who passed it to Dominguez-Garcia, to give the one-timer to slide past Malinsky into the goal to make it 0-1 for the HUElavians. The team hugged and celebrated while Kernkraft 400 blasted in the arena, with the Mercedinians furious for the goal. They would then begin to attack, and attack hard, having HUElavia on the ropes with blocks and saves from the defense and Vasilevskiy. Eventually, the HUElavian defense would crumble as in the 2nd Period, Signale would take a violent shot that had Vasilevskiy fumble the puck, only for Kelodon to tip it into the goal to make it 1-1. They would continue to attack, finally jumping on the chance late in the period, when Kozhikina would go around Ben Youseff and pass it to Antic, who gave it a one-timer to blast it past Vasilevskiy into the goal, making it 2-1. HUElavia would push during the 3rd Period to tie the game, but it was no use, with Malinsky making saves with ease. Time ticked away and in the final 2 minutes, Vasilevskiy was pulled for another attacker. The team pushed and pushed, but Gagliano would put the puck to the board and send it out, having Vranida get the puck and slide it into the empty goal with 50 seconds left to make it 3-1. HUElavia pushed once again, pulling Vasilevskiy, for another attacker and once again, Signale got the puck, sent it out for Santo to get the puck and slide it into the empty goal to make it the definitive 4-1 with 18 seconds left. HUElavia fell short after keeping it close for the vast majority of the game and got demoted to the Losers' Bracket.

Thus, HUElavia have one last chance to stay alive in the competition while being in the Losers' Bracket. They must win the next game to advance to the Semi-Finals. Their next opponent though is a very difficult one: Valanora, the #3 Hockey Team in the Multiverse. The team comes off a tough 2-3 loss to Equestria. The match will be played at The Shelter in Bayern, where HUElavians will still flock to support the team. The players are training hard for a must-win game while the fans pray for a miracle, much like the one that happened against Neu Engolion. Only time will tell what will happen. Here's to another historical upset!

FORCA HUELAVIA! VAMOS HUELAVIA! GO HUELAVIA!

by **Valanora** » Wed Nov 25, 2020 5:31 pm

After a bit of a disaster of a slip up in Gyatso-Kai, the Calcuttas were able to resolve themselves and rebound quite soundly with a routine win against Tikariot at home, with star center Leandro Söderström nabbing a hattrick and Nora Åström adding an empty net goal in the waning seconds of the game to make the scoreline better reflect just how dominant the Calcuttas were against their foes. It seemed like the sort of statement win that would help propel the squad into the playoffs on a high and it ensured that the Calcuttas would not only win the group but were still going to be among the best seeded teams for the playoffs, with only a single loss during the group stage and a vastly impressive positive twenty-one goal differential, the fourth best such statistic in the entire tournament. Only the Dagans of Group E and Siovanija and Teusland of Group D could claim to have put a more dominant stamp on their groups than the Calcuttas, though worryingly the Ice Bisons of Gyatso-Kai were nearly as impressive and had just about found a way to steal the group title from the Calcuttas were it not for the team's stellar performance against Tikariot.

Seeded fourth, the Calcuttas were feeling rather confident of their ability to easily win against any opposition that they were going to be paired against, that confidence swelling quite a bit when it was revealed that their first round matchup would be against their Southwestern neighbors of Equestria, not a side that is very well known for their hockey prowess on either the international or domestic level. Finishing second in Group G, a bit of a surprise given Kelssek was in that group as well, the Equestrian side did not put up near the same level of numbers that the Empire side had done, with only six wins from the group stage and only a positive ten goal difference. With only twenty-five goals scored through the group stage, the initial scouting report suggested that they would not be a foe to fear as much as if it had been Abanhfleft whom the Calcuttas were set to face, instead it was a rather stringent defensive unit that was going to be the equation that the Vanorian offense was going to have to try and solve, with quite the impressive only fifteen goals given up in their group stage performance.

Neither team particularly played a rough and tumble sort of game and from the first drop of the puck, it looked like the game was going to be a showcase of technical skill of the Calcuttas against the team cohesion and defensive awareness of the Equestrian side. It was a first period of trying to figure each other out and it started to tilt towards the Calcuttas favor about two thirds through the period when a sharp shot from Måns Dahlberg was saved but unable to be controlled by the Equestrian goalie, allowing Eva Strömberg to slide in and lift the puck into the top shelf over the glove of the goalie and give the Calcuttas the lead, a lead they would keep through the first period. However the Equestrians came out strong in the second period, taking advantage twice of the long shift changes to be able to slide in their lurking wingers past the blue line and for easy one on ones with Birk Dahlberg, both times the elder statesmen in the net was beaten, first on the glove side and then through the five hole. Before the Calcuttas had even settled into the second, they had gone from leading to being down a goal, and the Equestrian side would add a third on a powerplay with four minutes left in the period, as the Vanorian squad looked completely perplexed throughout the second period.

A lot of yelling and rumbling could be heard from the Vanorian locker room during the second intermissions and it was clear that there was fire in the Calcuttas side as they looked ready to right the wrongs of the second period, opting to use their checking line to start the period out. The gamble paid off as though they failed to score, the line's aggressive forechecking kept the Equestrians hemmed in their zone and brought the Vanorian section of the crowd back into it. Two minutes more of sustained pressure saw the Equestrians make their first big error, as they sent the puck out of play from their own end and gave the Calcuttas their first powerplay. A faceoff win, a quick pass from one defenseman to the other, and a powerful one timer that was redirected by Hussein Gustavsson, and the Calcuttas were quickly back within a single goal and pressing to get the tying goal. The side peppered the Equestrian net with shot after shot after shot, yet the Equestrian goalie made amends for their earlier spill of the puck and was swallowing up every shot and not allowing those rebound opportunities, until the Calcuttas were stunned as the final whistle came and they had been defeated by their subregional rivals.

Fortunately due to the unusual nature of the playoffs this edition, it was not an upset that has sent the Calcuttas back home and out of tournament early, but now they have a very long and difficult journey ahead of them if they are going to add to their record amount of titles. The team now faces the twelfth seed of HUElavia, a side that was trounced in the first round by Mercedini four to one. Much like the Equestrian game, this is a game that on paper the Calcuttas should be the favorites for, yet the aging squad has looked susceptible at numerous occasions through this tournament and nothing can now be taken for granted, nor is there any margin for error left. Should the Calcuttas find a way to get past their next foe, it does not get any easier for them either, as the rising stars of Banija's ice hockey team or the elite talent of the VIlita and Turori squad will be waiting for the chance to send the Calcuttas home early. If any lesson can be taken from the sides' loss, it is that they need to stick to their pressing game and perhaps utilize their checking line a bit more, as it was the fourth's line energy that had brought the team back into the contest. While an unheralded part of the squad, it could be the difference between an early exit and the Calcuttas' continued pursuit of their seventh title.

by **Gyatso-kai** » Wed Nov 25, 2020 5:55 pm

.:: From the ASPN Blog After Thoughts in a Blip ::.
1845 hours, 25 November 2020.3

Sometimes you have to look at the bigger picture.

There are currently sixteen nations fighting it out for the chance to advance and hoist the World Cup of Hockey as champions. These sixteen nations represent eight different regions from within the multiverse. So you would expect them to be balanced... two from each region...

And you would be wrong.

There are the sole representatives - Abanfleft from Antarctica, HUElavia from The South Pacific, Reçueçn from The West Pacific, New Waldenesia from the Republic of Conservative Nations, Mercedini from Novapax, and even Neu Engollon from Teremara - who have proudly fought their way into the playoffs.

Then there is the sporting region of Rushmore. Three storied nations from that region have found their way into the Second Round; Taeshan, the hosts, have found themselves in the loser bracket, while Savojarna and Cassadaigua have advanced to the next stage of the Winner's Bracket.

What about the other seven teams in the tournament? What region to they belong to?

If you are following along, you realise that the other seven nations all come from the powerhouse region of Atlantian Oceania. Our region, renowned throughout the multiverse for its prowess in sports, has made quite a showing this tournament. As it stands, five of the teams are in the winner's bracket as of now, and of course two of the basically Quarterfinals matches being faceoffs between two AO pairs; the Ice Cat Things of Vilita & Turori continue the fight to remain in the winners bracket against Banija, and our own Ice Bisons will faceoff against the Goldhorns as they continue to fight their way to the top of the multiverse's greatest hockey stage!

Let us hope that we can continue to be victorious!

by **Taeshan** » Wed Nov 25, 2020 6:09 pm

16 shall enter, 12 shall leave. That's how this work, it's simple math.

Cassadaigua 2–6 Savojarna
Ko-oren 2-0 Taeshan*
Machrobat Ice Arena (Machrobat, China Island home of Machrobat Ice Kings)

Mercedini 2–5 Equestria
Reçueçn 2–4 Neu Engollon
The Log Cabin (Taeshan City, Taeshan Island home of Taeshan City Loggers)

Banija 2–2 Vilita and Turori (2–1 SO)
Valanora 4–5 HUElavia
The Shelter (Bayern, Algaer Island home of Bayern Bombers)

Siovanija and Teusland 3–3 Gyatso-Kai (3–2 SO)
Abanhfleft 3–0 New Waldensia
Fadron Pizza Ice @ Magickarpa Arena (Wiechester, Wolf Island home of the Wiechester Wanderers)

Which means sadly

and our Next Double elimination matchups are

So here is where things get interesting. The four semifinalists will have a bye Friday night, with the loser's bracket playing Friday Night. We will not have a off day on saturday. We will have the Winner's Semi's and the next loser's round. This will be followed with once again a loser's bracket round on Sunday. Then the Winner's bracket final and the loser's bracket round after that on Monday. Tuesday will be the loser's bracket final (AKA, the third place game). With the final, if the Winner's bracket champion wins on Tuesday, if I am correct in my math.

Winner's Bracket Semis (Saturday)
9 Savojarna vs Equestria 13
2 Siovanija and Teusland vs Banija 11
New Capetown Center for Excellence (New Capetown, Cape Island, home of the New Capetown Red Wings)

Loser's Bracket Quarterfinals (cont.)
1 Cassadaigua vs Ko-oren 7
12 HUElavia vs Vilita and Turori 14
X Island Metro Arena (X Island, X Island, home of the X Island Avalanche)
Winners Play each other in the next round

5 Mercedini vs Neu Engollon 6
8 Abanhfleft vs Gyatso-Kai 10
Ice Palace (Greenville, Atlantea Island home of the Atlantea-Greenville IceWolves)
Winners play each other

*Scorinated by Eastfield Lodge

by **Gyatso-kai** » Wed Nov 25, 2020 8:03 pm

.:: From the ASPN Blog After Thoughts in a Blip ::.
2203 hours, 25 November 2020.3

Remember when I said we have to look at the bigger picture?

Well, we just went toe-to-toe with the current defending champion, and dragged them into a shootout.

And we lost...

But we're not out. We still can win out the loser's bracket and take Third Place. And I think there is some fuckery where if we defeat the winner of the winner's bracket, we can take the World Cup...

Or something or another. How am I supposed to know... I'm drunk...

Regardless, good game for the team. Hard loss to take as we wanted to stay in the winner's bracket, but hey...

Bigger picture...

by **Ko-oren** » Thu Nov 26, 2020 1:40 pm

Two enter, and only one can leave. The other either goes home or stays home, depending on whether that's the Ko-orenite visitors or the Taeshani hosts.

In the other game, Savojarna defeated the Dagans 6-2 (!) which leaves Cassadaigua for whoever manages to win the rivalry game. Both teams didn't look too prepared, but compensated that with sheer determination, and the following three periods weren't too pretty. Although light on the hacking and slashing penalties, most of the game took place around the sides and the plexiglass saw plenty of action. Several players were treated during the game, including some time off the ice for defencemen Quarant and Auvia (one for each team), as well as Autibel, Aorifi, and Eriren for the Greenblues. Venatia and Packwell were briefly taken off for Taeshan. In the end, it was only Aorifi that had any kind of long-lasting problems, and we expect to hear today when he can get back to the ice. Because he was in concussion protocol he wasn't allowed to get back and his role was taken by Hermanszoon and Autibel who had to put in some extra work. Even Ailane wasn't baited into a fight - Ko-orenite ice hockey noticeably devoid of fights - but otherwise these teams really developed a certain dislike for each other over the course of this game.

Before Aorifi had to be taken off, however, the Greenblues took a lead. Wrestling the puck free from the boarding, Aiamalod pushed the puck behind Williamson's goal. There it was picked up by Autibel, who took it around the goal and tried to slot it in before Williamson could get to the back post. It didn't work at first: the goalie got there in time and deflected the puck to Nedergard, who immediately went for the top right corner, now vacated, and got the 1-0. A while (and several small incidents later), deep in the third period, a face-off resulted in the puck going forward and still ending up in Ko-orenite possession, Ailinia getting a one on one, and slotting the puck behind Williamson in one smooth motion.

