NationStates

This is a domestic sports newswire for Patriotlandia. Please refrain from posting unless you are a moderator or specifically asked to do so.

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By Roland Leduc

The Patriotlandian Witness is proud to announce the launch of our new domestic sports newswire. We will follow all the sports and teams you hold dear and bring you all the action in written form. For live coverage of games and events don't forget to tune in to the Patriotlandian Sports Network (PSN - Channel 33 on PatrioComm).

The most popular and the most played sport in the nation is hockey with games being held at every level from professional arenas to pick-up games on a frozen pond. The Patriotlandian Hockey Association (PHA) governs the nation's top divisions operating two divisions for a total of 24 teams. Keep an eye on this newswire for season previews, matchday results and season reviews. An entry for the division 1 team is also in the works.

Per our sources inside parliament, the government is looking into expanding it's sports offering across the nation to incentivise physical activity and drive the economy. More information will be passed along once the situation is clearer.

Links:
Ice Hockey

Team Previews (WIP)
Division 1 Part 1 Part 2

Season*	Regular Season Champion		Playoff Champion	Second Division Champion
1	Grand-Ours Bears 		Asche Flames 		Chaville Sabres
2	Grand-Ours Bears		Chaville Sabres		Sherguy Guys
3	Blackbay Islanders		Blackbay Islanders	Port-Crotay Cleaners
4	Grand-Ours Bears		Grand-Ours Bears	Planteau Patriots
5	HC Jolicoeur		        Port-la-Ville Anchors	Couen Lancers
6	Asche Flames		        Alexandrie HC		Sherguy Guys
7	Blackbay Islanders	        Blackbay Islanders	Boiscomplet Axes
8	Blackbay Islanders	        Port-la-Ville Anchors	Yvesmont Yetis

* Seasons scoresheet prior to season 3 were lost to a rogue shredding machine operator

Football/Soccer

Season	Super 8 Champion	Omnium du Montagnard
1	Union Port-la-Ville	N/A
2	Athletique Alexandrie	Grand-Ours Rovers
3	Griffin Isles United	Athletique Alexandrie

By Roland Leduc, Last updated: 27 November 2021

For all our international readers, we are presenting you with a digest of sort describing all the major teams and renowned players in Patriotlandian Hockey. For now we will start with all twelve teams currently in the first division but have plan to add division 2 teams in the future.

Division 1

Alexandrie HC

City: Alexandrie, Foubrac
Arena: Amphitheatre Bill Major (Cap. 8000)
Status: Semi-Professional
Head Coach: Ryan Aurel

Located in the northeastern coast of Patriotlandia, Alexandrie is one of the most isolated cities in the nation. As such, they don't get much national attention and have trouble attracting key players to the club. They have to rely on a good development system to train players for the main club. They also have a good group of veteran players to mentor those new arrivals. Their young defender, Cassandra Gaulin, is one of the league's premier blue-line general with a keen eye for the perfect pass. Alexandrie HC plays a fast and fluid game concentrating on causing turn-overs and counter-attacking.

Players to watch: (LW) Gabriel Durant, (D) Cassandra Gaulin

Asche Flames

City: Asche, Abelanne
Arena: City Coliseum (Cap. 14000)
Status: Professional
Head Coach: Bob Shanahan

Often written off as a suburb of Port-la-Ville, the Asche Flames are playing with something to prove and it shows. They are known for an aggressive style of play and a high level of pace that does not stop until the final whistle blows. Having won a championship in the first season of the PHA, the team is now capable to sign top talent and solidify their spot as one of the league's top teams.

Players to watch: (G) Hervé Terellien, (C) Cory Bertrand

Batille Bataillon

City: Batille, Foubrac
Arena: Charles Papineau Arena (Cap. 7500)
Status: Semi-Professional
Head Coach: Georges Paul

Named after the nearby army base, the Batille Bataillon is a team that as been surviving in the lower to mid table of the first division despite fierce competition and the constant threat of relegation. The club as long be known for developing good young players that are technically sound. This attracts plenty of attention from the league's professional teams that are trying sign new players. Guided by head coach Georges Paul the team plays a no nonsense system designed to help with roster rotations. Despite not being title contenders, they strive to at least compete with local rivals the Grand-Ours Bears.

Players to watch: (D) Jérome Dartagne, (LW) Joel Noël

Blackbay Islanders

City: Blackbay, Griffin Isles
Arena: Cumberland Arena (Cap. 16000)
Status: Professional
Head Coach: Romain Durivage

Even the biggest teams fear a trip to the Griffin Isles if they have to play the Blackbay Islanders. The Islanders play a really physical game that tires all but the fittest team. And when physicality is not enough they have the talent to score the finest of goals. If you hadn't caught on the Islanders are contenders for the National Cup every year and their relatively young core only means they will be fighting for silverware for years to come.

Players to watch:(C) Michel Saunders, (RW) Charles Roy, (D) Denise Bentley

Chaville Sabres

City: Chaville, Foubrac
Arena: Pitstop Arena (Cap. 11000)
Status: Semi-Professional
Head Coach: Glen Boraton

We still don't know what they put in the Chaville water mains, but they sure can field a great hockey team. Long regarded as just a reststop on the highway, by the northern teams on their way to play in the province of Foubrac, the Chaville formation as been able to turn it around in recent years and even snag a division 1 championship right after being promoted. They've also developed a rivalry with the Asche Flames because of their recent meetings in the playoffs and it's been one of the best to follow due to it's recent history and the strength of both teams.

Players to watch:(G) Léa Gagné, (LW) Alphonse Tremblay

Couen Lancers

City: Couen, Foubrac
Arena: FNC Centre (Cap. 18000)
Status: Semi-Professional
Head Coach: Yoland Pike

Hockey is not the most popular sport in Couen but that does not stop the population to back their local team. Founded as a sports club for the nearby arms manufacturing factory, the Lancers surprisingly do not have professional status. This is a significant set-back compared to other big cities. However the team's front office keep insisting they are not cheapskate and are doing it to keep the factory team tradition alive. As for their style of play, the Lancers try to keep games close tightening things down and choking opposing offenses. This as been somewhat effective, finishing recent seasons with some of the lowest goals against of any team in the PHA. However, they need to find a way to light the lamp more often.

Players to watch:(D) William Varocher, (RW) Marius Lambert

By Roland Leduc, Last updated: 29 November 2021

Grand-Ours Bears

City: Grand-Ours, Foubrac
Arena: Pinewood Forum (Cap. 22000)
Status: Professional
Head Coach: François Saumure

The Grand-Ours Bears are the reference for all the professional clubs in Patriotlandia. One of the first professional teams in the country, the Bears quickly developed a winning culture. The team is led by a group of veterans who take winning to heart and they are the perfect group to mold the team's emerging young talent. As for playing style, the Bears play a complete game that overpowers their opponents. They won't score the most goals, but their play in the defensive zone is one of the best in the league.

Players to watch: (C) Vanessa Garant, (LW) Axel Plouffe, (G) Frederic Dagenais

HC Jolicoeur

City: Jolicoeur, Abelanne
Arena: Arena Nationale (Cap. 18000)
Status: Semi-Professional
Head Coach: Jean Francoeur

HC Jolicoeur have not been setting the league on fire in recent years, but they are one of the league's most storied clubs. The club's unique arena has also recently been renovated to be able to host the PHA Playoff Finals. This can also be interpreted as a step toward professional status, but it is only rumors at the moment. On the ice, "the Hearts" have been able to challenge even the top teams. They play a no-nonsense system that enables them to cut down on mistakes and exploit when their opponents show weakness.

Players to watch: (D) Quentin Guerrier, (C) Victor Hérault

Heron-sur-Fleuve HC

City: Heron-sur-Fleuve, Foubrac
Arena: Dalton Centre (Cap. 18000)
Status: Semi-Professional
Head Coach: Daniel Victorin

In similar fashion to HC Jolicoeur and the Couen Lancers, the Heron-sur-Fleuve Hockey Club is one of the oldest in the nation. The city is also home to the Dalton Brewery Company which conveniently sponsors the arena. The games are thus known to have a real party atmosphere, which traveling fans really like. As a club, the Fleuvians play a fast paced style that can cost them at times, but they manage to outscore their opponents from time to time.

Players to watch: (G) Josée Sinclair, (C) Victor Hérault

Ocrebourg HC

City: Ocrebourg, Foubrac
Arena: PNB Place (Cap. 11000)
Status: Semi-Professional
Head Coach: Paul Roland

Along with Alexandrie HC, Ocrebourg represent one of the longest away trips for traveling teams. The games at the PNB Place aren't easy either. Ocrebourg has a team that plays with heart and determination and they can be a handful even for the the strongest teams in the league. One of their new addition, center Jeremy Faraday as shown great promise in the junior categories and can hopefully help the club to take their next step towards the top.

Players to watch: (C) Jeremy Faraday

Port-Crotay Cleaners

City: Port-Crotay, Griffin Isles
Arena: Grant Buchanan Arena (Cap. 9000)
Status: Semi-Professional
Head Coach: Brent Calhoun

Newly promoted to the top flight, the Port-Crotay Cleaners have a real challenge ahead of them if they hope to stick around division 1 for more than a season. The second team out of the Griffin Isles, it is going to be an interesting story to see how their rivalry with the Blackbay Islanders evolves. For those that don't follow division 2 hockey the Cleaners offensive style might catch them by suprise, but it's going to be imperative that their defense holds against even more powerful teams.

Players to watch: (D) Alex Mollock, (C) Tim Rochester

Port-la-Ville Anchors

City: Port-Crotay, Griffin Isles
Arena: Formatech Arena (Cap. 24000)
Status: Professional
Head Coach: Francis Seymour

Port-la-Ville is the biggest city in Patriotlandia, with that comes a lot of affluent fans willing to spend money. As such they have had plenty of budget in recent years to improve the team the challenge for a position at the top of the table. The newly built Formatech Arena is testament to the team's commitment to success. On the ice, the Anchors play a balanced game producing decent chances without overexposing themselves. Promise shown by their young core is also encouraging for the team as it hopes to build a solid winning culture.

Players to watch: (LW) James Offmeister, (G) Renée Latraverse

This marks the end of our first division team overviews. Don't forget to check in soon as we will bring you the season 3 recap shortly.

By Roland Leduc, Jolicoeur, Province of Abelanne

Millions were of Patriotlandians were glued to their television sets earlier this month as the Blackbay Islanders lifted the Patriot Cup above their heads. In the Arena Nationale, the festivities had also started with the losing team's fans making their way out of the building. Twelve teams started the season with the eye one prize. However only one could win it all. This is a look back at the Patriotlandia Hockey Association season 3.

Division 1

In the first division, the standings tell us that the playoff race was never in doubt for the four clubs that ultimately qualified. Even if they were 11 points behind first place the Anchors had a comfortable cushion to the fifth place HC Jolicoeur. In the mid table, HC Jolicoeur completed the Top 5 with a reasonable season for the semi-profesionnal formation. The same can be said of Ocrebourg who finished a single point behind. Mixed in those two were the Asche Flames which are probably regretting the few games they dropped against the likes of the Bataillon and Lancers. They will be looking to turn things around next season. Lower in the table, Heron-sur-Fleuve, Couen, Batille and Alexandrie were relatively safe from relegation and overall they did manage to beat the Sherguy Guys who are unfortunately going back to the second division after being promoted a few seasons ago.

