World Cup of Hockey XL - Everything Thread

[Kayangan]

Cereta 03-1

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MD4
vs. Graintfjall (UR)

[The Royal Kingdom of Quebec]

In continuation from earlier..

8 and half hours later...

It was a gentle, May evening in Montreal, the economic and contemporary-cultural capital of Quebec, and it was one of those evenings when the wind was breezing just enough to tickle your shoes. Not exactly hot wind, but it’s warm enough to suggest that the winter’s long past and behind. Maytime Montreal’s like this, to kick off a summer season for the college students and enerve the school-aged children whose exams were coming soon.

Those days of summer were, however, still far away for the adults whose school days were long behind, and this was no different for Asher Lundrigan. The rest of the flight went smoothly, arriving on an early afternoon in Montreal, and once he got his passport stamped by the customs officer, he hopped on the Quadricentennial Line to Atwater station, where he got off and went into the Avondale Villa Hotel, where he were to stay for three days before flying to Concord Heights. Then, after unpacking his belongings, he went downstairs and into the streets.

As he exited the hotel into Saint-Catherine Boulevard, Asher failed to notice a stranger walking the other way, and bumped hard into her.

‘Mon dieu! Sorry about that, ma’am.’ He asked, as he turned to look around, only to see a surprising appearance of the stranger. ‘Professor Jurado?’

‘Asher! Why are you here?’ Asked a familiar voice of Dr. Isabel Jurado, who was certainly a familiar figure to him the past five years. Still recovering from what seemed like an utter bodycheck, he was still getting used to the reality that this was Quebec, not Grearia or Cassadaigua, and that he would be noticed by those in the circuit around him. And that, of course, included his former classmates and teachers at Erskine and St. Croix. ‘Aren’t you supposed to be travelling, writing all the good stuff about international football?’

‘It’s a long story, Professor. For work I had to fly back to Quebec...’ He answered, trying his best not to mention anything about why he’s here. These days, he’s been flying back to Quebec for holidays and a couple of weeks during the summer, but has otherwise taken liberties to fly around the Multiverse.

‘I’m so happy to see you, as always.’ She answered, before giving him a nice hug. ‘Seems like you’re doing exactly as you had told me a while back….It does seem like you do need to visit Tequilo though. At some point you do need to cover the Liga-TQ.’

Right, Tequilo. Asher remembered that Dr. Jurado, one of his tutors of old days, was a Tequilian from Tapalupé, who also studied in Tamarindia and Wight, two mysterious places of their own kind. Of course, getting there is far and difficult, requiring just over 16 hours of flight, and that alone had so far left Tequilo from his list of travelled places. Still, he knew he would be there at some point, and had kept himself alert in case something were to happen.

‘Yes, yes, yes, ma’am.’ Asher nodded, before asking her back the same question. ‘What brings you here? I thought you had already flown back for summers as you always do.’

‘Not this summer.’ She quickly shook her head, confidently saying it so. ‘I’ll be staying home because I do have some commitments to stay in Quebec City. Worked out fine enough, because I have a feeling that this summer’s going to be an exciting one at least. The shambolic quotient appears to be particularly high in the capital this year and whatnot.’

‘Well, that’s good to hear.’ He nodded along. ‘Hopefully I’ll be able to see you the next time I’m in Quebec City...probably come this July. I hope all’s well with you.’

‘Wait.’ Just as he tried to check his phone to indicate that he had to leave, Dr. Jurado raised her hand. Half-folded, half reaching out, she gave him a look of caution that Asher knew it came under one of those moments where she was going to say something insightful out of chaos. ‘Do not forget your past. They always follow, even you think you may have deleted the kisses and have moved on.

‘What do you mean, Professor?’ Asher replied with a surprise, catching up with him once more. Was there something peculiar she’s trying to get out of him? He wondered.

‘Asher.’ Isabel said in a solemn. ‘Tomorrow it will rain, and by the time you see someone dear to your heart, that’s when the miracle will happen. It’s not exactly a miracle, but the raindrops should bring you back to the time.’

‘The time as in…’

‘Well you know what I mean.’ Responded Isabel, checking her watch before bidding farewell. Asher paused for a moment, just giving into the reality. ‘Good luck, and may the leaves fall like how it did when I first arrived in this country.’

---

Childhood, Traces
PART 11 Over My Head (Cable Car)

After grabbing his dinner at a local deli, a decent place with Kosher sandwich named Erenburg’s, Asher walked back to his hotel room to find himself alone, quiet and exhausted again. For a hotel located in Downtown Montreal, and especially the West End, it had that particular feeling of an airport hotel, where you knew you weren’t expecting much beyond few amenities. But the design of the rooms were way nicer than those in median and you would have no problem conducting your own business, so he was happy enough that it didn’t cost him much.

Anyways, it was strange enough for Asher to be so tired and lost over it, considering how Montreal’s known as the city that’s known for being the very opposite of that. If you had wanted to feel romantic and gloomy and all that, Quebec City’s perfect for it. There’s a reason why it’s called the City of Eternal Lights - you could only imagine how many souls that have shone brightly and then died the very next day like a mayfly, in the late-1800s and early 1900s.

But this is Montreal. Montreal est à nous. Unlike the organised nature of streets and early urban planning in Quebec City, pavements move as if they are strands of humanity, and the roads various streams and rivers that forms the city an island of its own. The buildings that have been at the very forefront of the Industrial Revolution and the Quebecois Empire’s development pass, standing in an eerie parallax of past and present with their limestone and granite limbs standing the test of time.

Here in the Red Smoke, the canvas of the life of the Quebecois people, the ever-changing facades are something to savour. No matter how you put it forth, Quebec’s still one nation that attempts its best to coexist in all their colours and faiths, all Quebecois under the rain and the clouds of the summer, and the snow and the ice of the winter. That’s what has contributed to something wonderful, and that’s how they beat the Nazis of different colours and regions on three different occasions - Southern Rushmori War (1939-1945), Felixian Liberation War (2010-12), and the Conquest of the Holy Republican Empire (2017) - and kept the Commonwealth stable and together in this century of conflicts and regimes.

Anyways, he opened the drawer next to his bed and started reading the television guide for channel guide, and started looking at the list of on-demand films available. Unfortunately this hotel didn’t have a lot of options available, but still he was able to find one film that caught his eyes named ‘The Last of Unfree Republics (URs)’. Finding it interesting enough, he got out of the bed, picked up the remote control placed right in front of the T.V. and then decided to watch it for the night.

At this pace, tonight should go by quietly and gently…

[The Royal Kingdom of Quebec]

I've been roaming around, I was looking down, and all I see, were the painted faces of the hockey fans I can't reach...

World Cup of Hockey XL - MD4 Results!

Group A
Quakmybush 0–0 Wack-i
Royal Kingdom of Quebec 6–3 Taeshan
St. Saratoga 2–0 Reçueçn

Group A                        Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Royal Kingdom of Quebec        4    4   0   0    20    9  +11     8
2 St. Saratoga                   4    3   0   1     8    4   +4     6
3 Reçueçn                        4    2   0   2    11   11    0     4
4 Taeshan                        4    1   1   2     9   14   −5     3
5 Wack-i                         4    0   2   2     4    8   −4     2
6 Quakmybush                     4    0   1   3     3    9   −6     1

Group B
Kohnhead 3–1 Megistos
Neu Engollon 9–0 Trolleborg
Kelssek 3–4 Gyatso-Kai

Group B                        Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Gyatso-Kai                     4    4   0   0    21   14   +7     8
2 Neu Engollon                   4    3   0   1    25    9  +16     6
3 Kelssek                        4    1   1   2     9   12   −3     3
4 Kohnhead                       4    1   1   2     7   11   −4     3
5 Megistos                       4    1   1   2     6    9   −3     3
6 Trolleborg                     4    0   1   3     6   19  −13     1

Group C
New Waldensia 1–1 Sylestone
Mercedini 3–4 Sarzonia
Ko-oren 4–2 Terre Septentrionale

Group C                        Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts
1 Ko-oren                        4    3   1   0    10    3   +7     7
2 Sarzonia                       4    3   0   1    15   13   +2     6
3 Mercedini                      4    2   1   1    13    8   +5     5
4 Sylestone                      4    1   1   2     5    8   −3     3
5 Terre Septentrionale           4    1   0   3    13   16   −3     2
6 New Waldensia                  4    0   1   3     5   13   −8     1

Group D
Solarampa 2–0 The Jovannic
Cassadaigua 3–0 Logon
Vilita and Turori 2–2 Ranoria

Group D                        Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts
1 Vilita and Turori              4    3   1   0    15    6   +9     7
2 Cassadaigua                    4    3   0   1    13    4   +9     6
3 Solarampa                      4    2   0   2     9   10   −1     4
4 Ranoria                        4    1   2   1     4    9   −5     4
5 The Jovannic                   4    0   2   2     1    7   −6     2
6 Logon                          4    0   1   3     2    8   −6     1

Group E
Chromatika 4–3 Fiekkefjord
Equestria 5–3 Poafmersia
Banija 2–1 Fluvannia

Group E                        Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts
1 Banija                         4    3   1   0    14    4  +10     7
2 Equestria                      4    2   2   0    12    9   +3     6
3 Poafmersia                     4    2   1   1    11   11    0     5
4 Fluvannia                      4    0   3   1    10   11   −1     3
5 Chromatika                     4    1   0   3     5   11   −6     2
6 Fiekkefjord                    4    0   1   3    10   16   −6     1

Group F
Natanians and Nosts 0–1 Delaclava
Valanora 4–1 The Sherpa Empire
United States of Devonta 0–0 Gergary

Group F                        Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts
1 Valanora                       4    4   0   0    21    7  +14     8
2 Delaclava                      4    2   1   1     7    5   +2     5
3 The Sherpa Empire              4    2   0   2     8   10   −2     4
4 United States of Devonta       4    0   3   1     8   11   −3     3
5 Gergary                        4    1   1   2     3    8   −5     3
6 Natanians and Nosts            4    0   1   3     7   13   −6     1

Group G
Lovisa 1–0 Jeckland
Abanhfleft 5–5 TJUN-ia
Savojarna 6–3 La Florita

Group G                        Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts
1 Savojarna                      4    3   1   0    15    6   +9     7
2 Abanhfleft                     4    2   2   0    12    8   +4     6
3 TJUN-ia                        4    2   1   1    12   11   +1     5
4 La Florita                     4    1   0   3     6   10   −4     2
5 Lovisa                         4    1   0   3     2    7   −5     2
6 Jeckland                       4    1   0   3     6   11   −5     2

Group H
Graintfjall 0–0 Kayangan
Siovanija and Teusland 4–1 Adyatin
HUElavia 5–3 Lorenthia

Group H                        Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts
1 Siovanija and Teusland         4    4   0   0    19    4  +15     8
2 Kayangan                       4    2   2   0     2    0   +2     6
3 HUElavia                       4    2   0   2     7    7    0     4
4 Adyatin                        4    1   1   2     4    6   −2     3
5 Lorenthia                      4    0   2   2     6   14   −8     2
6 Graintfjall                    4    0   1   3     1    8   −7     1

[Sarzonia]

Margaret is a fickle bitch.

That's hockey.

However you choose to explain it, your guess is as good as mine.

A Sarzonian national ice hockey team that shit the bed in a defeat to unranked Sylestone at its brand new rink turned right around and defeated Mercedini 4-3 away. That's a 4-3 away result against the third ranked team in the multiverse.