2-0 up, the Greenblues dialed it back a little, and let the Taeshani come at the goal wave after wave, with not enough energy left to really push back anymore. Gagne and LaRue were close to a goal, but in the end were denied by Alacia and Mirre, respectively. For most of the game, powerplays didn't play a huge part - it didn't happen very often that one team was short-staffed. Often two players were sent off at the same time, and for the rest, the penalty kill was dominant. Physical and low-scoring, the Greenblues have survived this game and have an even greater task ahead. That said, the two goals scored in this game actually increases our goal per game ratio. Ko-oren's three goals in the loss versus Gyatso-Kai was our highest goal count all tournament - but Gyatso-Kai's four goals was our highest amount of goals conceded.

by **Banija** » Fri Nov 27, 2020 10:24 am

Banija's winner's bracket Quarterfinal matchup with Vilita & Turori

Dewa Bangè was the superstar Banijan goaltender. Probably their most famous player, he had put the team on his back to get to this point. Banija had never won more than one knockout game at a World Cup of Hockey, this being their fourth time getting past the first knockout stage. But they usually hit a consistent wall here. Going up against nations with much stronger hockey cultures, with actual winter, simply teams with better talent, Banija's national ice hockey team would usually hit a wall.

WCoH 34, 38, and 39- all the same thing. Win your Round of 16 match, lose to a better team in the quarterfinals. 34, it came amidst political controversy and in stunning fashion, when we came out of nowhere to smash an unsuspecting 2nd seeded Esparmuran by a score of 4-0. We all remember that. The present Kabaka(King) of Banija, Mwanga, sang the national anthem himself before that game. Pure insanity. Then we ran into host nation Savojarna, who showed that the clock would strike Midnight on that Cinderella story.

And then, there was WCoH 38 and WCoH 39. 38, also in Savojarna. We'd get to the Quarterfinals, and in an offensive masterpiece, it would go into extras with the game tied at 5 goals a piece. But Mercedini would win in sudden death, getting to the semifinals. And in 39, this time in Kelssek, we'd upset Ko-oren 1-0 to reach the quarterfinals, only to be felled in a shutout 2-0 loss to Abanhfleft. That was the history that loomed over Dewa Bangè and this Banijan hockey team as they approached this quarterfinal with a regional rival, Vilita & Turori.

IT was a hard fought physical match between two strong teams. V&T, trying to climb back to the top, and Banija, trying to reach heights that we had never been to before. We took a 1-0 lead in the first period, only for the Ice Cats to respond with a pair of second period goals. We would try desperately to equalize, but with 20 seconds left, with our goaltender on the bench, us using six skaters while on a power play, it would be Alanso Hairte, who plays his trade in St. Jakob, who would score the stunning equalizer off of the deflection.

That brought us eventually to a shootout. And Bangè, the goaltender was trying to feel loose. "Hey, don't let it get in your head Dewa." Martial Odongo, Banija's head coach said. "Your team's got your back. You've got tons of fans behind you. Relax." And Dewa simply walked over to one of Banija's shooters, Edrissa Sonko. THey fist pounded each other, both nervous.

The Ice Cats would shoot first. It would be Ocean Suzgar, flying down the ice. Bangè started forward, and backed up slowly as O. Suzgar raced down the ice. THe slap shot was impossible to stop- high, above the shoulder on his glove arm. "Fuck." He said as the puck went into the goal. He then watched Edrissa Sonko, Banija's first shooter, go. Sonko raced down the ice, and was able to wrap the puck around the opposing goaltender. Bangè clapped from his end, and then got back in goal.

Next would be River Suzgar. As River Suzgar began to race down the ice, Bangè looked for any hints on where River would shoot. River tried to go top shelf, like the other Suzgar, but Bangè got his glove up in time and caught the puck. Save! "YESSS!" He yelled, as the small Banijan fan section made some noise. Now, Banija had the advantage. Yakuba Tiyana would race down the ice, and there would be no doubt about his. Between the legs of the goaltender, a devastating shot. Banija led, 2-1 in the shootout.

Bangè had a chance to win it. Raparon began flying down the ice himself. He tried to go around the goaltender- with a fake shot to try and get him to jump. But Bangè recovered, and got his left leg out there on the shot to get his thigh in front of the shot and make the save. What a save! His teammates raced out to the goal to mob him, who made two saves in this shootout. He threw his gloves in the air. "YES!" A record win for Banija. First ever Quarterfinal win at a World Cup of Hockey. A stunner over the Ice Cats.

The defending champions, Siovanija & Teusland, would be next. But Bangè wasn't worried about them just yet. Tonight, they'd celebrate this historic step. But tomorrow- they'd get right back to work.

@BanijanHockeyFederation DID YOU SEE THAT SAVE BY BANGE! Somebody get some water because he is on FIRE! Go Banija! #BNJvV&T

by **Mercedini** » Fri Nov 27, 2020 11:36 am

World Cup of Hockey Upper Bracket Second Round
@ The Log Cabin - Taeshan City, Taeshan

Following their 5-2 loss to Equestria. Mercedini must now have a flawless run to lift the World Cup of Hockey title.

World Cup of Hockey: Last Chance Saloon

Good Evening ladies and gentlemen and welcome back to another hockey special of Mercedini Sports Daily, tonight reporting from the beautiful Taeshan City in Taeshan. We are standing outside of The Log Cabin where Mercedini have just concluded their Upper Bracket Second Round Match versus Equestria, and it's not good news for Mercedinian hockey fans. The goals have been flying left, right and centre inside here tonight, with seven goals shared between the two nations. Ultimately, the talent and momentum from Equestria shone through as they advance to the upper bracket semi-finals by a margin of five goals to two, while Dini drop to the lower bracket for the rest of the tournament. One more loss would confirm the Kingfishers' elimination from proceedings after a spirited run, but things aren't over just yet. They now move on to face former back-to-back champions and Mercedinian bogey-team Neu Engollon for a spot in the upper bracket semi-finals.

While this most recent 5-2 is Dini's first loss of the tournament, it hasn't come at the best time in proceedings for the Pot 2 side as they fall to the lower bracket within two rounds of making it to the knockouts in Taeshan. It cements Equestria as a team punching above their weight in the tournament, and a team to be feared since we now know they can take on the best and beat them. Their 12th rank coming into the tournament was more than enough to take the horses through to the knockout rounds, but they faced a wall of talent in their first knokcout bloc, meaning they had to play Valanora (ranked 3rd in the world) and then the winner of the Dini vs. HUElavia match (two teams coming in from Pot 2). This second round match featuring two teams from in and around the Top 10 (10th vs. 12th) gave one team a big chance to put together a deep run, hitting way above where their ranks suggest. Equestria ultimately won the match from within the first period as the Equestrian side went 4-1 up within the first twenty minutes of the match. It was no secret that Dini had struggled to net goals throughout this tournament, so there was little chance of a comeback of this proportion. A solo goal from Matteo Vranida in the second period gave the blue and black side hope of a response, bringing it back to 4-2. However, Equestria's ticket was stamped midway through the third and final period with a devastating slap shot just inside the final third to put a fifth on the board and make the match safe for the side ranked 12th in the world.

It has been more than a positive run for the Kingfishers in this tournament so far, so it was certainly a surprise to some that they were able to give up such a convincing result to their opponents, but it is likely to be the wake up call the players need to know that this isn't just a cake walk for a team which has already failed once before. As previously mentioned, Dini now fall to the lower bracket quarter finals, where one more loss would mean their tournament run has come to an end. In order to avoid a two-loss capitulation midway through the knockouts, they will need to knock out arguably their fiercest rival in recent memory, Neu Engollon. It is easy to say that it's an even bigger surprise to see Neu Engollon in the lower bracket this early, compared to Mercedini. However, Dini must defy all the odds to not only claim a massive scalp, but to take another step forward in the tournament.

Upper Bracket Semifinals:
Savojarna vs Equestria
Siovanija and Teusland vs Banija
New Capetown Center for Excellence - New Capetown, Cape Island

Upper Bracket Quarterfinals:
Cassadaigua vs Ko-oren
HUElavia vs Vilita and Turori
X Island Metro Arena - X Island, X Island

Mercedini vs Neu Engollon
Abanhfleft vs Gyatso-Kai
Ice Palace - Greenville, Atlantea Island

If Mercedini are to win the tournament, they will have to string together a rather spectacular run which will firstly see them get past a multiple time world champion, before making their way past seasoned veterans of past tournaments. Not only will they have to outlast nations who are already in the lower bracket, like Cassadaiua, Ko-oren and Abanhflaft; they will also have to welcome teams who are currently in the Upper Bracket, but will ultimately drop down (those currently in the UB are Savojarna, S+T, Banija and Equestria who as we know, beat us to avoid dropping down). It is a run that is possible, however the sheer numbers of obstacles between the Kingfisher's current position and the crown are plentiful.

We hopes you enjoyed this edition of Mercedini sports Daily and our coverage here in Taeshan. We hope you will be able to join us again for the aftermath of the Dini-Engollon game over in Greenville. Winner of that match will go forth to face the winner of the Abanhfleft-Gyatso Kai match in the lower bracket semis. From The Log Cabin goodnight.

by **HUElavia** » Fri Nov 27, 2020 3:40 pm

HUElavia Stays Alive with Historic Upset over Valanora!

Valanora 4-5 HUElavia
(The Shelter, Bayern)

Despite losing to Mercedini, HUElavia was still alive in the WCoH, now in the Losers' Bracket, taking on another massive giant: Valanora. The #3 team in the Multiverse was looking to have an easy time over HUElavia and advance further in the Competition, but Los Amarillos/Os Amarelos would not go out without a fight. Both teams fielded their best players once again, with Dahlberg and Vasilevskiy starting in their respective goals. In a sold out Shelter, the puck dropped and the Match was underway!

Both teams went in a see-saw match in each of the first Two Periods, with goals being scored. The opening goal came early in the 1st Period when Giroux went around the net to pass it to Dominguez-Garcia for the one-timer, only to blast it past Dahlberg into the goal, making it 0-1. 30 Seconds later, Valanora would respond, having Gustavsson go around the net, only to try to tip it in, Vasilevskiy deflecting the puck and Söderström tipping the puck into the goal to make it 1-1. The two would continue to fight, looking to one-up the other, with HUElavia eventually getting that chance late in the 1st Period, when Dominguez-Garcia got the puck and sped past Engström to blast it past a Dahlberg that stood still into the goal, making it 1-2. Valanora would not let it fly, also attacking on the ensuing resume of play, having a pass from Öberg to Söderström, who would give a shot from the side to put it into the goal, making it 2-2. The 2nd Period was more of the same, with Valanora taking the initiative, when they were in a power-play, Strömberg passing to Åström, who gave a violent and low shot to send it past Vasilevskiy, making it 3-2. HUElavia responded 3 minutes later, getting their own chance, when Bourgeois passed it to Rossi, who got in front of Dahlberg to tip it past the goalie and into the goal, making it 3-3. Valanora would once again reclaim the lead, as late in the period, Axelsson would try to pin the puck in the goal, but Vasilevskiy blocking, where she gave another shot, only to go out, but Nordström would appear on the rebound and blast it into the goal to make it 4-3. HUElavia would not let this go, and would continue to try, but now with their 3rd line. In the final seconds of the period, Carvalho would blast it, only for Coelho to appear on the rebound and slot it past an out-of-line Dahlberg into the goal making it 4-4. A tense 3rd Period came and both teams fought hard to score, but saves were made. Time ticked away, and in the final minute of play, HUElavia had the attack, not wanting an extra time. Dominguez-Garcia took one shot with 5 seconds left, blasting it past Dahlberg and into the goal, scoring the definitive 4-5. The arena erupted in celebration, while Dominguez-Garcia was mobbed by his teammates, with Kernkraft 400 echoing in the arena. Seconds later, the match ended, and HUElavia lived for another day in the tournament.

The next match will be against Vilita and Turori, where it is still win or go home for both teams. The match will be played at X Island Metro Arena, in X Island. HUElavia continues to train hard, looking to keep the dream alive and have a deep run in order to develop experience and history for the team. Vasilevskiy will start once again in goal, with the 1st Line starting once more. The fans hope and pray for another victory for the team.

FORCA HUELAVIA! VAMOS HUELAVIA! GO HUELAVIA!

by **Taeshan** » Fri Nov 27, 2020 5:52 pm

This is a continuation of the Loser's Bracket cutoff.

