World Cup of Hockey 52 - Everything Thread

[Banija]

The penultimate group stage cutoff of the World Cup of Hockey!

Bonus points if you know the dance!

Color Code
Bold Green- Has won the group
Blue- has clinched a top 2 spot in the group and a berth in the knockout stages
Red- Eliminated from the knockout stages of the World Cup of Hockey

Matchday 9 Scores - Groups D-G

Group D
Grynberg 3–4 Six Tribes of Natlan
Kannap 0–5 Kelssek
Darmen 2–2 Darkmania

  Group D                        Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Kelssek                          9    7   1   1    54   14  +40    15
2 Darkmania                        9    5   2   2    23   18   +5    12
3 Darmen                           9    5   2   2    31   21  +10    12
4 Six Tribes of Natlan             9    2   4   3    17   26   −9     8
5 Kannap                           9    3   1   5    11   21  −10     7
6 Grynberg                         9    0   0   9     8   44  −36     0

Group E
Kimi-Suomi 3–2 Vetrahjart
Sherpus 1–4 Elejamie
Riviere Sabine 1–2 Gatchingerrak Union

  Group E                        Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Elejamie                         9    8   1   0    45   15  +30    17
2 Kimi-Suomi                       9    6   1   2    32   20  +12    13
3 Sherpus                          9    3   2   4    19   29  −10     8
4 Vetrahjart                       9    2   2   5    20   22   −2     6
5 Gatchingerrak Union              9    2   1   6    17   36  −19     5
6 Riviere Sabine                   9    1   3   5    17   28  −11     5

Group F
Canadian Dominion 1–1 Kordavia
Imporia 0–3 Osterhalten
Ko-oren 3–0 Natkr

  Group F                        Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Ko-oren                          9    8   0   1    26    6  +20    16
2 Osterhalten                      9    7   1   1    39   14  +25    15
3 Kordavia                         9    4   1   4    23   20   +3     9
4 Canadian Dominion                9    2   3   4    24   35  −11     7
5 Natkr                            9    2   2   5    16   22   −6     6
6 Imporia                          9    0   1   8    14   45  −31     1

Group G
Western Bridgeland 3–7 Sarzonia
South Newlandia 2–2 Panay Islands and Guimaras
Crpostran 2–2 Patriotlandia

  Group G                        Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Sarzonia                         9    7   1   1    33   13  +20    15
2 Crpostran                        9    6   1   2    29   23   +6    13
3 Patriotlandia                    9    4   2   3    31   24   +7    10
4 Panay Islands and Guimaras       9    4   1   4    24   28   −4     9
5 South Newlandia                  9    2   1   6    11   19   −8     5
6 Western Bridgeland               9    1   0   8    11   32  −21     2

---

Note: The letter is their group letter. So D3 below is the 3rd place team from Group D. Reminder, top 2 third place teams after MD10 advance to the knockout stages.

Running Third Place Table

Third Place Ranking               Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
D3 Darmen                           9    5   2   2    31   21  +10    12
A3 Banija                           9    5   1   3    15   13   +2    11

G3 Patriotlandia                    9    4   2   3    31   24   +7    10
F3 Kordavia                         9    4   1   4    23   20   +3     9
B3 Calgasia                         9    4   1   4    17   16   +1     9
C3 Abanhfleft                       9    2   5   2    27   29   −2     9
E3 Sherpus                          9    3   2   4    19   29  −10     8

[Panay Islands and Guimaras]

---

A DRAW AGAINST THE CHEAPER ICE-A-PHANTS
Elephant Valley, South Newlandia

At Elephant Valley, the Bulls are going back hopefully got an another win against their fellow unranked but hosts, South Newlandia. Where the Bulls scored their first goal all thanks to Chae Dongwoo. But the South Newlandians clapped back at their fellow unranked nation with two goals. Until in the 3rd period, Adrián Sánchez scored a goal for the Bulls. The Panayenses are still holding on from their dear life until they retain the draw in the last minutes. The boys in blue did their best to getting beat again just like what happened against Crpostran. "We're so close to get beaten by an another unranked team .", says Hämälainen. "But our boys did their best to handle the against the opposition." The Bulls will have their another match for the last time, probably against Western Bridgeland. Will they qualify to the next round after a win?

[Patriotlandia]

Reporter - "Coach, with only one more game to go in the group stage and uncertainty about qualifying to the playoff stage, is there anything you wish you could have done better to get the full two points?"

Brent Calhoun - "Look, we can sit here and talk about what, if and buts all night long, but I really liked the way we played tonight. Two incredibly challenging opponents on the road to end to close out the campaign. To come out with at least two points is massive. Surely, we wish we could have converted one more chance in either of those games but I really liked our play out there tonight. The power play really gave us momentum early with Marion putting it in the net. From there it was just some fast and quick hockey from both teams. As we saw in the first match against the Red Eagles, they are a very aggressive team but we were able to match their pace and limit their chances this time around."

Reporter - "With two draws in a row anything to improve for the last match?"

Brent Calhoun - "No, I just think if we continue to play with the same confidence and spirit things are going to come out in our favour. I really like our defense these past couple games with the way we forechecked and covered in front of goals. It really helps when you can reduce the quality chances of the opposition and it's really something we didn't getting going in the early stage of the tournament. We will look to dictate the pace of play. I think a lot of time this tournament we got pulled into playing fast while our system is more about a methodical buildup. Hopefully we can get a wildcard spot, I think mathematically it's really close. At this point, the only thing we can do is make the home fans happy one last time, come out with the two points and see where that gets us. "

Reporter - "Thanks Coach, good luck next game!"

[United States of Nova Calania]

A big win against Nova Anglicana!

Londinium, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Anglicana - On matchday 9, Nova Calania travelled to Nova Anglicana to play against their group rival and the Tapirs beat the Lions 7-4. The match was played in the capital city of Londinium and I arrived in time. Nova Calania scored 3 goals in a one minute and 20 seconds span midway in the 1st period. Nova Anglicana scored 6 minutes later but the Tapirs scored another goal at the end of the period when Élodie Robidoux shoots and the puck touches Guillaume Champoux-Rinfret's pants and goes directly into the net. The goal was awarded to Champoux-Rinfret and the score was 4-1 after 20 minutes. Midway in the 2nd period, Mason Bartoszkiewicz was penalised 2 minutes for interference after he hit a Nova Anglican player 3 seconds after he passed the puck. During the penalty kill, Mieczyslaw Grzeszczak scored a breakaway goal. 30 seconds later, Noah Quinn scored a power play goal after he deflected Jack Phillips' shot from the blueline. The score after 40 minutes was 5-2. Early in the 3rd period, Lions player Bradley Parker accidentally shot the puck into the stands and was penalised 2 minutes for delay of game. Emily Wojciechowski scored a power play goal with a wrist shot from the face off circle. Nova Anglicana is usually strong on the penalty kill, and, to my knowledge, this is the 1st goal allowed when they're on the penalty kill in this World Cup 52. Less than 3 minutes later, Guillaume Champoux-Rinfret battles for the puck in the corner of the ice and he manages to pass behind him to Anne-Sophie Gaboriault at the blue line who fakes to shoot and passes to Xavier Lajeunesse-Flanagan who shoots and it's a goal. The score is 7-2. Nova Anglicana scores 2 unanswered goals at the end of the period and the final score was 7-4 Nova Calania.

The Tapirs has 8 wins and a draw in 9 games for 17 points and if the playoffs started now, they would be the 2nd seed, behind Valanora, the only team with 18 points, and just ahead of Elejamie on goal difference. Despite being the 2nd or 3rd seed if we win on matchday 10 against Abanhfleft, we're probably still 6th in power rankings cuz I can't see us being better than Ko-oren, Kelssek and Sarzonia. On matchday 10, Nova Calania will receive the Fleftics at home at Arena Browar Tropikalny in Ostrow Krolewski, Odlegla Ziemia. Jackson McGroarty remains injured with an upper body injury and Audrey Brind'Amour still replaces him. François-Alexandre Gaudreault will be out with the flu and Charles-Alexandre Rabouin will replace him on line 4. Jean-Guy Rabouin and Mieczyslaw Grzeszczak will switch lines, so the two Rabouin brothers will play in the same line. There's actually 7 Rabouin siblings playing professional hockey in Nova Calania and 3 of them are on the national team. The 2 youngest ones, the twins Rose-Élisabeth Rabouin and Paul-Émile Rabouin, will certainly crack the national team anytime soon because they seem to have more potential than any of their older siblings.