We can't figure it out, either. Whatever Coach Paul Bremerton said to his team after their ugly 2-1 defeat at home must have lit a fire under their arses. The Stars came out hitting and passing aggressively from the opening faceoff. Nate Barnes won the opening draw against Kingfishers centre Fabio Kelodon and defenceman Erik Weinert began skating directly toward the Mercedini end of the ice.

The Stars fired two shots early on Kingfishers goaltender Erik Malinsky, forcing him to make saves early on. The Stars would break through at the 2:37 mark of the first period through third line centre Colin Yarmouth, who notched his first goal of the World Cup.

The tally stunned a sold out crowd in Mercedini that was probably expecting a fairly easy victory against low-ranking Sarzonia. They would have even more reason to be restless at the 8:07 mark of the first. Sylvan Turcotte found an opening on the power play and fired a laser past Malinsky to put the Stars ahead by two goals.

The rink was quiet enough to hear a pin drop until right wing Bernard Santo scored from the point during a Kingfishers power play with Turcotte in the sin bin for holding. That tally at the 19:47 mark of the first period threatened to give the hosts some badly needed momentum heading into the dressing room.

It would prove to be the first of three consecutive goals for Mercedini as they wrested a one-goal lead which they took into the second intermission. However, the third period was all Cameron Granato. He scored the equaliser at the 10:16 mark and buried a rebound of an Alyssa Hannigan shot at the 18:59 mark of the third.

By the time Malinsky was able to skate off the ice for a sixth attacker, the Stars were content to play keep away with the puck, with only a halfhearted attempt by Turcotte on the empty net that was more for time-killling purposes than an attempt to score. At last, the final horn sounded, and instead of berating his charges, Bremerton was celebrating with them.

Sarzonia defeated Mercedini 4-3. Just one match after looking like it didn't want to be there at Bank of Sarzonia Arena in Nicksia, the Stars played an inspired 60 minutes away to Mercedini.

Jacob Parsons made 27 saves for the Stars and was the toast of Sarzonia's hockey community. And, somewhere, people who were struggling with depression and other mental health issues had someone to look up to.

[Gyatso-kai]

Can Yue-LO!!!
Your favorite Hockey Show! Now in its THIRTIETH SEASON!!!!

Good evening Gyatso-kai! I am Can Yue-Lo!

Crowd Applause

Now normally, we bring on a slew of guests to interview and talk about the state of Avatarian hockey, both domestic and the multi-verse. But not today…

Crowd Boos and Sighs

Instead, we have a video call, live from the World Cup! Fresh from their victory over Kelssek, we have Ice Bisons star defenceman, the ‘Mandalorian Shield’ himself! Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeed TORVIK!!!

Crowd Applause! Screen cuts to a view of Hed Torvik in the locker room, fresh from a shower.

Hello hello, Yue-Lo!

]Oh, I love it when the guests can rhyme! How goes it over there? I watched the game, and man oh man, congrats on the pair-plus-one.

Thank you very much. Always good to get the name on the board, especially as a defenceman. Just being in the right place at the right time. Though, the assist on the Sats breakaway… that was skill.

Crowd laughter

The Sato breakaway in the third period. Five minutes left, completely caught Durocher off-guard on that takeaway from Mathieu Fabre in the offensive zone.

The pass from Kirkland just didn’t stick. It was an easy grab once I laid Fabre out.

Crowd Laughter

But seriously, it is always a great time playing Kelssek. A Top-Twenty team, a perennial threat in every tournament, and, if I may say, one of my favorite flags to play under.

That’s right! For those at home who are unaware… Torvik has quite a thing for flags.

The technical term is ‘vexillophile’.

Sounds kinky.

Not really. The study of flags, or vexillology, has been a hobby of mine for some time.

How do you get into flags?

My grandfather was one of the finalist who submitted the redesign for our nation’s flag way back when, and as a kid, he spent a lot of time talking about flags, and designs, and symbolism, and I guess I learnt from him.

Oh wow… do we have a picture of his design? Can we pull it up?

Yep… That’s it! Though, to be honest, I like it a bit more than our current flag and the winner.

Oh really? Why is that?

One of the main concepts of flag design is “KISS”. Keep it Simple, Stupid. A flag needs to be designed in such a way that even a child can draw it from memory.

Our flag is pretty simple…

The seal in the middle… I had problems drawing it in school, and with both the spokes of the Bendu and the spacers, it can be tough to line up.

But that red star on the left…

A much simpler representation of the Bendu.

Oh, okay.

But still, I cannot imagine playing under any other flag but our own.

True, so very true! When we come back, we’ll talk to Hed Torvik about his AHL season behind us, as well as what he looks forward to in the World Cup! We’ll be right back after this commercial break!

END TRANSMISSION

[Terre Septentrionale]

Another loss: the most disappointing start ever

Aerellen, Ko-oren - I'm speechless, the national team keeps losing and losing again. This time, against a team who consider hockey a regional sport. Really embarrassing for a team who considers hockey their national sport. First, I'd like to apologize for a schedule mistake I made in my latest article. I said Terre Septentrionale was going to play New Waldensia first, then Ko-oren. It was the opposite, the Nordiques played the Dragonflies first and then they will play against New Waldensia. It's really my mistake cuz the schedule sent by the hosts says Ko-oren first. So, the team travelled to one of the most beautiful nation in the multiverse to play against them. Günther Schützenauer was out of the line up and Fryderyka Krzyszczyk replaced him on the 3rd line while Zygfryd Zurkowski replaced Krzyszczyk on the 4th line.


Ko-oren scored first, on the power play after Frédérique Lainé was penalised for hooking, when Elis Hermanszoon deflected Erling Mirre's shot into the net and the score was 1-0.
Terre Septentrionale tied the game 8 minutes later when Melania Zyskowska carried the puck with Jenny Hockey, Zyskowska passed it to Jenny Hockey, her shot hit the post and Emilia Zyskowska took the rebound and scored, the game was tied at 1-1 and this is the score after 20 minutes.

The Ko-orenites scored two unanswered goals in the 2nd period and took a 3-1 lead. With 3 minutes remaining in the period, Virginie Woodbury dumped the puck in Dragonfly territory and Fryderyka Krzyszczyk was the first to get to the puck. She passed in front of the net to Frédérique Lainé who put the puck behind Aiane Alacia and Ko-oren's lead was cut to 3-2.

Izan Aiamalod scored the insurance goal in the 3rd period and Ko-oren won 4-2.

dropped to 5th place

With this loss against Ko-oren, the Reprezentacja Nordycki dropped to 5th place. Yes 5th place. That's really unacceptable. The team have big defensive problems, both goalies don't do the job, the coaches either don't do their job, no one on the team do their job. I don't like saying that, because I respect Georges Grondin, but he has to go and Hockey Terre Septentrionale needs to find a new coach. A coach who can regroup the team defensively. Meanwhile, Günther Schützenauer has been cleared to play by the team doctors and he'll be back in the line up against New Waldensia. He'll take his normal spot on the team.

Germain Coutu,
La tribune Septentrionale

[Kohnhead]

The inexperienced Kohnhead side get their first win



Taking on Megistos, another new to hockey and unranked country our hockey brains would pull out the 3-1 win to bring us up to fourth in the table. We had gotten one point thus far, a draw against Trolleborg so this win against Megistos is huge. Nelson Calhoun has played pretty well in goal thus far and he was brilliant tonight stopping 34 shots and only letting one go in.

Early on in the first period, we would strike first. Brennan Odom would get the puck away from an Megistos player in our zone. He would pass it across the ice to the young Spencer Fleming who would get up near the goal and fire a slap shot from afar. The goalie saved it but the deflection would be scored by a diving Charlotte Pittman barely beating the defender to the puck. The team went crazy.

Later on in the first we would double our advantage. Elsie Doyle would pick up the puck near the Megistos goal but instead of shooting she would avoid a defender and go back behind the net where she passed it out to Tyler Swift who would shoot it immediately upon arrival and send it right into the goal. 2-0 Kohnhead.

Meigstos would get a goal back in the second period but Judy Duncan would score one as well in the second to give Kohnhead the 3-1 win, and this inexperienced hockey side their first win ever. It is bound to feel good for them knowing that they deserved this win and got it.

Group B                        Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Gyatso-Kai                     4    4   0   0    21   14   +7     8
2 Neu Engollon                   4    3   0   1    25    9  +16     6
3 Kelssek                        4    1   1   2     9   12   −3     3
4 Kohnhead                       4    1   1   2     7   11   −4     3
5 Megistos                       4    1   1   2     6    9   −3     3
6 Trolleborg                     4    0   1   3     6   19  −13     1

Our next opponent is group leader Gyatso-Kai, a team ranked 24th in the World and an opponent our football team knows well from World Cup qualifiers. I can't say I'm expecting points but you never know. Good to see us beat another unranked opponent in Megistos.

[Kelssek]

40TH WORLD CUP OF HOCKEY
Kelssek blows lead in shocking collapse against Gyatso-kai

KELSSEK – 3
Coady (Belvila) 3:05 1st
Ostend (Gilchrist, Charron) 9:38 2nd
Charron (Gilchrist, Duneasler) 19:11 2nd

GYATSO-KAI – 4
Kaede (unassisted) 11:40 1st
Cheung (Wang) 2:58 3rd
Severi (Unataq, Kouji) PP 10:38 3rd
Sato (Torvik) 14:25 3rd

A third-period collapse saw Kelssek’s dismal performance at the World Cup of Hockey continue as injuries and suspensions add to the pressure on head coach Dennis Emberly. The result leaves Kelssek with one win from four matches.

Kelssek started the match with some good energy carrying on where they left off in the win over Kohnhead. But the inability to connect on the powerplay again wasted chances to establish a cushion and despite leading for most of the match Kelssek never seemed to have things under control.

Mathieu Fabre missed the match serving an automatic suspension after instigating a fight in the match against Kohnhead after a cross-check that sent Pieter Ostend to the locker room for stiches. Head coach Dennis Emberly knocked back questions about whether Kelssek could have used Fabre on the ice instead of in the press box.

“I’m never going to fault a guy for standing up for his teammates. Plain and simple. He deserves a lot of credit for taking one for the team. If more players were willing to do what it takes to win, we wouldn’t be in this mess.”

Emberly also insisted he has the players fully behind him despite reports of a heated argument on the ice during a closed-door training session yesterday hinting at divisions within the team as well as between players and coaches.

Regardless of what might be going on behind closed doors, it's clear the players aren't on the same page on the ice. Miscommunications were clearly at fault for Kelssek leaking three goals in the final period, however. Three players converging on Song Unataq behind the net left Hosaka Severi alone in front of the net, while Rory Kirkland’s cross-ice pass was misplaced into Jordan Lee’s skates and the interception led to the winning goal.

Peter Gilchrist recorded two assists and said the players are frustrated with giving up a winning position.

"It's just really not acceptable that happened. Everybody has to pull together and work for the team. We don't have what we need to succeed right now, I know this is a group that can pull together and realize what we can do as a team. To go into the third leading by two goals and coming out with a loss, it can't happen. We gotta wake up and realize, we're not in the right place if we keep going like this. I know I've got to be better as a leader and a teammate, and we all need to be better than what we showed today."

[Fluvannia]

DIVISION STREET JOURNAL

Monday, August 3, 2020

1 Mark

BEARS' STREAK ENDS FOR THE WORSE

BANIJA -- The Fluvannia men's hockey team must have read yesterday's article here in the Division Street Journal, because they finally got the memo about not letting their next game end in a tie. Unfortunately, they didn't let it end in a win. They went to Banija and dropped their first contest of the tournament, wasting yet another opportunity for a full two points. They avoided a shutout -- and actually managed to tie the game at one, only to see that tie undone by Wassa Bah. More importantly -- they actually looked like they wanted this one.