Division 1	             Pld    W   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Blackbay Islanders         44   31  10   183  143  +40    65
 2 Grand-Ours Bears           44   26  13    98   74  +24    57
 3 Chaville Sabres            44   27  15   135  107  +28    56
 4 Port-la-Ville Anchors      44   26  16   109   90  +19    54
 5 HC Jolicoeur		      44   20  21    85   84   +1    43
 6 Asche Flames               44   19  21   129  120   +9    42
 7 Ocrebourg HC               44   18  20   132  142  −10    42
 8 Heron-sur-Fleuve HC        44   14  21   170  179   −9    37
 9 Couen Lancers              44   16  23    58   79  −21    37
10 Batille Bataillon          44   14  24   105  114   −9    34
11 Alexandrie HC              44   14  24   129  161  −32    34
12 Sherguy Guys               44   11  28    89  129  −40    27

Division 2

There was big drama heading into the final matchday of the season in the second division. Without a playoff format, the table determines who gets promoted and both the Oreilly Irish and the Port-Crotay Cleaners were separated by a single point. The Irish took care of business at home with a 6-3 win over the Lavante Suns. However they needed a Cleaners loss in order to advance because they had not secured the goal difference tie breaker.

On paper, the Cleaners should have wiped the floor with the Boiscomplet Axes who were in last place. However, the Foubracois formation had come to Port-Crotay with the intention on being party crashers. With a sluggish start, the home side quickly found themselves a goal behind. After a tripping penalty to Alex Mollock, the Axes managed to double their lead on the man advantage. At intermission, the Cleaners were down 3-0. Brent Calhoun's locker room talk seamed to have worked as the team came back with a lot more intensity and managed to claw back to a 3-2 score at the 7 minute mark. However two quick turnovers meant the Axes increased their lead back to 5-2 after the second frame. In the third, the Cleaners barraged the opposing netminder with 22 shots on goal to Boiscomplet's one. With Mollock, Rochester and Gasper all finding twine they had managed to level the score at 5-5. However not content with a tie the Griffin Isles formation continued to push in the dying moments of the match with Alex Mollock securing the win for his side and sending the fans into hysteria.

Division 2                   Pld    W   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Port-Crotay Cleaners       44   30  11   132   83  +49    63
 2 Oreilly Irish              44   29  11   159  129  +30    62
 3 Yvesmont Yetis	      44   28  15   132  108  +24    57
 4 Vilnay Racers              44   22  18   110  104   +6    48
 5 Villy Squirrels            44   20  17    83   84   −1    47
 6 Planteau Patriots          44   21  19   140  130  +10    46
 7 Charme-du-lac HC           44   19  20   153  141  +12    43
 8 Ouville Citoyens           44   20  21    73   70   +3    43
 9 Conflans Flankers          44   19  20   154  156   −2    43
10 Lavante Suns               44   15  26    68  103  −35    33
11 Briardon Blades            44    9  30   138  181  −43    23
12 Boiscomplet Axes           44    6  30    90  143  −53    20

Patriot Cup Playoffs

With the teams qualified for the Patriot Cup Playoffs, the stage was set for a great tournament. The Islanders were looking to complete their perfect season by finish first in the regular season and winning in the playoffs. The Grand-Ours Bears failed to get past the first round in the previous two seasons and would love to finally get their hands on the prestigious silver cup. The Sabres were trying to defend their championship. Finally the Anchors were happy to see their off-season work payoff with a spot in the leagues top teams.


In the first round, the Islanders saw themselves in an early deficit to the fourth seed Anchors, but managed to fight back and force a decisive game #5 at home. To the happiness of their many fans present, the Griffin Isles club won their bout and punched their ticket to Jolicoeur and the Patriot Cup Finals. In the second series, the Grand-Ours Bears disposed of the Sabres in four games, including three shutouts from goaltender Frederic Dagenais.

In the finals, the Islanders saw a similar story to their first round series. The Bears took and early 2-1 series lead only to squander it away in the remaining three matches. This now marks the third time the Bears fall short in the playoffs the their travelling fan base was very much displeased. As Bears' head coach François Saumure told the Witness: "We need to take a long hard look at our work ethic during this off season. We had an easy series win in the first round and got complacent against a club skill enough to make us pay".

Up next
The PHA is going into an off season now where teams will look to improve for next year's competition. In international news, the PHA also announced that the Patriotlandia National Team would participate for the first time in international competition. The PHA announced their intent to take part in the 44th World Cup of Hockey. The host of the competition is yet to be decided but many players are already packing bags with the expectation of being selected.

By Roland Leduc, Jolicoeur, Province of Abelanne

As the curtain fell on their first international hockey tournament, Patriotlandia's hockey had to get set for another PHA season. Despite not getting out of the group stages, the team showed promise and the whole fanbase seemed content with the level of play and that it was a sufficient platform to build upon in future events. In the effort of keeping the competition as close and exciting as possible, the PHA have officially announced that two teams would be promoted from Division 2 with the addition of a promotion playoff. The second and third teams in the standing at the end of the season will go into a thrilling two leg match up to determine who advances to the top flight. As the saying goes: "What goes up, must come down". Thus, two teams will now have to be relegated from Division 1. This should also bring plenty of excitement as struggling teams try to build a gap to protect themselves from relegation.

Division 1

The Bears seem to be back in form after last season disappointing defeat in the final. The team boasts a remarkable 12-7-3 record at the halfway mark of the season. However the Bears have dropped a game against Alexandrie they would surely want back. The rest of the provisional top four is composed of the Flames, Jolicoeur and their historical rivals Heron-sur-Fleuve. The Fleuvians are led by France Faulk who has already scored twelve goals, eclipsing her previous season records. The team's form seems to have significantly from last season where they dwelled in the middle of the table. Suprisingly, the Patriot Cup champions are finding themselves seventh in the standings having lost the second most games of any division 1 team. They're followed closely by their Griffin Isles rivals, the newly promoted Port-Crotay Cleaners. The battle for relegation will be fierce with a single point separating the Chaville Sabres from safety. The Sabres announced, yesterday, that they had parted ways with head coach Glen Boraton and assistant coach Armand Lavoie will be taking over on an interim basis until the end of the season.

Division 1                   Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Grand-Ours Bears           22   12   7   3    66   38  +28    31
 2 Asche Flames               22   13   2   7    56   52   +4    28
 3 HC Jolicoeur               22   10   7   5    61   43  +18    27
 4 Heron-sur-Fleuve HC        22   11   3   8    58   47  +11    25
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 5 Port-la-Ville Anchors      22    9   5   8    39   43   −4    23
 6 Batille Bataillon          22    9   4   9    54   58   −4    22
 7 Blackbay Islanders         22    9   2  11    62   53   +9    20
 8 Port-Crotay Cleaners       22    8   3  11    52   56   −4    19
 9 Couen Lancers              22    5   9   8    47   57  −10    19
10 Ocrebourg HC               22    6   6  10    51   58   −7    18
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11 Chaville Sabres            22    6   5  11    37   59  −22    17
12 Alexandrie HC              22    5   5  12    41   60  −19    15

Division 2

The second division is still a melting pot of skill levels, with a lot players finding spots on division 1 teams, it can be a tough sell to acquire the talent needed to compete. The race at the top might be competitive but it is often at the detriment of the lower ranked teams. The Suns, Patriots, Irish and Guys are all fighting for a spot in the newly minted promotion playoffs. The Lavante Suns are looking good with a four point lead heading into the mid-season break.

Division 2                   Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Lavante Suns               22   15   4   3    62   43  +19    34
 2 Planteau Patriots          22   13   4   5    66   48  +18    30
 3 Oreilly Irish              22   12   4   6    69   42  +27    28
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 4 Sherguy Guys               22   11   6   5    64   57   +7    28
 5 Conflans Flankers          22    9   6   7    54   47   +7    24
 6 Charme-du-lac HC           22    7   7   8    44   54  −10    21
 7 Yvesmont Yetis             22    8   4  10    65   58   +7    20
 8 Ouville Citoyens           22    7   4  11    53   58   −5    18
 9 Vilnay Racers              22    7   4  11    55   65  −10    18
10 Villy Squirrels            22    7   3  12    50   61  −11    17
11 Briardon Blades            22    5   6  11    40   65  −25    16
12 Boiscomplet Axes           22    3   4  15    40   64  −24    10

Up next

The next step for the PHA is the organisation of the annual Provincial Junior Clash. The best young talent from around the country will take part in order to showcase their talent to PHA scouts. PSN and The Patriotlandian Witness will bring complete coverage of the event.

By Roland Leduc, Grand-Ours, Province of Foubrac

With the mid-season break in the PHA means it's time once again for the Junior Provincial Clash. This year, the tournament is hosted in Grand-Ours and players will be able to explore the Pinewood Forum one of the biggest and most modern arena in the country. The hottest commodity this go around is Griffin Isles center Jason Calico. The 18 year-old is here to prove he is one of the most dominant players of his class and build on his already sky-high draft stock. Goaltender Axel Duvernay will also be one to look out for. The Couen prospect will be looking to impress his future managers to earn a shot in the top flight. The Abelanne formation is led by winger Sofie Bivouac. The 19 year-old developed a lot in the past year and evolved into in one of the greatest passers of her class.

Matchday 1

Defense was at a premium during the match between Foubrac and the Griffin Isles. Jason Calico's line was all over the opposing defence. The star prospect scored two goals and bag an assist to lead his team to a 5-3 win. In the second match, Abelanne clawed back from a 2-0 deficit and triumphed over Sourterre. The latter as been an underdog in previous tournaments and are looking to improve on those results.

Province of Foubrac 3–5 District of the Griffin Isles
Province of Abelanne 3–2 Province of Sourterre

  The Provincial Clash          Pld   W  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 District of the Griffin Isles   1   1  0    5   3  +2    2
2 Province of Abelanne            1   1  0    3   2  +1    2
3 Province of Sourterre           1   0  1    2   3  −1    0
4 Province of Foubrac             1   0  1    3   5  −2    0

Matchday 2

Sourterre came close once again to upset one of the top teams. With the game tied at three late in the third period, Jason Calico played the hero and gave his team the lead. The Griffins then scored the empty netter for insurance and solidify their lead. In the second matchup, Foubrac's defence managed to stave off the Abelans in a 3-1 win. Axel Duvernay saved 34 out of 35 shots as Sofie Bivouac was held scoreless even though she managed to create a significant amount of chances for her team.

District of the Griffin Isles 5–3 Province of Sourterre
Province of Foubrac 3–1 Province of Abelanne

  The Provincial Clash          Pld   W  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 District of the Griffin Isles   2   2  0   10   6  +4    4
2 Province of Foubrac             2   1  1    6   6   0    2
3 Province of Abelanne            2   1  1    4   5  −1    2
4 Province of Sourterre           2   0  2    5   8  −3    0

Matchday 3

For the fourth time in tournament history, the Griffin Isles swept the event with a convincing 4-1 victory the Province of Abelanne. The final game of the tournament opposed Foubrac and Sourterre. The former had the crowd behind them and the close fought game seemed to generate energy for players and fans alike. With the score still tied after overtime, a shootout was needed to declare a winner. With an unfortunate Foubrac miss on the fifth attemp, all that was needed was a goal to net Sourterre their first win of the event. The local fans were hoping Axel Duvernay would be able to keep them alive for one more attempt. In the end, Sourterre forward Blaise Parmentier forced Duvernay to move first and fired past the netminder to net his team the win. The team deserved a turn to good fortune after being so close to winning their previous encounters.

Province of Abelanne 1–4 District of the Griffin Isles
Province of Sourterre 3–3 Province of Foubrac (1–0 SO)

  The Provincial Clash          Pld   W  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 District of the Griffin Isles   3   3  0   14   7  +7    6
2 Province of Foubrac             3   1  1    9   9   0    3
3 Province of Abelanne            3   1  2    5   9  −4    2
4 Province of Sourterre           3   0  2    8  11  −3    1

By Roland Leduc

There is a lot still to play for as the second part of the PHA season get underway. The league's commissioner announced today in a surprising turn of events that the Division 1 regular season champion and the Patriot Cup playoffs champion would qualify for the Hockey Champions League's 20th edition. Additionally, there's been a lot of rumors of teams getting the financial backing to make the switch to a professional organization following the country's foray into international tournaments. Some big city teams that are at the present struggling have been mentioned in those rumors such as Conflans and Couen.