GAME SUMMARY

1st period
13:22    GOAL NOVA CALANIA   Bianca Châteauneuf-Descôteaux assisted by Jean-Guy Rabouin and Rosalie Jolicoeur-Sansregret
12:19    GOAL NOVA CALANIA   Zacharie Chicoine-Lechasseur assisted by Pierre-Olivier Hautcoeur and Ethan Wojciechowski
12:03    GOAL NOVA CALANIA   Emily Wojciechowski assisted by Zacharie Chicoine-Lechasseur and Frédérique Desharnais
5:42     GOAL NOVA ANGLICANA   Austin Richards assisted by Cliff Sullivan and Jamie Duncan
2:14     GOAL NOVA CALANIA   Guillaume Champoux-Rinfret assisted by Élodie Robidoux and Jérémie Boissonneault-Gougeon

2nd period
10:49   GOAL NOVA CALANIA  Mieczyslaw Grzeszczak assisted by Pierre-Olivier Hautcoeur (SHG)
10:14   GOAL NOVA ANGLICANA   Noah Quinn assisted by Jack Phillips and Austin Richards (PPG)

3rd period
17:38   GOAL NOVA CALANIA   Emily Wojciechowski assisted by Ethan Wojciechowski and Frédérique Desharnais (PPG)
14:44   GOAL NOVA CALANIA   Xavier Lajeunesse-Flanagan assisted by Anne-Sophie Gaboriault and Guillaume Champoux-Rinfret
9:24    GOAL NOVA ANGLICANA   Honoréus Lebrun assisted by Michel Legault and Edouard Charest (PPG)
7:33    GOAL NOVA ANGLICANA   Cliff Sullivan assisted by Austin Richards

Charlotte Escobar-Constantineau

Meet the candidates: Sophie-Charlotte Gingues

Sophie-Charlotte Gingues, 31 years old, applied for consulship of Nova Calania because she wants the nation to benefit from her values. She's a strong anti-racist and feminist who thinks racism, misoginy and far right populism have no place in the nation. She was the General Manager of the Sheraton Hotel in Downtown Saint-Jean-Jacques-sur-Mer before going on a maternity leave and would like to make the jump into politics. Her favorite food is sushis and her favorite hockey club is Éperviers de Saint-Jean-Jacques. She's recently married to a Jean-Jacquois businessman and they have an 8 months old child.

Anne-Charlotte McDermott

[Kelssek]

"Yeah,that was a bit of a wake-up call, that loss, but they responded well against Kannap and with a secure place in the next round, the team can be pretty happy with their effort. There's confidence and there's getting too comfortable, but I'm looking forward to see what's going to be their approach. Because if you think about how Kelssek have played against teams like Darmen and Darkmania, it's been mostly good but some issues you feel like their defensive coverage might get exposed, the powerplay is not getting those crisp passes off and dwelling on the puck too much, these are things that can the fine margin in the knockouts and they've got to clean them up..."

Salamander turned up the radio as one of the new recruits was whining, again, about the strict rule against taking the sport bikes for wheelies on the airport tarmac. This guy wasn’t going to last long in the syndicate at this rate, Salamander thought, tapping away at her laptop. Especially as he also didn’t seem to understand why everyone went by callsigns and not real names.

She grimaced. The buildapc website seemed like a godsend for two seconds until it became obvious it was not what she thought it was. On further reflection, she should have saw this coming since not as many people were interested in discussing customization options for armoured personnel carriers, as graphics cards for computer games.

She looked up from her laptop, hearing voices being raised outside on the tarmac. Getting up to see what was happening, she saw some of the crew surrounding a small airplane having a heated conversation with the pilot, who – quite smartly she thought – was refusing to come out despite large men, some holding large wrenches, banging on it angrily telling him to get out here now. This must have been the goods, but evidently something about the delivery was not satisfactory.

“If you’re lying to us...”

“No! I... look, I wouldn’t have come here, if I was, would I?” Joren said. There was a pause, the syndicate people evidently weighing whether that was in fact such good evidence.

“How many? Armed? What do they have?”

“Four or five people who look like they’re the security. It’s some rich guy setting up a bunker or something.” Joren did’t think they’d believe him if he mentioned Elohim Marsman. “They’ve got fireworks... maybe some long guns, probably, I mean... I haven't seen any, but...” Joren said.

“It seems like immediate action is in order”, said Salamander.

The bald man... skinhead? who seemed to be in charge of violence nodded assent. “The riders will go out there with the jeep. We’ll radio back when we reach the spot. Then you’ll take Appleseed and his group there in your plane... This shipment was time-sensitive, for god’s sake.”

[Sarzonia]

Woodstock Daily Mail
Breaking News
Terrorists attack Bank of Sarzonia Arena
From staff reports

The Bank of Sarzonia Arena in downtown Nicksia was hit by explosives, causing approximately $80 million in damage to the arena, which serves as the home rink for the Sarzonian national ice hockey team.

The explosions damaged the exterior roof, a back entrance used for equipment deliveries and the dasher boards inside the venue. No one was reported inside the arena. There were no casualties.

Investigators are still searching for two suspects shown on the venue's security cameras entering the building at 0243 the morning after Sarzonia's match against Western Bridgeland as the team were heading home after their 7-3 victory. Investigators have not determined a motive.

A statement from the Incorporated Ice Hockey Federation is expected shortly. The governing body for the sport have not determined where the group stage finale against Crpostran will take place.

Candidates include the Nicksia Arena, home of the Nicksia Narwhals of the Incorporated Hockey League, a venue seating 8,500. Another possibility is the Portland Ice Arena, colloquially known as The Igloo, a venue seating 21,870 for the Portland Penguins. An outside possibility is the Henry West Arena in Woodstock, which I'd predominantly a basketball arena.

"We're going to leave nothing to chance," Detective Dale Bryson said. "We will get to the bottom of this attack and will hold the assailants accountable."

Thomas Brown, the manager of the Stars, said he and the team would rally around the venue and use the attack as motivation.

"They're trying to stoke fear," he said of the terrorists behind the attack. They will not win."

Sarzonia defeated Western Bridgeland 7-3, making them the only team in Group G to win a match as both other matches ended in 2-2 draws. Crpostran and Patriotlandia and South Newlandia-Panay Islands and Guimaras were the other matches. Both Sarzonia and Crpostran have clinched knockout round berths heading into the group stage finale.

Sarzonia would win the group title with a victory or a draw. Crpostran would have to issue a Kelssek-esque beatdown to wrest the group crown from Sarzonia. However, the Stars are, understandably, more concerned about the terrorist attack.

"We're just glad no one got hurt," centre Lex Martinez said. "I hope they get to the bottom of this quick."

[The North Polish Union]

Group A - Game 6
The North Polish Union 4-0 Britonisea

Despite having been mathematically eliminated from the knockout rounds prior to this game (and realistically, eliminated well before then), the North Polish team showed up in a big way against a floundering Vaishnavaria team that despite being at the bottom of the group had managed their only points of the competition so far in the first leg of the matchup (a 1-1 tie). Whether it was good screens, poor rink vision, or something else, Vaishanavaria's goalie gave up 4 goals, all to defensemen, while on the other end Klaus Lehmann earned a shutout in his first start since Game 3 giving him 2 for the tournament.

Goals:
Nowik (J.Kozieł, Gorski)
Nowik (Jonaitis, Kappel)
Kawalčuk (A.Kozieł, Žuk)
Kawalčuk (Gorski, J.Kozieł)

The final game of the tournament for the Union team will be the rematch against co-hosts Banija (L 0-1), who as of right now are clinging to the final knock-out spot by a single point over Patriotlandia. Banija has been defensively resilient all tournament but has lacked goal scoring. The North Polish side also struggled to find points early in the tournament but over the second half have found a groove. The primary architect of this turnaround has been top-line center Juryj Kozieł who was limited to just 2 points in the first leg but has exploded with a further 8 points in these last four games, including the Union's first hat-trick in international play in the 6-8 loss to Valanora. The Union team may officially have little to play for in this matchup but that didn't slow them down against Vaishnavaria and they will look to bring similar energy against Banija. The co-hosts, on the other hand, will be certain to play highly-motivated hockey as they seek to clinch a spot in the knock-out round.

[TJUN-ia]

After exacting a statement against an unranked team, the Ice Jaguars of TJUN-ia were 6-1-1...but everyone knew that this game, this ninth game in this process, could decide everything about this entire group stage from sea to shining sea. Everyone, from Ølson Rasmussen to Carter Marshall to the fans fortunate to make to The Rink in The Gardens of New Washington knew fully the rewards and consequences of this contest...and none of them wanted this opportunity to slip.

