World Cup of Hockey 45 [RPs/results]

by **Ko-oren** » Tue Jun 14, 2022 1:20 pm

Elejamie v Savojarna
@ Nachtkrapp Hall, Ebenbühel

5-0-0-0 Elejamie are taking on a 3-0-0-2 Savojar team that has to do something for the fans at home after what happened in the World Cup. The ranks suggest this might be as lopsided as the seeding suggests - Elejamie should have little trouble, but we're honestly not that convinced that the 'home' team will have an easy time.

Mercedini v Kelssek
@ Doppeleissportzgortzeinkellerhall, Neuntal

This one might be closer than we might give it credit for, being between a 5-0-0-0 Mercedini side and a Kelssek team that at times barely scored a C (ok, C+) in the group stage. While they play in what is effectively a training venue (sign us up if you've got training venues with ten thousand seats! Ko-oren only has one ice hockey arena over that size!), it'll be good. Involving the 8th and 16th ranked teams, the winner is in for a nice bonus in the post-45 ranks.

Gyatso-kai v Ranoria
@ The Sportsdome, Koprivvac

Here's the one neutral Ko-orenites are waiting for. It's not gridiron, but it's Ranoria. And Gyatso-Kai, a team that, regardless of sport, we've always had a soft spot for. Gyatso-Kai have the obvious advantage, but all we're hoping for is a fun one.

Græntfjall v Huayramarca
@ Eagle Ice House, Stenjerica

The Anaian runner-ups behind #1 seed Elejamie take on an unbeaten Græntfjall team, who conceded 2 goals in the entire group stage to boot. Even the hosts struggled to make the Eagle Ice House sound nice, but it shouldn't be hard for either team to add flair to the concrete bunker. We hope to see our region-mates advance, but against a 7th-ranked Græntfjall team, it's unlikely.

The Cordian Isles v Quebec and Shingoryeo
@ Sunhall, Uberwienerschnitzelstadt

Ah - this could have been us versus Quebec and Shingoryeo. The derby of... western Anaia, we'll call it for the time being, but didn't materialise as the Cordian Isles took the group by storm. Two teams ranked outside the top 10, this one is for all the marbles but with little to lose.

HUElavia v Trolleborg
@ Green Bay City Hall, Lahnshafen

Trolleborg comes from a low scoring group and held themselves very well, while HUElavia's industrious offence will be more than a match for them. It's Trolleborg's to upset.

Sarzonia v Ko-oren
@ Olympik Stadion, Uberwienerschnitzelstadt

Close your eyes - what sport is this? Sarzonia versus Ko-oren is a classic that could come from any sport's knockout stage, and this time around, it's ice hockey. The Dragonflies will kick themselves for not winning the group, while Sarzonia had a tough group that involved Nova Anglicana and Vilita & Turori, with the latter not even making the final 16! This is also the biggest stadium involved in the Cup. Remember how you read that most of these involve a team from outside the top 10? Well, much like the World Cup where #6 Ko-oren did NOT win their group and then had to play #5 Turori in the second round (and LOST), this is one between #6 Ko-oren and #5 Sarzonia, with the losing team inevitably taking a hit.

Valanora v Nova Anglicana
@ Royal Independence Arena, Eppelborn

Two timeless names take each other on in Eppelborn. A Varoran side that couldn't find the net versus opponents that scored at will, this will be a good one. Nova Anglicana are a team in ascent, while Valanora will want to protect their top-3 interests.

This Dragonflies squad has a lot of things in common with the soccer Dragonflies. A somewhat aging core struggling to find new blood, and while near the top in ranking, never quite manages to advance in knockouts as promised. The ice hockey team has one lost final (in that Siovanija and Teusland dynasty) to show for it, while the soccer Dragonflies had a nice 0-8 Round of 16 record before also losing a final (to a Nephara squad, who like S&T, also made the previous two finals of that tournament). Unlike the soccer Dragonflies (who went on to win the final two cycles later), the ice hockey incarnation of the Dragonflies have yet to find success. As in, that trophy.

When it matters (and things don't get complicated), the ice hockey Dragonflies (just assume it's about ice hockey if you read 'Dragonflies' from here on out, ok) can win. They did beat Efnakia in regular time to qualify for the knockouts, with a TJUN-ia team in hot pursuit. The very TJUN-ia team that beat us in shootouts the round before to put us in a problematic spot in the first place. Heerekornuit opened the score and that should have been it, but some complacency, a little luck, and giving an opponent a bit of hope, they got scored on, and now both teams hoped to avoid a loss and gunned for the shootout - one that would have the teams tied until the fifth attempt. The added point (or actually, the added points because they had no business conceding near the end of the third) would have put us in first place with a very different outlook on the rest of the tournament. The round before that: 4-4 versus the Cordian Isles and a decisive shootout win.

Basically, this squad hasn't looked great since the start. Aemel (G) hasn't really scored a failing grade in any game, but was not as confident in his saves (and the following clearance) as we've gotten used to from with the Islanders. Ehoni, the line 1 defender alongside Auvia, was put there as a new pair, and it doesn't gel. As in, it's alright, but it's not top tier, and top tier is what we need to survive Sarzonia, let alone make a deep run. Enibel has lost speed. Aurtinia can't keep up for a full shift - you've got somewhere between 30 and 60 seconds, so coming on to the ice you need to know where you need to be, and Aurtinia failed to capitalise. Ailise can't keep up, while Aone Aenec keeps fouling. The defensive Aedeti Aenec, with Winterhaag, were touted as error-prone and they very much have been.

Much like the soccer Dragonflies, the team is a good candidate for a big changeup.

And how good it all looked, last cycle, when professionalisation was just a done deal, the fallout had been dealt with, and Ko-oren had a good league, with a good talent pipeline, with good finances - remember how success was just a year or so away - three years, tops? And since then we've only seen this team fall down from where it was. Where's the extra quality that comes from more training at a higher level, playing better opposition? So far, all we've seen is Launott running away with the league, the Egevea Islanders carrying their mediocre team to a second place finish, the Wanderers doing alright, while the merged Explorers-Mariners have the best of two squads to work with and still they can't get past 4th, and it only gets worse from there. The newly set up Arboren Vortex won four (4) games out of 66 (!!!!!) as the normal powerhouse Straudum Ice finished 11th - blaming the Schemerdrecht Banijans for taking away their talent. When they say 'three years, tops', make that a full generation of players, if we're unlucky. As we thought we had a decent squad together, things changed, and things got worse - regardless of things have to get worse before they get better, we're in a bad situation now and it's hard to have hope for the future.

Maybe, just maybe, the solution is doing something like the baseball league. That was an organisation that tore itself apart, forced itself to take time off of the WBC, reinvented itself in the meantime by making things less Ko-oren v Finisterre v Yoshima and more 12 Ko-orenite cities vs Chromatika vs Esportiva - the opposition is better, the development is better, the money in the minor leagues will be better, the list goes on. Maybe having a Banijan team in Schemerdrecht can help us after all? If the Banijans can set up such an organisation, why can't we?

by **Valanora** » Wed Jun 15, 2022 12:12 pm

A single loss after regulation and not being able to score four goals a game on average somehow has the Calcuttas as the worst performance of group winners. As a result of this huge failure of the national team they are now handed the most difficult, on paper, of ties in the first knockout round in the World Cup of Hockey. Of the shame of losing a game and an offense that scored on average just three and a half goals a game, the side now must endure a game against a highly talented Nova Anglicana and hope that they are able to steel themselves enough to find a victory. A first round exit would be a massive dent into the confidence and belief of the team, as well as the pursuit of that seventh title.

Putting aside the sarcasm, the Calcuttas do have to feel awfully hard done by with the way everything has shaken out after the group stage. They were a victim of an upset but still managed to turn it around despite the group stage being a single round robin and were able to win the group. Winning the group was the most important task to begin with, as it was supposed to set the side up with an in theory easier route to the latter stages of the tournament. There is no denying the truth that this team was assembled with the sole goal of winning that record title in mind. There were changes to the roster but the team has adjusted fairly well and performed quite admirably. There is no accounting for other teams simply hitting a massive five game form that is otherworldly and for it happen to seven other sides. Statistically it is an anomaly but one that the side now has to deal with.

In the past the Nova Anglicana side has been something of a dark horse or even a favorite to contend for the title. Their roster is solid from the first to the fourth line and all their defensive pairings will put up quite a fight as well, there is no obvious weaknesses to try and exploit. In this tournament they have been a decently high scoring team, averaging nearly five goals a game which would be impeccable if there were not a few sides averaging nearly seven goals a game. It has truly been something of a statistical outlier in terms of goal production here in this tournament. However for all the power on offense they have been a bit leaky in defense, averaging just shy of three goals a game.

With goal production seemingly on some sort of kick here in the tournament, having a side that can minimize the chances and goal scoring threats is of great importance. This is where the Calcuttas will have a bit of an advantage having only given up nine goals in the group stage, third least among the group winners. The ability to block shots and pole check the puck away will be a huge key for the team in this very difficult matchup and moving forward if they do advance. The side is by no means a defensive masterclass, unlike Græntfjall, but they are defensively sound which is a rarity among most of the teams who advanced. It will be a round and potentially a tournament where the phrase of defense winning championships will be put to the test and the Calcuttas look to pass with flying colors.

by **HUElavia** » Wed Jun 15, 2022 1:42 pm

Group Stage Review and Ro16 Preview

Yet again, another Group Stage in the World Cup of Hockey has come and gone, with plenty of upsets and blowouts that were witnessed. In HUElavia's group of Group 6, Los Amarillos/Os Amarelos took the top spot as the overall favorites of the group. Finishing with a record of 4-0-1-0 with 13 Points saw them advance through, being placed as the #6 Seed for the knockouts. Behind them were the other favorites of the group, Quebec and Shingoryeo, who had a record of 3-1-0-1, totaling to 11 points, putting them on for the #12 Seed.

For the Ro16, HUElavia takes on Trolleborg, where HUElavia is hoping they can get a good result to advance over Trolleborg. Easier said than done, the team has to finish the game off.

FORCA HUELAVIA! VAMOS HUELAVIA! GO HUELAVIA!

by **Mercedini** » Wed Jun 15, 2022 3:26 pm

World Cup of Hockey XLV
Group Stage: Mercedini vs. StrayaRoos
@ Olympik Stadion - Uberwienerschnitzelstadt, Schutzenphalia and West Ruhntuhnkuhnland

For the final time in the Group Stage, welcome back to Mercedini Sports Daily and the Olympik Stadion in Uberwienerschnitzelstadt. This place has felt like a home from home for us in the commentary and press boxes in the stadium, but today could be the last time that the Kingfishers play in the capital of our host nation Schutzenphalia and West Ruhntuhnkuhnland. It has treated Lustik's team well thus far, with the group's top seed going four from four so far, with Dini in a small club of teams yet to drop a point. They are guaranteed to top the group regardless of what happens in this final game, so we might expect some rotations to be made so everyone is fit for whoever they will face in the knockout rounds. Knockout seeding will be based on overall group record, so a win to complete their clean sweep of the group could very well land them with a team who just about scraped through.

StrayaRoos have been a team which has had their ups and downs in the tournament, but currently hold second place in the group, so any sort of win against the group winners will send them through as the second ranked team. Whether they are second by virtue of playing Mercedini last is a big question, but with Savojarna and S&WR playing each other in the game parallel to this one, they will certainly be challenged if they stumble at the final hurdle tonight. It all seems to be coming together for Lustik, with the former Zol City Icers coach the first coach of the Mercedinian National Team to win all of his first four games. Can he make it five from five? Let's find out as we go down to the ice in the Olympik Stadion.

World Cup Of Hockey: A Seventh Heaven Performance Completes Five-Star Group Win

GROUP STAGE
WCOH | MD5
MERCEDINI 7
STRAYAROOS 3
(0-1) (0-0) (7-2)
Uberwienerschnitzelstadt, S. & W.R.

Mercedinian hockey fans will likely remember the Olympik Stadion for a long while after this tournament is done, and it has played host to some classic Mercedinian world Cup of Hockey moments. None least than their brilliant third period fightback against StrayaRoos to not only sweep the group in style, but send Savojarna through in place of StrayaRoos. It was a rather drab game from a Mercednian perspective, with StrayaRoos putting in plenty of work to grind out a result to see them through. However, a penalty which proved to be devastating undid all of that work, and the Kingfishers took full advantage to net five in five minutes, and score a total of seven goals in the third and final period alone. That flurry of goals confirmed Dini's spot as top scorers in the group stage, narrowly edging out knockout top-seeds Elejamie by a single goal (even though the Ice-a-phants took the #1 seed on goal difference).

We will fast forward to the third period where StrayaRoos found themselves a goal up against Dini thanks to a well worked goal and a clinical finish from Coalaj to breathe life into the knockout challenge of a team which weren't fancied at all at the start of the tournament. The Kingfishers only needed two minutes of the third period to tie it all back up with Ellokina scrappy goal bundling the puck into the net after a save from Suyia was spilled. The match seemed to be grinding down to a halt at 1-1, but one action changed the complexion of the game in an instant. A major penalty was given to Hamish Jiaku after a rather brutal check from behind onto Yannick Glonnasov was spotted by the officials and by most of the Olympik Stadion. What was a library for most of the second period turned into a wall of noise from Mercedinian fans and some of the neutrals who felt the contact. H. Jiaku was sent to the sin bin for five minutes, meaning StrayaRoos had to ride the wave of Mercedinian pressure and escape without too much damage to the score line. Glonnasov was taken off as a precaution, as the youngster was visibly shaken from the tackle and left the ice with the physical support of the coaching staff, and the psychological support from his teammates and the travelling fans in the arena.

It proved to be a long five minutes for Jiaku as Dini slammed on the throttle and put themselves out of sight with goal after goal flying in from the Mercedinian front line. All three of the third line attackers were taken off for the powerplay, with the attacking first line added, along with Santzin to fill the gap which was left by Glonnasov's departure. Two goals for Kelodon, two for Dolocic and just the one for Supsai in those five minutes meant that the free-scoring front line had done it again. If that wasn't a statement of intent from Lustik, then I'm not sure what is. StrayaRoos were the sacrificial lamb in this case, but the dagger was plunged into the heart of their tournament life, with Savojarna edging ahead in their game against S&WR. With the score in the Olympik Stadion now 6-1, their last hope was for the hosts to somehow come back and force overtime and reach a result which means StrayaRoos can advance on head-to-head record. There was a fightback with Marchessault pulling one back, before Coalaj scored his second and StrayaRoos' third to bring the result to a more respectable degree. Merlo would have the last laugh however, with a cheeky chip in the final minute of the game to bring the score up to 7-3. There were cheers from the locals, knowing that the Kingfishers had done their job to get the hosts through, but those cheers quickly faded away following the news from the other games of the group. Sudilia & Oateria had gone to overtime, but the score in the third game flashed up, meaning it was the end for both StrayaRoos and Schutzenphalia and West Ruhntuhnkuhnland. The hosts had lost 3-1 to Savojarna, meaning Savojarna had gone from fourth to second after the final round of matches to save themselves and advance to the knockouts. It was by no means easy, but it ended in the Olympik Stadion; Mercedini 7, StrayaRoos 3.