Division 1

The regular season crown never seemed in doubt for the Grand-Ours Bears, the team built upon their success in the first half of the season and closed it with the same amount of grit and determination to win that they have showed for years now. The Islanders and Flames were right behind them in securing their playoff spots with the former scoring 25 points in the second half of the season and jumping from 7th to 2nd. The final playoff spot was claimed by HC Jolicoeur. The Hearts didn't have the best ending to the season but still managed to keep ahead of their rivals. The Chaville Sabres were looking to get in better form after firing their head coach going into the mid-season break. The team consolidated and managed to get themselves out of the relegation spots, finishing 7th overall. Unfortunately for the Couen Lancers and Ocrebourg HC, they finished in the relegation spots and will have to play in Division 2 next season. There is bound to be some serious demand for change in the Foubracois capital. Couen had been struggling for a few seasons now but the demotion is a serious blow to the fans of the club who expects the team to be fighting for the top spots.

Division 1                   Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Grand-Ours Bears           44   24  12   8   123   81  +42    60	Regular Season Champions, HCL Qualified 
 2 Blackbay Islanders         44   24   7  13   126   91  +35    55	Playoffs 
 3 Asche Flames               44   24   6  14   118  104  +14    54	Playoffs
 4 HC Jolicoeur               44   17  13  14   116   97  +19    47	Playoffs
 5 Heron-sur-Fleuve HC        44   18   8  18   109  102   +7    44
 6 Batille Bataillon          44   17   9  18   111  120   −9    43
 7 Chaville Sabres            44   18   7  19    97  113  −16    43
 8 Port-Crotay Cleaners       44   16   8  20   105  111   −6    40
 9 Port-la-Ville Anchors      44   15   8  21    88  106  −18    38
10 Alexandrie HC              44   15   7  22    98  117  −19    37
11 Couen Lancers              44   11  12  21   100  125  −25    34
12 Ocrebourg HC               44   11  11  22   106  130  −24    33

Division 2

The second division had plenty of stories too. With the new promotional playoffs, more teams have a fighting chance to advance to the flight. At the halfway mark, the Lavante Suns were looking like the favourites to secure automatic promotion, however after a string of injuries and a few heartbreaking defeat, the Suns fell all the way to 6th place. It was the Planteau Patriots who capitalized and clinched automatic promotion. After a few years of being near the top of the table the Flankers and Irish are going to be the first teams to participate in the promotional playoffs. The best-of-5 series will be played in parallel with the Patriot Cup playoffs.

Division 2                   Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Planteau Patriots          44   27   8   9   125   94  +31    62	Regular season champion, Automatic promotion
 2 Conflans Flankers          44   22  11  11   124   89  +35    55	Promotion playoffs
 3 Oreilly Irish              44   20  11  13   123   88  +35    51	Promotion playoffs
 4 Sherguy Guys               44   20  11  13   113  109   +4    51
 5 Charme-du-lac HC           44   19  10  15   109  103   +6    48
 6 Lavante Suns               44   18   9  17   110  121  −11    45
 7 Yvesmont Yetis             44   19   6  19   129  109  +20    44
 8 Vilnay Racers              44   17  10  17   117  108   +9    44
 9 Ouville Citoyens           44   13   9  22   104  117  −13    35
10 Villy Squirrels            44   11  11  22    92  117  −25    33
11 Boiscomplet Axes           44   10  11  23    96  126  −30    31
12 Briardon Blades            44   10   9  25    84  145  −61    29

By Roland Leduc

Draft

With the end of last season, the managers turned to the draft to enlist help for the coming season. Stars from the previous Junior Clash were touted to go early in the event. Center Jason Calico went up to the stage on the second pick joining the Port-Crotay Cleaners. The 18 year old will look to bolster the Griffin Isles formation with his offensive play and great vision. Left wing Sofie Bivouac fell a bit to 6th pick Jolicoeur having been rated much higher in mock drafts earlier in the week. She will be looking to show the doubters wrong during her rookie season. Finally, Blaiser Parmentier surprisingly decided to sign with his hometown team, the Conflans Flankers. The newly promoted team needs a lot of improvements in order to stay in the top division. The young phenom had this to say about his decision: " I wanted to stay close to home. The Flankers have always been my home team and it will be an honour to represent them on the ice".

Division 1

Parity is closer than ever in the top flight, the season was full of ups and downs, but ended with the team from the capital on top of the standings. The Hubert Faraday Trophy is thus heading home with the legend having played most of his career in Jolicoeur. Surprisingly, the Bears had a tough season, the champions from last season failed to qualify for the playoffs for the first time since it's inception. Is it a sign that it's time for a rebuild or just a champion's slump? Only time will tell.

Division 1                   Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 HC Jolicoeur               44   25   6  13   116   92  +24    56	Regular Season Champions, HCL Qualified 
 2 Asche Flames               44   23   8  13   119   90  +29    54	Playoffs 
 3 Alexandrie HC              44   20   8  16    98   97   +1    48 	Playoffs
 4 Port-la-Ville Anchors      44   19   9  16   116   99  +17    47	Playoffs
 5 Chaville Sabres            44   20   7  17    98  104   −6    47
 6 Batille Bataillon          44   19   8  17    89   92   −3    46
 7 Blackbay Islanders         44   16  10  18   103  109   −6    42
 8 Grand-Ours Bears           44   17   6  21   105  108   −3    40
 9 Port-Crotay Cleaners       44   17   6  21    95  103   −8    40
10 Heron-sur-Fleuve HC        44   15  10  19    96  114  −18    40
11 Planteau Patriots          44   13   8  23    96  109  −13    34	Relegated
12 Conflans Flankers          44   15   4  25    87  101  −14    34	Relegated

Division 2

Despite losing key players due to retirement during the off season, the Couen Lancers managed to prove the belong in Division 1 after winning automatic promotion. Goaltender Axel Duvernay shined and helped his team with quality starts all season long. The Oreilly Irish are still within spitting distance of promotion having secured a spot in the promotion playoffs. The Foubrac formation has been on the cusp of promotion for the past few years. Will this be the year?

Division 2                   Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Couen Lancers              44   23   9  12   108   88  +20    55	Regular season champion, Automatic promotion
 2 Yvesmont Yetis             44   22   9  13   123   87  +36    53	Promotion playoffs
 3 Oreilly Irish              44   22   9  13   120   93  +27    53	Promotion playoffs
 4 Sherguy Guys               44   19  14  11   119  103  +16    52
 5 Ocrebourg HC               44   20  11  13   113   97  +16    51
 6 Charme-du-lac HC           44   18   7  19    98  106   −8    43
 7 Boiscomplet Axes           44   14  13  17    88   98  −10    41
 8 Lavante Suns               44   11  17  16    98  109  −11    39
 9 Vilnay Racers              44   15   9  20   100  112  −12    39
10 Villy Squirrels            44   12  13  19    94  113  −19    37
11 Ouville Citoyens           44   12   9  23    84   98  −14    33
12 Briardon Blades            44   10  12  22    96  137  −41    32

In a public announcement earlier today, Professional Soccer Association president Jean-Jacques Grivert unveiled plans for a new professional league bringing together eight of the country's biggest teams. The league will feature a 25 million Piastre salary cap and a franchise system so teams won't have to fear relegation. Rumors also arose that gas, oil and energy company Petro-Pat could be the title sponsor for this new league dubbed "Super 8".

"Soccer, football, whatever. The sport has been a part of this nation for a long time and it's time we finally structure it and help the athletes make a living out of it." said president Grivert.

The teams who have secured a spot are AS Couen, Athletique Alexandrie, CF Capitale (Jolicoeur), Grand-Ours Rovers, Griffin Isles United, Rapides St-Charles (Héron-sur-Fleuve), Stade Conflans and Union Port-la-Ville. A season will see the teams face each other 4 times for a total of 28 match days and the champion will be decided via the standings.

Finally, Mr. Grivert assured fans that the Super 8 league would follow the PHA's footsteps by allowing for men and women to compete together. This policy is a point of pride for sports in Patriotlandia.

We have plenty of things to discuss has the new first tier of Patriotlandia soccer got underway for it's inaugural season. Early favourites Union Port-la-Ville didn't have the start they were hoping for but have seemed to bounce back in recent weeks shrinking the gap to first place Stade Conflans. Conflans has been on a tear since opening it's new stadium. The 45,000 seat stadium has been hailed has one of the best in the league so far. Rapides St-Charles is going strong after 14 matchups and sits in 2 place.

Rounding off the top 4 is Griffin Isles United. Surprising quite a few critics the Griffins are only 3 points away from the lead in the championship. For the bottom four teams, it is fair to say that the season is not going how they had hoped. However they are still in contention for a decent finish and have all proven to be competitive at this level.

 Petro-Pat Super 8       Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Stade Conflans          14    8   2   4    20   18   +2    26
2 Rapides St-Charles      14    7   3   4    21   15   +6    24
3 Union Port-la-Ville     14    7   2   5    25   14  +11    23
4 Griffin Isles United    14    7   2   5    21   18   +3    23
5 Grand-Ours Rovers       14    5   2   7    20   25   −5    17
6 AS Couen                14    4   4   6    16   22   −6    16
7 CF Capitale             14    4   3   7    19   18   +1    15
8 Athletique Alexandrie   14    3   4   7    14   26  −12    13

---

The second half of the season has now concluded with Port-la-Ville taking home the silverware. The Union climbed through the standing after being in third place at the half. Stade Conflans had a reasonable shot at the title but had to win their final match and hope for a Union defeat against last place Athletique Alexandrie. Conflans lost 2-0 to AS Couen who were looking to act as spoilers to end the season on a high after falling to a disappointing 7th place. Griffin Isles United and Grand-Ours Rovers round up the top for and along with Stade Conflans are qualified for the IFCF Challengers Cup.

 Petro-Pat Super 8       Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Union Port-la-Ville     28   15   6   7    49   29  +20    51    Champions, IFCF CL Qualified
2 Stade Conflans          28   14   4  10    46   40   +6    46    IFCF CC Qualified
3 Griffin Isles United    28   12   5  11    43   37   +6    41    IFCF CC Qualified
4 Grand-Ours Rovers       28   11   5  12    42   46   −4    38    IFCF CC Qualified
5 Rapides St-Charles      28    9   9  10    37   36   +1    36
6 CF Capitale             28    9   8  11    34   39   −5    35
7 AS Couen                28    8  10  10    36   41   −5    34
8 Athletique Alexandrie   28    7   7  14    26   45  −19    28

We hope you liked reading up on the first season of the Petro-Pat Super 8 Football League and that you will join us next season.

By Roland Leduc

Return from international duty, promoting parity and a new identity

Gilles Nouvellan, president of the Patriotlandian Hockey Association, held a press conference last night going over the approved changes to Patriotlandian hockey following the yearly directors meeting. He also briefly discussed the national team's result in the recent World Cup of Hockey in Mercedini. The Mountaineers fell short of qualifying for the playoff round for a second time. The team finished second in their group after dropping valuable points in the group stage despite stealing a point off the eventual winners The Cordian Isles. Nouvellan expressed his disappointment at the result but advised that players, coaches and fans alike take some time before making brash decisions with the faith of the current team. He reiterated the need to trust the system in place and that no verdict would be reached until the debriefing and evaluation process finished. Reached for an interview, team captain Camille Danault said that she believes every player in that locker room to be capable of excelling at the international level.