And so, Banija arrived in town with two points between us and Top 2 on the line. Everyone knew the stakes, everyone knew what was up for grabs...and the result was just as shocking. We knew we needed to win this game...we just didn't think we would win it convincingly. But we did. But we did. Graham Cox struck past Malick Sissako first, Fatma Alhaddad made it 2-0 at the end of the first. Émile Leroux got one back to start the 2nd but Captain Marshall restored the 2-goal lead. When Liu Min-Chun ma it 4-1 late in the 4th, everyone knew what that meant...and celebrated in earnest. When that clock hit double-zeroes, the pure jubilation was evident. We had won...and with that, we had finally made our Playoff return.

One game left, vs Valanora on the road. But it doesn't matter anymore.
GO ICE JAGS!

---

SCHEDULE (Group A)
MD1: @Vaishnavaria (UR) W 8-5 (1st)
MD2: vs The North Polish Union (UR) - The Rink in The Gardens, New Washington W 4-1 (2nd)
MD3: @Britonisea (UR) W 7-4 (2nd)
MD4: @Banija (46) - The South Istria Ice Hockey Center, Istria D 3-3 (2nd)
MD5: vs Valanora (1) - The Rink in The Gardens, New Washington L 3-7 (2nd)
MD6: vs Vaishnavaria (UR) - The Rink in The Gardens, New Washington W 7-4 (2nd)
MD7: @The North Polish Union (UR) W 3-2 (2nd)
MD8: vs Britonisea (UR) - The Rink in The Gardens, New Washington W 12-4 (2nd)
MD9: vs Banija (46) - The Rink in The Gardens, New Washington W 4-1 (2nd)
MD10: @Valanora (1)

[Kordavia]

Scoring
2nd Period
16:02 CAN    Hawley (Frazer, Holder)
3rd Period
03:42 KRD    Sudarov (Radeff, Kulvik)

Goalie stats
                 Dec  GA  SA  SV   SV%  TOI
McDonald    CAN   T    1  31  30  .968 59:55
Wulff       KRD   T    1  26  25  .962 58:12

Penalties
1st Period
16:16 KRD Dravik     Tripping
2nd Period
01:41 CAN Frazer     Tripping
05:04 CAN Hawley     Tripping
11:36 KRD Brekker    Interference
19:49 CAN Larocque   Roughing
19:49 KRD Brekker    Roughing
19:49 CAN Hawley     Roughing
19:49 KRD Vranik     Roughing
3rd Period
05:59 KRD Makarov    Roughing
13:55 KRD Holtzer    Boarding

---

Kordavia can qualify for the World Cup of Hockey if:

• they beat world #2 ranked Ko-oren, and
  
• Banija, playing at home, lose to the unranked North Polish Union, and
  
• Patriotlandia, playing at home, lose to unranked South Newlandia (or draw, with Kordavia winning their own game against Ko-oren, a team who have conceded 6 goals in 9 games, by at least a 5 goal margin), and
  
• Calgasia and Abanhfleft, should either team win, do not do so by a goal margin of, respectively, three or six goals better than do Kordavia, and
  
• Sarzonian terrorists don’t blow up our arena.

[Crpostran]

---

[Elejamie]

"And now onto something that really matters."

The game against Sherpus was pretty much expected. It was essentially a filler match, a game in which one of the best teams in the multiverse took on an Icarian team they had previously stomped earlier in the tournament and were expected to do the same again. Indeed, Elejamie were itching to get through this match as soon as possible so they could move on to a much more important opponent. As a result the players decided to work at a fraction of their power just to get this match over and done with, Alex wasn't really that bothered about his players underperforming, and even the Ice-a-phants' official social media accounts mentioned that they would understand if any fans wanted to skip this game. That being said, a good amount of Elejamian fans made the trip over to Sherpus to watch their team in action and it still got good viewing figures so it's not like they went into the match with little support.

And Sherpus didn't do too badly at the start of the match. They may be having a bit of a decline but they were still showing why they were one of the best teams during that initial first half. For the first ten or so minutes of the match they were not only blocking each and every Elejamian attempt with relative ease but they were also doing a decent job of cutting their passing lanes, marking the opposition and just generally trying to block their opponents from actually making it to the goal in the first place. After all, this was a match that they had to win in order to stay afloat; a loss would almost certainly guarantee their elimination and a draw might not guarantee them salvation. So they had to win by any means necessary, even if it meant borrowing a leaf from the Ice-a-phants' previous coach and just play a defensive game that's intended to frustrate the opponents and force them to slip up. They even managed to score a goal with 11:52 left in the period, even though it came with some caveats: Elejamie were down a man after Mike Keller was sent to the box for two minutes after he cross-checked an opponent, the penalty kill had a couple of gaps defensively, and the goal itself arguably seemed to be off-side so it shouldn't have counted.

But fortunately Elejamie wouldn't be down and out for too long. They equalised before the end of the period, with 2:23 left to be precise, thanks to Adrian Backer scoring a one-timer off of Rafael Espinosa's pass after he received the puck from Paul Sinclair. Then they pushed themselves out in front with a Stacy Saunders goal with 5:51 left in the second. It wasn't anything exciting, just him along with Cerin Meloten and Bill Harrison putting plenty of pressure on the Sherpusian defence and goalie before a lucky shot made its way into the back of the net. Then they extended their lead twice in the third period, with the first one coming with 14:22 when Bill went on the breakaway after receiving the puck from Meloten (who, in turn, got it from Adam Keane) before he deked it into the back of the net. And the fourth came towards the end of an Elejamian power play after a Sherpus player had to spend two minutes when one of their players crashed into Lambert, who simply waved it off rather than tried to start something. With only 3:09 left in the match, and 12 seconds before Sherpus were to be back at full strength, Backer doubled up with a slapshot from the point that managed to bounce off the crossbar before it went into the back of the net.

All in all, not the most of exciting of matches. Indeed, when he was asked to describe his thoughts about the next match, Alex pretty much said "And now onto something that really matters" much to the amusement of the press. But there was a silver lining, in that it not only cemented his team's spot in the next round but also ensured that they would finish top of the table no matter what happened. They could lose this final match, they could be blown out of the water even, but it wouldn't matter because no other team could catch up to them and dislodge them from their throne. But Alex still wanted his team to try, especially considering what had happened the last time his team played this next opponent, who had also qualified for the next round. On the surface, there didn't seem to be a real need to put a huge amount of effort into this final game, but more on that later.

Regardless, Elejamie weren't alone. Three other teams have also finished top of their group with one game to go. The first was their old rivals in the Calcuttas, who are still trucking along to a perfect group stage run despite my best attempts to jinx them (I joké), having recently gotten a 4-0 win over Britonisea. The second was a more surprising choice if you looked at them in a vacuum, but Nova Calania who had topped Group C with an 8-1-0 record, their sole non-win so far being a 2-2 draw against Abanhfleft going into the half-time break. And the third was fellow TEPers Kelssek, though given that they possessed the best offensive unit at the tournament and managed to set a record with their 15-0 win against Grynberg (who have still yet to do anything but lose) this was hardly a surprise.

And of course there were teams who had qualified but hadn't officially won their group, whether it be because it was still up for grabs or because they had finished second but were still far enough ahead that they couldn't be overtaken by third place. The Squornshelan Remnant States need to win and Zenic to lose in order to claim Group B. Replace the "SRS" with "Osterhalten" and "Zenic" with "Ko-oren" and you've got the exact same situation in Group F. Crpostran and Sarzonia both made it through but the former needs to beat the latter by fourteen to top the group on H2H goal difference and by at least fifteen on overall goal difference; a huge uphill battle but stranger things have happened this tournament. TJUN-ia and Nova Anglicana, meanwhile, can only finish second much like the Ice-a-phants' next opponents so they too can afford to tank this last match. But why would they want to.

And while there have been plenty of eliminations, there are still some teams hanging on. Darkmania and Darmen are jockeying it out for second place in Group D, with the Golden Eagles ahead of the Darmenis thanks to a 2-1 win earlier in the tournament and their recent 2-2 draw not moving the needle any, but a win for both teams will undeniably see them both go through. Banija are the only team in Group A whose fate has yet to be decided, but a win over the now eliminated North Polish Union will see them make it through as the best third placer. However, if they lose and Patriotlandia beats a South Newlandia that won't be making it to their own tournament, then the Mountaineers will be going through; if they also lose but the Panay Islands and Guimaras beat Western Bridgeland then not only will Los Isleños be moving up to third place but they'd also have a chance at going through. Calgasia and Hafamarimët are also in the same boat but they have to play each other to decide who'd have a shot at going through, and it has to be a win for either side because a draw will definitely dump them both out. Kordavia and Abanhfleft are still in the running but as the former needs to beat Ko-oren and the latter has the worst record out of all the teams left (2-5-2) they might have to make peace with the face that they might not make it through. And, finally, Sherpus has essentially been eliminated as even if they do beat the Gatchingerrak Union they're so far behind Darmen and Banija that they can't overtake them even if everyone else loses (or draws in the case of the Calgasia/Hafamarimët match). So sadly the famous MXC chant of "DON'T! GET! ELIMINATED!" cannot really apply to them.