Unfortunately, the Banijans -- ranked eighth in the world -- wanted it more. While their special teams are a known weakness -- to the point where Fluvannian head coach Wayne Cassidy joked pre-game about trying to remain penalized -- their 5-on-5 play is a known deadly weapon. This was apparent 4:37 in to the game when a rather impressive passing display put on by Antou Sene, Kutubo Gaye, and Edrissa Sonko resulted in a 1-0 lead for the home team. At this point in time, Teukka Salama and Dewa Bangè seemed to decide that a goaltender duel was the day's special, and proceeded to do their best impressions of brick walls for the remainder of the frame.

The second saw a ray of hope for the visiting Bears. At 13:12, Banijan defenseman Alan Ceesay was called for a hook on Henry Ingram, putting the visitors on the power play. Sure enough, 37 seconds later, Harvey Todd got on the board to tie the game at one. This tie was short-lived, however; after returning to even strength, Banija's squad managed to pull ahead only two minutes and five seconds later. At this point, the goaltenders resumed their clinic, and the period ended with the same difference it began with: a single goal.

"Well, we'd obviously like to see what penalties we can draw in the third," said Coach Cassidy during the intermission's interview with Arena Sportsnet. No disrespect to them, but the difference between their even strength and special teams is night and day. The more we can do to try and get the man advantage, we will." However, neither defense was willing to give an inch in the final twenty minutes, and the game ended still at 2-1.

After the game, some of the online discussion seemed to spill over into whether or not Cassidy is the right man for the job. No less than three different articles on the team's World Cup performance thus far were deluged in comments -- often from the same users -- arguing that the Charlottesville Chargers coach was in over his head at the international level. His defenders, on the other hand, appear to think that simply jumping back into competitive games after several months of what essentially amount to inactivity has caused the team to struggle. "We have no comment on Coach Cassidy's role at this time," stated a spokesperson for the Fluvannia Hockey Federation. "He was named the coach for this tournament, and we're not going to simply show him the door halfway through. If someone else is able to earn the job for the next international tournament, so be it, but that conversation is significantly premature at this time."

The schedule for Fluvannia's group play is as follows:

Wed., July 29: vs. ur. Poafmersia, T 2-2
Thu., July 30: @ ur. Flekkefjord, T 4-4
Fri., July 31: vs. #7 Equestria, T 3-3
Sat., Aug. 1: @ #8 Banija, L 1-2
Sun., Aug. 2: vs. ur. Chromatika

Tue., Aug. 4: @ ur. Poafmersia
Wed., Aug. 5: vs. ur. Flekkefjord
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[Siovanija and Teusland]

Hockey Today Magazine

Ehrenliga’s Finest

If You Can’t Beat ‘Em In the Alley: Seelowe Marlesee’s ‘Mean Marlesee Machine’

Hockey Today’s ‘Ehrenliga’s Finest’ section looks back on the long history of hockey in Siovanija & Teusland, focusing on the players, teams, moments and games that have contributed to the culture of the game in our country. Today, we take a look at a team that changed the game forever - the Seelowe Marlesee teams in the immediate post-expansion years, most commonly known in hockey culture today as the ‘Mean Marlesee Machine.’

In season 30, after the Wolf Bleich led Stelburg Kaisers captured their third straight Strauss Cup title, there was a great focus on the team’s play. Bleich had been a new breed, a very tough, physical forward, and the Kaisers were loaded with players who could play the body. They had marked a bit of a shift in the game at that point. And when legendary Kaisers owner Curt Schwaiger was asked about why the team played such a physical style, he answered: “Well, if you can’t beat ‘em in the alley, you can’t beat ‘em on ice.”

A few hundred kilometres north of Stelburg, in the coastal town of Marlesee, Johan Greiss was watching. He was still a kid when the Kaisers won their three Cups in a row - one raised on the tough, cold winters of the Nordsee coast. He had idolized the Kaisers, and players like Wolf Bleich, and grew up playing that same style in the local junior leagues.

Many years later, Greiss was now a successful lawyer in the Marlesee area, and still a massive hockey fan. And now, he saw teams like Kapitala Borograd, made up of tough players, still competing in the league - still winning Strauss Cups, even. The old adage of needing to be tougher than your opponent seemed to still be true, even in a changing era. Greiss became part of the local consortium involved with the expansion team in Marlesee, and as he had had the brightest hockey career amongst them - a cup of coffee in the minor leagues after a decent junior career - he was placed in charge of hockey operations.

Greiss was thus tasked with building the first-ever Seelowe Marlesee team, both through the expansion draft and scouting. He decided to take young players in the expansion draft - those who could be taught to play a certain way, and would develop together. He asked his scouts to focus their efforts on minor league players who played a certain way - big and tough, but also smart. Greiss was beginning a great experiment - just how far could you take the physicality, and still have the opportunity to win.

The expansion draft was quite unfair to the new Ehrenliga clubs. Each of the Original 6 clubs had to make 5 skaters and 1 goalie from their total roster available for the draft, however, most of these players were not exactly Ehrenliga veterans, particularly the goaltenders, who were often the third string at best. There was only one real marquee name on the list - Wolf Bleich, winding down his career with the Stelburg Kaisers. Greiss, who had idolized Bleich, thought he would be perfect to add to the team - however, the Felsenkirchen Jets grabbed him with the first pick in the draft.

Instead, Greiss continued his focus on the young players. Tom Schiff was the team’s first choice, a feisty right winger from the Stelburg Kaisers who hadn’t been able to crack their deep lineup. He was fast, and he also was well-known in junior hockey as a heavy hitter. The second pick was defenceman Elmo Stieler. Stieler hadn’t played a single minute in the Ehrenliga, property of the St. Jakob Saints, but in the minors, he was almost legendary as a fighter. Despite his young age, Stieler had become a strong physical stay-at-home defenceman, and he was perfect for the club. Other choices in the expansion draft included C Arnold Geiser, a skilled forward. Out of the minors, Marlesee signed veteran LW Hans Klugmann to captain the club, while G Benno Kruger was in between the pipes for that first year.

Seelowe Marlesee played their first Ehrenliga game on October 17, 1967, at home against the Stelburg Kaisers. In the ‘good’ column, the team recorded a sellout, Geiser scored his first professional goal, and Elmo Stieler got the crowd into it immediately with a huge hit on Kaisers star Konrad Hersching. In the ‘bad’ column, the team lost 6-1, the beginning of a pattern that each of the expansion teams would, for the most part, feel that season: losing, and losing badly in many cases. Seelowe would record a 9-15-52 record to come last place in the entire league, a brutal year for fans of the expansion team.

Johan Greiss wasn’t too worried, however - in fact, he was almost happy. Prior to the year, Hockey Siovanija & Teusland announced that the previous system of signing young players to A, B and C form contracts was over - an entry draft would now be held for players 18 years old to enter the league. The top prospect that year was Lothar Weinwurm, the star centre for the Felsenkirchen Red Wings that had led them to a Teus Major Junior Hockey League championship that season. Weinwurm could score goals, and was the star of the league. He could also hit, fight, and was famous for his stickwork. That made him perfect for what Seelowe Marlesee were trying to build, and despite being offered several packages to trade that #1 overall pick, Marlesee drafted Lothar Weinwurm #1 overall.

The next season, season 50, was a much more positive one for the club. Weinwurm had a great season, earning Rookie of the Year honours, and quickly became renowned as a skilled player at both ends of the ice. Elmo Stieler was the undisputed heavyweight champion of the league, and there was a great deal of excitement around the team - there was something to build on in the future. The club finished 25-8-42 that year, 5th in the Teus Division. Still out of the playoffs, but very much looking up.

In the backroom, however, there were some clashes. Johan Greiss, the general manager of the club, had hired Fritz Kissling as the first coach of the club. Kissling had once played for the St. Jakob Saints, winning 2 Strauss Cup titles, and had been an experienced coach at the minor league level. It was becoming clear, however, that the two men had very different visions for the team. Greiss brought up young D Aaron Treich from the minors for a seasoning stint in the Ehrenliga towards the end of the season; another physical stay-at-home defender. Kissling, however, didn’t like Treich, and kept him nailed to the bench for most of those games. Furthermore, Kissling encouraged Weinwurm and other players to be more aggressive on attack - that their high-flying style would work best with more goals. Greiss fundamentally disagreed, feeling that a tight defence was the key to the physical style - you had to beat them off the puck to get it, and once you did, you could score.

Kissling and Greiss didn’t really get along well after that second season, but Kissling did start behind the bench for season 51, the club’s third in the league. With Weinwurm getting off to a strong start in his sophomore season, and the other players also developing quite well, there was a hope that Seelowe would be able to reach the playoffs for the first time. It looked as if things would go that way - the club in a fierce battle for that #4 position in the Teus Division with the Felsenkirchen Jets most of the year. They fell off towards the end of the year, however, and after a 6-4 loss to the Jets in the penultimate game of the year that eliminated Seelowe, Greiss’s mind was made up. Fritz Kissling was fired.

Greiss decided it was time to put his plan into overdrive. The team, when playing the way Greiss expected them to, was very, very good. They had a 35-13-28 record, the best in club history. Greiss felt that if they went all the way with his style, they could be even better - perhaps even the best team in the league. He needed a coach that was willing to play that tight style, give the players freedom to be as physical as they could be - he didn’t want to see Kissling holding back Elmo Stieler ever again. He also needed a new goalie, one that was a big-game performer capable of helping them in the playoffs.

Marlesee’s goaltender that season was Andreas Haussler. A solid netminder, he seemed to shrink up in big games, however, and with how loose Marlesee had been defensively, that just wasn’t good enough. Luckily for Johan Greiss, there was a ready-made replacement for him. Eisbaren Stelburg’s starting goaltender was Bastian Sternhell. Sternhell was one of the top young goaltenders in the league, but was on a poor Eisbaren team. Furthermore, his contract was up after the end of the season - and there had been rumours of him going to the newly established Republic Hockey League, which had proven they were willing to sign players to big salaries given the Stahlberg Steelers’ big offer to bring Wolf Bleich out of retirement.

Johan Greiss went to the Eisbaren front office, and offered them a ‘quick fix’ package in exchange for Sternhall. He knew that Eisbaren, as one of the traditional big clubs of the league, needed to be in the playoffs yearly to avoid upsetting their fanbase. They were trending quite clearly downward, however. Greiss thus offered several depth players - particularly those who fit a system Kissling may have preferred, that a new coach may not have utilized. He also threw in a bit of draft capital - the second round pick in the upcoming year’s draft. The deal was made, Eisbaren figuring it would be better to get something for Sternhall rather than lose him for nothing.

That offseason, Greiss negotiated a new contract with Sternhall. Knowing that many of his players would not put up the big individual points numbers to earn bigger contracts, he was able to offer Sternhall a very good contract, making him the second-highest paid goaltender in the Ehrenliga. A new coach was hired: Joseph Kuttner, who had coached in the minor leagues for many years and shared a similar vision of the game as Greiss. The two worked together to fill out the rest of their squad: big, hard players who could also find the back of the net when needed. It was finally time for Seelowe Marlesee to take the next steps.