The PHA president also announced a new revenue sharing policy between the first and second division that should help promote parity and help some teams make the jump from semi-professional to professional. The team directors also accepted a budget cap that should limit the spending of top clubs to attract and hoard talent. The PHA also changed international qualifying spots to four teams. This should help teams with extra revenues from HCL matches and hopefully attract international sponsors.

Finally, the PHA announced rebrandings of the top two divisions. PHA Division 1 will now be known has the Premier League Hockey (PLH). This rebranding should hopefully promote the PHA's top division as one of the top domestic leagues. The second division reached a sponsorship agreement with Dalton Breweries, the maker of Patriotlandia's favourite Red Squirrel beer. The title sponsorship deal combines with a rebranding to the Championnat de Hockey Patriotlandais (CHP). This rebranding is a reference to the old amateur national championship of years gone by. The sponsorship is the first step at securing the commercial viability of lower tier clubs. President Nouvellan asserted that Patriotlandian hockey wouldn't be the same without all the different leagues and ladder system so insuring that these teams prosper is a priority.

Draft

The PHA Draft is the next event on the agenda with teams looking to fill in gaps left by players moving away or retiring. It is worth noting that CHP teams are able to draft players as young as 17 years old whereas PLH teams can only draft 18 year olds and older. This gives a tactical advantage to the lower tier teams. However players who are unsigned can re-enter the draft after another year in the junior leagues. This ensures players are always in control of their own destiny.

With CHP teams starting this year's draft, Ocrebourg HC acquired young winger Veronique Durant. She will be asked to accompany center Jeremy Faraday to lead this team to promotion. The CHP club also signed veteran goal keeper Josee Sinclair to shore up their defensive play. The former Heron-sur-Fleuve player said she was looking forward to challenge for CHP promotion and that she is taking this opportunity very seriously. Patriot Cup champions Port-la-Ville Anchors recruited defender Stephane Vitreuil. He will look to make himself a spot on the opening day roster. The stay-at-home defenseman will be a nice complement to Janna Friedova's offensive style. Finally, another prospect to look out for will be Nathan Furtier of the Grand-Ours Bears. Retirements opened a few rosters spots and the 19 year old center will be looking to secure his place in one of the top contenders for the cup.

The PHL is off to a flying start. With the teams getting into form, we can finally get a picture of how the standings might look like at the end of the season.

The Blackbay Islanders came out of the gates in great form having only lost a single game. Marion Prunel has been instrumental to the teams success scoring six goals and putting up seven assists. After a disappointing season, the Fleuvians are in much better form this time with 19 year old rookie Antoine Sarignant proving he is worthy of a first division roster spot. Finishing off the top 4 are the Grand-Ours Bears and Port-la-Ville Anchors. The former are playing well despite a few retirements and an aging roster. Camille Danault has shown to be a good mentor for Nathan Furtier who managed to make the lineup despite plenty of experienced challengers. For the Patriot Cup champions, they managed to play well despite their offensive numbers not being as high as we have come to expect. Further down, we're surprised to see the Asche Flames in 7th place. The perennial contenders are in the wrong half of the standings but a couple of promising games, like a 3-1 victory against HC Jolicoeur has kept them in the hunt.

Premier League Hockey        Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Blackbay Islanders         11    7   3   1    34   19  +15    17
 2 Heron-sur-Fleuve HC        11    7   1   3    33   21  +12    15
 3 Grand-Ours Bears           11    6   2   3    29   24   +5    14
 4 Port-la-Ville Anchors      11    6   2   3    29   24   +5    14
 5 HC Jolicoeur               11    5   3   3    36   27   +9    13
 6 Couen Lancers              11    5   1   5    22   24   −2    11
 7 Asche Flames               11    4   2   5    27   27    0    10
 8 Batille Bataillon          11    3   4   4    21   27   −6    10
 9 Alexandrie HC              11    2   5   4    30   29   +1     9
10 Port-Crotay Cleaners       11    3   2   6    24   35  −11     8
11 Chaville Sabres            11    2   2   7    21   32  −11     6
12 Yvesmont Yetis             11    2   1   8    20   37  −17     5

---

With the festivities started in the PLH, it means the CHP is back in action as well. The race for promotion is as close as it's ever been. So far the Ouville Citoyens are ahead by single point and are having one of their best season start. The newly relegated Flankers are in second place, looking to secure promotion once again. Their new management said before the season that this cycle of ups and downs are not what they strive to be and will be looking to add to the team in order to make their stay in the CHP as shorts as possible. The Lavante Suns are also having a great start. The team is lead by homegrown winger Charles Gilbert who was promoted to the first team from the junior ranks. The 17 year old is showing he can play in the realm of adults and has scored an impressive eight goals so far. In tenth place, we find last year's promotion playoffs finalists the Irish. The team has seen a number of changes since failing to secure promotion for a third straight year. However new head coach, Ian Graff has not impressed so far with his team securing only two wins in the first eleven matches.

Championnat de Hockey Patriotlandia     Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Ouville Citoyens                      11    6   2   3    28   24   +4    14
 2 Conflans Flankers                     11    4   5   2    32   25   +7    13
 3 Lavante Suns                          11    6   1   4    28   26   +2    13
 4 Sherguy Guys                          11    6   1   4    26   25   +1    13
 5 Planteau Patriots                     11    5   2   4    24   19   +5    12
 6 Ocrebourg HC                          11    5   2   4    30   26   +4    12
 7 Vilnay Racers                         11    4   4   3    26   25   +1    12
 8 Briardon Blades                       11    3   4   4    18   27   −9    10
 9 Charme-du-lac HC                      11    4   1   6    28   26   +2     9
10 Oreilly Irish                         11    2   4   5    23   25   −2     8
11 Villy Squirrels                       11    3   2   6    23   30   −7     8
12 Boiscomplet Axes                      11    2   4   5    16   24   −8     8

At the halfway point of the season, the Blackbay Islanders are still at the top of the division with a tiny one point lead. The team from the Griffin Isles went 3-3-5 in their last 11, a performance that is sure raise some eyebrows from fans who were hoping for a clear championship run. HC Jolicoeur have had a great second stretch climbing from fifth place having won five games. Frank Dunlop seems to have improve his offensive game this off season and he now captains their resurging power play unit. The Anchors, Fleuvians and Bears complete the top five. The Flames have started to get into shape and the Port-Crotay Cleaners managed to bag 14 points seeing them climb up to 7th spot. The field is surprisingly close with first to eleventh place separated by only 7 points. The Sabres and Yetis are still fighting to get out of the relegation zone. The Chaville team has seen decent success in recent years but injuries to starting goaltender Léa Gagné has really kept them from hitting their stride.

Premier League Hockey        Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts  
 1 Blackbay Islanders         22   10   6   6    56   45  +11    26
 2 HC Jolicoeur               22   10   5   7    65   54  +11    25
 3 Port-la-Ville Anchors      22    8   9   5    49   44   +5    25
 4 Heron-sur-Fleuve HC        22   11   2   9    55   48   +7    24
 5 Grand-Ours Bears           22   10   4   8    50   45   +5    24
 6 Asche Flames               22    9   5   8    55   46   +9    23
 7 Port-Crotay Cleaners       22    9   4   9    53   58   −5    22
 8 Couen Lancers              22    9   3  10    45   52   −7    21
 9 Alexandrie HC              22    7   6   9    57   58   −1    20
10 Batille Bataillon          22    7   6   9    46   48   −2    20
11 Chaville Sabres            22    8   3  11    50   57   −7    19
12 Yvesmont Yetis             22    6   3  13    46   72  −26    15

---

The competition in the CHP is just as close. The Flankers have made their way to the top rank with a single point lead over the Lavante Suns. The Guys, Citoyens and Irish are all within striking of a playoff spot. The Patriots were having a good start of the season but recent injury struggle has caused them to skid and win a single game in their last eleven.

Championnat de Hockey Patriotlandia     Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Conflans Flankers                     22   11   6   5    60   42  +18    28
 2 Lavante Suns                          22   13   1   8    62   53   +9    27
 3 Sherguy Guys                          22   12   2   8    56   54   +2    26
 4 Ouville Citoyens                      22    9   7   6    58   52   +6    25
 5 Oreilly Irish                         22    8   8   6    52   44   +8    24
 6 Vilnay Racers                         22    8   8   6    57   56   +1    24
 7 Ocrebourg HC                          22    9   4   9    57   60   −3    22
 8 Villy Squirrels                       22    7   6   9    50   52   −2    20
 9 Charme-du-lac HC                      22    7   4  11    56   58   −2    18
10 Briardon Blades                       22    6   6  10    43   56  −13    18
11 Planteau Patriots                     22    6   5  11    42   51   −9    17
12 Boiscomplet Axes                      22    4   7  11    41   56  −15    15

Having reached the top of the metaphorical hill that is the PLH season, we are now quickly making our way to the Patriot Cup playoffs. The Anchors continued their good run and reached the top step of the standings, but a couple of losses to the Sabres and Bataillon have left them within reach and they will be looking to solidify their lead in games to come. The Flames have surged forward in the last eleven games, reaching second place heading into the last quarter of the season with a first place finish being a possibility. The standing from third to tenth place are as close as ever. The fight for the last playoffs spots encompasses almost every team in the league so predictions, at this point, are still impossible. Unfortunately for the Yetis, their short stay in the top flight seems over. Unless they can perform some kind of miracle to finish out the season, the teams ahead have such a lead that it is unrealistic to believe a comeback is possible. Francis St-Yves general manager for the team as cited recruitment issues as the cause for their struggles with the team no being able to attract the talent required to transform them into a first division club.

Premier League Hockey        Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts  
 1 Port-la-Ville Anchors      33   14  12   7    81   65  +16    40
 2 Asche Flames               33   16   7  10    85   66  +19    39
 3 Blackbay Islanders         33   13   9  11    80   70  +10    35
 4 Grand-Ours Bears           33   15   5  13    81   72   +9    35
 5 HC Jolicoeur               33   13   8  12    93   86   +7    34
 6 Alexandrie HC              33   12  10  11    86   82   +4    34
 7 Couen Lancers              33   13   7  13    75   74   +1    33
 8 Heron-sur-Fleuve HC        33   15   3  15    86   86    0    33
 9 Batille Bataillon          33   12   9  12    75   77   −2    33
10 Chaville Sabres            33   13   6  14    69   75   −6    32
11 Port-Crotay Cleaners       33   12   6  15    76   90  −14    30
12 Yvesmont Yetis             33    6   6  21    63  107  −44    18

---

The battle for the promotion spots is well underway. The Guys have a small two point lead at the top but are followed closely by the Flankers, Irish, Citoyens and Suns fighting for the playoff spots. Lavante has been riding the high of their good start to the season but have regressed from second to fifth. The Flankers look in good shape to have a chance at rejoining the PLH next year. The Sourterre capital has been buzzing all season with the team always flirting with the top spot. Lower down in seventh place, Ocrebourg HC are not having the season they expected. Rookie Véronique Durant has played well but shows signs that she still needs development. In net, Josée Sinclair has not shown her usual confidence leading to plenty of blown leads and a league worst 89 goals against.