But none of that concerned Alex or his team, not unless they were one of the teams that Elejamie were facing in the elimination stage. Instead his attention was squarely focused on this last game against Kimi-Suomi. Earlier in the tournament, the two faced off against each other and their match ended in a 6-6 draw, which both teams saw as an absolute humiliation. Not just because of the huge amount of goals that both sides had allowed but also because it saw Elejamie's then-solid goals against tally increase and it didn't really help Kimi-Suomi move up the group much. Alex knew that his team would be on the receiving end of a weird result, he just didn't want THAT sort of weird result. Fortunately both teams were able to shake it off and continue as normal. In the case of Leijonat they beat the GU 2-1, beat Riviere Sabine to move up to second, shut out Sherpus 4-0 to push them further ahead, and beat Vetrahjart 3-2 to book themselves a spot in the next round.

So, even though both teams now had nothing to play for because they were already through, there was still an air of both teams desperately wanting to emerge the victor. After all there was probably a little bit of beef left over from the last encounter and both teams had their own reasons for wanting to emerge victorious. Elejamie because they wanted to avenge that shocking display of defensive ineptitude, and Kimi-Suomi because a solid win against a far superior opponent even when it doesn't matter would give them plenty of momentum and confidence in their next bout. It was tough and no doubt that both coaches would be coming up with a game plan to solidify their victory, no matter what, but no matter how hard they try to come up with the perfect plan there was no guarantee that it'd be successful. One thing was for sure, though, the OTC Energy Arena in Coventry was going to be home to one of the most exciting games that Group E has seen.

That, or a repeat of Gijón.

[Sarzonia]

Woodstock Daily Mail

Arrests made in arena attack
The Igloo to host group stage finale vs Crpostran

From staff reports – Police in Nicksia arrested two men in connection with Sunday's terrorist attack on the Bank of Sarzonia Arena that caused an estimated $80 million in damage to the venue that was scheduled to host the group stage finale against Crpostran.

Police arrested Deece Claiborne, 38 of Saugerties and Troy Lucius, 24 of Glennon, a suburb of Nicksia. Both men were identified on security camera footage obtained from the scene.

Both men were believed to be descendants of immigrants from the now-defunct nation of Doomingsland, a country that was a sworn enemy of Sarzonia during Mike Sarzo presidency. Claiborne and Lucius are being held without bond at the Stallings County Detention Centre.

"As of yet, we don't have a motive for the attack," Police detective Stetson Hollings said. "We've obtained a warrant to search their telephone and email records and we're doing our due diligence to piece together the clues."

"Is it possible that this was a lone wolf attack?" one reporter asked.

"Lone wolf attacks don't happen in tandem," Hollings said. We're piecing together the records, but we have a theory that this is part of a coordinated attack on the arena. We're glad no one was in the affected area at the time of the explosion."

A source familiar with the investigation who spoke on condition of anonymity in order to discuss the case candidly, said early suspicions pointed to Deius Vigilans, an organisation believed to have ties to Doomie terrorists.

"The SFBI [Sarzonian Federal Bureau of Investigations] is in the process of getting that group declared a terrorist organisation," the source said. "It's been years since we had any dealings with the Doomies, but their animosity towards us has outlived their nation."

A statement from the Incorporated Ice Hockey Federation stated that they would "fully cooperate with the investigation and help get to the bottom of this heinous attack."

Stars manager Thomas Brown said the Portland Ice Arena, colloquially known as The Igloo, would host the group stage finale against Crpostran. He said that the arena was "overflowing" with security personnel.

"We're not used to having an audience for our training sessions," Brown said. "You know, no sports team wants distractions, but at this point, our match might be the distraction."

Brown added that he personally rang up Red Eagles general manager Philippe Dubois and head coach Laurent Martin and sent assurances on behalf of the IIHF that The Igloo would be secure.

Somerset Gov. Noah Thompson (Moderate) said he was ready with a battalion of Home Guard troops if necessary to secure the area.

"We will provide any logistical or material support support needed to ensure a safe experience for fans, the players and support personnel during their time in Portland," Thompson said.

[Darkmania]

A do or die game

---

Darkmanain fans flock to their venue where the final group game will be played, hoping to see The Golden Eagle advance to the playoffs. In the group that has been dominated by Kelssek 's 15-0 win and Darmen and Darkmania's dueling on who will advance directly. Many darkmanians, of course, wanna see their country advance. The passion of these fans floods the venues with green, blue and red, the colours of the flag.

It's been quite a good group for DMN as they had a 5 game-winning streak, though this was due to 3 teams in the group being debutants and thus having no or little experience with international games (hence the 15-0 game). DMN also has been quite competitive when playing against Kelssek and Darmen, the other ranked nations in the group. Kelssek is qualified and as of now, it does look like both DMN and Darmen can qualify as Darmen is the best of the teams ranked 3rd in their group. But nothing is set in stone. The only thing that is for certain is that whoever wins 2nd place, DMN or Darmen, will directly qualify.

Darkmania will meet Kannap in the final group stage, one of the debutants. This should be an easy match to win. Darmen will meet Six Tribes, also a debutant. Only one can qualify and the other has a chance to qualify.

[Valanora]

The Calcuttas finally had an away trip from the Empire where the team looked absolutely like the top ranked team and title holders, not having the frailties on the defensive or offensive end that has plagued the rest of the road trips that the team has taken in this group stage. A complete game in the last game away from the Empire here in the group stages is a nice remedy to a lot of the weird vibes that the team has had away from the friendly shores of Valanora. While the team has maintained the unbeaten record, it has been asked questions of regularly in this away trips and was causing a bit of concern to grow within the fandom as the team approaches the knockout stages of the tournament, having secured their passage through to them by the win in the previous game. These players should be used to the rising pressure of knockout competition, given how well they played during the knockout stages of the last edition, although that was at home with home support. Having to travel to either Banija or South Newlandia is going to offer a different set of circumstances for the team, though they will definitely prefer to be able to stay in Banija with them being a nearby neighbor to the Eternal Empire.

As for the trip to Britonisea, it was game where the team approached relatively relaxed, knowing that the progression to the knockout stages had more or less been secured and that with Banija and TJUN-ia playing in one of the games of the matchday, that their place in the top two also was secure. However having already won the previous seven matches and the way that the knockout stages are set to be seeded, the team had an intense desire to keep the winning streak going and keep the team at the top of the potential seeding table. While they had been unable to throw up double digit goals in any game like some of their peers in the top positions of the tables, but they have been getting the wins no matter what circumstances play out during those sixty minutes. There is a certain strength in that, knowing that the team is flexible enough to be able to play through a variety of different sort of games as well as different approaches as well. While in an ideal world the team could cruise like six or seven goals to nil in every game, the competition level is too high in this tournament and teams like Sarzonia, Ko-oren, and Elejamie are going to pose interesting challenges if or when the teams plays against them.

It was a two goal start for the team in the first period, with Johannes getting a goal and assist to continue his hot streak through the tournament and making the case for being the catalyst for the team's good performances. Another goal a minute and a half into the second period and then an empty net goal with just a few ticks over a minute left to the game allowed the team to lead from start to finish and put in a very thorough and comprehensive performance before heading back to the Empire for the last group stage game. Getting a shutout is a huge boost to momentum and gives the team a bit of a steadying hand after a few games where they were being a bit leaky at the back end. If the team can maintain this less than two goals conceded per average for the rest of their time here in the tournament, they have to be quite confident that in any game they can pull out the victory. The team is scoring over five goals a game on average so getting three on any given night, unless they are playing against Banija for some reason, seems more than reasonable and then perhaps even an empty netter if they are able to.