ROUND OF SIXTEEN
Mercedini vs. Kelssek
@ Nachtkrapp Hall - Ebenbühel, Schutzenphalia and West Ruhntuhnkuhnland

The momentum is building for all teams present at the World Cup of Hockey, but only sixteen teams remain in the hunt for the 45th World Cup of Hockey. the Kingfishers finished second out of the group winners, behind Elejamie who scored one less but conceded three fewer than Mercedini. It meant that Dini will be playing Kelssek who finished runner-up with nine points in a closely fought Group 3. It's a stacked side of the bracket, with all of the top four seeds in the top half of the bracket. Whoever wins between Dini and Kelssek could very well play either Elejamie or Savojarna, a fiery affair. We hope you can join us for that and everything else that's going on around the rinks. We are reaching the business end of the tournament, where the big dogs go head to head to crown a champion. From the capital of Schutzenphalia and West Ruhntuhnkuhnland, this has been the 45th World Cup of Hockey! Goodnight!

by **The Cordian Isles** » Wed Jun 15, 2022 3:44 pm

Kress Thomassen laid awake in her bed at the team hotel in Alphabet Soup Country. She couldn’t sleep, high-strung with anticipation over the next day’s game. They’d be facing Quebec and Shingoryeo for the second time in two tournaments in the Round of 16. A win would be an impressive upset and send the Cordians to their second quarterfinal appearance, two years after the very same roster had entered the World Cup of Hockey as an unknown and left as one of the tournament’s biggest stories, upsetting Quebec in the Round of 16 in the middle of a snowstorm. This time, Thomassen knew, they wouldn’t have a snowstorm to help them. But she trusted in her team. Even since that spectacular victory, they had grown, delivering a solid AOHC performance and then both sides going far in the Olympics. This WCoH group stage was certainly a high point, though. Whereas last time an unsure team had struggled into the knockouts by some sort of miracle, this team had made it to the Round of 16 with authority, placing first in the group with consistent play and a spot of luck. Thomassen turned over, closed her eyes. Tomorrow would be a big day, and she needed to be awake for all of it.

Thomassen sat in the room Hockey Cordia had secured for team meetings and meals, hunched over a coffee. Most of the team was still asleep; they’d be taking their time to wake up, as she’d told them to. But this morning she had an interview for Cordian television back home, so with the Isles twelve hours ahead, this would be airing on prime time TV while the game itself would air at 8 A.M. back at home. Thomassen’s tablet, already set up, popped up with a message. “Join this meeting?” Thomassen tapped yes. Her screen immediately showed one of the news anchors at the Cordian Broadcasting Company. Thomassen hadn’t bothered to learn their names; she was too busy with her coaching duties. This anchor was male, with heavy styled black hair and a similarly black mustache that made him look less like a news anchor than some sort of… non-news anchor person. “Alright, we just got on commercial break,” said the anchor. “So we have a few minutes to prepare for the interview. We’ll be doing it live. Do you want a list of the questions I’ll be asking so you can start thinking of answers?”

“Yeah, that works for me.”

He proceeded to list them out. They wanted to know how she felt about getting revenge on Efnakia, what it’d been like to coach a team that had gone on such a great run in its first few tournaments, how she felt about the team’s performance in the group stage, and so on. If not the most creative questions, ones that got to the point. Of course, she wouldn’t risk giving any real insight into the team lest she risk giving any other teams bulletin board material, but nobody ever expected full answers to interview questions from hockey coaches and players. That’s just kind of how those things went. The commercial break soon drew to a close, and the countdown of “3, 2, 1, live” let her know that her face was about to appear on national television. The anchor went through an introduction, a short summary of the team’s performance at the WCoH, then began asking her the first question, which was her cue that her face was up on screen.

“How did you feel going into this tournament about your team’s chances?”

“To be completely honest, I wasn’t looking past that first game against TJUN-ia. I knew that if we lost that one, it would be very hard to make it into the knockouts with Ko-oren also in the group, so a lot of our preparation centered on that one team.”

“And you did win, pretty resoundingly! How was that?”

“A relief, honestly. I was pretty nervous about that one, but we handled it pretty well and that set us up for a nice run."

“A nice run it was, you followed that up with a six to one victory over Baker Park, and then made it all the way to a shootout against Ko-oren. What was it like to measure up so well against one of the best teams in the world in that game?”

“Well first off, I can hardly consider a loss a high point, no matter how impressive. Yes, we did force Ko-oren into a shootout and took a point that was pretty useful later on, but we had chances to win that game that we couldn’t convert, and that would truly have been a high point for us. So yeah, it was an accomplishment, but it’s a bit bittersweet.”

“Interesting. How does that compare to your first tournament with this team, where you lost to Siovanija and Teusland in the quarterfinals?”

“That first tournament is completely different, I think. That run was so surprising and so out of nowhere that even losing in the quarterfinals was a cool experience because, hey, we made it all the way there! It wasn’t even likely for us to make the knockouts for most of that tournament, so that was just great. Against Ko-oren, I expect us to be at our absolute highest standard of play, and we didn’t quite get there. That said, we played well, so it’s not like that was a bad game. It’s hardly a bad game when the 25th-ranked team in the world ties the 6th-ranked team in the world over relegation, is it?”

“Absolutely not. You took regulation wins in the last two games of the group stage, so we’ll skip to the upcoming game, tonight. For the second time, you and your team are going up against Quebec and Shingoryeo in the Round of 16, except now you’re the high seeds. Thoughts?”

“We’re hardly the high seeds, to be completely honest. Yeah, we finished first in the group, but that’s an anomaly. So we’re expecting another tough game against Quebec, and hopefully one that isn’t as weird as that last one was with that snowstorm.”

“And any thoughts on your team’s chances of advancing or even winning the whole thing?”

“Absolutely not going to answer that, but nice try.”

“It’s on the list of questions. I know you’ve got things to do, so we’re going to let you go. Good luck tonight, many of us will be cheering you and your players on from here in the isles, and a few in the stands, too.”

“Thank you for having me on the show.”

Thomassen closed her tablet, then looked up. Seeing the buffet - savior of hockey families at every level, everywhere in the world - she got up and decided to go fill her plate. Maybe butterflies had a harder time flying on a full stomach.

by **Sarzonia** » Wed Jun 15, 2022 5:08 pm

The morning of Sarzonia's final training session brought Brett Tanguay, Sr. anxiety.

He'd settled on Jacob Parsons as his starting goaltender for the match against Ko-oren. His lines played fairly well in the group stage finale against Bollonich. Junior was playing like a man who felt he had to prove he belonged on the team and he wasn't there because he was the manager's son.

The source of the tension for Senior was the stakes. As a favourite previously, as the top overall seed, in fact, the team lost their quarterfinals contest against Græntfjall in extra time. A first round exit, even against a team of the calibre of the Dragonflies would draw questions.

He recalled his predecessor Paul Bremerton getting the axe because the team lost to an unranked side. That was why he was here in the first place. He rallied the team to the knockout rounds, then led the Stars to steamroll the competition in the group stage.

That was just the group stage, he knew. He needed the team to play well in the knockout rounds. He felt his team peaked too early, and the Ice Wolves took full advantage of that in the knockout rounds.

Even though Ko-oren were ranked sixth to Sarzonia's No. 5 ranking, the Stars were the higher seed. They got to make the final lineup change. They needed to take advantage of the higher seed or they would see the Dragonflies leapfrog them in the multiversal ratings. More importantly, it would leave Senior wondering if the Incorporated Ice Hockey Federation would take Ko-oren's high ranking into consideration in the event of a loss.

In times past, Senior might feel confident that leadership would be patient, but this governing body had little patience for a drab result against an unranked side in a previous edition.

Senior knew that the pressure was on him. He knew he had to deliver. The question was: Will he?

by **Kelssek** » Wed Jun 15, 2022 7:02 pm

SPORTS > WORLD CUP OF HOCKEY
Kelssek crawls into knockouts to face Mercedini

Limping, sneaking, whatever other description one might give of the manner in which Kelssek has scraped into the knockout rounds of the World Cup of Hockey, clearly they’ve got to be a lot better now.

A 6-4 win against Kriegiersien was necessary but so was a helping hand from group winners Gyatso-kai, who hammered Illyadona to allow Kelssek to overtake them in the standings. Does Kelssek deserve it? Hard to say. The results are what matter, and they have put Kelssek into the second round, if just barely.

At least this match showed more offensive capability, after a dismal eight goals in the opening four matches . The team has relied on Jeanne Hakemi to make some key plays and she managed to supply two of them to notch the opening goal and assist on the game-winning goal. Bradley Donovan also recovered his focus well after giving up two quick goals late in the second period to make some important saves and ensure those would be the last goals Krigiersien score this tournament.

“It was pretty big that we didn’t let the momentum change after they tied the match going to the third period. We thought what we needed to do was to just score the next goal. And that’s what we did, so it’s a big credit to everyone out there to just have a good mental game and keep that right side up,” said Matej Halmana after the match.

Everything could have come apart when some bad coordination led to Kelssek taking a too many players penalty with 5:29 remaining, but the penalty killers responded with a gutsy effort to get the puck out and then deny Kreigiersien zone entry and disrupt passes to see out the bench minor. Aislinn Easley even came close to scoring as she came out of the penalty box to jump on a loose puck. Gifted a partial breakaway Easley beat the goalie but not the crossbar. Lucas Alwyn finally settled the matter with an empty net goal in the final seconds as Kriegiersien pushed for the equalizer.

Mercedini will be a big test, after rolling through its group with machine efficiency and a one hundred percent record. Kelssek head coach Darren Duncan says the team won’t be intimidated and need to make wining a habit.

“No question when you look at their form, they will be a challenge. But form and streaks can shift real quick, all you need is to break the pattern. I think we found some good tempo from this last match that we can take with us. We need to come out with no fear and play to our identity.”

by **Elejamie** » Wed Jun 15, 2022 7:20 pm

"Stuff it, it'll do."

Coach Alex very rarely swore. And, indeed, this was no exception even though he honestly felt like he should've. After all, he tells his side to do better defensively and then they go on to let in three, much like they did in the opener against Huayramanca. Only one of those was pure skill from the opposition, whereas one of the other goals was an offside that clearly should've been called but didn't and the other was just simply bad luck. True to his word, Alex had decided to not treat them to pizza as a result. The idea wasn't off the table, however, it would just be postponed until the team actually did what he asked them to do. However long that would be.

But a win was a win. Especially one where the offence outright smoked the opposition. How much of a smoking was it? 9-3. At one point it was 6-1. While his side has started to slow down towards the end, whether it be out of respect for the opposition or because they didn't want to score themselves tired, it was an absolute sight to behold. The vast majority of Elejamian players saw at least one point in that game, the sole exception being fourth-line centre Bill Judge, and goaltender Adrian Lambert even managed to snag himself an assist and, indeed, he would've also gotten an empty netter had the puck not hit the post and then get cleared before a rebound could be attempted. They didn't have to go so overboard with the match, given that they were already through, but maybe they really wanted that #1 seed. Or maybe they wanted to show the poor unfortunate sod who they were about to face that this was a team not to take lightly.

And, indeed, the tone of the match was very nearly set early on when, only twelve seconds in, Stacy Saunders fired a shot at net. It struck the crossbar and was quickly frozen but the fact that Tralfamdore had a defensive derp that early on showed that the audience were going to be witnessing a massacre. They did hold strong for the first five minutes but eventually something had to give. And, indeed, with 14:56 left in the first period, Ethan Swinburne's snapshot from close-range managed to make its way into the back of the net with the Barajas twins claiming assists. Thirty seconds later, Tralfamdore had to be down a player due to a bit of interference although they were fortunate enough to kill off the penalty despite the heavy odds against them. In fact, the second goal of the night came ten seconds after that player returned to the ice, with James Han just about tipping it in after Rafinho fed him the puck after receiving it from Rafael Espinosa. A third goal of the night came with 8:09 left when Cerin Meloten and Adam Keane assisted a shot from Saunders that went through the opposing goalie's five hole. And, to round off the first period, Bill Harrison scored a short-handed goal with 3:11 left when his shot just sailed over the opposing goalie's glove; Neil Cuevas and Rafinho were credited with assists. Not bad considering that Diego Pinto had to be sent to the box a minute and a half prior for slashing an opposing right-winger. Either way the score was 4-0 for the home side and it seemed like it would get worse from there.

Seemed like. Tralfamdore did pull one back with 17:18 left thanks to a lucky shot that Lambert was just able to get a glove to the puck but he wasn't able to stop it fully. A bit of a buggerance but it could've been worse which is why Lambo didn't lose his cool just yet. He just shook it off like he would any other goal like that and just worked on keeping the puck out for the rest of the match. Plus it helped that, with 14:36 left, Tralfamdore had to be down another player for four minutes instead of two after a particularly bad high-stick on Madgwick, with things looking like they were going to boil over into a brawl before cooler heads prevailing. And the referees stepping in to have words with the players involved. Twenty seconds into the powerplay Lupe and Keane assisted a Saunders shot that felt more line a snipe with pin-point accuracy. With 7:05 left, Alex decided to stick his fourth line on just to give them some ice time; thirty seconds later, Harrison Blackburn made it 6-1 with a one-timer off a pass from Kiko Carpio, who was once against replacing Francisco Solano on the fourth line as a left-winger. Of course, that would be marred when 17 seconds later Judge got into a fight with one of their players, which he managed to win fairly handily While the Ice-a-phants seemed to have slowed down during this period, presumably so they could give the opposition a chance to either catch up or to make it more sporting, they still remained dominant and closed down the vast majority of attempts on goal; any that still made it past them were either saved by Lambert or weren't making their target.