Championnat de Hockey Patriotlandia     Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Sherguy Guys                          33   19   4  10    87   76  +11    42
 2 Conflans Flankers                     33   15  10   8    84   65  +19    40
 3 Oreilly Irish                         33   15  10   8    80   65  +15    40
 4 Ouville Citoyens                      33   14  11   8    89   76  +13    39
 5 Lavante Suns                          33   17   4  12    85   73  +12    38
 6 Vilnay Racers                         33   13   9  11    80   77   +3    35
 7 Ocrebourg HC                          33   13   5  15    85   89   −4    31
 8 Villy Squirrels                       33   10  10  13    69   75   −6    30
 9 Charme-du-lac HC                      33   11   7  15    83   86   −3    29
10 Briardon Blades                       33    8  11  14    69   88  −19    27
11 Planteau Patriots                     33    8  10  15    64   76  −12    26
12 Boiscomplet Axes                      33    4  11  18    57   86  −29    19

The Asche Flames completed the season turn around finishing in first place of the standing after a difficult start. Grand-Ours, Alexandrie, Port-la-Ville are the other teams qualifying for the playoffs. The Islanders, who were looking to be in great place to qualify for the playoffs, have fallen all the way down to ninth. Rivals Jolicoeur and Heron-sur-Fleuve have finished equal on points and just a single point away from the playoffs. As for relegation, the PHL adventure is unfortunately over for the Chaville Sabres and Yvesmont Yetis.

Premier League Hockey        Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts  
 1 Asche Flames               44   22  10  12   115   89  +26    54  Regular Season Champions, HCL Qualified 
 2 Grand-Ours Bears           44   21   8  15   109   95  +14    50  HCL Qualified
 3 Alexandrie HC              44   18  13  13   114  101  +13    49  HCL Qualified
 4 Port-la-Ville Anchors      44   15  15  14    97   92   +5    45  HCL Qualified
 5 HC Jolicoeur               44   17  10  17   117  112   +5    44
 6 Heron-sur-Fleuve HC        44   20   4  20   111  113   −2    44
 7 Couen Lancers              44   17   9  18   100   95   +5    43
 8 Batille Bataillon          44   16  11  17    95  102   −7    43
 9 Blackbay Islanders         44   15  12  17   100   97   +3    42
10 Port-Crotay Cleaners       44   16   8  20   106  120  −14    40
11 Chaville Sabres            44   15  10  19    91  105  −14    40
12 Yvesmont Yetis             44   13   8  23    95  129  −34    34

---

In the CHP, the Guys assured their promotion by securing first place in the standings via tie breaker. The Guys had four more wins than the Flankers which proved to be the difference. Conflans managed to finish the season with less then 10 losses a feat rarely seen in a 44 game season. The Flankers will be competing with the Lavante Suns in the playoff in order to slot themselves in the last promotion spot. The Racers, Citoyens and Irish all finished within grasp of a playoff spot. Hopefully some offseason additions could be what the teams need to for a championship run next season.

Championnat de Hockey Patriotlandia     Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Sherguy Guys                          44   24   7  13   120  105  +15    55  Regular Season Champions, Promoted
 2 Conflans Flankers                     44   20  15   9   115   91  +24    55  Promotion Playoffs
 3 Lavante Suns                          44   22   8  14   111   95  +16    52  Promotion Playoffs
 4 Vilnay Racers                         44   19  12  13   111  103   +8    50
 5 Ouville Citoyens                      44   17  15  12   118  105  +13    49
 6 Oreilly Irish                         44   18  12  14   108   94  +14    48
 7 Villy Squirrels                       44   14  14  16    97  103   −6    42
 8 Charme-du-lac HC                      44   15  11  18   109  110   −1    41
 9 Briardon Blades                       44   15  11  18   100  118  −18    41
10 Ocrebourg HC                          44   15   8  21   109  120  −11    38
11 Planteau Patriots                     44   10  11  23    90  107  −17    31
12 Boiscomplet Axes                      44    7  12  25    82  119  −37    26

The promotional playoffs were the first to get underway. The Conflans Flankers and Lavante Suns were competing to see who would join the Sherguy Guys in the Premier League next season. In the first match, the Suns stunned the Conflanian crowd with an early goal. Despite pressure by the Flankers throughout the rest of the first period, they would come out trailing by one. The rest of the game provided back and forth action, but it was the Suns who managed to double their lead and open the series with a win. One could see, in the second game, that the Flankers weren't going to be outdone twice in a row at home. The team used home ice advantage well and secured a 5-3 victory. The series than went to Lavante for the next two games with both teams being able to close out the series with two wins. The Flankers took game 3 with a well fought 2-1 win. Game 4 was tied at three after two periods but pressure from the Flankers eventually edged them out on top and they then added two empty netters to seal the deal.

In the PLH, the first series opposed local rivals Asche Flames and Port-la-Ville Anchors. The Flames had home ice advantage to start the series. Back from a brief injury stint, Hervé Terellien closed down every opportunity for the Anchors, leading his team to a 2-1 victory. Luck would turn in the second game for the regular season champions. In the firs period, the Anchors executed their game plan to perfection. While the defense shut down the Flames, the explosive counter-attack put pressure on Terrellien. Building on this pressure, Offmeister, Friedova and Kayla Poch all found the back of the net. With the momentum in their favor going into their home stint, the Anchors treated their fans to a 3-2 and 3-1 victories to close out the series. Although they are assured to not have home ice advantage, the returning champions will have a chance to defend their championship.

In the second series, Alexandrie HC faced off against perennial contender, the Grand-Ours Bears. The series got off to a blistering start after an offensive matchup in game one was capped off by Axel Plouffe in overtime. The Bears than put Alexandrie on the ropes by winning game two convincingly. Star players Cassandra Gaulin and Gabriel Durant helped their team stay alive with game winning goals. With the series going to a final winner take all game, plenty of players could be the hero and lead their team to the final. In the final game, it looked like the stress of the playoffs finally got to young Bears goaltender Frederic Dagenais. He let in a soft goal from a routine shot from Brandon Hudon. With the scoring opened, the Bears seemed to be on the back foot and struggled to get going. Despite the intensity of the game, both teams then struggled to produce offense and turn the momentum in their favor. With the Bears hoping to keep their playoffs alive, late in the third, with an extra attacker, Francis Duhamel sealed their fate with an empty netter to propelled the Cosmonauts to the final for their first time in their history.

Alexandrie took the finals lead with two convincing victories. The team was sound defensively and held the defending champs to only two goals in two games. With their backs against the wall, the Anchors turned things around in their home stint taking a 5-3 victory in game 4 to force a decisive game 5. In the rubber match, Alexandrie piled the pressure from the opening puck drop. Renée Latraverse kept her team in the game with robbery level saves. With the match tied after one, the Anchors gave hope to their travelling fanbase by opening the scoring with a shot from Kayla Poch. The joy was ephemeral as a shot from Cassandra Gaulin made it's way through traffic to beat Latraverse and tied the game at one. An unfortunate penalty to rookie Stephane Vitreuil gave the opportunity to Alexandrie to break the deadlock. Francis Duhamel found the back of the net only seconds into the numerical advantage. The Cosmonauts then went on full defensive mode as the Anchors were pulling all the stops to get back in the game. As the final horn rang out, the home crowd was overjoyed and Amphitheatre Bill Major was vibrating from all the energy. The semi-professional team has accomplished what most can only dream of and beat the biggest team in the league final. The streets of the city were filled with a party atmosphere throughout the night. Fireworks, drinks and chants were common. In a bizarre story, an Alexandrian was arrest for being in possession of a controlled substance. The weirdness comes from the fact that the suspect as been confirmed to be the Alexandrie HC mascot Polaris.

We a second season of professional soccer kicking off, it is time for a quick preview to catch up on the happenings since last season. The teams were cautious during their first transfer window, most teams decided to shore up their defence in a bid to help with future IFCF endeavours.
Stade Conflans signed left back Ferry Brandt from the Brookford Otters. The team also used their option on prospect goaltender Laura O'neill who was playing with Mountaineers United in the Pinnacle series. With injury concerns always floating around starting keeper Jules Brind'amour, the rookie is sure to see some action this season which could fast track her development even further. The 18 year old announced to her social media following that she couldn't wait to be in Conflans and get the season started. She added that she would work with the team's media employees to bring behind the scene access to her fanbase. Critics were fast to doubt the young player, stating that she needed to concentrate on her game, but a recognized and popular star could be what the sport needs in country where it just started to make an appearence.

Meanwhile, AS Couen signed midfielder Anders Wallcroft also from Nephara. Meanwhile, Athletique Alexandrie acquired the services of defensive midfielder Tony Ellmenreich. The big man comes highly praised and will surely help the A's play soundly in their own half. The team struggled last season ending up with the worst goal differential at -19.

Finally, the champions added Francis Fortinello to their squad. The highly touted prospect is regarded as one of the country's future stars, but pundits were quick to criticize the front office for signing him this early in his development instead of using a Development Option Contract with a Pinnacle series team. Manager Stéphane Rogaillon stated that he believes Francis would be better served observing top flight talent in person and that time with the practice squad will well be worth it.

As with the new season, a new edition of the Omnium du Montagnard (eng: Montaineer's Open) is setting up to begin. The final site is rumored to be Couen's Arène Alphonse-Sintegne which would mark the first time in the last decade that the national cup final strayed away from the Navy Memorial Stadium in Port-la-Ville. The tournament format grants byes to Super 8 teams until the round of 16 while Pinnacle clubs will enter in the first or second round depending on seeding from last season standings.

After a hard fought season, Athlétique Alexandrie as come out victorious. The team that was last in the previous season has managed the unthinkable a secured the coveted silverware. No doubt aided by their new acquisition during the transfer window, the A's really improved on the defensive side this season surrendering almost half as many goals as last season. Goalkeeper Renald Legrand as been showing great progress since making his way to the top flight. The young keeper will surely be eyeing a fight for the starting spot heading into the next international window. Tony Ellmenreich, the new transfer from Kaldlakris Drazieu in Tjorl, has been exemplary in defense and even used his size to net a few goals on set pieces. For defending champions Union Port-la-Ville, second place feels like a consolation prize. The squad was expected to top the table once more but dropped some crucial points along the way. The team's offense seemed to be as potent but miscues and well drawn counter attacks showed cracks in the Union wall. Manager Stéphane Rogaillon will no doubt be looking to improve his squad in order to take back their spot on the throne. Griffin Isles United's season has pretty much been a carbon copy of the last. The Griffins played well and their place at the top of a really tight midfield is a testament to that. Finally, Rapides St-Charles closed out the top four. The formation out of Héron-sur-Fleuve, added a single point to their tally form last season but it proved to be enough to net them into the IFCF spots.

Following right behind them, AS Couen were the first team out of the top four, missing out on the honours by a margin of a single point. Stade Conflans who were initially penned in for an easy top four found themselves two points short in the end. Finally, the Grand-Ours Rovers and CF Capitale had a league season to forget but they will surely be looking to change things up this off-season.

 Petro-Pat Super 8        Pld   W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Athletique Alexandrie   28   13  11   4    35   23  +12    50    Champions, IFCF CL Qualified
2 Union Port-la-Ville     28   12   7   9    41   38   +3    43    IFCF CC Qualified
3 Griffin Isles United    28    9  11   8    37   34   +3    38    IFCF CC Qualified
4 Rapides St-Charles      28   10   7  11    37   40   −3    37    IFCF CC Qualified
5 AS Couen                28    8  12   8    32   29   +3    36
6 Stade Conflans          28    8  11   9    35   41   −6    35
7 Grand-Ours Rovers       28    7  10  11    37   38   −1    31
8 CF Capitale             28    6   9  13    27   38  −11    27

PSP Pinnacle Series

It was a great season in the Pinnacle series as well. Olympique Yvesmont ran away to first place. The OY seemed to have filled the void left by Gabriel Covenant in the midfield, striker Heather Graham really stepped up and propelled her team to the top step. Asche City and Belleriviere Wanderers complete the top three who will be eligible for Liga B Champions Trophy qualification. The Wanderers had an incredible run this coming a point short from second place. The small town of 45,000 has really been buzzing with excitement these past few seasons with their team coming in fifth last year. Belleriviere is led by right back Olivier Tomlin who has been flying down the wing all season. The 19 year old is assured to garner some interest from Super 8 clubs, but the young prospect might even want to try the open market. Olivier is not currently under any development deal, he flew under the radar until his rise to prominence brought him to the first team.

