Monday April 24 (Quarter finals)

ETNA able to look ahead after knocking out the Degenerates

ETNA was able to claim their revenge handing the Degenerates two straight losses to advance into the semi final round. R.Ranieri was tested early as ETNA came out flying, tapping into the energy of their bench when J.Alfieri scored an early power play goal. It took only five minutes in for ETNA to jump in front 3-0 which proved to be more than enough to grab the series lead. As the game started to wind down, the Degenerates had only the thought of how to respond and force a third and deciding game.  A better start was a bare minimum required if they planned on extending the series. The Degenerates came out with more purpose, and took advantage of a power play opportunity thanks to O.Valiquette. Despite getting on board first, it was ETNA that carried a slight 3-2 lead after one. That didn’t stop the Degenerates-from pushing the pace in desperate search for an equaliser. Already with a tally , M.Pinheiro struck for a second time to draw even. Now that everything was as all tied up, the pressure started to mount more and more as time was ticking down. ETNA did have the luxury of dropping the contest, but wanted nothing more than to enable the Degenerates to fight another day. In the end, it came down to the three man shootout. With C.Stamadianos keeping the Degenerates alive on a goal that had to go in, J.Cardinal had to be denied for the shootout to continue. Instead, the forward was able to barely sneak the ball behind R.Ranieri to solidify the breakaway competition and enable ETNA to move on to the next round.

(6)ETNA vs Degenerates (2) Game 1

(5)ETNA vs Degenerates(4) S.O Game 2

A.Ekonomakis steals the show through first playoff round

There is an old adage in the game of hockey that all you need for success is a hot goalie. Though it typically takes a bit more than that to ultimately find success, a hot goaltender is an absolute necessity. The Snipers didn’t have that issue in the first game as they took it by scoring four times on A.Ekonomakis with the help of J.Hassan’s three assists and Hadi Khanafer’s pair of tallies. The issue only started to be apparent in the second meeting between the these two clubs. Granted, the game did remain tied 1-1 heading into the final stretch which still gave a great opportunity for the Snipers to close out the series. While things seemingly appeared to be headed for a shootout, M.D’Alessio avoided the breakaway competition by netting a huge game breaking tally with only thirty seconds remaining. That was his second of the contest, and it couldn’t have come at a better time. By this stage into the series, the Diabetoz Angels net minder was getting into the Snipers head. The Snipers felt they had it if not for the brilliant performance set out by Ekonomakis. Still, the night wasn’t done yet, and the Snipers had another shot at getting it right. The  key element was to try and get that first goal. In this type of series, the first tally would have paid huge dividends for either side. The Snipers would have played it to their advantage by controlling the game while the Diabetoz Angels would have relied on their key guy to make the big saves. After only a minute and change into the contest, T.Carperos of the Diabetoz Angels got their first, and the Snipers were now the ones in some trouble despite the amount of time left over. No matter how many tries and attempts they had, A.Ekonomakis wasn’t budging stopping everything in sight en route to a spectacular night.

(4)Snipers vs Diabetoz Angels(2) Game 1

(1)Snipers vs Diabetoz Angels(3) Game 2

(0)Snipers vs Diabetoz Angels(1) Game 3

M.Argiris rescues RCGT Knights after S.Sauk makes series deciding save

Despite what the rankings looked like with the RCGT Knights winning the division and the Country Club occupying the last eight place seed, this series featured some entertaining hockey that needed every inch of the court before it was said and done. Although the RCGT Knights positioned themselves for the sweep after taking the opening game 3-2, the Country Club had other plans, and that was to stick around a little longer. C.Gosselin was to thank for forcing a game number three as the forward was in a league of his own scoring three times while providing the winner in a shootout. There is no better ending for a team to find a way by winning a do or die match up. By this point, it was anyone’s game depending on who would make the crucial play. The RCGT Knights did carry the advantage when D.Guarnieri opened the scoring, but that was eventually answered by the very same C.Gosselin minutes later leaving about two and a half minutes in regulation time. Even it its not officially overtime, the two sides understood that the next tally would have decided their fate. The Country Club had perhaps the most remarkable chance to pull ahead late in the game only to be denied by S.Sauk. In the ensuing play after that incredible save, M.Argiris made sure to bury his chance, and put his side up 2-1 with just a few seconds left over to staple a thrilling series.

(3)RCGT Knights vs Country Club(2) Game 1

(4)RCGT Knights vs Country Club(6) S.O game 2

(2)RCGT Knights vs Country Club(1) Game 3

H.Angelov’s lone tally sends Brodie Boys through after thrilling back and forth action packed series

H.Angelov is a highly skilled player that can do many good things on the court. In a short twelve minute game to see who would advance, H.Angelov came through in a prime situation scoring the games lone tally to help advance the Brodie Boys to the next round. For how well G.Scrietta was playing in net for the Branditscan, it took a lot to figure out the net minder. Luckily enough for the Brodie Boys, A.Mancini was at his best as well making a bunch of important saves. It was a series that required sensational goaltending. The two sides are lethal with the ball and create waves of scoring chances because of their skill set. In the first game alone, T.Ferreira happened to have Scrietta’s number lighting him up four times while adding an empty net goal. The Brodie Boys looked to close out the series in two, but the Branditscan had other ideas. With D.Seguin scoring a pair of  brilliant goals along with owning the special teams department, the Branditscan responded well in game two to force a game three. By this point, it was really about getting the first goal. On a brilliant individual effort, H.Angelov came striding in using a quick release that just got by G.Scrietta. Now that the Brodie Boys took the lead, the Branditscan were forced to open up and search for the equaliser. The problem was that they took a four minute penalty which enabled the Brodie Boys to control the power play and run out the clock. This was a series that came to no surprise it went the distance.

(4)Branditscan vs Brodie Boys(6) Game 1

(4)Branditscan vs Brodie Boys(1) Game 2

(0)Branditscan vs Brodie Boys(1) Game 3

The SalumiVino player of the night goes to Angelos Ekonomakis of the Diabetoz Angels. With the crowd buzzing on how brilliant the net minder was, the Diabetoz Angels are glad to move forward thanks to his incredible goaltending performance.

Four teams out and four remaining is what’s left over after an entertaining night of ball hockey. The semi final match ups are as follows:

(1)RCGT Knights vs Diabetoz Angels(7) The pressure will come down to if S.Sauk can deliver between the pipes. The Diabetoz Angels own the goaltending department with A.Ekonomakis guarding the cage, but will it be enough to defeat an experienced and skilful team. The RCGT Knights will have some issues to deal with despite being the favourites. They know that the Diabetoz Angels are quicker, faster and carry a ton of energy. Getting on board first will be vital in this series as both sides will use it to their advantage. If the RCGT Knights get on board first, they’ll try and trap the Diabetoz Angels. If it’s the other way around, the Diabetoz Angels know that A.Ekonomakis can carry them a long way. Time will only tell in a series that isn’t a given.

(3)ETNA vs Brodie Boys(5) This series isn’t for the faint of heart. Expect intensity, grit and the will to battle. Both sides wont make it easier on one another. The one area that the Brodie Boys may have over ETNA is perhaps there overall team speed. Apart-from that, the two sides have a enough quality with a solid supporting cast.  A key factor will depend on trying to avoid trips to the penalty box. Remaining disciplined is a must in a series that can hurt you on the power play.