But hard work and perseverance pays off and, indeed, with 18:02 left in the third, Tralfamdore pulled another one back. The problem was that, according to the video referees, the goal shouldn't have been allowed given that the scorer was just offside when he received the puck. Even Lambert spotted that, despite not being at the best angle, and when he found out it was allowed he was a bit livid. As a result he asked for Carlos Sierra's stick and broke it against the post the vent his frustration. At least there were spares. At least he didn't throw his helmet, given that it'd be disrespectful to the 97 names on it. And at least his side pushed themselves back out in front when Sierra blocked a shot, recovered it fairly handily and passed it over to Pinto, who went on to do a bit of back and forth with Han until the 30-year-old Avon Stars right-winger managed to scoop it into the net with 13:49 left. And then with 6:51 left, Felipe Barajas doubled up when his twin brother Danilo won the face-off and passed it to Swinburne, whose shot missed but Felipe's rebound didn't. However, as everyone started their "I'd 8-2 be a Tralfamdore fan" jokes, they would score again with exactly 2:00 left. That time it was pure skill, a bit of back-and-forths before a solid backhander managed to beat Lambert fair and square. Besides, after Lambert's failed attempt at an empty netter little over half a minute earlier, he saved the puck and threw it towards Madgwick who just fired it into the empty net with 10.9 seconds left. Final score? 9-3.

And with that, not only were Elejamie definitely sure of their spot in the next round but they would also manage to snag the #1 seed which came as a shock. Why's that? It was because Mercedini could only manage a 7-3 win against StrayaRoos, thus giving them a goal differential of +18 compared to the +20 the Ice-a-phants got. The Kingfishers did get that one extra goal, 33 in total compared to 32, so they have a small edge offensively. Regardless, Alex didn't really care about that. Again, he saw it more as a fist-shaking and even said that, if his side doesn't lift the trophy this go-around, then Mercedini deserves to. And the other team to win all of their games? Gyatso-kai, the reigning champions, who sealed off their run with a 7-1 win over Illdonya. They were much better defensively, having allowed 8 goals in total, so should a rematch between the two happen, there's no doubt that Alex would have to play things really defensively just to keep things safe.

But that would all depend on whether or not that would happen. After all, they would have to play Ranoria. Mercedini would have to play Kelssek. Even the Ice-a-phants' groupmates in Huayramanca would have to face the defensive juggernaughts known as Græntfjall, a team who had only conceded two goals in the tournament so far. But who would Coach Alex and his boys have to face? None other than Savojarna, a team they had previously faced in the quarter-finals of the 43rd World Cup of Hockey and won 2-0, courtesy of goals from Stacy Saunders and James Han. However, the Savojars weren't as hot as they were back then. Over in Kelssek, they may have finished fourth in their group but they had a decent offence with 45 goals scored and, with 32 conceded, a point differential of +13 which meant they still had a decent chance (even more so after a solitary shoot-out goal gave them a win over Ko-oren after their bout ended 2-2). Here in Shootland and Runatunakinglong? They had a 3-0-0-2 record and were the only team to make it out of the group stage with a negative goal differential (-1 from 12 goals scored and 13 conceded). A win was almost certain but, as Ko-orenite media point out, may not be as certain as one would think.

Alex was inclined to agree with them as well. Sure he could just scrap the idea of a game plan once again because his side were going up against a much weaker opponent but he didn't want to risk it. When you ASSUME you make an ASS out of U and ME, as the old saying goes. Especially if they would go on to make a massive upset. After pondering it for a bit, he decided to take a more defensive approach to the match. Partly because he wants to ensure they have as few chances as possible and also because he desperately wants his team to work on their defence. While it wasn't bad per se, 12 goals conceded (2.4 goals per game) making it joint 4th out of all the group winners, he still felt like it'd probably end up spiraling to a point where they'll give up two or three goals in a game but won't score enough to make it count. Again, he might have it so that if they felt like they had a good chance of it they could be more daring offensively or if they were very far ahead they could loosen up defensively but it's just a question of whether or not his side would be in a good enough position to make that happen. Still, it was a plan.

He just hoped that the match would go according to it.

by **Quebec and Shingoryeo** » Wed Jun 15, 2022 11:28 pm

OOC: Response to following RPs - Cabo Azure, Sargossa, and Pasarga. Also in continuation of this RP.

OFFICE OF THE ROYAL COMMISSION OF QUEBEC & SHINGORYEO TO PASARGA
Recipient: President Gregorio Emparán, Greater Republic of Sargossa

Dear Emperor Emparán,

I hope it comes to your attention that the state of Pasarga, your regional neighbour close and yet so far away, may be on the verge of risk by those who dare bend and distort the will of the Pasargan people. As the primary representative, and the addressor of the Pasargan situation from Joongyeong, I am sure that you do not take to this situation loosely, especially as it should concern the current stability of the Sargossan Government and the nature of your nation..

Only several weeks prior in Concord Heights, we were able to see the proceedings of the Royal Cassadagan Court and their peaceful decisions made on the succession case of their ruling family that had been decided peacefully. Quite dramatic, but no doubt bloodless. I understand that the news likely brought Soluca a nod, perhaps even a sign of relief, for governmental stability among Rushmori nations is to be prioritised above all. I also expect that you, as the longtime head of the northern state, would also want to avoid any possibility of such to even start.

What may be important to consider for us, however, is the possibility of outside influences interrupting the peace of Pasarga, but Northern Rushmore as whole. While no investigation has been made by the Quebecois Commission here in Torgos, the reports and intelligence briefings from Joongyeong, as well as the words coming from the local outlets, suggest what you may be thinking from the news that you may have received through your own channel. That the portrait of the situation in Torgos may suggest a range of possibilities, from series of violent conflicts to a possible civil war.

It is by no means pleasant, and you know that too well by this point. It likely means that those in your nation, whether happy or unhappy about monarchism, may have to take those factors into account when making a decision. This very much falls into our own interests as well, especially considering that the late King Jakub was a Havel-Oldenburg and a distant relative of Her Majesty the Queen, and the recent spades of regime instabilities across the region, especially among monarchies, suggest to me that that foreign factors - whether vampirical or beastly or not - are ones to consider. This is something that I do not think you, of all persons, would want to consider, and sometimes unexpected alliances would have to be formed out of own interests.

Therefore, Her Majesty's Government of Quebec would like to extend an offer of possible military or diplomatic alliance with the Greater Republic of Sargossa and Her Government, with possibility of extending the offer further to other states. While no specifics have been said, the words from the Banijan Government, as well as the Assembly of the quint-nations of Gatchingerrak Union, have turned out to be quite affirmative to the idea. Should this idea proceed, the Prime Minister and Her Majesty's Government will get back to you sooner than later to schedule a possible meeting.

Please do let me and the Royal Cabinet know.

Yours Sincerely,
Isidore Platt-Housefather,
Duke of Kingston
Chair of the Royal Commission of Quebec and Shingoryeo to Pasarga
Member, House of Lords, Kingdom of Quebec and Shingoryeo

OFFICE OF THE ROYAL COMMISSION OF QUEBEC & SHINGORYEO TO PASARGA
Recipient: Her Royal Highness Azra of Pasarga,

Dear Her Royal Highness,

Her Royal Highness, or should I say Mille. Azra,

I will keep this short, in order to spare you from wasting further time by reading this correspondence.

Anyways, I am sending you to remind you that if there is any form of support needed, or whatever that can be drawn from the Anaialaian nation of Quebec, I will be able to provide support where necessary. Whether in the form of security entourage that had come along with my delegation or the embassy staff, or outside contacts to respective allies of ours, it can be arranged. If military updates or further intelligence is needed from Joongyeong or the Royal Quebecois Navy base in Canarinho, Cabo Azure, that can be worked out as well. Just let me or the Ambassador know, as we have maintained constant contact with Joongyeong over it. Worst case scenario, keep the detachment of Quebecois soldats based in Cabo Azure a notice for potential deployment.

But please remember that your greatest weapon is your people, that of your Pasargan nation. The Pasargan monarchy's mission is to give the people of both Peynol and Pargis islands ideals and values to strive towards. It was with this in mind that the calling from the god, to your nation whose origins also come from wanderers many centuries ago like that of mine, is granted not given, and your late father, a Norsk prince whose mother was indeed a Majistar, had delivered during his decades of service to the Pasargan state and the people. It is something that we, whether here or in Joongyeong, believe you are more than capable of, perhaps enough to stave off the Euran vampires who, as I suspect, would look to suck the blood out of the land.

And finally, use the candlelight vigils. You have the ability to wake the nation up, and it is something that the righteous people, if they believe in righteous causes, will answer to you. Do not forget that.

Yours Truly,
Isidore Platt-Housefather,
Duke of Kingston

OFFICE OF THE ROYAL COMMISSION OF QUEBEC & SHINGORYEO TO PASARGA
Recipient: The Right Honourable Arsene Pineau Kim, Prime Minister of Quebec and Shingoryeo

Dear Prime Minister,

Dear Prime Minister, or Arsene.

Let's say Arsene, as we have worked with each other dating back to the days of my late father. But you know that my respect for you flows no less so let's use that.

Thank you for the news involving the Royal Quebecois Navy's 11th Division (Blood Sea Defensive Strike Force) in Camp Canarinho, Cabo Azure. I have received progress updates about the progresses from General Morin Starwalker and Captain Cabral regarding the situational exercises regarding said situations, and remain satisfied about them.

Regardless, I am writing to you to inform you of the current state of updates in Torgos. As you may have heard on the news, it is indeed true that have been attempts on the lives of both regents-to-be in HRH Azra and Iskender. While the attempts had successfully failed, and HRH Iskender is indeed recovering, this is by no means encouraging news.

The situation here in Torgos doesn't deliver any good news, especially with the entire capitol in candlelight vigils praying for the aforementioned prince, and the city feeling particularly subdued and eerily quiet, almost as if there is a tsunami waiting to happen. It is not normal, regardless of what country, and if my guts say anything about an attack of this nature, one that may involve breaching of security in major locations, it may mean that there could be risk of further attacks involved, perhaps even an invasion on the nation's capital. I do not think there is any bit of doubt, and you should know about it.

With this in mind, it may be time for us to consider any possible option that we may have to address in future time, and start preparing those at the Foreign Office about it. As you may have figured out from my previous correspondence two days ago, I have promised Her Royal Highness Azra that whatever support she and Iskender, as well as the people of Pasarga will need, shall be provided at all cost. At the same time, Ambassador Mollaghasemi and the embassy staff have also discussed increasing security presence and capacity increase on the Quebecois Embassy's main floors, especially to provide hiding for Quebecois citizens in case security concerns worsen in the capitol. Finally, I have requested prompt response from General Emperan over the situation, especially considering their respective presence in the Northern Rushmore.

That is all I have at this point. I personally think that, as a commission chair with relatively limited capacity, especially as a non-ministeral figure, I may have done the best, and the time may not end up being our allies after all. But hopefully it will consider it. Even if it's just for short while.

Best,
Isidore

by **Gyatso-kai** » Thu Jun 16, 2022 1:02 am

.:: HOME Locker Room, The Sportsdome Arena, Koprivvac, West Ruhntuhnkuhnland ::.
1504 hours local time, 15 June 2022.2

A hard practice behind him, Hosaka Severii sat on the bench before his stall. Just the day before, the team had been assigned to the AWAY locker room; the neutral colors stood in stark contrast to the brighter hues found within the HOME room. Not the color scheme he was used to – the green and purple base with gold accents of the Selfoss Miners – but none the less a bit more inviting.

Honestly, as much as I want this tournament to drag on and us to finish at the Final, I do miss Selfoss…

Looking around the room, Hosaka appreciated the various stages of dress of the team; from the cloth and furs of the Watertribesmen in the group to the leather and metal of the Mandalorians, each player’s clothes were as unique as the men inside. In Selfoss, there was a much more significant ‘cultural homogony’ than in the Avatarian Republics as he had grown up in. His childhood home in AvakKutak – a Watertribe Trading post located in the middle of the widening River Simmik – was a hodgepodge of cultures. From the south, the Earth Kingdom province of Shuinian would send lumber and metals to the resource-poor Mandalorian province of Olankur, and in order to get across the River Simmik, the vast majority of rail went through AvakKutak. In the olden days, before the mass industrialization of Gyatso-kai, boats and wagon caravans would wind their way across the great bridges of AvakKutak and disperse into the northern territories and villages that populated Kiwatik and Norg Bral. These travel roads brought in cultures that found AvakKutak to become a blending bowl of northern Gyatso-kai; heavily Water with accents of Earth and Mando.

Unlike Selfoss… and the rest of Arendalle…

A former Mandalorian colony located hundreds, if not thousands of kilometres away, Arendalle was found well within the ice lines of Atlantian Oceania, to the north and east on -Anthor-. When established, the colony was known as Chaarj’yc’gaht, it was seen as a way for the Mandalorians of the early 1800s to farm and prosper away from the warring Earth Kingdoms. As the ‘War of the Mountains’ as it became known waged from 1830 – 1873, the Mandalorian clans separated by the harsh and ever-changing landscape of the various Kingdom-Cities began to pull further and further from those Mandalorian brothers who had travelled to Chaarj’yc’gaht to seek fortune in farming and mining, and instead looked to their own borders. For decades, travel between the colony and its home nation would become more and more difficult, as Earth pirates would sail the outer edges of the northern shore hunting for unprotected vessels to pillage. The Mandalorian Clans could never invest in naval forces, and instead paid out for other Earth pirates for protection or attempted to command Water vessels bought and staffed by more-adventurous Watertribespeople. These ships, known as Sen’cabur, would often engage the pirate vessels, and carried a reasonable success rate.

However, it wasn’t enough…

The last official correspondence between the Mandalorian clans in Gyatso-kai and the Tsad’kedin – or Assembly of Chaarj’yc’gaht was a letter from then-Mand’alor Kevii’yc Adeen to the Tsad’kedin, warning them of difficulties to come in travel between the colony and the mainland. Dated 5 April 1868, this letter became the first step to independence for the colony, as the leader of the Tsad’kedin – a son of native and Mandalorians – declared the colony to be dissolved. For decades before the ‘Letter of Withdrawal’ as it became known, the native population – known as Noregi – had slowly begun to integrate with the Mandalorian colonists, who having come from a land where they were only homogenized in culture but not genetics and ‘race’ cared little to subjugate the native populations and instead to bring them into their own circles. The Noregi began to adopt Mandalorian culture, just as their culture began to influence the Mandalorians long away from their homelands. In this separation, the name Chaarj’yc’gaht was lost to history, while a native name from the Noregic language was taken.

Arendalle… The Valley of the Eagle

Time and tides would wear on the lands of Arendalle, driving the wedge between Gyatso-kai and itself for over a century until such a point the two nations were completely different. Sure, there was minor cultural exchanges throughout the years – military training, trade treaties, study abroad programs through the highest universities – but nothing had been done to bring Arendalle closer to their ancestors than that. Until, of course, the National Sports Council sought to begin its greatest endeavor since before The Silence.