Cassadaigua 3–5 Ko-oren
HUElavia 4–2 Vilita and Turori
X Island Metro Arena (X Island, X Island, home of the X Island Avalanche)

Mercedini 6–3 Neu Engollon
Abanhfleft 5–6 Gyatso-Kai
Ice Palace (Greenville, Atlantea Island home of the Atlantea-Greenville IceWolves)

Which means our matches tomorrow are

Winner's Bracket Semis (Saturday)
9 Savojarna vs Equestria 13 (Semi 1)
2 Siovanija and Teusland vs Banija 11 I(Semi 2)
New Capetown Center for Excellence (New Capetown, Cape Island, home of the New Capetown Red Wings)

7 Ko-oren vs HUElavia 12 (Semi 3)
5 Mercedini vs Gyatso-Kai 10 (Semi 4)
Fadron Pizza Ice @ Magickarpa Arena (Wiechester, Wolf Island home of the Wiechester Wanderers)

The winner loser of Semi 1 will advance to play the winner of Semi 3, the loser of Semi 2 will play the winner of Semi 4. Both of those matches on Sunday. The winners of Semi 1 and 2, will have Sunday off.

by **Siovanija and Teusland** » Fri Nov 27, 2020 10:23 pm

Hockey Night in Siovanija & Teusland

Pre-Game Show

With Oskar Kirsche and Ronald Mensing

“G-”

“Now hold on you wait just a minute there Ron, I’ve gotta get this out of the way before anything else - a shootout! In a playoff game! What is - I couldn’t believe what I saw out there! This is hockey! Play till the game’s won! I don’t mind the shootout in the regular season, but come on! That was a great game, I wouldn’t have minded seeing another period or two of overtime before we got a winner - but instead, we get a skills competition! What is going on!”

“Oskar, there’s other games to be played, the shootout is a nice way to end the game on time and…”

“On time! I’ve coached in games that went 3 overtimes, 4 overtimes in the playoffs - these guys are warriors!”

“I mean scheduling wise Oskar, there’s other games to be played.”

“It’s ridiculous!”

“Anyways, Oskar, clearly you’re not the happiest camper at the moment, but tell us - was that one of the best games we’ve seen all tournament?”

“Definitely, Ron. Gyatso-kai are a great club, honestly they dominated a large part of this game. You could arguably say the Goldhorns got lucky to get the result they did, because frankly they only really played about 35 minutes or so of good hockey, the end of the first and all of the second. But the excitement - two two-goal leads thrown away by both teams, and then a wild overtime that I would have very much liked to see continue!”

“We get it Oskar, you aren’t a fan of the shootout. What did Gyatso-kai do so well in the first and third periods that allowed them to take control of the game, and really push the Goldhorns to the ropes?”

“They’re a very offensive team, and they were just overloading the attack in those periods. They just choked the Goldhorns out - honestly, kinda the exact strategy that we tend to use! It was perfect hockey by them, and they took the early lead and then obviously, the drama in the last minute there.”

“Was that last-minute tying goal something David Wagner might want to have back?”

“I thought it was an interesting decision by Kuhn to play Wagner in the first place - you know, give him another chance after his backup has kinda stolen the show, Robert Schock. But what I’d say is, the saves that Wagner made when we were down in the first period more than make up for it. I don’t know, it’s a tough one to stop, you had the Gyatso-kai player in front of the net, and Schiele wasn’t in the best position either. If you can’t see it, you can’t stop it, no matter what, so I don’t think you can blame him on that one.”

“Edwin Ranger had an excellent chance to win the game in overtime, didn’t he Oskar?”

“If we had lost that shootout, I don’t know if he’d have ever forgotten that chance. You know, he made such a great play to get open, Glaskanakov-”

“Vitomir Glaskov.”

“Yeah, Vasakov, whatever, he makes a great pass over to Ranger who has the whole net. And for a second, you’re just thinking, well this guy has the best wrist shot on the team, that’s the game. But he hits the crossbar! You could see him checking the replay of that over and over on the bench afterwards, I think he broke a couple of sticks, but hey, he redeemed himself.”

“As you mentioned, he’d get some redemption scoring the shootout winner. Well Oskar, it’s a part of the tournament, so what did you think of the Goldhorns in the shootout?”

“Well, when you can send guys like Knejz, Schlager and Ranger as your first three shooters - and you’ve left maybe the best goalscorer on your team in Tsvetanov on the bench - you know your team has talent. And they all did well, exactly what you need to do in a shootout. Don’t get too fancy, focus on putting the puck in the net!”

“Is that what went wrong for Severi Hosaka on his missed shot that ended the game?”

“No, I think he did well. I hate it when these guys come across the line so slowly, and then speed up, but he came in quick and with purpose. He just didn’t get everything he wanted to on the shot, and in the end it went a little wide. Things happen - it’s not the end of the world for them, either, they’re still in the tournament and still have a chance to go very far. Credit to the Ice Bisons.”

“So now we turn our attention to the semifinals, where Siovanija & Teusland will take on a Banijan team that have been making waves with their performance this tournament - and also just won a shootout victory over Vilita & Turori. Thoughts on this Banijan team, Oskar?”

“They’ve been fun to watch, that’s for sure - you know, hockey isn’t the most popular sport over there, but they are doing their best and they’ve really made a lot of people gain a ton of respect for that program. But those of us that follow the game closely - this has been in the cards for a while, with the success they’ve had at the junior level too.”

“There’s a budding rivalry here, Oskar. The Goldhorns have faced Banija at the senior level a few times, in the all-important World Juniors semifinal in Stelburg - and of course, the teams have played countless times in international football. Add that to our geographic proximity, and the close ties between the countries - is this perhaps the Goldhorns’ biggest rivalry?”

“Well, I don’t watch football, too much diving for me, so I can’t comment on that. But this game will always be special just because of that relationship we have with Banija. It’s like - when you’re a kid playing one on ones on the pond. It’s nice to beat the kids you don’t know, sure. But when you play your friends, or your siblings, you just gain some extra strength. When you beat friends, you get to hold that over them for a while. And that’s what both of these teams will be looking to do.”

“The Banijans are quite a stingy team - they gave up only 8 goals in the group stages, and just 3 in two knockout games. But they’ve proven they can score as well - and a 5-1 win over Neu Engollon showed the world that maybe, just maybe, it’s Banija’s time to shine on ice. What should the Goldhorns be looking out for most here?”

“That Banijan defence core - and we should know them well, because two of their top four play in the United Republics! Antou Sene has been great for Eisbaren Stelburg, and he’s been great for his country too - like you said, only 11 goals against in 12 games. So you have to look at that and think that your biggest worry is going to be putting the puck in the net.”

“Is that an area the Goldhorns might be fine with the Banijans being strong? Banija has the strong defence, and the Goldhorns have the second best offensive performance in the tournament so far.”

“You’re going to be worried, but you have to be confident that your star players can get the job done for you. If I’m Kuhn, I’m relying on Ranger, Schlager and Tsvetanov - and I’m telling them to go out and get on the board in that first period. You can’t give that goalie any chance to get in your head.”

“Southwestern Atlantian Oceania has had a good showing the last few tournaments here, haven’t they Oskar? Last time around the final saw two GSW nations going head to head, us and Valanora, and this time, 3 of the 4 winner’s bracket semifinalists are from the Southwest. A great time for hockey in our region!”

“It really is, Ron - and not just the southwest, you’ve got strong teams from Gyatso-kai and Ko-oren still in this tournament as well.”

“The Goldhorns’ fans are in the building, they’ve come a long way to Taeshan for this one, and they’ll be behind our boys all the way. Siovanija & Teusland, Banija, puck drop next!”

World Cup of Hockey 41 Playoffs Second Round
Siovanija & Teusland vs Gyatso-kai
@ Wiechester, Taeshan

Scoring Summary

First Period

8:22: Gyatso-kai goal scored by Watang Kouji, assisted by Hed, Song (0-1)
14:03: Gyatso-kai goal scored by Hed Torvik, assisted by Wang, Hiteki (0-2)
18:23: Goldhorns goal scored by Edwin Ranger, assisted by Glaskov (1-2)

Second Period

11:34: Goldhorns goal scored by Edwin Ranger, assisted by Tomic, Knejz (2-2)
18:23: Goldhorns goal scored by Razvigor Tsvetanov, assisted by Schlager, Schiele (3-2)

Third Period

19:48: Gyatso-kai goal scored by HIteki Kia, assisted by Song (3-3)

End of Regulation: Siovanija & Teusland 3-3 Gyatso-kai

Overtime

No scoring

Shootout

Goldhorns shooters: Aleksej Knejz (G), Timo Schlager (G), Edwin Ranger (G)
Gyatso-kai shooters: Hiteki Kia (G), Hed Torvik (G), Hosaka Severi (X)

Final Score: Siovanija & Teusland 3-3 Gyatso-kai (3-2 SO)

Three Stars

***David Wagner (31/34, .912 SP
** HIteki Kia (1G, 1A)
* Edwin Ranger (2G)

Next Game: Siovanija & Teusland vs Banija, @ New Capetown Centre for Excellence, Taeshan

by **Gyatso-kai** » Fri Nov 27, 2020 11:46 pm

.:: From the ASPN Blog After Thoughts in a Blip ::.
0002 hours, 28 November 2020.3

Another drunk Friday night, another blip coming your way...

I'm not sure what happened to the Ice Bisons from the Group Stage, but haran... the Ice Bisons in the Postseason are not the same.

In the group stage, we did not allow any opponent to score more than three goals, and our offence ensured victory with heavy pressure on opponents and outscoring all but three — Tikariot, Kohnhead were draws and the loss to Valanora all in the first round, which we easily and handily avenged in the second round. Going into the postseason, we were expected to handily fight our way on to victory. As the mythical General Old Iron, fighting relentlessly against more powerful foes day in and day out for want of a single goal, we wanted to see the Ice Bisons take out their opponents one after the other in a show of force.

Instead, we got the game against the Dragonflies, where we won by a single goal. It was an exciting match to say the least, with Kil'or Ale'cyc scoring the go-ahead goal in the final minutes of the game.

Next came Siovanija & Teusland, and in a game we were expected to take from the Goldhorns, instead we were unable to take the game in regulation; sue, we had a 2-nil lead for most of the first period, but the Goldhorns were the better team for the last part of the first, the entirety of the second, and almost the entirety of the third. If it wasn't for the quick legs of Hitkei Kia and a strong screen from key defenders saw the game tied in the final minutes.

And of course, we get one OT and then decide a game solely on chance and a skills competition...

We look at the AHL, who has gotten rid of the shootout in the playoffs. Deciding championships off of chance and one player's skills as opposed to an entire team's effort..

I guess in the multiverse, Margaret wants us to worship RNG-sus...

So we lost against Siovanija & Teusland. We got demoted to the Loser's Bracket, the Goldhorns advance to face off against Banija. We went off to face off against Abanhfleft, a team that secured the lead in Group G over Equestria, yet was blanked 2-nil against now-Top 4 Savojarna and sent to the Loser's Bracket where they kept us to a one-goal game despite us putting up six goals. Impressive, as Abanhfleft is the only team this tournament to score more than 3 goals against the Ice Bisons...

Only hope that this was a one-time affair...

Noteworthy is the fact that three of the four teams in the Winner's Bracket are from Atlantian Oceania. With the two AO nations in the Loser's Bracket — Ko-oren and Gyatso-kai — there is a good chance the evenutal champion will be an AO nation.

So at least there's that good news...

by **HUElavia** » Sat Nov 28, 2020 1:57 pm

HUElavia Pulls Another Upset and Stays Alive!

HUElavia 4–2 Vilita and Turori
(X Island Metro Arena, X Island)

Despite the difficulties suffered by the HUElavia National Hockey Team throughout the competition, the team somehow was still alive. Their 5-4 thriller over Valanora was another historic victory by the team, the 2nd time they defeated a Top 5 team in the Hockey Multiverse. Now, they faced off against #11 Vilita and Turori, the champions of the Regional Hockey Championship of Atlantian Oceania, where they also looked to keep their dreams alive. Both teams continued to start their main players while Vasilevskiy and Avalanski were starting in front of goal for each of their respective teams. Fans filled X Island Metro Arena to the brim, looking to cheer on their team in full support. The puck dropped and the match was underway!