For this upcoming game against TJUN-ia, while the team is looking to maintain the unblemished group stage record, the head coach has already hinted at reduced number of shifts for the first and second lines, especially in the third period. It seems that it does not matter where the game is in the third period, the coach believes the extra rest and reduced work load is more valuable as the team prepares for their knockout stage matchup. With that in mind, the team is likely going to come out of the gate swinging to try and build up an early lead like they did when the traveled to TJUN-ia and put up a heft seven spot against the group's second seeds. They did manage to defeat the cohosts in TJUN-ia in the previous game and secure a second place finish in the group and thus advancement, so it is likely we are not going to see the sort of desperation we might otherwise had seen had they needed a result to secure advancement. Banija despite the defeat still remains in the running for progression and should get a victory in their last match, though whether it will be enough to secure progression is still up in the air. Hopefully in Stormguard the fans get a good game and not a dead rubber where neither team looks to be adventurous with neither needing the victory in the game.

[Banija]

Banija prepares for do-or-die contest out in Bunyoro as the Lions control their own destiny at the World Cup of Hockey

BYAKADO, BUNYORO- Byakado is not that large of a city. A rural college town, at heart- anchored by Bunyoro A&M University, a bustling, large, public university that is known for its obsession, and its skill, on the hardwood, not the ice. But some forward thinking by University administrators has meant that this is not the first, but the second time, where the city will play host to the World Cup of Hockey. But before the KO stages come here, the NT will grace the town with its presence for a contest, and it's no normal contest- it's a big one. The task is simple for Banija, after their humbling loss in TJUN-ia, and results elsewhere. Win- no matter what the score, no matter what happens elsewhere, and we are into the knockout stages as one of the top two 3rd place teams in this tournament. Draw? Hope and pray that Patriotlandia don't find a way to win. And lose? Well... considering their goal differential(or lack thereof), and they would seem to be pretty screwed.

Despite the dreadful performance in Esportiva, the team's head coach, Dieter Lobe, spoke about his confidence in regards to the upcoming matchup. "Obviously, this loss in TJUN-ia was brutal- we had done so well in this tournament, and honestly, had put in 8 solid performances in 8 games. Despite results not going all way- we played our brand of hockey. were in every single game, and worked to strive for excellence. Obviously, a lot of that seemed to come apart against TJUN-ai." He paused, and then continued. "They blitzed us early and often, and had a chokehold on the matchup early on that they simply would not let go of. Full credit to them- they had a gameplan going into this match, knew what was at stake, and executed it flawlessly. I'll take some of the blame- we were outplayed and outcoached, which is why we got beat down like we were. However, the group stages are 10 games for a reason- the Sun will rise tomorrow, and we will get after it in Byakado."

There's not much to add about that game- so we look ahead to the game against The North Polish Union. As we said- win and we are in, without help. Can be done at home, right? But the matchup is much more difficult than it looks on paper. They've got three wins so far this tournament, and are coming off of a 4-0 walloping of Vaishnavaria- a game where they showed confidence in. They will be looking to spoil the party for the co-hosts, and try to ensure that the World Cup of Hockey doesn't have a single host nation in the knockout stages for the first time since... Well, for the first time in nearly forever. "On paper, despite our away win against them, this match is about a draw." Lobe told reporters. "North Polish Union have improved dramatically since we faced them last, and they understandably will feel as if knocking us off will give them good momentum heading into the next cycle. So we have to focus on what we do well, adn get a gameplan to win this in 60."

What do Banija do well? We defend well, and Sissako, despite conceding 4 against TJUN-ia, is an elite goaltender. He's got 4 shutouts in this tournament so far- so Banija's hopes live and die with their goaltender. "Look, without him, we would not have gotten nearly this far- and he is at the core of why we even have a chance today." Leroux, one of Banija's star wingers, told reporters. "I know the TJUN-ia match was rough- but that was simply an off-day, when we all let him down repeatedly." He did make a fair number of saves, but facing 44 shots is not a winning strategy. Banija has to set their goaltender up to succeed- tighten up their defense, and allow their goaltender to start really dominating and taking over matches. He's done so at a number of points during the tournament, and he will be asked again.

Banija's goalscoring struggles, on the other hand, are well known. We will probably need at least two, probably three goals if we are to advance. Where will they come from? Players like Leroux, and Kemoba Sanya, will be critical to the matchup. The goals must come from somewhere- and the eyes of a nation are on those skaters. If we can get a couple, this team will be heroes- against all odds, advancing to the knockout stages, and getting these matches on home soil. Anything done after that, is all gravy- Banija will be heavy underdogs no matter who they face in the knockouts, but it's a great step forward. If we don't advance though... They might start looking at Lobe. He's been here forever- brought us to great heights, but now we've fallen again. Not his fault we didn't enter the tournament for two straight cycles- but that did, indeed, happen. But has he been he long enough? Is he the man to bring this program back among the upper echelon, for a second time?

Lots of questions to answer. And a lot will be provided tonight, in Byakado. As always- Let's go Lions!

[South Newlandia]

Cutoff for MD10 (Groups A-C)!

Music

Matchday 10 Scores

Group A
Banija 4–0 The North Polish Union
Vaishnavaria 0–1 Britonisea
Valanora 4–4 TJUN-ia

  Group A                      Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Valanora                      10    9   1   0    54   21  +33    19
2 TJUN-ia                       10    7   2   1    55   35  +20    16
3 Banija                        10    6   1   3    19   13   +6    13
4 The North Polish Union        10    3   1   6    23   30   −7     7
5 Britonisea                    10    2   0   8    18   43  −25     4
6 Vaishnavaria                  10    0   1   9    17   44  −27     1

Group B
Zenic 2–0 HUElavia
Hafamarimët 5–3 Calgasia
Serdtgyu 2–3 Squornshelan Remnant States

  Group B                      Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Zenic                         10    7   1   2    31   12  +19    15
2 Squornshelan Remnant States   10    6   2   2    19   11   +8    14
3 Hafamarimët                   10    5   1   4    28   30   −2    11
4 Calgasia                      10    4   1   5    20   21   −1     9
5 HUElavia                      10    2   2   6    18   30  −12     6
6 Serdtgyu                      10    1   3   6    19   31  −12     5

Group C
Schachland 6–5 Mertagne
New-Erie 3–3 Nova Anglicana
Nova Calania 7–6 Abanhfleft

  Group C                      Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Nova Calania                  10    9   1   0    57   25  +32    19
2 Nova Anglicana                10    6   1   3    41   34   +7    13
3 Abanhfleft                    10    2   5   3    33   36   −3     9
4 Schachland                    10    3   3   4    42   46   −4     9
5 Mertagne                      10    1   3   6    30   46  −16     5
6 New-Erie                      10    0   5   5    23   39  −16     5

[Banija]

The final group stage cutoff of the World Cup of Hockey!

Matchday 10 Scores - Groups D-G

Group D
Six Tribes of Natlan 3–4 Darmen
Darkmania 2–1 Kannap
Kelssek 6–2 Grynberg

  Group D                        Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Kelssek                         10    8   1   1    60   16  +44    17
2 Darkmania                       10    6   2   2    25   19   +6    14
3 Darmen                          10    6   2   2    35   24  +11    14
4 Six Tribes of Natlan            10    2   4   4    20   30  −10     8
5 Kannap                          10    3   1   6    12   23  −11     7
6 Grynberg                        10    0   0  10    10   50  −40     0

Group E
Vetrahjart 3–3 Riviere Sabine
Gatchingerrak Union 1–3 Sherpus
Elejamie 4–4 Kimi-Suomi

  Group E                        Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Elejamie                        10    8   2   0    49   19  +30    18
2 Kimi-Suomi                      10    6   2   2    36   24  +12    14
3 Sherpus                         10    4   2   4    22   30   −8    10
4 Vetrahjart                      10    2   3   5    23   25   −2     7
5 Riviere Sabine                  10    1   4   5    20   31  −11     6
6 Gatchingerrak Union             10    2   1   7    18   39  −21     5

Group F
Kordavia 1–2 Ko-oren
Natkr 2–1 Imporia
Osterhalten 10–3 Canadian Dominion

  Group F                        Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Ko-oren                         10    9   0   1    28    7  +21    18
2 Osterhalten                     10    8   1   1    49   17  +32    17
3 Kordavia                        10    4   1   5    24   22   +2     9
4 Natkr                           10    3   2   5    18   23   −5     8
5 Canadian Dominion               10    2   3   5    27   45  −18     7
6 Imporia                         10    0   1   9    15   47  −32     1

Group G
Sarzonia 2–3 Crpostran
Patriotlandia 0–2 South Newlandia
Panay Islands and Guimaras 1–2 Western Bridgeland

  Group G                        Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Sarzonia                        10    7   1   2    35   16  +19    15
2 Crpostran                       10    7   1   2    32   25   +7    15
3 Patriotlandia                   10    4   2   4    31   26   +5    10
4 Panay Islands and Guimaras      10    4   1   5    25   30   −5     9
5 South Newlandia                 10    3   1   6    13   19   −6     7
6 Western Bridgeland              10    2   0   8    13   33  −20     4

[South Newlandia]

By the way; since Banija's scorination had such an impact on their own chances on this final MD, I did observe their scorination in a discord voice-call, and can vouch for their accuracy. Just covering our bases!