The expansion of Avatarian players into their first multi-versal league since the initial expansion in 2013.1

Sure, the Imperial Hockey Association of Arendalle was small compared to the AHL – 8 teams versus 32 – and drew roughly a fifth of the crowds per game. But it needed to be started somewhere. Before Avatarian players could travel to the likes of Quebec and Shingoryeo, Ko-oren, Græntfjall, Valanora, Sarzonia, and any number of the hockey greats in the multi-verse, they first needed to test the waters in a more controlled environment.

And that is exactly what Hosaka was doing…

Pushing his way into the IHA on the bottom-rung Selfoss Miners, he helped the team make the playoffs for the first time in the IHA’s history, and while they played well in the initial round – sweeping the first-place Bjorgvin Valkyrie – it was in the semifinals that the team took a hard-fought series to six games against the Isarendal Jarls. Hosaka wanted to return to Selfoss sooner, rather than later, and he knew what experiences he took from the World Cup would prove valuable to the men and women on his team back home.

Home… Do I really consider Selfoss my home? Or is my it just my heart is there because of Freyjia…

Regardless, Hosaka had less time to think of such things, and more time to ready himself for the Ice Bisons next opponent. Sure, Ranoria was a team the Ice Bisons had never faced; of course, with the Ice Mammoths entering into their fourth World Cup of Hockey, it stands to reason the Ice Bisons would have yet to seen them. The team had an impressive run through the group stage – 3-0-1-1 and finishing second in their group – but the Ice Bisons had a much more impressive run. Though, after the fiasco that was the AOHC during the Winter AOlympics, Hosaka knew not to underestimate a younger team. After all…

Efnakia had defeated them in the Finals, and in the World Cup they went 0-0-0-5…

by **Trolleborg** » Thu Jun 16, 2022 2:07 am

[when broadcasting begins, only visible element was a mass of the jubilant fans from Trolleborg occupying the stands behind the goal; the spectacle is impressive and even through the TV you can feel the pressure of the positive energy exuded by them; heard the mighty chant of VIC-TO-RY! VIC-TO-RY!! Hockey players on ice are moving someone on their arms around the arena. Across the screen is a running line “Greetings, compatriots! It’s TTV from Schutzenphalia and West Ruhntuhnkuhnland, where World Hockey Cup take place right now!” After that camera moves under stands. The staff reporter who hosts all the post-game broadcasts is already there, beaming with smiles]

Dear viewers! Congratulations on the successful completion of the group stage by our team. For the first time, our hockey players managed to overcome the sieve of the qualifying tournament and won a ticket to the playoffs. Even more important, the national team showed good quality hockey.

Last opponent of the group stage, Khacia was considered a dark horse before the start of the tournament as a debutant of an incomprehensible nature, but at the group stage she did not hand out points to anyone without a fight.

[judging by the sound and vibration, the fans in the stands began cycle of shout something, collectively clap, then bounce twice all together and begin all together again]

And there was a possibility that if another psychological breakdown (typical for our athletes) happens, and in this match the team suffers a defeat, and Tjorlings won their game, it is them who will get a ticket to the playoffs. Fortunately, the hockey players managed to maintain proper concentration.

Our hockey players clearly had upper hand in this game, made three times as many shots on goal, and deservedly - in our opinion - celebrated the victory. Finjord Ringberg opened the scoring by finishing off the puck that bounced off the defender after a long-range shot in the middle of the first period. Yakob Valgren finished the attack in the second period, which Mogren Brass started in his zone, and Soren Jastreb continued, dragging the puck along two-thirds of the arena, luring defenders to himself and passing puck to the center.

[in the stands fans sing in chorus, stomping after each line]

But now there is a playoff matchup with HUELavia, and the opponents look like the undoubted favorite. In addition, we will have to move to another city, this always lowers the concentration of players, and the psychological aspects of such a move cannot be discounted. In a word, it is very likely that the team's stay at the tournament is coming to an end – I must honestly say this, dear viewers – but I think this time we will not have such emotions as in past championships.

[TROL-LE-BORG! TROL-LE-BORG!!]

by **Graintfjall** » Thu Jun 16, 2022 5:02 am

Selection of articles from Græntfjaller news media.

Jack’s back as star center leads Snow Wolves through group stage

Asgeirsson unapologetic despite suspension

Finngeirsson sparks political comment with pro-Dagan stance

by **Schutzenphalia and West Ruhntuhnkuhnland** » Thu Jun 16, 2022 5:03 am

Ro16 cutoff

Elejamie 7–5 Savojarna
Mercedini 7–5 Kelssek
Gyatso-kai 5–5 Ranoria (6–5 OT)
Græntfjall 1–0 Huayramarca (scorinated by Tumbra)
The Cordian Isles 7–6 Quebec and Shingoryeo
HUElavia 1–6 Trolleborg
Sarzonia 0–1 Ko-oren
Valanora 6–6 Nova Anglicana (7–6 OT)

Elejamie v Valanora
@ The Sportsdome, Koprivvac

Mercedini v Ko-oren
@ Eagle Ice House, Stenjerica

Gyatso-kai v Trolleborg
@ Nachtkrapp Hall, Ebenbühel

Græntfjall v The Cordian Isles
@ Royal Independence Arena, Eppelborn

by **The Cordian Isles** » Fri Jun 17, 2022 6:37 am

Chris Ericsson attempted to calm himself, breathing slowly as he’d been taught.

In.
Out.
In.
Out.

He was calm. The negative energy was leav- he was the leakiest fucking goaltender in the tournament. What the actual fuck. Exactly when he needed to be the best, he was playing terribly. Five goals in fifty-five ish minutes, and shots somewhere in the mid-twenties? He could not keep playing like this and win.

No. Take control.

In.
Out.
In.
Out.

The referee’s whistle signaled the end of a commercial break and the resumption of the game. Ericsson pulled his helmet down and readied himself for the play. The puck was on the other end of the ice, so he had a bit of time, but that could change in an instant. The score sat at 6-5, so any goal, either way, would be massive. A goal for Cordia would all but seal a second quarterfinal appearance in a row; a goal for Quebec would even the score and give the Quebecois a lot of momentum, to the point where they would probably end up winning once overtime hit.

The puck dropped, and Quebec gained possession, already looking to break out of their zone. A quick pass to one of their forwards accomplished that goal, and the opposing offense bore down on Ericsson’s blue line. Eric and Freydis were in their way, though, so it wasn’t urgent. The Quebecois pushed into the zone but couldn’t get a shot off before the Cordian defense set up, so the attack became prolonged as the Quebecois looked for a hole in the defense. The clock ticked down to four minutes remaining. Chris faced a few shots but nothing too tricky. Quebec hadn’t been able to screen or deflect those. But then Chris saw a Quebec player pick up the puck on the left boards, as the tired Cordians, who hadn’t been able to get a line change while Quebec attacked, started to lose coverage. The player on the left boards sent a hard pass to one in the slot. Chris immediately moved to the right, expecting a far-side shot, but the Quebecois shot left and Chris wasn’t able to get back in time. The net shook, the crowd screamed, and Chris raised his eyes to the ceiling and sighed. Fuck.

The clock was at 3:30 remaining, either plenty of time or not much depending on how you looked at it. Ericsson figured there was plenty of time - for him to screw up and lose the game for Cordia. But two minutes passed and he only had to make one save. It was one of those that aren’t really that tricky, a hard, unscreened shot from the boards, but restore your faith in your athletic ability. The clock ticked down to 1:30, then a minute. Neither side could really get a hold on the puck enough to get a good chance to win the game. Ericsson watched as Quebec made a second attempt to advance the puck out of their zone, having been thwarted a few seconds before. This attempt had greater success, as a Quebecois player skated the puck past the blue line and into the Cordian half. However, an expert play from Ivar forced the Quebecois to send the puck back to his defenseman. Forty seconds. The defenseman went to send a D-to-D pass, but that was when Justin struck. Stepping up from his coverage of a Quebecois winger, he read the pass perfectly and saw the Quebec D way out of position. He took the puck and went on a breakaway. Ericsson didn’t see the move, but it worked. The red light behind the net lit up, and the stadium went wild with cheering. Ericsson just took a knee, relieved, before skating to the bench to fist-bump the oncoming scoring line.

Though Quebec tried desperately in the thirty seconds remaining to score and tie the game at seven, but they couldn’t get anything going. As the horn sounded, the Cordians leapt off the bench to circle around Ericsson and celebrate the victory. For the second World Cup of Hockey in a row, they were headed to the quarterfinals where, they learned, they’d be facing Graintfjall. A tough matchup, but a possible one.

by **Mercedini** » Fri Jun 17, 2022 4:57 pm

World Cup of Hockey XLV
Knockout Stages: Mercedini vs. Kelssek
@ Nachtkrapp Hall - Ebenbühel, Schutzenphalia and West Ruhntuhnkuhnland

Good evening everyone and welcome back to Schutzenphalia and West Ruhntuhnkuhnland for the 45th World Cup of Hockey. We have survived the opening round of the tournament, with Dini back in the Round of 16 following a one-edition absence, and they look to edge further into the tournament with momentum on their side. If you have just joined us, Mercedini completed their 5-0-0-0 clean sweep of the group in their final match. With seven goals in the final period sealing their fate, along with the fate of their opponents StrayaRoos, as Savojarna clutched the second qualifying spot from the group. It's a nice return to form for the Kingfishers, but now everyone has one life, with one defeat spelling an abrupt end to their tournament.

With Dini winning all of their games, they were guaranteed to be on of the top seeds going into the Round of 16, with the tiebreakers ranking them second behind perennial challengers Elejamie. Their second seed placed them against the number fifteen seed (aka the team with the second worst record out of the group runners-up), which was Kelssek. The tour of Schutzenphalia and West Ruhntuhnkuhnland moves on to it's second city, with the Nachtkrapp Hall in Ebenbühel the location for this Round of 16 match-up. Could Dini make it six out of six at this tournament? Or can Kelssek bust the bracket and advance at the fifteenth seed? Let's head into the Nachtkrapp Hall to check out the action.

World Cup Of Hockey: Dini Cut The Krapp In Ebenbühel

KNOCKOUTS
WCOH | R16
MERCEDINI 7
KELSSEK 5
(3-2) (1-3) (3-0)
Ebenbühel, S'phalia & W.R.

A final eight match against Ko-oren beckons for the Kingfishers, as their return to the knockout rounds was a night to remember for Mercedini, as well as those looking for another goal fest at the World Cup of Hockey. The Kingfishers ultimately came from behind in the third period once again, with three unanswered goals giving Lustik's team a 7-5 win over Kelssek to close the book on a real page turner. Despite this game having 12 goals in it, that wasn't even the highest scoring game in the round. That went to the Cordian Isles vs. Quebec & Shingoryeo, who split 13 goals in a 7-6 stunner for the Cordian Isles!

Over the eight games played across Schutzenphalia and West Ruhntuhnkuhnland, a total of 68 goals were scored in regulation time alone, which could be a record if we could be bothered to check it. It takes Dini to forty goals for the tournament, with an overall goal difference over the six games of plus twenty. As previously mentioned, Dini will face Ko-oren in Stenjerica for their quarter-final match, with a spot in the semis awaiting the winner of that one. However, that won't even be the match to watch out of the quarter final matches, with the latest chapter in the age-old battle between Elejamie and Valanora being written in Koprivvac at the same time.

Over to the action in the Nachtkrapp Hall and it was all hands on deck as the players took to the ice to begin what was a return to the top table of hockey playing nations for Mercedini. Their heartbreak of last edition's group stage exit has been put behind them, and the rebuild is well and truly underway under Lustik as he ventures into his first international knockout game. Things started brightly for the Kingfishers as Supsai scored yet another in his scoring streak at this tournament. He took advantage of a misplaced pass to skate forward and open the scoring with a quick flick in at the near post. The quality of the hockey certainly increased compared to the group stage, and Kelssek were no sluches as they gave as good as they got. In fact, they took the lead mid-way through the first period with two quickfire goals from Justin Stewart and Jordan Lee to send their fans wild in the stands, and give Lustik pause for thought. The first came from a well worked move which ended with a hard slap shot find it's way into the net. The second, coming from Lee, came from a penalty which was won by Kelssek before blasted in once again, giving Subnik no time to react in the Mercedinian net. It took another couple of minutes for Mercedinii to find a response of their own, with Dolocic put through by Signale in a one-on-one with goaltender Bradley Donovan. Dolocic lifted the puck over Donovan to bring the score up to 2-2 with still a couple of minutes to go in the first period. That would end with Mercedini on top as Signale would add a goal to his assist, with the defender quickest to react to a rebounded shot as he tucked the puck in off the post after Supsai's initial shot was parried away by Donovan's glove. Only one period down and Dini has the lion's share of the five goals scored.

Into the second period and a change of pace meant Kelssek had all the control throughout the period, firing in shots onto Subnik's goal without any immediate effect to the score line. The second line attackers and defenders weren't coping well with this increase in quality, with Kelssek dominating possession and the territory. With the first liners all resting for later in the game, it seemed to be all about damage limitation for the Kingfishers throughout the second period. Every second that passed meant one second closer to winning this game and going through to the final eight, but it wasn't as easy as it sounded. Kelssek equalised for the second time in this game at 3-3 with Dylan Saranack coming on and making an instant impact. Kelssek had the ball for a good couple of minutes before Saranack was found by a pass from Alwyn. All Saranack needed to do was cut inside and flick the puck past Subnik's outstretched leg. The goal needed to be reviewed due to suspicions of offside by the Kelssek attacker, but the referees upheld their initial call of a goal, and Kelssek where back in this one.

What seemed to be an uncomfortable period for the Kingfishers did have one bright spot, when Lambeth Carpic skated past a couple of players without challenge to slide the puck into the near post from close range. It was completely against the run of play, with many fans not even paying attention given the complete lack of any Mercedinian chances before then. The score was 4-3, with the second line finding a goal from nowhere to edge themselves back in front. However, that joy was short-lived as Kelssek found their second quick double of the game. Their first came on the powerplay following a hooking minor from Kozhikina, and that meant the pressure only increased for the players that stayed on the ice. Laird Baalbaki took full advantage to finish off a high pressing move to force an error out of Santzin who lost control of the puck. Baalbaki moved the puck back and forth on his stick before flicking the puck high into the net to bring it to 4-4. Kelssek found another lead in the game when we were back to 5-on-5, this time from Lee for his second of the game. It was another crisply hit shot which was too hot to handle for Subnik, it deflected off his glove guard into the roof of the net for a 5-4 Kelssek lead, which is how it stayed until the end of the second period.