HUElavia looked to keep their momentum going, attacking from all sides from the start. The opening goal came halfway in the 1st Period, when Ilchenko took a shot from the blue line, where it was momentarily stopped by Avalanski, but it went out, and Carmo appeared to tap the puck past Avalanski into the goal, making it 1-0. The crowd jumped and cheered loudly while Carmo hugged his teammates and gave a fist bump to the bench in celebration. 4 and a half minutes later, Vilita and Turori was on the attack, with Nareta taking a shot that was saved, but Fichaud appeared to tip the puck past Vasilevskiy into the goal, making it 1-1, with Fichaud celebrating with his teammates on the rink and the bench. In the 2nd Period, HUElavia kept on attacking, now using their 3rd line, where Kariya took a shot, which was saved and a face-off was won. HUElavia won the puck, with Petit passing it to Ben Youseff, who gave a shot out to blast the puck past an out-of-line Avalanski into the goal, making it 2-1. Ben Youseff thanked Allah, and celebrated with his teammates, as the crowd went crazy with the goal being scored. Although, late in the period, Vilita and Turori had their chance change the game once more. Raciani got past Companioni, and was going one-on-one with Vasilevskiy, when he passed it to his left, only for Fike to blast the puck past Vasilevskiy into the goal, tying the match at 2-2, and Fike celebrated with his teammates with joy while the HUElavians were frustrated at letting in another goal. In the 3rd Period, the two teams continued to attack each other in waves, looking to overtake one another. Eventually, halfway into the period, Raciani was decked by Brousseau, who got the puck and passed it to a speeding Bourgeois. The Franc-HUElavian center skated past Filiao, coming one-on-one with Avalanski, giving a chip to put it over the goalie and into the goal, making it 3-2. The crowd erupted in celebration for the goal and the cheeky move, while Bourgeois was mobbed by his teammates, while the HUElavian fans behind him crowded to the boards where he was at. Vilita and Turori continued to attack and attack, but HUElavia's defense began to wake up and make stops, while Vasilevskiy did his fare share of support as well. As the final minute came, Avalanski was pulled for another attacker and HUElavia was pinned by their goal. Eventually, a shot by Suzgar was stopped by Garcon-Chevalier, who passed it to Ovetchkin, who was speeding past Diesel and Vintal-Morta and shot the puck into the empty goal with 7.8 seconds left to make it 4-2. Ovetchkin celebrated with his teammates on the rink and bench while the crowd celebrated, with Kernkraft 400 echoing around the arena. Shortly after, the match ended, and HUElavia pulled another upset.

With the victory, HUElavia advances to another round, into the Semi-Finals of the Losers' Bracket, with only 8 teams remaining. Thus, for the 2nd consecutive tournament, HUElavia is in the "Elite Eight" of the World Cup of Hockey. The next match is against Ko-oren, the #7 team of the Multiverse. It will be played at Fadron Pizza Ice @ Magickarpa Arena, in Wiechester. The main starters will start again with Vasilevskiy starting in goal. The team hopes and prays to keep the streak alive, but it looks very difficult to do so with this next opponent. The fans hope and pray for the success of the team, as they flock to Magickarpa Arena to support the team, while the team continues to train and study hard. Here's to hoping for another upset by this historic team in what many view it as a historical run by the team.

FORCA HUELAVIA! VAMOS HUELAVIA! GO HUELAVIA!

by **Mercedini** » Sat Nov 28, 2020 4:00 pm

World Cup of Hockey Lower Bracket
@ Ice Palace - Greenville, Taeshan

"I hear the sound of an abundance of rain. I hear the sound of victory." Mercedinian pastors get involved to help the Kingfishers cross the line.

World Cup of Hockey: The Lord Says It Is Done

Mercedini may very well we an atheist/agnostic nation, however, it seems the World Cup of Hockey run has garnered the attention of Christian religious leaders and televangelists as the team advances in the tournament. The largest so-far, hosted this Sunday by Zoloroni-based Clair Demilla, was hosted in Shebchetsik city hall featuring 2,500 hockey fans and religious goers to aid in the current campaign embarked on by the nation. Mere hours later, the Kingfishers recorded a massive win versus their long time adversary Neu Engollon, with the blue and back overcoming the Ibex by a convincing margin of six goals to three. Pundits and religious columnists have suggested that this intervention by the well-known pastor prior to the match may spur on similar gatherings to 'gather angelic and spiritual forces to guide and give our warriors in their time of need'.

"Victory, victory, victory in the quarters of heaven. For angels are being released right now, angels are being dispatched right now. Hamanda ata aka rata dedi paka sanda amba ossa cata ite enda rada ariki didi ansha. For angels have been dispatched from Esportiva right now. Esportiva right now, Esportiva right now. They're coming here, they're coming here. In the name of Jesus, from Atlantian Oceania, they're coming here. They're coming here, they're coming here, they're coming here, they're coming here. From Esportiva, from Atlantian Oceania, angelic forces, angelic reinforcement."

It's no surprise that hockey is the first sport which has seen religious intervention and collaboration on this scale. It is a sport which began and grew in the north of the nation, which is traditionally more religiously Christian than the rest of the nation, which is traditionally more secular. With the most recent result versus one of the best teams in the world, many religious leaders have taken the opportunities to praise Pastor Demilla for her actions in lifting the national team, both spiritually and technically. However, opposition to the pastor has come in abundance on social media, with many of the sports pundits congratulating the team solely on their terrific performance, rather than from any outside forces. Mercedini now go through to the loser's bracket fourth round to face Gyatso-Kai for chance to go forth and face either Siovanija and Teusland or Banija.

Upper Bracket
Savojarna vs Equestria
Siovanija and Teusland vs Banija
New Capetown Center for Excellence - New Capetown, Cape Island

Lower Bracket:
Ko-oren vs HUElavia
Mercedini vs Gyatso-Kai
Fadron Pizza Ice @ Magickarpa Arena - Wiechester, Wolf Island

We are now down to the final eight in proceedings for the World Cup of Hockey, with for of those still holding both of their remaining UB/LB lives as we head towards the business end of the tournament. We will lose two more nations tomorrow night when Ko-oren face HUElavia and Dini face Gyatso-Kai. On top of that, two nations in the upper bracket will drop down for their final chance of the tournament, where we will be left with two teams fighting to win the upper bracket, while four teams try to stay alive down below. Mercedini's opponent, Gyatso-Kai, have certainly been punching above their eight in the tournament so far with their team relatively unknown to most Mercedinian fans. That being said, the nation has enjoyed a meteoric rise in not only Football (where Dini were knocked out in the Cup of Harmony semi-finals), but in Ice Hockey as well (where they are already coming into major tournaments as a Pot 2 side). Both teams are craving a chance to play one of the multiverse's greatest current sides, and they will both have to lay it all on the ice for the opportunity to face-off against Siovanija or Banija in one of the lower bracket semi-finals. Teams are being whittled down a lot slower than usual tournaments, but for now, Dini are alive and kicking for the time being.

That's all from us in a condensed version of out coverage of the World Cup of Hockey. Many fans coming out of the stadium are still pinching themselves following that performance tonight in Greenville. A 6-3 win against former back-to-back champions is nothing to be sniffed at and gave some people in blue and black real hope that they can keep that momentum going. We will have to make the short trip over to Wiechester for their next match, where we will bring you all the post-match coverage and reaction. From the Greenville Ice Palace, goodnight!

by **Taeshan** » Sat Nov 28, 2020 5:41 pm

Alright a little final 8 action.

Let's see what happens.

Savojarna 4–2 Equestria
Siovanija and Teusland 3–2 Banija
New Capetown Center for Excellence (New Capetown, Cape Island, home of the New Capetown Red Wings)

Ko-oren 3–2 HUElavia
Mercedini 8–3 Gyatso-Kai
Fadron Pizza Ice @ Magickarpa Arena (Wiechester, Wolf Island home of the Wiechester Wanderers)

Meaning monday's Winner's Bracket Final will be
2 Siovanija and Teusland vs Savojarna.
Ice Palace (Greenville, Atlantea Island home of the Atlantea-Greenville IceWolves)

Tomorrow night's Loser's Bracket Semifinals will be
12 Equestria vs Ko-oren 7
11 Banija vs Mercedini 5
Fadron Pizza Ice @ Magickarpa Arena (Wiechester, Wolf Island home of the Wiechester Wanderers)

by **Siovanija and Teusland** » Sat Nov 28, 2020 9:04 pm

Hockey Today Magazine

World Cup of Hockey 41 Semifinal Countdown

Goldhorns vs Northlights: The Greatest Rivalry on Ice?

When the puck drops at the Ice Palace tomorrow night, Siovanija & Teusland will be competing with Savojarna for a place in the World Cup of Hockey 41 Final. This is a game that has a little extra meaning behind it for both teams, however. For these two teams are on opposing sides of one of the best up and coming competitive rivalries in international hockey.

When the Goldhorns began participating in international hockey at World Cup of Hockey 35, Savojarna were just coming off of their to date best performance in the tournament: a second-place finish in World Cup of Hockey 34, a tournament they hosted. The teams were not fated to meet then, however - in the Goldhorns’ debut they would make it all the way to the Quarterfinal, after special wins over teams like Quebec and, importantly, a 6-5 win over Neu Engollon in the Round of 16. The Quarterfinal stage, however, saw hopes crushed by Mercedini, who would win the game 5-2. Savojarna, eager to win the prize after coming so close just one tournament before, would fall 5-4 in the Quarterfinal against the same team that had beat them just a year before - Vilita and Turori.

World Cup of Hockey 36 stands to date as the only blemish on the international record of the Goldhorns - the only time they have failed to reach the playoff stage of the World Cup of Hockey, finishing third in their group behind Quebec and Novaya Zemlya. Savojarna, the 5th ranked side in the world going into the tournament, would be similarly disappointed: they finished second in their group, behind the 19th-ranked Razenthuria, before being sent home by Neu Engollon in the Round of 16.

Going into World Cup of Hockey 37, both teams had a desire to turn their fortunes around from the previous edition. And for the first time, their paths would clash. Siovanija & Teusland and Savojarna were each drawn into Group 6, setting up the first matches between these hockey-loving nations. The first game saw the Goldhorns travel to Savojarna, where they scored an upset 5-3 win. Savojarna had led 3-2 going into the third period, but goals from Razvigor Tsvetanov, Wolfram Spiegel and Veselin Filipov in the third secured a big win for the Goldhorns.

A few weeks later, Savojarna made their first trip to the Stelburger Eispalast - and they would get some revenge for their defeat earlier. The visitors won the game 5-4, with a late winner in the third period, to give themselves some extra hope in a tricky Group 6 situation. The Goldhorns would have the last laugh, however - they finished second in the group, advancing to the Round of 16, while Savojarna finished third and failed to qualify. Siovanija & Teusland would fall in their Round of 16 series, 2 games to 1 against the host nation Equestria.

World Cup of Hockey 38 was hosted in Savojarna, and saw the two teams quite even in rank: Savojarna 12th in the world, the Goldhorns now up to 14th. The hosts found themselves in Group A, the Goldhorns in Group B. After a spirited group stage campaign for the Goldhorns saw them win their group, they qualified for the playoff stage as a ‘team of destiny’ of sorts - emerging as underdog candidates to possibly win the tournament. Savojarna, meanwhile, won their group as well, and the hosts were hoping that they could make a good playoff showing. There was talk in the media that the two countries could be candidates to possibly play each other in a gold medal game.

Siovanija & Teusland would win their Round of 16 tie 8-1 over Lorenthia, a massive victory. The hosts, however, would be upset, losing 2-0 against Ko-oren. The Goldhorns’ great run would continue, as they defeated their neighbours, only the most successful country in international hockey history, Valanora. A 7-2 final sent the Goldhorns to the Semifinal, but they would lose in overtime to Abanhfleft en route to a fourth placed finish. Many in the country felt that they had missed an opportunity to take home the big prize - and many in Savojarna felt they had missed an opportunity of their own.

Both sides were looking for redemption going into World Cup of Hockey 39, in Kelssek. And, as fate would have it, they would find themselves drawn into the same group once again. Group D was set up perfectly for a showdown between these two hockey powers - the two top seeds in their group would meet on the final day of the group stage. The Goldhorns went 3-0 through their first few games, Savojarna 2-0-1. That meant that, before their final-day clash, the Goldhorns were already through to the next round, while Savojarna would need the win.

Despite the Goldhorns taking an early lead through Razvigor Tsvetanov, the Northlights would storm back with two goals in the last ten minutes to win the game 2-1. It was a low-scoring affair, despite the teams each having over 30 shots. For Savojarna, the win was a huge step - in domestic media, it was proved as an example of the team showing a clutch gene to grab a big comeback win. For the Goldhorns, already qualified, it was a wake-up call - they would need to play better hockey to make a run in this tournament. Savojarna’s win set up a Round of 16 match for them against… Siovanija & Teusland again. A rematch, just days after the first battle.