In season 52, the team began to show the potential Greiss had believed in those first few years. Lothar Weinwurm had developed into one of the league’s best two-way players, and was one of the most feared centres to play against in the league due to his strength. Elmo Stieler continued to be a fan favourite, Tom Schiff was great - and most importantly, perhaps, Bastian Sternhall played some of the best hockey of his career. Seelowe led the league in hits as well as being one of the best defensive teams in the league, and they earned their 46-8-22 record to finish second place in the Teus Division, and qualify for the playoffs for the first time.

In the first round best-of-5, Seelowe would play the St. Jakob Saints, who had finished third. The Saints were a veteran squad, coming to the end of their run after having won the Strauss Cup 3 years prior. There wasn’t much left in the tank, and the younger Marlesee side was able to exploit that. 3-1, 2-0 and 2-1 were the final scores as Marlesee took the series in 3 games. Awaiting them in the Division Final were the ever-dangerous Stelburg Kaisers. The Kaisers had retooled their squad in the preceding years, with a mixture of tough play but also generally being the quickest team in the league. While both teams were young and on the up, the Kaisers had the edge this time - taking the series in 6 games, and going on to beat Energija Chernovets in the Strauss Cup Final.

It was clear for everyone to see, however, just how close Seelowe Marlesee were to the ultimate prize. They were committed to coming back for the next season stronger than ever to pull off the Strauss Cup win. It was a tricky season, with the biggest contenders being considered to be the Stelburg Kaisers, hoping to repeat. In the Siovanijan Division, however, Energija Chernovets were still a very tough team, as were Olympia Borograd. Marlesee would finish second place again in the Teus Division, setting up a first-round battle with the Felsenkirchen Jets.

The two expansion teams each had a feeling of destiny around them, but in the end, the Jets would have to wait a few more years for their time. Marlesee took the series easily, sweeping the series, and teaching the Jets just what exactly was the difference between regular season and playoff hockey. They brutalized the Jets in the corners, seemingly winning every single puck battle. It was war on ice.

In the Division Final, Marlesee once again matched up against the Stelburg Kaisers. While last year, Marlesee had looked tough, this year they looked tough and hungry. The Kaisers perhaps felt an aura of invincibility around them, being the defending champions, and perhaps didn’t want it just as badly as their opponents. Marlesee opened the series with a 2-0 victory on the road to shock the Kaisers, and they would win in 5 games to advance to the Final.

Olympia Borograd and Stanislav Slezak were waiting for them in the finals, however, and it was certain to be a tricky series for both teams. Olympia captain Stanislav Slezak said before the series that “It’s just about playing our game, and not getting bogged down into the style they are going to try and force. If we play our game, we can win.” Slezak and Olympia would take game 1 in a tight-checking game in Borograd, but Marlesee shocked the Greens by taking game 2, 3-2 the final score in that one. Elmo Stieler fought Slezak as well, earning a key morale victory for his side.

Back home in Marlesee, Seelowe would win games 3 and 4 to take a commanding 3-1 series lead. Olympia Borograd would stave off elimination in game 5 at home, winning in overtime, but Marlesee would not be denied on home ice in game 6 - with a 4-1 win, they became the first of the ‘New 6’ expansion clubs to win the Strauss Cup. There were great celebrations long into the night, and even more when Lothar Weinwurm was named league MVP a few weeks later. For Weinwurm, Sternhall, Stieler and the brains behind the team, Greiss and Kuttner, however, the work was just beginning.

Marlesee came back the next season, season 54, even better than they’d started the last. Marlesee went on a 16 game unbeaten run to start the season, and were widely considered the best team in the league by quite some distance. It wasn’t just the skill of their team: you were afraid to play against Marlesee, afraid to go up against Stieler in the corners, afraid to backcheck against Weinwurm, afraid of the four strong lines Marlesee could roll. Seelowe finished first place in the Teus Division that year, and looked set for another march through the playoffs.

In the first round, they faced Eisbaren Stelburg, and former Eisbaren goaltender Bastian Sternhall was the star of the series. Eisbaren were rebuilding around a core of young offensive talent, but they were stymied all series long, only managing 2 goals in the three game series - Marlesee sweeping the first round yet again. In the second round, it was only natural for Marlesee to have a date with the Kaisers. Their opponents, however, had just completed a hard-fought 5-game series with the St. Jakob Saints, and were worn out. Perfect material for Marlesee to beat further into the ground; not perfect for viewers: Marlesee won this series in 5 games, including winning game 3 in Stelburg 5-0. That set up a Strauss Cup Final against Energija Chernovets.

Chernovets were an interesting team at this point in their history. Usually at the bottom of the barrel during the Original 6 era, they had managed to put together a very strong core right as the era was changing. Radim Michalek was a 50-goal scorer and considered by many to be the best offensive player in the league, while D Eduard Masek was one of the finest of his day. Masek’s legacy often gets overlooked as he played at the same time as Stanislav Slezak, but there is no question that he was a key player. Chernovets would win the Strauss Cup back-to-back in seasons 50 and 51, lost in the final in season 52, and were back in the final in season 54 eager to take down the Marlesee team.

It wasn’t to be, however, for Chernovets. Marlesee had an answer to seemingly every question asked of them, as Lothar Weinwurm shut down Michalek completely. Masek had no time whatsoever to move the puck, and once again, it was Elmo Stieler giving his team some motivation in the Final. This time, it was a huge hit on Michalek in game 4 that set the tone for the rest of the series. Games 1 and 2 in Marlesee were won with little trouble, 2-0 and 3-1 the finals. Chernovets would win game 3 at home, 4-3, before Marlesee took games 4 (4-2) and 5 (2-1 OT) to win their second straight Strauss Cup. Game 5’s overtime winner was scored by Tom Schiff.

Many had expected Marlesee’s dominance to continue for another year. They were once again strong in the regular season, and charted an easy course through the playoffs. There were some cracks in the armour, however, as after beating the Jets 3-1 in the first round of the playoffs, the Kaisers took them to a full 7 games in the Teus Division final. Waiting for them again in the final were Energija Chernovets.

While Seelowe Marlesee had rested on their laurels a bit after winning two straight Cups, Chernovets had spent an entire year planning on how to take down this new dynasty. They’d realized there was only one way to do so: beat Marlesee at their own game. They added several players who could ‘play tough’ into their lineup, and throughout the season, there were even hints that the usual stars were getting into the mix: Radim Michalek racked up several big hits, while Eduard Masek was involved in the first fight of his career.

In game 1, Marlesee expected to bully Chernovets off the ice, as they had last year. This time, however, Energija stuck up and stuck around. They did something no team had been able to do to Marlesee the past two years: hit back. At the end of 60 minutes, Energija Chernovets had taken game 1 3-2, and Marlesee were shocked. Seelowe would take game 2, 2-1, but back in Chernovets, Energija would win games 3 and 4, each time with a 4-2 final score. Marlesee needed the performance of a lifetime in game 5 to keep the series alive, and they found it - Lothar Weinwurm scoring the winning goal. In game 6, Marlesee won in overtime - they weren’t going to go out quietly. On home ice, in game 7, with a chance to make it 3 straight Cups, however, the pressure just seemed to be too much: it was Marlesee playing afraid of Chernovets, not the other way around. Energija won the game 3-1 and took home the Strauss Cup.

The Mean Marlesee Machine would still be around for a few more years yet - although they lost in the first round the next season, Marlesee would reach the final again in season 58, losing to Kapitala Borograd. The game had changed on them just as quickly as they had changed it, however, and by season 60, the focus was on high-octane offensive and physical hockey, derived from that Chernovets team that had finally taken down the Machine. Johan Greiss had proved his point, and got his two Cups.

Lothar Weinwurm would stay with Marlesee his entire career, winning one more Cup with the club in season 69 as a veteran player on the team. The trophy for the Ehrenliga’s best two-way forward is named for him. Tom Schiff spent four more years with the club before retiring. Elmo Stieler found new life towards the end of his career with the Kaiserhaven Knights as a ‘bodyguard’ player for all-time great Anatol Weisz, winning 3 more Cups with the Knights before retiring. Bastian Sternhall played 6 more seasons in Marlesee before retiring. Greiss would stay as the GM of Marlesee for a few more years, and was the architect of the season 69 championship winning side as well. Each of those mentioned are in the National Hockey Hall of Fame.

The Mean Marlesee Machine represented a new era for the game of hockey in our country, and changing times for the Ehrenliga. In many ways, the strategies developed by Greiss and Kuttner, and put into practice by Weinwurm, Stieler, Schiff and the rest would have great influence on the great teams of the coming decades, and even how hockey is played today in our country. They truly are one of the Ehrenliga’s great historical teams.

World Cup of Hockey Matchday 4
Siovanija & Teusland vs Adyatin
@ Olimpski-Ledarena, Borograd, Siovanija

Scoring Summary

First Period
17:44: Goldhorns goal scored by Gunter Pfenning, assisted by Hasselberger (1-0)


Second Period

5:59: Adyatin goal scored by Mikhail Samov, assisted by Naroshenko (1-1)
13:34: Goldhorns goal scored by Razvigor Tsvetanov, assisted by Heider, Schlager (2-1)
18:02: Goldhorns goal scored by Koloman Schwarzmann, assisted by Gottschall, Bohm (3-1)

Third Period

7:21: Goldhorns goal scored by Edwin Ranger, assisted by Bohm, Mihelic (4-1)

End of Game: Siovanija & Teusland 4-1 Adyatin

[Neu Engollon]

“Here we are again, people of Neu Engollon and our international viewers. I’m Karl Demais, your ever-present host on the NETV 7 Sports Update. Magda, my regular co-host, is still out covering the Rugby League World Cup in Copper Cuprum. We’re starting with the 40th World Cup of Hockey that is currently being held around the world, but ultimately hosted by the Royal Kingdom of Quebec...once the group stage is over. The Neu Engollon Ibex took a tough defeat at the hands of Avataria the other night, with a 5-4 loss. Their first in the tournament.

Some Neu Engollians look fondly on Avataria, the homeland of Coach Liu Qiang An, who coached the Ibex for three seasons before the Ministry of Athletics dismissed him. Of course, others blame Coach Liu for the lackluster performance of the Ibex during that era, and translate those feelings on to Avataria. It’s a controversial topic for sure, and a lot of those feelings get stirred up on a night like last night.

So, turning it around...We had a good showing tonight from the Ibex, who bounced back after that close defeat to Avataria by one goal. They got back on the ice in their first ever game against Trolleborg and beat them nine goals to zero. Yes, that’s right. 9 to 0. It’s like they cut through them like hot knives through butter. It will certainly boost up our point advantage.

We will get to the highlights of that game, later in the show, although it’s just the Trolleborgian goalie getting barraged, mostly...And we will go with a new segment we have decided to try wherein we interview a coach, player or official from another team that’s in the Cup besides the Ibex. Okay...I suggested this, but our producer, Emanuel, is amazing and made it happen. I thank him for that. Something to really appeal to our international viewers who want to hear about their teams, not just the Ibex all the time. So, without further adieu, I’d like to introduce the right winger, and a top scorer for the Dragonflies national team, and for the Aevenna Bay Mariners in Ko-oren, Aidaloph Autibel. Welcome to the show, Aidaloph!”

“Thanks, Karl! Glad to be here. Just got off the ice after the Terre Sepe-, uh, Septerna-, the Terre game, really happy with what the guys have put together. Four goals, that's a feast! Two goals conceded, but Terre are a good team, you can't check all the boxes every single game.”

“Check all the boxes? What do you mean by that? You personally or the team?”