This was the second game in a row where Dini was behind as they entered into the third and final period. With the Kingfishers needing to overcome another one goal deficit, just like they did against StrayaRoos. Many of those watching the match doubted that there was going to be another seven goal haul in the final period, but with the first linesmen entering the ice, anything was possible as Supsai, Dolocic and Kelodon looked on, as the referee dropped the puck to get the game back underway. It only took forty seconds for the game to be tied up once again. Kelodon worked his way behind the goal, looking for an option, before threading it to an arriving Dolocic who slammed it into the net for the game's tenth goal with nearly a full period still to go.

It was end to end stuff as both teams ended the game with their best players on the pitch, a good ten minutes had gone by without a goal, but that wasn't due to a lack of trying. Both teams had the puck in the net, however both were ruled out for a penalty either in the build-up, or in the act of scoring the goal. Dini thought they were ahead when Kelodon's slap shot pinged in off the bar, but the whistle went as he was swinging, with the referee's signalling an offside infringement as the player made contact with the puck. Then, a minute later, Kelssek had it in at the other end, but this one was a less clear cut decision than the one Mercedini had just experianced. Saranack's goal was ruled out on the replay, as the referee's chalked it off after spotting that the puck did not make contact with the stick to go in. Instead, Saranack's skate kicked it in, and so the original call was reversed upon review, leaving the game at 5-5.

With 90 seconds to go in the game, and everyone on the edge of their seat in the Nachtkrapp Hall. Mercedini scored a crucial sixth goal which finally counted, and looked to have sealed progression to the quarter finals. It was Supsai again who came up clutch at the right moment, with a cutting pass from Gagliano doing all the damage. Gagliano has moved forward in the attack and maintained control of the puck as he looked around for a pass. He released what appeared to be a tame shot that was sliding past the far post. However, it turned out be be a brilliant set up for Supsai who had made a move and cut in around the back line to redirect the puck back on target and into the net. Donovan had no time to react since the move was so sudden, but no one tracked Supsai's skate forward, especially with so many body weaving around the rink. Form then on, all Dini needed to do was defend the final 90 second, and that they did. Signale rounded out the action by scoring in an empty net as Kelssek threw everyone forward to desperately chase on final equaliser. In the end, the score line doesn't reflect how close this game was. In Ebenbühel, it finished Mercedini 7, Kelssek 5.

QUARTERFINAL
Mercedini vs. Ko-oren
@ Eagle Ice House - Stenjerica, Schutzenphalia and West Ruhntuhnkuhnland

We're down to the final eight of the World Cup of Hockey, with those left only requiring three more wins if they want to lift the trophy in the tournament's 45th edition. We have seem some big names go out, we have seen some big names stay in, and we have seen some plucky underdogs upset the odds and make it much further than their ranking would have them expect. As mentioned before, it's Ko-oren next for Mercedini in Stenjerica, with the Dragonflies seeing off Sarzonia in a narrow 1-0 win. We hope you will be able to join us for that plus all of the action from the big game between Valanora and Elejamie. From Ebenbühelin Schutzenphalia and West Ruhntuhnkuhnland, we bid you goodnight!

by **Elejamie** » Fri Jun 17, 2022 6:00 pm

Alex had decided to give up on telling them how to defend.

After all, his side had just allowed their fourth goal. Sure they were only leading by a single one but no matter how hard he tried to drill it into their heads they were just unable to. Was it the ice conditions? It did seem a bit more slippery than normal during training, that must've helped the puck move a lot quicker and made it harder for the players to control themselves and the puck. Was it Savojarna? They did just about get into the next round and, while they do seem to be a shadow of their selves from the 30s, they still showed that spark of what they once were. Was it his players? No, a bad workman blames his tools after all. He didn't know what it was but it was certainly something to talk about later on, especially when his side would go on to concede another not long later.

Regardless, when the horn went off for the final time that match, he took it. A win is a win. Especially if it was 7-5. And especially since it means they're through to the next round. On paper it should've been a fairly easy game. In one corner you had literally the best team going at the moment, who had just missed out on a second consecutive World Cup of Hockey trophy for a multitude of reasons. Sure they had issues with keeping the other side from scoring, as evidenced by the fact that they had allowed at least two goals in every game so far, but offensively they were flying as seen by the back-to-back 7-2 wins they had over Sainterris and Le Choix and how they ended up scoring the second most amount of goals during the group stage with 32, which averages about to 6.4 goals scored per game. Savojarna, on the other hand, hadn't been faring so hot as of later and, indeed, they looked like they were going to be dumped out early but a 3-1 over the hosts coupled with Mercedini's 7-3 win over StrayaRoos saw them go through instead. Not really a good look, in all honesty.

Alex eventually chalked it down to overconfidence. For a start, the way his players were talking about the then-upcoming match, it seemed like they forgot that Savojarna were ranked 13th in the world despite their fall from grace. Secondly Le Choix just about made it into the elimination stage during their miracle run in Kelssek and, well, look at how well they fared. Hell, even Alex later admitted that he was a bit guilty of it. He could've looked over tapes of the Savojars' performances this tourney, he could've even looked up their names pre-game instead of assuming it was the same squad that was in the last few. Instead, he was so hell-bent on his obsession with keeping the other side from scoring that he didn't think about how they'd dodge his closing down and break free from their markers. Was his face red. Still, at least it was a reminder not to let things like this get to him. And maybe keep Colossians 3:2 in mind as well.

The first period didn't seem too bad to begin with. Both sides played it strong defensively and plenty of near-misses from both sides. Even when one of their players had to be sent to the box for tripping Stacy Saunders, they were able to kill off the penalty relatively OK. Ditto when Cerin Meloten had to be given a delay of game penalty, a rare moment where the nicest guy in Elejamian ice hockey had to be sent to the penalty box. But, eventually, the first goal of the match came when, with 10:33 left, a pass from James Han (who in turn received the puck from Adam Keane) set up a wrist shot from Lucas Madgwick that just about made its way in despite the opposing goalie's skate blocking most of it. However, the jubilations would be short-lived as Savojarna managed to not only level the scores with 7:56 left but push themselves ahead for the only time in the match with 3:29 left. The sole consolation for the Ice-a-phants was that they managed to equalise with 1:13 left, thanks to a bit of clever deking from Saunders and assistance from line-mates Meloten and Bill Harrison.

Speaking of Bill Harrison, he was sent to the box fairly early on in the second period for a fight that broke out between him and an opposing player. A fight he didn't do super well in given the height difference and how he couldn't get a good balance but he did manage to land a couple of good hits so it wasn't all bad. Not to mention the referees stepped in to break them up when it seemed to get a bit too one-sided. Regardless, it still gave his side the edge and the motivation and they capitalised on it with a goal of their own with 18:09 left when Han's snap shot, assisted by Rafael Espinosa and Diego Pinto, sailed through the Savojar goalie's five hole. Not much happened after that until after the 12th minute, when Savojarna went down a player for high-sticking Neil Cuevas. Elejamie were quick to score on the power play as, with 11:43 left in the second, Saunders scored his second of the match when, on the breakaway, he skated close to the Savojar goalie onto to turn to his side and fire it in while he was distracted; Pinto and Carlos Sierra were credited with the assists. Savojarna were quick to reply as they pulled one back with 6:55 left but their opponents pushed themselves out in front once more when, after a scramble in front of the net with 4:09 left, Felipe Barajas managed to get a lucky shot in with his twin brother Danilo being credited with the assist. Savojarna did manage to sneak the puck past Ricardo Bejarano one last time however with 30.5 seconds left to make the second period end 5-4, however. A big enough score on its own but there was still 20 minutes left to play.

For the third period there was a major change for the away side as they had swapped out their goalie. Probably for the best because you don't want to keep someone in there who's let in more than enough just for them to keep sieving. Indeed, this new goalie seemed to do an admirable job for the first six or so minutes, keeping their small gap just that bit smaller. But eventually he had to give one up. And, sure enough, Ethan Swinburne would get one of his own with 13:23 left in the third, when his first shot hit the post and the second hit the pads but the third sailed in cleanly. Both Barajas brothers would get the assists. Savojarna were quick to answer however and, with 11:01 left, they scored their fifth and final goal of the match. Already disappointed with how terrible his side are at defending this tournament, Alex couldn't take it any longer. He too took out Bejarano and instead put Adrian Lambert between the pipes. A bit unnecessary since his side was leading but he wanted to prove a point. Fortunately for him, Lambert would completely shut out the opposition, presumably because of the fact that he could butterfly instead of just stand. Another thing Alex should've considered going into the match. Anyway, a second fight broke out with 9:04 left, this time with Ethan Swinburne dropping the gloves against one of their players and this time he just about won thanks to a lucky, well-timed punch. However, unlike last time, there wouldn't be another goal until 2:47 left when Saunders completed his hat-trick when Lupe and Meloten went back and forth before the latter passed over to Saunders, who tapped it in off the one-timer. No goalies were pulled and, by the end, the match ended in the aforementioned 7-5 score.

As mildly annoyed Alex was, he was far from the only one experiencing this problem. One other game ended 7-5 whereas there were two games ended 7-6, one in regulation time and the other in OT. There was another game that went into overtime but it was slightly less goal-filled, 6-5. The only teams who didn't seem to be having games where their defence were defecating the bed like a soon-to-be-obscure reference were Græntfjall, Ko-oren, Huayramanca, Sarzonia and, surprisingly, Trolleborg. The first two were defensive juggernaughts who managed to keep their opponents in the middle two teams scoreless with 1-0 wins, whereas the last one managed to get a 6-1 win over HUElavia. Maybe Alex needed to learn something from them once this tournament was over. It'd certainly beat complaining to the arena staff, who didn't warrant it because of how friendly and welcoming they were, nor the ice hockey board for the host nation who had probably received the same complaints from the other coaches and he didn't want to pile them on with even more heat.

With that out of the way, it was time to leave the Nachtkrapp Arena in Ebenbühel. He would've joked about how it was a fitting name but he felt it would've been a bit unfair. Other than how the staff were nice, it was actually quite a decent-looking arena that had decent coffee machines. It also helped that it was in quite a nice, picturesque town that could be a good honeymoon destination should he and Barbara ever tie the knot. But now it was time for him to go with his team in tow. And this time they were heading over to The Sportsdome in Koprivvac, where the Ice Bisons of Gyatso-kai played Ranoria in the aforementioned 6-5 overtime bout. Hopefully the ice would be a lot better this time around, especially since Alex was dreading their next opponent.

Valanora. Another chapter in what is the biggest rivalry in ice hockey or, at the very least, in the top five. Alex buried his face into his hands. After all, the last time the two sides had faced each other, the Ice-a-phants managed to win 4-3 in overtime thanks to a goal from Stacy Saunders. A game that didn't seem so bad when you looked at it until you realise that this was at the final for the 43rd World Cup of Hockey. And not just that but the two teams were also in the same group, with Elejamie also winning their match-up. While this match also finished 3-3 at the end of regulation time, the only difference was that no goals were scored in overtime and thus it had to go to a shoot-out where Cristian Serrano saved every shot whereas Stacy Saunders and Cerin Meloten scored theirs to make it a 2-0 SO win. So, naturally, the Calcuttas would want to try and avenge those two losses especially now that the Ice-a-phants are a much higher-ranked team.

Regardless, he knew what he needed to do when he got there. The first is to get a coffee. The second is to come up with a solid game plan. Study Valanora and their performances with great intent, note down every minute detail and try and use that to his side's advantage. Sure he was stressing about it, even his girlfriend told him that he didn't have to sweat it that much. But he wanted to make sure he had as much of an advantage as possible going into this next game. If he wins it then he won't have to worry because he'll have a 75% chance of a medal after that. If he didn't then it'd be a bit of a midly disappointing way to end his stint as coach for the national team. Still, he decided to take his girlfriend's advice and decided to try and see if his Bible had something to help comfort him. And, as luck would have it, he went to a random page and found one of his favourite verses that became incredibly apt in the situation, 1 Peter 5:7:

"Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you."

by **Gyatso-kai** » Fri Jun 17, 2022 11:33 pm

An ASPN Production, Brought to you on ASPN.co.gki
ICE MAMMOTHS DOWN IN OT! ICE BISONS MOVE ON!!!!

ONLINE EDITION

12 AUGUST 2020.3

TOURNAMENT – WORLD CUP (Hockey)

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Written by Shay ISHIKAWA

Group Three

MD 1 vs Kriegiersien₄₆ – W 4-2
MD 2 at Kelssek₁₆ – W 4-2
MD 3 vs Srednjaci₄₂ – W 4-0
MD 4 vs Strayan Rus_NR – W 5-3
MD 5 at Illdonya_NR – W 7-1
-----------------------------
Rd16 at Ranoria₁₄ – W 6-5 OT

KOPRIVVAC, WEST RUHNTUHNKUHNLAND –Coming off a 7-1 victory to win Group Three and finish undefeated, the Ice Mammoths of Ranoria pushed the Ice Bisons into overtime, with the Ice Bisons emerging victorious here in Koprivvac.

It was a hard game fought by both sides. While the Ice Mammoths would come out first, scoring the first goal of the tournament in the fourth minute, it would be a game of cat and mouse played on ice for the entire match; while Ranoria managed to get up 2-nil at 03:40 in the second period, the Ice Bisons would score their first goal just minutes later, and would begin a dance of back-and-forth throughout the match.

You know, we just need to keep our feet on the pedal. (Ranoria) keeps managing to find the back of the next after we find theirs. No matter how we score, they seem to almost do the exact same thing on the opposite end. To say it was a bit frustrating would be an understatement.”

Hed Torvik, Defenceman, Gyatso-kai Men’s National Ice Hockey Team

Despite the relentless back and forth between the ever-chasing Ice Bisons and the one-step-ahead Ice Mammoths, as the game wore on eventually the Gyatso-kaian team was able to bring an almost-perpetual two-goal deficit down to a lone-goal in the fifteenth minute of play. Song Unataq, our relentless captain, needed to get the team motivated for victory, and the best way to do that is to get out on the ice and light the lamps. Which, at 15:01 – along with his favorite teammates Hed Torvik and Watang Kouji – would crash into the net, causing abrupt chaos and allow for the team to close that two-goal gap to a single. Four minutes would march on, the final “Last Minute of Play in the Third Period” announced, and the Ice Bisons seemed to know what had to be done.

Win. Or go home. The choice is clear.