The Round of 16 showdown between these teams would see one of the all-time great goaltending performances in Goldhorns’ history - David Wagner pitching a 36 save shutout, including an incredible body of work in the third period against a Savojar comeback. Timo Schlager scored the winning goal as part of a breakout tournament for him. The Goldhorns managed to get some revenge for their defeat just a few days earlier, although they would go out in the Quarterfinal stage. The respect between these teams was growing, however. In the post-game, Goldhorns captain Gunter Pfenning said that “They’re a great team, and I have a feeling the next time we play them it’ll be a little deeper in the tournament.”

Pfenning’s prophecy would come true just one year later, at the World Cup of Hockey 40. Savojarna had a very strong group stage performance, as they went 8-1-1 to win Group G. The Goldhorns, meanwhile, went 9-1-0 as Group H winners. Both teams entered the playoff as candidates to take home the trophy - seeded 6th and 2nd for the playoff stage, respectively.

In the Round of 16, the Goldhorns would knock out Delaclava with a 3-1 win, while the Northlights would crush the defending champions Cassadaigua - making waves with a 5-2 win over the Dagans. The Quarterfinal matched the Goldhorns with groupmates Huelavia, while Savojarna faced Ko-oren - in an opportunity for some revenge dating back to World Cup of Hockey 38. The Goldhorns won their match 2-0, while Savojarna took theirs 2-1. It was destiny, of course, that the two teams would meet up in the Semifinal - with a trip to the finals on the line for both teams.

The Semifinal game would go down as one of the best international hockey games played in recent years. Both teams brought their A game for this one, each side desperate to reach the final. Savojarna looked better early in the game - they took a 3-1 lead midway through the second period through star player Jonas Guldbrandsson. But the Goldhorns roared back, digging into the depths of their souls to pull back into the game. They scored 3 in the second period, and held a 5-4 lead with 10 minutes to play in the third. Tuomas Jaskinen’s goal with 8 minutes left, however, knotted things at 5 - and for a while, it seemed as if the game would go to overtime.

Every hockey fan in Siovanija and Teusland - so basically, the entire population - knows what happens next. Face-off to the right of David Wagner, won by Timo Schlager back to Toni Mihelic. Mihelic skates the puck up ice, as the Goldhorns cross centre. Mihelic is checked by Johan Bryzhnev, but he gets it to Edwin Ranger. Ranger is also checked - but he manages to poke it free for Schlager. Schlager comes up ice with Razvigor Tsvetanov alongside him. Tsvetanov goes to the net, acting like a decoy, while Ranger makes a great move behind the play to set himself up as the trail man. Schlager fakes the shot, drops it for Ranger - top right corner. Goal. Goldhorns lead. 1 minute 26 seconds later, Goldhorns win. 5 days later, Goldhorns win the World Cup of Hockey.

The stakes, then, are already clear for tonight’s game. Savojarna will be desperate to avenge their heartbreaking loss last year, while the Goldhorns will be hoping to carry some confidence with them. The all-time record between these teams stands as STL 3-2 SVJ, and both sides will be hoping to put another number in their columns. It isn’t just on-ice reasons, however, as to why these two teams are such perfectly-matched rivals.

The multiverse is wide and full of many countries - but there aren’t too many where hockey is the number one sport. 182 countries signed up to participate in World Cup 86 - 48 signed up for World Cup of Hockey 41. For countries like Siovanija & Teusland and Savojarna, however, hockey isn’t just a game - it’s a religion. The passion of the fans in both countries is nigh unmatched. Just look at what it meant to this country when we won World Cup of Hockey 40 - there was a month-long period of non-stop partying and jubilation. While Savojarna are yet to taste that glory, you can imagine there would be similar scenes in Sjoederhavn. That leads to a mutual respect between the countries - between two passionate, hockey-knowledgeable fanbases. Even old Oskar Kirsche praised the Savojar fans - and if Oskar says something good about a foreign country, he really must mean it.

The two countries are also home to some of the best players in hockey at the moment. Jonas Gulbrandsson, the quick right winger, has been a dominant force for the Northlights throughout his international career. An alternate captain for his national team, and one of the best technical players in the game today, he is a true star of the game. Johan Bryzhnev is one of the best snipers in the world - he scored two goals against the Goldhorns in that semifinal last year, and having him on a line with Gulbrandsson makes the Savojar top line perhaps one of the most dangerous in world hockey. The Goldhorns’ respond with a remarkable 1-2 punch at centre. Timo Schlager established himself as perhaps the best player in the world at World Cup of Hockey 40, with a remarkable run as he led the Goldhorns to the title. The quick, speedy centre is explosive, and can beat any defenceman with his silky hands. Edwin Ranger is a bigger, more physical player, but has one of the best wrist shots around - he can score from nearly anywhere, and the puck is like a sniper’s bullet coming off his stick.

Stylistically, the two countries each bring a unique brand of hockey to the ice when they play each other. Savojarna are quick and tactical - they love to hang on to the puck, and make beautiful plays with it. They think the game on a very high level, and move the puck around well. The Goldhorns are quick and physical - they love to break down their opponents by outskating and outworking them, and make big hits when they can. They also think the game on a high level, and like to snap the puck around quickly. It makes for a fun contrast when the teams play each other - can the Goldhorns dominate the physical game enough to outweigh the strong technical play of the Northlights? Who will win the speed battle? You’re always in for a good time when these teams face off.

Any good rivalry has non-sports layers to it, too. The Goldhorns major rivals have been fellow Southwestern AO nations - Banija, namely, across all sports, while there’s the potential for a possible hockey rivalry with neighbours Valanora as well. These two countries don’t have that proximity - Savojarna in Rushmore, Siovanija & Teusland across the seas in Atlantian Oceania. But even this adds to the rivalry. Of the Big 3 sporting regions, AO and Rushmore are the most successful in hockey. And these two teams are, at the moment, arguably the class of their respective regions. The Goldhorns are the reigning world champions, and defeated 2 strong AO teams to get here. Savojarna are ranked 6th in the world, and have defeated the most recent Rushmori champions (Cassadaigua) two tournaments in a row now. These two teams carry their regional banners into the game as well, adding to the spectacle.

Historically, there are ties between these countries as well that are favourable to the development of a rivalry. Let’s go all the way back to 1820 for a second - about 60 years or so before hockey was introduced in Siovanija & Teusland. At the time, the Teus Empire was a major power in the world, and possessed the island of Sankt Konrad - a small, snowy island in the middle of the ocean near Savojarna. It was long thought to be invaluable, but when oil was discovered in the early 1800s, it became a tension point. In 1821, the Savojar Empire invaded the islands, which led to a two-year war known as the War of the Endemien Ocean. Savojarna would win and take control of the island of Sankt Konrad, which it would possess for the next 50 years. There were minor skirmishes every few years, but the Teus failed to take the island back.

By 1873, however, Teusland was in a position of power, and Kaiser Franz Jozef II decided it was time to take Sankt Konrad back - there were, after all, 10,000 Teus living on the islands. So in 1873, the Teus Navy sailed and began the Teus-Savojar War. For five years, the countries fought harsh battles at sea and on land, bleeding each other dry. At the end of 5 years, Teusland had emerged victorious, taking back Sankt Konrad. Victory parades in Wilhelmstadt and Stelburg honoured the ‘great victory’ over the Savojar Empire.

In the end, however, the war would arguably lead to the end of both empires. In Teusland, overconfidence from that victory led to the army’s hubris in 1888 at the outset of the Great War with Siovanija, a war that would eventually end in a bloody stalemate and the end of the Teus Empire. In Savojarna, the defeat led to growing frustration with the monarchy that would culminate in the 1909 Revolution. So, each nation can trace their modern status back to a war with each other. Of course, Timo Schlager isn’t dressed in the old black-gold uniform of the Imperial Teus Army, and Jonas Gulbrandsson and his teammates wearing red stars upon their chests certainly do not represent the old Savojar Empire. But it gives the rivalry added context.

Finally, of course, the nations are quite different politically. Siovanija & Teusland’s two dominant parties are centre-left social democrats and centre-right Christian democrats. Savojarna, meanwhile, is a communist country. Of course, the two nations are friendly on the international stage, but you can’t underestimate that some people in both countries might feel the other is politically misguided. You’ll probably hear at least one ‘damn commies’ in bars across this country tomorrow night, while in Sjoederhavn they’ll similarly curse our nation’s capitalism. It’s all friendly rivalry, of course - these are two nations with a great deal of respect for each other, both on and off the ice.

So, there you have it: two of the best hockey teams in the world, from two of the most passionate hockey countries in the world, with some of the best players in the world, with competing styles of play, as well as enough regional, historical and political tension to make any rivalry great. That’s what is on the line tomorrow night in Taeshan. Oh, and a place in the World Cup of Hockey 41 Final. That too.

by **Banija** » Sun Nov 29, 2020 12:43 pm

Banija fall short in bitterly contested knockout stage match with rivals Siovanija & Teusland

A Goldhorns player celebrates scoring against the Banijans in their winner's bracket semifinal with Siovanija & Teusland

NEW CAPETOWN, CAPE ISLAND, TAESHAN- The fact that we've won multiple knockout stage games at this tournament already makes this the greatest Banijan WCoH to date. But we are out here searching for more. "We'll have time to reflect back on how this tournament stacks with previous tournaments and future tournaments after this tournament is done." Martial Odongo, the head coach, told the press before the S&T game. "As long as we're in Taeshan, our goal is to keep on playing for as long as possible, and to win as many games as we can. And our goal tonight? Do whatever we can to slow down the dangerous S&T attack, and put ourselves in a position to win the game."

Everyone's goal, right? The Banijans, of course, had picked up two wins to start the knockout stages. We, surprisingly, crushed Neu Engollon by a score of 5-1, and then we also beat the Vilita & Turori Ice Cats in the winner's bracket quarterfinals in a shootout. But then, neither team are who we have faced so far, with all respect to them, are on the level of the team we would play here in this semifinal. None other than Siovanija & Teusland. If you want to be the best, you have to beat the best, and Siovanija & Teusland undoubtedly is among the best.

The Glorious Southwest is a rising force in international soccer, having won three of the last four World Cups. But arguably, at this moment, our corner of Atlantian Oceania might be an even more dominant force in the world of hockey. Valanora is widely considered to have the sport's best domestic ice hockey league. Siovanija & Teusland are the defending champions, and have as good of a chance as any to go back to back. And then you have Equestria and Banija who are also remaining in this tournament. Three of the final six are from our corner of AO, just showing the competitiveness of this neighborhood.

But let's look at the task this hockey team had ahead of them. The Goldhorns scored 41 goals in the group stages, averaging just over four goals per game. In the Round of 16, they took on the host nation, Taeshan, and downed them by a score of 4-3. In the winner's bracket quarterfinal, they, like Banija, went to a shootout and won there. But the stats show their talent level up front. 48 goals over 12 games- good for four goals per game. They've scored over twice as many goals as us, as we've scored 23 over that time period. We're led by our defense, as we've only conceded 11 goals over that same time period, less than one per game.

Strength versus strength. And when the puck drop happened, as expected, Siovanija & Teusland had control for a lot of the early portion of the game. In the first period, the Goldhorns outshot the Banijans 10-3, as we were really in our zone and focused on defense. Nobody scored in that period, even if our AO neighbors had the better run of play. But in the second period, was really when they started to press their advantage into goals. Given a power play after a foul by a Banijan defender, they were able to work the puck around and a powerful one time shot, by Razvigor Tsvetanov, found the net. The horn sounded, the Goldhorns celebrated. 1-0 just 2 minutes into the second period.

It wouldn't take long for the Goldhorns to score again. The Banijan defense tried to hold, and yet, they could not. Edwin Ranger, three minutes after Tsvetanov had made it 1-0, doubled up, scoring for Siovanija & Teusland to make the score 2-0. It was a time for grit for the Banijans. At that point, the Goldhorns had outshot the Banijans 14-4. It was a well deserved 2-0 lead, and an unacceptable performance for the Banijans. Fortunately, at that point we began to turn the game around. Good possesion deep in their zone, testing David Wagner. Banija really started getting some shots on goal, and with just 1 minute left in the 2nd period, Wagner made a save on an Antou Sene shot that bounced right to Alanso Hairte. He put the rebound into the net, and just like that, the defending champs led 2-1.

They had a real game on their hands. And the Banijans, with momentum from a strong second period after their two conceded goals, and confidence from halving the lead, were really pushing. With 8 minutes left in the period, when the Banijans had just started a power play, the Goldhorns committed another foul- created a dangerous 5 on 3 situation for the Banijans. The Goldhorns were defending desperately, with this super power play for the Banijans. But we could not let this opportunity go. It would be Kutubo Gaye, out of Savojarna, who would score the equalizer on this power play. Too much space for the Banijans to take advantage of.