“Karl, I’m happy with my own play. I am. I feel I could've maybe been a little tougher on their wingers and the walls, and I think I probably could've won a few more pucks behind their goal. With a result like this, that's easily forgotten though! We've got tonight to celebrate us getting to first place in the group - first place! Who would've thought that at the start of this World Cup?”

“Who would’ve thought. I’m not sure, but I think we had some idea of how capable the Dragonflies were.”

“Don't forget my goal in the second period, sure, you might call it lucky, but I call it strategy to fit in a shot between two defenders, a goalie, a center, and Aiamalod on the other wing. Exactly as I planned it."

“I don’t think we’ll forget it. It was masterful, for sure, Aidaloph. It’s one they didn’t see coming and you gotta keep those up to keep the advantage. Do you think you and the team can keep doing that?”

"Right, exactly, Karl. We're here to win a championship, of course, but looking at the state of our team, and the state of all the other teams, look, don't tell my teammates this, but hey, you know, we're not the best team here. Not the worst. Not the best. Winning the group would be amazing, and we decided that the quarterfinals would be a good place to get to in this World Cup, and so far, so good. When Terre, Sarzonia, and Mercedini of all teams came rolling out of the draw, me and Aoporin, that's the goalie, and Auvia, that's a defenseman, looked at each other and we knew this was trouble. We really had to step it up there, and that's probably for the best. In the past, we didn't always get to, say, the quarterfinals, and it could be because we started rolling too late. In this group, we have to start strong, early, and finish strong, every single game, and for me it's doing wonders in my focus. We're all focused on the results here. More than in previous World Cups."

“I was gonna say we could stick a pin in Mercedini for later, but let's come back to that. Top seed in your group."

"Yeah. We know Mercedini, Karl. We've seen them play. Focused. Strong. Motivated. Mentally and physically.”

“Absolutely, they’re top notch. A big rival for the Ibex.”

“Yeah, for everybody. We're not expecting to win both games against them, or even one. Compared to them, we're a ragtag group of friends who take hockey a little more seriously than most. But a professionally led team? Not in the way Mercedini is. Terre have been a scary team since the start. They can be trouble. We're so, so happy that when it mattered most, we were the stronger side - that's the focus we were talking about. Nobody is underestimating their all-female team. Then Sarzonia, the only other team we knew of that played even a little like us. Mercedini and Terre are hunting for goals, all the time, which means that I've got to be aware of my surroundings at all times. Against Sarzonia, we know that we can be in control of the puck every now and again, and that's definitely easier for me. So yeah, when we saw that group draw, we knew this was going to be a battle from game one until... game last."

“Game last. I like that. So those teams, and then you also have the newcomers Sylestone and New Waldensia?”

“Yeah, sure. Unknown quantity, Karl, but nothing’s a gimme in the Cup.”

“Absolute truth there. And looking towards the other groups?”

"It's probably a bit early to look to the other groups and see what we can play in the knockouts. If we can stay in first place, we're going to see a second placed team in some other group, that's going to be a lot easier. Ultimately, it would be amazing to play some of our old rivals here. Quebec, the hosts, or Taeshan, Gyatso-Kai... I don't really want to see the rest of Atlantian Oceania there, though. No Banija, Cassadaigua, Equestria, or Vilita and Turori for me. That's what the AOHC is for, but man, our region is stacked with some of these teams.”

“That’s where they’re coming from, most definitely. I know it’s a lot of speculation at this point and who’s to say in a few days...”

“Right. Just that one team that I really don't want to see at all is the Ibex of Neu Engollon. I mean, if I can play some hockey abroad for a club, man, the NEHL can call me any day. We've got a few teammates playing in Donnacona now, but to be fair, I know that a lot of us would sign a pro contract in another league in a heartbeat. Anyway, we know that Neu Engollon has a lot of players as scouts playing in clubs in other countries, that's one big plus. For the rest of Ko-oren thinking Neu Engollon is a rugby nation, man, think again."

“Plenty of NEHL teams still hunting for foreign players, that’s for sure. They are scooping up players left and right around the hockey world.
What's up next for the Dragonflies? What are you all putting your sights on next?”

"A bit of celebrating, then a lot of preparation for Sarzonia. We're on top of the world right now, and we're not giving it up here. If we can get two wins in the three games after that, against Mercedini, Sylestone, and New Waldensia, we're good. If we can beat Mercedini here, I swear..."

“Have to have that hope. And grit. Takes both, Aidaloph.
And what's up next for you personally?”

"Karl, I’m not going to lie, I printed a few resumes that I'm going to hand out to some scouts from Quebec, Valanora, Vilita and Turori, Neu Engollon, you know, the professional, clubs-that-actually-pay-their-players leagues. We all heard what Nedergard and Aiamalod are earning, and we're looking for some of that. If Ko-oren can't get its league to go pro, then we'll just get the players to go pro. It's sad for the league, but it's an opportunity, too. For some. I think, anyway."

“Well, I’d like to say that I’ll keep things mum, but uh...this is going out live to all our syndicated networks. I hope that nobody in the Mariners organization is watching, but, eh...I would bet they are. We wish you the best. So glad to meet you and talk with you. I hope we can talk again.”

“Thanks, Karl. I’ll be fine. Great to talk to you and all of Neu Engollon.”

“And all of our international viewers…”

“And all your international viewers.”

“Night, Aidaloph. Stay tuned everyone. We’ll be back after this sponsor break to review the Trolleborg game in depth, preview some upcoming group games for the Ibex, and maybe talk some rugby if we have time. Keep it on NETV Sports 7.”

RP Credit to go equally to Ko-oren. Many thanks!

[Delaclava]

DSGN.com Hockey

Bounce-back victory has Phoenixes looking forward to toughest test

Jehiel Abreu scored a shorthanded goal on a breakaway and Delaclava rebounded from its first loss of the World Cup of Hockey to defeat Natanians and Nosts 1-0, putting Delaclava back into second place in Group F and setting up a highly anticipated duel in Valhalla with top seeds Valanora.

"It's a long tournament with this group stage, and this was the first time we came up against adversity. We needed to respond appropriately today, and that's what we did," Abreu said.

The Phoenixes were looking for a rebound performance after dropping their game to The Sherpa Empire 4-3, blowing a 3-1 lead after straying from their disciplined defensive style and taking three ill-advised penalties in the third period, allowing the Sherpa team to capitalise with two power-play goals.

"That game warned us about what happens when you lose focus," coach Arthur Lemaire said. "At least we made that mistake early on. This was a tough opponent we had, but we worked through it and figured it out."

The Phoenixes had been put in the man-down situation by a hooking penalty from Timur Fedorov. But 49 seconds into the power play, Radoslav Nemec poked at an errant pass, and Jaroslav Hlavacek collected the puck before firing it forward to Abreu, who had anticipated the breakup and was charging the other way. Abreu took the puck down and converted against the Natanian netminder.

It was the second time of the tournament the Phoenixes got a shorthanded game-winner. Abreu commented, "We just really like that look when we're a man down. Our priority is to stop the other team from scoring, but we feel very confident in shutting that down. And if the puck happens to come to us, we're not going to automatically dump and change. We take that opportunity to go the other way because the power play unit isn't ready for it."

Tom Sutton logged his second shutout in the past three games, interrupted only by the Sherpa game in which Sutton allowed four goals. "I've done this my whole life - forget about the last goal you just gave up, get it out of your head," Sutton said. "Sure, it's hard to forget about a performance like that, but it's what I needed to do."

Delaclava concludes the first half of the group stage with a home game against the top seed in Group F, #6 Valanora. Valanora defeated The Sherpa Empire 4-1 to continue a hot World Cup, winning all four games with 21 goals scored and seven goals allowed. Delaclava is situated precariously in second place in the group, one point ahead of Sherpa, and while scoring a positive result against the Vanorians seems optimistic, it may be necessary to preserve that position heading into the break.

The game will be played at Hejtursallur, the 40,000-seat arena in Valhalla. It is the largest venue being used for a Delaclav home game in this tournament, and reports indicate that the game is entirely sold out, with fans eagerly anticipating the chance to see their team take on a world power and perhaps emerge victorious.

The Sherpa Empire 4-3 Delaclava

1st: DEL, Clement 1 (Mahut 1, Sexton 1) 4:23 (pp). DEL, Abreu 1 (Sexton 2, Coburn 1) 8:05. SHW 15:32.
2nd: DEL, Sexton 2 (Coburn 2, Nemec 1) 22:40. SHW 38:04.
3rd: SHW 41:23 (pp). SHW 54:09 (pp).

Saves: SHW 7-7-13--27. DEL, Sutton 7-10-13--30.

Natanians and Nosts 0-1 Delaclava

1st: None
2nd: Abreu 2 (Hlavacek 1, Nemec 2) 22:04 (sh).
3rd: None

Saves: NTN 8-9-13--30. DEL, Sutton 7-14-7--28.

[TJUN-ia]

A disappointing loss in TJUN-ia's home debut, the IHT - and the hockey fandom - had a sour taste in their mouths. Losing to a winless Jeckland on home ice was not the best thing to do, and it worsened our group position heading into our 2 most important games thus far. Heading to Abanhfleft, the Jags needed points in order to keep chase with them and Savojarna. But taking points on the road against the 2nd ranked team in the multiverse was certainly going to be an uphill battle for survival.

The first period showcased the Fleftic's might, as they tore Jakob Vaduz apart with 3 goals. Many might be quick to jump on TJUN-ia no.1 goaltender but considering the opposition he was facing, you can't really blame him. It wasn't all bad, as Ryan Pericic scored for the Ice Jags, but it certainly looked a bit rough. The second saw more Fleftic scoring, 2 to be precise, as the crowd was hungry for blood. Another goal came our way, this time Kisei Nawakami on a powerplay, but when the 2nd period ended, TJUN-ia were in a 3 goal hole that looked impossible to get out of.

But, I guess someone didn't tell Ølson Rasmussen that this game was a lost cause. Entering the third period, he ordered his men to push and to try and get something out of this game. Many were a bit surprised and wondering what he was doing, but Ølson must have known something. TJUN-ia came alive out of nowhere and the crowd was stunned. Julian Visipils scored the 3rd TJUN-ian goal, and Thorgan Annursson the 4th a few minutes later. 5-2 became 5-4 very quickly and now the pressure was on. With 1 minute to go, the Fleftic though they had done enough to win the game as the moved the puck outside of their half, but Viktor Orban thought overwise. He managed to weave his way around the defensive line to score a tieing goal with 48 seconds to spare, This game was a blowout a few minutes ago, now it was a dead heat. TJUN-ia went for a 6th, but the Fleftic defence held firm.

TJUN-ia escaped Abanhfleft with a precious point, a point that may help them in the long run. Ølson Rasmussen wanted to get something from this game and, somehow, he actually did. Now we must head home for the an important clash with group-leading Savojarna, knowing a win would make us level on points with the Savojar. The Rink will host the 11th ranked team and the fans will certainly be ready for them. GO JAGS!