As the clock wound down the final seconds, a strong neutral zone pass from Hed Torvik up to Song Unataq had the Ranorians off-balance as the Ice Bisons drove into the neutral zone. As Song sped down the ice – thanks in no part to his speed and Hed’s size clearing the way – the Ice Bisons were able to crash the net while Degour kept pressure in front eventually getting a solid poke at the puck through the five-hole to bring the game to 5-4. Had he not been trapped on the ice due to a late line change which caught Degour still in the action while the rest of his line moved up to make room for the First Liners.

Of course, tying a game with just seconds to go is one sure-fire way to get your team to overtime, and luckily for the Ice Bisons, on the face-off with just twelve seconds left, Relicyc Tho-An – the team’s leading faceoff winner sitting at 68% this tournament – grabbed the puck and passed it back to play keep-away until the horn blew and the teams could escape for a few minute’s reprieve.

Coming back out, the Ice Bisons looked to be on a mission. The starting five for the first overtime period – Song, Hed, Hosaka, Degour, and Jaster Kal’oki – were all set for what was do-or-die hockey. Kal’oki, playing in his first tournament as a starter since the retirement of Ki’an Losow, was slow to put up the kind of numbers you’d expect from a 22-year-old defenceman from Itakawai. Yet, he paid his debt for starting by continuing to body any and all players he could get close enough to; and it was this skill at forechecking opponents that got the Ice Bisons their first break of the overtime, which saw a forward line change to bring out the true Third-Line gang all while Degour regrouped. The initial entry to the Ranorian side was almost blown offsides; Souma Shichiro was eager to get into play, and he was caught with both feet having broken the blue line. So instead of chasing the puck, the Ice Bisons had to fall back.

However, as Souma spun back onsides, he saw the puck bounce poorly from the stick of an Ice Mammoth, and a quick saucer to Kil’or Alecyc meant the play was back in full swing. Degour – having hung by the blue line the entire time – was the first Ice Bison in the offensive zone, and a beautiful tandem crash saw Degour lift the puck over a sprawled out goaltender and the Ice Bisons would go on to face another opponent in the Quarterfinals.

Who is it? Read after the break…

::: MD 5 :::

Word Cup of Hockey 45 Matchday 03:ILLDONYA 1 - 7 GYATSO-KAI
NAT   1  2  3  |  T
IDA   0  1  0  |  1
GKI   2  2  3  |  7
Goals:
- Kil'or (1G) [Kal'oki (2A), Degour (5A)] (1st, 00:45)
- Wang (2G) [Huan (1A), Cheung (1A)] (1st, 11:06)
- Hiteki (2G) [Godorow (3A), Song (6A) (2nd, 01:58)
- Relicyc (2G) [Hiteki (1A)] (2nd, 09:43)
- Hed (3G) [Song (7A), Watang (1A)] (3rd, 08:11)
- Hosaka (3G) [-Unassisted-] (3rd, 10:40)
- Song (7G) [Hed (5A), Hosaka (4A)] (3rd, 17:21)
Stars:
First Star: Ming Zhanshi (39 SA, 38 SV, 0.974 SV%))
Second Star: Song Unataq (1G, 2A, 19:02 TOI, Game Winning Goal)
Third Star: Hed Torvik (1G, 1A, 18:57 TOI, 9 Hits)
Summary: The strongest game yet played by the Ice Bisons, with the first goal coming in the first minute of play. Illydonia needed this win, as it would have propelled the team over Kelssek and into the Playoffs of the World Cup of Hockey. Instead, Illydonia struggled to generate offense, struggled to keep the Ice Bisons out of the attacking zone, and as such, scored a single goal in the middle of the second to which the Ice Bisons answered with 4 more goals on their way to defend their World Cup Title.
Next Game: Round of Sixteen vs #14 Ranoria_NR [(3-0-1-1), 9 pts]

::: Round of Sixteen :::

Word Cup of Hockey 45 Round of Sixteen GYATSO-KAI 6 - 5 RANORIA (OT)
NAT   1  2  3  |  OT  |  T
GKI   0  2  3  |  1   |  6
RNA   1  2  2  |  0   |  5
Goals:
- Godorow (2G) [Hed (6A), Nacer (1A)] (2nd, 05:54)
- Nacer (1G) [Cheung (2A)] (2nd, 11:12)
- Degour (4G) [Godorow (4A), Song (8A)](3nd, 08:17)
- Song (8G) [Watang (2A), Hed (7A)] (3rd, 15:01)
- Degour (5G) [Song (9A), Hosaka (5A)(3rd, 19:48)
- Degour (6G) [Kil'or (4A), Souma (1A)] (1 OT, 01:30)
Stars:
First Star: Degour Niyan (3G, 21:40 TOI, First Career WCoH Hat Trick, Game Winning Goal)
Second Star: Song Unataq (1G, 2A, 19:58 TOI)
Third Star: Souma Shichiro (1A, First WCoH Point)
Summary: The real tournament began in Koprivvac, with the Ice Bisons standing before the Ice Mammoth in the two teams' first-ever meeting. Ranoria would strike first, taking a lead they would hold on to -- 1-0, 2-0, 2-1, 3-1, 3-2, 4-2, 4-3, 5-3, 5-4, -- until the game-tying goal by Degour Niyan at 19:48 left in the third. Pushing into Overtime, the Ice Bisons sought to put maxiumum pressure on the Ice Mammoths, hoping to ride the momentum of that equalising goal into victory, and sure enough, with just under two minutes of overtime played, Degour would make his sixth goal of the tournament and his first career WCoH Hat Trick.
Next Game: Quarterfinals vs #11 Trolleborg₃₇ [(2-1-0-1), 8 pts]

.:: OTHER MATCHES IN THE PLAYOFFS ::.
Round of Sixteen, World Cup of Hockey XL

With three of the five Atlantian Oceania nations advancing into the Quarterfinals – Gyatso-kai, Sarzonia, Valanora – it is yet another strong showing from one of the premier sports region of the multi-verse.

While the only AO pairing in the Round of Sixteen – The Cordian Isles versus Quebec and Shingoryeo – did not go the way many in Gyatso-kai wanted, it was an exciting 13-goal game which saw our northern neighbor The Cordian Isles come out ahead by a loan goal against our friends in Quebec. The highest scoring game of the playoffs so far, it is sure to be etched into the record books as a testament to the skill of AO teams.

Elejamie and Mercedini both managed to score fourteen goals against their respective opponents – Savojarna and Kelssek – while they both managed to score just five goals. Always a pleasure when the Great Margaret makes such coincidences.

Græntfjall scored a single goal against Huayramarca in Stenjerica, continuing their impressive feat of allowing just two for the entire tournament thus far. As they say, ‘Defence wins Championships’ and the Ice Wolves may just have the best defence in the tournament.

When first seen by many, the HEUlavia-Trolleborg matchup was seen going to the sixth-ranked HEUlavia team; amassing a 4-0-1-0 record in a group with Quebec and Banija is no small feat, not to mention their twenty-six goals scored for and an +11 Goal Differential. Trolleborg, with their similar record 4-0-0-1 and coming from the Valanora group, sought to continue their Cinderella story. And they did, bringing the first major upset of the Playoffs when they defeated HUElavia 6-1.

Ko-oren, a former perennial rival of the Ice Bisons, took on regional compatriot Sarzonia, and keeping the Stars to the first game of the tournament where they scored less than two goals. In this case, the Stars of Sarzonia were shutout by the Dragonflies; arguably one of the strongest defences to ever play in the multi-verse.

Valanora, in an unexpected turn of events, drew a team equal to them in performance this tournament. Nova Anglicana shared an almost identical record, and while the Calcuttas struggled this tournament to score – carrying a +9 Goal Differential into the Playoffs – the Nova Anglicans had success in their group, scoring the highest Goal Differential therein and the fifth highest in the tournament. Unfortunately for them, Valanora found their stride late, and took a 6-6- game into overtime before winning it all, 7-6.

Upsets and expected games… The joy of playoffs…but what awaits the Ice Bisons next round?

◄ ◄ ◄ ◄ THE NEXT MATCH ► ► ► ►
vs # 11

Trolleborg₃₇
Nachtkrapp Hall, Ebenbühel, Schutzenphalia, United Iron Principality

While certainly expected to be an exciting match – as is any match that the Ice Bisons faceoff against a new opponent – the Trolleborg team is set to be a challenge. Rated by ASPN as a -4.0 in style, expect this team to play lockdown hockey and allow very few shots to get close enough to the net to be taken.

The key for the Ice Bisons will be to utilize the speed of players such as Relicyc Tho-An and Degour Niyan – both younger players who have had quite the tournament so far – to breakaway and catch Peter Shelburn off-guard. On the Ice Bisons end, Ming Zhanshi needs to return to his Matchday 5 form, allowing just a single goal into the net. Of course, as they say, it is always best to score first and socre often, so if the Avatarian side can do just that, we might advance into the next round with a bit more momentum.

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by **Ko-oren** » Sat Jun 18, 2022 12:51 am

The group stage gives us a very good look at all contenders, but against varied opposition. The Round of 16 has taught us a lot more about them, let's have a look!

Elejamie v Valanora
@ The Sportsdome, Koprivvac

It's happening! If you watch only one quarterfinal, make sure it's this one. Even if that means not watching the Dragonflies. The WCOH 30, 31, 32, and 43 final rematch (the early finals going 2-1 in favour of the Elves, with Elejamie drawing the series level after 43) is something. And since the disappearance of three-time champions Siovanija and Teusland, these two teams have taken two of the top three spots in the ranking, setting themselves up for a dynasty - it's just that one of them will not be making the final this time around. In the Round of 16, both teams really looked like dropping out early, but Elejamie maintained their #1 seeded status with a 7-5 over Savojarna, while Valanora needed overtime to dispatch Nova Anglicana 7-6. There will be goals.

Mercedini v Ko-oren
@ Eagle Ice House, Stenjerica

Looking at the multiple champions in other quarterfinals, this one is relatively light on historic success. Not that either team has never amounted to anything in the ice hockey space with both nations losing a final (Ko-oren to Siovanija and Teusland, Mercedini to Neu Engollon). Will these teams be more motivated because they've never won it, or will the Elejamie versus Valanora game be a more tense one, because they have a reputation to uphold? No matter what, this will be a great game between the 6th and 8th ranked teams, with Ko-oren having that slight edge in the pre-tournament rankings. Ko-oren is one of just two lower seeded teams to upset the higher ones when Sarzonia fell 0-1 to the Dragonflies (with only Græntfjall versus Huayramarca also seeing just the one goal on the day, and every other game seeing at least seven goals!). Mercedini defeated Kelssek 7-5.

Gyatso-kai v Trolleborg
@ Nachtkrapp Hall, Ebenbühel

Title holders Gyatso-kai take on Trolleborg after a close affair for the former (6-5 over Ranoria in overtime) and a relatively easy day for the latter (6-1 over HUElavia - the biggest margin of the day by far, and Trolleborg are the second team to upset a higher seed!). It's incredible how far Trolleborg have come in such a short time, and while they should be no match for the 'home' team, we're thinking this one could be closer than the betting line suggests. The 'underdog' just beat a team by five goals, alright.

Græntfjall v The Cordian Isles
@ Royal Independence Arena, Eppelborn

Lastly, there's this one. The Cordian Isles won the western Anaian derby over Quebec (7-6) and like Trolleborg, it's incredible how far they've gone so quickly. They'll face a Græntfjall team that was nearly untouchable in the group stage and has still conceded two goals across the entire tournament via a shutout of Huayramarca in the Round of 16. Græntfjall are in the Mercedini and Ko-oren batch of teams: never won it, but they're getting close. Their media are certainly more positive about the team than we are about ours, but the stellar defensive record might have something to do with that. Surely that'll send your confidence through the roof and that might make the difference at this stage of the tournament. Jokulsson is adding more than his fair share on offence, Finngeirsson is the goalie that is putting together a hell of a stat.

About that confidence and media positivity: can we take a more honest look at our team? For all of the criticism of the group stage, once they were in the knockouts, even against a fellow top 10 team, they stood firm. Aemel, looking a little hesitant in the group and even losing some time to Janszoon, but he was back in full versus Sarzonia, and it was fully on him that we managed a clean sheet. While the defence snuffed out a good amount of chances and never left Aemel one on one, the goalie still shone through with save after save, and never losing command in his zone. Auvia and Ehoni put together a great set of shifts, with Auvia recognising where others couldn't keep up and doing a little extra, making Ehoni shine on breakthroughs and technical clearances. Aeniva and Aiaros both made trips to the penalty box - for the greater good, because it gave the rest of the team time to catch up. Aenec and Winterhaag were a suspect and inexperienced duo, but they held themselves well. They didn't try to complicate things and they reeled in their attacking tendency, and they were rewarded for their simplicity by not giving the Sarzonians an inch where it wasn't necessary.

The forwards were all about keeping possession and puck circulation. Knowing to pick your battles and knowing that shots are usually just turnovers kept us in the game. The defensive responsibilities were carried out well, and none of the centres was really allowed to get sent deep, as the Sarzonian defence could keep up with them - speed wasn't on our side. Instead, meticulous play and finding high percentage options might not have been the most exhilarating, but it kept our energy up. IJsberg recorded most shots on target with three, but Enibel scored the only goal in the end, getting the better of his markers near the goal a handful of times. The second and third lines did great, and won nearly all of their faceoffs, but couldn't find a way through to the goal with limited individual ability - still better than 99% of us, but not much better than anyone at the professional level, it seems.

Ko-oren might be able to advance or even reach the final on this gameplan: it's hard to score on us if we're very careful about what we're doing and where we're going, but it's also very difficult for us to score, let alone equalise. It feels like we're still a few years away from a well-rounded team that's good from top to bottom, but some flashes of brilliance, even from the younger players, shows that everyone has their head screwed on the right way.

by **Trolleborg** » Sat Jun 18, 2022 3:11 am

[Broadcasting begins from arena immediately after game with HUElavia ended. On the ice our hockey players express condolences to the opponents and try to brighten up their bitterness from an unexpected and heavy defeat. The correspondent appears in the frame and says in a slightly husky voice:]

Greetings, compatriots! It's TTV from Ebenbühel, and we are happy to congratulate the fans on the incredible success of our hockey team led by a national leader. Perhaps no one expected such a result. The hope was mainly for a decent loss, and, moreover, many would not be surprised if the score was the same, but not in favor of our team. I must admit that hockey players today are very lucky. But let’s relive these unforgettable emotions, and telling about everything in due order - under the stands, as the opposing team almost left the ice, and, therefore, the celebration of success will soon begin.