The Banijans celebrated. You could see the stress hit the face of the Goldhorns fans. But the defending champs weren't the defending champs because situations like these rattled them. Joy on the faces of the Banijans, but you simply saw determination on the face of the Goldhorns players. The play was back and forth for the next five minutes. Both teams simply going for it, trying to get the goal that would give them control of this game. With 5 minutes left, Harite had a chance to give the Banijans our first lead of the night, but an incredible foot save from Wagner kept the game tied at 2.

But with 2:30 left, a brilliant pass to a Timo Schlager that was screening the goaltender allowed him to flick the puck backwards into the net. Disappointing. But still- time left. The question was left- when would the Banijans pull the goalie? They played with 5, passing it around the blue line without much success, utnil a late slash by the youngster Evgeni Tomic gave the Banijans a power play with 1:45 left- aka, the rest of the game. That, of course, would be when Odongo pulled the goaltender. 6 on 4 on the ice, plus David Wagner in net for the opposition. And yet, with the numbers advantage, and even wtih some creativity, we could not get the puck past Wagner. He made save after save- a stunning six saves in that final power play, to give his side the win.

Disappointing. "Well, you've got to give them all the credit." Odongo told reporters after the game. "You take a shot at the champs, you best not miss. And we were so close- but close only counts in horseshoes and with hand grenades. But full credit to this team. I've been with this team for such a long time. We played with fire, with heart, with soul. We left it all on the ice- that's all I can ask for. On this day, the Goldhorns were deserved winners, for sure. And considering how many of our players ply their trade over there, either for St. Jakob, in their youth leagues, or even in the Ehrenliga, they are an important opponent for us."

He went on to speak some more. "We want to close the gap between Banija and the elite. This country has elite teams in a few sports. Our basketball team- truly elite. Our soccer team- truly elite. Baseball- right on the edge of "great" and "elite." Gridiron? Just vaulted from good to great, although we aren't elite there yet either. But in this sport? We want to take that next step. Prove to ourselves, prove to the world, that this band of misfits can, indeed, close that gap. That, on any given night, we can beat any given team. And losses don't cut it. We aren't here for moral victories- we're going to dissect what happened, and get better so that we are ready to compete against Mercedini."

Mercedini, of course, is Banija's opponent for the loser's bracket semifinals. There are 6 teams left. Technically, by being in the last 6, this is already our best WCoH ever- but that is not good enough for Odongo. While the Kingfishers have to be the favorites, Banija will surely give them a run for their money. It will be tight, hard hitting, and exciting.

Don't pour one out for Banija- we aren't going home just yet.

by **Mercedini** » Sun Nov 29, 2020 3:28 pm

Mercedinian Super League New Season
@ Tvernals Arena - Acoflosa, Mercedini

Acoflosa Penguins go into this season as a heavy favourite for HCL qualification, but can they lift another MSL title?

Mercedinian Super League: Forgone Coclusion?

Mercedini recorded yet another victory in the World Cup of Hockey lower bracket to take them through to the final six. This time, they stated their case for a return to the finals with a comprehensive 8-3 win against a spirited Gyatso-Kai side who battled through to the end but were swept aside in brutal fashion to give up their final life and ultimately be eliminated from proceedings. For the Kingfishers, their hype train just keeps chugging along, with their next stop being calling back at Wiechester an the Magickarpa Arena to face Banija, who narrowly lost their Upper Bracket semi-final to defending champions Siovanija and Teusland by three goals to two. In the other losers match in the losers bracket, Ko-oren (who are on their own little run down in the lower bracket) face off against Equestria, who have already beaten Dini once in this tournament so far.

Upper Bracket
Savojarna vs. Siovanija and Teusland
Ice Palace - Greenville, Atlantea Island

Lower Bracket:
Equestria vs. Ko-oren
Banija vs. Mercedini
Fadron Pizza Ice @ Magickarpa Arena - Wiechester, Wolf Island

Elsewhere, it will likely all come down to the Savojarna vs. Siovanija matchup to decide the likely eventual winner of the tournament. Remember, the eventual winner of the upper bracket will keep their two lives in the Grand Final, while the lower bracket winner will need two wins from two in that Grand Final to lift the World Cup of Hockey in what seems unlikely fashion. A Top 6 finish is already a terrific result for the teams still in contention, but there is a chance for everyone to advance another round which could be the difference between a Pot 1 rating and a Pot 2 berth for some. We will have all the post-match coverage of Dini's Round of 6 match versus Banija tomorrow.

However, the national team's run in the World Cup of Hockey will have to share the limelight will have to shar the limelight with the new season fo the Mercedinian Super League, it's first season as an expanded endeavour following successful negations between the MHF and all associated clubs. The MSL will see it's first season as a twelve-team league following last season's format which included one relegation and three promotion from the Mercedinian Development League, the nation's second tier of league hockey. For those of you who do not recall last season's dramatics, it was Ozzaya Agranka Synthesis who were relegated in favour of Zholvi HC (who made an immediate return), plus the Monmouth Seagulls and the Arkenton Rams (who make their debut at this level). All eyes will inevitably be on the big dogs in the league, to see how they deal with the longer season and the more unpredictable minnows who made a step up from obscurity in the second division. The Icers, Blue Strike, Penguins and Ogdenagorv all made it into the Top 4 to earn a berth into the Hockey Champion's League, but there was to be no fairy-tale run for either of these teams in an HCL tournament which saw the same usual suspects at the business end of the tournament.

MSL Teams - Season Nine
HK Dynamo Shebchetsik
Orga HC
Darlaston Wolves
Blue Strike Zoloroni
Acoflosa Penguins
SKK Ogdenagorv
Zoloroni City Icers
AHC Langtree
Carlgrunik Metropolitan Rangers
Zholvi HC*
Monmouth Seagulls*
Arkenton Rams*

From the lost of twelve names listed above, the Zoloroni City Icers look far and away the biggest side in Mercedinian hockey and hove only seek to consolidate that position with their recent domestic and international signings. However, despite the top spot seeming out of reach for most teams, the unpredictability of the league is often it's unique selling point. Minnow teams have come, seen and not exactly conquered, but they have done enough to keep their club afloat and earn a place at the biggest club tournament in the sport of hockey. With more teams, it means more hockey and more money flowing into the clubs and the league as a whole, so it is hoped that the development areas could aid the players and the teams to lift the national team and domestic clubs to further heavy heights. Everybody knows cash is king when it comes to the next level of spots, it's hopes that this injection could breathe new life into a sport which has seen many downs in the past couple of seasons.

It is claimed that the prize money from this edition of the World Cup of Hockey will be put forward towards initiatives to make the current batch of hockey stadiums and arenas in Mercedini fit for international matches, a statement of intent which further fuels rumours of a hockey bid set to be made in upcoming editions. Whether this initiative will bear any fruit for the national team and it's respective clubs or whether this is a vanity project for the big cheeses at the MHF remains to be seen, but fans will undoubtedly be flocking to stadia across the country to see their local team play in the biggest hockey league in the region.

by **Taeshan** » Sun Nov 29, 2020 6:41 pm

Your Loser's Bracket Semi-final cut-off.

Equestria 0–0 Ko-oren (0–1 OT)
Banija 2–3 Mercedini

Which means your next round is in the Loser's Bracket

5 Mercedini vs Ko-oren 7

Winner's Bracket
2 Siovanija and Teusland vs Savojarna 9

Your winner's bracket winner will advance to the final, your loser's bracket winner will advance and face the winner's bracket loser in the loser's bracket final. The above matches will be played tomorrow with the loser's bracket final taking place on tuesday, and the final (or first half of the final) taking place on Wednesday.

Both of the matches tomorrow are at
Ice Palace (Greenville, Atlantea Island home of the Atlantea-Greenville IceWolves)

by **Ko-oren** » Mon Nov 30, 2020 8:45 am

The Greenblues keep stumbling on and it keeps working! As a team that has been in the loser's bracket since nearly the entire knockouts, on its final chance, that keeps running into winner's bracket rejects, this is already officially the furthest a Greenblue team has ever gotten in the World Cup of (Ice) Hockey.

The most recent to fall victim to this team is Equestria, a team that's also never managed to finish top three, and also landed far further on in the tournament than their ranking implied, and yet they survived in the winner's bracket for a very long time. Even our next opponents, Mercedini, fell to them earlier in the knockouts (2-5 to EQS) back when Ko-oren were shutting out Taeshan, leading to our run-in with Cassadaigua. Mercedini, meanwhile, have gotten this far by beating Gyatso-Kai (who kicked us out of the winners). It's a very nice who's-who of everyone beating each other up in close quarters, and it's Savojarna and Siovanija and Teusland who have yet to mess up for the first time. Their meeting will decide on the first WCOH finalist - the other will come from between the winner of Mercedini v Ko-oren and the loser of S&T v Savojarna.

We know that most of the attention will go out to the current trophy holders and whether they can keep their title for another cycle, but there's plenty more to look at in the final four of the tournament. Barring the Goldhorns, only Mercedini have previously made it this far. Not too long ago they were tipped by some to follow up Neu Engollon as international powerhouses, but after a second and a third place they fell back again, only for Cassadaigua and then Siovanija and Teusland to get the trophies since Neu Engollon's last. Savojarna, like Ko-oren, have never gone the length but maybe has a more interesting achievement: hosting the WCOH. Sjoedrhavns Stadsstadion has now seen two champions crowned, and while the Dragonfly Archipelago has yet to host an actual final, we teamed up with Gregoryisgodistan (a move frowned upon by human rights activists multiverse-wide), hosted the 3PPO ourselves, and supplied the officials for the actual final, a three-day affair in the Lord Almighty Gregory Arena. With three teams in the hunt for their first title - but all having come very, very close to the trophy (whether they could win it or not).

Since the group stage ended, with the Greenblues recording defensively sound games game in, game out, the margin of victory hasn't widened (it's been '1' almost every time) but the amount of goals has changed. A lot. It used to be one goal per game, but now we've seen the Greenblues score anywhere from zero (and a win in overtime) to five - has the team finally learned how to score?

Ko-oren 3–4 Gyatso-Kai
Ko-oren 2-0 Taeshan*
Cassadaigua 3–5 Ko-oren
Ko-oren 3–2 HUElavia
Equestria 0–0 Ko-oren (0–1 OT)

In 10 group stage games against variable and often questionable talent levels, the team scored 8. In the five games since, the team scored 14 (including one OT goal). From conceding one across the first 10, we've gone to conceding nine in the last five (which, considering normal ice hockey scoring, isn't so bad). The offensive explosion hasn't come from a more attacking playstyle, or a different lineup, or a focus on a different part of the game - powerplays are still rare (for either Ko-oren or our opponents), too. It's just a matter of converting your chances, and Ko-oren has been atrocious at that in the group stage. In the knockouts, however, we've seen this team grow out to be one of the most lethal teams, converting chances at a higher rate than just about any. Shots bouncing in off the post that before would have ricocheted out, deflections that end up in better places than right back at an opponent's stick, you name it.

by **Siovanija and Teusland** » Mon Nov 30, 2020 3:16 pm

Hockey Night in Siovanija & Teusland

Pre-Game Show

With Oskar Kirsche and Ronald Mensing

“Good evening Siovanija & Teusland, I’m Ronald Mensing and here with me is, of course, Oskar Kirsche. We’re coming to you live from the Ice Palace in Greenville, Taeshan, for tonight’s clash between your Goldhorns and Savojarna. A place in the World Cup of Hockey 41 Final is on the line. Oskar, does it get any bigger than this?”

“Well, other than the final itself, no - two of the best hockey teams in the world, and they are going to leave it all out there on the ice tonight I tell ya!”

“Hockey Today magazine put out a piece yesterday detailing the rivalry between these two teams - Oskar, in your opinion, is Goldhorns-Northlights the biggest rivalry in international hockey at the moment?”

“That’s hard to say - there’s been plenty of storied rivalries over the years, and there’s plenty of great teams. But at the moment, I mean - if you meet in the semifinals two years in a row, you know you’ve got two great programs going head to head. So I’d say, maybe yeah, I think it is - it’s obviously special for the players and fans.”

“This rivalry is a more friendly rivalry - there’s no real dislike between these teams, they get along well, they just happen to get in each other’s way quite often. Do you think that helps the rivalry, the respect these teams have?”

“Definitely, I mean, you always love to face a truly worthy competitor - I mean culturally, hockey to us is like hockey to them - more than just a sport. Both sides are desperate to win, and both sides know the other is desperate too. And that does make for an incredible atmosphere.”

“We’ll get back to Savojarna in a minute, but first, let’s talk about the Quarterfinal - a win for the Goldhorns over another big rival, Banija. The Goldhorns were quite dominant in that first period, Oskar - but couldn’t find the back of the net. What was missing in the opening frame?”