---

SCHEDULE (Group G)
MD1: @La Florita (27) W 1-0
MD2: @Lovisa (UR) W 2-1 (1st)
MD3: vs Jeckland (UR) - The Rink in The Gardens, New Washington L 4-5 (3rd)
MD4: @Abanhfleft (2) D 5-5 (3rd)
MD5: vs Savojarna (11) - The Rink in The Gardens, New Washington
------------------------OFF DAY------------------------
MD6: vs La Florita (27) - The Rink in The Gardens, New Washington
MD7: vs Lovisa (UR) - The Rink in The Gardens, New Washington
MD8: @Jeckland (UR)
MD9: vs Abanhfleft (2) - The Rink in The Gardens, New Washington
MD10: @Savojarna (11)

[Kayangan]

Cereta 4

Group H
(UR) Graintfjall 0–0 Kayangan (UR)

“In 1995, the President Order Number 871 established the Kayangan Free Zones Act. This set up the Kayangan Free Zones Scheme, which was to accelerate exploration of the country’s potential. In order to assist the activities of export processing zones (EPZs), the Kayangan Economic Free Zones Board (KEFZB), which of Kayangan players, Halilintar Singkap Bertahta, and Son of Kayangan Vice President, Gerhana Iskandar Artaruna Raja appointed as board of director was established to help monitor their activities. EPZs specialise in the industrial sector, are located physically and administratively outside customs jurisdiction, and are focused on export production. The zones help attract investors into various sectors because of the investment incentives they provide as administrative and policy-making bodies. The main goal of the Free Zones Act is to attract FDI, and it contains various provisions to achieve this goal:

- exemptions from tax on income or profits for ten years;
- payment of a maximum 5% tax after the exemption expires;
- possibility of withholding tax on dividends accruing from free zone investments;
- opportunity to hold a 100% share in any free zone venture;
- assurances in respect of repatriation of earned profits and also against a policy of nationalization of assets in the event of a change of government or regime.

The Kayangan Gateway is also a very important policy direction” . The Gateway programme, which aims to promote Kayangan as an investment and trade destination in the hub of Northern Malayans, has also been introduced. It is focused on export processing zones and foreign direct investment. Part of the agenda is also to encourage the establishment of financial services, transport services, and telecommunication networks, thus enhancing Kayangan’s position as an economic hub and regional powerhouse. The emphasis is on private operators developing three export zone enclaves, while the government provides the framework for the investment.

The President Order Number 778 of 1994 established the Perbadanan Perlaburan Kayangan/ Kayangan Investment Corporation (PPK) (which one of the player, Bara Bambang Sripagar was their Vice President, Corporate Affair) with the aim of attracting foreign and domestic business and also monitoring business operations. The PPK encourages, promotes, and facilitates investment in Kayangan consistent with Kayangan’s economic policy goals and registers projects. As a result of good infrastructure and financial sector development in Kayangan, foreign investments benefit immensely from this. The conducive investment climate and improved legal and administrative nature of the economy make doing business easy. Between 2002 and 2012, the government of Kayangan implemented the Investment Promotion Programme and this was accompanied by the signing of various trade treaties and agreements within the global organisation as well as by the liberalisation of the financial sector, which has encouraged foreign investment. Kayangan’s liberal FDI policy makes it a safe destination for investment, not forgetting the wealth of natural resources that exist in the country.


MD5
Vs. Siovanija and Teusland (5)

[PotatoFarmers]

When the loss came, it came in a rather...brutal manner.
The opponents had not prepared a roster before hand, and so Poafmersia couldn't do much preparation other than refer to past videos depicting their team. To get a roster from Equestria, you would have to go all the way back to the 17th edition, where the nation of ponies hosted the match themselves. All we can rely on was the limited video footage you can retrieve, and whatever match reports we read from the previous editions of the Cup and this one thus far. Little information all around means that Bosco was extremely worried. After all, the way to prepare against top seeds is surely to look through video replays and grab their weakness, and not to come in blind.
So Poafmersian players travel to Equestria, knowing more about their football team than their ice hockey team. The match was ridiculous. The opposition's (ponies? humans? You decide for yourself) played some hyper-aggressive offensive hockey, pumping out all the power and pushing forward. They seem to have lots of energy and power, and the energy lines of Poafmersia can't catch up with them. Maybe they are on steriods, but you never know. The loss was super brutal, with the players not even knowing how they lost, as the goals came fast and furious. The Golden Phoenixes managed to sneak 3 past the opposition, but that was it.
Bosco made no comment to the press, and took the team to leave really quickly. The target was on Banija, the second seeds who Poafmersia would await back at home. A nice result in Banija would give the team back the confidence they deserve to have, and hopefully at home against the Equestrians, they can defeat them.

Equestria 5
Players?? 6:14; 17:03; 39:41; 48:22; 57:00

Poafmersia 3
Diogo Aita 12:20; 28:45
Jada Esposito 44:53

[HUElavia]

HUElavia Gets Another Win to Keep Pace in Group H!

HUElavia 5-3 Lorenthia

HUElavia came into Matchday 4 looking to build on their win in Matchday 3, as they wanted to make up the 0-0-2 start in the World Cup. Their next match was against Lorenthia, who was on a 0-2-0 start and had 2 points to their name. The arena was very Pro-HUElavian, as once again, the fans came religiously to support the team and drape the arena in yellow, blue and green. Both teams came in full strength, but HUElavia were seen as the main favorites to the match. The puck was dropped and the match was underway!

The match was a strong domination from Los Amarillos/Os Amarelos, with an early goal within the first 10 minutes from Rossi after an assist by Ben Youseff and Carvalho to make it 1-0. Five minutes later, a pass from Martinez-Herrera allowed Costa-Reus to take a strong shot from the blue line to blast it into the goal to make it 2-0, with the crowd jumping and screaming with passion for the 2-0 goal, making the arena rumble. Towards the end of the 1st period, REDACTED scored in front of Rodriguez-Gomez to make it 2-1. The 2nd Period picked up where HUElavia left off, with Lima-Fernandes passing the puck to Petit, who got in front of REDACTED and put the puck into the goal at point-blank range to make it 3-1. Towards the end of the period, a pass from Giroux went past the two defenders and allowed Dominguez-Garcia to go one-on-one and slide it past REDACTED to make it 4-1, making the crowd feel satisfied. Right before the end of the period, a pass from REDACTED got to the stick of REDACTED, who blasted it past Rodriguez-Gomez to end the period at 4-2. In the 3rd Period, Lorenthia was determined to keep pace in the match and got an early goal in a 3-minute Power Play, with passes from REDACTED and REDACTED, to reach REDACTED, who shot it past Rodriguez-Gomez to make it 4-3, changing the momentum in favor of them. Despite the constant attacks from there, HUElavia stood their ground and in the final seconds of play, with Lorenthia playing with 6 players, while the goalie was pulled, Garcon-Chevalier got the puck, and passed it to Lima-Fernandes, who blasted it from halfway into the empty net, to make it the definitive 5-3 with 0.2 seconds left in the match. After that final 0.2 seconds was played, HUElavia took a vital win to improve their record.

Currently, the team sits at 2-0-2, and with 4 points, now having scored and conceded 7 goals. They're in 3rd Place and will play against Adyatin, who are in 4th place with a record of 1-1-2 and with 3 points. HUElavia is determined to win, while keeping a track of the match between Siovanija and Teusland and Kanyagan, where if HUElavia and Siovanija and Teusland both win, HUElavia is likely to move up to 2nd Place, which is the objective of the team at the moment. Many HUElavians will pack the arena as always and they look to support their team in another must-win matchup. Regardless of what happens, the fans and the country are backing these men representing HUElavian Ice Hockey.

FORCA HUELAVIA! VAMOS HUELAVIA! GO HUELAVIA!

[New Waldensia]

Fight mars tie game in Day 4 of World Cup of Hockey
Waldensian Times, by Henrik Larsson
Final Score: New Waldensia 1–1 Sylestone

(Royal Kingdom of Quebec) -- The New Waldensian Avalanche succeeded in avoiding a fourth loss in the World Cup of Hockey by garnering a 1-1 tie against Sylestone, a match that was marred by a major fight in the closing seconds.

An unusual team, the Sylestone contingent is made up entirely of animals with human qualities, recently utilized in the nation. According to sources, this caused some consternation among Avalanche players as the game progressed in a tie status toward the end of the match.

Avalanche captain Caspian Estes scored the first goal at 3:12 in the second period. Sylestone's goal was scored nine minutes later by forward Howler Monkey. Avalanche first line forward Ioan Searle received an a injury in the third period, and was replaced by rookie Jeffrey Bolton.

In the closing seconds, Bolton had two successive shots blocked by Sylestone's goalie, Rhinoceros, and as time expired Bolton straight up tackled the goalie, sparking an all-hands-on-deck fight that took several minutes to break up. Avalanche assistant coach "Blitzin' Blake" Barnard took a nasty shot to the head, resulting in a broken nose.

Head coach Luther Sexton has benched Bolton for the next game, calling his actions a disgrace to the team.

[Graintfjall]

Posted on the winter sports blog Icy Dead People.

Ice Wolves Involved In Historic Game
Posted by ScrapingTheBarrel

Græntfjall has entered the annals of international hockey history through their participation in what many have already called the ‘most boring game of all time’. Tom Finngeirsson and Andak Mambang Di Awan traded shutouts in a goalless tie at the WMM Arena in Ilsburg that, despite granting Græntfjall their first group stage point, leaves them roundly bottom. They continue to have just about the worst offensive record in the entire tournament.

A goalless tie can be excited when both goaltenders are pulling off blinding saves and dazzling with their tenacity, but in truth neither goalie was overly troubled in this match. Neither side managed to sustain attacking pressure and the game was largely a contest on the boards, broken up with excruciating regularity by penalty calls. A couple of thumping hits from Felix Arvidsson briefly roused the crowd in the second quarter, but by the third a half-empty arena for only the country’s second ever international game at home spoke of dire problems.

Comments:


1. gunzlach_gunnar

the scoreboard was 0 – 0 but my eyes were - – -

[Banija]

Ice hockey popularity growing at home in an unexpected place- the Hangaza Region


A pair of local high school hockey teams play a game within Jinja City

JINJA CITY, HANGAZA- We all know the struggles of trying to build a strong ice hockey program in a nation that doesn't have winter. There are no 'naturally occuring' places to play hockey in this country- no frozen ponds or rivers or lakes for young kids to learn how to ice skate, without paying the fees associated with going to a ice hockey arena. And with Banija only recently rising economically, very few people outside of the Moravica Region even had access to ice hockey arenas. In fact, there was not one community ice rink in the entirety of the Hangaza Region before the discovery of oil and the establishment of PetroBan, Banija's public oil company.

Across this country, the biggest sports are national. Soccer is #1, with everyone being obsessed with soccer. #2, closely behind, is gridiron football. Who doesn't like tossing around the ol' pigskin? And behind that, is either basketball or baseball. But then beyond that? You got your regional quirks. In Moravica, and, say, Bunyoro, you'd be looking at lacrosse being the next sport. In Kitara and Busukuma, and to a lesser extent Ankole, baseball is exploding in popularity thanks to the establishment and growth of the Western Banijan Baseball League, established right after Banija won WBC 47.

But what about out here in the North? Hangaza has experienced crazy economic growth in the past few years, as has the rest of the country, thanks to the discovery of oil. Banija's now vast oil reserves are pretty much all concentrated in Hangaza, in the northeast of the country, by the Geisenfred and Timuria borders. For all we know, however, the oil fields are all on the Banijan sides of those international borders. But with baseball really not catching on in Hangaza, and lacrosse not really popular, they were primed for another sport.

And that's where ice hockey stepped in. And it's hard to pinpoint a source, exactly, for why this is. In Hangaza's major population centers, Aissa and Jinja City, there exist hockey arenas- two in Jinja City, one on each side of the mighty Jinja River, and in Aissa, there is one on the campus of Hangaza Tech, the city's largest public University. But hockey is explosively growing in the region. Hangaza is the second region in Banija to make hockey an official varsity sport at the high school level. And while there are no state championships for it yet, the HHSAA(Hangaza High School Athletic Association) runs metropolitan championships in Aissa, and city championships in Jinja City.