[crew moves under the stands]
The opponents looked like the undoubted favorites in this match, and started the game as it should, unleashing waves of attacks and a hail of shots on the gates of Peter Shelburn. In the first five minutes, our hockey players rarely got beyond the blue line, and for the first time they were able to make a shot on goal only in the seventh minute of the game. And shortly after that, the HUElavians opened the scoring, after a quick

[the walls trembled slightly from the many-voiced roar in the stadium]

sequence of passes and quick shot for a goal.

In the next attack, the puck hit the Shelburn’s goalposts twice in a row, and it seemed that Trolleborg team was about to falter. It was evident how nervous our head coach and national leader, who moved around the line of players, sometimes jump on the board and hung over the ice, gesticulates intensively, giving instructions and commands to the players both on the field and on the bench. Suddenly, several very fast changes of links followed - in just a minute and a half they were all on the ice and back. And the team calmed down.

[TROL-LE-BORG! TROL-LE-BORG!! ]

But nothing foreshadowed what happened. However, Ruud Halgren intercepted the puck near the blue line, paused, allowing Yakob Valgren to accelerate, and gave him an accurate pass. Yakob flew into the HUElavians zone and equalized the score with an accurate precise shot. There was no limit to the surprise of the opponents, and, fortunately, our hockey players managed to use this moment, Mogren Brass scored the second puck in a minute, with a wrist throw into the top corner, choosing the moment when the goalkeeper has obscured view due to the mishmash of the players on the puck’s way.

[VIC-TO-RY! VIC-TO-RY! Everything drowns in the wild roar of the trumpets]

The opponents went into the second period having already completely recovered from such a sudden turn of events, and subjected our hockey players to very powerful pressure. Our head coach several times put on ice lines staffed by three defenders and only two forwards. For several minutes the fate of the game seemed to hang in the balance,

[Sounds like the players are dragging the head coach onto the ice and being wheeled him around the arena as cheers and applause escalate]

but after recovering a little from the pressure, our hockey players began to respond with high-speed attacks, throwing the puck through the air from their gates into the middle zone, while one of the fast forwards try to use that. The first attack HUElavians, although carried away by attempts to equalize, managed to liquidate without problems, but the second ended with Mogren Brass rushing at the speed of a train and making a masterful powerful shot

[the vaults of the arena shake from the mighty singing of the national anthem]

straight to the top corner. 3:1 - but there was a more than a half of the game to play, and the opponents are not at all one of those who quit playing under such circumstances. The next ten minutes were, perhaps, the most serious test for our hockey players in this entire game. The HUElavians carried out a protracted systematic siege, using their full range of tactical tricks and all their considerable skill. Our hockey players, for their part, tried to compensate for the lack of skill by diligence and dedication, they fearlessly threw themselves under the puck, Shelburn created several miracles and once he was rescued by the bar. But towards the end of the period, Jorgen Finne, having received the puck in our zone, suddenly (for his opponents) move with tremendous, slipped through two players and, already approaching the goalkeeper, move the puck to the side, where Hendrick Nordstrand had only to hit the goal, and he did it. 4:1 – with this incredible score the teams went to the second break.

[fans complete the first verse and start clapping and stomping in unison, chanting “TROLLE-BORG! TROLLE-BORG!” ]

We do not know what the head coach of HUElavia did and said, but only his hockey players rushed to the attack, as if the score was equal, and only one effort was needed to make the game turn in the right direction. And the calculation, I must say, is not unfounded - it has already happened many times that our athletes

[fans begins collective singing, hard to hear precisely through the stands, but the rhythm is well felt, as it is set by the collective stamping of the feets]

they broke down psychologically and could not return themselves to the state needed at such a moment. The team, however, did not flinch this time, and, moreover, twice forced the opponents' goalkeeper to capitulate - Mogren Brass finished a combination of three passes in opponent’s zone with a masterful low shot, and then Soren Jastreb rolled out one on one with the goalkeeper and managed to outplay him..

But the score 6:1 did not stop the opponents completely, the final siren caught them in the attack.

[someone enters from the stands, merrily clapping and blowing the tune, letting in at the same time many-voiced singing and chanting]

But the ticket to the quarterfinals still went to our hockey players.

[upstairs fans again began to chant TROLLE-BORG! VIC-TO-RY! ]

The national leader, leading the team, managed to win as many victories in this championship alone as Trolleborg won in all previous tournaments together. And, since he also leads the basketball team, basketball fans no doubt, will now expect miracles from him at the World Championship in this sport, which begins in a couple of weeks. But you don’t have to count for them - our team, having missed the previous tournament for principled reasons, is at the very bottom of the ranking table, and, judging by who became the host of the championship, it is the ranking table that will have a decisive influence on the results. However, all this is a matter of the future, and the quarter-final is a matter of the present, and we all need to make every effort to support our hockey players, although, of course, it will be difficult for them to count on a positive outcome. But we still hope!

by **Schutzenphalia and West Ruhntuhnkuhnland** » Sat Jun 18, 2022 6:30 am

QF cutoff

Elejamie 2–2 Valanora (2–3 SO)
Mercedini 2–2 Ko-oren (3–0 SO)
Gyatso-kai 1–0 Trolleborg
Græntfjall 5–4 The Cordian Isles (scorinated by South Newlandia)

Valanora v Græntfjall
@ Green Bay City Hall, Lahnshafen

Mercedini v Gyatso-kai
@ Doppeleissportzgortzeinkellerhall, Neuntal

by **Mercedini** » Sun Jun 19, 2022 4:43 pm

World Cup of Hockey XLV
Knockout Stages: Mercedini vs. Ko-oren
@ Eagle Ice House - Stenjerica, Schutzenphalia and West Ruhntuhnkuhnland

Hello and good evening everyone and welcome back to Mercedini Sports Daily and the 45th World Cup of Hockey. By now we have spent a couple of weeks here in Schutzenphalia and West Ruhntuhnkuhnland, and ourselves and the national team have had a lovely tour of the country, beginning with the capital of Uberwienerschnitzelstadt. The latest leg of our journey has landed us in Stenjerica for the quarterfinal matchup between the Kingfishers of Mercedini and the Dragonflies of Ko-oren. These two nations last faced each other in the football World Cup, where Ko-oren were one of the teams that completed a full 0-0 sweep in the Group Stages. Thankfully, that cannot happen here, as one of these teams must move on to face either Gyatso-kai or Trolleborg in the semi-finals.

For Ko-oren, it has been yet another distinguished showing from the Dragonflies as they make it deep in yet another World Cup of Hockey. The two nations share the a common trait of having good hockey pedigree, but never doing well enough to earn themselves a World Cup of Hockey title. In the Round of 16, Ko-oren came through a tight affair versus Sarzonia, with the Dragonflies one of the only four teams to feature in a game where less than seven goals were scored. Ko-oren ultimately squeaked through to the final eight thanks to a 1-0 win. It's an unstoppable force versus an immovable object in Stenjerica, let's see who came out on top.

World Cup Of Hockey: Lustik In The Mood As He Earns His First Semi

KNOCKOUTS
WCOH | QF
MERCEDINI 2*
KO-OREN 2
(0-0) (1-1) (1-1) | (0-0 OT) (3-0 SO)
Stenjerica, S'phalia & W.R.

It's getting serious for Mercedini as they reach the final four of the World Cup of Hockey after beating Ko-oren in a shootout, with nothing to separate the teams in three periods of regulation time, plus a bonus overtime period. It was Lustik's toughest test yet against the sixth ranked team in the multiverse, and the first time his team had scored less than five goals in a game at this tournament. It wasn't originally prime time viewing for the viewers in Mercedini, with ENM2 replaced coverage of the Cup of Harmony group stages with this quarterfinal match at the World Cup of Hockey. With the winning goal from Dolocic going in after 1am in Mercedini, there were many a disturbed slumber for some residents back home, but hockey fans are likely to go through it all again as they will face Gyatso-Kai in the semi-finals

Over to the action and unsurprisingly it was a capacity crowd in the Eagle Ice House for this one, with thousands of Mercedinian & Ko-orenite fans separated by a sea of local fans hoping to get a glimpse of some top tier hockey. With the hosts now out of it, there has been split between the local population as to whether to support the Kingfishers for the rest of the tournament. One one hand, Mercedini ran up the score against their own players, scoring eight goals in one of the more one-sided results of the round. On the other, there are those that will support the team which beat them, with Dini being the sole representatives remaining from their group. Nevertheless, everyone in the Ice House upped the noise when the teams entered the ice, with one team moving on to the final four.

You could tell that some nerves were present in the opening period, as both teams pushed forward quite tentatively in the opening exchanges. No real chances were presenting themselves, with both front lines limited to opportunistic slap shots when space and time was given. Aemel & Subnik were able to get their bodies in front of all of the shots that came at them, with no risks being taken by either team to challenge them any further. The only real chances that either team had were during the powerplays that were gifted to them following a minor penalty. Ko-oren arguably had the best chance of the period during a minor powerplay. Kelodon was off the ice for another minute, and he could only watch on as Kjell Ijsberg was found by Heerekornuit but their hard shot could only ping off the crossbar and out into the crowd for a restart. Dini won that and rode out the powerplay to allow Kelodon to re-join the ice. It was the only threatening play from either team, as Dini and Ko-oren went in goalless at the end of the first period.

Back into the action for the second period and it was clear that Lustik and the Ko-orenite coaches has lit a fire under the backsides of their players. The pace had drastically increased compared to the first period, with an opening goal looking imminent considering the end-to-end action in the Ice House. The crowd were on the edge of their seat, but it was the green-blue and yellow of Ko-oren which erupted first to match their tally in the Round of 16 match. It came from Ko-orenite Centre Enibel, as they tucked home following a scrap in front of the Mercedinian net. Three players went forward in search of an opening goal, and it came down it Ijsberg firing a shot in. The placement wasn't exactly there, as the shot hit the breastplate of Subnik as it bounced back into open play. Enibel was right in front of the puck as it came back out, and the quick hands from Ko-oren's centre allowed them to shimmy the puck away from middle before tucking it in at the near post.

Dini needed to turn it around, as they wanted to avoid matching the fate of Sarzonia, who themselves fell to Ko-oren by a single goal. Thankfully, Lustik made some quick changes to chase an equaliser, and they got it just as the period was drawing to a close. Ko-oren were looking to bank their one-goal lead with three minutes ticking down on the clock, but Dini were pushing hard, and it's very hard to doubt the Mercedinian front line if give enough time. Supsai, ever-present, found yet another goal at this tournament and it was one to bring them back into the game, with a customary clean finish from the Mercedinian attacker. Signale blocked a crucial shot from Ijsberg moments before, and flipped the play quickly to Kelodon who carried the puck into the final third. Supsai overlapped him and took the puck away from his teammate, and tipped the puck high into the top corner to give Aemel no chance of stopping this one. With the clock nearly out, it came at the perfect time to send both sides in level, this time at 1-1.

Over to the third period and it was crunch time for both sides, with one team being sent to the semis upon the conclusion of this period, or so they thought. With the teams level at 1-1, and Mercedini exerting many of it's star players at the end of the second period. It was time to send on the second line to begin the third period, looking to mainly defend their position, but potentially move forward to threaten the Ko-oren net if the situation allowed. Five minutes into the period, Dini found a shock lead through Kozhikina as his rather tame shot slipped through the legs of Aemel and found itself over the line as Ko-oren tried to cover for their error. Many of the bench couldn't believe it went in, with the second line coming on to allow the star players in the first line time to recover. It wasn't their job, but Lustik will take a goal from them as he now had to defend a 2-1 lead with ten minutes to go in regulation time. Alas, it wasn't to last as Ko-oren took full advantage of the second line's lack of experience at international events. After knocking so many times,. Ijsberg finally got the goal their team was looking for with only five minutes to go in the game. It was a series of fast-passing which pulled the defensive line every which way, which culminated in Ijsberg finding space on the wing, controlling the puck well and firing low across the face of goal. It was a tight squeeze but the puck pinged off the post and landed on the right side of the line to bring the score to 2-2. Neither team could facet anything further in the game, and the horn sounded to bring Dini into their first overtime period at this tournament.

The overtime period was as nervy as you would expect it to be, with some of the locals leaving early to beat the traffic. The same cannot be said for the travelling fans at either end of the arena, with the loud cheers now turning into hopeful shouts when their team went forward, or when their team were trying to defend a dangerous opportunity. Shots were traded here and there, but it was clear that the nerves were setting in, with careful passes and small movements being made, so that neither team were caught in possession. That was the story of overtime, so it was unsurprising that as the overtime horn sounded, the score remained at 2-2 meaning a shootout beckoned.

In the shootout, it is a test of nerve and patience as you try to outwit your opposing number. Three attackers versus one goalie, with joy and despair waiting at the end of it. For Dini, it would be Kelodon, Supsai and Dolocic in attack, and Subnik in defence. Facing off against the Ko-oren quartet. Round 1; Dolocic shuffled it left and fired high to the right. At the other end, Subnik couldn't save it, but the shot pinged off the post from Heerekornuit, advantage Kingfishers. Round 2, Supsai went first for Dini again, and went early with a hard slapshot which Aemel wasn't prepared for. Following that, Subnik denied Ijsberg again, with the Mercedinian using his leg pad to block the puck and end a fast move. Round 3, Kelodon was on the puck and only needed to score to confirm their spot in the semi-finals. He initially went far right but expertly controlled the puck to turn it back around the goalkeeper and into the net for 3-0, and that was enough for Dini to clinch this game. No need for a third Ko-orenite shot, they couldn't catch Dini and were eliminated at the Quarterfinal stage. Jubilation for the Kingfishers, they see out this one 3-0 in the shootout after four periods of hockey couldn't separate them at 2-2.

SEMIFINAL
Mercedini vs. Gyatso-Kai
@ Doppeleissportzgortzeinkellerhall - Neuntal, Schutzenphalia and West Ruhntuhnkuhnland

We're down to the final four of the World Cup of Hockey, with two games standing between the teams and glory at the World Cup of Hockey's 45th edition. The cream of the crop is left standing, as Valanora, Græntfjall, Mercedini and Gyatso-Kai remain in the hunt for the title. As mentioned before, it's a second hyphenated team in a row for Mercedini as Gyatso-Kai will face the Kingfishers in Neuntal. Their opponents saw off dark horse Trolleborg in narrow 1-0 win last time round. We hope you will be able to join us for that plus all of the action from the other semi-final featuring Valanora and Græntfjall. From Stenjerica, we hope you have your fingers crossed, goodnight!

by **Valanora** » Sun Jun 19, 2022 10:20 pm

At the start of the tournament, the Calcuttas knew that they sat in a prestigious but precarious third spot in the WCoH rankings, sitting behind two rivals in the form of Elejamie and Gyatso-kai in the rankings. The team knew that going into the the tournament that they were going to more than likely need to defeat at least one if not both of these power houses of the game and recent champions if they were to be able to find a way to add to their already record six titles in the tournament. However unlike the two pillars at the top of the rankings, the team from the Empire had not recently won a tournament and in fact, once you dived beneath the surface of a flattering ranking, it seemed that the sport in the Eternal Empire was seemingly on the decline, especially with the EHL losing its status as the strongest domestic hockey league over the last several seasons. Couple that with an increasingly inconsistent performance from the side in the recent World Cup of Hockeys and the scene was not as beautiful as their ranking would make it out to be.