“Well, Ron, I wouldn’t say anything went wrong as much as Banija defended really well. They were stuck in their own zone, hemmed in, badly outshot - and you look at their goaltender, the saves he made! I think the biggest thing they did well though - staying disciplined. Stay out of the box, force the Goldhorns to make a play, and that’s what they were able to do.”

“You mention special teams, Oskar - that was what gave the Goldhorns the early advantage in the second period, when Banija took an early tripping call. The Goldhorns special teams - have they lived up to expectations this tournament?”

“For the most part - a little quiet against Taeshan and Gyatso-kai, honestly, but they were strong in the group stage. And you saw more of that here - they were looking quite in sync moving it around, and when you get Tsvteikinov -

“Razvigor Tsvetatanov”

“You can’t even get it right! Come on! Anyways, Tanilov, he gets open on the powerplay, you can’t let that happen I tell ya! He shoots, he scores, then a few minutes later the floodgates open up a bit and good Stelburg boy Edwin Ranger gets an important goal I tell ya!”

“But the story of this one again, Oskar, was a late rally by the opposing team. What did Banija do so well in the third period to make a comeback?”

“They dug deep, they knew they had to give 120% if they wanted to get back in this game and that was exactly what they did. And the Goldhorns - I mean, they gave them every opportunity to get back didn’t they! If it wasn’t for David Wagner, we might not be here today I tell ya!”

“You weren’t happy with the Goldhorns play in that period, Oskar.”

“I don’t understand why they keep sitting back in these third periods! Go out there, get one more goal, and kill the game. Don’t just let them come at ya! They’ve done it three times in a row now, and if they do it tonight, they aren’t going to win! Discipline too - you can’t have a parade to the box in a game like this! Tomic, he’s done so well this tournament, but what is he thinking on that one!”

“The Goldhorns got a lucky break right at the end, though, Oskar, and it’s why we’re here tonight. Timo Schlager, right on the doorstep, finds the back of the net with a huge goal. It’s been Edwin Ranger’s tournament so far, Oskar - but was this maybe a signal that Timo Schlager is ready for the final few games of this tournament?”

“I don’t think he ever really went away - he’s been doing his job quietly while Ranger gets all the applause - but yeah, that was a big moment for him. They’re going to need him on top of his game here for the next - well, hopefully two - two or three games, and that just shows he’s the guy you need him to be.”

“David Wagner gets the start tonight Oskar - the correct choice?”

“Schock played really well through the group stage and against Taeshan, but Wagner’s been the guy in the playoffs so far - I think it’s the right choice, but honestly, I don’t think you could go wrong either way.”

“Is it going to be, again, the speed battle that determines this game? You’ve got two really quick teams here in the Goldhorns and the Northlights.”

“Speed, and every time we play them, it always comes down to who controls the neutral zone better. The Goldhorns need to get out there and establish themselves quick - how many times have I said it before, get a big hit early, and if you can ideally get something in the net that works too!”

“The building tonight - it’s a bit in Savojarna’s favour, isn’t it Oskar? There’s obviously thousands of travelling Goldhorns fans, but Savojarna and Taeshan are neighbours after all. So it’s a rare true away game for the Goldhorns. Will that affect these players at all?”

“There’s enough people from back home here that the boys will hear it, for sure. And sometimes, in a game like this, the opposing crowd just makes you want to play even better - you want to shut them up. Like I said, get out there and make something happen early to quiet that crowd.”

“Siovanija & Teusland vs Savojarna. This is becoming a bit of a classic. Anytime you hear those two names before a hockey game, you know you’re in for a special one. We’ll be right back for puck drop.”

World Cup of Hockey 41 Playoffs Third Round
Siovanija & Teusland vs Banija
@ New Capetown, Taeshan

Scoring Summary

First Period

No scoring

Second Period

2:13: Goldhorns goal scored by Razvigor Tsvetanov (PP), assisted by Gottschall, Schlager (1-0)
5:40: Goldhorns goal scored by Edwin Ranger, assisted by Glaskov, Mihelic (2-0)
18:56: Banija goal scored by Alonso Hairte, assisted by Sene (2-1)

Third Period

12:07: Banija goal scored by Kutobo Gaye (PP), assisted by Sene, Hairte (2-2)
17:35: Goldhorns goal scored by Timo Schlager, assisted by Heider (3-2)

End of Game: Siovanija & Teusland 3-2 Banija

Three Stars

*** Razvigor Tsvetanov (1G)
** Alonso Hairte (1G, 1A)
* Timo Schlager (1G, 1A)

Next Game: Siovanija & Teusland vs Savojarna, @ Ice Palace, Taeshan

by **Taeshan** » Mon Nov 30, 2020 6:05 pm

As I have heard from everyone about rping, this will be your Final Four cutoff.

Siovanija and Teusland 3–2 Savojarna
Mercedini 2–4 Ko-oren
Ice Palace (Greenville, Atlantea Island home of the Atlantea-Greenville IceWolves)

And with that Congrats to the winners, we bid a sad farewell to our fourth place finishers, and a big advancement to the finals for the number 1 team in the World. But who will join them on Wednesday?

Find out tomorrow in the ultimate loser's bracket championship extravaganza.

It's
Savojarna vs Ko-oren
Fadron Pizza Ice @ Magickarpa Arena - Wiechester, Wolf Island

by **Siovanija and Teusland** » Tue Dec 01, 2020 11:32 am

Hockey Today Magazine

World Cup of Hockey 41 Final Countdown

World Cup of Hockey Trophy Taeshan-Bound Ahead of Final

Nearly one year ago to the day, the World Cup of Hockey trophy arrived in Stelburg and paraded down the city’s streets, before being hoisted high by Gunter Pfenning at the Teuslandplatz and the Osttor (East Gate). The next day, Pfenning would lift it again at the national celebrations in Borograd. Shortly after that, the Cup travelled back across the country and reached the doorstep of the National Hockey Hall of Fame in Stelburg.

“We had a board meeting and decided it would receive the same treatment as the Strauss Cup,” says Paul Hackel. Hackel may be one of the most famous men in the country, even if few people know he’s name. He’s the ‘man in the white gloves,’ the ‘Keeper of the Cup.’ Wherever the Strauss Cup goes, Hackel is surely right there with it. Presentations, visits to charities and hospitals, and visits to players after winning it, Hackel is there for all of it. It was decided that for this year, he would also be Keeper of the Cup for the World Cup of Hockey trophy.

Once the trophy arrived in Stelburg, it was promptly cleaned, and placed in a specially-made glass box in the Hall of Honour. That’s the hall where the Strauss Cup is kept, as well as various other Ehrenliga awards. The national junior championship (Unity Cup) and national senior amateur championship (Dimitrov Cup) are also kept here. Needless to say, it’s the most-visited section of the Hall of Fame, and it’s guarded by two members of the 1st Stelburg Regiment, who switch every 6 hours in a ceremony.

For the first two weeks, the trophy itself was on display and was visited by over 4 million fans who clamored to get a picture with the famous silverware. The Hall of Fame held several interactive events with the Cup, offering fans the chance to see it up close. It appeared on talk shows, cameoed in a few television shows and movies, and most famously, upon discovering the Cup had no official name, a playful naming contest was held. Typically, the stoic Stelburgers voted for ‘World Cup of Hockey Trophy’ as the number one option. More outlandish options included ‘Oskar Kirsche Cup,’ ‘Anatol Weisz Cup,’ ‘Cup McCupFace’ and thanks to a campaign by a local Stelburg radio host, ‘Hermann,’ which ended up finishing 3rd in the vote.

After that, however, a replica trophy was fully prepared and placed in the display case, and the World Cup of Hockey trophy was moved to the Ewald M. Strauss Vault, the heavily-secure room of the Hall of Fame where the actual trophies are kept. “The only time you see the real Strauss Cup is when it’s presented on ice. It’s the same with awards like the Weisz Trophy for league MVP - they are presented on awards night only. Any other time you see it, it’s a replica.” says Hackel. The Vault has a controlled temperature, maximum-security systems, and staff to monitor it 24/7 - as well as two more uniformed guards.

The replica World Cup of Hockey Trophy was in its display case at Stelburg for only a week, before moving into a new Exhibition Hall specifically prepared from the Goldhorns’ World Cup of Hockey 40 campaign. “The team sent us a bunch of memorabilia, but what we loved was also the stuff we got sent in from fans - ticket stubs, photos, and mementos they’d picked up at games,” says Hackel. The Trophy itself was the centre of the display, which included artifacts such as the stick Gunter Pfenning used to score the tournament winning goal, game pucks from all 15 games the Goldhorns played, and an interactive experience walking visitors back through the journey. The exhibit remains, but the trophy would be on tour again soon.

“We said it would get the Strauss Cup treatment, and what that means is every player and staff member gets one day with the trophy,” says Hackel. “So after we finished the Strauss Cup tour for the Seelowe Marlesee players, we kicked off the World Cup of Hockey tour. It was funny, some of the guys were getting both trophies, so they had to plan two big parties for family and friends.”

When asked for stories from the trophy’s tour across the country, Hackel laughs. “I can’t tell you everything,” he says. Some stories will remain ‘secrets of the Cup,’ similar to those untold stories of the Strauss Cup. If trophies could talk, they’d be some of the finest storytellers in the world. But Hackel does let us in on a few secrets.

The first visit of the trophy was to Edwin Ranger, as he lives just outside the city of Stelburg. But, Hackel notes, Ranger was busy in preseason preparation when his time came to get the Cup. Ranger had won the World Cup of Hockey, but had lost the Strauss Cup Final just a month prior - and he spent pretty much the entire offseason working on his game. “So in the morning, it was family and friends, the usual pictures and a nice lunch. Then he took it to his home gym, sat it up on the wall, and just did work outs for a couple hours. At 5, he said ‘Thanks Paul’ and left. So nothing too crazy there,” says Hackel. The image of a man who had 1 of 2 trophies, but wanted nothing more than the sweep.

The Cup’s first trip to Siovanija was a different story. “Everybody knows how excited Razvigor Tsvetanov was, you saw him doing keg-stands out of the fountain in Borograd at the parade! But his day… he had his whole family there, three brothers, plus all of his friends, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen so much vodka. I got there at 8, the usual, and I think they started at 8:01. So that was… a time, to say the least.” When asked if the Cup made its way to some of the city of Pomorie/Marzig’s finest clubs, Hackel gave a coy ‘Maybe.’

Those would be the upper and lower extremes of the Cup’s journey - mentally, at least. Physically, the cup would go a lot higher. “Frank Heider was really wanting to make his day special - not just for him, but for the country. He kept saying, like, you never know if we’ll get this chance again, so let’s do something memorable. He took it to the summit of Mount Danneberg, and we got some really great pictures of the view on both sides and the national flag that’s up there.” Mt. Danneberg, of course, is the tallest mountain in the United Republics, and sits right on the internal border between Siovanija and Teusland. The mountain has come to symbolize the nation in many ways - so there couldn’t have been a more perfect place for it.

Others made sure to give back to the community that helped raise them up. “Jorg Gottschall’s day was a lot of fun. He put together a road hockey tournament in his hometown of Bad Nieden, and had a bunch of kids out playing. At the end of the day, the winning team got to lift the cup. So that was really nice to see.”

When Hackel is asked about his summers touring around the country with the cup, the question he gets asked most often is ‘What’s Gunter Pfenning like?’ We here at Hockey Today are no different, and Hackel let us in on Pfenning’s day with the Cup. How did the man who scored the goal to win the trophy, and is considered the best player in the nation’s modern history, spend his day with the world’s biggest hockey trophy? “Low-key. Just a day with family and friends, nothing huge. There was a parade in Marnau, as always when he brings the Strauss Cup home, and he took it to the arena where he grew up playing as a kid to visit some of his old coaches.”

Most emotional moment? “Veselin Filipov wanted to take the cup to Radoslav Kucar’s grave site. Everybody knows how special Kucar was, especially to Siovanijan players - the #17 is the only number retired league-wide, and it’s also retired on the national team. So to see all the people that came out to pay tribute to him was really moving,” says Hackel. Kucar, of course, set Ehrenliga point-scoring records and was picked as a candidate to be one of our nation’s best ever players before he was tragically killed in a car accident in the middle of his prime.

After the summer of fun for the Cup, it was back to the display case in Stelburg. Hackel, of course, kept a close eye on it. “What I didn’t expect, we get plenty of Ehrenliga or junior players throughout the year, but some of the names coming to see it. Anatol Weisz came by with his family one time - and you’re just looking at this guy, who holds every record there is to hold in the Ehrenliga, looking at the one trophy he never got a chance to hold. I actually got to talk to him, he said he’s sad he never got a chance to play for it in his day, but happy for the experience the new generation has.”