We asked the director of the HHSAA to talk about it. "Hockey is a sport that has always had the potential to appeal to Banijans." Said the HHSAA director. "We've had tremendous growth in Hangaza in hockey over the last decade. In Jinja City, particularly, there is an appeal for players to play hockey. The city has invested in the arena, and it is very affordable to go play at. Ergo, you give kids the opportunity, give them the chance to learn to skate, and they'll love it. There are 29 public high schools, and 6 private high schools in Jinja City limits- 14 of them have varsity ice hockey squads."

There is a movement for Jinja City to try and get a professional team within the city. We spoke to the Mayor's office about that. "Well, we've seen the GBHL talk about going to Herzegovina City and Istria for teams 15 and 16, to join the Savojarna, Northwest Kalactin, and Ko-oren sides entering the league. See the growth that has happened in Jinja City! Hockey is growing at home, and it is already a Moravica-centric sport. There is growth here in Hangaza and Jinja City particularly, if you look for it. This city has fertile soil for hockey's roots- let's strengthen them and grow the sport out here in Northeast Banija."

[The Royal Kingdom of Quebec]

And Everything's Blue.

World Cup of Hockey XL - MD5 Results!

---

Group A
Reçueçn 5–3 Quakmybush
Taeshan 2–1 St. Saratoga
Wack-i 2–4 Royal Kingdom of Quebec

Group A                        Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Royal Kingdom of Quebec        5    5   0   0    24   11  +13    10
2 St. Saratoga                   5    3   0   2     9    6   +3     6
3 Reçueçn                        5    3   0   2    16   14   +2     6
4 Taeshan                        5    2   1   2    11   15   −4     5
5 Wack-i                         5    0   2   3     6   12   −6     2
6 Quakmybush                     5    0   1   4     6   14   −8     1

Group B
Gyatso-Kai 5–2 Kohnhead
Trolleborg 0–4 Kelssek
Megistos 1–4 Neu Engollon

Group B                        Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Gyatso-Kai                     5    5   0   0    26   16  +10    10
2 Neu Engollon                   5    4   0   1    29   10  +19     8
3 Kelssek                        5    2   1   2    13   12   +1     5
4 Kohnhead                       5    1   1   3     9   16   −7     3
5 Megistos                       5    1   1   3     7   13   −6     3
6 Trolleborg                     5    0   1   4     6   23  −17     1

Group C
Terre Septentrionale 6–2 New Waldensia
Sarzonia 0–1 Ko-oren
Sylestone 3–4 Mercedini

Group C                        Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Ko-oren                        5    4   1   0    11    3   +8     9
2 Mercedini                      5    3   1   1    17   11   +6     7
3 Sarzonia                       5    3   0   2    15   14   +1     6
4 Terre Septentrionale           5    2   0   3    19   18   +1     4
5 Sylestone                      5    1   1   3     8   12   −4     3
6 New Waldensia                  5    0   1   4     7   19  −12     1

Group D
Ranoria 4–0 Solarampa
Logon 2–6 Vilita and Turori
The Jovannic 3–9 Cassadaigua

Group D                        Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Vilita and Turori              5    4   1   0    21    8  +13     9
2 Cassadaigua                    5    4   0   1    22    7  +15     8
3 Ranoria                        5    2   2   1     8    9   −1     6
4 Solarampa                      5    2   0   3     9   14   −5     4
5 The Jovannic                   5    0   2   3     4   16  −12     2
6 Logon                          5    0   1   4     4   14  −10     1

Group E
Fluvannia 1–0 Chromatika
Poafmersia 1–2 Banija
Fiekkefjord 2–3 Equestria

Group E                        Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Banija                         5    4   1   0    16    5  +11     9
2 Equestria                      5    3   2   0    15   11   +4     8
3 Fluvannia                      5    1   3   1    11   11    0     5
4 Poafmersia                     5    2   1   2    12   13   −1     5
5 Chromatika                     5    1   0   4     5   12   −7     2
6 Fiekkefjord                    5    0   1   4    12   19   −7     1

Group F
Gergary 3–4 Natanians and Nosts
The Sherpa Empire 2–5 United States of Devonta
Delaclava 0–1 Valanora

Group F                        Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Valanora                       5    5   0   0    22    7  +15    10
2 Delaclava                      5    2   1   2     7    6   +1     5
3 United States of Devonta       5    1   3   1    13   13    0     5
4 The Sherpa Empire              5    2   0   3    10   15   −5     4
5 Natanians and Nosts            5    1   1   3    11   16   −5     3
6 Gergary                        5    1   1   3     6   12   −6     3

Group G
La Florita 3–2 Lovisa
TJUN-ia 2–3 Savojarna
Jeckland 3–3 Abanhfleft

Group G                        Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Savojarna                      5    4   1   0    18    8  +10     9
2 Abanhfleft                     5    2   3   0    15   11   +4     7
3 TJUN-ia                        5    2   1   2    14   14    0     5
4 La Florita                     5    2   0   3     9   12   −3     4
5 Jeckland                       5    1   1   3     9   14   −5     3
6 Lovisa                         5    1   0   4     4   10   −6     2

Group H
Lorenthia 0–1 Graintfjall
Adyatin 2–3 HUElavia
Kayangan 3–5 Siovanija and Teusland

Group H                        Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Siovanija and Teusland         5    5   0   0    24    7  +17    10
2 Kayangan                       5    2   2   1     5    5    0     6
3 HUElavia                       5    3   0   2    10    9   +1     6
4 Adyatin                        5    1   1   3     6    9   −3     3
5 Graintfjall                    5    1   1   3     2    8   −6     3
6 Lorenthia                      5    0   2   3     6   15   −9     2

[Terre Septentrionale]

OOC: Sorry I keep making mistakes in my schedule, I thought it was an away game and I said so in my RP yesterday, but it was an home game.

Terre Septentrionale finally wins

Ostroszowice, Cachoubie - After two losses in a row, Terre Septentrionale are back at home and they finally wins. The team won 6-2 against New Waldensia at the 11,000 seated Hala Sportowo Polnocna Telekom in Ostroszowice, Kashubia. As expected, Günther Schützenauer was back in the line up and Nico Eggenberger was still in net. Terre Septentrionale scored first, when Kasandra Wojcinowicz took a rebound and scored in an almost empty net. With 6 minutes remaining, Jenny Hockey, after recieving the puck from Melania Zyskowska, scored a power play goal to make it at 2-0. New Waldensia scored 2 minutes later when Igor Duffy's wrist shot went in the top corner of the net but Terre Septentrionale answered immediately, well 30 seconds later, when Emilia Zyskowska passed to her sister Melania in front of the net and she put the puck through the five hole for a goal. The score was 3-1 Reprezentacja Nordycki at this time.

Terre Septentrionale increased their lead early in the 2nd period when Virginie Woodbury passed the puck to Günther Schützenauer who shot from the face off circle and he scores. New Waldensia scored midway in the period and the Northmen leads 4-2 after 40 minutes.

The Nordiques finally scored in the 3rd period, firstly on the power play when Kévin Beauregard accepted a pass from Krzysztof Klepczynski and shot in the net. Emilia Zyskowska also got an assist on the goal. With 4 minutes remaining, Pierre Sanschagrin scored a breakaway goal and the final score was 6-2 Terre Septentrionale.

Still a hard road to go

With this win, Terre Septentrionale is now in 4th place but it still going to be hard. The Northmen absolutely needs to beat Sarzonia, Mercedini and Ko-oren if they wants to make the playoffs. There's a rumor saying despite this win against New Waldensia, Georges Grondin's job is still in limbo. Nico Eggenberger is expected to be the starting goalie against Sarzonia. There's a week long break between game #5 and game #6 so players will rest a little and I'm going to vacation in Côte Austral in Ko-oren for a week, it seems to be a good place and I think they speaks French.

Germain Coutu,
La tribune Septentrionale

[Natanians and Nosts]

Two matches after winning the first point,Natanians and Nosts has its first victory in this WCoH,defeating Gergary by 4x3.
Sócrates Numa North scored in both the 3rd and 5th minutes of the first period.One minute after his second goal,João Márius da Silva let the puck slide,allowing Gergary to score its first goal.
The second period was weak on Natanians and Nosts' side,when Gergary scored its other two goals.On the third minute,on a power play and on the fourth with a straight shoot.
Márcus Mihai Lambe scored Natanians and Nosts third goal on the first minute of the third period.In a rapid play,Ion Gabriel Sternberg scored the final goal for Natanians and Nosts on the second minute of the period.Oscar Márius Álvares almost scored a fifth Natanians and Nost goal,but it hit straight into the post.

[Neu Engollon]

“Hey viewers of Neu Engollon and our international viewers. I’m Karl Demais, on the NETV 7 Sports Update. Magda, my regular co-host, is still out covering the Rugby League World Cup in Copper Cuprum. We’re back on the 40th World Cup of Hockey that is currently being held around the world, but will ultimately end up in the Royal Kingdom of Quebec when we get to the Round of 16. We have gotten a just incredible reaction to something we started on last night’s show...an interview featuring a player, coach or official from another nation’s team competing in the World Cup. Last night, of course, we had on Aidaloph Autibel from the Dragonflies of Ko-oren. Aidaloph was a big hit. Sooo...We’ve decided to keep it going and make a whole series of it. Tonight, we will have on the show Jehiel Abreu, from the Phoenixes of Delaclava, coming to us remotely from Hejtursallur in Valhalla in their home country after their recent game against Valanora.

Before that, I wanted to briefly mention for those that didn’t see the game tonight, although there can’t be too many of you who aren’t aware of the current standings - The Ibex did win their game against Megistos, with the unranked team getting one goal late in the second period, but unable to hold off the 4 goals of the Neu Engollian national team. Two of them scored by Bojan Gavnic, the first goal of the game slapped in by Alex Weissbaum, and newer Ibex star Tomas Swenssen getting the final goal in the third period to seal the deal on the first match up with Megistos.

We’ll cover that game more later in the hour, but right now, I am happy to welcome to the program, Jehiel Abreu, Number 19; Captain of the Phoenixes, the national hockey team of Delaclava. Jehiel, hello!”

“Hi Karl, thanks for having me.”

“Glad to have you aboard, Jehiel. I will say that I don’t think many of our Neu Engollian viewers know much about Delaclava, but some of our international viewers may. Tell us a little about your nation...Is it a traditional hockey playing nation, or is this a newer sport for Delaclava?”

“Sure thing. Delaclava’s a pretty large nation in eastern Atlantian Oceania. It’s not a big sport everywhere, but definitely in enough areas where there’s a good talent pool for our program. One of the more important notes is that our government recently lifted a 57-year policy isolating Delaclava from the rest of the world, to smooth over civil and political tensions. Before that, we were a big hockey-playing nation - our last international tournament was the 16th World Cup in Plutoni, and that team made the semifinals. Coach Lemaire was actually on that team. But this is our first tournament coming back from that shutdown, and hockey’s stayed alive in pockets the whole time. That’s allowed us to still be competitive in this tournament and moving forward. It’s been a great opportunity for us so far.”

“Wow! Here we are thinking that your nation was completely new to the sport, lacking a modern ranking, but you all have just been in hibernation, so to speak. Almost 60 years though, that is a good couple generations down. Really it is like starting anew or over. Does it feel like the Phoenixes are completely unprepared or has there been some notion of how modern international play would affect your team?”