The question starts to become, what is wrong with the team, what is wrong with the way the sport is being taught and played in the Empire, and perhaps then what is wrong with the Empire as this is far from an isolated incident with just the (ice) hockey. It is prevalent in all sports in the Empire and through every single different level of them as well, not a regression back to the mean but a complete falling away from what used to be the standard and into the perils of being consistently inconsistent. Something is the matter with the way that sport is being conducted in the Empire currently and no one can put their finger onto the root cause, with it must being systemic with how thoroughly it has come to encapsulate all of Vanorian sport. Yet with there still being a certain amount of success being found and that on their day the teams and athletes in question can play up to being among the very best in the sport and on Silverymoon, it is hard to discredit everything that is being taught within the Empire as being wrong at its core. There has to be something ever so slightly out of place, one would think.

Which brings us to what has to be the most perplexing of hypothesis, for if it is right, it is a hard problem to overcome because it is counterintuitive to the very idea of competitive sport in the first place. That hypothesis being that across all these different sports and the different levels at which Vanorians from all across the Empire are competing, that the crux of the issue is not some wrong form of being taught or coached up, but rather that they are trying too hard to succeed. It seems almost an insane sort of hypothesis to even suggest, that an athlete could be putting too much effort into become better at what they are doing, that a team is, and thus because of that that somehow they are then plagued with bouts of inconsistency that drag them away from the very goals that they have been spending their energies on. Yet the mental fatigue and exhaustion, let alone the physical toll now being attributed to athletes who are playing their sports at ridiculous rates, would definitely build up over time and lead to periods of lower outputs and increased mistakes. It is only a natural way of things, for fatigue in any aspect leads to greater chances of error and the mental toil can extract a toll as much as the physical.

Heading into a semifinal against a team who has it all to play for, with Græntfjall being the foe that the side will toil against in the upcoming semifinal, the team will have to be battling both sets of that sort of fatigue. They have the hardest path into the Final because of their group record, having been upset, and had to struggle with a Nova Anglicana side in the Round of Sixteen who pushed the side to the brink. The defense was bent until it was broken and the floodgates opened wide, six goals conceded on the night in a miserable display by a beleagured defense corps that could only offer minimal resistance. Yet at long last the feared Vanorian attack had found their skating boots and matched the Nova Anglicana side stride for stride, until the two were in a sudden death overtime period and new girl Sofia Østrem found a winner in a thirteen goal marathon. Yet the reward for overcoming that level of adversity was not an easy ticket into the next round, no, it was none other than the old rivals of Elejamie that stood in the way of the Calcuttas and the semifinals.

This is a rivalry that for a time was the decided game in who would go on to lift the trophy in the tournament, the early thirty editions of the World Cup of Hockey was the playground of the Calcuttas and their foes from Elejamie. Often against it statistically against Elejamie, nonetheless Vanorian teams would find their way to victories on several occasions and earn themselves some of those record breaking titles in that tussle of domination between the two. Elejamie would have liked nothing more to take advantage of a tired Vanorian team in the quarterfinal fixture and in the first period it seemed like they would, skating out to a two to nil advantage against what seemed extremely tired legs of the Calcuttas. Yet there is a never say die attitude among this group and they chipped away at their rivals, Maja Zahl grabbing the first goal just before the end of the second period and then Aleksander Olsen getting the tying goal just before the halfway mark in the third. Despite all the odds that said they should have been dead and buried, the Calcuttas were alive and fighting, scrapping their way through regulation and the overtime period, before Noel Norberg had ice in their veins to stop two attempts in the shootout, the Calcuttas winning three to two after eight rounds of shooters.

If they are trying too hard and are suffering from fatigue, then the next match may be a bloodbath and it has every right to be. All we can do is try, whether it be to our doom or to our glory. Two games remain now, a seventh title could be challenged for with another win, a goal that a few days past would have seemed a fool's dream. Now, you dare to dream, to keep hope eternal.

by **Gyatso-kai** » Sun Jun 19, 2022 11:58 pm

Written by Shay ISHIKAWA
An ASPN Production, Brought to you on ASPN.co.gki

”Revenge is a dish best served cold. “
– Klingon Proverb

In the Avatarian Hockey Community, there are quite a few teams who fans will see next to ours in a match report and get excited for. These teams – some venerable, others passed into obscurity – have cult followings back in the Avatarian Republics, and you can expect to see their jerseys from throughout the years whenever you catch an AHL or Ice Bisons game.

~ KO-OREN ~

Ko-oren is always a perennial favorite of Gyatso-kai fans; having faced the Dragonflies first in World Cup XXI in a double round robin, coming out victorious in both matches, 3-2 and 2-1. So, when it came time to face them in the Round of Twenty-Four in World Cup XXIV after the Ice Bisons hoisted their first World Cup trophy, many were expecting a similar result. Instead, in a Best of Three, the Ice Bisons would lose the series 2-1, with third match going to the shootout. Then, Margaret would play a cruel joke on the Ice Bisons, and place Ko-oren yet again in their path to the World Cup. Much as in the previous World Cup, in the Round of Sixteen at World Cup XXV, the Ice Bisons would score a lone goal and shutout the Dragonflies… only to have them turn around and shut the Ice Bisons out through six periods of hockey, taking the two games 1-0 and 2-0.

It was during the post-series interview where then-Captain Ishii Hakoda issued one of the best quotes in Avatarian sports history.

”There are only three certainties in life… Death, Taxes, and Ko-oren in hockey.”

Since the fabled double-lost to the Dragonflies, the Ice Bisons have only faced off against Ko-oren three times – 1-0 defeat in the Group Stage of WC XXXIX, 4-3 win in the Playoff Bracket of WC XLI, and most recently, the Round of Sixteen2-0 victory in WC XLII. Yet, every tournament you see the Dragonflies on the potential rosters, you can bet you’ll find Avatarian fans rooting for the Dragonlies more often than not.

~ VALANORA ~

The Calcuttas. The Eternal Realm. Valanora.

Whatever name rings the bell, fans of Gyatso-kai can always vividly remember whenever the Ice Bisons face off with Calcuttas.

One of the first major teams the Ice Bisons ever faced – the Knockout Round of WC XV – the Ice Bisons grew accustomed to seeing their regional neightbor staring at them across the blue zone throughout World Cup Play. From that distant 4-3 victory which found the Ice Bisons fighting for third place all the way until now, the fans and players look forward to seeing the Calcuttas skate and fight on the ice

You have to hand it to ( The Valanora Team) Throughout the years, the Vanorians has continued to be an exciting opponent to face year in and year out. Though, I’d love to see a different result.”

Hed Torvik, Post-Game Interview, World Cup XLIII Group Stage MD 10 (5-4 loss)

Of course, for the Ice Bisons, Valanora would play an integral part in the team’s eventual World Cup Victory, proving to be an exciting opponent in the Round of Sixteen, falling to the Ice Bisons with a score of 7-6. This victory would prove to be a turning point for the Ice Bisons, who would then push through the previously-undefeated Goldhorns of Siovanija & Teusland and finally take the three-game series against Elejamie 2-1 and complete their second World Cup victory.

~ QUEBEC & SHINGORYEO ~

Perhaps one of the friendliest rivalries in the ice hockey realm, the Ice Knights of Quebec & Shingoryeo always bring a smile to the faces of Avatarian fans. From the very first series against Q&S in the Finals of WC XVI – where the Ice Bisons would play their last five games of the tournament before The Silence going 2-3 and sending Quebec home with their first World Cup– to the Royal Alexander Invitational to the hoisting of the team’s second World Cup trophy at the illustrious Rink of Dreams in Quebec, this is one rivalry that is far more playful than it is tense, even though the two teams were quite the threats during the heyday of the World Cup of Hockey throughout the 20s.

Now, with the tournament into its 40s, the side of Quebec & Shingoryeo has not been seen much, save for a heart-breaking 1-0 shootout defeat in World Cup XLII.

Even closer tied, the very first President and Vice President of the World Cup of Hockey Federation were from Quebec and Gyatso-kai, respectively. Not to mention, the rumor mill spinning at the National Sports Council that says Q&S may soon be vying for Avatarian players to play in the QHL and the AHL wanting Quebecois players to come over.

~ HAVL ~

Havl. A name etched into World Cup history as one of the greatest dynasties to ever emerge and play the sport. Coming onto the multi-verse stage in World Cup XIX – unranked, untested, and most importantly, unsullied – Havl fought quick and hard to earn their place amongt the greatest teams to have ever graced the ice. And their fighting paid off in spades, as the Havl team accomplished in just one cycle, going from unranked no-nation to champion of the sport.

Of course, they didn’t stop there. They continued win, they continued to fight. Until finally the team’s date with Gyatso-kai came to fruition in World Cup XXI. The teams would battle it out in a three-game finals series, but the Ice Bisons struggled and could not get any offense going, leading to the first Finals sweep in Ice Bisons’s history. That sweep, would go on to inspire the Ice Bisons in ways unimaginable, yet easily distinguished whenever you looked at the history. For FIVE World Cups, there was only two winning nations who were forever enshrined as victors.
`
XX, XI, XXII … The illustrious three-peat of the Nation State of Havl!!!

But in XXIII, Havl faltered. The Finals were announced, and the Ice Bisons would be going up against Havl with a four-game winning streak on the line. In the first game of the Finals, both teams came out swinging, but in the end, Havl would have just a single goal more than Gyatso-kai, clinching the first game 6-5. For many teams, to be break a winning streak through the Playoffs of the World Cup would be enough to trip them up for the rest of the tournament.

The Ice Bisons would go on to outscore Havl 4-1, including a Game 3 shutout, and hoist their first World Cup at XXIII

Of course, The Silence would happen, and Gyatso-kai would withdraw from the multi-verse sports realm. Many fans and historians wonder how different the World Cup would look if Gyatso-kai, Havl, and Quebec had all been in their prime during the 20’s of the World Cup…

But the world will never know.

~ NEU ENGOLLON ~

The Ibex. A fabled team of World Cup past.

The Ice Bisons formed this rivalry in World Cup XXI, where the Ice Bisons and Ibex faced off twice in the group stage, with Gyatso-kai winning both matches – 3-0 and 2-1 – and would continue to hunt them through the tournaments, though the hunt would prove unfruitful until the Group Stage of World Cup XL, where the Ibex and Bisons would face out not only in the group stage – which Gyatso-kai would split the season series 5-4 and 2-4[/i]. Though, fate would yet again conspire with the Ice Bisons, and in the Quarterfinals, it would be Ibex they’d face and defeat before taking on Valanora in the semifinals.

Of course, the Calcuttas would defeat the Ice Bisons with a single goal, and the boys would have to settle for Third Place over Savojarna.

Now, while Neu Engollon has not appeared in a more-recent World Cup, the fact that one of Gyatso-kai’s greatest hockey minds – Liu Qiang An, now of the Omashu Badgermoles – was their head coach, and still carries the distinction of being the only Avatarian citizen to be a coach for any foreign national team, certainly solidifies our rivalry. There are even a host of Avatarian restaurants and diaspora who call Neu Engollon home…

We only hope they return to the World Cup soon…

~ MERCEDINI ~

Oh Mercedini. The Kingfishers. A team which has only recently emerged onto the multi-verse stage, and already, has taken our Ice Bisons and dealt them two significant blows in quite the embarrassing fashion.

The first time Gyatso-kai had ever even heard of Mercedini was in the Losing Bracket of the fortieth World Cup. The Ice Bisons, having won seven straight games before losing in the Winning Bracket to Siovanija & Teusland, were hoping to keep their World Cup dreams alive after being relegated to the lower bracket of the tournament. For the Ice Bisons, a 6-5 victory over Abhanfleft meant they were still in the chase, and next up for them were the Kingfishers. The game was hyped up by ASPN media, with quips and quotes from players saying how they were ready to keep playing and get out of the Losing Bracket and still make it to the Finals.

Sixty minutes later… and the scoreboard read 8-3…

The Ice Bisons were disheveled on their way out of the arena. Press conferences were cancelled by Head Coach Ishii Hakoda, media days once back in Gyatso-kai were called off, and the boys would have to return to home, lick their wounds, and try again another campaign.

Then came World Cup XLII, in which Mercedini and Gyatso-kai were both drawn into the same group. Obviously, whenever interviewed about the upcoming game on Matchday Six, the players and coaches would nonchalantly discuss the games ahead.

You take each game at face, ya know? I mean, sure, we look to the groups and see who were are facing and how they’ve been doing this tournament, so we know that come tomorrow, Mercedini will be there waiting. And I can only hope that we will take revenge on the Kingfishers for (the loss in World Cup XLI), maybe flip the score and shut them out”

Song Unataq, Pre-Game Interview, World Cup XLIII Group Stage MD 6

Unfortunately, despite talk in locker rooms and in dry storage, the Ice Bisons would falter, blowing an early 2-nil lead and allowing Mercedidi to score five unanswered goals.

Now in the first faceoff since then… Is it time for the Ice Bisons to take their revenge? Or is another lukewarm meal set for the table post-game to fill our boys with disappointment?

Guess we find out soon enough….

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URL: http://www.aspn.com.gk/articles/wcoh/26588532
© 2022 Avatarian Sports Programming Network

by **Graintfjall** » Mon Jun 20, 2022 3:58 am

Posted on the In Brief section of the GS SuperSports+ website.

Scoring finally sparks against Cordian Isles to send Ice Wolves back to semifinals

by **Schutzenphalia and West Ruhntuhnkuhnland** » Mon Jun 20, 2022 4:01 am

SF cutoff

Valanora 1–1 Græntfjall (2–1 SO) (scorinated by Tumbra)
Mercedini 5–5 Gyatso-kai (1–2 SO)

Final
Valanora v Gyatso-kai
@ Olympik Stadion, Uberwienerschnitzelstadt

3PPO
Græntfjall v Mercedini
@ Sunhall, Uberwienerschnitzelstadt

World Cup of Hockey 45 [RPs/results]

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