SEEDING:

Seeding                         Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
A1 Valanora                      10    9   1   0    54   21  +33    19 *Valanora and Nova Calania swapped to prevent a rematch between Banija and Valanora
C1 Nova Calania                  10    9   1   0    57   25  +32    19
E1 Elejamie                      10    8   2   0    49   19  +30    18
F1 Ko-oren                       10    9   0   1    28    7  +21    18
D1 Kelssek                       10    8   1   1    60   16  +44    17
G1 Sarzonia                      10    7   1   2    35   16  +19    15 *Usually, there would be an IC coinflip tiebreaker here. However, since Sarzonia would otherwise have a rematch with Crpostran, they take the 6th seed.
B1 Zenic                         10    7   1   2    31   12  +19    15

F2 Osterhalten                   10    8   1   1    49   17  +32    17
A2 TJUN-ia                       10    7   2   1    55   35  +20    16
G2 Crpostran                     10    7   1   2    32   25   +7    15
E2 Kimi-Suomi                    10    6   2   2    36   24  +12    14
B2 Squornshelan Remnant States   10    6   2   2    19   11   +8    14
D2 Darkmania                     10    6   2   2    25   19   +6    14
C2 Nova Anglicana                10    6   1   3    41   34   +7    13

D3 Darmen                        10    6   2   2    35   24  +11    14
A3 Banija                        10    6   1   3    19   13   +6    13

ROUND OF 16

scorinated by South Newlandia:

(2) Nova Calania - Banija (16)
@Capitol Park, Busukuma, Banija

(8) Osterhalten - TJUN-ia (9)
@Obuo Family Arena, Herzegovina City, Banija

(4) Ko-oren - Darkmania (13)
@South Istria Ice Hockey Center, Istria, Banija

(5) Kelssek - Squornshelan Remnant States (12)
@Obama Fieldhouse, Byakado, Banija

scorinated by Banija:

(1) Valanora - Darmen (15)
@Valley Rink, Elephant Valley, South Newlandia

(7) Zenic - Crpostran (10)
@Valley Rink, Elephant Valley, South Newlandia

(3) Elejamie - Nova Anglicana (14)
@Prosperena, Newport, South Newlandia

(6) Sarzonia - Kimi-Suomi (11)
@Prosperena, Newport, South Newlandia

[Vetrahjart]

A member of the media network

By Joakim Nyquist - 3 Dec

Language: Vetsk | English

---

Lions eliminated from World Cup of Hockey Qualifying

It took seven games before Vetrahjart was victorious on the international stage. The Lions 5-2 win over Sherpus signaled a slight turn of the page of fortune as they went on to record another 2-1 victory over Gatchingerrak Union. Unfortunately, the team's slow start and poor offensive showing doomed them early on and it became clear that the hole was too deep to dig out of. The Vetric team was officially eliminated after a 3-2 loss to eventual group E runner-up Kimi-Suomi and finished their inaugural international tournament with a 3-3 draw at home against Riviere Sabine.

The highlight of the Lions play in this tournament was their defense without a doubt. They finished qualification with a -2 goal differential which was tied with Group B's Hafamarimët and only trailing Calgasia (-1) also of Group B for best goal differential for an eliminated team. This was also while losing a major piece to the defense in Kimi Parras mid-tournament to a career-ending knee injury.

The single highlight moment of the tournament had to be that first win over Sherpus. It allowed all of us who love the game of hockey to take a sigh of relief knowing that the first international tournament wouldn't be a total winless disaster. It was the first night that the offense was able to build a comfortable enough cushion that the defense could hold. The jubilation from the players and fans was something that will be remembered for a long time.

Some of the highlight performers from the tournament:

#28 - Maximillia Peterssen - Center (C)
The captain amassed a total of 8 goals in his first international tournament and showed why he belonged in the squad as captain. His offensive production never really faltered despite the overall offensive struggles. His ability to lead the team and set the example for what a captain should be was important in keeping the team focused through the 6 winless games to start the tournament.

#34 - Kristvin Tómassen - Goaltender
Tómassen managed to start every single game of the tournament and with him in goal, Vetrahjart gave up 25 goals in 10 games, averaging 2.5 goals allowed. That mark was 5th lowest by teams who failed to qualify. Tómassen managed some stunning saves along the way and provided solid play despite the team's struggles.

#5 - Jakob Carlssen - Left Defender & #64 - Patric Forsberg - Right Defender
The first-line defensive duo of Carlssen and Forsberg set the tone for the entire defense. They were physical and relentless throughout all ten games and came into their own as the tournament went on. The chemistry between the two was evident and they provided a real boost to the squad. Both players set an example of how defense is expected to be played.

Overall, the tournament did not go quite how Vetric fans had hoped it would, but there were certainly some positives to take from the first international appearance for Vetric Hockey. The foundation has been laid and now future teams and generations will look to build upon it.

By Verner Arvidssen - 3 Dec

Language: Vetsk | English

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Breaking News: Eglisseyri IL offers multi-year deal to Elejamian Defenseman

News broke late last night that Elite Liga squad Eglisseyri IL had extended an offer of $295,000 NSD for 3 seasons to Elejamian defenseman Alex Martin. Martin is currently playing for the Coventry Puffins of the ENIHL and is the 2nd line left defenseman for the Ice-a-phants. It is still unknown whether the twenty-five-year-old Martin will accept the offer and become the first import player in the young history of the newly rebranded Elite Liga. There has been quite a bit of surprise in the reaction to this move by Eglisseyri who are making their intentions known that they want to take the next step from being a middle-of-the-road team to a contender. The price was surprising as well - if Martin accepts the offer, he will become the highest-paid defenseman and second-highest-paid player in the Elite Liga behind only Maximillia Peterssen with Skjoldbro HC.

Eglisseyri scouts were in attendance at the home meeting between Vetrahjart and Elejamie at Feldrbank Arena in Grønager and speculation swirled as to who they could have been there to see. Many (including us) thought they were looking at the Vetric national team for a replacement for Kimi Parras who retired due to a knee injury suffered during the tournament. Parras will be remembered for his tenacious play as captain for the last 6 seasons and Eglisseyri needs to make a statement signing for the future to give the club the chance to contend for a title. This would certainly fill that void if Martin signs the deal.

When asked for a statement, Eglisseyri chairman Mårten Pilkvist replied. "I can confirm that we have extended the offer to Mr. Martin and are in discussions with him and the Coventry Puffins. We are very interested in getting this deal done and hope we can reach an agreement that suits all parties."

While this is a massive story in the sport landscape domestically, it is uncertain how the news will be received by Elejamian fans and media. It is no secret the disparity that exists between the two nations on the international hockey scene as well as the talent gap between the ENIHL and the Elite Liga. If it indeed comes to fruition, the small mountain paradise of Eglisseyri will have a much wider following than before and the expectations will be high to succeed in the new look league.

Another question that needs to be asked is if Martin is interested and does decide to take the massive leap to the Elite Liga, when exactly would he be available for Eglisseyri? Elejamie just qualified for the knockout stages of the World Cup and looks to make a deep run once again. Could this be an obstacle to getting the deal done? Does Eglisseyri have the depth to play without a solid first-line left defenseman for the first few games of the season?

These are all questions that will be answered in time and we look forward to giving you the latest news and details of this offer.

[Panay Islands and Guimaras]

---

THE BRIDGELANDIAN REVENGE SEALS THE EXIT FOR THE BULLS
Iloílo City, Federal Canton

The Bulls are so close for a win, but they're automatically out of the competition after an avenging loss against Western Bridgeland, which they are also out too. The Bulls started off with a decent defense by Reynosa and Engelberg, even though they let a Western Bridgelandian score a goal. It was neck and neck for both teams in the 2nd period where the Korean duo of Kyungho and Sim take out the Bridgelandian defense, nice job by the Korean enforcers. Until another goal by the Western Bridgelandians that sealed their out of the competition, but they wouldn't end their exit as Jorgito Ishihara scored a wonderful goal. Even though they're out of the competition, the Bulls did their own memorable moments in the competition. "I am saddened by our exit in this competition.", says Hämälainen. "But we will do our best next WCoH and we can prove to our Panayenses that we still have hope left in this team."