 PSP Pinnacle Series presented by PatrioComm     Pld   W   D   L    GF   GA   GD    Pts 
 1 Olympique Yvesmont                            42   26  10   6    82   37  +45    88     LBCT Qualified
 2 Asche City                                    42   22  10  10    70   46  +24    76     LBCT Qualified
 3 Belleriviere Wanderers                        42   21  12   9    58   39  +19    75     LBCT Qualified
 4 Lavante SC                                    42   19  12  11    63   48  +15    69
 5 AS Vilnay                                     42   21   5  16    61   59   +2    68
 6 Stade Senterre                                42   18  13  11    53   47   +6    67
 7 Briardon City                                 42   19   7  16    56   49   +7    64
 8 Seine-la-Victoire                             42   18  10  14    56   53   +3    64
 9 Bonneville AFC                                42   17   8  17    61   56   +5    59
10 Couen Arsenal                                 42   16  11  15    58   57   +1    59
11 Boiscomplet Forest                            42   15  12  15    59   58   +1    57
12 Vendatil Green and Gold                       42   15  11  16    53   58   −5    56
13 Batille Sailors FC                            42   14  13  15    63   57   +6    55
14 CA Monte                                      42   14  10  18    55   63   −8    52
15 Mountaineer United                            42   13  11  18    62   76  −14    50
16 Sherwood FC                                   42   13   9  20    45   61  −16    48
17 Lakers FC                                     42   13   8  21    53   62   −9    47
18 Chaville Locomotive                           42   12  11  19    50   51   −1    47
19 CF Montboreal                                 42   12  10  20    51   65  −14    46
20 Planteau SC                                   42   10  12  20    45   68  −23    42
21 Brodard SC                                    42    8  17  17    47   66  −19    41
22 Darlin Athletic                               42    9  12  21    44   69  −25    39

It's finally time for the national cup! The Omnium du Montagnard is a tournament inviting every professional club in the country. Both level of football thus have a chance to win the prized silverware and crown themselves the best team in Patriotlandia. The first round opposes teams from the Pinnacle Series, while the top eight teams are given a bye for the first round, the rest battle it out for advancement.

First Round
Lakers FC 2-1 Darlin Athletic
The first match saw Darlin Athletic take an early lead against Lakers FC. The team from Thouy-sur-lac would battle back in the second half securing the 2-1 win.

Vendatil Green and Gold 3-1 AS Vilnay
The Green and Gold took and commanding lead in the first half and closed with a 3-1 win to start the tournament.

CF Montboreal 3-0 Planteau SC
Montboreal managed to capitalize off of some shoddy defending from Planteau SC to come up with a convincing win.

Brodard SC 1-2 Asche City
Brodard showed plenty of resilience but the Phoenixes proved too much. Easing their way past with some brilliant play in the second half.

Stade Senterre 0-2 Chaville Locomotive
The scoreline doesn't reflect how close this game was. Both side played gingerly to start until play opened up with chances at both sides. Locomotive had the finishing to surge ahead in the end.

Couen Arsenal 3-2 Briardon City
In one of the most exciting match of the first round, Couen Arsenal secures advancement with a late set play. Bryan Risckett heading the ball past the Briardon netminder.

Second Round
CA Monte 1-4 Bonneville AFC
For a game that had all the makings of an even contest. Bonneville AFC stunned the home crowd by scoring three goals in the first half. Despite late signs of life from the Monte team, Bonneville secures a meeting with defending Super 8 champions Union Port-la-Ville.

Sherwood FC 0-1 Lakers FC
In a southern Foubrac rivalry match up, the two teams took the field in despicable weather. With rain pouring down from the heavens, the Lakers capitalised off a counter attack with a brilliant run from striker Jean Duhamel.

Mountaineer United 1-0 Vendatil Green and Gold
The Green and Gold tried to build off the momentum of their first win of the tournament but the energy seemed to flame out early in the second half. Mountaineer United only needed one lapse in judgement to score the go ahead goal.

Seine-la-Victoire 1-2 CF Montboreal
The deadlock in the contest was finally broken by an exquisite long range strike from Samuelle Savoie-Smith.

Lavante SC 1-2 Batille Sailors FC
Batille came back from an early deficit to eliminate Lavante and secure a ticket to the next round.

Belleriviere Wanderers 2-0 Asche City
The Wanderers played with purpose. Asche City never had a chance to settle in the game.

Olympique Yvesmont 1-0 Chaville Locomotive
L'OY showed their class and put on a dominating performance to knock out the Locomotive and start their tournament journey with a win.

Boiscomplet Forest 2-1 Couen Arsenal
The Forest secured the win in the final minutes of injury time. The Arsenal played a great game against one of the top team in the Pinnacle series.

Round of 16
With the first two rounds behind us, the Round of 16 sees the entry of all Super 8 clubs into the Omnium.

Union Port-la-Ville 3-1 Bonneville AFC
Bonneville showed some fight in the first half heading into the break with the game tied at one. However the league champions brought the pressure during the second 45 minutes with goals from Fortinello and Salaison to secure the win.

Griffin Isles United 2-0 Lakers FC
Richard Hamelion scored a brace to get his team the lead they needed to secure victory. The winger showed his pace and dribbling skills and completely diced the Lakers defence.

Rapides St-Charles 2-0 Mountaineer United
In another local rivalry matchup, Rapides St-Charles took control of the game early, dominating possession and creating plenty of offensive chances. Desrives was the one able to break the deadlock with a later goal from Klarin on a corner kick as insurance.

AS Couen 2-2 CF Montboreal (3-4 on Penalties)
The CF was responsible for the first big upset of the tournament. Despite a less than ideal season in the Pinnacle Series Montboreal took the fight to AS Couen in a match that needed penalties to crown a winner. Jordan Alistair opened the scoring from a brilliant cross into the box. Couen wasted no time coming back into the game with Anders Wallcroft serving a perfect through ball sending Couen's striker straight on goal. Jerome Fusilier would give the Lions the lead, but Montboreal would tie the game off a Brennan Dietrich own goal. With extra time ending at a deadlock, penalties were needed. Montboreal were almost perfect from the spot netting four out of five. Couen, however, saw Tireuil and Quesnel miss the net. An overjoyed CF Montboreal team charged to celebrate with their keeper having completed the first giant killing of this edition of the Omnium.

Stade Conflans 1-2 Batille Sailors FC
Batille shocked the Conflans crowd at Champs-de-Mars Stadium with a late goal off a Bruno Vaillancourt turnover. The visiting section burst into celebrations that didn't stop until a long time past the final whistle.

Grand-Ours Rovers 3-1 Belleriviere Wanderers
The Rovers left no doubt on who was the better team out on the pitch. They dominated all facets of the game and the clean sheet was only broken by a singular lapse in the defence that lead to a Belleriviere penalty.

CF Capitale 0-3 Olympique Yvesmont
CF Capitale played a disastrous game, turnovers were a problem early enabling Yvesmont to take control and not let the Jolicoeur team to settle in.

Athletique Alexandrie 2-1 Boiscomplet Forest
A mistake from Legrand makes the scoreline look much closer than it really was.

Quarter Finals
Union Port-la-Ville 1-0 Griffin Isles United
With the semi-finals within sight, both teams played a safe game with neither of them being able to pierce the others defence. Francis Fortinello eventually broke the deadlock in the 64th minute.

Rapides St-Charles 1-2 CF Montboreal
CF Montboreal's impressive run of form continued in this quarter-final meeting with Rapides St-Charles. Montboreal's Jordan Alistair scored a brace to get his team ahead which seemed to break the Rapides' morale.

Batille Sailors FC 0-1 Grand-Ours Rovers
The Rovers tactics vastly out performed their opponents but Batille's defence was impenetrable until a Elie Manahan free kick was directed in by Nathan Melançon.

Olympique Yvesmont 1-0 Athletique Alexandrie
L'Olympique were facing a serious opponent in Alexandrie who are having a dream season in the Super 8. Both teams played sound tactics probing their opponents for a weak point. Just when fans were starting to think extra time would be necessary, Heather Graham scored off the counter to propel her team to the semi-finals.

Semi Finals
Union Port-la-Ville 0-1 CF Montboreal
With every victory comes the growing expectations of success. CF Montboreal once again showed they can be a tough opponent for any team. Facing the defending Super 8 champions, the CF was not scared to press and force mistakes out of their opponents. Though most offensive chances were turned away by the Union's great defence. Miscommunication on a Montboreal corner kick was eventually Union Port-la-Ville's downfall as the ball was deflected past Lataupe.

Grand-Ours Rovers 2-1 Olympique Yvesmont
While the Olympique would like to follow in the footsteps of their Pinnacle series companion CF Montboreal in the final, the Rovers had their number strategically during the whole match. While Yvesmont fans gained hope in the second half when the Rovers' lead was cut down to one but unfortunately, their comeback would fall short.

Final
The final saw CF Montboreal and Grand-Ours Rovers take the field in Arène Alphonse-Sintegne. The AS Couen stadium was packed to capacity with teams from both allegiances. The atmosphere was electric as the teams emerged from the tunnel. Zachary Trell opened the scoring for the rovers with a brilliant run down the left flank. The Rovers then doubled their lead going into the end of the half. After the break, CF Montboreal mounted some pressure to get back in the game that culminated in a Samuelle Savoie-Smith goal in the 67th minute. The Rovers eventually brought their lead back to two off a Manahan corner kick. With the final whistle, the Grand-Ours Rovers secured their third Omnium championship in their history.

With the professional hockey seasons in the PHL and CHP getting underway shortly, the Junior Provincial Clash is the last chance for prospects to increase their stock heading into the draft. This edition is special as a lot of players were part of the Junior Mountaineers team that won the World Junior Championship. The players were treated to a hero's welcome with a banquet held in their honor. They eached received a commemorative ring to celebrate the occasion.

The tournament is held in the defending champion's province. Players gathered in Blackbay, Griffin isles and got ready for a full week of action. In addition to the round robin tournament, players are expected to meet with team directors and scouts for interviews.

