A Clockwork Orange

Sometimes, the fates just absolutely spit in your face. Captain Nick Meglich was definitely on the receiving end of said fates’ spit, contracting strep throat in the week leading up the the Final. Meglich had assembled a scrappy, giant killer of a team, and his own outstanding play had driven that team to the last stop on what would have been one of the most magical runs in league history. Alas, he was in no shape to suit up, and would have to remain recumbent and recovering at home, with only Netflix to comfort him, and with his team text thread as the only means of inspiring his crew. Double alas…Rob LaVigne was also out of the lineup. Triple alas…all of Captain Janet Goins’ soldiers were reporting for duty. Still, Green had made a living off of dashing the dreams of higher seeds, and with super sub Chris Tran in nets…perhaps Green had one last pair of stunners in store. Jackson Tomaszewski had the favorites on the board early in the first, tucking home his first of the night at 8:43 (Brennen Abel & Eric Enciso), and Chris Tran kept his surrogate squad close, in spite of a rather lopsided shot count (9 to 3 in Orange’s favor). The shot count got even more lopsided through two periods of play (23 to 6!), but the next goal belonged to Green in the form of a nifty backhand five hole equalizer from Maureen Ruchhoeft (Andrew Wong & Nick Vacchio). The 1-1 tie held through most of the middle stanza, with Tran standing on his head to keep Green poised for the upset, but the upset was Green’s instead, as goals at 1:07 (William Teglia from Alan Razoky and Steph Palomo Schmidt) and 0:05 (Abel from Tomaszewski and Gordon Schmidt) crumpled the crusading spirits of the underdogs. The wheels came off…and rolled far, far away for Green in the third, as three Orange goals rattled past in a 0:51 span to break open a 6-1 lead and leave no doubt that this Final would be a one and done. Chad Goins wristed home a nifty top corner solo snipe at 8:59, Tomaszewksi potted his second of the night at 8:21 (Abel & Steve Linke), then roofed his hat trick capper at 8:08 (Palomo Schmidt & Abel). Linke added a seventh goal for Orange at 6:30 before Green started a too-little-too-late rally, with Nick Vacchio powering coast to cost to make it 7-2, then Josh Wirt blasting home a Wong feed to make it 7-3. Chuck Bender (6/9) could have let nearly all of the shots he faced in and this game still would have been close, and the only reason this wasn’t a 13-3 final was the sublime play of Chris Tran (29/36), who certainly gave everything he had for Green and their ailing skipper. Congratulations once again to ‘Abelol Schmidt’ on the 7-3 win, the captured Cup, and a great story for the Goins’/Teglia holiday table for years to come. Congratulations, as well, to Captain Meglich and ‘Tanqueray & TwoNicks’ for a really impressive playoff run, in spite of the unfortunate ending.