“Well, on our end, we’ve tried not to be too worried about our game. When we came together to play the regional championships, it was about making sure we were fit, sharp and ready to go. Then we got to work with as much footage as we could get - fortunately, AOHC was only a 12-team tournament, so it didn’t take too long to scout out the competition. I guess we weren’t sure at first how we’d measure up when we actually got on the ice, and it took a bit of time to adjust. But it gave us a lot of confidence to figure out we could hang with the other teams. It’s been a similar process getting into this tournament as well. There are always going to be new challenges but we think we’re doing what we can to give ourselves a good shot.”

“Sure, that makes sense. Best strategy you can have going in after so long off the international ice. So, considering all that, how do you think it has applied so far with the Phoenixes performance in the first few games of Group F here in the 40th Cup?”

“Overall, we’re pretty happy with it. It was a new level of competition and a new pressure, because everyone’s trying to peak for this tournament. It took us a bit to get adjusted again, but taking a point on the 2nd seed in the group was a nice start and gave us a boost. Now we’re coming off a loss to Valanora, which wasn’t the result we wanted, but we were happy to hang tough the way we did.

“That was a tough one there, but you held them to one goal. Hanging tough for sure…”

“Absolutely - we really feel like we’re heading in the right direction. We’ve had some letdowns, but that’s been a valuable lesson. It’s a long tournament, so we need to stay focused, but there’s also some time to recover from mistakes, so we’re not going to dwell too much on early losses. What’s important is that we’re making the playoff push now.”

“It will be long, with the 10 games instead of a shortened one match up per national team per group. Do you think that is helpful or detrimental to yours and other teams’ chances?”

“For us? I think it’s great. We’re still getting acclimated to the whole competition and to these teams in Group F, and now we've gotten to play them all once in the first half of the group stage. Having those games in the books, and having all that extra information on them is a huge benefit, and more so for us since we’re on a sharper learning curve than more experienced teams. But it’s going to be a big test for everyone’s fitness and focus. Some teams will definitely fall in this second half because they’re not prepared for that long slog. We think we’re going to have what it takes.”

“And you don’t think that it will be a very different experience facing these teams on their home ice, or vice versa, on your home ice, than your first match up with them during the group stage?”

“I think that’ll be a factor, yeah. We’ll have three of five home games in the second half and so we’re looking forward to having those fans behind us, I think it’ll be a big help. On the road we’ll go up against Gergary, and they’re a solid team, but we did like how we felt against them the first time. Then finishing off in Valanora, trying to get that one back on the road...man, that’s a tough challenge, I’m not going to lie. But visiting hostile territory and playing one of the best teams in the world, those are the occasions we’ve been building up to. We’re going to hope to be in a good playoff position heading into that one, but once we get there, we’re going to be dialed in, just focused on that game and throwing our best stuff at them. And if we’re ready to beat them, then we’re going to do it regardless of where we are.”

“I’m glad you mentioned Valanora, because I wanted to ask you about that. I wanted to ask you how intimidated the Phoenixes felt considering the Calcuttas reputation and being the highest ranked team in your group, but I think you covered that. You guys are over that first jittery hump of facing them, so sounds like you’ll have more confidence going into that second match up. But that’s the team...
Jehiel, how do you feel personally about all this? Are you overwhelmed? Are you numb? Is it kind of a blur? Are you enjoying traveling back and forth to all the group nations or is it wearing you down?”

“Yeah, like you said Karl, it’s been a bit of a blur. It’s a very different and very new experience. For me, I never left Delaclava for the first twenty years of my life, now we’re going all around the world, playing in a different place every game. We’ve all had to be mindful, taking care of ourselves and making sure we’re sharp for the game each time we arrive in a different place. But it’s been a blast, I’ve been loving it so far. And when so many of us were growing up, having parents and teachers explain to us that there was a world out there we couldn’t really access, no one expected or prepared us to have this opportunity. Above all, we’re incredibly grateful we’ve gotten this chance at all. And I think once we’ve finished this tournament, whatever happens, we can settle down and really start to plan how to make this program better.”

“Solid. So, expanding out from the World Cup, you play for the Cleopatrana Owls now back home. With Delaclava’s jumping back into the international field of hockey, do you think that you or your teammates will consider going to foreign clubs, should the offers come up?”

“Some of us are definitely going to think about it. A few of us have talked about it because we know with the performances we’re having, some foreign teams will take notice. We’ve seen it with our football national team also, where most of the players have gone to play abroad. It’s the right move for the benefit of our own national program. Building ourselves up in more established leagues is going to help us each raise our level and bring back those experiences to our national team, and someday to our own league as well. I love playing for the Owls, but those of us who are in positions to go elsewhere and get that opportunity to bolster the game in Delaclava, we have to take it. We can’t be too arrogant about where we’re at, we have to be willing to keep learning and growing.”

“Very astute. Jehiel, it’s been great talking to you. Trust me when I say after decades talking to hockey players, that you are one of the most coherent and forward thinking men of your sport I’ve had the pleasure to engage. We wish you the best. Perhaps the Ibex and Phoenixes will face each other in the playoffs. A lot can happen. Good luck to you and your team. Take time to smell the flowers in all these nations you’re visiting...or walk a bridge...or snap some pics off an overlook, but you get what I mean. Not everyone gets to do this in their lifetime and no one knows how long it can last. Make the most of it.”

“That’s very kind of you, Karl, I really appreciate it, and thanks again for having me. This time has been incredible, we plan on making the most of it. And whether it’s us or the next guys down the road, we look forward to facing off against the Ibex, because the Phoenixes are going to be around for a while.”

“Good to hear. I’m sure we’ll see that match up. Thanks again, Jehiel. We look forward to seeing you out there on the ice. One last thing, because the guys in the studio wouldn’t let up on me if I didn’t mention this...Your last name in our native language of Frandit means ‘A Beer’. What do you think of that?”

“Huh... that’s definitely the first I’ve heard of that! It kind of makes sense. A lot of fans definitely drink beer while watching me play. If it helps people remember my name when they’re watching us, that’s cool. I don’t know what else to say, but it’s a fun question to get!”

“Haha, I think that plenty more people will drink beer while watching you play. Especially after hearing this. You make it to Neu Engollon, I’ll buy you your first beer, and I think plenty more will follow that with that last name of yours. You won’t have to pay for any drinks when you visit here, I’m sure of that. Good luck to you, Jehiel.”

“Thanks Karl, I look forward to it.”

“Me too. We’ll be back after this sponsor break to talk a little more about the Ibex group and their Megistos win, plus their anticipated rematches against Kelssek and Avataria. We’ll go over to Magda for some rugby league coverage, and wrap up with a small Olympics preview here on the NETV 7 Sports Update. Stay tuned right here on this channel.”

Please give equal RP credit to Delaclava for this RP post.They did great!

[TJUN-ia]

After escaping out of Abanhfleft with a point, the Ice Jaguars returned to The Rink in The Gardens to face the other team ahead of them in the rankings - Savojarna. Welcoming the group leaders to The Rink was a sell-out crowd, hoping to see some traditional TJUN-ian magic, and Ølson Rasmussen knew this game might be his chance to shine.

But the 11th ranked team in the multiverse was also looking to prove a point, and they certainly did. The Savojar scored the only goal of the first period, a nice shot from Boris Aljekhin as the Ice Jags struggled from the off. The 2nd period began with another Savojar goal, this time from Jonas Gulbrandsson, but TJUN-ia would get on the board before the end, Vasil Cherysezsky giving the hosts some hope. That hope powered the hosts on in the third and we got the equaliser through Julian Visipils, but the Savojar responded in turn through Dominik Gränlund in a 4v5 powerplay. TJUN-ia tried their best to tie the game again but Niklas Hoyman wouldn't allow it and the Savojar took the 2 points at The Rink.

2 home games, 2 tight loses. Nothing against the The Rink, but it certainly appears to be cursed at this current point. Despite the loss, we only stand 2 points outside of the top 2 so all hope isn't lost just yet. The first important step after the break will be back-to-back home games, starting against La Florita. They will be hungry for revenge after the first game, but many hope that they can be swept aside at home. GO JAGS!

---

SCHEDULE (Group G)
MD1: @La Florita (27) W 1-0
MD2: @Lovisa (UR) W 2-1 (1st)
MD3: vs Jeckland (UR) - The Rink in The Gardens, New Washington L 4-5 (3rd)
MD4: @Abanhfleft (2) D 5-5 (3rd)
MD5: vs Savojarna (11) - The Rink in The Gardens, New Washington L 2-3 (3rd/2W-1D-2L)
------------------------OFF DAY------------------------
MD6: vs La Florita (27) - The Rink in The Gardens, New Washington
MD7: vs Lovisa (UR) - The Rink in The Gardens, New Washington
MD8: @Jeckland (UR)
MD9: vs Abanhfleft (2) - The Rink in The Gardens, New Washington
MD10: @Savojarna (11)

[HUElavia]

HUElavia takes Vital Victory in late Buzzer-Beater!

Adyatin 2–3 HUElavia

HUElavia came into Matchday 5 looking to build on their two victories for the past two matchdays, as they would take on 44th ranked Adyatin. The arena once again was packed with many Pro-HUElavian fans, as they were supporting their team, as well as fair-weather fans that were impressed with the Surprise Package from WCoH XXXIX. The teams played with full strength, and once again, Vasilevskiy was given the role of starting goalie. The puck was dropped and the 5th match was underway!

The match was a dramatic one that went back and forth, with goals being scored in all periods. The opening goal came halfway into the 1st Period, as a pass from Leite allowed Pavluchenko to get in front of Yeranek and slide it into the goal to make it 0-1, with the crowd going crazy from the goal while Pavluchenko was mobbed by his teammates for scoring the opening goal. Late in the 1st period, Katorenko would go facing towards Vasilevskiy, where he would pass it to Ogonek to put it into the goal to make it 1-1. The second period saw the 3rd goal of the match come in with a counterattack from Carvalho go facing off against Hautarovich, taking a blistering shot, which went past Yeranek's glove and into the goal to make it 1-2, with Carvalho getting congratulated for the spectacular effort by his teammates. Although, in the final seconds of the 2nd Period, a shot by Ukanenko from the blue line was strong enough to get past the HUElavian defense, and past Vasilevskiy into the goal to make it 2-2. The 3rd Period came, and it looked as if the match was headed into a 2-2 draw, when the goal was flooded with players going to the puck, and Ovechkin put the puck into the goal to make it 2-3 as time expired. The referees had to look at the replay to determine when the puck went into the goal, and it showed that it went in with 0.1 seconds left on the clock. The referee pointed to center ice and the crowd erupted from the call, celebrating and jumping with passion to make the arena rumble, while Ovechkin was ecstatic at the call favoring the team, all while Kernkraft 400 played in the arena. The 0.1 second was played and the match ended in a specacular 2-3 win for Los Amarillos/Os Amarelos.

In Group H, Siovanija and Teusland defeated Kayangan 5-3, but due to the head-to-head result, Kanyagan is over HUElavia on that aspect. Regardless, HUElavia are with momentum now, and they look to rest up on the break before taking on the rest of the group once again, where they will play against Kanyagan in what will be the match for 2nd Place in Group H. Fans will flock to the arena for that match as both the teams and fans want vengeance for Matchday 1. All the team can do is practice and prepare for the game, while the fans can hope and pray for a favorable result.

FORCA HUELAVIA! VAMOS HUELAVIA! GO HUELAVIA!