Team Presentation (notable players):
District of the Griffin Isles

LW	Grant Biersen		Oreilly Junior Irish	M	19	Blackbay, Griffin Isles
RW	James Persol		Senterre Titans		M	19	Blackbay, Griffin Isles
C	Jean-Marc Marinier	Bonneville Cannoneers	M	18	Preville, Griffin Isles
D	Terry Saltera		Galvant Guerriers	F	18	Blackbay, Griffin Isles
C	Henry Noliet		Bonneville Cannoneers	M	17	Bonneville, Griffin Isles
RW	Grace Fidello		Port-Crotay Seadogs	F	17	Berry, Griffin Isles

Province of Abelanne

D	William Faucher		Asche Devils		M	19	Asche, Abelanne
D	Francis Vergne		Grangy Rapids		M	19	Port-la-ville, Abelanne
LW	Veronique Gauret	Couen Lancer Academy	F	19	Port-la-ville, Abelanne
RW	Raymond Quesnel		Roquenoy Faucons	M	19	Port-la-ville, Abelanne
D	Olivier Francoeur	Pancoeur Archers	M	18	Port-la-ville, Abelanne
G	Charles Bureau		Belleriviere Voltigeurs	M	17	Belleriviere, Abelanne

Province of Foubrac

G	Claude Juvais	Asche Devils		M	19	Heron-sur-fleuve, Foubrac
LW	Maellie Ranger	Marvoy Phenix		F	18	Heron-sur-fleuve, Foubrac
RW	Remi Dartagne	Berry Penguins		M	18	Grand-Ours, Foubrac
C	Julien Durant	Galvant Guerriers	M	17	Heron-sur-fleuve, Foubrac
D	Patrick Savane	Marrevillor Knights	M	17	Couen, Foubrac
D	Phillipe Merle	Jolicoeur Capitale	M	17	Alexandrie, Foubrac

Province of Sourterre

LW	Genevieve Herault	Planteau Roadrunners	F	19	Sour, Sourterre
C	Karl Nivien		Persy Jackalopes	M	18	Vendatil, Sourterre
G	Beth Clement		Persy Jackalopes	F	18	Planteau, Sourterre
C	Nicolas Grenier		Grangy Rapids		M	17	Conflans, Sourterre
D	Brett Holloway		Marrevillor Knights	M	17	Conflans, Sourterre
RW	Violette Lecavalier	Sour Hurricanes		F	17	Conflans, Sourterre

Matchday 1
District of the Griffin Isles 3–2 Province of Sourterre
Province of Foubrac 3–1 Province of Abelanne

Two goals from Grant Biersen gave the Griffin Isles an early lead but goals from Genevieve Herault and Nicolas Grenier brought Sourterre back on level terms. With a few minutes left in the third period, James Persol would beat Beth Clement with the go ahead goal.
In the second match, Remi Dartagne and Maellie Ranger of Foubrac led their team to a three goal lead. Goaltender Claude Juvais managed to keep the lead intact for a long time before being beaten by a perfect from Veronique Gauret.

Matchday 2
Province of Sourterre 2–1 Province of Abelanne
District of the Griffin Isles 2–0 Province of Foubrac

Despite an early goal from Francis Vergne giving Abelanne the lead, Sourterre dominated possession and the momentum but Charles Bureau was perfect in goal in the early goings. Karl Nivien finally solved the riddle early in the second period and Violet Lecavalier gave Sourterre the lead not too long after that.
After a strong opening game, the Griffin Isles caught Foubrac by surprise with strong defensive play that kept their top scorers off the scorecard. Meanwhile, Jean-Marc Marinier and Henry Noliet beat Juvais to lead the hosts to a 2-0 victory.

Matchday 3
Province of Foubrac 3–1 Province of Sourterre
Province of Abelanne 2–0 District of the Griffin Isles

The Foubraccian team bounced back from their defeat to the Griffin Isles with a convincing 3-1 win over Sourterre.
Abelanne stunned the home crowd with a 2-0 victory over the Griffin Isles. Despite the results, there wasn't any significant changes to the standings. The final will place Foubrac and the Griffin Isles in position to take gold while the bronze final will be disputed between Abelanne and Sourterre.

The Provincial Clash            Pld   W  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Province of Foubrac             3   2  1    6   4  +2    4
2 District of the Griffin Isles   3   2  1    5   4  +1    4
3 Province of Abelanne            3   1  2    4   5  −1    2
4 Province of Sourterre           3   1  2    5   7  −2    2

Bronze Final
Province of Abelanne 2–2 Province of Sourterre (3–2 OT)

The final day of the tournament opened with a tightly contested game. Both teams were able to generate offensive chances.Nicolas Grenier was the first to find the back of the net for Sourterre shortly followed up by Karl Nivien. Quesnel and Vergne would then bring the game level. Veronique Gauret scored in overtime to complete the comback for Abelanne and seized the bronze medal for her team.

Final
Province of Foubrac 1–1 District of the Griffin Isles (2–1 OT)

The final was a cagey affair with both teams seemingly afraid to make a mistake. James Persol was first to score on Claude Juvais, but the Foubraccian defense would tighten up for the rest of the game negating any pressure the Griffin Isles tried to apply. Phillipe Merle would tie things at one with 5 minutes left in the game to send the final to overtime.After a few back and forth chances on either sides, Remi Dartagne found the back of the net to secure gold for Foubrac.

The seventh season of the PLH saw the Blackbay Islanders secure the top spot in the standings. The team managed to stay in the single digit number of defeats for the season. Gilles Curtis had a great season but was showing signs of age as the rumor mill about a possible retirement flared up as the season moved along. Port-la-Ville Anchors qualified for the playoffs for a sixth time in seven years. The team led by Janna Friedova, who won defender of the year yet again, and Renée Latraverse finished the season with the least goals allowed of any top flight team. This gave them the advantage over Grand-Ours in the standings. Alexandrie can still defend their Patriot Cup as the team qualified in the last playoff spot. The Asche Flames did not have the season they had hoped. After the news broke that lingering issues with Hervé Terellien's injury would sideline him for most of the season, the legendary netminder announced his retirement which left the team scrambling to fill the void. As for relegation, both Port-Crotay and Batille tied with 30 points at the bottom of the table.

Premier League Hockey        Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts  
 1 Blackbay Islanders         44   26   9   9   145  115  +30    61 Regular Season Champions, HCL Qualified
 2 Port-la-Ville Anchors      44   25   8  11   159  108  +51    58 HCL Qualified
 3 Grand-Ours Bears           44   25   8  11   154  122  +32    58 HCL Qualified
 4 Alexandrie HC              44   19  12  13   139  120  +19    50 HCL Qualified
 5 HC Jolicoeur               44   18   9  17   129  128   +1    45
 6 Asche Flames               44   19   5  20   115  116   −1    43
 7 Sherguy Guys               44   15  10  19   115  132  −17    40
 8 Heron-sur-Fleuve HC        44   13  12  19   133  138   −5    38
 9 Conflans Flankers          44   14  10  20   114  127  −13    38
10 Couen Lancers              44   13  11  20   102  130  −28    37
11 Port-Crotay Cleaners       44   13   4  27   114  146  −32    30
12 Batille Bataillon          44   10  10  24   105  142  −37    30

---

The Boiscomplet Axes stunned the CHP by securing automatic promotion. Coming back from last in the season prior to finish top of the class. Once again, the promotional playoff will see the Oreilly Irish look for a ticket to the top flight.

Championnat de Hockey Patriotlandia     Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Boiscomplet Axes                      44   22   7  15   138  124  +14    51 Regular Season Champions, Promoted
 2 Planteau Patriots                     44   22   7  15   125  123   +2    51 Promotion Playoffs
 3 Oreilly Irish                         44   20  10  14   123  104  +19    50 Promotion Playoffs
 4 Ouville Citoyens                      44   20  10  14   137  123  +14    50
 5 Chaville Sabres                       44   23   3  18   117  118   −1    49
 6 Lavante Suns                          44   20   7  17   133  123  +10    47
 7 Ocrebourg HC                          44   21   5  18   136  129   +7    47
 8 Yvesmont Yetis                        44   18  10  16   141  122  +19    46
 9 Charme-du-lac HC                      44   16  11  17   121  120   +1    43
10 Villy Squirrels                       44   15   6  23   117  140  −23    36
11 Briardon Blades                       44   12   6  26   117  142  −25    30
12 Vilnay Racers                         44    9  10  25   103  140  −37    28

The promotional playoffs kicked off with Planteau taking a two game lead in the series, however, the Irish managed to complete the reverse sweep by forcing a decisive game 5 and beating the Patriots 3-2. This was the Irish's third attempt in the promotional playoffs. Now we will finally see what the team can do in the PLH next season.
The first PLH semi-final opposed first place Blackbay Islanders and fourth seed Alexandrie HC. Both teams split their games on home ice. This meant that the series would be decided by a final match in Blackbay. The Islanders wasted no time getting ahead and a Robert Moran hat trick led his team to an astounding 8-2 victory. In the second semi-final, the Port-la-Ville Anchors took on the Grand-Ours Bears. With both teams finishing level on points this season, plenty of fans were looking to see a close fought series. The Anchors won the first game in front of their fans but their bliss would be short lived as the Bears would take the next three games to clinch the second final spot. In a rematch of the season 3 final, the Bears took the first game away but a 4-2 loss in game two meant the teams would come in all square in Grand-Ours. With their fans behind them, the Bears got themselves a game away from the Patriot Cup. In game four, the Islanders came out firing with Charles Roy scoring the game winner to keep Blackbay in contention. With the Cup on the line in a decisive game 5, both teams brought their A game, the physical play did not let up as all players were willing to go above and beyond to secure the silverware. In the end it was Islanders' defender William Faucher who played the hero by activating along the boards and feeding an incredible cross ice pass through traffic to a wide open Marion Prunel.

Nickname: The Lions
City: Couen, Province of Foubrac
Stadium: Arène Alphonse-Sintegne (50,000 all-seater)
Shirt Sponsor: Thermius (Energy)
About: One of the older clubs in the nation, AS Couen have evolved from a local club to national powerhouse. Backed by a strong development program, the team is known for finding creating top talent. Despite having a seller's business model in recent years, the team has remained competitive.
Last Season: 5th
Predicted Finish: 4th
Manager: Philibert Antagnole
Formation: 3-5-2

Top 11:
 Nat.	Name			Pos	Age  
	Olivier Quesnel		CB	23
	Rocco Cooke		CB	21
	Claire Tireuil		CB	27
	Toby Mccarthy		CDM	32
	Raphaël Michaux		CF	29
	Jerome Fusilier		CM	24
	Anders Wallcroft	CM	30
	Harlow Hopkins		CM/W	26
	Aurélien About		GK	30
	Gaëlle Courbis		LW/RW	22
	Heather Graham		ST	24

AS Couen's balanced playstyle reflects itself throughout their lineup. Toby Mccarthy and Anders Wallcroft lead a stacked midfield tasked with creating offense and thwarting the opposition. The addition of Heather Graham from Olympique Yvesmont will hopefully bring more bite in the offensive third. Meanwhile the team will be looking to give plenty of playing time to youngsters Rocco Cooke and Gaëlle Courbis to accelerate their development. While they are not expected to fight for a championship, AS Couen could still surprise with a few upsets.

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Nickname: Les As
City: Alexandrie, Province of Foubrac
Stadium: Parc du Nord (24,000 all-seater)
Shirt Sponsor: PNBank (Banking)
About: Representing the whole of northern Foubrac, Athletique Alexandrie as seen a lot of growth in it's history. Despite criticism that the team was only allowed into the Super 8 due to their geographical position, the team as shown that they deserve their place among the nation's top clubs with their recent success.
Last Season: 1st
Predicted Finish: 3rd
Manager: Vivienne Veronne
Formation: 4-2-1-3

Top 11:
 Nat.	Name			Pos	Age  
	Elias Young		CB	26
	Damien Aubert		CB	30
	Aya Palmer		CDM	31
	Tony Ellmenreich	CDM	26
	Eloise Ott		CM	25
	Renald Legrand		GK	25
	Jade Lemoine		LB	23
	Bastien Wilcott		LW	32
	Loïc Laflèche		RB	25
	Édouard Cahun		RW	27
	Philibert Palmier	ST	29

The addition of Tony Ellmenreich really helped the As to solidify their defense, averaging less than a goal allowed per game last season. The team took the Super 8 by storm, but teams should have had plenty of time to dissect the Alexandrian system of Vivienne Veronne so it will be interesting to see how they adapt in order to defend their title. The squad is almost unchanged with the addition of Jade Lemoine at left back on a transfer from the Pinnacle Series Vendatil Green and Gold. She will no doubt work with Aya Palmer and the rest of the Athletique defense to keep scoring low and then counter quickly and decisively. As the saying goes "Defense wins championships" and Athlétique Alexandrie is a prime example.