[United States of Nova Calania]

A comeback win against Abanhfleft

Ostrow Krolewski, Odlegla Ziemia, Nova Calania - On matchday 10, Nova Calania received Abanhfleft in Ostrow Krolewski and came back in the 3rd period to win 7-6 after trailing at the end of the 2nd period! Jackson Dieujuste was in goal, and, honestly, it was one of his worst performance in this World Cup. Nova Calania took the lead early in the 1st period when Bianca Châteauneuf-Descôteaux scored a tic tac toe goal. The Tapirs increased their lead 5 minutes later when Guillaume Champoux-Rinfret scored a garbage goal. Abanhfleft put themselves on the board when they scored a power play goal while Jérémie Boissonneault-Gougeon was penalised for hooking and the score after 1 period was 2-1 Nova Calania after 20 minutes.

Both teams scored early in the 2nd period to put the score at 3-2. Midway in the 2nd period, 3rd Line Left Wing skates along the boards with the puck and Guillaume Champoux-Rinfret hits him into the boards. 3rd Line Left Wing is injured and goes to the locker room while Guillaume Champoux-Rinfret gets 5 minutes for boarding and a game misconduct. It's also an automatic 1 game suspension. The Fleftics scored 3 goals during their 5 minutes power play and the score was 5-3 for Abanhfleft after 40 minutes.

Early in the 3rd period, Ethan Wojciechowski scored on a 2 on 1 with Emily Wojciechowski. 2 minutes later, 2nd Line Right Defenseman is penalised 2 minutes for tripping and Nova Calania goes on the power play. Zacharie Chicoine-Lechasseur scored while standing in front of the net and the game is tied at 5-5. Abanhfleft takes the lead again midway in the period but Nova Calania ties it again when Jérémie Boissonneault-Gougeon scores off a rebound. Late in the 3rd period, Mason Bartoszkiewicz is penalised 2 minutes for roughing and Nova Calania kills the penalty. Zacharie Chicoine-Lechasseur passes the puck to Bartoszkiewicz when he comes out of the penalty box, he's on a breakaway and he scores the game winning goal!

Nova Calania finishes the group stage with 9 win and a draw in 10 games. Valanora tied with TJUN-ia in their final game of the group stage and have the same record as Nova Calania. The Calcuttas are suppose to be the 1st seed based on goal difference but to avoid a rematch between them and Banija, Nova Calania is in the seed 1 bracket and will play against Banija. In the last two editions, Nova Calania or Saint-Jean-Jacques et Burnham-on-Stove lost in the round of 16. This year, it's possible to play the quarterfinals but we will have to beat one of the host nation on their home ground. Following the game, the World Cup of Hockey Federation announced Guillaume Champoux-Rinfret will be suspended for two games for his hit on 3rd Line Left Wing. Champoux-Rinfret will miss the next game against Banija and one more game, either the quarter finals if we win or the 1st game of WCoH 53 if we lose. Anne-Sophie L'Heureux will be promoted from the 4th line to the 2nd line and Anne-Élisabeth Geoffrion will skate on the 4th line. François-Alexandre Gaudreault will be back in the line up after missing game 10 because of the flu and Jackson McGroarty (upper body) will be a game-time decision. Audrey Brind'Amour will still replace him if he can't play.

GAME SUMMARY

1st period
16:31    GOAL NOVA CALANIA   Bianca Châteauneuf-Descôteaux assisted by Rosalie Jolicoeur-Sansregret and Mieczyslaw Grzeszczak
11:13    GOAL NOVA CALANIA   Guillaume Champoux-Rinfret assisted by Jérémie Boissonneault-Gougeon and Élodie Robidoux
5:35     GOAL ABANHFLEFT   1st Line Right Wing assisted by 1st Line Center and 1st Pairing Right Defenseman (PPG)

2nd period
18:17    GOAL NOVA CALANIA   Frédérique Desharnais assisted by Zacharie Chicoine-Lechasseur and Ethan Wojciechowski
15:33    GOAL ABANHFLEFT   3rd Line Left Wing assisted by 3rd Line Center and 3rd Line Right Wing
8:28     GOAL ABANHFLEFT   1st Line Left Wing assisted by 1st Pairing Left Defenseman and 1st Pairing Right Defenseman (PPG)
7:35     GOAL ABANHFLEFT   1st Line Center assisted by 1st Line Right Wing and 1st Pairing Right Defenseman (PPG)
4:57     GOAL ABANHFLEFT   2nd Line Right Wing assisted by 2nd Line Right Defenseman and 2nd Line Center (PPG)

3rd period
15:38    GOAL NOVA CALANIA   Ethan Wojciechowski assisted by Emily Wojciechowski 	
12:48    GOAL NOVA CALANIA   Zacharie Chicoine-Lechasseur assisted by Rosalie Jolicoeur-Sansregret and Emily Wojciechowski (PPG)
9:25     GOAL ABANHFLEFT   1st Line Left Wing assisted by 1st Line Right Wing and 1st Line Center
6:59     GOAL NOVA CALANIA   Jérémie Boissonneault-Gougeon assisted by Bianca Châteauneuf-Descôteaux and Xavier Lajeunesse-Flanagan
2:43     GOAL NOVA CALANIA   Mason Bartoszkiewicz assisted by Zacharie Chicoine-Lechasseur

Charlotte Escobar-Constantineau

[Sarzonia]

The result wasn't at all what Thomas Brown and the Sarzonian national ice hockey team wanted.

The No. 5-ranked Sarzonian national ice hockey team emerged as 3-2 losers against Crpostran in their "home" finale, played at the Portland Ice Arena whilst investigators combed the area around Bank of Sarzonia Arena in Nicksia. His team looked lethargic on the ice, and he could tell part of it had to do with the distractions of dealing with forensic techs and detectives interviewing players to find out if any of them knew about the terror organisation believed responsible for the damage to their home venue.

Sarzonia's loss didn't cost them much in the short term. The Stars (7-1-2) still won the group title over Crpostran, and the visitors would've needed a Kelssek-like performance against the Stars to wrest the group title over Sarzonia due to the second tiebreaker, overall goal differential. Even if goal differential in head-to-head results were the second tiebreaker, the Stars would've still captured Group G. The Stars finished level with third ranked Zenic on win-draw-loss record and goal differential for the sixth and seventh seeds in the knockout rounds. However, if Sarzonia were to lose a potential tiebreaking match with Zenic, the result would've set up a rematch with Crpostran in the Round of 16. Thus, the Stars earned the sixth seeds and a first round encounter with Kimi=Suomi.

Better news for Sarzonia, though, is the fact that the upcoming matches will be held on neutral ice, in South Newlandia. Even before the bombing that caused damage to the Bank of Sarzonia Arena, the Stars had lost and drawn their last two home matches at the venue. Their last victory on home ice came via a 1-0 result over group minnows Western Bridgeland. The Stars won the away leg 7-3, finishing their away schedule 5-0-0 whilst only going 2-1-2 on their two home rinks.

Goaltender Jacob Parsons admitted it was good to get away from home for a bit.

"It'll be nice to concentrate on hockey after everything that's going on," Parsons said. "That's a weird stat that we're only .500 at home and perfect away. But now everything's neutral venue, so it should be interesting."

Kimi Suomi finished as Group E runners up with a 6-2-2 record, scoring 36 goals, one more than Sarzonia's 35-goal tally. Kimi-Suomi have conceded 24 goals, eight more than Sarzonia's 16, which ranks the Stars level with fifth seeds Kelssek for fifth fewest goals conceded by a team in the tournament. Parsons has played every minute in net for Sarzonia, as Brown has said he wanted to ride Parsons as long as he was hot.

"I don't think it's a good idea to switch goalies unless there's a reason," he said.

Sarzonia and Kimi-Suomi will face off at Prosperena in Newport on Friday night. The Leijonat played to a 4-4 draw against group winners Elejamie to finish the group stage. Elejamie had already wrapped up the group title. Meanwhile, group third place side Sherpus were already eliminated from contention for one of the two wild card berths for third placed sides despite their 3-1 victory over Gatchingerrak Union.

Investigators are still scouring the area surrounding the arena and examining phone and travel records for Deece Claiborne and Troy Lucius, the two men arrested and charged in the bombing of Bank of Sarzonia Arena. Police detective Stetson Hollings said they were exploring other avenues, but haven't broken anything yet.

"We're doing our due diligence," he said.