Hackel says the spectre never really wore off having the trophy there. “Visitors keep coming and coming, right up until yesterday,” he says. “You can come here and get a picture with the Strauss Cup any day of the week, you don’t know how long this one will be here for.” Of course, the replica, with a golden ‘40’ engraved on its base, will sit in the Hall of Honour forever. The real thing, though? It’s on the move.

Siovanija & Teusland’s 3-2 win over Savojarna means the Goldhorns will be going to the World Cup of Hockey Final for the second straight year. While the identity of their opponents is yet to be known, we do know that one of Savojarna or Ko-oren will challenge the Goldhorns for the trophy. Either would provide a worthy challenge - and one that is keeping hockey fans across this country up all night. With the Goldhorns sticking around in Taeshan before the final with a short day off, something else is joining them off a direct flight from Stelburg.

The World Cup of Hockey Trophy itself was escorted out of the National Hockey Hall of Fame this morning by members of the 4th Stelburg Rifles, the elite ceremonial guards unit that in the past served as bodyguards to the Kaisers, and are now responsible for the President and the National Chancellery. Today’s escort, however, is one of the most dignified guests of all. Members of the regiment loaded it onto an Air Force transport plane, which made its way alongside staff of the NHHoF to Taeshan. In Taeshan, it was turned over to members of the World Cup of Hockey Federation, who will keep hold of the Cup until it is to be presented in a few days’ time to the tournament winner.

Those at the Hall are certainly hoping the trophy will be making a return flight: “Of course, we’d love to have it back for another year,” says Hackel. But the Goldhorns will have a tough fight on their hands, no matter the opponent. Some would say that just making it back to the Final is already an incredible achievement - that going 29 games undefeated is already a brilliant record. For the players in that locker room, however, it is by no means enough. It won’t be enough until there’s another glass case in the National Hockey Hall of Fame.

by **Taeshan** » Tue Dec 01, 2020 6:28 pm

Alright who shall have the glory of ~~losing~~... playing Siovanija and Teusland in the WCOH final? Find out soon.

Fadron Pizza Ice @ Magickarpa Arena - Wiechester, Wolf Island

Meaning congrats to our third place finishers

Our final for tomorrow night.

New Capetown Center for Excellence (New Capetown, Cape Island, home of the New Capetown Red Wings)

Reminder the final game will not be a shootout, and should the Loser's Bracket Semi-final winner win tomorrow, there will be a rematch for all the marbles, Thursday night.

by **Siovanija and Teusland** » Wed Dec 02, 2020 10:18 am

Hockey Night in Siovanija & Teusland

Pre-Game Show

With Oskar Kirsche and Ronald Mensing

“Good evening Siovanija & Teusland, I’m Ron Mensing and with me is Oskar Kirsche and we’re here for game 1 of the World Cup of Hockey 41 Finals. Oskar, is your heart just pumping already?”

“Absolutely Ron, you can just feel the atmosphere in this building tonight, thousands of fans getting themselves ready to go for what should be a great night - these are two great teams, and this is going to be a special game I tell ya!”

“I have to ask, can you describe what exactly you are wearing tonight?”

“This is my suit, it’s in the colours of the flag obviously! And then the tie, I’ve got little gold medals and a few edelweiss on it - it’s the same one I wore last year in the Finals! But you talk about wardrobe - look at the Goldhorns coming in tonight, full suits, looking good, kids, you dress first class ya play first class!”

“Before we get to tonight’s game, let’s take a look back at how we got here tonight. It was another classic between Savojarna and Siovanija & Teusland, wasn’t it?”

“Absolutely Ron - it didn’t have as many goals as the semifinal last year, but the excitement was the same I tell ya! Just two teams that are desperate to beat each other, desperate to take that next step, and that all came out the other night! Timo Schlager, boy did he put on a show!”

“Savojarna took the lead early in the game - Johan Bryzhnev scoring just 4 minutes into the opening frame. Did you worry at all about the reaction the Goldhorns might have after that?”

“We always talk about getting a good start - and the Northlights did just that. And when you look at a team’s bench after a moment like that, you’re looking for signs - do they have their heads down, are they moving around nervously, or are they ready to get out there and make it right. The Goldhorns, Ron, they still looked confident - they’ve been there before, and they know how to get out of a hole like that.”

“The Ice Palace seemed like the roof was going to blow off it with all the cheering from the Savojar fans - but a brilliant solo effort by Timo Schlager would silence them just before the end of the first period. What did you think on that one Oskar - was the play offside, as some commentators suggested?”

“Offside! Not a chance! Look, Mihelic makes a great play to keep it in at the line - and I know they have to do their review, but he kept it in I tell ya! And he finds Schlager on the half wall - and boy can he move the puck well! It’s like he was just dancing out there, around two guys, and suddenly he’s all open in front - boom! Puck’s in the net, score is tied, let’s go!”

“After the excitement of the first, the second period was rather quiet - both teams figuring each other out, and the goaltenders Hoyman and Wagner making some brilliant saves. But in the third period, things got started right away. A really bad bounce in front - and I want your thoughts on that too, Oskar - led to a goal from Roman Kasajev, was Schiele arguably at fault there?”

“It’s tough to blame Schiele, Ron. When you try to get it out of the zone and put it around the glass, you’ve always got a little worry in the back of your mind - that it might go out of play, I’ve even seen the puck hit a TV camera before! But to take a bounce off a stanchion and go right in front… good on Kasajev, his positioning was excellent and he picked right up on that and put the biscuit in the net. It’s one of those where you’re thinking if you’re the Goldhorns that lady luck just isn’t at your side.”

“Aaron Kuhn called a timeout immediately after that goal to calm his team down - you’ve been behind the bench in tough moments during a game before Oskar, what are you saying to the team?”

“I’d tell them look boys, there’s still 17 minutes left in this game. Do you really want to end this game - we’ve played so well - do you want to end this on a deflection like that? If you go home after this, you’re going to be seeing that goal for the rest of your lives. Get the job done.”

“The Goldhorns responded well - they turned up the physicality, they turned up the intensity, and they were getting a lot of chances. Could you feel the game sort of turning on its head?”

“I think so, it was becoming a when and not an if for when the Goldhorns would get their chance. And can I just say, it’s very nice to be here talking about the Goldhorns making a third period rally of their own and not giving one up. That should be a learning experience for them - look at how tough you had it today, and look at all the points where Savojarna could have put the game away but didn’t. Take your chances!”

“It was Schlager again getting the equalizer - just a great play by Frank Heider to find him open in the slot. Was Timo Schlager the best player on the ice last night?”

“Yes he was! He was everywhere, in all three zones, and whenever he had the puck on his stick you just felt a buzz. Heider made a great pass across, and when you give a guy like Schlager room like that, you’re going to be made to regret it. Schlager couldn’t have taken a better shot there, perfect in the upper right hand corner, and he ties the score.”

“It was like the energy just went out of Savojarna after that - they really were just keeping their heads above water in the last few minutes of the third. But it was still very, very tough for the Goldhorns - and the winner came only off a deflection. Oskar, why don’t you walk us through that goal.”

“Yeah, so Minikov-”

“Toni Mihelic”

“Let me finish. Mihelikov makes a great play to pinch at the blueline and keep it in, then he sends it down low for Ranger. Ranger gets the wrap around, but Hoyman kicks it out - Ranger uses his big frame to get the puck back. Then he sends it to the point - and when you have Afani Tomikov-”

“Evgeni Tomic”

“Sure, Talinov, anyways, you have his slapshot, boy, you’re supposed to get out of the way! I don’t know if, uh, Glasinov was brave or just stupid, but either way it worked out, it hits his stick and goes into the net! That was really the end right there, there was still a couple minutes on the clock but the Goldhorns had it from there.”

“So, now we’re back here for the second straight year at the Finals. And this time, the Goldhorns will be facing another Atlantian Oceania side - Ko-oren, who just handled Savojarna very well in the third place game. Oskar, they’ve had a magical run so far, was that 7-3 win over the Northlights a big statement from them coming into this one?”

“They’re flying really high right now, it’s been fun to watch I tell ya. They go into every game confident, and they trust each other - trust the style that they play to get them a result. And you’ve seen them knock off teams that maybe you didn’t expect, but weren’t prepared for them. That win there - yeah, they’ll be incredibly confident coming into this one, and why shouldn’t they be? They smashed up Savojarna, and now they’ll be looking to grab two more wins here and take the Cup.”

“Ko-orenite teams are usually very strong defensively - and this edition is no different, they gave up only 1 goal in 10 group stage games. You heard me right - 1 goal in 10 games. Now, they lost their first playoff game against Gyatso-kai, but have been clinical ever since, knocking out Taeshan, #1 seeds Cassadaigua, Huelavia, Equestria, Mercedini and now Savojarna. What makes them so challenging to play?”

“You said it Ron, they are just so, so good at the back. I’ve never seen a team so disciplined, so totally committed to defence. Look - this is a very, very clear gameplan for the Dragonflies. For Ko-oren, it's to keep the puck out of your net. They’ve given up 3 or more goals twice in this tournament, and they’ve lost one and won one. That loss was the 4-3 loss against Gyatso-kai, the win against Savojarna. So you know what you have to do, and they just do it so, so well.”

“They are going up against one of the top offensive forces in the hockey world at the moment - is this the toughest challenge yet for those Ko-orenite defenders?”

“Well, Cassadaigua scored more goals than us in the group stage, and Ko-oren seemed to have little problem with them. They knocked off Savojarna as well - who are just as talented as we are up front. Here’s the thing, though - Cassadaigua scored 2 goals on them, Savojarna scored 3. Against a team that scored 8 goals in 10 group stage games, you’re probably thinking that’s enough to win. But in those two games alone, Ko-oren scored 12 goals. Cassadaigua and Savojarna didn’t lose because they couldn’t score - they lost because they couldn’t play defence.”

“I assume that’s what Aaron Kuhn will be emphasizing to his team before this series then?”

“Absolutely. You know you’re going to be having most of the puck possession, most of the shots on goal - but you can’t give them anything. They have shown over and over how clinical they can be, they can create something out of nothing. So David Wagner in net, and everybody on the defence - don’t you dare lose focus, because that’s how the Goldhorns lose this game - by giving up better chances than they’re getting.”

“Another quick question for you Oskar - the Ko-orenite team, given the demands of their domestic league, are used to playing multiple games in one day. Could superior conditioning be a massive advantage for Ko-oren in this series? The Goldhorns’ scheduling struggles are well known - this is the 30th international game for these players, in addition to 2 80-game seasons and for many a 20-game playoff campaign, all within the last two years.”

“They clearly aren’t going to be a team that’s easy to tire out - but you have to have faith in your guys to bring you over the line. This has been a long tournament - Ko-oren have played 17 games so far, the Goldhorns have played 14. Keep your physicality, keep your speed, and just be prepared for a battle all night long.”

“Finally - just so everyone’s clear on the stakes here tonight. If the Goldhorns win tonight, they take home the Cup. If Ko-oren wins, it will set up a decisive second game here tomorrow night. Oskar, I know you have the safety net, but if you’re the Goldhorns you don’t even want to think about that, correct?”

“Absolutely not. I wouldn’t even mention it if I was Kuhn. If you drop game 1, you give yourself doubt and your opponents confidence. Kuhn needs to emphasize - let’s finish this in 60 minutes tonight, and get the job done. Count on each other, have each other’s backs, and let’s take that Cup home again.”

“Enough said. Well, here we are - Siovanija & Teusland vs Ko-oren, for the World Cup of Hockey. It doesn’t get any better than this. Puck drop next.”

World Cup of Hockey 41 Playoffs Semifinal
Siovanija & Teusland vs Savojarna
@ Atlantea, Taeshan

Scoring Summary

First Period

4:35: Savojarna goal scored by Johan Bryzhnev, assisted by Malinsson (0-1)
17:12: Goldhorns goal scored by Timo Schlager, assisted by Mihelic (1-1)

Second Period

No scoring

Third Period

2:54: Savojarna goal scored by Roman Kasajev, unassisted (1-2)
10:07: Goldhorns goal scored by Timo Schlager (2), assisted by Heider (2-2)
18:01: Goldhorns goal scored by Vitomir Glaskov, assisted by Tomic, Ranger (3-2)

End of Game: Siovanija & Teusland 3-2 Savojarna

Three Stars

*** Johan Bryzhnev (1G)
** Toni Mihelic (1A)
* Timo Schlager (2G)

Next Game: Siovanija & Teusland vs Ko-oren, @ New Capetown Centre for Excellence, Taeshan

World Cup of Hockey XLI (41) Everything Thread

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