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Nickname: The Ministers
City: Jolicoeur, Province of Abelanne
Stadium: Aerolandia Stadium (40,000 all-seater)
Shirt Sponsor: AeroLandia (Airline)
About: Soccer teams in the nation's capital have taken a lot of names throughout the years, but the passion from the fans has always been high. The CF has gained a lot of traction in recent years in the Pinnacle series before getting the formal invitation into the Super 8 league. The team's conservative style may not be as flamboyant as other clubs, but a loud and dedicated fanbase makes the calm governmental city one of the toughest away games on the calendar.
Last Season: 8th
Predicted Finish: 7th
Manager: Thierry Desilet
Formation: 4-4-2

Top 11:
 Nat.	Name			Pos	Age  
	Alphonse Deringer	CB	29
	Richard Bettencourt	CB	33
	Maxime Laflamme		LB	24
	Rémie Valcourt		CB	25
	Charlie Verrone		CM	28
	Flynn Dupond		CM	27
	Samuel Holmes		LM	22
	Hergé Calpier		RB	26
	Roch Clairon		RM	21
	Murray Millard		ST	30
	Alexia Brant		ST/CAM	28

Despite not having the most impressive roster, CF Capitale is led by Alexia Brant and Murray Millard on attack. Youngsters Roch Clairon and Samuel Holmes will look to provide support into the box.

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Nickname: The Travelling Bears
City: Grand-Ours, Province of Foubrac
Stadium: PatrioComm Park (20,000 seats, 5,000 standing)
Shirt Sponsor: PatrioComm (Telecom)
About: The Rovers were not a clear cut choice for an invitation into the Super 8 league at it's formation. The team however impressed by grabbing some coveted silverware in recent years. Despite being one of the smaller clubs, the team as found a spot as a stepping stone into the top flight while still fielding a competitive team on the pitch.
Last Season: 7th
Predicted Finish: 8th
Manager: Samantha Pronger
Formation: 4-5-1

Top 11:
 Nat.	Name			Pos	Age  
	Jannie Bromont		CB	27
	Luc Dentreville		CB	24
	Véronique Abraham	CDM	26
	Elie Manahan		CM	20
	Évrard Solomon		CM	30
	François Varaut		GK	28
	Hippolyte Marnier	LB	31
	Arnaud Francoeur	LM/LB	24
	Zachary Trell		LM/RM	27
	Nathan Melançon		RB	22
	Arvel Longstaff		ST	25

The Rovers had a great run in the Omnium du Montagnard managing to prove the naysayers wrong by winning the tournament. The team, however, could not keep the form for league games that saw them finish second to last. Midfielder Elie Manahan has proven to be one of the best playmakers in the league but management seems to be struggling to build a team around them. The relatively young roster will look to show improvement and to, once again, make the pundits eat their own words.

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Nickname: The Finns
City: Blackbay, District of the Griffin Isles
Stadium: Lockhart Lane (29,000 all-seater)
Shirt Sponsor: BMT (Telecom)
About: Lockhart Lane has been the home of soccer in the Griffin Isles way before a national league was even an idea. GIU are the latest tenants of the ground and they have brought success to the shores of the small island province.
Last Season: 3rd
Predicted Finish: 4th
Manager: Rodney Achigan
Formation: 4-5-1

Top 11:
 Nat.	Name			Pos	Age  
	William Ranger		CB	26
	Frank Viraille		CB	24
	Richard Danbusky	CB	21
	Chris O'Keefe 		CDM	24
	Valerie Fulton		CDM	27
	Dustin McCauley 	GK	30
	Brian Julian		LB	32
	Brandon Aylmer		LB/RB	31
	Richard Hamelion	LW/RW	28
	Cody Fulton		RW	25
	Ignacio Curbelo		ST	24

Griffin Isles United has had strong finishes in recent seasons. Additions of free agents Richard Danbusky and Ignacio Curbelo in the recent transfer window should hopefully bring an injection of youth and talent into the club. Rodney Achigan is a manager known to develop his young players into stars. It will be interesting to see how they evolve into his system.

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Nickname: Les Raftsman
City: Héron-sur-Fleuve, Province of Foubrac
Stadium: Stade de la Victoire (23,000 all-seater)
Shirt Sponsor: Dalton Breweries (Brewery)
About: Despite having fallen from grace in recent seasons, Rapides St-Charles are one of the founding clubs of professional soccer in the nation. The team is rebuilding around key players and are hopeful to contend again in the near future.
Last Season: 4th
Predicted Finish: 6th
Manager: Maxence Carinthe
Formation: 5-3-2

Top 11:
 Nat.	Name			Pos	Age  
	Samuel Dalton		CB	25
	Zoé Woodward		CB	26
	Karl Klarin		CB	35
	Evan Lachapelle 	CM	24
	Dimitri Sanscartier	CM	31
	Alexandre Desrives	CM/CAM	27
	Henri Faucher		GK	26
	Frederik Sanscartier	LB	27
	Paul Amandin		RB	32
	Kayden Boatwright	ST	28
	Justine Patterson	ST	22

Despite some aging players, Rapides St-Charles have amassed a strong core of young players and will look towards them to lead the team to victory. Fans will be expecting the team to finish ahead of rivals CF Capitale.

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Nickname: Les Rouges
City: Conflans, Province of Sourterre
Stadium: Champs-de-Mars (45,000 all-seater)
Shirt Sponsor: Aviationale (Airplane Manufacturer)
About: Stade Conflans is an important part of the citie's culture. The club has been challenging for the top spot for multiple years. The Reds, the team's diehard fans are well known for their flamboyant displays of flags and flares inside Champs-de-Mars stadium.
Last Season: 6th
Predicted Finish: 2nd
Manager: Jason Yvesson
Formation: 5-2-3

Top 11:
 Nat.	Name			Pos	Age  
	Francis Duvernay	CB	29
	Jean-Philippe Nault	CB	24
	Grant Hutcherson 	CB	24
	Allan Saunders		CM	30
	Guy Sarazin 		CM	23
	Laura O'Neill 		GK	19
	Ferry Brandt		LB	33
	Bruno Vaillancourt	LB/RB	27
	Emmanuel Francoeur	LW	25
	Stéphanie Groulx	RW	25
	Lucien Graham		ST	26

Stade Conflans will look to bounce back from a disappointing season. A number of players were brought in to turn things around and look towards the future. The team mixes experience with skill well. Nepharan Ferry Brandt has taken a leadership role within the team really helping team cohesion with their experience in international leagues.

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Nickname: Les Matelots
City: Port-la-Ville, Province of Abelanne
Stadium: Petro-Pat Navy Memorial Stadium (62,000 all-seater)
Shirt Sponsor: Petro-Pat (Oil and Gas)
About: Born from the merger of two storied Port-la-Ville clubs, PLV Navy FC and Abelanne Orange, the club has asserted their dominance on Patriotlandian soccer. With financial means, excellent facilities and a devoted fanbase, the Union are the club that offers the most for it's fans, staff and players. Manager Stéphane Rogaillon has led the team to success recently and his balanced tactics based on a strong midfield always keeps the team in the hunt for silverware.
Last Season: 2nd
Predicted Finish: 1st
Manager: Stéphane Rogaillon
Formation: 3-5-2

Top 11:
 Nat.	Name			Pos	Age  
	Steve Dumoulin 	CAM/CM	23
	Catherine Singer	CB	26
	Brennan Dietrich	CB	33
	Olivier Tomlin		CB/RB	20
	Florence Toussaint	CDM	31
	Kevin Paradis		CDM	28
	Laurence Salaison	ST	25
	David Rodin		CM/RM	28
	Paul Lataupe		GK	29
	Bertrand Langlais	LW/LM	22
	Francis Fortinello	ST	18

Focused on overwhelming the opponent, Union's offense is built to put numbers forward. Wingers David Rodin and Bertrand L'anglais are some of the best in the business. Young phenom Francis Fortinello will look to take up a starting role in this year's team after seeing mostly second string duties in his first season.

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Match of the week: AS Couen 2-0 Union Port-la-Ville
The Lions pulled off the upset to start the season. AS Couen took on the Union at home and the team stormed out of the gates surprising Port-la-Ville with an early goal. Focusing after the early shock, the Matelots tightened up their game but a Harlow Hopkins set piece would double Couen's lead. "I expected better from the lads out there tonight", said UPLV manager Stéphane Rogaillon after the match. "The effort wasn't there to start the game. We will need to curb this complacency before the next game".

Other stories:

• Kayden Boatwright scores a brace in St-Charles River derby.
• Ignacio Curbelo misses crucial penalty in draw to Rovers.

Match of the week: Griffin Isles United 1-1 Athletique Alexandrie
It was the Griffin Isles United home opener as they hosted last season champions Athletique Alexandrie. The first half was uneventful with both teams seeking to find their opponent's weakness. The Fins would strike first coming out of the break with an impressive run down the wing by Cody Fulton. Griffin Isles United continued apply pressure but Alexandrie's keeper Legrand kept them in it. The A's would eventually tie the match at one on the counter-attack as United were putting numbers forward.

Other stories:

• Union bounces back thanks to late Salaison winner.
• Conflans partisan flare hits Couen's manager. League to investigate.

Match of the week: AS Couen 1-1 Rapides St-Charles
The two Foubraccian rivals met in Couen today. Action on the field seemed low, but a strong tackle from Claire Tireuil cleared both benches. The referee had to hand out a few bookings for the players to settle down. Once the game got going again, Gaëlle Courbis put Couen ahead to the exaltation of the home crowd. Alexandre Desrives would tie the game back at one off a late set piece. After the game, the league announced that players involved in the brawl would get a 5000 piastres fine, the maximum allowable under the current CBA.

Other stories:

• Brant leads Capitale past defending champions.
• Griffin Isles United salvages a point out of Conflans match.

Match of the week: Grand-Ours Rovers 3-1 Rapides St-Charles
Rapides St-Charles went from one rivalry matchup to another now making the trip to Grand-Ours. Arvel Longstaff scored early to get the Rovers the lead. Grand-Ours would keep the pressure on for the rest of the half. Arnaud Francoeur would add to the lead early in the second off an incisive run. The Raftmans halved the lead from a Justine Patterson header, but the Rovers soon get it back and see the rest of the game out.

Other stories:

• Curbelo shines in important Griffin Isles win.
• Conflans wins off controversial penalty.

Match of the week: Griffin Isles United 4-0 CF Capitale
The strength of GIU was in full display last night. The team put a lot of pressure on the CF Capitale defense. Hamelion opened the scoring with Fulton and Curbelo adding to the tally before the half. Curbelo would complete the brace beating Rémie Valcourt with a fading shot from range. The home crowd was ecstatic chanting and celebrating for the rest of the match.

Other stories:

• Union's Fortinello the difference maker in top of table clash.
• Athletique kicking themselves for dropped points in Heron-sur-Fleuve.

Pos Team                      P  W  D  L For Ag +/- Pts
 1 Union Port-la-Ville        5  3  1  1  4  3  +1 10
 2 Griffin Isles United       5  2  3  0  8  2  +6  9
 3 Stade Conflans             5  2  1  2  4  4  +0  7
 4 AS Couen                   5  2  1  2  6  6  +0  7
 5 CF Capitale                5  2  0  3  4  8  -4  6
 6 Athletique Alexandrie      5  1  3  1  4  4  +0  6
 7 Rapides St-Charles         5  1  2  2  6  7  -1  5
 8 Grand-Ours Rovers          5  1  1  3  4  6  -2  4

International Competition:
IFCF Challengers Cup - Preliminary Round
(PTR) Griffin Isles United 6–3 Anjung Petro FC (ANU) 4–2 2–1
(PTR) Union Port-la-Ville 3–1 Amangwazi Birnin (ZIW) 3–1 0–0
(PTR) Rapides St-Charles 6–3 Sportivo Soluca (SRG) 4–3 2–0