[The North Polish Union]

The inaugural World Cup of Hockey for the North Polish Union has concluded with their elimination in the group stage. As a first-time competitor they were more than long-shots to escape the groups in any case. Finishing 3-6-1 with 7 points they placed 4th out of 6 teams in Group A. The team actually managed to finish 3rd in the group in both most goals scored and fewest allowed, but came up short where it really mattered, in the win column

Things could've gone worse for the team, as they finished undefeated amongst their fellow unranked teams and gave group leaders TJUN-ia and Valanora each a bit of a scare in Games 7 and 8, respectively. However, things also could've gone better, as the team failed to even manage a tie (0-6-0) against any higher-ranked opponent, and in Game 4 conceded a tie to an awful Vaishnavaria team who lost their other 9 games outright.

Scoring leaders
Juryj Kozieł (C) - 5G, 5A, 10P
Aidas Jonaitis (LW) - 2G, 4A, 6P
Radosław Gorski (RW) - 2G, 4A, 6P
Czesław Michalski (LW) - 2G, 2A, 4P
Niklas Kappel (RD) - 1G, 3A, 4P
Aleš Sawicki (C) - 2G, 1A, 3P
Aronas Stankevičius (C) - 1G, 2A, 3P
Thorsten Pfeffer (LW) - 1G, 2A, 3P
Wadzim Kozieł (C) - 1G, 2A, 3P
Kanstancin Žuk (RW) - 0G, 3A, 3P
Pawieł Nowik (LD) - 2G, 0A, 2P
Leanid Kawalčuk (RD) - 2G, 0A, 2P
Anton Kozieł (LD) - 0G, 2A, 2P
Bahdan Iwanoŭ (RW) - 1G, 0A, 1P
Dominik Maurer (LW) - 1G, 0A, 1P
Ilja Petrauskas (RD) - 0G, 1A, 1P

Goalies
Klaus Lehmann - 5 games played (1-3, 9-10), 16 goals allowed, 2 shutouts, 2-3-0 record
Tadzio Duda - 5 games played (4-8), 14 goals allowed, 1-3-1 record

[Sarzonia]

Greta Lucia was looking up at the clock on the wall across from the information desk at the Glennon Public Library and cursed to herself.

It was eight hours into a 12-hour shift and she was feeling frustrated that there were a lot more patrons in the building than usual.

I'm never switching with Candace again, she thought as yet another kid walked up to the counter with a question about some subject she had no interest in.

"The Palaeosaurus? Okay, if you go to that section over there, you should find a couple of books that detail dinosaurs, including the Palaeosaurus," she said, trying as hard as she could to sound cheerful even though she was feeling put upon by the boy's incessant questions.

C'mon, kiddo! I'm overdue for my lunch break and Charles hasn't come back from his yet, she thought as her plastered on smile began to slowly fade from her lips. Finally, though, she saw Charles walk behind the desk and type in his access code to his computer.

"I'll take the next customer over here," he said. She looked and saw the library manager Nellie motion to her to take her break.

"I'm going on break," Lucia said. "I'll see you in half an hour."

She walked out from behind the desk and over to the door marked Staff Only. She couldn't wait to grab the last half of the orange chicken and rice she'd ordered the night before after another busy shift. She knew the new novel that was popular all over Glennon was helping drive some of the traffic, but not all of it had to do with a very popular novel. She'd heard the telltale bell of the microwave ring and she pulled out the container with her orange chicken and rice and began to blow on it to cool the heat when she heard a knock on the door.

Ugh, she thought. Another customer who can't read the Staff Only sign on the door. She decided to ignore it and took a bite of chicken. As she was stirring the rice and grabbing some of it with her fork, she heard another knock. She rolled her eyes, shook her head, then took a bite of the rice. As she swallowed, she heard a knock again. This time, she heard someone say something through the noise-canceling headphones.

Where's Ted? she thought. He was the security guard who was responsible for making sure patrons didn't just barge into the staff lounge. She heard the voice a little louder as the knocking became more urgent. She thought she heard "Police! Open up!" Her eyebrows furrowed for a moment, then she took off the earphones. She took another bite of chicken and heard another knock. This time, with the earphones off, there was no mistaking it.

"Police! Open up or we're breaking in!"

What the hell is this? she thought. She stood up, walked the few steps to the door and opened it a crack.

"Yes?"

"This is Detective Hollings, Nicksia Police, and this is Deputy Chris Davis with the Stallings County Sheriff's Office. How are you today?"

I'd be better if I could eat my fucking lunch in peace, she thought. She said, "I'm good."

"We had a few questions for you, if you don't mind."

Lucia raised her eyebrow for a second or two.

"Questions?"

"About the attack on the arena and any information you might have on Deius Vigilans or either Deece Claiborne or Troy Lucius," Hollings said.

Lucia quickly snapped, "I've never heard of either of those men!" she said. "I don't know what you're talking about! I, uh, invoke Article VI!"

Hollings and Davis looked at each other for a moment. Sheriff's Deputy Christine Davis was the daughter of Benatar Attorney General Lastings Davis, who knew the law front and back and made sure his youngest daughter did, too when she told him before taking A-levels she planned to join the Sheriff's Office. Hollings wrote a note about the fast denial, plus the look Lucia gave when she was quickly denying any knowledge of Deius Vigilans or Decius Claiborne, whom she, in fact, had dated for a year and a half until he was recruited to join Deius Vigilans. She hadn't heard much of anything about the organisation, but she knew from her grandfather than anything Doomie was bad news. However, she remembered the look of disappointment on Deece's face when she broke up with him.

"Thank you for your time," Davis said before she pulled out a business card. "Here's my card with my work phone and my mobile phone on it," she said. "If you hear anything, let us know."

"Will do," Lucius said. When she saw the two uniformed officers turn around to leave, she slowly closed the door, so as not to cause suspicion. However, she remembered how quickly and animatedly she denied any knowledge of Deius Vigilans or Claibourne or Lucius. She didn't know Troy at all. That much was certain. But she pulled out her mobile phone as she gathered more rice and a piece of chicken on her fork. She thought about texting Claiborne to warn him the cops were onto him and them, but then she remembered cop shows where she saw text records potentially could be subpoenaed.

She looked at the business card Davis had given her. Hollings had given his, too. She didn't feel comfortable with Davis, but there was something about Hollings that made her think. After her shift was over and she'd finished clocking out, she got in her car and drove home. When she arrived, she opened her door, walked in, then closed the door and locked it. She thought for a moment and used the chain latch to secure the lock. It was a step one of the characters in the book didn't do, and she didn't want to take any chances that she might get an unpleasant surprise when she turned in for the night. When she got to her bedroom, she closed the blinds all the way, a step she normally didn't take because she liked being awakened by sunlight. She was off the next day, but her exhaustion and lack of sleep weren't the only reasons she didn't want the blinds open.

She looked at Hollings' business card one more time, then pulled out her mobile phone.

[TJUN-ia]

Last time out, our mission was complete. We finally made it back.
After that, nothing seemed to matter anymore. We were packing our bags to head out to the Playoffs.
But there was still one more game left to play. One more chance to prove ourselves.

Over in Valanora, we faced the world #1 - the same team that beat us 7-3 in our own backyard.
We wanted to show the hosts just how far we had come since that wobble...and thus, we ended up in a duel.
Nikolai Stenstad and Camilla Berglund were the goalscorers for the hosts, with two each.
For us? Carter Marshall, our Captain, got two and both Yun Pong-chol and John McKraken got one.
It was a cracking game, one that both teams deserved to win...so in the end, a draw seems fair.

Now, we are off to Banija to start our Playoff return against #8 Osterhalten, 2nd in Group F by only a point.
This team have played very well, going 8-1-1 in a group dominated by themselves and Ko-oren, so we will have to be ready for anything.
We finally made the plane...and we don't want a quick u-turn.
GO ICE JAGS!

---

SCHEDULE (Group A)
MD1: @Vaishnavaria (UR) W 8-5 (1st)
MD2: vs The North Polish Union (UR) - The Rink in The Gardens, New Washington W 4-1 (2nd)
MD3: @Britonisea (UR) W 7-4 (2nd)
MD4: @Banija (46) - The South Istria Ice Hockey Center, Istria D 3-3 (2nd)
MD5: vs Valanora (1) - The Rink in The Gardens, New Washington L 3-7 (2nd)
MD6: vs Vaishnavaria (UR) - The Rink in The Gardens, New Washington W 7-4 (2nd)
MD7: @The North Polish Union (UR) W 3-2 (2nd)
MD8: vs Britonisea (UR) - The Rink in The Gardens, New Washington W 12-4 (2nd)
MD9: vs Banija (46) - The Rink in The Gardens, New Washington W 4-1 (2nd)
MD10: @Valanora (1) D 4-4 (2nd/7-2-1/16pts/#9 Seed)
Ro16: vs Osterhalten (8/#8) - Obuo Family Arena, Herzegovina City, Banija